[ CLOSED ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD-_oLjmCGY

[rollin]

Who: the idiots who think this will actually amount to anything
When: IC 11/23 onward
Where: Various!
What: The rescue mission Yata, Sheba and co. discussed at the citywide meeting!
Rating/Warning: at least PG because some people swear like sailors

---

[ Once everyone arrives at the agreed meeting area, the CERES Metro-rail Station at the Residential District, Yata briefs the group on what to do. As discussed in the citywide meeting yesterday, the group will split into six teams that were decided by drawing lots. Everyone should know who they're teamed up with by now. Yata's instructions are simple enough: don't work alone (buddy system!), and if anyone finds anything, report to him. Should the missing arrivals be found, don't wait on anyone's orders. Yata admits that he's not smart enough to call the shots, but if he found who they were looking for, he believes that taking action should be the team's first priority. Anyone is free to protest, but he won't go back on his word.

Then he makes a special shout out to Hiccup and Toothless because look look guys it's a dragon how cool is that okay back to business.

By 9:15 AM, all teams should be on the move! ]

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT | SHOPPING DISTRICT | ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT | TECH DISTRICT | PLEASURE DISTRICT | VIVID

Comments

[unevoke]

[Fifteen.....holy hell. The thought of trying to control that many demon things honestly makes him a little sick, and he pushes the thought away as best he can.

Good thing he's not the one with all the demons. Though, it makes him curious as to how they work.]

You tell them what to do, or are they part of you and just...do what you want 'em to?

[projections]

I'll be uncomfortable the entire time and nothing you say will change that. Don't mind me. [He'll rot in his shame.]

[masakados]

Nah, I tell them and they listen to me.

[Naoki pauses again and he looks off to the side, one of his hands flexing.] I've negotiated with some of them and stuff like that to get them to join me, and since I'm stronger, they listen.

[He shrugs, disguising his uneasiness at saying this with a casual tone.] Power is a thing for demons. Hierarchical, I guess you'd say.

[rollin]

[ He's a harem protag now. More importantly, it's in his nature so he catches her without fail, but not without getting hurt in the process. ]

Woah—oof!

[ But he still manages to regain his balance! He's not completely useless when it comes to things like these. ]

Hey, are you okay? [ —wow, she's close. ]

[alpako]

[ Was she wrong? Very hesitantly, Saya answers, ]

Someone born with strange abilities... [ That's the explanation she'd been given. ] U-Um, I was told they were called Strains.

[psycholawgy]

[ She's definitely been called strange before, so she takes no offense to it. ]

I've never heard of it, sorry. But as far as I know, I'm a regular human.

[rollin]

[ Embarrassed by how he actually felt comforted by those words, Yata narrows his eyes at Killua. ]

I can watch myself, jackass.

[ Yata, don't call kids jackasses... But whatever. Onwards! Wherever the men are leading them, it isn't that far from the club. They stop at the mouth of a dark, narrow alley; light is scarce and occasionally provided by a pink glow from a door on the right halfway down, opening and closing to let visitors in and vaudeville music out. ]

1/2

[dishonorstudent]

[ She blinks, looking up at him almost wide-eyed. It's hard to tell whether it's because she feels apologetic about smacking him in the face, or the fact that she's never been in this position before. After a short moment, she gently places her hand on his chest, and... ]

2/2

[dishonorstudent]

[ ...forces his body away from hers with a strong push. Playboys, yuck. ]

What the hell do you think you're doing?

[rollin]

[ Yata should be asking her the same question! As he is shoved back, he steps away and narrows his eyes at Ryuko, wondering where all of this is coming from. ]

Nothing? You fell. Ow...

[ So despite all his inhibitions, he caught her. Duh. He rubs at the spot she hit him. If there's anything he learned from this, it's that Ryuko has a hard skull... ]

[unevoke]

[Honestly, everything he says sounds risky and dangerous and not something Shinji would ever willingly do on his own, and he can't tell if he ought to admire the guy for being so tough about things or if he should be questioning sanity right about now.

In the end, he settles for a bit of both. But it makes him wonder about Naoki's mental fortitude and some of his curiosity slips out in a question.]

You ain't afraid they'll ever turn against you?

[He would be.]

[masakados]

[A small twitch goes through Naoki's shoulders, and his eyes widen just slightly before he catches himself. Of course he is. He's afraid of that all the time, but saying that creates a risk. Giving in to it. Because demons can sense fear.]

...If they ever did, I'd just fight them. That's... all there is to it.

I can't afford to be afraid. [Which... isn't an answer, yet it is.] 'Cause they can sense things like that, and they'll see fear as weakness.

[endworld]

... Intervention?

[flaredo]

When their fashion choices could be better, basically.

[endworld]

... Ah. So you're doing the world a favour, I see!

[dielectrics]

[ Killua's tense as they get to the alley. It's a great spot for an ambush, plenty of shadows and not many people paying attention. Killua's used a set up like this himself on more than one target, and he finds himself glancing up, scanning the roof tops. No one's there, but that doesn't make the uneasy feeling go away.

Especially not when the man, upon leading them a little deeper in, suddenly spins and drops to his knees in front of them. No, not his knees, he's flat out on the ground in a deep bow. ]

Please, join our group! We need your help! We'll pay you anything!

[ Killua stares blankly at the man. Slowly, he turns to look at Yata, mouthing what? ]

[flaredo]

I'm glad you get it! I had a lot of people arguing the last time.

[alpako]

[ ...Oops. She lifts her hands to her lips, covering it in embarrassment. She'd thought, maybe she'd found a person like herself. Almost regretfully, Saya bows. ]

I-I'm sorry to bring up something strange...

[alpako]

[ Awkwardly, she nods. ]

I-I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk about it...

[psycholawgy]

Oh no! Please don't apologise.

[ She turns to face Saya, waving her hands around. ]

It's fine-- it's not strange at all!

[masakados]

No, it's fine.

[He laughs.]

They hurt, yeah. I didn't get them in your conventional tattoo way, though. [A pause and he adds,] My body's not human, so I got these when I was changed. [And the horn on his neck.]

[endworld]

Some people are really sensitive about that kind of thing, I guess! Maybe you offended them.

[flaredo]

But I really did help!

[ HUFF. ]

[rollin]

[ Yata shrugs, just as confused. What do they need that has them so desperate?

Just then, a scrawny man is thrown out the door and hits the opposite metal wall before sliding onto the ground, unconscious. From his hat and greasy apron, one could clearly tell he was a cook. He reeks of fish.

The man continues: ]

It's our boss, see? She ran into a little trouble with the Pussycats.

[ Yata cuts in. ]

Hold up. Ah... it's not that we don't wanna help you, but what kinda gang calls themselves the Pussycats?

[ The man lifts his head and lets out a stupid chuckle. ] Sometimes we call 'em the Pu—

Save it. Get to the fucking point!

[dielectrics]

[ The man, undeterred by Yata's displeasure, continues: ]

No sense of humor, huh, kid? Anyway, lately we've been having trouble getting our shipments in. They keep getting stolen. We need some muscle to watch our backs.

[ Killua can't believe this. He honestly can't believe this. He turns to Yata, ignoring the man as he drops back to his knees and grovels, and says, conversationally. ]

You know, back home if they wanted to hire me, it cost millions.