|
|
|
214 posts
|
1 like
|
|
|
Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
|
Administrator
|
Post by Tulf on Mar 3, 2016 3:39:13 GMT
It was strange to see Elkhorn’s residential district – in a lot of ways, it mirrored Lakecrest’s; even in the aging district that Katsumi, Edwin and Alistair were driven through. The wood and brick buildings looked almost identical… perhaps making their current state all the most unsettling. There were hardly any lights on, nary a person outside in sight, and not a single other car on the road. Signs of abandonment were everywhere – and clearly not just due to decommissioning like their current objective. Or perhaps that was just the most convenient word for the city’s state now in the eyes of the council… decommissioned buildings, decommissioned people. But, perhaps those images would only serve as fuel for the team – they were the people standing against this scene, after all. Sadly, they would not be hunting Horrors tonight; but perhaps it would be something just as excitingly evil. As a rainstorm rumbled overhead, the scent of dampened wood and asphalt filled the air; a gradual downpour that matched the cloudy night sky perfectly. Not quite the ideal dark and stormy night, but it would have to do.
With a tight screech, the unmarked van came to a stop – to any onlooker, it would appear to just be a civilian car; though in the current circumstances it was hard not to stand out amongst the empty streets. Having stopped around the corner of a tight laneway, the driver soon hopped out to address his cargo – and what a team it was. Slinging the van’s panel door open, the shaggy-looking IACSB member looked all the more unenthused about the situation as his trenchcoat was gradually tarnished with rain… it was going to be a long night. “Alright crew, here’s your stop. I know you folks got a brief at home, but I gotta give you another run-down. Regulations and all that. Might help build a bit of morale in the meantime, anyway.” Barked the man, giving a shrug of irritation alongside his idle chatter – a job was a job.
“Down the way we came in here’s the place you’re looking for – an old music hall, got scrapped even before the rift nonsense. Doesn’t look too big on the outside; but it’s got a pretty grand hall for Elkhorn’s standards inside apparently. You’re on the hunt for a youkai in there; so probably a real prissy Mystic Kind. Shouldn’t be anyone else around, so it should be easy for you. Arrest them however you like, or put them down if you need to – but preferably the former. We’re in some rough times with the Japanese court… thingy so if we can get someone they’re after for ‘em then that’ll make us some friends for once. Just at least get a picture or something if you gotta kill them so we can at least give them that much.”
Nodding to Katsumi, the man gave a wry smirk – “You should be pretty chuffed, missy; you’re getting to work for us and your country.” He remarked, before turning to Edwin and Alistair; “And you two, keep your head and hooves on. We’ve got reports of two missing persons that have been linked to this case, so no telling what you might find. Shouldn’t be too much trouble since they were just civies from our investigations, but the details are still real hazy. Could be some nasty shit, could be some punk with a captive audience. Figure that out as well as getting the quarry and I’m sure the higher-ups will be sharing champagne afterwards.”
“I’ll be on radio if you need me, but probably best to just get the job done quick.” Added the man, before darting back to the driver’s seat – he didn’t want to get any more soaked in this chilly weather. “The place has a little door but a nice big sign, you can’t miss! Catch me a big one!” he called as he hopped back into the van – the sauna of the car’s less than modern interior heating was a blessing compared to the cold rain. It wasn’t exactly pouring outside, but every bit was pesky all the same.
And if the team headed on along the streets as they were directed; they would indeed be met with a clear sign of their site – a literal one, too. ‘Carson Hall – Currently undergoing renovations’ stated the sign beside the door… though given the look of the board, those renovations had probably been long-forgotten. All the same, the musty wooden door waited patiently; apparently unlocked to boot… given its less shaggy state compared to the rest of the buildings, it could be easily guessed that it’d seen some use lately despite the circumstances.
OOC: While Alistair still requires a bit more grading before he can post, here's a chance for the other two of you to get started.
|
|
|
|
|
77 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2016 21:26:03 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by The D.J. C.J. on Mar 7, 2016 11:34:45 GMT
Edwin stepped out of the van - half-turning to almost tell it to stay put, until he quickly realised that Ciara was still in for repairs after the last mission they'd taken - she'd made that one particularly clear. The entire time it felt strangely...odd, not being able to argue with his vehicle. Why on earth was that...?
Edwin shook his head. "Not much point focusing on that, focus on the now." he thought to himself, putting a hand up above his face to try and stop the rain getting in his eyes, and quietly cursing the fact that the IACSB were too goddamn cheap to offer the group of 3 freaking umbrellas. At least the driver got to stay in the goddamn van and listen to whatever music he wanted. Was it worth putting in the inevitable report he'd have to do for this place?
