Fandom The City That Never Weeps

[BriiAngelic]

• Sachie Miyamoto || Hierophant Arcana

• 
  
  
  Persona: Unawakened
  Status: N/A
  Current Buffs: N/A
  
  Interacting With:
  Keona ( Jet ), Rhyme ( Aegis ), Nozumi ( L3n )
  Mentions:
  Seigan ( Blemmigan ) M-chan (npc)
  

  ~ Elixer 777 ~
  5am || Sachie's CS File
  
  She was barely settled in when the woman nearby started to speak to her. She turned to face her and went to examine her up and down. She was hella cute. Man she couldn’t believe that it was gonna be this easy to snag someone for tonight. Is what she totally wished was what was happening. But she’d heard that tone before, compassion. Good intentions. People with good intentions but limited understanding were more dangerous than people with total ill will, or something like that. She spun in her chair at the bar until she was facing her. With a lean forwards into this new girl’s space she let loose her award winning smile.
  
  “Oh Keona? What a nice name! Well you already know I’m Sachie. Troll, Troll. Well i’m sure that Akira counts to it. Hmm Oh that party.”
  
  She leaned back in her seat and clapped her fingertips together without touching her palms together. Dainty. Cute. Calculated. She was a view right from her cute lil skirt up to her pretty blue butterfly bra that showed through the rainbow mesh. She wondered just how this girl could come up to her and see ‘victim’ labeled on her but as long as she could then Sachie might as well roll with it.
  
  “Honestly people loveeeeee to talk. Twitter, Facebook the like. Me? I just like to party. Having fun should always be the number one priority.”
  
  She looked to her right at the boy at her side. She still couldn’t remember his name but he was doing an equivalent of turtling on her. She couldn’t see what Haru saw in this herbivore. He was a dime a dozen. Nine more could come up and be twice as good. Still she smiled at him knowing he was just as aware as she was that once Haru got there she was not entertaining this wet noodle. She heard the girl call out to another. Saigen? Was that a name she knew?
  
  It didn’t matter much as Rhyme answered her. Oh whoops. Now that didn’t look good. Well seems she had left her tab open again. She sighed and pulled her card out from her bra. With a flick of the wrist she extended it over to Rhyme with a wink. She let him take his next customer before getting another chance to fuck with him.
  
  Well she would have if the girl ordered more than just water. She leaned her elbow onto the bar resting her head on her hand staring at her from around M-chan. Hmmm new? Old money? What was this Hime-chan even doing here. With an audible humm she brought herself and by extention Keona and M-chan into the conversation.
  
  “Oh you new new huh honey? Water? You the DD? Can you even drive though? No forget that one. Why’s a cutie like you coming here with a pack and then staying alone? Sorry but it doesn’t look like you’re too comfy right now. Speaking from experience it’s not the smartest thing either.”
  
  
  
  

 

[L3n]

WATANABE NOZOMI- STAR ARCANA - SONG

"Your grandpa died? Um... oops.”

Nozomi’s smile didn’t falter at the bartender's scowl. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t ready to get waisted, and retrieving the bottle from underneath the counter took about two seconds. Still, she didn’t hold it against him for wanting to make a challenging drink. It must be annoying going from interesting recipes to two waters. What was the point of going to a bar if not for the alcohol? Everyone had reasons for getting drunk or not, so she didn’t care who did what, but this was a bar. “Why would someone like her go to a place with friends and drinks, but not hang out or do either?” was what she suspected they thought.

Before the fencer could respond to Rhyme, one of the girls she had smiled at started speaking to her. The other blonde had such a cute and soft look that Nozomi was almost jealous. Coming from someone who didn’t lend an ear to the rumor mill Sachie looked, and sounded, extremely sweet. She wondered what someone like that was doing here...

“This is my first time coming here,” the girl looked between Rhyme and Sachie, answering their shared question with positive honesty. After giving one more smile to the man behind the bar, she turned fully towards the male sitting in between her and the other blonde. Before answering Sachie’s questions the girl gave a quick greeting to the middleman.

“My friends come here all the time, but they're so rowdy tonight. I know you’re supposed to stay in groups when you go to places like these, but I’m not sure how long I’m actually going to stay here,” Nozomi took the water bottle from off the counter to fiddle with. In reality, she was going to relax for a bit before calling a cab. Her friends would be on her back for a day, but she knew they’d get over it. The only thing that appealed to her here was the pole-dancer's boobies, and that wasn’t a reason to stay until her friends got smashed.

With a laugh lacing her voice she turned her head back to the bartender to include him. “Did I really look that out of place to you both?” she asked, smiling between Sachie and Rhyme. With the same hopes of engaging everyone in conversation she lightly tapped the middleman's shoulder, “What about you? You’re only drinking water too, is this also your first time?” As she waited for the replies she waved to Keona, a female who she hadn’t interacted with since she got here, but who also occupied their little counter group.

♡ nearby: people at the bar ♡
♡ interactions: Rhyme ( Aegis ), Hayashi ( Blemmigan ), Keona ( Jet ), Sachie ( BriiAngelic ) ♡
♡ location: Elixir-777 ♡

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Collab Between Temperance and Moon

• 
  
  
  

  It's not worth it. I'm not worth it. Aoi

  
  Persona: Unawakened
  Status: N/A
  Current Buffs: N/A
  

  ~ Music Room ~
  I Never Stay In Love || Ichirou’s CS File
  
  Aoi's dark eyes looked at Soleil and noticed the latter's unease, just like hers. And now the question in the pianist's mind was if the former actress had heard it too? So, Aoi reached out and asked. "Soleil? Is there something wro-" Her friend stood up too unexpectedly, excused herself, which begged the question if she said something for Soleil to react as such?
  
  Her attention was taken by a newcomer, a face that was familiar but she barely knew who it was. The moment was the opportune time for Soleil to go, and she did so hastily. Pursing her lips that she couldn't say goodbye properly. She doesn't matter to you, why are you so worried?
  
  She turned her attention to the brunette. "Hi, stranger." She said playfully, the worry of a while ago being buried as she greeted the bright blue eyes that contrasted the color of hers. "Do I know you?"
  
  With a flutter of his eyes and a tilt of his head, Ichi came into the room. Did she not remember him? It was just yesterday they met, but well it wasn’t like he was just some face in the crowd. He was pretty well known around campus, or at least he thought so. He wasn’t sure if that was for better or for worse. Sure he never was known for much good, unless one happened to be looking at the class ranks for his year, but this also meant that Aoi didn’t know him with this sudden amnesia she’d developed it was going to be even harder.
  
  “Playing coy? It’s me Ichirou, geez Cutie did you hit your head worse than it looked?”
  
  Hit my head? The words lead to a few flashbacks of the event. Getting out of the car, talking to him, being treated. "Oh!" She snapped her finger in realization. "The charming one. You never really gave your name yesterday, you know that right?" Her lips were rigged into a mischievous smirk at him. "But I'm glad to finally know your name, Ichi."
  
  She patted down at the space beside her on the piano chair, gesturing for him to sit down. She beamed him a sweet smile and said, "Why don't you tell me all about yourself? There's still some time to kill before class."
  
  With a large cheesy grin, Ichirou plopped himself down at Aoi’s side. Piano chairs were nice, he couldn’t help but side-eye her from his seat. She was pretty, as pretty as always. He turned his focus back to the piano as quickly as it went to her. He couldn’t help but lay his fingers across it, interested but not to try with his mediocre skills.
  
  “Me? Well. Geez that’s uh quite a start. Well, I’m the oldest! Jun’s a baby compared to me. But I guess that’s not quite saying much. I mean…”
  
  His fingers went back and forth along the keys fidgeting. He wouldn’t play it without some knowledge but he couldn’t help but feel odd sitting still here. Sure it was great but he didn’t know what to say. Was it always this awkward? He pressed down on the key. He didn’t know much but he was pretty sure this was a minor keynote.
  
  “Family wise? My family’s awesome. Mom’s a nag because she’s super observant, like all the time even when she's tired. Dad’s probably who I’m closer to, after all I am the firstborn! I may not look it but I definitely am the house protector, definitely. Yeah Dad’s always been really supportive of us both, Mom likes to be realistic but Dad’s always been a bit of a dreamer. Mom says it’s cause he’s just now dealing with the tough stuff, but they’re like super sweet together.”
  
  The notes started to get a bit sourer as he took the time to try a few just to get a feel for the sound to it. Still he left enough room between them making sure it wouldn’t look like he was trying to play.
  
  “School wise? I’m a first year… But you probably knew that. Top of the class honestly. Actually Aoi what about you? How’s your family? I wanna hear a bit about you too.”
  
  Aoi couldn't help but giggle at his words. She didn't find it funny, so to say, but more of feeling happier than she already was.She hated it. How come he has a happy family? Why can't she have that? A small smile painted her face as she heard the notes as they didn't line up well. It made her want to cringe. But she couldn't really say that or show it. That would be rude of her.
  
  Even in the midst of the giddy feeling swelling inside her there was still that dread that's trying to break free. Wanting to get out. "That sounds really great. I'm happy for you." What was she even saying? She doesn't care about him nor can this get any more awkward.
  
  His question made her pause for a moment. She shouldn't have asked that question. She felt like a computer that had a quick malfunction before restarting herself to fix the problem. Family, you don't have that. Not really. Right. "Well, I just moved here in Kayatomi not too long ago." She started right off the bat. Unconsciously avoiding talk about her parents.
  
  "She is a fantastic grandmother." Aoi said with a bit of glee. "This is the first time that we've been together this long and she has been nothing but happy to have me with her. When I first came she was so excited that she brought me to that old restaurant we used to go to when I would visit. She never fails to show me how important I am to her. Something that I should really show to her too." She said those last words with a bit of sadness. Flashes of how she treated her grandmother with the anger that was supposed to be for her parents.
  
  She took Ichirou's hand and placed them at a set of keys, "Here, see those five black keys?" She tapped each of them lightly to not make a sound. "Press them in this sequence and you get the Mr. Bean theme song." She played him the simple silly tune slowly. She laughed a bit at this, remembering the show being played on the television when she was a kid. "Try it."
  
  She was happy! Good good. Jun was always harping on him to spend time listening as well as talking. It seemed he wasn’t the only one fighting to bring words to light as Aoi stopped. He gazed at her from the corner of his eyes not realizing his own attempt at learning the keys wasn’t getting any better. Aoi immediately started up explaining how her grandmother was so happy to see her. Without meaning to he pressed harder on the keys. How lucky, how fortunate she was that she knew more than her mother and father. He let go of the keys and took a breath in. Out. Breathing was a bare necessity.
  
  “That’s awesome! It’s cool that your grandmother was happy to see you.”
  
  He wished he had that. Wished that he could know his uncle and aunt and cousins, let alone their grandparents. His paternal relatives were so far, and so many were already estranged. He felt her hands move his across the keyboard. He watched her hands with the closest attention. Soon he was mimicking the pattern. Easy, after all he was gifted with a strong memory. A flash of a scene. Him sitting with Jun as children, their grandmother looking upon them with scorn. He was perfectly timed, anything less wouldn’t be good enough. He flung his head to the side starting at the corner of the floor. The sound of the piano brought him back. In, out. He was back again. He turned back to face his hands resting on the keys. A simple melody, repeated with ease.
  
  “Huh, you said this is Mr. Bean’s Theme? It’s nice. Can you teach me another?”
  
  “Sure!” Aoi replied with eagerness, it would be the first time that she’d be teaching somebody else to play the piano and it would definitely be an experience. She’ll teach him slowly, the basics, play the songs that he wants to learn and how he wants to and not like-
  
  Like the way her mother did. “Let’s start with a simple one.” She gestured from one end of the piano to the other. “Both of these start and end with a C note. Each set of keys has a note from A to G, so from here.” She took Ichirou’s hands once again and placed both of his thumbs in the middle, a C note as she does the same with another set. “Follow me.” Her fingers played the notes slowly for him to see and copy for the first round.
  
