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[IC] Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting) Page 2

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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Adelynn Ryder
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Adelynn Ryder Unquiet Paladin

Member Seen 9 yrs ago
The girl was starting to slip. She was still readily destroying the opponents, but Anna could see she was getting tired. Or perhaps nervous? Either way, she was shaking. The boys were actually getting in a few hits. Unfortunately, it didn't look as though the crowd was going to clear. There were possibly even more people there than before. She could see them placing bets, stacks of quarters lining up next to the machine. Idiots. They're not gonna win. Even if she was slowing down, the reigning champion of their tournament was far out of their league. Anna wanted to play. It was strange really, she usually preferred to play games by herself. But it had been quite a while since she'd seen anyone with that level of skill, and between this girl and the guy at the Third Strike cabinet, it seemed there could be some fascinating battles here. AIs were predictable, people were not. She glanced nervously at the group of boys surrounding the machine. Would they let her join them? They seemed busy setting up some sort of turn order... And even if they were willing to let her have a turn, what if she messed up? Or worse, what if she won and the girl got mad at her? Anyway, playing the game would require approaching the crowd, making herself seen. Even thinking about it made her shiver.

She looked away from the young gamblers, returning her attention to the screen. It was loading. The girl had turned around in her seat, staring strait back at Annabelle. Glaring. Anna realized with sudden terror that she'd been spotted. She hadn't been hiding or anything, but she was so used to going unnoticed that it hadn't crossed her mind that the Blazblue player might see her watching, much less be offended by it. Her face flushed, hands sweating again, and she averted her eyes. I'm an idiot. Of course the girl was offended! She had every right to be. There she was, minding her own business, destroying a dozen or so opponents, and Annabelle had been standing there gawking. Perhaps she relied too much on the fact that other people tended not to see her. What should she do now? Should she run? No, then she would look like a creepy stalker person. Or maybe she already did, standing there watching like that...

Anna felt the glaring eyes leave her as the next match began. Still, she stood frozen. Would it be rude to leave, or more rude to stay? Maybe if she just didn't look over there... She turned back to the Third Strike game. Dudley was still tearing apart the AI opponents. Did that guy know she was there. He'd acknowledged her existence earlier, but that was when she had still been playing Delta 3. Now she had moved, but did he still see her? Would he, like the girl, be mad at her for watching? He still focused on his game, but in her mind he was now glaring too. As were the boys in the corner. Everyone glared, everyone hated her.

The girl was approaching now, two bottles in hand. One soda, one water. Anna pressed back into the wall, her pale skin turning even whiter with fear. Her hands, now drenched with sweat, were shaking uncontrollably. Nobody approached her- ever. Not unless they needed her to do something... or if they were mad at her. Yes, that must be the case. Was she going to yell? Anna certainly deserved it. She imagined the girl yelling, calling attention to their area and broadcasting to the entire arcade what Anna had done. Her head reeled with panic.

But the girl only came up beside her and smiled. She wanted to play.

Anna's muscles relaxed a bit. It wasn't a crowd of angry people ready to tear into her. Just one girl, a nice girl. Another gamer. She didn't usually talk to people, but she really did want to play. And now it was just her, not the crowd of young Blazblue players.

She smiled nervously, speaking in a voice so quiet it could have been mistaken for a whisper. She hoped her anxiety wasn't too visible, but it probably was. “Um... sure... you're good too. I mean, I was watching... uh...” She glanced over at the Blazblue console, still surrounded by the boys. “What game do want to play?”
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Saarebas
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Saarebas Wandering Wild Magic Fanatic

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Sun shining, bees buzzing, birds chirping, and dogs barking all just proved that it really was a great day for a run through the park. Arty had a content smile on his face as he jogged along the park path, sweat glistening on his brow. Cardio was always the most relaxing part of his work out and Arty loved every minute of it, it gave him time to unwind and to clear his head. The park was just teeming with families spending time together, friends enjoying a day out, and couples enjoying little romantic rendezvous. The monotonous Irishman couldn't help but smile even wider, all the joy around him was just simply contagious.