And yet, at the same time, Edwin was...curiously intrigued by this mission. He'd been lucky to even hear of it, really. Strangely, it had been f***ing Geoff who had decided to slip him a juicy tidbit of information (instead of the usual being a pain in the ass) that he felt would be intriguing for the young IT guy - and for once, Edwin agreed with him. It brought back to mind his time as a would-be journalist - seeking down strange happenstances, putting together the pieces where nobody else could and finding truth in amidst a web of lies. The demon - specifically stated to be a Japanese youkai - sounded like an interesting puzzle to work out. What could have driven one of them so far from their home country? Edwin hoped to be able to talk with the demon, but...
He looked quickly over his left shoulder. Behind him stood a taller (though surprisingly, not by much) and very powerful looking woman. Surprisingly, there was little information on her but what had been volunteered by the already secretive enough MFC - whatever technology they did use, they had a surprisingly ingenious ability to keep information hidden. Granted, their lack of interest in modern weaponry seemed incredibly stupid to Edwin, at first. "Then again," he thought to himself, "if I could punch something as hard as they could I probably wouldn't bring a gun either." He hadn't been given much on her, and the few introductions they'd already had on the way had but introduced her as Katsumi Ametsuchi (and while she'd volunteered the nickname Katie, he was determined to call her by her full name, refusing to surrender what scraps of information he could get), and told that her style was that of the Conquering Lord - Edwin's knowledge of it was scant but that it was based of Muay Thai and involved hitting things really freaking hard. Certainly having her on their side was good, but...well, the MFC were certainly known for being honourable, and while he had no reason to disbelieve that, he also knew they weren't particularly fond of demons. He'd have to keep an eye on her and hope she didn't have an itchy trigger...er, fist.
Looking over his other shoulder was...well, there wasn't any way to put it except that he was Centaur Jesus. Or at least, if Jesus had been a centaur instead of a human, the Church would have worshipped this guy as the next Messiah, no question. He carried himself well enough and from the notes he'd gathered he was apparently a decent enough soldier, well-trained and experience in martial artistry and using a bow ("What is with people and bows nowadays? Do they think it's still the 14th century?"). He'd participated in some casual conversation that Edwin hadn't been fully listening too - so he seemed polite for now, but whether he stayed that way was anyone's guess. The only thing to do was to wait and find out, which they'd surely have a chance to.
And as Edwin looked forward, he realised they'd finally arrived at the place. "Carson Hall..." he said to no-one, trying to figure out if he could remember any rumours about the place, but nothing rang any bells. It was surprising - the 4ourth Wheels would have loved this place, if any of them were still alive. "Would have been nice if we could be sent to a place that didn't look like it was going to fall on us." Though of course, that would just be too much to ask for, surely. He turned around, looking at the others. "Welp, you heard the man. We go in, we find the demon, we try not to hit it until we know it wants to eat us - and we get out. And I want out of here as soon as possible. I don't know when those Churchies we were briefed about will show up but I do not want myself or that demon to be anywhere near those damned God-botherers. Whatever the demon, even I'm doubtful that it deserves their interference."
Edwin felt for his shotgun inside his jacket - while he hoped this would all go well for a change, he was pessimistic enough to realise that more than likely something would go wrong. Still, the chance to learn something so strange and new intrigued him, to the point he actually wasn't slouching for once. Edwin walked up and quietly opened the dilapidated door, not walking through it yet - listening to see if he could hear any sign of where the youkai was.
