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Post by Juni on Jan 25, 2020 7:53:18 GMT -8
Juniper puffed her cheek disappointingly because she was going to get her hands dirty dealing with dangerous thugs, even the police, and the rest of her clan were involved so she had to help. It was part of her duty as being a member of the Tea family. It seemed everyone agreed that paying them off was no different from rewarding them and soon enough with their obnoxious behavior they would demand more zeni to keep them in line. It was proposed that they weaken their strongholds, bruising their followers, and teaching them a lesson through violence. It was not something she agreed on, there were laws in place, but Oolong City was different from the rest of the world on the laws established by the Grand Dukes themselves. The Pig Demon Duchies collectively controlled the laws outside of city limits but within the walls it was the Grand Duke’s responsibility. Koma tossed the coin pouch and suddenly everyone who was seated was presented with a blank coin thirty eight millimeters in size. Juniper was elated, she always wanted one of these coins, and had never seen so many before. Growing up she witnessed others flash these coins like a badge of honor while serving the Grand Dukes.
Koma unfolded an illustration of a map, she was shocked, he drew something quite remarkable, and she wondered if he had trained as an artist. The map itself had the Grand Duke’s castle, it was a bit off, the rock structure was actually taller than shown, it was focused north of the river that cut through the city center, and the end of the river led into Baba Yaga’s dark forest domain which was not drawn in. There were three points of interest circled in red marker, one of the points nearest the castle was of a restaurant marked with the letter K, which was presumed where the Prince would go. It was up to the others to take point on the other locations that were marked.
“Greetings Riku Masumura, it is a pleasure to meet another samurai, there are not many around in the city. Perhaps we can discuss the subject at another time. Prince Koma has departed to this location shown here.” Juniper pointed in the center of the map at the bottom of the Grand Duke’s plateau, there was a two parallel structures which were all restaurants, “I assume he went to scout the location ahead of time, it doesn’t seem heavily guarded, but it is too close for comfort, and I assume the leader Cookfire is there. If he asked for you specifically, you should meet meet him, and guard his back. The rest of us can take on the remaining two locations.”Juniper stood up, collected the pouch Riku placed on the table, and addressed everyone who remained, “Duke Toma, take the stronghold located on an island on the river, it looks heavily fortified, and you should have no trouble with its walls. Fenrir and Misaki-san can aid you in your efforts but if either of you want to take the lead to strategize an attack, feel free to do so. With this, you have permission to lead the assault, and complete the wishes of the Grand Dukes.” With a blank coin in hand, she applied ki to it, the Tea clan symbol appeared on it to certify its authenticity. “If you must use lethal force against the Devil’s Cooks gang Toaster, Burner, Roaster, Oven, Stove, Broiler, Grill, Barbecue, this will alert the local police that you are permitted to do so.”With the pouch in hand, she gave Riku a blank coin, and put it away shortly after everyone was in possession of one. “Jade, you’re with me, and Hachi of course. He might be small but he knows how to throw eight punches.” She mused, as everyone prepared to leave. “Good luck everyone, don’t lose your coins, they are quite valuable, and made of rare ore.”As she waited for Jade to follow, Juniper stopped in front of Misaki, and smiled. “So as a gardener, have you ever come across any trees that have their own spiritual energy? The ore this coin is made of.” She placed a blank coin in the Gardener’s hand to keep, “Is made from ore trapped underground with the growing roots of a tree high in spirit energy, it takes years for the roots to turn the ore into ‘spirit ore’, it is rarely found since ores don’t typically appear so easily under the earth, and it is usually deep within a mine. It also does not matter the type of metal ore it is, any kind is turned into spirit ore, and nature always finds a way.”
[788]
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Post by Jade on Jan 26, 2020 16:06:11 GMT -8
Apparently that wasn't everyone. This other man came inside of the room, while Jade was making her speech, and by the looks of it, he was a sword wielder. She was finished talking by then, and finished it by saying "Ok, what do you all think? I have a point, right?"She took a seat, as Juniper addressed the sword wielder, and soon after she learnt that his name was Riku Masumura. That was pretty much everyone. It had to be.. was it? Anyways, it was time. Time to go out and show those gang members what they were dealing with. The team was splitted up into pair, with Fenrir and Misaki working together, and Jade was working with Juniper. Toma had to work alone. Once Juniper walked off, Jade followed and stopped once she was talking to Misaki. She wasn't really listening, but there was another flashback in her mind. Jade's thought was immediately interupted when Jade saw that Juniper was finished talking to Misaki. "Shall we leave now?"WC: [637 | 637] Starting PL: 2907 Tags: Toma Fudo, Juni, Koma, Fenrir, Misaki Kazamiya, Rik
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Post by Fenrir on Jan 26, 2020 23:09:23 GMT -8
They were going to deal with the gang by going at the group in a three prong attack. It made the most sense; more so than attempting to bribe them. Bribing the group would have made the rulers of Oolong, or at least the Pig Demon Duchies, look complacent and weak. They would look as if all they would have to do was make a fuss, make noise, possibly even cause some wanton destruction, get the Duchies' attention and then demand money, once again, in order to go away, to be quiet, and then only stay quiet for a period of time before getting loud and rowdy again. The cycle would continue, they would demand more money, usually and more than likely an increasing amount of money with each cycle, until the cycle became untenable, the people of Oolong got tired of weak leadership, and ousted the Pig Demon Duchies for someone who would actively try to get rid of the dangerous gang of thugs.
The map which Prince Koma - it felt weird calling the guy a prince, even mentally, as Fenrir was not used to dealing with Princes, at least he hasn't not in a long time - was surprisingly detailed. Did he draw that? If he did, maybe he should go into a new line of work, perhaps some kind of illustrator or an artist? He pondered over the map, eyes scanning all over the details that dotted it, the streets, the rivers, the attention to detail when it came to topography and landmarks, and he heard his name mentioned while he was somewhat distracted. Apparently, he was to be paired up with someone named Misaki, he had not met them yet. But, he would also be paired up with Toma, the big muscular man whom had let him into the meeting in the first place.