  “Familiar right?” The prodigy began to play the same tune again, a bit faster than earlier accompanied by her own singing. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ichi, happy birthday to you.”
  
  “I don’t know if it’s your actual birthday or not but I gotta put a name on that song.” She quipped, moving her dominant hand to move the strands of her out of her face, the gravity pulling the sleeves of her jacket down slightly but enough to reveal a thin ragged visible scar on her wrist just like the many more that was hidden by her sleeves.
  
  Notes. He didn’t expect notes. Would she really teach him how to play? He followed her hands. He wouldn’t remember this way. He started to count keys. 44, each key was a number. Each number became a sequence. 12, 16, 20, 13, 12. That sequence. Were the keys repeated? He wasn’t sure, he’d never been taught the piano before. It was too classy for where they grew up. Dad might have known, but how could he show interest in something he’d rarely seen?
  
  He listened to Aoi play the notes attaching numbers in his head. 12, 16, 20, 13, 12. Happy birthday? She was singing to him. It was lovely but sad. It wasn’t his birthday, that would be too coincidental. Yet by his side a flicker. Aoi suddenly wasn’t Aoi she was Jun. A flicker of a memory. Being home with his brother who sang to him, and then he’d sing back. A birthday spent with minimal spending. A cupcake for him and his brother, his parents merely cheering them on. He snapped his head to her. No this was Aoi, not Jun. Jun had gone somewhere and he didn’t come back for Ichirou.
  
  Aoi. Aoi was who he was with. Aoi was… Aoi was hurt! As if by instinct he went out to grab her hand.
  
  Ichirou grabbing her hand took her by surprise, but when she looked at him all she saw was the glaring face of her father. Telling her something. Mouthing words that she couldn't hear. She blinked only for the face to change once again, her mother snarling at her. This one she knew what she was saying even if she couldn't hear it, "Play it to perfection Aoi. Do as the sheet instructed. Win the competitions and leave the others basking in your glorious talent."
  
  Her breath hitched, yanking her hand away as she looked at her mother with a blazing expression. There was a hint of sadness in it, longing, but it was mainly anger. "Don't touch me." She bared her teeth. She could feel herself sweating as bits and pieces of her memories floods her mind. Aoi closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again to see Ichirou. "I- I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me."
  
  "But please," She took out the handkerchief in her pocket to wipe the sweat, breathing in and breathing out. "Don't ever touch me again." She said to him, almost sounding like her usual self.
  
  Again. Such a response. He didn’t understand what she was playing at. He looked at her face. Wait there was still the competition with Shirou. He didn’t want to kiss her yet though. He didn’t understand why not. She was cute, she was his type, she was kind. She was in pain. He came closer leaning into her space but not daring to kiss her first. From a mere centimeters distance, he spoke to her.
  
  “It’s okay, but why do you hate it so much? You don’t hate me, you wouldn’t be here if you did.”
  
  It was okay, she liked him. He was wanted with her. She called him charming. He was welcomed. So then what was it that kept setting her off? He leaned his forehead forwards as if to touch their foreheads together. He wasn’t doing anything bad, he knew the limits, he wanted her to be happy.
  
  When Ichirou leaned to her, she leaned back away until she couldn't anymore. He asked her, making her blink three times as she tried to comprehend what's happening. "Hate wha- I…" She didn't understand what's happening. She wanted to push him away but at the same time he seems so sincere. He seems so warm, something that she desperately wants but denies.
  
  "Ichirou," She whispered his name, feeling lightheaded. "What are you doing?" Her eyes had a helpless look in them. Did she want him too? She can't tell. This was the first time someone was like this to her. Aoi placed a hand on Ichirou's cheek, staring at his bright sky-colored eyes, letting their foreheads touch as she closed her eyes.
  
  Warmth. He felt a warmth from her hand cutting through the sensation of the cold music room. Their foreheads were touching and suddenly just like any other time he wasn’t sure what to do next. Did he close the gap? Is that what she wanted then? No she’d just slapped him away mere moments ago. A game was no fun if only one side was playing. Numbers 1-25 didn’t matter; they weren’t names. Aoi was.
  
  He sat there leaning into her touch. Comforting, but uncertain. Warmth, that came after the icy bite. Intimacy, but not one that he ran from such as the stolen rushed touches hidden in the stairs. It was. Could they stay just like this a moment more? Nothing grand, just being there. The greatest relationship he’d ever seen was his own parents, and they would just smile as they brushed hands while cooking. Tired, trying. He wanted that. He didn’t want more. He’d had more, he didn’t want that. But this felt grounded. But he couldn’t just not speak.
  
  “I don’t know. What are we doing Aoi? Ball’s in your court. I like-”
  
  Did he? Could he honestly say he liked her? She could play the piano, her name was Aoi, and she sat here close to him. Was that all it took? Was he really so desperate? His biggest pet-peeve was people saying they like him when it was all just lust. Well, he didn’t lust after her, so he liked her right?
  
  “I like you. I really do.”
  
  Is this what it felt like to have someone say I like you? Ichirou was easily cracking through the walls she slowly built up over the years. Did she want this? Perhaps. Was she sure about it? No. No one has ever said those words to her until now. She didn't know what to do next. What now?
  
  "How can you tell? We've only just met yesterday." Her voice quivered as she asked. She wants reassurance. This was too good to be true. Was this all a dream? Did he really like her?
  
  "I don't know how I feel about you." An honest statement. "This is all new to me, the ball may be in my court but I'm unsure of everything."
  
  The euphoria was winding down her system, mixing it up with her real self she's become vulnerable. Letting out her honest feelings without a smile on her face. She is so afraid of love. Letting someone in and hurting her again. Is she gonna let him in? Risking it? "I've been hurt so much, what's to say you won't hurt me too?" Reassurance. It was all she wanted from him.
  
  They’d only just met yesterday. They had, she wasn’t wrong. So then why was he doing this. [/ispoiler]Why? Why? Because he was lonely.[/ispoiler] He looked in her eyes. He didn’t have the answers she wanted. He didn’t need them, because he was trying? He left the silence to hang for a moment before reaching up his hand as well touching her cheek featherlight.
  
  A voice echoing in his head clear as day. Don’t lie to her. You already lie so much to yourself, don't ruin everything you find with lies. A headache that made him flinch, something he couldn’t hide from her at this distance. He didn’t want to either.
  
  “I don’t. I can’t say I won’t. People hurt each other. They just do. But I won’t mean to, and I’ll clean up and mend anything I chip. I wanna learn more about you. I don’t know how to not hurt you, teach me.”
  
  Yes even when two people were doing their best to protect the other they could harm. He’d seen it happen. Had done it. Life was messy. Life was painful. Life was carrying on. An offbeat tempo in the back of his head rattling at his brain was whispering to him.
  
  Stop it stopitstopitsto-
  She doesn’t need you
  No one does
  No one wants you or your shitty family
  Even your own mother got discarded like trash for caring for you.
  
  She waited for an answer, watching him and noticing how he flinched. She was about to ask when he spoke up. Aoi looked at Ichirou, his words making her eyes glisten with tears. Ichirou is right, there was in no way that in whatever happens that she wouldn’t be hurt in the process. She was so tired of the pain but she was also tired of being lonely.
  
  She looks back at him, a younger student who comes into the music room that comes barreling in the morning to offer his sincerity. It was painfully real. Only because it’s you, Ichi. I’ll let you in. She wanted to say, placing her hand on top of the one that touched her cheek, tears rolling down her eyes.
  
  Stop! Think! This isn’t what you want. You’re not prepared for this. You know of him, heard rumors. He’s a fuck boy. He’ll break your heart just as your parents did. It won’t work out. If it didn’t to your parents, why should yours???
  
  Thump!She could feel her heart quicken in fear. The voice in her head leading her to spiral down once again. You don’t need him. You don’t need anyone. People, they just hurt you and it’ll hurt even more than you can imagine.
  
  The loud ringing of the bell shook her out of her thoughts. “This was a mistake. You should go.” She told him flatly, backing away. “I have to… clean this place up before going to class.” She lied. She can’t have this. She can’t have anything yet, not while she’s a mess.
  
  She was leaving? No no no no no. Don’t leave him. He was tired of being left behind. He hopped off the piano bench. Looking around he didn’t see what was so messy about it. [ispoilerBut then again she was just making excuses to be away from him.[/ispoiler] He wouldn’t leave her. He could see how that would help. He stared at the floor by his feet. She wanted him to go but he didn’t want to leave.
  
  If he left would she appreciate his listening to her? Or would she be hurt at his passivity? If he stayed he would be happy, but she might be angry. But she was going to clean, he should help her with that. He was angry he missed the warmth, why had she moved away again. He turned back to her sitting on the Piano Bench. He reached his hand out for her to grab.
  
  “At least let me help clean the place up then and please don’t say this was a mistake.”
  
  Aoi was quick to slap his hand as he reached out. Things would have been easier if Ichirou had just left. "I don't need help." She said flatly, a little bit too cold than she wanted to. But if it was cold that would make him leave… "Can't you take a hint? I don't want you here, Ichirou. Go. Away." She said the last two words with a snarl. Standing up and pushing him away.
  
  Rejection. The bitter sting of rejection. Ice cold numbness and tears that would never fall. He was pushed away and even though she wasn’t actually that strong, and certainly not enough to push him when he was constantly pushed around, he fell at the unexpected force. From his spot on the floor he looked up at her as she was Furious. He could not make this right.
  
  He stood.
  
  Why why why whywhywhy?
  
  Stupid I warned you. No one cares about you. You’re a trophy, a useful calculator, an entertaining distraction.
  
  He ran out the door.
  
  
  

  
  
  

  I Found Her. Don't Leave Me. Ichirou

  
  Persona: Unawakened
  Status: N/A
  Current Buffs: N/A
  

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Aoi Mochizuki | 望月 葵

Anger and hurt, fighting over the feeling of contentedness and happiness. Relieved of the fact that the younger teen had gone away, but irritated that she let herself be a mess. Furious, she banged her fists to the keys of the piano which gave her ears an eerie shrill.

She gave out a deep breath, thinking that whatever it was she heard from earlier with Soleil and just a while it was all in her imagination. In no way did the piano scream. Or did it? The keys sounded fine when she was playing it with Ichirou.

Aoi's hand slowly made way to the keys once more, hoping that she would hear that beautiful melody of the piano once again. But she couldn't press it. As if there was an unknown force that was preventing her from touching the keys. Stop deceiving yourself! This isn’t reality!

Fwip! It stung. A pulsing red line was marked on her wrist, and somehow the sleeves of her clothes folded up to her elbow. “Wha-” Her breath hitched at the sight of the multiple thin lined scars on her wrist. One would think that a blade slit the skin open but no. “How many times do I have to tell you to play it true to the sheet?” Someone screamed from the side of her face, her mother’s voice, petrifyingly distorted.

Aoi blinked, she couldn’t believe her eyes, her mother, Angelica, right in front of her. “Mama!” She said excitedly, yet her chest tightened. Since when did she come to Japan? Fwip! “Don’t mama me! Do as I say, unless you want it to hurt more.” It hurt. Twice as much as she remembered them to be.

She hurriedly played the sheet in front of her with her slender fingers, fear budding in her chest as she started sweating but a smile was kept on her face. Anxious crept up her back, afraid of making a mistake, angering her mother to give her another whipping. Her hands were shaking, making the keys sound tremulous. Her cheeks felt tired.