|
|
|
|
|
215 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2016 5:31:39 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by Restkastel on Mar 14, 2016 5:10:51 GMT
 Nodding back to the driver, who was talking to me about things I had already been briefed on and trying to make small talk that I wasnt interested in, before stepping out of the van and walking up alongside the rather scrawny boy, who was a bit shorter than me. I had been sent on this mission with a few rather interesting comrades it seemed. One appeared to be an IACSB member with no combat skills whatsoever, though it did seem like he was armed, so perhaps he could use a gun. Not my taste and not much fun, but I supposed it got the job done. And our other teammate was...well a centaur, though I could still sense a ki signature like that of a ki artist. Some forbidden style took him in perhaps, or maybe hes self taught in some sort of cenatur ki art. It really didn't matter, not my concern anyway, though I ought to keep my eye out. Forbidden styles were forbidden for a reason and looked down upon for that very same reason. I would work with him, but I definitely was not going to be wholly trusting of him. I'd make sure to watch out for arrows too, just in case he got any funny ideas with that bow. The boy seemed to be ruminating to himself about being sent to some place that seemed like it was going to collapse on us, and how he wished they would send us someplace else. How odd, why would he even bother commenting on such a thing? He went on to talk to us, and he referred to the youkai as demons as he did, and saying he wanted to be out of here before the churchies he mentioned showed up. How boring, if we were done that fast that meant either the youkai weren't really all that strong or this wouldn't come to blows, both a boring result, albeit what our employers wanted. Sighing and cracking my neck I followed behind the boy up to the door where he began to creep up and see if he could tell if he could figure out where the youkai was before going through. Deciding I had had it with being patient, I said to him, "Sneaking around like that likely won't do any good." With that, I would open the door and walk forward, not making a scene as I entered but not bothering to hide myself as I did. After all, it was likely that they knew we were coming, or even that we were here already, so there was no real use in hiding. After I took survey of the room I entered as my eyes adjusted from the change in the light levels, and waited for the rest of my group to follow in after me, making sure I was ready to fight in case they attacked without any warning like cowards. |
|
|
|
|
64 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Jun 29, 2016 23:32:08 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by breakfree on Mar 15, 2016 1:00:23 GMT
Alistair would listen carefully and contemplatively to the driver as he instructed them very specifically on what they were supposed to do. Chuckling a bit as his comment for them to keep their heads and their hooves on.Ugh, the rain was certainly rather annoying for him to deal with right now and he imagined it would be for the other two of his companions as well. Bah. I.A.C.S.B can afford all this but they cant give us any umbrellas....The centaur would proceed to snort as he carefully analyzed who he was working with. One seemed to be a light-weight and scrawny guy who was perhaps armed to some extent. Not really displaying any noticeable traits or ki to him at the moment. While the other person with them had a ki signature apparently...One he could sense. Supposedly this chick had to be with one of the known styles probably, unless she was affiliated with another organization or maybe had a family style of her own. Alistair hoped she wouldn't get the wrong impression of him. After all the centaur did hear from his tribe people will not look at a centaur of all people normally who wields ki-arts. Let's all be on guard, we have no idea what this youkai may want after all. I hope the people that went missing are fine.Alistair was rather concerned about the well being of civilians as well. As he would slowly approach the door. Demon?Well shit, That youkai must not be a big fan of you either if your gonna call them that.Relax. We got your back...Alistair put a reassuring hand on the guys shoulders. He would feel a rather relaxed but strong and firm grip. Maybe this guy was just paranoid or something about what they were going to encounter. Though if he couldn't handle that, why did he come on this mission int the first place. Alistair would wonder while noticing the girl on the other hand who opted to head directly in. Alistair would crouch down and attempt to fit through the door properly, being on guard and ready to back her up. Whelp. Lets do this. Splitting up at the start of the mission wasn't exactly a wise idea to him. As his fists would be at the ready.Carefully observing the entire environment he was walking into. His senses would be on point and focused as he entered the hall. He was a trained warrior, and whatever foe he may or may not encounter in this hall was gonna goddamn see that.
|
|
|
|
|
214 posts
|
1 like
|
|
|
Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
|
Administrator
|
Post by Tulf on Mar 15, 2016 9:22:42 GMT
Edwin’s cautious entrance would not go quite as planned as the door creaked as it opened; a cringe-inducing sound for anyone trying to work with any kind of subtlety – however, it was clearly not something he ought to worry too much about as Katsumi simply shoved it open with a further drawl of wood on wood. But, despite the noisy approach it seemed that there was nary a thing stirring inside the building; with the entrance appearing as rundown as the outside. For now, they certainly seemed safe; regardless of their rough approach.
The hall’s front door led into a small reception room, assumedly to handle ticketing and give lingering audience members somewhere to mill about before and after any shows; with a few old seats offering somewhere to lounge and a bar with shelves behind it taking up one side of the room. The roof was notably low compared to the look of the building from the outside; making what little light shone in with its new guests more than enough to illuminate the aging wood and fabric. Its state of disrepair was obvious, even in the dim darkness – cobwebs artfully lined the corners of furniture and walls alike, while a thin layer of dust lined the bar and what remained of its cashier implements.
Still, it was certainly more welcoming than the rain outside; carrying a certain antique charm – a factor especially highlighted by the modestly grand pair of wooden doors that no doubt offered entrance to the main hall. A second door was off to one side, though; not sharing its companion’s majesty in the least; assumedly the way into the backstage and staff areas surrounding the hall. Otherwise, there was little to see; with the thick drapes covering what little windows there were to begin with muting the thunderstorm outside… maybe once upon a time this had been a bustling little studio on nights like these, but in a way the current atmosphere was something beautiful in its own right.