He peeked over at him again, he was Duke, much like Koma was a prince, was it just a title? Or was he really born into the lineage? He didn't feel like asking, it wasn't his business and it wasn't his place as a member of the common folk to ask. Still, a small grin crossed his face as he stood upright, hands on his hips, "Yo, Toma, I guess we're paired up, aren't we, handsome?" He rubbed his chin, using the same nickname that Toma had used on him just a few moments earlier when they first met outside of the building. "So, I'm assuming, long story short, me, Toma, and Misaki," he looked around the room for whomever Misaki was, hoping they would make themselves known so he could see what his second partner looked like, "head over to that location, and we do what? We bust some heads? We have a nice civil discussion with the members of the gang? I'm not really involved in any of this Pig Demon Duchie stuff; I'm not a duke or a prince. However, I've known and been friends with a King, so I guess that counts for something?"
WC: 505/505 Starting PL: 2,945
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Post by Rik on Jan 29, 2020 8:14:46 GMT -8
Riku bowed as he approached the princess Juniper and was addressed by her. He answered, "Indeed... it does seem there are fewer... many times fewer of the samurai than there once were. I would be more than glad to sit and discuss any matters you wish when time permits." He took the coin from her and studied it for a moment before tucking it carefully into the pouch on his sword belt. He studied the map as Juniper pointed out the salient points, most importantly the K mark on the map where he was to meet Koma. He activated his HUD...
Scanning Image... Focusing... Image Captured. Name of File: Oolong City Attack File Saved Successfully!
He stored the image and compared it to the real time navigational information he had. It was accurate and detailed enough that he easily was able to pick out the rendezvous point and set a way point for himself. Stepping back from the others, he gave a perfunctory bow to the room and began to head out for his part in the strike. As he exited the tea house he pulled up the map in the corner of his vision and considered the plan; as far as things went it was a solid one. One surgical strike to remove the head from the snake and leave the gang flailing, headless, and easy to scoop up and defeat.
He dismissed the map as he entered the street, raising the hood of his cloak and pulling it closer to protect against the frigid wind as it tried to seep the heat from him. He checked his bearings and headed for his meeting with Koma. He pulled up Koma's number and shot him a quick text: I'm en route. Should be there in 10 to 15 minutes. He began trotting through the frosty air, as much to keep warn as to make it there quickly. One thing could be said for the upcoming fight... at least it would warm him up. His blood always felt like it was boiling during a fight... he was almost looking forward to it now.
He reached the rendezvous point and began looking for Koma while not calling too much attention to himself. He found an alleyway that sheltered him from the wind and leaned back against the wall as he sent out a brief text message to Koma, outlining his location, ending with... Where to now?
[404/404]
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Post by Misaki Kazamiya on Feb 6, 2020 22:15:40 GMT -8
Misaki smiled and nodded as the plan was explained to her. Tactics and strategy made some sense to her, but this was her first time working with other people, let alone two she didn't know. She was expecting the plan to really all boil down to the same thing, after all. In the end, every plan was an efficient and useful way to crush weakness, and with that thought in mind, she expected between herself, Fenrir, and Duke Toma to have no problems doing so. The thought of battle like this was exciting though - unknown strong enemies, alongside strong allies turning the place into a battlefield? One where the strong may clash against one another. While Misaki understood this was not a good thing for the city and knew this was something she should ultimately feel bad was necessary, she just couldn't help but be excited at these wonderful opportunities opening up in front of her. So it was that her smile was just a little wider than usual, going from polite to cheery as she was given her assignment. "I feel no desire to take the commanding spot. I am quite sure the duke knows what he's doing. I'll be happy to follow and... do my part." She responded with just the slightest trembling in her hands. every part of her body seemed to anticipate this with a shudder and tremble.
As her companions had their coins handed to them, and Misaki took hers with a smile, she dimly realized that... hmm. This was permission to kill someone, and yet...
It wasn't that it was scary. it was that it didn't scare her. That wasn't very human of her, she supposed. It dug into a nagging suspicion, but not one she could name. Just a vague feeling that this meant something. Still, these men were bad, doing bad things, and causing damage around the city... maybe it was reasonable Misaki didn't feel bad about hurting such individuals?...Who really knew, in the end?
Misaki was surprised by the question. "...Spiritual energy? Well... all of them have just a little." Misaki would reply, a little shocked at the question. "How could they speak if they didn't have ki of their own, after all? And as an integral part of the world, the most intimately linked with our mother, the earth, they naturally have very pure energy... But it is very little. enough to grow and spread their seed and survive, and nothing more. they're usually very delicate in that fashion... I have not personally met a tree so strong or that drinks so deep from the earth it lives in as to charge metal, but the plants have whispered something to me from time to time. A tree, that is strong, as I am strong. I've only ever heard of it in passing, though! I always thought it might, perhaps, be a legend amongst plants. After all, all of them are kind, but not particularly bright..." Misaki explains, as a buzzing realization slowly grows in her mind as she explains, and she stops herself for a second.
"I know this because I can speak to them, you see." Misaki added confidently. "and your garden has very positive things to say about you, so thank you for taking such good care of them!" She'd add with a chipper expression. "...But back to the case at hand... If this is a tree, there may be more than one. I've heard about one in the south that once existed, in the west, in the east... all the directions, really. So it may have wonderful saplings, or it may simply be able to move. I've never met a moving tree, but if a woman can speak as a plant, why couldn't a plant walk as a woman?" Misaki suggested with a thoughtful expression. "...If you'd like, I could look around to find out more."
