[open] city log! Can I really be the hero?

[mansionstaff]

Who: YOU and YOU and maybe you
What: catch-all open log for all your drug vigilante needs
Where: Final Destination City
When: WHENEVER YOU WANT
Warnings: drugs and vigilanting, at the very least
helpful links: here.



Indeed, ever since that casual Monday outing turned tragic, civil unrest and tensions have been high again in FDC, and worse yet; fingers are starting to be pointed in Smash Academy's direction. After long since flying under the radar of this whole mess, no attacks have happened on the school yet, but who's to say how long that will last?

The city is tumultuous. It's not impossible to still have a completely incident-less outing, but it would be wise to not go out and about with your Smash Academy uniforms on for all to see. Not unless you like fearful whispers and hissing insults behind your back. Even a simple trip to the grocery store could prove dangerous if you aren't careful.

Maybe you're a little more creative however, and are able to purposefully mask features that might otherwise identify you, or you sneak around in the dead of night using the shadows as your cover...

Humans now tend to segregate themselves with other humans, "freaks" tend to ostracize anyone not of their kin, and all this negativity intensifies rapidly if those colorful candy pops are present. Crime and riots are now common than occasional. The FDC Police manages most of the affairs but they can't prevent everything, and would probably appreciate a helping hand regardless if it's from a human or a "freak"... though thanks and courtesy may go one way or another depending on who/what you are.

Who knows, maybe you'll save someone's life and give them a better appreciation for the things you do instead of what you are...


[[As it says on the tin, HERE'S AN OPEN LOG, GO NUTS. Get together with some of your buddies and go play masked vigilante against a group of drug thugs bullying someone who doesn't deserve it (or maybe they do, for all you know). Save someone from a burning building set on fire by some angry social justice warrior animals. Escort someone to the grocery store. Break into the sheriff's office and demand your own brand of justice. Maybe you simply want to get a drink at the bar without incident.

Please feel free to NPC your bad guys/mooks/innocent civilians, or go snag Kat or one of the other lovely lady mods if you have any questions.

ONE RULE: you must use anime thread titles. That's all.

Edit: I lied. Rule 2: tag yourselves in.]]

Comments

Cold-blooded demons! Is this the start of another lockdown? Naoya unleashes demons!

[caincarnate]

Tension in the streets, paranoia running wild as people eyed each other with distrust - each man and woman mere inches away from snapping from panic or rage. There were wars on the street corners, as each faction desperately tried to stamp out any threat that trespassed too closely. And then there were those few who had simply lost their minds, their facility for reason to the drugged candies - they were often little more than beasts themselves, sometimes wandering the streets in a hallucinogenic stupor, and other times violent with a hair trigger temper.

Naoya found it all rather quaint. It was a pity he wasn't here to witness whatever circumstances sparked this chaos, but he had been busy with another city-wide disaster zone at the time. With the timing as it was, it seemed like he had just traded one for another. Perhaps God had no hand in this one, but that couldn't mean he saw no value in it.

And so he would walk the city, drifting through the streets like a spectre in wooden sandals, and taking note of the fearful atmosphere that had so thoroughly consumed the place.

Though his hair and eyes were a bit unorthodox in colour, his overall human appearance allowed him to coast through most neighbourhoods undisturbed. It was inevitable, however, that one particular day, he would run into less than favourable company.

They were only thugs - some goomba lowlifes who were taking advantage of the unrest to pilfer from the unwary. The programmer had noticed them tailing him for the past few blocks and coolly slipped down an alley where he was certain he wouldn't be seen by any patrolling eyes.

When the goombas turned the corner, the last thing they saw were three demons of the ice and frost being summoned out of thin air. There was a chorus of giggles, hee-ho, before they were frozen solid and torn apart.

Did someone call for indiscriminate killers? An NPC account for everyone!

[ohshitdemons]

"That was hee-fun, ho!"

"I wanna fr-hee-ze more humans, ho!"

The two little Jack Frost fairies twittered about happily as their Wendigo leader picked up one of the goomba thugs in his great, hairy hands and began to tear into his guts. The rest could only watch in horror, unable to move or speak in their frozen state, as their friend was made victim to the demon's insatiable appetite.

Naoya walked calmly away from the scene, tucking his COMP back into the sleeve of his haori. He didn't see a particular rush in calling these demons back - in fact, he was rather interested to see how long it would take for the city would respond to three monsters bent on manslaughter, running amok.

"You're taking too long, hee-ho!" whined the first little Jack, impatiently hopping up and down as Wendigo gorged himself on the entrails of the now-dead goomba.