While he was lost in his bliss filled thoughts Arty apparently had managed to gain himself a running mate. It was a pretty young lady with brilliant blue hair, there seemed to be a lot of those here in Shine City. When the more than slightly oblivious lug finally noticed his new companion she was waving at him. Did she not want him running with her? Arty understood that, sometimes when he really got into a work out he didn't like being distracted by others. But this thought was quickly waved away when his fellow jogger offered him a reassuring smile. "Oh good, she was just sayin' hello." Arty thought with a inward thought of relief.

Just as Arty was about to return the greeting the girl suddenly stopped in what looked like either shock or pain. Arty instinctively stopped and made his way over to the girl, being a bouncer for so long kind of makes a person worry about others. "Excuse me lass, but are ya okay?" He asked, the concern obvious in his voice. Arty hopped that he didn't come off as intruding for randomly showing care for this girl's well being.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Specter189
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Specter189 Carthago Delenda Est

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As soon as he got into the groove, Scott's mind cleared as it sharpened to a razor's edge. His reflexes had naturally dulled slightly as he grew older, as much as it pained him to admit it, he wasn't tournament material anymore. While his synapses didn't react quite as fast as they used to, he had many, many years of Third Strike under his belt. Almost every frame of animation was committed to his memory and running Dudley was second nature. All he had to do was slowly and steadily push his opponent into a corner then his rote memorized combos would juggle his opponent into oblivion. Back in the day he'd get nervous while playing, the sheer desire to win, the fear of losing would cause him to make mistakes. Playing a character that required cool, clinical precision tempered his nerves.

He'd cleared his way to the top of many a cabinet when he travelled the country. Ever since he first picked it up so many years ago he'd often fall into a mood where he had to play Third Strike. Such a lust for combos had gotten him into the tournament scene, he never made it big, but he did learn one very, very important skill.

Each animation of any videogame is composed of frames, individual panes that portray everything in the game world from hits, to movement, etcetera, most fighting games, Third Strike included, run at sixty frames per second. That is sixty individual frames of animation and data in a second, in Third Strike there exsists a system called parries. If a player throws his stick forward during the last ten frames of his opponent's attack animation, all damage will be negated and the character who parried will recover faster than his opponent, allowing him to launch into a combo of his own. In other words, Scott learned how to completely negate attacks a tenth of a second before they hit. Its not foolproof, and it requires a fair amount of prediction, but Scott's muscle memory allowed him to do it without thinking. A well timed parry can completely turn the tide in a fight, he'd seen some of the most insane comebacks through them, and his ability to pull them off was certainly a source of pride.

His mastery of Third Strike did affect his performance in other games, however, and as the years went by live opponents became rarer and rarer. Of course he could still go to EVO and other conventions, but it wasn't enough, he wanted to play Third Strike all the time. Other games such as Blazblue and Persona 4 Arena he'd tried to get into, but the huge array of subsystems turned him off. Other titles such as Mortal Kombat felt too restrictive with their combos. He did try out an interesting title called Skullgirls in a couple other arcades, and he did take a liking to it. In the back of his head he decided to look for it in this arcade later, for now he had a ladder to destroy.

Speaking of which, his last opponent, the empowered and ridculously colored final boss of the arcade mode Gill, was already in the corner. The AI behind him foolishly decided to make a desperate attack, prompting a parry into one final Corckscrew Blow to finish him off. I he familiar fanfare played and he inputted the initals "SAW" next to his score at the top of the board. He stifled a yawn as he stretched his shoulders, standing hunched over an arcade cabinet for a good while left his joints surprisingly stiff, he twisted around partly to get his body moving again, and partly to see if the eyes he felt boring into his back were real or phantoms.

Sure enough, they were real. He caught the gaze of the girl who'd demolished Delta 3 next to him, another girl was talking to her about something, probably a challenge. He was tempted to watch their match, hell he was tempted to challenge the girl himself, she was pretty damn good. He didn't want to intrude in their conversation, so he instead just flashed a smile and another thumb's up before stepping away from the cabinet, silently debating on what he'd do next before finally just figuring he'd stay put. He loved watching skilled players, and was looking forward to seeing her Third Strike game later. After all he had a ton of time to kill until tonight, when he'd finally get to open his bar.