Despite how wary Alistair and Edwin were being, they would not be met with anything of note beyond the skittering of some antisocial spiders that nested in the corners of the room. However, given a minute or two of patience, the group would be met with something of an odd welcome; as a rhythm of splashes outside hinted at someone passing by amidst the rain… and, whom then knocked at the door? It was a polite, meek rap; swiftly following by a turn of the knob of the door – if the trio intended to hide or just ambush the new face immediately, they would have to act now.
|
|
|
|
|
77 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2016 21:26:03 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by The D.J. C.J. on Mar 21, 2016 0:04:47 GMT
Edwin couldn't help but cringe as the door swung open loudly and obviously - and it didn't particularly help his ego when the martial artist decided that, essentially, subtlety was for wusses and walk straight on through with little care or tact. "Hmph, fine. Let's just go walk straight in without any plan..." Edwin muttered unhappily to himself - not that he had any degree of leadership here, true, but still, was the element of surprise maybe a tiny bit important?
Well, in any case, nothing immediately happened - which, as good a thing as it was also kind of depressed Edwin because it meant that being quiet really had been more-or-less pointless. And being quiet was one of the few things in this world he was relatively good at, despite his surly demeanour. "I wonder if this youkai feels the same way...? Maybe all it wants is just to be left by itself." Edwin thought to himself. Granted, making presumptions probably wasn't a good idea, but it was something that he couldn't help but wonder. After all, the youkai didn't seem particularly malevolent, or what the hell would it be doing just...sitting here (at least as far as anyone knew)?
Well, back to the present. Alistair had just had his hand on Edwin's back, not something Edwin was particularly happy with and had muttered something about Edwin being an jerk or something, he hadn't paid attention. Did they not give these people any memo? Edwin thought by now it was almost common knowledge that he didn't like people. Not that it mattered, because Edwin didn't have time to open his mouth before Alistair moved in - thankfully at least a little more quietly than the martial artist. Edwin had unholstered his shotgun, holding it in his hands, but for all their bluster nothing seemed to be here. "This is odd. Did we get bad info...? Say what you will about f***ing Geoff, he and his guys aren't usually wrong on these matters..."
Unable to notice anything out of the ordinary (at least considering the situation), Edwin instead took the opportunity to look around the music hall. Somehow, it still looked grand enough, even in such a state. Edwin was never one much for architecture, but in something like this even he couldn't help but take notice. The rain seemed to almost tap the metronome beat that this place was missing. If someone wanted to practice music away from people, you could have done far worse than this. Why had it been torn down in the first place then? Honestly, one would think the city could have afforded to restore it if they really wanted...Edwin shook his head. "What's getting me into such a goddamn musical mood all of a sudden?" he wondered to himself. Maybe it was some old forgotten memory that tugged at something - it wasn't really relevant anyway, probably. Edwin followed Katsumi and Alistair, both having taken the lead - Edwin was not particularly interested in taking it back from them.
Suddenly, the metronome beat was broken, and then...a knock at the door. The group of three trapped in the spooky hall with the monster of the week bashing the door down, except...no, it was surprisingly quiet and meek - almost polite one would say. A polite demon, who'd have thunk it? Nonetheless, Edwin decided that whatever it was he wasn't interested in taking the point, and immediately moved to try and get behind some form of nearby cover, hopefully hiding himself somewhat from whatever was behind the door. If Katsumi and Alistair wanted to be blunt and obvious about this, then by all means they were welcome to, but then not all of them could punch a demon with much effect.
|
|
|
|
|
215 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2016 5:31:39 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by Restkastel on Mar 25, 2016 21:35:48 GMT
After my eyes adjusted to the inside of the building, I could see the interior in all of its musty non-glory. THe building had clearly seen better times, but it had not lost all of its splendor. Much like a fighter that had been out of work for a while, some hard work, time, and money and this place would be better than it was new. I walked on ahead into the building with not much care, after all, it seemed extremely empty, my good feel for places serving me well once again. It seemed as if the place had been abandoned for a while, but I got the feeling the place would be mustier if it had not been used recently. The other two seemed to be doing their own thing in the entrance hall as I looked around, so I left them to it and sort of ignored them as I looked around. There were a few different doors in the building. Most obvious were the grand, but faded with time, doors that led into the main hall, as well as the doors we had just walked through and a small door to the side. Besides that, everything was fairly covered in dust and cobwebs. The furniture, the cash registers, and even the bar, making it obvious that the youkai had not touched the alcohol. I guess it likely wasn't an oni, at least. Either that or they were drinking somewhere else. Suddenly I could hear splashes coming from outside, splashes that signified the arrival of someone at the door that we had come through, immediately my body began to react on its own, putting myself in a good position to prepare for a fight in, that is straight across from the door not too far away from it, and tugged at the gloves I was wearing, making sure they were as tight as possible. However, what followed was not what I expected, instead of something busting down the door, there was a polite knocking at it, almost as if they were knocking at somebody's house. Deciding to stay silent, I moved from being in form to a less openly hostile pose, ready to move back into form at any time, however. Deciding to see if I could figure anything about the being behind the door, I focused in on my sense for ki, focusing it at the being behind the door to see if I could not find a bit more about the signature behind it. I could tell it was something alive already, but maybe if I focused in on it, I could tell if it was human or not. That being said, I still readied myself for combat, prepared to move into stance at the first sign of hostility or flight. Keeping my body ready while my mind focused. Abilities used
From being able to control the body's Ki, the user is now sensitive to Ki signatures around them. Through such sensitivity, the Artists can now sense people's presences by this and be able differentiate one signature against each person. The term "killing intent" comes from this as usually one's Ki rises with the intent to cause harm. All Artists have at least E rank at it and sometimes do not increase it as they are busy trying to perfect their fighting techniques. This is why some of them go to the I.A.C.S.B. for experience. Extremely high levels of this ability may even lead to a blind man being able to fight better than he could actually see if he had working eyes.