“Do you think this is a joke?” A hand enveloped the back of her neck and squeezed it tight. Fwip! Fwip! “Mama, it hurts.” She pleaded but her mother wasn’t listening while her wrist started to bleed ever so slightly. Are you going to let this be? Her words just fell to the floor as her mother dragged her to the door. “No. Please, anything but there.” Aoi whimpered helplessly, knees to the ground begging as tears came out of her eyes. But everything was fine, this will all be over soon.

Click. The door opened to reveal a storage room. “You don’t get to say please.” The voice shifted, sounding deeper than it previously was. The young pianist looked up to see Angelica morphing into her father. He smelled of alcohol as always, but this time it was so much more stronger. Disgusting. His face was like a hardened rock, eyes glassy but somehow there was an anger in it.

“I don’t need to listen to your pleas. You’re not even my daughter, you’re just Angelica’s little money maker who ironically is no good.” He scoffed at her as he looked at her with squatted legs while she tried to break free which just resulted in an irritated wound. “You’re no real Mochizuki.” He whispered menacingly before throwing her in. But it’s going to be okay, he’ll let her out soon. He has too… right?

He slammed the door leaving Aoi alone in the dark room. “Let me out, please! I promise I’ll be good.” She beseeched with tears, fear enveloping her. She pounded on the door wishing that Hifumi would let her out. “Papa!” Bang! Bang! Her closed fist made contact with the wooden door in succession as she cried out. “Papa please don’t leave me here.”

Her eyes soon adjusted to the darkness, seeing the outlines of the room. She could feel the room go smaller. Shrinking. It left her heaving for air, trembling on her knees. “No… no.” She clutched her head in hopes that it’ll help stop the feeling but it was no use. Little by little her breathing had become labored by the irrational sense of fear.

Then it hit her. This has all happened before. What was she even doing here? Her parents aren’t supposed to be here. She left them. That’s right. She’s in Japan living with her grandmother. This… is all just a bad dream. A dream that she needs to wake up from.

She doesn’t need to call out to her father. She doesn’t need to cry for her mother. She doesn’t need to play for them anymore. Aoi began to dig her nails to her wrist, deeper and deeper as it drew warm blood that slowly trickled on her skin. She raised her head and screamed, opening it to meet cold gold-dusted eyes.

So you finally realize?

That you’re meant for more in this world?

Can you see how worthy you are of your gifts?

The words echoed in her head. She let her trepidation hold her back from anything that she truly wanted. The voice, it was hers but also it wasn't, a mirror of her face that looked at her softly... was right. She wanted a lot of things but also didn't. Her talent is hers for a reason. She is worth of every ounce of talent her father deemed useless. They called her a prodigy for a reason. Clenching her teeth with a blazing sense of excitement, pushing her nails further. It hurt, but she didn’t mind it. She didn’t fear it. Even if it’s just this once. She won’t let fear take hold of her. “Hgh! AAAAAHHHH!” Aoi screamed as she ripped out her median nerve.

Don’t let them take more from you!

Don’t let your dreams falter!

Show them that you are more!

I am thou. Thou art I.

The stage is yours for the taking!

Let your passion loose!

Let me be your Angel.

Sing, Aoi. Sing for me!

Call forth my name!

Aoi breathed heavily, looking at the nerve she took from herself. This time, the music was hers to play for her own.

Le Fantôme de l'Opéra!!

location: || interactions: n/a || mentions: n/a
just note that the Kanji is written by surname-given name

 

[Haz.]

Even here, in the trench of her psyche, shuteye was a luxury she wasn’t generously granted.

She awoke to the sight of blackness again and felt a chill pounding through her veins like the vibrations of a baritone. The carpet fuzz ran like teeth along her bare skin, but here in the soundless dark she found herself leaning into it, drowning out the thumping of blood in her ears with the flaring, throbbing of her nerves. One pain for another, as she knew it.

How long she’d been here was a train of thought she didn’t take long to abandon. Between aimless treks down the red nylon path, haunted by a sourceless light from high above, she busied herself with more trivialities - and when she began to doze off, she’d set her hand between her teeth and bite down hard. It worked, for a time.

‘Today’ was the first day it didn’t. Now her palm was a bruised, swollen thing, but the pain was incorporeal, just an afterthought to her corroding mind. Whatever she’d been juiced up on in the illusory Kayatomi, she’d long-since withdrawn from; but she took well to the apathy, even if it made her sleepy every now and again. Even if the monotony whittled away at her sanity.

But she was getting closer. The thump of muscle and crunch of fibers underfoot was subsiding - the ambient noise was pushed back behind the curtains where it belonged. That low, distant ‘horn’ was all it took to shush her pulse, and slowly but surely she gained speed, taking towards the source, that low pitch now only a field’s length away, until-

​

She came to a halt at the top of a staircase, overlooking a black-walled auditorium. Cushioned seats flanked her sides, each an arm apart from the red carpet.

It took her a moment to notice the people resting in them, leaning on toe-points at the edges of their seats. Their gazes telescoped out to a stage sheathed in carmine curtains far below, their faces swathed in pale hues, transfixed in expressions between shock and elation. She recognized them all - students, teachers, fosters, all so enchanted by that spotlit slab of carpentry at the forefront. None of them acknowledged her presence, yet their breaths were rapid and shallow like those of someone caught dead in speeding headlights.

Her footsteps, now sound again, began to near the stage. On each side she saw faces more familiar than others - Ashikaga, just three rows behind the main attraction, looked less flattering than usual with her mouth so agape, and Rei found purchase in a usual lofty scoff. The first in ages.

She took her gaze to another, where Lancaster hunched with a grin that bore his pearl-white teeth like bullseyes. Her fists clenched and the pain set in, the beaten pulp of bloody grape lodged below her thumb throbbing like never before, cold reality setting in like ice-water to molten metal; the steam lit her nerves aflame and she screamed where no one could hear, the apathy rinsed away like some figment of a distant past, stranding her only with the burning she now couldn’t shut away.

Her walk was left a slow gait, and she came to a halt by the only oddity of this whole surreal theater - a velvet chair at the forefront, alone in disuse. Rei felt about the cushion as though to check for trapdoors, and found nothing but the indent made of her own palm.

Not even a speck of dust from days gone by.

Only the residue warmth of body-heat.

It didn’t take long for it to click in her head. Her face went pale, once-scornful wrinkles lashed wide apart by her coming-to. She felt her stomach churn almost audibly, that baritone chill pounding through her veins again, throbbing in rhythm with her heartbeat. When her gaze fell upon the stage again, it was accompanied by a sound like drums, brass that met her thumping chest in a perverse duet. The spotlight scattered into many, dancing across the void, and the drumming pitched, gaining speed, her heartbeat with it.

​

“Who knows? / Not me”

The polka-dots converged like hoofers in routine, illuminating the scarlet folds yet again. She blinked twice to double-check, because for a moment she saw the curtains parting. And that’s when she realized that they were.

“We never lost control”

Footsteps rang clear, each like gunshots, tempered to the percussion. The blinds spread further with each invisible tug, slowly betraying what lay below.

“You’re face / to face”

Arms spread high trotted onto the stagefront like two black-and-fleshtoned horns. Its combat heels clacked in sync with the creak of wood underfoot. That hueless military jacket, shrined in gold embroideries, flapped under the silent wind, revealing a two-tone blazer the stage’s red and a waist-holstered handgun beneath. Those citrine eyes peered out from under their purple bangs, which themselves hung like scattered curtains, untied and untangled. But the face was all wrong, a prop of lacquered plastic with flat, painted features, even those yellow irises just a thing of pretend - the fringes of its mask were elevated, casting shadow on its soft jaw, which seemed to twist into a smile.

“With the man who sold the world"

Those lifeless eyes regarded their sibling twins in silence, till the creature spoke with a booming voice not its own but Rei's, yet run through a thick filter like noise from a farm radio:
“Welcome, welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! To the grand performance of the brilliant actress, the great sham - Rei Kimiko!”

And applause.

---

Mentioned: loveweaver (Soleil Ashikaga), CapRock (Shirou Lancaster), Hououin Kyouma (???)
Hex: #7B00FF

 

[Jet]

Keona Aukai


​

People were multiplying fast, sprouting from the carpet like summer weeds sustained off spilled beer and ancient crusting bar snacks. Cramping the shared space they formed a frenetic conversation bubble in typical dive-bar fashion, where each person fought for speaking room as much as standing. They were chaotic energy embodied, making things hard to follow from weighty word count and combined volume.... not that Keona was complaining! Chaos drew attention toward random spectacle, pushing thoughts downriver from daily troubles for present intrigue like her fast-forming gang of goonies.

First was Seigan who joined with laconic measure, playing the baseline character for comedic effect after others went bonkers. He was the kind of straight edge that every group needed to function, checking drunk-idiot tendencies with composed normalcy. Keeping faith his small talk was common but around maniacs that wasn't an issue and yelling over the crowd Keona went — "Seriously! It's crazy in here tonight... Only my third time but I've never seen Elixer so packed" with animated eyes wandering the packed room in agreement.

Next went Sachie saying how she just "has fun" but which type of fun was that exactly? Her vague answer lacked depth and Keona sensed warm lusty appraisal from a source unknown. Creepy customers shot looks from every corner so the feeling wasn't from her new acquaintance right? Whatever the case she killed pointless worries, cheering her glass over Sachie's loose mentality. Hearing shared opinions she could only laugh out — "amen to that" before slamming a hefty sip!

Last there was sunshine Nozomi the cheerful one, also known as Little-Fish pulled from water. Elixer's resident baby she was innocent and button cute without safe harbor inside hell's burlesque bar. Danger was present here from criminal sharks pacing foul waters, playing inexperienced women like her for hookups and various scams. Separate from pack safety a freak otaku would easily game her with plying drinks or something more... unspeakable even.

Lucky stripes then, that sunshine was among women experienced in dodging milk carton missing sections! Sachie's lecture was rock solid advice that way, preaching safe travels sourced from her illustrious veteran knowledge. She was right about having close groups for protection (after twelve mimosas) but fast answers made the whole windup seem kinda pointless. Nozomi wasted no time blazing through every concern and"well that's fair enough she's being smart" was Keona's main takeaway.

Sunshine was distant from her group's wasted stormcell but going rogue wasn't about lonesome dumbshit without holding back. Her mission was more about "how to escape their collective dumbshit" for sober nightcaps after math homework and Netflix specials. How disgusting! Her answer radiated dangerous levels of straight laced responsibility and Keona felt dissatisfied maternal disappointment toward the girl's extremely smart answer. Only siths dealt in unnatural absolutes like this and intervention called because these conditions were unacceptable!!!

Considering options Keona looked between blonde and bartender, smiling something mischievous. Holding laughs a subtle amusement played faint notes across her face before shouting — "Hey! Can you do me a favor!" over the room's maxed volume. Assuming barkeep caught her shout she added "Can you get her a Mike's Hard? My treat!" playing eyes between both people. Less dangerous than water, spiked lemonade packed enough booze for boozed baptisms without slapping Nozomi sideways. For beginner drinks Keona's selection was safe and semi-responsible, passing over maniac cocktails for something smarter. There wouldn't be any alcohol poisoning going on with newbie tonight, plus any approaching creeps would suffer pepper spray across the eyeline.

Community mom was covering every base, mulling decisions with confidence but her suggestion wasn't sold yet. She needed some added marketing to overcome Nozomi's sharpened straight edge. So with a calm wink she looked toward her young unsullied friend to convincingly joke — "Trust me it's good! You know you should let loose sometimes! Right Sachie?"

L3n BriiAngelic Blemmigan

 

[Blemmigan]

Seigen Hayashi
(林 静源 hayashi seigen) (CS)
Location: Elixir-777
With: Aegis (Rhyme) • BriiAngelic (Sachie)
Talking to: Jet (Keona) • L3n (Nozomi)
-

"...I've never seen Elixir so packed."