"It's so hee-hot here! Let's go-ho!" chimed the second, turning his attention to the other victims of the frost. Another blast of ice magic burst from his hands, shattering the rest of their prey into large, broken hunks.

The Wendigo lifted his head and shorted angrily, displeased that the other morsels had their warm flesh rendered too cold to satisfy his gluttony. With a grunt, he threw the remains of his meal to the side and stalked off to hunt - demons didn't discern between human and nonhuman politics.

Smiling, the two Jack Frosts scampered off as well, bent on turning everything and everyone they meet into ice. If only they weren't so deceptively and disarmingly cute...

Three Fabled Beauties! The Legendary Maiden with the Red Skort comes to the Rescue!

[reservedempath]

A typical day was often filled with a variety of complications. People in general felt a plethora of emotions and not necessarily drawn over time. Humans were interesting creatures in the way that they could change their feelings in moments flat. Could pokemon do the same? Yes. Perhaps. She couldn't remember a time she ever personally had, but then as she'd confessed to Vinnie just days ago, Voile had never really been well-versed in establishing her own sentiments. Not in comparison to others, at any rate.

When suspicions broke out and with them, paranoia, dread crept over her. It was like being a child who suffered from a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. It was worse because the academy was being targeted and there was a good amount of 'sub-humans' who attended the school. Herself included.

She'd not forgotten what Knuckles had told her during the blackout when he sat with her to keep the girl calm. Eying her cell phone for a few moments, she stashed it away. But now things weren't just about her. What if Marie got hurt, or Bulba? Or any of the others? Not that they couldn't hold their own, but still. 'Sub-humans.' The very word frustrated her to the core.

And there was also Phoenix. The moment he became her trainer, she deemed him the most important. He was just naive enough to get himself into trouble (and she wasn't too different, though she would have denied the fact), and that meant doing a quick perusal of the town, just to ensure he'd not gotten himself into something he couldn't get out of.

What it didn't mean was getting herself cornered by humans who seemed to carry a 'holier-than-thou' perspective.

"What is that thing?"
"Look at her head. Are those... ears??"
"How disgusting. Filth like that should be eradicated."

They were all words that stayed with her and it seemed even with her disguise of a hoodie over a dress hadn't done much to protect her. And now said hoodie was in tatters, forcing Voile to surrender it entirely, and expose herself to a population who hated those of her 'kind'. Yet she could not stand idly by and do nothing. The only offensive move she had in her set was Psychic, but who knew if that would even work.

Or if she'd even have the chance to pull it off.

Chiyo.... Not to the rescue, unfortunately!!

[lovestoswim]

Chiyo knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn't help herself. She never ventured off of school grounds before, and she was still terrified of doing so, but there was just something about today that struck her as odd. Somewhere, somehow... she knew she was needed. There was something in the air that told her that she could be of help, even if not directly. And she couldn't turn down someone in need.

So, she went, brandishing a hat to cover her ears and a long skirt in hopes of hiding her tail and went to the city. Granted, she was shaking all the way there, but she bit back her fear as best she could and pushed forward. If someone had gotten hurt when she could've done something about it, then she would never forgive herself. She didn't have her trainers to protect anymore, but she now had new friends, friends she direly hoped were okay and not troubled in the city.

...and then her ears caught onto something. Something comprised of nasty words she had hoped to never hear.

"Is that one, too?"
"Ugh, look at it. Trying to be one of us. Gross."
"I can't stand to look at it."

Chiyo snapped her head in the direction of the humans speaking about her, looking at them with a clear expression of hurt and shock.

Really? Here, too? She couldn't be accepted here, as well? Did she truly not have a place to belong?

But before she could delve deeper into her own despair, she noticed another, possibly one of her kind, cornered by another group of persecuting humans. Her eyes widened at the state the girl was in and somehow, Chiyo found herself momentarily glued to the floor. Why were they doing that? Horror struck her and memories of being abused in the past came flashing back at her. Before she knew it, she was charging towards the group with her arms stretched forward.

"S... Stop. Stop it!!!" she cried, pushing one away as she made her way to stand in front of the girl, arms spread out to protect her. "W-Why are you doing this?"

She trembled so hard that her teeth nearly chattered, and she braced herself for the incoming damage.

Appletini of Eden! Drunk with POWER!!

[wassa_matta_you]

It'd been nine years since he had walked into the bar and passed his interview with a simple smile. His "winning smile", he called it. A touch of charm from ear to ear.