[650 words]
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Post by Koma on Feb 13, 2020 9:27:46 GMT -8
Koma of the Bear Clan, Koma of the White Cat Clan, Koma of the Pig Demon Duchies, Koma, son of Swing, Koma of the Three Caves Village. Whatever you called him, Koma was a man born out of time. He prided himself in abidance by the age old traditions of the Samurai even as many new members of his caste acted like little more than thugs with a Katana and a Wakazashi.
Koma had been brought up, first by his father and then by the scriptures of the monastery, that to be a true warrior you must master your body, your spirit, and your heart in equal matters. Training with the brush, cartography, calligraphy, illustration, painting, hand writing, mathematics, architecture, even cooking and the culinary arts? They were another form of training with the sword, the spear, the bow, the rifle. Every precise turn or flourish you could make with your wrist from the concrete creative arts as a turn or flourish you could use with your sword if you truly wished to.
Training with Poetry, Meditation, Theology, Fasting, Singing, Strategy, Reading books on all sorts of subjects? That was strengthening your body and the truest steel a samurai had to rely on, their will and willpower.
There was nothing under the heavens that was truly an island of isolation, and that was a proverb which Koma had long taken heed to. Even when he had to struggle to learn to dance in both the vulgar and classical forms, even when he had run to the great rotund bellied cook of the monastery and orphanage he had been raised in, begging for food during a fasting day and been denied? He had held fast to those words, sometimes had the phrase repeated to them.
There was nothing under the heavens that was truly an island of isolation. Everything was connected to everything else through a web of proximity. So of course, even as the most mundane of Samurai, Koma had learned the arts which were befitting for a Samurai to learn. He had trained hard and long to master them just as he had trained long and hard to master the arts of the warrior.
As he strode through the streets like a circus bear, not hiding his presence but not giving any hint of moving with urgency, he slowly made his way to the assigned position. As the Dumpling Hill gang did their job, he would wait for the time to do his. Part of him knew, in his heart of hearts, that Riku would accept his invitation, but for now the half-Saiyan Samurai slowly made his way into a restaurant near the target location, taking the time to order and slyly check his mental clock to the sky outside and the time he had left.
When the time was neigh, he got up, and out the restaurant he went. Along with a squadron of the most minor members of the Devil's Cook Gang, along with that group's leader, Barbecue. The fact that they went out of the restaurant with the force and full resemblance of a boulder smashing through it's wall was nothing to be hidden about.
As Koma stood back up he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“I am Koma, son of Swing, friend of Ma-Te of the Tea Clan. Formerly Koma of the Bear Clan, now known as Koma of the White Cat clan from my legitimization by my grandfather, the Grand Duke. I have come to end you, Devil's Cook Gang. You show disrespect upon the earthly works of my closest friend, and that cannot be forgiven.”
[605]
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Post by Rik on Feb 16, 2020 9:30:39 GMT -8
As he waited in the scant shelter of the alleyway, Riku idly composed a Haiku in his mind to distract himself from the chill...
Ice is become Wind, Wings flying to pierce my heart, Ice shards melt in flames.
He didn't fancy himself much of a poet, but he had studied the art and thought himself serviceable. He had been wooing Ayame, the youngest daughter of a neighboring daimyo. His heart ached as he remembered her face, her laugh, and her shy sweet smile. He let his mind drift to a distant time for a few minutes, playing out his request to court Ayame; the strictly monitored meetings and tea services. The less strictly monitored letters that had allowed them to take a true measure of each other. He could almost feel the handle of the calligraphers brush in his hand as he wrote that last note to her, telling her that he must flee but that he would be back for her... When he heard commotion from the restaurant at the mouth of the alley.
Riku exited the alley beside the restaurant to witness Koma coming out and challenging a group of the Devil's Cook Gang exiting the building in front of him. The metallic song of his blade danced in the air as he drew his blade and took the beginning position of the form Twisting the Wind, calling out, "Your time has come to an end, Devil's Cook Gang! I am Riku Masumura, and I will be the anvil to Koma's hammer as we smash you between us. Pray to your gods if you wish, but do it quickly. Your impudence has brought your end to you."
Three of the gang turned and rushed towards Riku, snarling and yelling in defiance. Riku took half a step to the right and launched a spinning slash at the lead member of the attack, sword biting deep into his side and staining the nearby snow scarlet. He stepped and spun back to his left, deflecting the meat cleaver the second man swing at him and then delivering a kick to his gut, making him stagger backwards as Riku spun back to the right and crouched down, sword biting deep into the leg of the third man, causing him to collapse with a scream. He turned back to the man with the cleaver in time to see it whipping towards his head. He leaned back in time to escape with a gash on his cheek; Rik smashed the pommel of his blade into the man's nose with a crunch and then took released his sword with his left hand to punch his throat. The man started coughing and choking... but the sounds soon ended with a fan of red spraying across the snow. Rik turned towards Koma, ready to provide backup if it was needed... He knew there was still the leader of the group to deal with.
[487/891]
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Post by Fenrir on Feb 17, 2020 6:59:09 GMT -8
What an interesting group of people Fenrir had managed to come across. In his many years of existence, he has met a number of people; each one with their own distinct personality and quirks. But this particular group of people, well they were more interesting. That was not to say he had been bored with the people he met in the past. He would never say that. He found these people just different, unique, interesting on a whole different category, it was hard to describe. But, in short, he liked a few of them for different reasons. Toma, for instance, there was something about him that Fenrir could not quite pinpoint, but he found it oddly comforting to be in his presence. There was something familiar about the man that made him like standing next to him.
Fenrir's sense of smell was quite good, stronger than a normal human's, and as he stood next to Toma, he could pick up the man's scent. It was different. In a way that he could not quite figure out. But the scent was not off-putting, it was not odd, just different. He liked it. He would sneak peeks over at the man from time to time then he would turn his eyes over to the group in front of him.