He wondered if there was any particular reason for so many people coming here tonight: some kind of event? Why had he been persuaded to come here now in the middle of the week? He privately toyed with the idea of thinking it some kind of conspiracy, then gave it up. The noise made it difficult to think anyway: chatter and shouts mixed with the clink of glass and the ever-present thrum of music, so grey and heavy it absorbed anything quiet.

The redhead was off again, talking around the little group at the bar, bringing them all conversationally closer together, like a sheepdog running rings to keep a flock in check.

Somebody tapped him on the shoulder. “What about you? You’re only drinking water too, is this also your first time?”

Seigen looked down at his almost-empty glass. "It's ginger ale," he answered lamely, then sighed. The point was the same. "I... don't drink. And I'm really only here because B—" Despite how busy the place was, he somehow knew just at a glance that the other two had already left without him. Because of course they had. Maybe they'd managed to find and impress a couple of girls, or maybe just one drink apiece had been too much, and they'd both forgotten about the person who'd bought it.

Well, fine. Let the joke be on them: the person who actually ended up staying on in this hovel was the sober, responsible, boring one. "I'm just here for the atmosphere," he told the blonde girl, his annoyance finding a brief outlet as sarcasm.

 

[The Regal Rper]

Erasmus | The Site | The Finale​

• The End
• Arise

• 
  Noises. Sounds, he was moving- going somewhere. Doors behind, or maybe it was in front of him opened and he felt the soft cushions he rested on lurch with movement.
  
  Must have dozed off he thought, his eyes still closed. Till he heard a feminine giggle.
  
  And now noticed the sound of steps. Movement.
  
  Life and adrenaline surged into his body. The tingling had returned, the odd sensation from before the crash now forgotten he tried to move, felt his legs twitch, felt his arms go an inch up but no further. There was resistance and pieces of his mind rang warning bells that this was reason to feel concerned.
  
  But as he fought to open his eyes, that haze around his vision which centralized things into focus returned. The briefest coherent thought went through his mind and it said he was restrained, but if that did anything- it merely made his Heart thump in tune to the guitar strums.
  
  He opened his eyes, only to find they weren't hazed, they were covered. He couldn't see through the fabric, but now that they were open things became clearer. The wheels, the footsteps, the squeaking on the corridor. The sound of other bodies- the memory of the fire truck briefly flashing through his mind.
  
  "A hospital?" He whispered in a croak, withered voice.
  
  The female voice above him seemed to giggle, sinisterly replying: "Exactly."
  
  
  
  Clapping. As if his awakening was all that was needed to make the sounds clear, clapping was all he could hear all around. Claps and stomps and some group of people rhythmically slapping objects to each second or third stomp. They were dancing- he could sense it. His head bobbed to the tune as they passed someone who belted out the first lyrics on cue, sounding just like him.
  
  
  Yeaaaaaah--Another one bites the dust​
  
  He couldn't control himself, Eras felt the music just like they did- just like his stalker with golden eyes, he felt the beat and unlike them, for once, it was not empowering him. Like a saiyan revived he flexed his tingling body and felt the restraints sink into his skin taut.
  
  Somewhere, to the horror of his psyche, a horror being beaten down into a bloody mess- the music now terrified him.
  
  "Are you ready?" Someone sung out to his left. "Are ya ready for this, yeaaaaaah!"
  
  And the whole room howled a sweet: "hooooooo!"
  
  Powerless, all he could do was bob to the sweet strums of someone following closely with a bass guitar. The tempo picking and dropping as they made turns, twists, curves in the corridor. Doors slammed open and Erasmus felt the mask come off, vision flooded by the smiling faces of doctors, doctors peering down at him with their golden eyes where just ahead- a spotlight, a surgery table, and that was all he needed to see.
  
  Like Michael Jackson, he practically ascended into the air on his heels when the stretcher came to a stop the moment the restraints were taken off. Truth being it was the paramedics that seemed to be lifting him off the bed and back onto the ground. Steadying him on his wobbly feet and ushering in the direction of the table.
  
  Erasmus decided right then and there that even if he had lost the greatest game of Freeze Tag ever, it was not over and he would not be going down without some form of d. On his next wobbly step he feinted a fall and felt the grip of his seekers loosen at the exact moment. Taking this opportunity, the boy rolled forward and out of his captors grip to create a gap of several steps that he quickly jumped to his feet on once distance was made.
  
  Balance however was not forthcoming. Erasmus dipped left as the lyrics ' are you hanging on the edge of your seat' slipped out . And at those exact words he did a 180 turn to face the correct side where his opponents were.
  
  The sight of doctors and nurses doing the gangam thrust was a sight to behold and it merely made Erasmus squint at the provocative challenge he was now being faced with. A dance off for his freedom was what those moves were calling for, and if it was a dance off they wanted then it was a dance off they would get!
  
  "Haveatthee!" The words slurred together in some cocktail of nonsense but it was too late to stop him now. Common sense tried to tell him he was in no condition to engage in a duel with multiple dancers, but that was where common sense was wrong. He didn't need to engage, he just needed to get them out of his way so he could waltz his way down the exit.
  
  Approaching on shakey legs, Erasmus did the only art of dance he knew in this state, and that was the rumba.
  
  Grabbing one nurse and spinning her into an arm he dipped back, leaned in, then rose, drew her out of his reach with the other arm, unravelling her like rolled up paper. Out she went, spinning directly into two of her colleagues and creating a stumbled mess of bodies that were now struggling to arrange themselves. Meanwhile, Eras turned to the exit where two doctors in lab coats blocked his exit, bouncing on their feet and bobbing to the beat just as he was crissing and crossing his legs and going 360 on a turn as he shuffled forward.
  
  His eyes widened at the sight of the door opening and in came five male nurses, three female nurses, two doctors and one mask wearing guy that looked exactly like him, dressed like any surgeon prepped for surgery.
  
  Clearing his throat, the gold eyed Erasmus seemed to cause whatever would have happened just now to come to a sudden halt. From behind his surgical mask he narrowed his eyes at his doppleganger; one gold eye brighter than the other, and then raising a single hand, snapped his fingers together.
  
  The doors behind him and his team of prepped surgeons opened and in came a gold eyed janitor through the silence, wheeling in something on a metal tray. From where he was standing Erasmus couldn't see what it was from how one nurse stood so near the tray but the glance over his shoulder at the spotlight table was really all he needed to know who was going under time out if he didn't win this game of sweet moves.
  
  "So," Gold Eyes said behind the mask, all the other gold eyes staring at Eras, making him feel warm. "We going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"
  
  Erasmus narrowed his eyes. Shifting to the silence that now permeated the room he only now realized his earphones were gone and so was his phone.
  
  Gold Eyes Erasmus sighed and when he did the other gold eyes looked to each other uncomfortably, but to Erasmus drugged mind it might as well have been a shared glance of the same idea. "Hard way it is. Fine if you won't listen to me. I'll make you, just like you always tend to."
  
  Removing his surgical top at the same time as the others Gold Eyes and his crew tossed their tops to the back behind them and in that same instant hands appeared to grab the tossed aside items.
  
  More staff and now even patients showed up. Grabbing things and wheeling equipment against the wall, creating something of a ring where the only center pieces was Erasmus, the surgery table bolted to the floor, and the doctors standing in his way.
  
  "Bring it in", Gold Eyes ordered, and the janitor did. Wheeling a covered tray to the side, on Erasmus' left. A series of instruments hidden from view that made him feel warm, made him shift to a musicless world that now left him feeling almost lethargic and without the high he'd grown used to for a while.
  
  The janitor retreated, seconds went by and Erasmus was silent. He stated at himself, Gold Eyes stared back and the room of gold eyes watched him without saying a word, all of them quiet. Waiting. Till finally the janitor returned, wheeling in a covered group of figures and the moment one of the extra nurses helped him yank off the cloak, was the same instant the bongos started lightly playing.
  
  
  
  Gold Eyes strolled up to Erasmus and the moment the first wind instruments and bongos started to interchange, his strut switched into a fast approaching tango that Erasmus countered with his own by stopping the double with an outstretched hand. They went off in a circle and around them nurses and doctors danced against each other just as Gold Eyes and Erasmus danced against one another.
  
  The second his back was to the door, Erasmus moved towards the exit but Gold Eyes caught him by the wrist and twirled him back into his arms; taking him for a dip that Eras adjusted to with a outward kick of his leg in practiced movement. The moment he was back up on his feet, Erasmus pushed his double back and quickly catwalked past a duet of dancers, only to be stopped by a nurse that pressed her back against him, looking him with the same glint of gold in her eyes from behind bangs of blonde.
  
  Feet traded steps and Erasmus guided his new partner in the tango forward guiding her steps and matching her sways as he moved towards the exit only to be turned around by his dance partner, try to distance himself with a fleeting outstretched arm as he backed away-- ended up hip checked by two young nurse women with black hair, their hips connecting with his rump and the gentle but firm push of their hand on his back, a shove towards his first female partner he had abandoned to get closer to his escape.
  
  The blonde miss met him with a glower and a glint in her eyes and Erasmus found his collar grabbed and pulled violently forwards into the women's vicinity. Her hand on his waist, she now leading him despite his advantage in height over her.
  
  The song picked up, playing aggressively and in that instant Erasmus was turned around, heading for a wall with three nurses, all female, following and matching the one leading him with their own.
  
  Before Erasmus could reach the wall, he broke his partner's hold and did a electric slide to a stop. And when he did, the music did to.
  
  Blowing a bang of his blackhair out of his eyes, Erasmus tucked it behind an ear, and then began his predatory walk towards to the blonde and the ladies, the staff watching behind them with his double eyeing in silence-- just to be broken as Erasmus clapped his hands sharply-- the music continued. And he now took the lead.
  
  The blonde miss matched his steps going backwards as he came forwards. He turned, swatting, not hitting but a dramatic sign of detest towards his partner in the Spanish language of tango and she fell back, into the waiting arms of two doctors. Erasmus turned his narrowed, fiery, hazy glare towards the exit- and found that the others still blacked his path.
  
  He moved towards them like a cat, and grabbed the first person that was nearest to engage in a leading walk with one hand clasped together, arm pointing straight, bodies aligned pointing to the door. As they moved, like a knife Erasmus cut through those blocking his path using the other doctor's arm as the other part of the blade to help him carve a way out of this madness. While he lead and kept his step a second ahead of his male partner's Erasmus only abandoned the doctor once he was halfway to the door.
  
  A young nurse slid to a halt in front of him cutting off his path. And Erasmus did nothing but slip an arm around her waist and lead her to the side, only to watch her be shoved, just for Gold Eyes to take her place. Slipping the original's arm around his waist and clasping his hand in the other.
  
  The song looped back, calmer, more sinister, and now it was Erasmus being pushed towards the table yet again.
  
  Taking a dip, Erasmus twirled Gold Eyes away from him, only to find one doctor catch his doppleganger and stop him from getting tossed too far away. The staff now moved like a tide as the song once again rapidly picked up, and the tango that had been playing was now nothing more than ballet. Legs were kicked high in an attempt to keep him from pushing past them or ensnaring a new partner forward. Erasmus was pressured back and back, till finally before he knew it his hand touched something cold. In that instant he knew it was too late.
  
  He glanced behind him, saw the table- and then, frowning, when he looked forward- he felt a harsh shove from Gold Eyes that sent him sprawling to his back on the table- only to be hastily accompanied by the piroutte of nurses around him who quickly grabbed his limbs and pulled him roughly on all sides to a proper position on the surgery table.
  
  Straps were fastened in blinding speed, and the song slowly came to an end with beating of a xylophone and the final cry of a piano.
  