It glistened up at Desmond from his reflection in a shot glass well kept, one last push of cloth wiping a tear gliding down from the rim. It was the last one he had to dry off and set in uniform with the rest upon a shelf behind him. Between the boards carrying mugs and cocktail glasses, Desmond saw himself more clearly. Same ol' Des with a scar on his lip and dark hair creeping toward his ears. He needed a haircut soon. Maybe a shave. Yeesh.

How did he let himself go that long?

The smell in the air was different. It was cleaner, wasn't it? And this place... quieter. What time was it, anyway?

As Desmond began to look toward the clock, it was then he noticed it wasn't in the same place. He looked from his left to his right. Huh. Had they moved it? 7:06 PM. Early, wasn't it? It felt as if he had been here forever. Cleaning that glass for hours. Staring into it for ages...

Wow, Desmond, quit spacing out. Though the absence of... of something was really getting to him.

His eyes wandered toward the front door as if someone had just entered, but it was more or less the sounds outside that punctured the silence and drew his attention. They weren't within his expectations. Some seemed foreign in design, others darker. Hostile, but all in passing.

Desmond's gaze relaxed onto the counter where it would remain, waiting absently for whoever needed his services.

[[what a lame title. Anyway, I was going to do an intro log but I thought this would work out just as well! Feel free to wander into this random ass bar for a drink, kiddies.]]

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Suddenly, a man walked in. Wearing a hood that would be familiar only to you.

Gee...he really looked familiar. With all the trouble lately, he'd been very busy. And well, you learned stuff in the tavern places. You had no idea who would stumble in drunk or think this was a safe haven to blurt out stuff like a moron.

For now, he makes himself situated at the bar.

In your face.


Is this face.

tasty copypastas

[tacohat]

It was then that a flesh-and-blood ghost walked in, posture elegant and clothing (now cleaned) tastefully old-fashioned. He gazed around the bar, passing over Desmond, judging the space rather than the occupant. After a short time, he seemed satisfied by the sight of the table furthest from the door, and strode over to it to take a seat.

Divine Wrath! The Man Who Would Be God! (open!)

[will_be_god]

The violence had swelled to impossible proportions. Though Cyrus had spoken widely of the intensifiying need to intervene, he had not yet thrown himself into the physical altercations.

But it could no longer be ignored. Though his own safety was required for his ultimate plan, for the salvation of everything, he could retreat if it came to it.

And at that moment he found himself with a vast upper hand, Gyarados's Aqua Tail sweeping aside three of those lost to hatred.

"Do you believe," he addressed them, "that simply because I share your species that I ought to excuse your violence? I will settle all things, and you will know then that you have sinned mortally."

[superior_archer]

Without his own network of information, the archer was really left to his own accord. He hadn't found anyone he truly trusted to do the work for him. Problem was, Innes had no experience in the field of intel. He was a strategist, the one formulating solutions with the information he'd been given. He was not the investigator.

And yet there he was in his long green robes with a longbow slung over his shoulder. He'd heard the fighting in the distance, but it was the words that caught his attention. Sinned mortally? "When did the Theocracy get here?" he frowned, rounding the corner, only to see it was someone who he didn't recognize, someone who didn't even come from his own world. Was he... commanding a dragon?

Munsterbation! Grumpy's Babysitting Under Fire!!

[idowhatilike]

"Take me with you!"

Evve had just exited the office after announcing her leave, informing her co-workers she would be heading into the city on personal business. It wasn't four feet she stepped before a soft, digital outcry had her coming to a halt.

Behind her stood what most people considered the most harrowing snowflake in all the land - a little girl. Evve had heard of Vivian on numerous occasions, especially in light of the recent news, but she'd never actually seen her before. A child once machine, constructed for no other purpose than to kill. In truth, it left Evve a bad taste in the back of her mouth, but considering Vivian was addressing her, it was likely she had no intent to harm her. Plus, that sounded like a request.

"Where?"

"The city. Please. Take me with you. "

"The city? That's the last place you need to be after the trouble you've caused, don't you think? Plus I'm not a babysitter. Find someone else."

"No one will take me."

Evve's nose wrinkled a little at her sad expression. Not that it worked on her. She didn't want to deal with kids, let alone a giant mob of angry citizens ready to cut a girl like her in half. It sounded like hard work she didn't want to deal with. But -

"The hospital. I want to go, please."

"The hospital...?"


How did it come to this? Evve didn't know what the Hell she was doing, but she had that little girl strapped to her hand by the lace of her fingers and she wouldn't let her go until they were safe in the hospital's walls. Evve was aware of her fortune that her human form appeared relatively normal if one had to compare it to her peers, but Vivian wasn't so lucky. Her figure was very distinct in design, and even if one had never seen her before, there would be no way she would go unrecognized.