Koma, well he left. Then Riku soon followed. They were going to deal with their own little part of the Devil's Cook Gang or whatever they were called; he found them so insignificant that he didn't even bother learning the name of their organization. It was just dull, pointless. It was another gang of thugs that had some form of power or some form of influence abusing said power and influence and making the lives of everyone around them difficult. People like them always existed. No matter how many years went by, no matter where he went, Fenrir always managed to find people like them. It was inevitable.
But, back to the people in front of him. There was Juni, of course - Juniper was her full name but he liked calling her Juni - who had that tiny hovering octopod always nearby. Hachi and Juni, Juni and Hachi. There was something quaint about them. Well, Juni was quite decent, he liked her presence. It was always so calming. For some reason, he always felt the need to be... more calm around her? More... laid back? Hm, well, still, she calmed the wolf and it was nice. The octopus was just cute. He liked seeing it, the way it hovered about, wriggled its little tentacle appendages, the way it seemed to get excited whenever it saw someone familiar. It was like a tiny eight legged puppy.
He wriggled a finger over to Hachi as he grinned, almost forgetting for a moment where he was. He peeked over at the rest of the people there. Or at least, the one other person in the group that he was assigned to, Misaki. This one was ... different in another way. There was something about her that made him feel odd. Not bad odd but also not good odd. He scratched his chin and stared at her for a moment. She speaks to plants? That was an interesting ability. Curious. Simply curious.
"Well, we should probably begin to make our way to our location. I feel this strange urge to bust some thug heads," He spoke over to Toma and Misaki, almost sounding somewhat bored, "It's been a while since I got to have fun with a group like this. I want to see what you can do, Plant Girl, and you two, Beefcake," He grinned over at Toma, his elongated canine fangs exposed as he ran his tongue across his lips almost like a predator eyeballing a hare, "Let's go, let's go, I want to have some fun. I'm not used to being in big stuffy places like this," He peered around the room then peeked back at Toma, "And then, maybe afterward, we can go get a few drinks, what do you think about that idea, beefy?"
WC: 680 CWC: 1,185
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Post by Juni on Feb 17, 2020 17:30:30 GMT -8
The Tea Princess listened in to Misaki’s explanation of her knowledge in trees harnessing ki energy, like all living things, and that the greenette was able to communicate with nature by utilizing her own ki. Her cobalt blue eyes almost glittered with the natural light of the tea house in fascination, her tear provided the moisture to cause the effect, and there was little time to discuss the subject further as everyone shuffled to leave. Even Jade was ready to fight, so she smiled, and bowed in response to her departure.
“It is nice meeting you, thank you again for assisting us in this endeavour, and I would love to hear more about your occupation once we resolve the current matter with the Devil’s Cooks gang, Misaki-san. Best of luck out there.” She turned over to Fenrir who booped at Hachi for a second before turning his attention to his team, “Thank you, Fenrir-san.”
Juniper began to walk past the towering Duke of Surf and Turf village, “Duke Toma, take care.”
With Jade closely behind, Juniper, and Hachi approached the third area that was circled on the map. Something was amiss, there were no watch guards with a hundred feet, and as she neared the window of the restaurant building they were staking out. A handful of thugs were loafing about lounging on tatami mats and scratching themselves inappropriately.
“Jade, something is wrong, this location is supposed to be fortified...but there is hardly anyone here. Go in first, I have your back covered, ready? Set, go!” In an instant Juniper materialized her giant paint brush, a light transparent aura surrounded her, and she used her brush as a focus to force the double wooden doors to the building open by using telekinesis to unlock it.
The guards present unsheathed their swords, spilling tea on the ground as they were caught by surprise, and a bell sounded off as the feline and mystic entered the room. Hachi immediately spat ink at the unsuspecting guards, blinding them, and making a few others scream. None of these guards matched the description on the Devil’s Cooks gang, they were all low level thugs, that Jade would have no trouble knocking out. The sound of the bell must have allowed the brothers to escape somewhere but they needed to clear the room first before exploring the rest of the traditional western lands restaurant they were in.
[402] [1,190]
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Post by Koma on Feb 21, 2020 16:29:40 GMT -8
The first rule of fighting clubs? Don't ask for the first rule. Just bust heads together, make a lot of destructive violence apparent, and make a lot of noise. The semi-feudal nature of the average criminal family meant that such an action would summon out the next tier boss time and time again, because it would force their hand. A liege lord who did not protect their vassals was not a worthy liege lord at all. That was why Koma had made sure to make such a big entrance when it came to fighting this section of the Devil's Cook Book gang, and that was why he had no intention to show quarter or mercy to those he was fighting until it was all over and dealt with. Compassion was painting a target upon your back when it came to the door to door, alleyway to alleyway warfare of modern samurai clans and criminal organizations.
Hammering six of the subordinate members of the group through a restaurant wall with one charging strike and then using them as a surfboard out to the street was only a sample of the bravado Koma planned to show when it came to fighting them. He could hear Riku's movements coming near him, and sheathed and then prepared to un-sheath the katchin sword which he had been given as a replacement to his previous sword in Ma-Te of the Tea Clan's last will and testament. As nearly ten of the gangsters rushed out of the Devil's Cook Gang headquarters in this area and prepared to draw their weapons, he was too quick. He drew his sword and slashed the air in front of them, the ground, their shadows – a flurry of stabs and strikes with his sword which did not so much as connect with them as use the force of his strikes along with some ki manipulation to cut the sheer air in front of them and pin some of them to the wall of the building with their own weapons, send the others down to the ground with gut slashes or holding their wrists where they had suddenly been cut – and still more sent the one dressed as the leader, complete with a semi-illegal topknot and mohawk mix, into having an urinary accident after Koma's strike provided him a two millimeter from the scalp 'field hair cut' from the sheer air being cut in front of him.