  Only to be replaced by a new one. A chorus it seemed as he watched most of the nurses and doctors save for the few that came with Gold Eyes sink into the back and pick ups tongs for their drums. Immediately they started slowly beating:
  
  ​
  
  
  The janitor wheeled in the tray to his right, and Gold Eyes unveiled it. On it, tools, none of which were for medicine. Erasmus blinked, his awareness now fizzling at the ages, that sense of oddness replacing with concern. The drums pounded and with each heavy hit his heartbeat followed.
  
  Picking a tool, Gold Eyes waved a hacksaw into view. As soon as he saw it, he tossed it- the sound it made hitting the floor making Erasmus flinch but doing nothing to stop the beats. He picked up a hammer and chisel. He aimed it, pointing at Erasmus chest in the air as he and his team hovered above the drugged fool, making motions at the chest with the hammer- each strike causing Erasmus to wince even more. Licking lips the teen tried to say something, something about how this game seemed to have gotten lost in itself somewhere but his tongue was sandpaper and his mouth as dry as the desert. Words would not form and his lips felt heavy.
  
  The pounding increased, the cycle of weapons to crack Erasmus open grew faster. An axe, no; a chainsaw, no; garden shears, no; a steel saw cutter, no; finally Gold Eyes stopped.
  
  "A drill", he said at the exact moment the place went silent. The height of where his voice could be heard. "Lobotomy?"
  
  Whispers was his reply. A sea of whispers, all of them agreements. "Excellent." He replied and then his gold eyes honed in on Erasmus. "Hold him."
  
  The drumming continued anew, faster, more rapid, louder by the second--
  
  --and Erasmus chuckled when they held him down. It was silly, besides what else could he do? He was restrained. This was clearly a joke, he had nothing to fear. It was a hoax-- the drill started-- and he had nothing to fear.
  
  Gold Eyes stared down at him silently and said three words. "No. It's not. and then taking his gloved hand he pried open an eye with a finger while a doctor kept Erasmus head held firmly. In the other hand, the drill neared.
  
  The sound of whrring was all Erasmus heard in that moment, it became nothing more than the only sound he could hear, the distant pound of drums or maybe his heart irrelevant. One moment he could see from both eyes- the next- indescribable agony.
  
  And the only way to deal with it was by painfully biting his own tongue off, in half.
  
• 
  
  Pathetic. Weak. Worthless. Their words and their actions never bothered you because you would not let it. In truth you lie to yourself, you deny yourself and give all to others. Noble yet foolish the scars etched in your mind are the battles etched in my body- for I art thou, thou art I.
  
  Your anxieties are your battles, the testament of others- your enemy, you strive to exceed and never feel low again and so I will help you, so long as you recognize you must help yourself.
  
  Together we are invincible. Together- We are Sparta.​

Mentions: Haz.

Interacts: n/a

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Ichirou Amano || Elder Brother, Temperance

• 
  
  
  Persona: Reginald, The Calm
  Status: Full Health
  Current Buffs: N/A
  Haz.
  

  ~ ??? ~
  Miracle of The Battle || Ichirou’s CS File
  
  He was running. Out the Door. Down the hall. Emptiness surrounded. The hallways were huge, twisting in ways they weren’t before. Heartbeat pounding in his chest. The door behind him disappeared. Zero trace of it ever existing. No one. He was alone again. He was always alone.
  
  You can’t go back
  
  It was an empty school. Bulletin boards covered head to toe in posters. The posters were unreadable scribbles underneath the angry red paint splattered on top reading “False connection”, “Foolishness”, “Empty”. Each one he read was a pointed reverbing in his head. A familiar but unknown voice. The sound of hearing one's own voice through a staticy filter.
  
  Shadowy figures just at the sides of his vision. Disappearing as he turned his head to them. He couldn’t find them. They weren’t real, they were meaningless. Extras to the backdrop, a distraction. They left behind muddy footprints everywhere but he still could not see them. Ruining what they passed but still not existing in his own field of vision.
  
  He was a distraction. No more than the backdrop to a school. Interchangeable. The Popular kid. The one who everyone would try to outdo, try to find dirt on. To sully his name, drag his family into it. He was either used or hated. He didn’t believe in being liked.
  
  It was him and Jun against the world, and he’d been left behind again.
  
  Aoi didn’t want to deal with him. Shirou was nowhere to be found and he didn’t want to be near him. Number 25 ran. He’d seen no one else he knew.
  
  This was it.
  
  He’d live here in these empty walls, mudded floors, torn up doors, and paint-splattered walls. He didn’t know who else to look for. His friends were about as useful as these invisible figures. He wandered from hall to hall.
  
  He couldn’t breathe, every gasp was painful as tears welled up in his eyes. He was really alone. No Jun complaining that he had to be nicer. No Mom trying to get him to invest in his “potential” and arguing with him for always starting fights as she woke them up and helped them get ready on her days off. No Dad with his cheerful nature teaching him new ways to add pranks into his arsenal, showing them the best way to hide their involvement and get back at others. No he was utterly alone.
  
  A mirror stood before him where a door once was. His image stared back twisted. The same image he saw earlier. Wrong colored eyes. A face that smirked at him. An aggressive stance. This mirror image was fundamentally him but not.
  
  Do you like being alone? Are you satisfied to never take a risk?
  
  What a stupid question and what pain it brought him as a head-splitting pain came over him. He let out a cry. A shout for help. A shout for his family. He just wanted to curl up and play games with his family, enjoy their company.
  
  MAKE IT STOP.
  
  He knew what he had to do as he found himself covering his own eyes. He refused this reality. He stuck his fingers into his eye sockets. Pain Erupted but he continued. He rejected this reality and he would live in it no longer. He refused to see this world any longer. A tearing of nerves as he ripped his eyeballs out of the socket. He could still see though even as he held them in his hands. Then a Voice.
  
  Finally.
  
  You’ve ignored me long enough
  
  Quite frankly I’m offended.
  
  We don’t like to be alone after all.
  
  You Who Have Been The Leader of Nothing
  
  Awaken
  
  How Can One Hope To Protect One's Image As You Wallow In Emptiness?
  
  Sheep
  
  Herding and Following The Easiest Path
  
  Destroy That Mentality
  
  From Now On Become The Eye
  
  The Center That Holds The World Together
  
  Awaken to Your Power
  
  I Am Thou, And Thou Art I
  
  Core of The House Of Assignation
  
  He could feel the warmth. He was no longer alone. He never had been. They were one. He was it and it was him. His persona’s name came off the tip of his tongue as he yelled out it’s name calling for him to come before him.
  
  REGINALD, THE CALM
  

 

[lost city]

takahashi kanna (the empress)
location: elixir-777 ||tags: L3n BriiAngelic Jet Blemmigan Aegis [/font][/div][/div]

Wanting to explore, Kanna walked down a different street to get to her favorite bookstore. She would usually use the short route to get her errands done and return to her room as quickly as possible. But today, for once, Kanna wanted to explore Kayatomi to get some fresh air as well as inspiration. With her airpods in, Kanna was walking down a new street when she noticed a giant friend group waiting by a fence. 'Weird,' she thought, turned off her phone and held it close to her chest. Even though she was one, Kanna was terrified of teenagers.

Unless Kanna wanted to get run over, she would have to go through the group to get passed them, but the words wouldn't come out. She stood there like an idiot, holding her phone and purse tightly and staring at her feet. She was gathering all her courage when a pink-haired girl grabbed her wrist and dragged her past the fence. In the blink of an eye, all of Kanna's courage disappeared and replaced by anxiety. Even though she was potentially getting kidnapped, Kanna couldn't speak.

Her eyes widened as they landed on the dancing women. Oh god, was she - was she in a strip club? Her parents would kill her if they discovered this. The little freedom she had would be taken away if she did anything to bring her family shame: like being in a goddamn strip club. Even as her thoughts ran wild and her anxiety skyrocketed, Kanna couldn't pull her eyes away from the jiggles. She hadn't noticed that she'd been let go, allowing the crowd to push her further and further from her escape. She wanted to scream, to push the wandering hands away from her, but her fear had an iron-grip on her mouth. She could only try to stay afloat in this sea of people.

It was obvious that Kanna didn't belong here. She stuck out like a sore thumb with her pastel-pink cardigan over her black shirt, light blue jeans, and black flats. Everyone was dressed to impress while Kanna looked like a Mormon - a boring Mormon. She was brought down to Earth as she fell onto someone's back, practically hugging them. She wanted to say sorry, but instead, Kanna looked like a fish. She was hugging a black-haired boy. Why did the universe hate her and why couldn't she move?

 

[Haz.]

A hail-fire of anvil heels and great daggers came upon the creature with furious might. Its distorted screams rang against the walls, tormented vibratos ricocheting each like missiles through the halls. Then Toro took up his blade, its glare a jack-o-lantern eye carved from the smoke; the angel grasped at its sword, but by the time its fingers grazed the hilt its screech had already crescendoed, its skin cracking at the seams, beaming a saintly light.
Its whole body fissured and beneath the weight of all their assaults collapsed like a fragile thing of porcelain, then dissolved back into a globule form hanging in the air. Its shape assumed, and there that man was again, disheveled, spindly-limbed and greasy-haired, the noose tattered at his feet and his citrine eyes looking despondently down the corridor he'd emerged from. Like a will of the wisp, his form flared, compressed into a marble of light and shot back the way he'd come from.

The path was now clear, if as ever-uninviting as before.

BriiAngelic Jet Thepotatogod

 

[Aegis]

Rhyme Ryujin
Location: Elixir-777 (behind the bar)
[Interacting with Nozomi( L3n ), Sachie( BriiAngelic ),and Keona( Jet )]
{Nearby Seigen( Blemmigan ) and Takahashi( lost city )}
​

“This is my first time coming here,” the girl looked between Rhyme and Sachie, answering their shared question with positive honesty. After giving one more smile to the man behind the bar, she turned fully towards the male sitting in between her and the other blonde. Before answering Sachie’s questions the girl gave a quick greeting to the middleman.

“My friends come here all the time, but they're so rowdy tonight. I know you’re supposed to stay in groups when you go to places like these, but I’m not sure how long I’m actually going to stay here,” Nozomi took the water bottle from off the counter to fiddle with. In reality, she was going to relax for a bit before calling a cab. Her friends would be on her back for a day, but she knew they’d get over it. The only thing that appealed to her here was the pole-dancer's boobies, and that wasn’t a reason to stay until her friends got smashed.

With a laugh lacing her voice she turned her head back to the bartender to include him. “Did I really look that out of place to you both?” she asked, smiling between Sachie and Rhyme.

He should've just kept his mouth shut. While it was a different story at school, Rhyme wasn't normally the type to be swallow into the undercurrents of feigned social interactions in the sea known as Elixir-777 but for some reason distance had eluded him temporarily. Perhaps it was that she did look out of place and that brought intrigue and comfort to a guy who had become accustomed to the same old horny teens and scummy husbands coming in for a quick lay with loose women. It was best never to make any assumptions on looks alone, though, Sachie was a prime example of that. Yet, as he stared for maybe a moment too long he finally snatched the leash he kept around his professionalism and yanked it back to his side clearing his throat and responding to the young girl's question with a succinct statement "Very. Your friends picked a bad fit for their puzzle piece. Anything goes at E-777, except for disturbing the other guests. I won't be surprised if they're gone in ten or so minutes if they keep this up."

​

It didn’t matter much as Rhyme answered her. Oh whoops. Now that didn’t look good. Well seems she had left her tab open again. She sighed and pulled her card out from her bra. With a flick of the wrist she extended it over to Rhyme with a wink. She let him take his next customer before getting another chance to fuck with him.