That being the case, despite the warming weather, Evve had made it a point to find a hooded sweater to pull over Vivian's torso, hopefully concealing everything that would out her as public enemy number one. It was difficult to tuck all that hair inside when wrapped, so she had loosened it down to pool against the girl's shoulders and cascade forward freely. Vivian was thoroughly upset with having her core eye dressed, but Evve made a pretty convincing argument that she'd do it or get left behind. Good enough for Vivian.

Even with this simple disguise, Evve wasn't sure it was working. Vivian kept looking around and drawing attention to herself, hair shimmering under any light that happened to strike and making her glow next to a darker woman such as herself. She progressed with the hopes that ignorance would keep them alive, but there were heavy stares that weighed her shoulders down, and she wasn't sure if they'd get out of here unscathed.

1/2

[whirlwind_wolfman]

Despite his innate ability to stalk, Jon wasn't much of one for sticking to the shadows when he had a point to make. Yes, the city was currently enveloped in violence, and yes, he was generally to be found in the thick of it. Not fighting - just giving the Humans something to chase and throw things at until they grew tired or were distracted by some little old lady with cat ears or a koopa shell. His logic was, if groups of them were chasing the big, bad wolf, they'd be less likely to send bricks soaring at aforementioned crazy cat ladies and turtle hermits.

Though... the figures he happened to spot from the rooftop where he was walking today took precedence in his mind. One of them, at least. He had no clue who the shorter one was, but being as he had some general interest in the continued wellbeing and bodily whole-ness of Evve... well. He could take the afternoon off, he supposed.

2/2

[jonny_talbain]

He ducked out of sight and changed forms from Wolf to Human. It was weird - he hadn't taken this form since late November and it felt strange to him after so long. He ran his hands through his wild hair, producing a small piece of elastic from his shorts pocket to tie it back into a more conventionally acceptable ponytail.

No shoes and no shirt, however, meant he would not be entering any fine dining establishments today.

He walked to the back of the building's roof, jumped down and walked ahead a little bit, striding out onto the sidewalk from an alley just a little way ahead of Evve and Vivian.

"How do. Fancy some company?"

To save a princess from danger and have a nagging jerkwad behind you

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Connor was doing the duties he told himself he was going to do. With his robes and hood on, he went out on a hunt. Hunt for answers to these burning questions. Who? Why? What? How?

He had been here a few weeks, but today...was a different day.

He remembered when he first arrived, people seemed like they were going about business. But now...now that seemed to be in the past. There were angry groups of people glaring at those who look the slightest bit different. Cruel, judging eyes. Connor can't claim to know much about the world; Achilles and Haytham both would attest to the extent of his naivete. But. But he did know what he felt was enough to at least try to fix the problems in front of him.

Right now, he was at that stage. Figure this out. Find who was responsible. End the problem.

This brewing uneasiness was feeling a lot that a war that was brewing. Like how he would hear the colonists whine about how horrible the Loyalists were. It felt like that. All the MORE reason why it needed to stop as soon as possible. Especially now that someone had driven attention to the school.

Some thugs were giving him creepy eyes as he walked by in the streets; whenever he didn't take to the trees or rooftops (he tried to hide in the shadows a lot, such as what Assassins did). He tried conversing with them; all each ending the same way.

The thugs were not right in the head, like they weren't in there at all. They were all useless to get info. Probably victims. Everyone was spewing nonsense. Pure nonsense.

As the night went by, things were bound to get VERY interesting eventually. Around this corner, on this street.

Re: To save a princess from danger and have a nagging jerkwad behind you

[tacohat]

Haytham followed behind Connor, passively observing the thugs and riots around them, feeling that his worst assumptions about the chaotic inclinations of an under-managed humankind were only being confirmed. It was a new setting, but mobs of people were always still the same at their base, foolish and selfish most of all.

He rolled his eyes at the sight of Connor's appearance in those familiar white robes, but made no comment. What was the point? They hadn't been effective as disguise for hundreds of years, much less in just any region, and Connor was the only one upholding the Creed here. Didn't he explain to him how the Creed's obsession with strict traditional practices would be their own downfall?

He sighed to himself and came up closer behind him.

"Did you find anything, Connor?" he queried with weary impatience, looking past his son's large shoulder, his (still) bad arm held close to his chest.

Zelda and Soryk take FDC

[ninjaprincess]

Zelda knew that it was a bad idea to go out into the city if you looked even a little less than human (she did). She also knew it was a bad idea to be anywhere near Soryk, who was after her alter ego for some unknown reason.