Today was a good day
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by MyCatGinger
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MyCatGinger Miss Chievous

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Shou Matsuoka

10:45 am


The young professor threw his head back and let the rays of the approaching midday sun reflect off the lens of his spectacles. It was warm outside, and summer was just beginning. A lot of things changed when seasons changed, but Shou was just happy it wasn't freezing anymore. Nevertheless, he had donned a light sweater, cigarette in one hand and the two leads of his dogs in the other. The canines were heavily contrasting in personality, anyone could see. The smaller of them, the Jack Russell, pulled eagerly at the lead, whereas the larger, the German Shepherd cross, trotted ahead of the man at a leisurely pace. Passing by the familiar old lady's house from before, she seemed to be outside already, so Shou gave her a wave. She waved back, and the dogs' ears perked up in response to her presence. Jinxie, the Jack Russell, even yapped happily. But the dogs and Shou had somewhere else to be. It was morning-time, and our professor had overslept, so he had decided instead to take the dogs for a walk.
It was just about then he passed the house one away from his, the house that had been empty for a while, suddenly seeming more alive. Moving trucks had been around for a whole day the day before, and Shou Matsuoka was keen to meet the owners of the house. He debated baking them something as a goodwill gesture, and discarded the idea immediately.

Never let Shou Matsuoka into a kitchen. Ever.

As he passed, he may have noticed the swish of a tail in a downstairs window. Ah, probably his imagination...

Holding the cigarette in the same hand as the leashes, he fixed his earplugs into his ears carefully and unlocked his phone. Tuned into a particular radio station out of equal parts curiosity and some of his younger female students asking him to, he caught the last bits of a broadcast that was on.

Anyways, you should check the place out if you’re craving traditional Japanese food.
I gotta get out of here guys, the struggle for caffeine is real. I’m gonna leave you with this song in the hopes of perking everybody up. DJ Haywood, out~!

As the tune came on, he shook his head with a tiny smirk. This was Nori Haywood, DJ extraordinaire and as of the last two months, honorary girlfriend of Shou's old, and good, friend, Detective Oliver Holland.
Things had changed a lot from New Year's Eve, when the pair had found Shou slurring his words and driving drunk after an evening with a ghost. A beautiful woman, who much resembled his dead fiancee. A woman whose name still lingered in the confines of his mind, somewhere deep down. Was he just incredibly drunk? Or was she really sent, just for him...?

Amie...

Her name was coming to be synonymous with Alessandra's. The professor sighed as he continued to walk into town, switching the peppy music on the radio out for something from his own playlist. A little more...chilled out.



---

Sweater weather, huh...
Summer's just beginning, but I'm stuck in a November night somewhere.

He mused to himself, passing through the evergreen welcoming gates of Shiny Park. Everyone was right, somehow, through all the seasons, this was the one place that seemed the most timeless, despite expecting it to change the most. The trees changed but the crowds majorly didn't as much. It was soothing, like an old friend. Soothing-

"Jinxie, be careful!"

Great. The little dog almost knocked someone over.
"Miss, I'm really sorry for her behaviour, I-" he began, smoke exiting his lips as he looked up to the person who almost fell over his dog. All he knew about her was that she was tall. And...very hurriedly making her way away from him. Maybe she had spied somewhere to sit, or someone she had to meet...
The professor couldn't help but follow the dark haired woman with his eyes, until she sat herself down on a park bench. Aah, normal enough...he shook his head with a little laugh. Maybe he should have taken his earphones out and been a little more attentive to what his dogs were doing...

"Jinxie, w-" he began again, the little dog growling under her breath at an abnormally large gathering of...pigeons. Nothing abnormal, Shou shook his head again. Nothing to worry about. He cooed and knelt down to try and coax the dog, tugging at the end of the lead, to come back to him. "Hey, girl...no, they aren't worth it, I promise. If you're good, I-"
Today seemed to be one of those days where Shou would be cut off a lot.