Rank: E
|
|
|
|
|
64 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Jun 29, 2016 23:32:08 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by breakfree on Mar 29, 2016 23:43:53 GMT
Alistair would search around the area. Looking for anything notable. Though it seemed nothing was going to disturb the bravehoof right now actually. in fact, he didn't have to be cautious. As he took a more strong and sturdy stance and would get his fists ready. Clearly something could pop up at any moment, his Ki-Sense would be out and actively focusing instead of passive right now. Then all of a sudden a knock came, and with that knock Alistair got himself ready. He wasn't sure if they were hostile or not, though he'd focus his perception on the doorway and be prepared for any form of hostile or sudden assault. Or if the person happened to just be a civilian in the end.
Now all that was left was to see if the person knocking on or entering was going to be an enemy or just a normal bytander who was not of any harm whatsoever. One of his allies had taken a more direct approach while the other had hidden, each had their own varying levels of strength. As Alistair would opt for a more "direct" approach.
|
|
|
|
|
214 posts
|
1 like
|
|
|
Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
|
Administrator
|
Post by Tulf on Apr 2, 2016 7:25:58 GMT
Alistair wouldn’t have much luck finding anything more notable than more cobwebs and some skittish spiders with his search; beyond some oddly neat touches – despite the dust and other signs of disuse the typical mess of such a place was all cleaned away. Discarded old tickets and wrappers were all in the bins, and there wasn’t a scrap on the floor; it was quite the thorough job. But, his investigation was cut short all the same by the interruption of the knock; leaving the trio to get ready for action.
As the door opened, they were met with an image of horror – as in, the person in question was very mortified as they recognised the two very large and gruff people standing at the ready only a foot from them. The unlikely guest was a young girl, probably only in her late teen years; wearing a rather worn-looking blazer and skirt (it was a bit hard to tell, though; given she was utterly drenched). She appeared oriental, but her rounded face belied gentle features and a rather flowery hairstyle. While merely a bobcut around her head, the silverly lavender locks were then carefully wound into a thick drill-like tail that she wore over one shoulder; kept in shape by a tiny pink scunchie by the end.
”A-Ah, uh, um… are you, looking, for s-someone…?” asked the girl very hesitantly and awkwardly; unsurprisingly more than a little intimidated by the pair in front of her – especially given she was somewhat on the short side to begin with. Given the chance, she would gently slip through the pair into the room; but seemed to have no hostilities in mind as she instead just greeted them with a bow… albeit seeming all the more skittish with Edwin in sight, given the weapon currently in his hands. ”Can I… help you, at all? The theatre isn’t running anymore, if you were wondering about that…” added the girl very nervously, clearly expecting the worst from her newfound company. ”Err… would you like to warm up, maybe?”
While Katsmi’s Ki Senses would read the girl without any trouble, her stance nor presence would suggest any kind of hostile intent – though she had a guarded stance and expression, she definitely wasn’t in any shape to fight. It was rather obvious that she would rather get out of the situation as soon as she could… but despite that, she didn’t seem intent on fleeing in a hurry either.
|
|
|
|
|
77 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2016 21:26:03 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by The D.J. C.J. on Apr 5, 2016 10:03:40 GMT
"Breathe in...breathe out..." Edwin had to take the time to calm his nerves. Who knew what would be waiting on the other side of the door. Some ferocious oni? A monster from the bowels of Japanese folklore? Some freakish squid? Even as he shivered, he steeled himself as best he could - which wasn't much, but at least he had a gun and wasn't completely defenseless.
The door opened, and Edwin wheeled out from behind his cover, aiming down the sights at...