But at the same time, avoiding him immediately after their forest altercation would raise suspicion, especially because Sheik had reason to stay away, but Zelda certainly did not. She couldn't say she wasn't curious as to why he was after her mysterious ninja boy masquerade. The gains far outweighed the risks, as far as she was concerned.

So why not kill two birds with one stone? Ask him to join her in city on errands to avoid going alone, and pick him for information along the way? It was ingenious, really.

"Thank you for accompanying me today, Soryk."

[insanecharisma]

He was none the wiser, which would likely only spell out a greater sense of betrayal if he ever discovered what clever little game she was playing. It'd certainly be a keen reminder of why he didn't put much stock into women. Treacherous snakes they were. Flowers with pretty petals and thorns that pricked the heart to its deepest centre. But that was a jaded way of viewing it.

He was a little surprised when she requested him to come along with her. Soryk was no fool, however, and knew very well what was becoming of the people who weren't... human. If anything, it reminded him almost too much of Azeroth, which was both displeasing and comfortably familiar. Was being up against FDC's version of the Alliance worse than taking orders from that damned Hellscream? He couldn't say.

When Zelda thanked him, he only found himself a little more confused. He peered sidelong to her and paused momentarily, but kept his stride in check. "You have no need to say that," was his first response. Then as an afterthought, he continued. "While I hardly find you the sort who would require an escort, I do not dislike your companionship."

[OPEN] On the hunt for clues! Ever-vigilant Ulki keeps on the lookout!

[hawkhearsyou]

And Prince writes a title: the sequel. It failed horribly, and Prince went into debt and never made a movie again.

Nevertheless, after being mysteriously put to sleep a number of times coincidentally while Rhys was being slipped drugs time and time again, Ulki wasn't going to stand for this shit. It was time to get down to business and find a culprit.

Arriving so late in the game put him at a disadvantage with a lack of important information, but after gathering as much as he could from Rhys a while back, he was certain it could come in handy. He had to find a drug lord. Or perhaps somebody responsible for not only slipping Rhys some nasty drugs, but somebody who knew his superhuman hearing talents well enough to abuse them. There was no way this was a mere coincidence, and there might be more than one culprit. He'd find all of them.

And tear them into shreds.

The hawk laguz had been ambushed a few times by some human-types, but he had no real difficulty staving them off. He was off to the shadiest parts of town, and there was nothing that was going to get in his way.

[[ ooc note: The one restriction Ulki has re: time constraints go is that he won't be in the city during night time. At any other time, however, he may be around! ]]

[OPEN] Surprise! Action! TL;DR

[superior_archer]

The situation in the city was getting worse. After a discussion with Eirika and Conner that didn't really go as planned, the archer prince decided to see the situation for himself. He didn't have a network of spies, so he had to do some looking on his own. Problem was, the brash prince wasn't exactly stealthy. He was more the type to announce himself to inflate his own ego.

And as he had a certain disgust for the school's uniform, he was wearing his usual long green robes, carrying a quiver and a longbow. Those brats at school didn't seem to like it when he'd carry a bow around school, but this was different. It was a warzone.

Innes's intentions of being out at night weren't necessarily obvious. He was hungry and the food at the cafeteria was incredibly lacking. Someone had mentioned the city had good food and it was an excuse to go out and figure out what really was going on.

And it wasn't looking good. He heard some noise around the corner and found someone getting attacked - was that some sort of manakete? Either way, the archer drew his bow and nailed the people straight in the shoulder. He didn't miss at all. His intention was to deter them.

Am I doing this right? The mysterious masked man! [open]

[majorjealousy]

As on the edge as the citizens of FDC were during the day, it was nothing compared to the night. If you were unlucky, you could find yourself in a pretty dangerous situation.

But if you were lucky, you could have an anonymous savior.

He had been out most every night now, stalking through the darkness, putting out fires when began to blaze out of control. Slicing through mob violence before it could get out of hand with a hyperpowered sword.

Who was this strange figure? He was powerful. He was fast.

He was wearing an adorable puppy mask.

Yes, FDC's vigilante was covering his identity with a white mask with pointy ears and a cute, simple face. Perhaps he caught offenders off guard with his odd appearance. Some thought he was making a statement with his animal mask, but no one could tell.

Tonight he had a mission-- tracking down a couple of imps and a wendigo. But he might get distracted by another scuffle in the meantime.

[ohshitdemons]

Tracking was a thing that would prove to be not all that difficult at all. Despite the fact that there were only three of these demons wandering around the whole of the city, they left behind them a trail of frost and blood wherever they went.