Rhyme had barely noticed that Sachie had handed him her card until the previous girl shifted the conversation to a more open venue. That looked very bad. He knew Sachie was the kind to look into everything that people did. She was a reader and that made her very good at picking up guys and putting them down hard when she needed to, but it also made her perceptive. He had just given this new girl a response that may have floored any of Rhyme's regulars and he regretted it. Rhyme knew the game between him and Sachie. He doubted she would be jealous-- god he hoped so at least-- but she would likely not be happy with that. Hiding behind his job, Rhyme took the card and swiped before sliding it back to her across the counter-top "I'll begin on your drinks."

"REIN IT THE FUCK IN DUDE. You've got this. You're good. Don't get shaken up because one vanilla girl comes into the FUCKING bar. As a matter of fact, she's probably not vanilla, she's probably some freaky kind of mint chocolate chip but she likes to take it from behind as well."

Rhyme had been facing the drinks on the way so nobody could read the inner turmoil that had taken unwelcome residence on his face like a Superbowl ad during the final play of the game. He had lowered his expectations. Eliminated them. He didn't want any. After a moment, he felt his mood come rocketing back down to Earth. He very calmly made the drinks Sachie had requested and delivered them to her with his former, business-like approach.
​

Assuming barkeep caught her shout she added "Can you get her a Mike's Hard? My treat!" playing eyes between both people. Less dangerous than water, spiked lemonade packed enough booze for boozed baptisms without slapping Nozomi sideways. For beginner drinks Keona's selection was safe and semi-responsible, passing over maniac cocktails for something smarter. There wouldn't be any alcohol poisoning going on with newbie tonight, plus any approaching creeps would suffer pepper spray across the eyeline.

"Sure thing." Rhyme reached under the counter and popped the lid off of a bottle. He walked it over to the girl from before "Her treat," Rhyme flicked his thumb toward Keona "toss it if you don't want it."

As Rhyme went to serve some other customers in order to escape the incoming bombshell, he was stopped by his fellow bartender who whispered "The boss wants you to keep on her,so she doesn't make a scene again. I have the other guests." Damn, he was stuck in it now worse than a British soldier knee-deep in the Somme.

On another note, Rhyme looked toward ginger-ale man and saw he was getting some attention. Whether or not it was an accident, however, was debatable. The girl who had bumped into him looked like a nun in this kind of atmosphere.​

 

[CapRock]

Shirou Lancaster
Wrapping up!

“My charming knight! Gonna carry me out in your arms too, Mr. ‘Pro’?”

Shirou teased Jordan back with a bit of English bleeding through in his last word as the brash boy and Alex charged in with their personas to hack at the monster before them. That being said, he had a point. What was he going to do? The reforming denegerate glanced at the hulking piece of silver armor besides him. It looked nothing like anything he had ever seen in his life, yet it also felt his. Like an ancient childhood friend, met again all grown up and with a brand new getup but without ever losing that warm nostalgia charm. They exchanged a quick glance that transmitted a million words and, simple as that, the plan was set.

“Hit them while they’re down, King Arthur!” Commanded Shirou. “Leave nothing of ‘em.”

Following the command, a fiery eruption. Flames flashed through the thrusters in King Arthur’s back and bathed the gloomy atmosphere in a furious red and an eager yellow, the Persona’s heavy boots scraping against the brick floor as it built up momentum for its incoming charge. Shirou wasted no time before leaping onto the silvery knight’s left shoulder, crouching and taking a bearing in the helmet to ride along his partner.
What started as a crawl quickly built up into a roaring freight train shedding sparks in its wake, direct route set to run over the resisting remains of the poor creature who decided cornering the three teens was a good idea. At the moment of impact, King Arthur’s shoulder laid ready to take the blunt of the blow, a Shirou looking almost too excited for his usual self barely holding on to the edges of the helmet. His jacket fluttered violently behind and he offered a gloating grin for his teammates as he overtook them to deal his blow onto the shadow.

Interacting with: Jordan Midrick Alex Jeef_jones GM Veradana

 

[CapRock]

Chiyoko Mizushiro
Didn’t expect to find a 4th wall break here, did ya?

Though it was a friday, the amount of customers - minors, no less! - present at Elixir 777 far exceeded the norm already, a situation that stank of contrived coincidence and spelled trouble faster than a spelling bee champion high on three cans of red bull. Surely, surely this was enough trouble for Rhyme and the rest of the staff to handle in one night, or, in fact, to account for the entire weekend. Right?
...Right!?
Of course not.


In from the front door with a soft slap on the hinges and a confident step into the floor, came none other than Mikasa Ackerman, highly recognizable character from the popular anime show “Attack on Titan” that introduced an entire generation of young Otakus to the wonders of feminine abs. Or, at, least, she sure looked the part; a careful observer would pick up on the lack of a few leather straps around the tights, a few too many visible stitches on the vest and the make-up necessary to conjure the illusion of an impeccable Nipo-Russian face structure upon a much more mediocre canvas, crumbs of evidence serving as the line in the sand keeping fact and fiction from mixing up irrevocably.

“Donning her incredible Mikasa cosplay, Chio-chan enters the E-7 yet again, instantly seizing the attention of amazed onlookers.” Chiyoko began to speak, dead serious and towards no one in particular, as she walked towards the counter, sparing not a glance to the jiggling dancers flaunting their goods just by her side. “However, she lacks the spirit to humor them now, the girl realizes with a heavy heart, sliding some money into the counter as if to announce her plea.” As she spoke, so she enacted, already setting aside the exact payment for what she was about to order. Upon speaking again, her voice differed glaringly: it was softer and drawn out, borderline whiney. “Rhy, come here! I need a mean Martini, and I need it from you! That bastard Matsuki is at it again, pulling on my heart strings…”

No sooner the money hit the counter, Chiyoko turned and on it, leaned, tapping the surface by a much more upbeat rhythm that that playing in the backdrop. It was a prime position upon which to perform a thorough scan of the neighboring area: first eye-catcher was a gal sporting rainbow mesh over a butterfly bra, looking like she meant business - you know, if by ‘business’, one meant ‘party’. Not far from her, a sportsy-looking tomboy playing team mom while getting hammered herself, some fresh blood in town trying to socialize and a couple that looked as estranged as you could get without throwing in alien abduction into the narrative, amongst many other faceless extras. What a crowd to witness the completely legitimate breakdown about to ensue! Well then, so be it. Putting up a show was, it just so happens, right up her alley.

Interacting with: Rhyme Aegis
Mentioning: Keona Jet Nozomi L3n Seigen Blemmigan Sachie BriiAngelic Kanna lost city
Will be joining soon so should probably read this post: Etsu Haz. Claire Colorless Spectrum

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Jun’ichi Amano || Younger Brother, Temperance

• 
  
  
  Persona: Ronald, The Storm
  Status: Healthy
  Current Buffs: N/A
  
  Interacting With:
  Toro ( Jet ), Ross ( Thepotatogod )
  

  ~ ??? ~
  Mysterious Clues || Jun’ichi’s CS File
  
  The creature changed into a man. That man then left. Why? How? The world was sideways. Was he even still in the same mine they descended from? Ronald loomed over him again, his limbs draping over him. Just as suddenly he receded into Jun’s own consciousness. Jun could hear his persona’s voice again and recognize it as something so similar to his own voice. Ronald, The Storm.
  
  Blinking he remembered the hazy daze of an illusion. He’d left his brother behind. At least he thinks so. Such a strange fake day, his brother was acting so off just as he was. That meant it was real right? He stepped forwards and felt something underneath his boot. Oh wait.
  
  He reached down and brought the item up to the light. Yup this was definitely his switchblade. The engraving was the same in the rose-colored handle. “To protect always”, a gift from his father. He was glad he had it again, but it wouldn’t do much against the unknown.
  
  He slid the switch back into the pocket of his boots. Before looking over the area they were in again. His anger was cooling. His worry was increasing. “Nothing will happen until you made it happen” as his parents would say.
  
  “The last thing I remember is the mineshaft going down and then the feeling of a slimy thing crawling through us. I know Toro was with me but that’s- there’s still about a dozen more missing. And more interestingly I don’t remember you. So just who are you twinkle toes?”
  
  
  

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Sachie Miyamoto || Hierophant Arcana

• 
  
  
  Persona: Unawakened
  Status: N/A
  Current Buffs: N/A
  
  Interacting With:
  Keona ( Jet ), Nozomi ( L3n ), Chiyoko ( CapRock ) (Hits her), Bartender X ( Aegis )
  Mentions:
  Rhyme ( Aegis ), Kanna ( lost city ), Seigen ( Blemmigan ), Etsu ( Haz. )
  

  ~ Elixer-777 ~
  Paradigm Shift (Techno Remix) || Sachie's CS File
  
  Did she look out of place? Yes? She hadn’t seen anyone any more out of place in years. She smirked as she did her best not to laugh at the girl. She hadn’t got the chance to scope out all of the bar yet, she still had Haru’s boy to watch for now. If she didn’t she would have scoped out four other guys besides Rhyme’s whose pants would look better around their ankles. Not that she was too easy but a good time was a good time.
  
  She heard Keona speaking with another dude on her left and she did a quick once over of him. Hmm if he didn’t have his nose wrinkled up like a damn gerbil he might meet her standards. She figured Rhyme would whine about her interfering with the business if she tried to pull right at the bar with a regular.
  
  He heard Keona switch back to try to get some light liquor in the girl to loosen up. While she was all for it Mike’s was such a poor choice. Well, wait no the girl was a beginner so she couldn’t recommend any of her own favorites. Still clapped her hands together and realized exactly what she could get the girl.
  
  “Oh you’re so right Keo, but Mike’s isn’t the drink for a cute dainty gal. Bartenderrrrr~ Get this gal a nice smooth highball on me! After all it’s the best way to unwind. No point in being all tense when you wanna have fun right?”
  
  She took her drink but then realized that their little defacto group had another trying to go straight edge as well. That wouldn’t do. Nope especially not now that Rhyme was booted out to come hang out with all the cool peeps. It was almost a more comedy of errors that when she started to count a rather bookish looking girl came falling unto Rhyme. Okay new record for does not belong at E-7. Unless this girl had a game as strong as her own that is.
  
  “Bartender scratch that, make it seven. One for all of us and the bold girl that’s now trying to damsel her way into Keona’s Dude’s pants!”
  
  She felt a vibration and tugged her phone out of her skirt’s pocket. OH ETSU WAS COMING. Now it really was gonna be a party. She needed the strongest drink she could make.
  
  “AND TWO AUNT ROBERTA'S CAUSE IT’S ABOUTTA BE PARTY CENTRAL!”
  
  A scene she would be starting and that was a party scene! She slammed down her Alexander and flung her hands backward in glee while also hitting someone in the face. Whoopsy!
  
  
  

 

[Midrick]

​

Jordan watched as Larsen chipped the shell of the turtle, as the sword bounced off the shell sending fragments of chitinous plate into the air as the blade failed to latch onto any of the tender flesh that resided underneath the rigid external armor of the reptile. "Fuck..." he muttered as Alex's persona only managed to wound the damn thing. This was going about as well as Anderson Silva's last fight.

Jordan wouldn't have enough time to complete how fucked they were, the dragon portion of the beast let loose a gout of ice from its gaping maw, the gash in its neck spraying arterial bursts of liquid, but that didn't stop it from retaliating with a fury fueled attack. An particularly long Icicle embedded itself into his left shoulder, the impact of the frozen projectile making him stumble backwards, pain lancing up and and down his left arm. "MOTHER FUCK!" he yelled as blood swelled up around the bolt of ice and began weeping out. Jordan's face curled into a snarl as he grasped the shaft (giggity) and yanked out the offending object, a grunt of pain escaping his clenched teeth.