It all seemed to happen in a split second. From where he was knelt on the ground, a fair distance away, he could see someone. Someone tall...it was the same woman from earlier! Luckily he was mostly hidden, or she just might not have been paying attention to his particular direction. Regardless, it looked like she was on the prowl.
Wait, is she targeting those...

The thought had barely begun to formulate as the woman bound into the gathering of pigeons, which took flight immediately, sending a flurry of feathers all around her. She might as well have been the bird queen at this point, with how they upped and flew about and away from her. It was an amusing sight, and the professor couldn't help but partake in her glee from where he was Ah, sometimes it was the more innocent things in life that one should take more pleasure in...

...but maybe it wasn't as innocent an act for everyone. Not very far from the woman and the pigeons, a girl with blue hair almost collapsed, and a familiar face, a large redhead, consoled her. Shou couldn't have mistaken that face anywhere. It was Artair Grant, Arty to all. Known and loved (well, sometimes, and definitely not by anyone under the age of 21) as one of Club LUSH's bouncers, but also to Shou personally as a former member of a cooking class they took the previous year. Oh, how time flies...

"Is everything alright?" the professor murmured softly under his breath, cigarette stubbed and lost in a convenient trashcan nearby, as he approached the group of people. "Has something happened here? ...do you need assistance, miss...?" he spoke softly to the blue-haired woman. Giving a nod of recognition to Arty, who seemed to have the situation at hand, he stepped away to give the woman some room to breathe.
He turned to the woman with the shorter hair, his face going a little paler at both how tall she was compared to women in the area. Also, how strikingly beautiful she w-
Keep it together, Matsuoka. You can't go gaga for every pretty lady in this city.

"Madame, I..." the professor began. "...could you tell me what happened here, with this woman? Is...is everything alright?"
He was genuinely worried.

@Saarebas@Narcotic Dollie@Jay Kalton
Hidden 9 yrs ago → 9 yrs ago Post by Silver Fox
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Silver Fox Kitsune

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Ashton Griffone

Shine City || Lancom Arcade


Where was she? Was that sign familiar? That building perhaps. Eh... Who knows? Once again, a certain oddly tall firefighter has found themselves completely lost in the middle of the city. Again. Third time this week too, that might just be a record. The crew would definetly scold her if they knew, after all she was supposed to spend her day off having fun. But hey, getting lost could be fun. Ashton didn't really mind much, as it was a sunny day and people were bustling about on their own business. She could feel the warm rays heat up her dirty blonde hair as her long legs carried her down the sidewalk. Walking in no where particular other then foreword. People might look at her oddly if she tried walking backward, despite the slight interest at the challenge. The challenge would most likely end up with her falling or running into something anyway.

Amethyst colored eyes sparkling in sheer glee as she happily went along, glancing to others around her as they passed by. Most she had to look a bit downward considering it was rare to meet someone as tall or taller then her. Her gaze lingered on the cute girls that passed by. Most were a fair bit smaller then her. Had pretty soft looking faces, long cared for hair and wearing their fashionable clothes. Everything she wasn't. It made her slightly look at her reflection of a store window. Face heavily scarred up, wearing her grey shirt and baggy large black coat and her cargo pants and boots. Her fingerless gloves hands shoved in her pant pockets. She couldn't help but sometimes envy those girls who could pull off being so cute and adorable.

Still, despite that, she didn't hate what she ended up looking. It made her 'her' and that's what mattered. Admiring the cute girls was satisfying in of itself.

Pausing in her stride as her eyes caught sight of a familiar landmark of hers, the blonde's lips brightened in happiness and excitement. Her arms raising in a sort of double fist pump gesture. Lancom Arcade was a place she liked to visit from time to time to have a little fun. She often played them when she could, especially as a child. Mostly with Claire though. Though, she wasn't really the competitive player and preceded cooperative. Her and Claire usually enjoyed even making single player cooperative in their own way. Ashton still played some fighting games at the arcade though.