Driven by his insatiable hunger, the Wendigo was in the midst of devouring another poor victim in the middle of the streets. It was a madness that drove him to crave only human flesh - though it seemed like 'humanoid' was a close enough likeness for his palate. Either way, it was hard to tell whether his prey was a true human anymore, not when its skin was in shreds and organs strewn about.

As Jin neared, the demon reared his head, alerted by the scent of fresh prey. With a grunt, he flared his nostrils and stood on up his hind feet. "MEAT..."

Exclamation about candy! Question about candy? Dachora and Pit!

[dachopunk]

So, here they were. Dropped off in the city. Now that her feet had touched the ground, Dachora felt a swell of fear creep into her chest. Is this just what happened when there were too many people in one place? She had never had any experience with it. As long at she was grasping onto Pit's hand, things would probably be alright.

Re: Exclamation about candy! Question about candy? Dachora and Pit!

[raw_angel_power]

Whenever Pit felt Dachora's hand squeeze his, he squeezed back just to make sure she knew she was safe.

The city around them stirred- cars, bikes, smoke, pigeons, pedestrians, possible threats inconspicuously hidden behind buildings and tucked away in the alleys. Pit knew this. He'd been patrolling the city at least weekly, but often cases more frequently than that, and he'd seen violence assault his vision too often. It wasn't the kind of fighting he liked to see, so he gave the perpetrators someone else to pick on and broke up as many conflicts as he could. He was getting used to this mayhem and knew what to expect, though he could never fully understand why they had to happen in the first place. Couldn't everyone just... get along?

Keeping vigilant, Pit walked them down the sidewalk, strolling closer to the heart of the city. "Pretty quiet, huh?" he said to release the tension some. "This looks like it's gonna be a piece of cake! Or should I say candy?"

Can I really be the hero? Haha, no, you're terrible.

[derivativeofx]

Seemed like there was a little bit of trouble in the air around here. Frankly, Copy X could only shake his head at the lackluster response from the city's mayor. If this were Neo Arcadia... if this were his city, then things would have been under control by now, that was for sure. It was a fact that he'd known since activation: you have to keep a firm hand on the reins.

Still, though he might not have been the ruler around here, he could still fill the role he'd been built to serve: a guardian of humanity. (And only humanity. Everyone else could just go cry him a river, as far as he was concerned.) For want of a better idea, he had taken to roaming the city, sharp eyes ready to catch some subhuman or another red-handed.

[caincarnate]

Naoya continued to walk the city without fear, even after being accosted and letting loose three demons into the world. No demon summoned from a COMP of his making was able to attack him anyway, so there were no troubles on that front whatsoever. He could always summon more, if the situation was dire enough to call for it.

It was a little disappointing, however, to find that the bar he frequented most while living in FDC had effectively closed up shop in the face of all the turmoil. One too many bar fights that had just gone too ugly. Tempers weren't well served by alcohol being added into the mix. Now he had come all this way for nothing, and most likely had to find a new drinking spot to boot. What a hassle.

Just as he was about to leave, however, a large, trenchcoated figure stepped in his path. It didn't take too long for the programmer to note that the 'person' in question was no person at all - its skin had a black, metallic sheen, and its feet were another pair of hands. Every movement was awkward, like the shape underneath that coat wasn't humanoid at all in build. A robot of some kind?

The sudden pique of interest was what stayed his hand from defending himself immediately. Even when the disguised dwarf gekko began lumbering towards him, Naoya barely seemed to react.

[open] Cut into the Darkness! Schezo becomes a hero?!

[areiard]

Schezo had heard of the news that had broadcast earlier, but he never took the mind to consider about it... Not that he cared in the first place. Power was (mostly) what mattered the most; those who had no power yet threw insults around were pitiful to the sight. Schezo, being a human as well as not having the Smash Academy emblem on himself, did not become a target of the insults. But when he walked right into a group of thugs ganging up on an unfortunate soul, he couldn't help but let his annoyance known.

"Tch."

It wasn't because he didn't want to see this pitiful sight. He wanted to walk down this street, it was the shortest way to a book store he had looked up about earlier in the day and he wasn't going to turn back around for another way. If violence is what these thugs wanted, they will get it.

"You sorry excuses of human beings need to move out of the way if you know what's good for you." He said as he pulled out his sword. The thugs moved their attention from the poor victim to Schezo, throwing vulgar remarks at the Dark Wizard as they approached him.

"Hmph." A smile crept across Schezo's face as his sword started to envelope dark aura around, getting ready to unleash one of his spells.