"Wait, what?" Edwin blinked, his confusion apparent. Whatever was in front of him did not look like a Japanese youkai - it didn't look even remotely demonic. What it looked like was just a girl who was probably still in high school - hell, she was shorter than Edwin, which was already saying something. "What the hell are you doing here?" Edwin lowered the gun a bit - even he wasn't so impolite as to directly aim at a young girl whom looked like she was about to bolt in a panic anyway. To be fair, shotguns did typically garner that response from most people, he'd found...though most immediately just let a pitiful smile when they realised who was behind it.
The girl bowed at them, if with a slight shudder, which just made Edwin feel even more awkward. What was with all the people that wanted to be so overly polite recently? At least she wasn't as bad as that over-enthusiastic dragonkin...Edwin shuddered slightly and promised himself he'd find some vodka afterwards to block that particular memory out again...but it still just felt...awkward to him. Edwin didn't reciprocate the bow, if only because the strange situation still set him back a bit
Nobody spoke for a few seconds, so Edwin decided it might as well be him before Katsumi or Alistair said something stupid. "Uh...no, I don't think any of us can sing." was the first thing that came out of his mouth, which he realised was about as stupid as anything he'd expected Katsumi or Alistair to say. "...you could, yeah, you could say that we're here on behalf of a...uh, interested party, let's say." Edwin stuttered - he wasn't much for talking, but he was hoping to at least not make the IACSB's involvement blindingly obvious - lord alone only knew what this girl would think of having a government agency intrude into her...wait, why did Edwin think this was her house? What kind of weird day was this? "But...yeah, we're looking for someone we were told would be here...uh, are you the only one here?"
"I swear to whatever Norse gods still exist if Geoff gave me faulty information I am going to smash him right in his smug, stupid face with the butt of this shotgun. That incompetent bastard..." Edwin grumpily thought to himself, not happy to think that his time had been completely wasted on this miserable, rainy day...
|
|
|
|
|
215 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2016 5:31:39 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by Restkastel on Apr 7, 2016 1:10:21 GMT
It seemed that the person who walked through the door didn't reeally have any hostile intent, and it was obvious they were in no shape to fight, so with that I let my readiness drop a bit, reducing how threatening my presence was by a fair margin, and took off my gloves. After all, it was unlikely that we would fight the girl, and it was rather obvious it wouldn't be a fight where I would need them either. Well, this was bittersweet. On one hand, I didn't get to fight, but on the other, the quarry seemed to be a cute silver haired girl, and she was rather drenched as well, so her clothes fit snugly over her body. She was just my type too, if this wasn't a job I would have started flirting with her on the spot. Unfortunately, I had a job to do, and it seemed that Edwin, our actual IACSB agent, was being rather incompetent and not at all to the point. Sighing and deciding to clarify for the girl what Edwin was saying, I began to speak after she made her way into the room and Edwin finished talking. "It he means to say is that we are from the IACSB, and are here on reports that a youkai has taken up residence here, and that people think that they are connected to the disappearances around here. The Church has also gotten wind of this, and apparently are sending a unit to deal with the youkai in question themselves," I said, pausing for a second before continuing. "We would be most grateful if you could provide us some information about the disappearances or the youkai in question, miss....I don't think I caught your name. I am Ametsuchi Katsumi of the Martial Forest Coalition." I said, giving a quick introduction as I put myself between the girl and the door she just came in through. She was obviously not a threat, but just in case she was the person in question, I decided to make sure she wouldn't be able to easily flee. Never hurts to be too careful after all. |
|
|
|
|
64 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Jun 29, 2016 23:32:08 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by breakfree on Apr 9, 2016 1:10:48 GMT
Any minute now... The centaur was ready for whatever was gonna burst through that door. It could be anything, he had to be ready. However the minute it was opened.....
It turned out to literally be. a nervous mess at the door. What seemed to be the problem? The centaur sighed. Seemingly intimidated by the two of them from her stance. He would lower his guard slightly and appear less menacing. Atleast however he could. Given most people were not greeted by a 1000+ LB Fucking Half Horse Man in front of the door they just opened ready to attack them. Now Now. Don't worry. we aren't here to hurt you young lady. We'd just like a moment of your time.Trying to reassure her, their numbers and sudden appearance in the area were more than likely to scare the living daylights out of her, or most people really. On one hand the Edwin human that had tagged along with them seemed to make small talk. Which was rather unnecessary right now.While Katsumi appeared to be more direct with the situation. That was what they needed right now, trimming the fat when there wasn't much time to spare wasn't exactly a wise idea. To put it simply. Yes! We are here from the IACSB. Do you know anything that could assist us with our current investigation as Katsumi described it?We would greatly appreciate your cooperation at this time right now. Alistair would have said more, but his teammates happened to handle the rest of the talking a little well. Hopefully they had not intimidated this solo seemingly shy girl from giving any vital information or into fleeing the premises.