He heard more coming, but did not ready himself to strike them. There would be no sport in inviting Riku to such a mission and then denying him the joys of battle, and surely there were joys to be had. Because for the first time that he could remember in the past decade of battles, Koma found himself smirking, no, full on smiling, at the sheer ridiculousness of the strikes he had laid upon his opponents. Something made him imagine Ma-Te's response to seeing it, and he heard the pig beastman/demon hybrid's laughter wholeheartedly as Koma took the second to see the almost cartoonish results of his attacks.
“Clang, Clang, Clang says the hammer to the untested ore. Smash, Crush, Crunch.” He rhythmically challenged, for no Samurai would ignore the chance to better his poetic meter, even during the heat of battle.
[549] [1,154]
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Post by Jade on Feb 22, 2020 8:23:58 GMT -8
As Jade approached the restaurant, memories were brought back which were very disturbing. But.. there was no time to think about that. It was time. Time to get rid of these thugs and theives. It's about time the restaurant owners and workers stop worrying about their goods. The area wasn't exactly guarded with security guards. They were probably scared that the Devil's Cookbook Gang would beat them up, or something like that.. but why? Why didn't these guards stand up to the gang? Ask for back up, stuff like that. But.. no one knows the answers to these questions, but it was time to get to the bottom of this.
"Ok, let's go. Cover me. There's a high chance of this getting a bit dirty."
As she entered the restaurant, she saw someone extremely familiar. There were mostly male in the vicinity, but this certain female caught her attention
"What are you doing here? Didn't I teach you a lesson the last time."
"Oh, it's you again. As explained before, you have nothing to do with this, now just leave. Please."
It was that same girl she had a conflict with, which is apart of the Devil's Cookbook Gang.
"Oh please, like I would do that."
Suddenly, Jade started walking towards one of the members of the gang, that was threatening the restaurant owner. He was holding on to his shirt at the moment, and once he saw her approaching him, he immediately released his shirt, and stepped back until he was backed up at the counter.
"What do you think you're going?"
Immediately, she grabbed him with her tail by the neck, not trying to choke him or make him unconscious. She then repeatef the same question, and the same girl interrupted him as he was about to speak when he was about to say something.
"Shush. Don't say anything. Stop threatenong people that did you no harm, and get out.. before I hurt you."
Jade didn't even answer the girl, but instead, released the man's neck, and shoved him over the counter. She walked towards the female, and looked her in the eye for a few moments.
"You know.. it's about time I deal with you. You're irritating me. Juniper, cover me."
Jade immediately entered her fighting stance, as she readied herself to fight this gang member. She wasn't that powerful, but the sure thing was.. she was a ki user. Jade could've sensed her ki every since she had met this girl.
"Whatever, Quill's not going to take a beating just like that."
Immediately, Quill entered her fighting stance, and the two stood there for a few moments, until they both charged at each other. Jade didn't want to hurt Quill, but instead wanted to convince her to stop her foolishness. Quill's colourless aura and Jade's jade green aura clashed as they exchanged fists. Probably at this point, Juniper would realize that Jade knows this gang member.
WC: [490 | 1127] Starting PL: 2907
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Post by Fenrir on Feb 22, 2020 18:21:25 GMT -8
Everyone was heading out, making their way to their planned destination, to their chosen spot to take on the thugs of the Devil's gang. Fenrir had been partnered up with two interesting individuals, albeit, he had not had much time to speak to either of them. Misaki, he had overheard, could speak to plants; which was an interesting ability to have. Toma, on the other hand, had not spoken much to Fenrir, aside from calling him handsome and helping him get into the meeting in the first place. Still, the man looked interesting; his muscular build suggested a fighter, someone capable of handling themselves in a fight. Which was good for them since that is what they were going to be walking into, a fight.
"Hm, I guess that is my cue, exit, stage left," He scratched his chin, peeking over as he saw several other people leave the room; including Riku and Koma. Both of them were going to deal with their own pest problem. So, why should he be sitting around, waiting to be given a green light? It was time to go. It was time to fight. It was time to have some fun.
So, he grinned over to Misaki, "Good luck to you, try not to beat them up too badly," He then turned and left the room, as he knew exactly where he was meant to go according to the map that had been shown.
The trip to the location took him a few more minutes than he would have liked; this was his first time in this city, so he had to stop and ask for directions several times. But, ultimately, he found where he was supposed to go.
There was a nice atmosphere in the area; there were people shopping, looking inside the large display windows of stores. There were a few people standing outside of what looked like a restaurant. The smell of food radiating from it gave Fenrir that impression. Though, the men standing outside did not appear as if they were waiting for service.
"Pardon me," Fenrir spoke up, attempting to get their attention, "I was looking for a group of thugs known as the Devil's Cookbook Gang or some other silly moniker, do you lot know where I can find them?"
The group of men turned to look at him, several were clad in sleeveless robes with baggy pants, it almost resembled training Gi. Others wore simple pants, t-shirts, boots. One of the men had tattoos up and down both of his muscular arms and he was the one who spoke up.
"Well, aren't you in luck, pretty boy, you found us." The thug grunted as he stepped up. He wasn't as tall as Fenrir; he was about five foot seven, and as he walked up to the red leather clad man, he had to look up at the light blue haired man as he glared up at him. "And what do you want with us then, pretty boy?"
"Hm, well, to be honest, I was originally going to beat you all senseless," the honest answer got a surprised look from the muscled thug as Fenrir grinned at him, scratching and rubbing at his chin, "But, I see you all standing outside this restaurant, so I figured I would ask if the food was good. I imagine it is, if you are all congregating around the entrance."