[Open] Fight or Flight! Hearts on Fire!

[blazebottom]

Riwane had stayed in the Academy since the last encounter in FDC. Especially since after that time, another round of murders occured and she was sure that going to FDC would make everyone worried.

However, you can only keep the freedom seeker cooped up for so long and she had managed to slip out of school one night in order to have some fun in the nightlife of the city she so enjoyed.

The night had gone without a hitch, good clubs, better dancing, lots of fun! However, it was on her way back home that she ran into a band of miscreants. All very much obvious about their hate towards non-humans. They berated, mocked and laughed as they pulled out weapons and got closer to which Riwane responded by flaring her tail flame and standing her ground.

She was outnumbered and the situation only grew more tense at the addition of weapons. Even though she knew she could roast a great deal of them if they attacked, she didn't want to escalate the general situation between the sides any more than it was already at. So she was trying to weight her choice between fleeing or fighting...

And for the girl with the fiery spirit and love for combat, it was the hardest decision she ever had to make in a long while.

A Cyberspace Ghost?! The Electrace Boy Appears!

[voltecpower]

The neon signs and lamps overhead cast their cold, unfeeling glow over the scene below, dark shadows spreading across the asphalt and concrete as the hoodlums drew closer. Suddenly, the night was pierced by a sharp buzz, the lights flickering brightly for a moment, as though there were a power surge occurring in the immediate area. It was noticeable enough to inspire some confusion; why just here? Why isn't the entire city shorting out?

The answer came quickly as a nearby ATM machine began to act strange, its display screen giving off a blinding white light as the surge appeared to concentrate solely on it. With an audible pop, a figure resolved in the space just in front of the screen, dropping to the hard pavement, where it lay crouched for a moment before standing upright.

It was Pulse. All five feet of him. Needless to say, he didn't cut a very imposing figure, likely being a head shorter than most everyone else present, but nonetheless he did command some bit of attention, if nothing more than from his flashy means of entering the scene.

He first turned his gaze on Riwane, the Charizard lady; he had recognized her before, from behind the screen of a different ATM machine at one of the clubs she had visited, during his exploration of the local network a short while ago. At a glance, he took in her current state, and noted that she was in good health, not yet injured.

Then he turned his attention to the group of thugs threatening her. His expression turned to that of intense focus; his eyes appeared to glow slightly, further enhancing his non-human appearance, though while he usually could not help it when he was coming to someone's defense, this time it was purely on purpose. His intent was to draw the thugs' attention away from Riwane by making himself look like the bigger freak... so to speak. Clenching his hands into tight fists, he addressed the group.

"Excuse me. All I ask is that you leave us alone. I don't want to fight you."

[Open] Backed into a corner! The feral spirit fights back!

[shallajin]

There had been many attempts at diplomacy, very few attempts at fleeing. Ellistree had never been one to back down from a fight, even in these overwhelming numbers. A mob, seeking out the non-humans that dared to venture into FDC. She tried to reason with them, after all, they were mostly all normal humans too stupid to realize the childishness of their hate and the foolishness of their actions.

However, the feral druid could only take so much, even as she attempted to simply leave the scene, only to be pursued with weapons of all kinds, even a firebottle that shattered right in front of her as she tried to turn a sharp corner.

Enough was enough, even for the pseudo diplomat. Ellistree turned on her heel and in that very second she shifted into her saber form, letting out a thundurous roar that echoed through the alley. In a flash, she was upon the mob of pursuers with all the fury of nature, slashing, ripping, biting and tearing apart anything that looked to harm her.

Needless to say, it was becoming a blood bath very quickly.

[areiard]

Schezo was nearby when he suddenly heard the roar. It did make him jump (a little), for he wasn't expecting it, and curiosity got the better of him as he changed his direction to find out what was going on. When he arrived at the scene, he saw a feline-like creature attacking everyone nearby; it only felt natural for the Dark Wizard to unsheathe his sword as a means of protection.

He could care less of the other injured ones, but he sure didn't want to end up being mincemeat.

Fight or Flight? Surely This Is A Misundeerstanding!

[buddingheart]

Kieran didn't care much for the city as a whole -- long before he'd been warned to fear its inhabitants, he'd already feared its roads. It hadn't been the city itself that he'd planned to visit that evening, just the forest that bordered it.