|
|
|
|
|
214 posts
|
1 like
|
|
|
Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
|
Administrator
|
Post by Tulf on Apr 9, 2016 8:32:06 GMT
While understandably still fairly mortified, especially given Edwin’s initial approach; the explanation from Katsumi seemed to calm her down a lot – although she was clearly still high-strung. ”T-Thank goodness! I thought you might have been the Church… but, IACSB? Aren’t you the good guys? Why are you here?” asked the girl meekly, frowning with worry before the trio. They didn’t exactly look like they were here just to ask questions given the firearm and the demeanour of the other two… though, she wasn’t sure if it was possible for a centaur to look anything but menacing. While she hesitated for at least a minute, seeming to be internally torn about one thing or another, the girl finally made up her mind; giving a heavy sigh.
L-Look, just follow me. I think I can help explain this a bit… b-but, you have to play nice, alright? She’s a bit – rough. So… just don’t shoot, okay?” awkwardly said the girl, stumbling over her own words before the trio. With that, though; she’d walk over to the main hall’s doors; tugging them open – not locked, it seemed. Glancing back at the three, she’d give a light wave to indicate for them to follow. ”O-Oh, I’m Reika, by the way… and, she’s Shinobu… err, and don’t touch too much. You might get… stuck.” added the girl with an awkward little smile, before very carefully walking in - ”Tadaima! We have, err, guests!”
The hall itself was a modest construction much like the rest of the building – sizable enough to fit maybe fifty people in the rows of seats on either side, but with a fairly meagre stage. In its current state, though; it was hard to say much about its appearance; as it was shrouded by darkness. Along the impressively high roof there were a few windows, but given the storm outside they gave little insight into the situation… plus, there was something a bit more distracting at hand.
Webs hung from every surface. It wasn’t even to the degree of being disused or dusty; there were webs interlocking everywhere. Every hint of light from above made strands above glimmer, while a few thick pillars of silk were strung from the floor to high in the walls; their ends disappearing into the shadows. Even as she walked in the door, Reika had to duck under a few strands – but not before sending a few bouncing with her touch. The resonance disappeared into the shadows of the ceiling, though… whatever was out there was listening, no doubt.
And on that note – the two Ki Artists would definitely sense a threat; something watching them – something with fatal intentions. It was impossible to pinpoint the direction; but they would feel like they were in a nest of eyes… and they were all looking at them. Edwin would not miss out on this sensation, either; though; getting the feeling that whatever happened, he was first on the list… but what intentions that belied was a mystery.
”…It might be best if you guys introduce yourselves again. I think she probably heard, but… oh, that or drop your weapons, or s-something like that. I… I don’t really know…” remarked Reika awkwardly, looking around the shadows above for some hint of her compatriot; ”Err, she’s kind of… temperamental. With the whole people trying to kill us thing, it’s a bit hard to take things gently. B-But, you’re not like the others, right? You’re not here just to shoot, right? I-I know Shinobu did some bad things, b-but you can’t just... she’s good, okay? She’s really nice, in the end…”
|
|
|
|
|
77 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2016 21:26:03 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by The D.J. C.J. on Apr 15, 2016 16:21:47 GMT
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Katsumi!" Edwin shouted. Granted, it turned out that the girl had known about the youkai here, but what if she hadn't? There could have been a panic over the whole town! "Anything else you want to blab about?! I bloody well hope you keep your martial arts secrets better than you keep anything else, you complete--" he would have continued, but was interrupted by Alistair proceeding to back up the martial artist on this, as if Edwin's position couldn't be made any worse. Edwin threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Fine. Fine! Tell everyone everything! Why don't we just put out a goddamn article in the newspaper next time?!"
Edwin turned, his mood having turned rather foul at not only the complete disrespect for any kind of tact, but also that he was being ignored. Seeing the girl in a panic, however, he took in a breath, trying to calm himself down - and failing miserably. "Well, now that Punchy McPuncherton and Centaur Jesus over there have decided to spill everything, not much point trying to hide it. Yes, we're looking for a youkai here and--" But alas, yet again, Edwin was ignored as the girl proceeded to one of the doors. Edwin covered his face with his hand, desperately trying not to show his complete and utter exasperation. It was enough that he'd temporarily forgotten that both of his compatriots could, without much effort, break every bone in his body with little effort.
The girl - Reika, was proceeding to try and explain to them her current situation, speaking almost as awkwardly as Edwin had been earlier. Well at least someone here didn't make everything so blindingly obvious, even if that made things a little more difficult for this group. At least it was clear she wanted to protect whatever this youkai was - though that meant they were going to have to play nice. Edwin took in another deep breath, trying desperately to calm himself down - to be fair, he could understand why him having a gun made her worry about him the most, as he was the most obviously dangerous (which felt like a laugh - he was the least powerful of the three, and the youkai would probably know that). However her description did absolutely nothing to calm his nerves or assuage his fears that he'd be eaten alive. The webs hanging everywhere helped even less. The hairs on the back of Edwin's neck stood on end - something was watching him, waiting to see what would happen.