The man stood there in shocked silence for a moment then laughed. He laughed loud and hard as he looked up at the red leather clad man, "You're a joker, that was funny. You, beat us, that's funny. The owner owes us money, it's got nothing to do with you." The thug peeked back as Fenrir followed his eyes and saw that just beyond the group of men there was a terrified looking older man, and beyond him was an equally terrified looking silver haired woman, possibly his wife. "They owe us their monthly rent, you see. We don't like late payments."
"Hm, well, how about I offer a deal?" He grinned down to the shorter man, leaning in to look him in the eyes, "How about I beat you and your little friends down and then you take your thugs and you leave? You run away with your tails tucked between your legs, and you don't come back. We can even make a game out of it, right? We can make a fun game out of it. We can see which one of you and your friends can last the longest. We can see which one of you is the last man standing. That'd be a fun game."
The man glared with each word that Fenrir spoke, "Cocky, aren't you? Alright, we'll fight you. And when we win, you'll pay us, and so will they, or we'll burn the entire restaurant down to the very ground."
"That does seem like a very poor business decision on your part; how will they pay their monthly protection fees if their restaurant is burned to the ground? What exactly would you be protecting at that point, an empty lot, a pile of ashes?" Fenrir peered down at the man with an expression that almost screamed boredom; he was tired of him and his threats.
"Tsk, don't try to act cute," The thug growled as he glared up at the taller man.
"I don't have to try to be cute, I just am. So, which one of your mindless oafs will you send out then? Who will I have the pleasure of beating down like a bitch who owes me money? Will it be that big one over there? That dour looking one over there," Fenrir added, "or will it be you? Will you volunteer?"
The question appeared to irritate the thug even further as he clenched his fist and attempted to take a swing. Fenrir caught the man's attempt at a left hook, blocking with one simple move of his wrist as he looked down at the man.
"I see that you're volunteering, that's quite a brave lad, I'm proud of you; I'm sure that your boys are proud of you as well. Let us move away from the establishment and we can begin our little fight, shall we?" He grasped the man by the collar and spun around as he used a bit of strength to throw him.
The man cried out in shock, sailing through the air as he landed on the ground several feet away, rolling, bouncing, and then coming to a halt as he staggered up to his feet, growling at the taller man. "I'll take great pleasure in cutting out your heart."
A small smile crossed Fenrir's handsome features, "Now, now, don't threaten me unless you actually mean it."
WC: 1,130 CWC: 2,315
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Post by Misaki Kazamiya on Feb 22, 2020 22:36:06 GMT -8
Misaki gave a polite nod as people started getting ready to go. Politely bowing as Juniper turned to leave, Misaki would give a smile. "Well, I'd certainly be willing to talk more of this over a... calmer atmosphere, sometime in the future. For now... I do believe we have the Peace to keep~" the Gardener added with a broad smile. This conversation was pleasant, but the Florist was Fundamentally Fixated on their Future Fight at this First Front, and her body already rippled with excitement, even as she turned with a happy smile to meet Fenrir's comments face to face.
A tall man he was, Taller than Misaki herself, but his laid-back attitude and grin gave her an impression of inner peace and quiet that was all his own, even as he complained about his boredom. He had a certain level of... confidence. In who he was, in what he'd done, and in the power he had. The strength of purpose he had was wonderful, and Misaki felt doubly sure that nothing would get in their way. As he spoke to her, she gave an amused "hmm." at his nickname, clasping her hands together and bringing them up to rest her chin on them.
"Plant girl? My, that is a new one." Misaki would say with a smile, cocking her head slightly. "But I do think you do have the right idea. simply standing here is rather unproductive... Misaki Kazamiya. Pleased to meet you." The Florist added with a simple, graceful turn, already walking off. In comparison to Fenrir's eagerness, Misaki's appearance was kept completely stoic. Fluid. Not missing a step, refusing to move an inch faster or an inch slower. In this fashion, she hid her own growing excitement, even as they headed towards their new destination.
---
Fenrir separated to take care of one location just as Misaki found her own, a place not more than a few doors away. Something dire occurred to her as she got closer though...
She simply hadn't thought of what to say upon entering. She knew she was supposed to handle these gangsters - by force, if necessary - but she was acting as a representative of Juniper's teahouse. Surely, she should think of something that would be both appropriate and showed both dignity and respect, should she not? But what could possibly be appropriate? If she said something foolish, certainly she should think of something better than just beating them up quietly... or perhaps that would be the accurate thing to do? Creating an aura of menace?
Without even thinking, Misaki entered the lounge she'd been sent to with an incredibly troubled expression on her face, even as a group of well-dressed men turned to see her.
"Erm, excuse me, Miss, I think you need an invitation to be here. This is sort of a private place. Are you lost?"
Misaki blinked, realizing she'd entered the area, before answering. She hadn't even been looking where she was going - she was probably at the wrong address. Still...
"Err, yes, but that's not important at the moment. Excuse me, Could you gentlement help me with something?"
A few of the men looked at eachother suspiciously, before looking back. "We are on free time, miss, but what are you thinking of?"
"Well, I was thinking that, perhaps, you might be a bit more used to current customs here, and I'm on a job I'm not especially used to. I need some help knowing what to say."
One of the older members took off his bowler cap and nodded. "Well, I can't really says no to a lady who knows 'er manners and is lookin' to work an honest job like this. Here, come sit down. Have some water. Water's importan' for focusing even when you're thinkin' o speaking..."
Misaki nodded cheerfully, sitting down as the men instructed, before gratefully taking the glass. what nice people!
"Name's Francis, and that guy over there's Jerome. What'cha be needin' over here?" The man added with a smile, his balding head showing off a rush of brown hair. He motioned to Jerome, a well-built man with brown curly hair, who already produced a notepad and pen for her, to her delight.
"Well..." Misaki started, picking up the pen before finishing her sentence "...I'm actually meant to ask some ungrateful creatures in town to hit the road, or face violent repercussions. Apparently, they've been making trouble in the city, and some of the reigning powers want them beat up, or sufficiently intimidated."