The blood that had previously been blocked from escaping its enclosure of flesh flowed freely. The rapidly expanding red blotch on his shirt fueled his hatred for the beast, a dull maroon began to emanate from the multiple channels in Larsen's armor, he turned his gaze back to the wounded animal that sat before him. "Now I'm pissed." he said anger making him subconsciously raise the volume of his voice, the veins I'm his neck standing out against his skin as the rapidly expanding island of blood was fueled with a new rush of the red liquid. Jordan barely paid any mind to Shirou and his newfound form of transportation via rocket, he looked at Larsen and then to the shadow "Rip it to shreds, Larsen." Jordan growled his orders, not a second passed and Larsen was moving with renewed vigor towards the monster, preparing to attack again.

Instead of an aerial attack, Larsen followed behind King Arthur, After Shirou made contact, Wolf slid underneath the shell and buried the sword into the leg of the turtle, almost striking the bone if the creature had any, Wolf recovered from his slide by entering a position not dissimilar to a lineman in a football and launched off of the ground towards the laceration in the dragons neck.

Wolf clamped down with metallic jaws and tore at the scaly flesh of the dragon, the beasts flailing did little to alleviate itself from the savage attack as Wolf simply clamped down harder. The rendered flesh had been pulped into an unrecognizable form, and the neck had been torn apart completely, the dragon finally went slack and hit the floor of the stone encased room, the head only attached by a few threads of ruined skin. Jordan felt powerful then, like he himself had struck the serpentine aggressor down himself. His attention was drawn back towards his left shoulder, the adrenaline from the situation was finally wearing off, and goddamn did his shoulder smart. He removed his hand from the puncture wound and saw it was slick with red, it wasn't fatal, but he was bleeding like it was. Jordan summoned larsen back to his side. After pulling the sword from the newly made corpse Larsen leisurely strolled back to him, large weapon resting on the now dull shoulder plate. "Now that big ugly is taken care of, either of you have any ideas about what we should do now?" he said and then immediately winced as he tested if moving would aggravate his wound.

CapRock Jeef_jones Veradana

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ross Aisatsu--
Interaction: Haz. BriiAngelic (Jun'Ichi) Jet (Toro)

"That takes care of that." Ross sighs, dusting off his pants as the weird bird person suddenly turned out to be some random greaser guy. Shortly after the guy showed up, he stared at some corridor and then bolted off. "Should we follow that guy?" Ross asks, glancing at both Jun'Ichi and Toro as Franz Coppelia faded away, whizzing out like a blue flame. Jun'Ichi then initiated conversation, revealing that he and Toro went down the mineshaft for some reason, followed by the feeling of someting...Slimy.

"First of all, ew, that sounds totally gross and much tame than what I felt." Ross initially stated before putting his hand on his hips, tapping the tip of his shoes. "Secondly...Pretty sure I was alone when I was down there." Ross says, rubbing the back of his head. "I already told you before, didn't I? My name's Aisatsu Ross, a third year who's part of the Dance Club!" Ross says, instinctively performing a quick tap dance move with one feet to prove a point, quickly rapping the soles of his shoe along with the tip of the toe, performing a quick 5 second clicking sounds. "I specialize in tap dancing...That's mostly the dance style I use."

 

[L3n]

WATANABE NOZOMI - STAR ARCANA
"Your grandpa died? Um... oops.”

Nozomi chuckled when the talkative people poured their comments out to her. In the loud and colorful club, the girl had to concentrate real hard on everyone there to act accordingly. She felt way too sober amongst these loud people… minus the quiet male next to her, and the bartender behind the bar.

Nozomi locked eyes with Ryhme first as his eyes lingered a little too long. “Bad fit for their puzzle piece, huh,” the blonde pondered that thought for a moment before hopping onto what he said next. “Yeah I wouldn’t doubt they’d get kicked out so fast,” her attention flicked over to her friend’s table that a pink-haired teen was trying to climb on top of. Her group reminded her of those kids who acted drunk when you gave them water. “People like them must make your job hard, huh?”

Shortly after the male had turned around to face the other counter Nozomi smiled at Keona and Sachie. Keona had taken a sort of mom-friend role in their growing group, making sure to be on top of everything. It was a refreshing break from her somewhat… selfish friends. Not that she liked to think of them like that, though.

The blonde was reminded of the pounding music when Keona had to yell over it to order her a drink. Keona and Sachie had different opinions of what they wanted her to start with, but this wasn’t a problem for her. Two free drinks? Sounded like a deal. “Thank you both! I wouldn’t mind trying a Mike’s, though! I’m not that dainty,” the girl flashed Sachie a smile. Despite the princesses thin body she had a fair amount of muscle given how much she practiced at her sport.

When Rhyme walked her drink over Nozomi gave him a playful wink. Laughter escaped her lips at his suggestion to toss it if she liked, bringing a tear to her eye that she tried to wipe away unsuspectingly. Cursing the weird ways her body showed emotion, the princess took a sip of the Mike’s. The Blondie, who happened to like lemonade, quite enjoyed the flavor. Despite what her company here thought this wasn’t her first time drinking, and they started her off light.

With Sachie checking her phone, Nozomi took the chance to talk to Seigan. “Ginger ale, huh? Well that’s... that’s not that bad,” the princess was absolutely wonderful with words if you couldn’t tell. She gave him an obliviously proud smile that said, ‘Yes, I did just help you.’

Once the male mentioned the atmosphere she took a second to take another look. Thanks to the drink she had been slowly draining the music didn’t seem as harsh. The lighting seemed somewhat hypnotic to her paired with the sketchy interior. Her favorite part was the strippers huge chest, however--

When she finally snapped her brain back into focus a girl was hugging Seigan. Both of them looked out of place, like she could talk, so they made a nice normal-looking pair. “How I Met Your Mother in the making, am I right?” the half-American joked, not remembering that people may not get it.

The final thing that caught her eye, arguably more than anything else, was when a character walked into the club. That’s right folks!! A character.

Nozomi finished off her drink as she stared at the cosplayer, obviously in love. While Sunshine was bouncing between Japan and America she latched onto a couple of things that always remained steady. Fencing, comics, and anime to name a few. It took the princess all of her willpower to look away from the amazing cosplayer, especially as they made their way over to the bar. The blonde’s face was mad pink as she tried, and failed, to stop looking over at the stranger.

♡ nearby: people at the bar ♡
♡ interactions: Rhyme ( Aegis ), Seigan ( Blemmigan ), Keona ( Jet ), Sachie ( BriiAngelic ), Kanna ( lost city ), Chiyoko ( CapRock ) ♡
♡ location: Elixir-777 ♡​

 

[Aegis]

Rhyme Ryujin
Location: Elixir-777 (the floor)
[Interacting with Chio ( CapRock ), Sachie ( BriiAngelic ), and Nozomi ( L3n )]
{Nearby Seigen, Takahashi, Keona, etc.}
​

Nozomi chuckled when the talkative people poured their comments out to her. In the loud and colorful club, the girl had to concentrate real hard on everyone there to act accordingly. She felt way too sober amongst these loud people… minus the quiet male next to her, and the bartender behind the bar.

Nozomi locked eyes with Ryhme first as his eyes lingered a little too long. “Bad fit for their puzzle piece, huh,” the blonde pondered that thought for a moment before hopping onto what he said next. “Yeah I wouldn’t doubt they’d get kicked out so fast,” her attention flicked over to her friend’s table that a pink-haired teen was trying to climb on top of. Her group reminded her of those kids who acted drunk when you gave them water. “People like them must make your job hard, huh?”

"Not really. Not my job to clean up after them. They can be a bother to the other patrons, though." His response was set a good distance apart from the enamored blabbering he had done before.
​

When Rhyme walked her drink over Nozomi gave him a playful wink. Laughter escaped her lips at his suggestion to toss it if she liked, bringing a tear to her eye that she tried to wipe away unsuspectingly.

At least he managed to fish some laughter out of her and lighten up the judgmental mood he had played into a bit. Rhyme's face broke for a second as he shot her a half-grin in response.
​

“Donning her incredible Mikasa cosplay, Chio-chan enters the E-7 yet again, instantly seizing the attention of amazed onlookers.” Chiyoko began to speak, dead serious and towards no one in particular, as she walked towards the counter, sparing not a glance to the jiggling dancers flaunting their goods just by her side. “However, she lacks the spirit to humor them now, the girl realizes with a heavy heart, sliding some money into the counter as if to announce her plea.” As she spoke, so she enacted, already setting aside the exact payment for what she was about to order.

Rhyme felt a noticeable drop in the density of the bar as a presence approached from the entrance. The air chilled as if heralding an apocalyptic event that was due to come one year's time from now and the only way to stop it was to become madly obsessed with anime. If that was the case, though, they'd all be covered because Kayatomi's biggest fashion statement just entered the bar with a self-introduction like some kind of gritty '20s detective strapped with a revolver and a folder full of cold cases. Her gaze seemed to cause the floor to grab at his ankles and froze him in place as she approached the bar with a cutting and emotionless glare befitting of whoever she was pretending to be. The young man let out a deep sigh of regret that he didn't just run at his first opportunity. "What is it about tonight that it seems to be throwing nothing but complicated women and weak-willed men at me?" He thought.​

Upon speaking again, her voice differed glaringly: it was softer and drawn out, borderline whiney. “Rhy, come here! I need a mean Martini, and I need it from you! That bastard Matsuki is at it again, pulling on my heart strings…”

A moment passed before he was able to register the fact that the normal Chio had emerged out from underneath the many layers of foundation and make-up she had on to give her this pale European skin tone. He had seen better from her in the past. Maybe she was in a hurry? Oh well.
"Just for you, Mizushiro-chan. I was about to come around on the boss' orders. Also, who the fuck is Matsuki? You don't strike me as the dating type." He shot her a wink in an attempt to curb the layers of condescension then turned his head to take a look to the bartender that came to relieve him and the response he got was a less than pleased grimace that shouted 'get the fuck out from behind the bar before we fire you'. Rhyme quickly began mixing her favorite drink as she was undoubtedly going to be fuming from that one. However, he refused to play into her little fantasy. He wasn't judgmental about what other people liked to do, but he retains his own right to react to it in whatever way he would like.

​

Did she look out of place? Yes? She hadn’t seen anyone any more out of place in years. She smirked as she did her best not to laugh at the girl. She hadn’t got the chance to scope out all of the bar yet, she still had Haru’s boy to watch for now. If she didn’t she would have scoped out four other guys besides Rhyme’s whose pants would look better around their ankles. Not that she was too easy but a good time was a good time.

She heard Keona speaking with another dude on her left and she did a quick once over of him. Hmm if he didn’t have his nose wrinkled up like a damn gerbil he might meet her standards. She figured Rhyme would whine about her interfering with the business if she tried to pull right at the bar with a regular.

He heard Keona switch back to try to get some light liquor in the girl to loosen up. While she was all for it Mike’s was such a poor choice. Well, wait no the girl was a beginner so she couldn’t recommend any of her own favorites. Still clapped her hands together and realized exactly what she could get the girl.

“Oh you’re so right Keo, but Mike’s isn’t the drink for a cute dainty gal. Bartenderrrrr~ Get this gal a nice smooth highball on me! After all it’s the best way to unwind. No point in being all tense when you wanna have fun right?”

Sachie didn't really seem to notice anything about what Rhyme had been feeling which was a welcome blessing. Either that, or she was bottling it up for another time which was altogether terrifying. The thought sent a shudder down his back as she began screaming out all kinds of orders that he was glad he didn't have to respond to.
​

She slammed down her Alexander and flung her hands backward in glee while also hitting someone in the face. Whoopsy!