And he was supposed to drop his gun too? Yeah, great. Katsumi and Alistair at least had enough physical strength that they had a chance of fighting their way out if things went wrong. "What the hell am I supposed to do if things go wrong? Shout mean words?" It definitely did not help that even he didn't need any kind of ability to sense ki, unlike his compatriots, to know that trouble was nearby and probably looking directly at him, most likely licking it's lips. Edwin lowered the barrel of the shotgun to the floor, but he hesitated on letting it go completely. Trying to summon whatever patience and courage he had, he looked around, talking to Reika though not directly looking at her. "Kid, you're asking me to render myself completely defenseless against something that for all I know right now wants to eat me alive. If you were in my position, you wouldn't be letting go of this thing either, and you know it." Granted, it wasn't going to endear him to the youkai, but the idea of not having a backup plan was something Edwin did not want to indulge in.
He looked up at the ceiling, trying to calm his fear of whatever was coming for them. He took in a deep breath and looked to the ceiling, talking as professionally as he knew how. "Youk...I mean, Shinobu. My name is Edwin Melchiott of the International Association for the Co-existence of Supernatural Beings. This is Katsumi Ametsuchi of the Martial Forest Coalition, and Alistair Bravehoof, also of the IACSB. We're not here to start a fight, and neither myself nor my team could care less about what you may or may not have done in the past." Edwin briefly glared at Katsumi and Alistair, almost daring them to contradict him. "We just want to talk. That's all." It was mostly the truth. Sure, there was the possibility of a fight, but it was something that, hopefully, everyone would avoid - if for no other reason than Katsumi hoping she'd be flirting with Reika later.
And hey, if Katsumi and Alistair were going to say things without thinking of possible consequences...well, turnabout was fair play, right?
|
|
|
|
|
215 posts
|
0 likes
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2016 5:31:39 GMT
|
Full Member
|
Post by Restkastel on Apr 18, 2016 1:55:42 GMT
Sighing as the annoying little beansprout of an IASCB agent yammered on angrily, I simply decided to ignore his annoying yelling as it would likely not do us any good, after all it was my explanation that had gotten the girl to open up to us it seemed and got us an in to the information we needed as well as being able to go see the youkai in a relatively peaceful fashion. He seemed to have a penchant for coming up with rather moronic nicknames, but I decided to just keep ignoring him, since I figured with how much he liked yammering on he was the type that pissed them off the most to be ignored. Deciding to follow this Reika girl and listen to her explanation as I went. As she called out to the youkai in japanese announcing that she was home, social custom took over and I began to speak in Japanese, "Please excuse my intrusion," which was the typical response for a guest entering a person's home. After all, to them, this was this Youkai, whose name was apparently Shinobu's home. I felt bad that I could not take off my shoes at the moment, as it was an abandoned theatre after all. After the girl plucked a few of the strings I could definitely feel a killing intent coming from...somewhere, it felt as if it was coming from all around us, but I could tell that I was not the first one on the list. I wondered who might be the one this Shinobu is watching most closely. Reika eventually stopped and turned back to us mentioning that we should maybe drop our weapons as Shinobu was a bit paranoid given there were people out to kill her. If I had weapons I probably would have dropped them, but given my whole body was my weapon of choice I didn't really have that option so I simply didn't respond to that. The damned beansprout, however, seemed to take a rather large exception to dropping his weapon, and to make sure my disdain for that was known, I tapped him on the shoulder and stared at him hard and said, "I don't like hitting weaklings, but I swear if you fuck this up by being overly aggressive, you will not be holding that gun again for a long time."After he said what was on his mind to this Shinobu, I decided to add a bit of my own to his dialogue, saying it in japanese so that it would be more comfortable for the youkai hopefully, "What the damned beansprout means to say is that we aren't here to fight, despite the fact that he is gripping onto that little shotgun for dear life. The virgin beansprout is just too scared to put down his only line of defense it seems. Though you probably can tell that. Everything else is pretty on point, though I will introduce myself instead of relying on his introduction of me. I am Ametsuchi Katsumi, of the Conquering Lord school of the Martial Forest Coalition, and I will leave it to the Centaur to introduce himself." I decided to leave out the other parts until we had a chance to talk face to face with this Shinobu. With that said, I simply kept an eye out for a surprise attack or anything else of the sort, after all, being aware of one's surroundings was always a good idea. |
|