It'd been purely bad luck that there'd been a pair of teenage punks -- both clad in River City varsity jackets, one with a lollipop stick hanging from his mouth -- loitering around outside the gates of the school with the obvious intention of stirring up some trouble. Kieran could feel all their eyes on him as he passed, taking in his bare feet, his antlers, the stripes trailing down his face. Though they were all obviously human, Kieran was reminded of wolves. Slowly, they all rose, tailing behind him just close enough away to make him feel threatened. Not pouncing just yet, but waiting. Trying to make their prey lose its nerve.

He quickened his pace. So did they.

Kieran changed his route, pointing himself toward the city -- far better to keep these predators contained to there, instead of letting them seep into the forest. He... couldn't say he had much of a plan beyond that, though. Behind him, he could hear their footsteps following a little closer, one of them calling out a "Hey, buddy, what's the rush?" at his back.

[oceanshaper]

And then, almost out of nowhere, there was a tall man at Kieran's side, a gloved hand on the grass type's shoulder.

"Ah, there you are. Did you get lost? This isn't at all where I asked for you to meet me?"

Kyogre could hear snickers from the humans standing behind them, but he ignored them.

"Don't worry, I'm not annoyed. Come on, let's go get some dinner."

"Hey," one of the punks called out at the duo, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To dinner, I just said," Kyogre replied flippantly, "And I'm afraid it's just gonna be the two of us. I don't have enough money to pay for all of you... Maybe one. I wouldn't want you to leave your friends behind, though, so..."

Home is where the heart is! But can both be broken?

[lovely_wind]

Flurrie was just arriving at the stupidly ritzy condos she called home after a long day of coming up with final grades. Gosh, this being a teacher thing was exhausting! But rewarding! Yes, Flurrie felt very accomplished having finished another semester of class, putting her in a lovely mood. Everything was just marvelous!

...Except for the half dozen police cars outside of the building she lived in. Oh. Dear.

"Excuse me, officer," She tapped one of the cops on the shoulder. "I live here! Whatever is the matter?"

"We had reports of some break-ins, ma'am." The officer replied. "It seems the perpetrators had several targets in mind."

"Oh, my! How dreadful!" Flurrie gasped. "May I inquire as to what happened, exactly?"

"Several of the apartments were broken into and valuables were stolen." The cop said. "Are any of these condos yours?"

He handed her a slip of paper with a list of apartment numbers. She read the list slowly, dreading that she might see her- oh. There it is. Her number. Valuables stolen. Someone was in her home, and they ransacked it! That could only mean one thing, in her case. Her jewelry.

The cop could obviously tell she was in distress. "I realize this is difficult. I'm afraid that all the apartments targeted may have belonged to non-humans such as yourself."

"I...I feel faint..." Flurrie put a hand to her forehead and swooned right there on the sidewalk.

Re: Home is where the heart is! But can both be broken?

[iamtheeggman]

After she had fainted, the police put in a call to her emergency contact.

Why she chose Eggman for this role, we may never know.

But for whatever reason she had that particular lapse of judgment, the moment he heard something happened to her, he dropped everything, and shortly afterwards a rocket powered metal ball flew towards the apartment complex.

With all of the calm and dignity one would expect from Dr. Robotnik, he shoved his way past police and medical workers, shouting angrily on his search for Madam Flurrie. And when he finally caught sight of her, he rushed to her side, taking her hand, much to the confusion of the medic making sure she was okay.

May 17th in the afternoon- SERIOUS BACKDATING

[makesitcool]

Chili had invited Cress for an excursion in the city. There was an urgency about the way he presented his request, saying he had something important he'd like to discuss with him. This was more than enough to get Cress interested in tagging along with, so despite the long-term tension growing between them, he accepted.

Now they were out and about, strolling down a quiet city street full of cheery brick apartment buildings with an old-world charm about them. Not many people filled the sidewalks except for the occasional passerby, rendering this place a little more open and conducive to sensitive conversation.

Cress chose to prod him on whatever he had been waiting to tell him right about now. "You brought me out here first and foremost to tell me something imperative," he said stiffly, stuffing his arms close into his cardigan.

REAL BACKDATING, NOT LIKE WHAT YOUR MOM GAVE YOU FOR YOUR 7th BIRTHDAY

[makesithot]

So maybe walking around the city wasn't the best place to divulge in these secrets he wanted to tell. After all, the secrets he wanted to tell Cress about took place in these very streets. Even so, walking around the city provided one helpful aspect that sitting in a static spot would not: since people would only be passing by, they wouldn't hear too much.

And technically, Chili wasn't supposed to be telling anybody. But Cress and Cilan... that was different from "anybody".

"Yeah." Luckily for Cress, it had nothing to do with his relationship status. "I was going to tell you sooner, but stuff kept getting in the way."