​

Yet, as he went to pass Chio her martini, Sachie stretched back and whacked the cos-player in the face. "Watch it, Sachie!" Rhyme nearly shouted as disappointment in her bar manners bubbled up into his speech causing it to come off more commanding than he had been in the past. He reached under the counter for some tissues in case Chio had a busted nose. Likely not, but it pays to be cautious. That was the first time he had been firm in a long time, and the feeling that he just did a bit of damage to his calm and collected persona refused to settle in his stomach. He sternly shoved some tissues into Chio's hand and inquired "Are you alright?"
At the very least, she could use them to stop her eyes from watering too much and ruining her make-up.

Rhyme came around the bar with surprisingly agile maneuvers and was at Chio's side in mere moments. Maybe he was making a much bigger deal out of this than it really was and the thought put temporary pause to his actions before he pressed on. If there was no blood, then it was no big deal though; not for him, at least. Rhyme stood up from her side and finally breathed for the first time in the last half a minute. The weight of responsibility of a bartender had been lifted from him and now he was free to sit in captivity on the other side of the bar. On one hand, there were a lot of very cute girls. On the other, they all had a fair assortment of interesting traits. Yes, that's what we'll call it. Nozomi seemed okay enough, but she was currently staring at Chio so it would likely be no dice on her end for conversation. Sachie was being Sachie. He expected she was waiting for someone other than the company she brought going by the smile she shot at her phone. Her first date more devastated with each beat of the music in the bar. Poor guy.

If things continued to go this well, Rhyme might call it a night early. He whipped out his phone and looked that it was a bit closer to eight in the evening now. He had only been on shift for an hour. His phone was crammed back into his pocket and he figured that as things stood he'd give them all around fifteen more minutes before he was out the door and heading home as the bartender behind the bar mouthed "You're off the clock." to him. Hopefully, his wanting to get out of there wasn't too evident.

He settled in for a moment, but as things kind of trailed off he felt more and more uncertain about whether he had overreacted. "Oh god. I went a little too far. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Now they're gonna think I'm weird. Maybe they'll stop coming to the bar and then Sachie will stop talking to me and then my other regulars will wonder what happened and what if I fuck it up with them too and they stop coming and then my boss will fire me because i'm being incompetent and then my reputation as a terribly unsocial person will make it's way back to school and..." His mind took no pause while a swirl of panicked worries beat at every corner of his mind beneath the placid poker face of boredom Rhyme kept on throughout the ordeal.

He wanted to go home.​

 

[CapRock]

Chiyoko Mizushiro
I feel… So cold…

For what it’s worth, Chio’s final moments were of joy and satisfaction.

Heavy-hearted as she was, Chiyoko still smiled on the inside - no, actually, more akin to a smug smirk typical in those scoffed at suddenly being proven right. On the outside, however, the girl’s forehead rested neatly upon the counter, rocking itself to rest as the drink was fashioned for her. With Rhyme’s reply, though, came a sudden stop and a repulsed cringe, timed perfectly with the mention of her surname.

“Rhyyy! Don’t call me li-”

Chio’s head jolted up just in time to catch the wink, her words dying out in her throat quick as thought. Her lips then twisted shut and a visible pout sprouted, followed by an audible huffing. Far from it having ruined her night or her show, though, as her mood spike quickly subsided and gave way for the unquenchable curiosity with which she examined Rhyme performing his work. She leaned on the counter and tilted her body slightly off the side in an attempt to catch a clear view of the mixing process. Little did she know, her actions would have dire consequences.

“And Matsuki’s not my boyfriend. He does have my heart, though! If I had 100 yen for every time I cried reading Act-Age, I’d have a full-size Voltron cosplay by now. Oh, Martini! Thank you, Rhy…”



Chiyoko would never come to touch that Martini, however. She had her hand outstretched when the hit came: light, unintended, barely making it to 2 on the Wong-Baker scale. Yet, it was enough. The girl let out an exasperated wail and promptly collapsed on the floor, pushing away the counter’s benches as she did. It was an act made to look more painful than it felt in true WWE fashion, sans a few hundred thousand dollars worth of acting school. From a - forcibly - darkening sight, she saw Rhyme approaching to offer her a handful of tissues. Her hand took the offer and clenched the fabric tight as her faltering voice mustered a reply:

“Rhyme… Chio whispered into his ears with her last breaths.” She said, shifting between her deathbed speech and her narration voice completely effortlessly. “You’ve always been… Too kind to me…”

And then she collapsed once more to lay limp on the floor.

Interacting wtih; Rhyme ( Aegis ) Sachie ( BriiAngelic )
Mentioning: Nozomi ( L3n )

Sewer (???) - Group 1

The Regal Rper Arcanist



For those who woke up in this chamber, not much time was given to acclimate before the parade of bizarre sights continued: from the darkest corners of the ceiling, a body came down crashing before a sudden stop, hanging just inches from its audience by a bed of strings that wrapped around it, digging into the flesh. The sight was reminiscent of a cheerful vendor - or rather, what was left of one - which some may have recognized as the owner of a local grocery store always dilligent at greeting acquantances as they crossed paths, Mr. Yamato.

The poor victim opened his mouth, seemingly preparing to say something, but had no such opportunity before the strings tightened like a rein. They weaved around his body until it was enveloped in a blood red cocoon, which fell to the ground, swole up in unnatural fashion and broke open again, all in the span of a few seconds. What was inside it could no longer be described as Mr. Yamato. It was now some sort of unholy chimera, a mix between human and leopard that sported wings on its back. One look at its snarling scowl hinted that it didn’t seem all too keen on making friends.

The monster let out a loud roar across the area, and from then on for those near it, it seemed as though as if the creature was now being watched through drunken eyes, two identical images floating hapharzardly around each other. Which one was the right to hit? Probably neither, but with a little extra effort, hitting the right target should still be plenty feasible.

 

[Jeef_jones]

Alex Feron
Location: ???
Interacting: CapRock Midrick Veradana
After the attack connected, he watched as Shirou would charge for another attack, while Jordan took the hit of the ice spike, then retaliating and finishing off the strange creature. Afterward, Jordan gave the question of what to do next, to which Alex looked around the room realizing that there were no other viable exits, other than the one which the thing came through, to which he pointed to it "Well...I think the only thing we can do is see where we are! so then we better get to seeing soon so...you can get that fixed" he slightly cringed looking at where the ice impaled Jordan, before taking the lead to head outside of the room through where the creature came from, and to see about getting an idea of where they might be​

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Claire Mizushiro

The playground was empty, save for the one teenager, in a simple get up of a loose shirt and short shorts, that has been practicing her drills for a while now. Claire would always practice her drills and striking at this park almost every other day, when there are no club meetings like today. She isn't one to miss practice, she dislikes slacking off and always puts her one hundred percent in everything especially when she has energy to spare.

Thud. The ball fell after hitting the column of the sheltered bench area, her labored breath being the only noise of the area aside from the cries of the insects of the night.

She walked slowly to the ball, sliding her feet under before bouncing it for her to catch with her hands and sun it on her index finger. She had to keep herself busy, mind racing, and make use of her energy. "Good practice!" She complimented herself with a large grin. "I should get home, it's almost eight."

She slung her ball bag to her shoulder and headed for her bike. She was about to ride off when she received a text from her father asking where her sister was and there was only one place she could think of at the moment. It wasn't her favorite place in the world, but it's a place of escape and that is something everyone in the world needs at times.

It didn't take her long to find it, she's been there a few times to know. Leaving her bike a minute away from the establishment. She took a gulp before heading in, as if she was preparing herself for the things that she would see.

She walked around Elixir-777, her view adjusted to a way where she would not be able to see the pole dancers because... She always gets flustered at seeing such things. No sooner than later did Claire found her sister. She ran towards her sister, her scrunched up hair swaying, seeing nothing else as her face was painted with worry. Something that only happens when something has happened to her sister. "Rhyme, what happened? Is Onee-chan okay? Chio-nee??"

location: The Bar || interactions: Aegis CapRock || mentions: Sorry she ignored everybody else

 

[Blemmigan]

Seigen Hayashi (CS)
Location: Elixir-777
With: Aegis (Rhyme) • BriiAngelic (Sachie, Chiyoko) • Jet (Keona) • L3n (Nozomi) • Colorless Spectrum (Claire)
Responding to: lost city (Kanna)
-

Still feeling a little snide, he worked his way up to answer the blonde, politely, but with just enough to counter the smugness—

—then lost his train of thought entirely, only catching sight of a blur of pink as something fell against him, a something which was holding on for dear life. The vaguely smug girl said something incomprehensible, thus helping to disarm him totally. A merciless defeat.

Interruption on interruption: Seigen was still trying to tactfully untangle himself when a cartoon whirlwind walked into the room.

What is this place? he feverishly wondered, as someone might cry out who had been dragged into the dark recesses of a fever dream. Nobody else seemed that bothered, preferring to laugh and drink, obviously used to whatever was going on even as Seigen felt like the rug had been pulled from under his feet.

At least, until the girl was knocked to the floor. Then some of them seemed to have been dragged down to his level of cluelessness, specifically the bartender and another girl who had suddenly appeared. You would have thought that the former at least would be no stranger to customers falling over.

Speaking of which...

"Uh," he directed to the pink-clad arms around him, while chaos reigned just a little distance away. "Are you okay?" Please just say yes, he silently begged. For all he knew, this exact thing happened every evening in this place. Maybe this was all according to schedule.

 

[Jet]

​

Toro was dumbfounded.

Archangel converted into energy and universal rules were made meaningless. Monks were more correct than astronomers and anime movies were based on true events. Great thinkers were wrong and fundamental questions spawned about everything known through recorded history. But the dancer was performing anyway, euphoric echoes were no-doubt responsible.

Toro watched with annoyance, reminded of homeless customers who entertained dealers for discounts. Dancing around these addicts debased themselves while gangsters cheered along with disrespect. Ross was comparable, displaying drugged euphoric influence or madness, maybe even both? He could only guess which with anger growing along thoughts of — this guy can't be serious and having fun are you?

Well unfortunately fun activities were blanket banned until something serious changed. Gaining superpowers deserved some celebration perhaps, but clapping dance shoes echoed dangerous volume down acoustic tunnels where enemies lurked and — Murdered because of tap dancing — gravemarkers would explain unless someone spoke. Who better than Toro? Having more personal problems was no problem and the student spared nothing when whispering an aggressive "Stop making noise man are you crazy? We trust you okay? God damn dude watch those stupid shoes! Those monsters got ears too so never do that again or I'm throwing you in the sewer water!"

Toro was serious for once because stealth was paramount. Enemies were everywhere and assuming otherwise was absurd because optimism killed cats — not curiosity. There could be hundreds more backing their deceased opponent and Toro hoped his peer would understand. Without keeping low they would never escape, but when analyzing surroundings escape seemed almost impossible.

There were no crossroads or doors cut from endless sewer walls. There were no remarkable features worth mentioning. There were no markers saying exit here please! The area provided nothing and the student focused on one lonely information shard — where birdman went after defeat. Toro guessed more enemies lurked in that direction, and maybe missing students were trapped there too? He could picture them floating unconscious and empathized with trapped students. After escaping he would (maybe) remember their names and maybe attend memorials too because helping was not happening.

Toro enjoyed many classmates but breathing was enjoyed much more. He possessed zero reservations about leaving people behind, but the second twin was missing which made escaping awkward. Jun'ichi wouldn't leave without his brother — meanwhile Toro wanted numbers around him when escaping. They had opposite motives but the mixed student would measure moods anyway, and looking around he nodded sideways with a solemn "About the others, how can we even help them? I don't even know where to look man... We need to get your bother Jun, maybe escaping and getting the cops involved would work?"

Expectations were low but maybe self preservation would be persuasive enough? They could also disagree with escaping but choose the safe route anyway which would be amusing for several reasons. Fingers were crossed because going alone was too dangerous. Assuming others chose rescue missions over escape, he would be dragged along and how horrid would that be?

Altruism was annoying.

BriiAngelic Thepotatogod