"And they sent a lady like you? That must be some power you got hidin' in ya if they sent one gal..." Jerome added, before another voice rang up from one of the tables.
"Awww, screw whatever dingus is tryin' to make trouble in our city. We got rules here for a reason! Just 'cause Oolong city ain't on the up-and-up don't mean we're supposed to be on the down-and-down, am I right, fellas?"
A loud cheer echoed throughout the lounge of "hear, hear!" As a few of the members slammed their drinks on the table.
"Listen, we'll help ya's out with the whole situation. We actually got a few people that work in... uhh, well, law enforcement, we'll say..." Jerome added, scratching at his head. "...We can definitely help you figure out somethin' that's threatenin', without gettin' ya in no legal trouble or misunderstandin's. So first, we'll have to work on your enunciation..."
An hour later, Misaki took a deep breath, and readied herself to speak. The rest of the lounge crowd was eagerly ready, listening to hear what Misaki had to say next, some pulling their chairs up like stools, a few leaning over the backs, and some piano being played in the background as Misaki got ready.
"Come on Doll, let's hear it!"
"Yeah, Go for it!"
"Show us your scariest voice!"
Misaki took a breath and readied herself, before speaking "Sorry, Gentlemen. It appears your boss's head has gotten a little too big for your own good. You should have known better than to mess around with turf that wasn't yours, and now, you're gonna pay the price. You've got five seconds before I start putting people in body-casts, and body-bags. Do I make myself clear, maggots?"
Misaki enunciated each and every word with a clear, confident, and violent disposition, just like Jerome had shown her, and her Footwork left her slowly getting closer to the center of the lounge as she spoke, to simulate her fearlessly entering the middle of the Gangster's hide-out, showing her lack of fear and her utter lack of need to even bother considering her opponent's traps - as Jerome showed her, of course, this was actually a feint, and Misaki was checking for both every Exit and Every potential weapon or trap as she walked. Her shoulders were relaxed, but she rolled them as she pulled up her hands together, cracking a fist, just like Francis had shown her. This indicated both her vigor and readiness to fight, and helped produce both a vigorous and violent air, so as to make them think they needed to cowtow to her will to stop any potential fight. As she finished her speech, she kept her voice coming up slowly louder, enunciating to make the last word as loud as possible, both to gain their attention and to maximize the threat her voice carried, making it perfectly clear she was by no means kidding.
After she finished her rehearsal, there was several seconds of silence before the first hoot of "Whoo!" followed an enthusiastic amount of clapping and happy yelling and hooting.
"Yeah!"
"That's perfect!"
"You gave me chills, girl!"
"Nice!"
Misaki gave a happy smile to the group as the cheering continued, fanning away the compliments with a gentle hand. "Oh, stop, please. It's only because of how nice you've all been teachin' me, really."
"I loved that heel click at the end!" One of them yelled, and Misaki, sweating slightly, sat down and took a drink of water.
Francis nodded, approvingly, before sitting down next to her. "Now, you sit right there and get hydrated, alright? Public speakin's hard work on your throat, and trust me, work like this ain't no good to try an' do on a sore throat."
And Misaki would give a nod. "Thank you so much for helping me figure this all out. I think I would've given up and just started shooting when I walked in if I didn't have you guys to help me here. Imagine what kind of impression that would have given."
Jerome chuckled at the statement. "S'funny - I actually did that the first time I did one of those entries. Ended up doin' so much damage to the business my boss almost canned me then and there. I learned good from it, though. Seems like the sort of thing I'm s'posed to pass on, y'know?"
Misaki would lean over and take a long drink of cold water before answering. "Even so, you had no obligation to pass it on, and you still chose to."
"Aww, don't worry about it, kid. you're gonna make me blush. So, where is this den of criminals you're plannin' to arrest, anyways?"
"Oh...i'm ever so sorry! Here you go!" Misaki said. "3488 Udon street, the Gentleman's lounge known as... The Smiling Ox!" Misaki offered happily.
In an instant, Several dozen blasters, hand-guns, and melee weapons were drawn, all pointed towards Misaki.
"...So it's here!" The Florist added with a cheerful smile.
For a moment, there was a standstill, Jerome holding onto his own Specially made Tech-blade, and the stand-off was palpable for what could've been a minute...
Until Jerome finally, slowly, dropped his weapon's blade-tip just a little. "...Aww hell. This is why I don't get used to talkin' to random broads."
Misaki raised an eyebrow. "...So we're not going to fight, then?"
"Well, given your expression ain't changed a bit, got a funny feeling it'd just be a good excuse to get all beat up. And I actually like the owners here. Besides, I ain't able to hit a girl like you. I got some respect for m'self. Give me a sec..."
The Man dropped his blade, and started writing on several forms, before looking to Misaki. "This is me makin' sure I get some of the boys off the back of a few of the people workin' here. I ain't exactly on board with the bosses with this whole 'aggressive outreach' thing in the first place... and hell, this outfit's been through more than one boss. We ain't goin' down with the ship. We'll just tell 'em ya beat us up and made us get all nice on this one. S'not like ya couldn't do that anyways."
"...That's... Very nice of you, Mister Jerome. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
"Look, you wanna give us a thank you, don't say sorry. Just pop by at some point, ehh? Not any time soon, though. Wouldn't look good on us, an' all." Jerome would add with an annoyed look. "...Go tell your frien's that'cha got us, an' give em these papers so I c'n prove I'm serious." He added, handing misaki a small stack of papers. "Now if you'll excuse me, this sorta crap requires a few phone calls."
"Of course, Mister Jerome. I'll get going."
"Yeah, yeah. Go do whatever it is super-class martial artists do in'ner spare time." The Gangster added with an annoyed wave. "...Good meetin' ya, doll. Jus' be aware none of our other outfits are that nice. Hit 'em hard, and don't forget what we taught ya."
Misaki bowed. "I'll be sure not to." She added, exiting the Gentleman's lounge without another word.
Today really was a nice day.
[1956 words]
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Post by Rik on Feb 28, 2020 9:06:38 GMT -8
Riku saw the impressive work that Koma had done with his blade; it was the work of an artist. Many people did not understand that swordsmanship was an art just like painting, composing, or playing an instrument. It was not just picking up a blade and waving it about, precision was key. Hours of practice drilling until the movements and counter movements came automatically with little or no thought. Learning when to use a blade and more importantly, when not to. The footwork that accompanied the blade work was most similar to a dance; a fact backed up that oft times blade masters were excellent dancers in addition to excellent fighters. He started forward towards the other samurai when something else caught his attention.
More gang members were rushing towards Koma, who stood nonchalantly and called out his rhythmic challenge. Riku grinned and started forward brandishing his sword and gathering his golden energy into the blade as he moved. He called out a replay in his own rhythm, "Ring, Ring, then Anvil sings! The ore that cracks is flattened and broken upon my back!" Riku had finally neared enough to swing his blade... and spun around to gain momentum to send a glowing golden blade of energy spinning towards the crowd. It hummed as it flew and struck the center mass of the attackers, sending limbs and bodies dropping and splatting to the ground. A few of the gang members paused... they must have been the more intelligent ones, Riku figured as the rest foolishly charged on. Turning to Koma he shrugged, not wanting to be a rude guest and take all of the fun, "I take the left half, you take the right half? Let's see whether the hammer on the anvil strikes the most fear into these vermin." He charged to the left side of the now divided group and pushed his power to surge through his muscles and machinery, the whole of him glowing like a golden comet as he leaped up and came crashing down into the vanguard, letting his ki explode around him as he stuck out with his blade, hewing into two necks and stabbing a third in the chest before the others could begin to react. He dropped back into a form named The Cyclone Rages... and moved into the last few of the fools standing, twisting and leaving golden trails in the air as he cut one man in half, took another one's arm off at the shoulder, and then finished by decapitating the final one. He turned towards Koma and called out, "Where to next? Do you think the others might need our assistance?"
[443/1334]
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Post by Juni on Feb 28, 2020 23:22:37 GMT -8
Juniper noted that Jade’s conversation with a particular individual meant she had met that person before, it was possible the feline was a victim of a crime this person committed, so they began punching each other, anyone who tried to interfere was shot by Hachi with an ink blot to the face. After several minutes the room was cleared, only Quill remained who was engaged with the pinkette, the police arrived wearing golden buttoned up double breasted coats, a uniform cap with polished brim, and swords drawn forcing Quill to surrender. As the police raided the place, several took the time to tip their caps at Juniper when they passed her by in subtle greeting, and a human police captain made himself known explaining his findings of an unsanctioned underground tunnel that led further into the city. The bell they heard earlier must have alerted the brothers to escape through it.
“Seize this restaurant, screen the workers, I don’t believe they were all aware of the gang activities as they did not attack, do what you must to adhere to your justice of the law. I will proceed towards the tunnel and catch up to those who escaped, so secure the entrance to this tunnel.” Juniper rushed over to Jade, “The police found an underground tunnel, let’s keep up with the gangsters!”
The trio took the long mil-dewy tunnel to the other end, it was quite a long passage, and after looking at the map Koma had drawn with red demonic eyes adjusting to the darkness this tunnel was directly under the river connecting to the island Toma, Fenrir, and Misaki were tasked with assaulting to shake up and bruise their numbers. Opening a hatch above them, they took a short flight of stairs connecting to a cellar to the small island strong hold. This particular building was so close to home, she was surprised that the Devil’s cooks gang were creating some kind of ring around the Grand Duke’s castles, and upon emerging from the tunnel she caught a glimpse of two perpetrators. The brothers were all human with cooking based names, she recalled the bounty posters of the ones who were running were Grill and Barbecue; they were easily recognizable due to their hair styles, one had their hair deliberately shaped like a grill pan, and the other had his pony tail shaped to resemble a kabob with different hair colors to represent the color of peppers, purple onion, and the end looked like a mushroom.
“Stop right there! The jig is up!” Juniper shouted with the sweetest non-threatening voice.
The brothers chuckled, their followers remained closely behind the pair as they continued towards the ground floor up a flight of stairs leading up to a kitchen, meeting up with more of their loyal brothers. By the time Juniper caught up, the force that was waiting was more than triple the group at the previous restaurant with the bell tower, and she noticed Fenrir standing in the lobby of the restaurant which served as a front to this gang.
“Fenrir-san, watch out, we’re outnumbered!” Juniper called out from behind the kitchen, if it was not enough raising her voice for him to hear, Hachi swiftly hovered over to the wolf diety’s side to aid him because he was alone. The little black octopus flexed, curling up his tentacles as if forming a fist, and angrily flapping his fins in a subtle menacing way.
From Juniper’s observation, for some reason or another, Toma was not with Fenrir and neither was Misaki. The tea princess’ concern of their whereabouts was increasing, she hoped they were not injured, but at the immediate moment they were in close quarters with two of the brothers and their henchmen in an industrial kitchen. They were surrounded by kitchen equipment that was all kept in mint condition, which meant the kitchen was truly a front, or all the knives and pots were new. The henchmen were quick to draw out their weapons at Juniper who gripped her paint brush firmly, she was not a fighter, she was a healer, but she knew exactly where pressure points and vitals existed on a human body. Using the blunt end of the brush she began the attack, moving as quickly as possible to hit precise weak spots of muscle tissue, to prevent anyone from getting too close or risk being captured by the overwhelming number of men and women. [738] [1,928]
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