Striding inside, the tall blonde hopped about energetically as her gemstone color eyes brightly shined in anticipation. Going up to the counter, she smiled brightly, elbows pressed against her ribs with her hands waving up and down in front of her near the chin as she hunched a bit over in her excitement.

The man stared at scarred face... Guy. No wait that's a girl. Freakishly tall girl. Honestly who would really guess this giant was a she? Doesn't help she wears boyish clothes and that baggy coat. Right. "Oh hey Ash. Haven't seen you in awhile. Here to play for a little after killing some fire?" the man asked, eyes slightly blinking as he watched the dirty blonde nod rapidly before rummaging in her pockets and slamming down a twenty on the counter.

Staring at it he reached and took it before looking at the firefighter again to see such a serious expression staring at him. Eyes half lidded, lips creased in a tight line as she intently stared. "Yeah yeah I know. All quarters. Geez, I'm going to have to get some more rolls of quarters soon with all these game enthusiasts today." he said as he rummaged through the cash register before pulling out some quarters.

Ashton immiedietly stretched out her hands, her bare fingers calloused from years of use and hard work. Little scars decorating them. Happily taking the coins, she shoved them into her large pockets. Giving a bright smile, she winked with her right eye and gave a thumbs up with her left hand before happily going off to examine all the games a available. Pondering what to play first, her purple gaze flicked about. There were quite a few people in the arcade.

After some deep thought, she caught sight of a familiar colorful stage. A arrow in each of the colorful tiles, being a total of eight. A large screen colorful flashing as similar arrows flew across the screen, flashing with the steps of the players that moved correctly in place.

Awe! Good ol fashion Dance Dance Revolution or just DDR! Something to just have fun and let the body move to the rhythm. With a wide grin, the tall boy looking woman stepped forth on the stage once it was free. Sliding in a couple coins into the machine, she slipped off her jacket and set it on the little railing that decorated the back of the stage. Usually used to help assist those who lose their balance or help assist in tricks. For this session though, it just be used as a coat rack for her.

Unlike her jacket, her grey shirt at least hugged her skinny toned body for the most part. Though her chest was flat as a board, one could at least tell if they paid attention. Stretching her arms above her head as her right foot tapped against the down arrow to scroll through songs, her fingers intertwined and pressed against one another with her palms facing away from her. Stretching them out before suddenly pumping her hands in the air at a satisfying song.

Humming softly she entered the song of choice and difficulty as she took a deep readying breath. Hopefully, she didn't fall off the stage. That would be laughable. As the song started and the arrows immiedietly started flying by, Ashton started to move, her feet pressing against the arrows by mere habit and memory from previous playthroughs. It was a little awkward, as her height made it a bit difficult but still, she was having fun. Her arms bouncing with the rest of her body and she cheerfully smiled but was focused on what she was doing. Having fun and dancing.

Hidden 9 yrs ago → 9 yrs ago Post by Matsuri
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Matsuri procrastination station

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Aya Kagamine
• Shiny Park Shenanigans •

No. No. Absolutely no. This was not good. Not at all. Aya's face went as red as the hat on her head, clearly telling this blue haired lady that was currently poking her nose into the punctured egg sandwich that the interaction that was sure to follow was a no-go. Right now, Aya just wanted to sprint off as quick as her long spider legs could take her (which would be quite far, actually). But also, right now, Aya just wanted to wash away her Saturday beret coloured face and give this lady a totally calm explanation as to why she should, well, piss off, really. Towering over her as best as she could (this blue person being around an inch smaller than Aya didn't make it any easier) and narrowing her eyes into a menacing glare, Aya said,

"H-Hey, you… You forget what you saw! You… need to go! Right now!"

Aya had forgotten how hard it was to act as threatening when she was 'cursing' people off on English. The English language was not her mother tongue, and while she was stellar at reading and writing, speaking was just awkward for her. Surprisingly, she found it more difficult to converse with someone casually rather than tending to customers as a cashier using the same phrases over and over again. Not only that, but it had been quite a while since Aya had spoken to someone directly whilst not behind the counter.

But also, right now, this blue haired lady didn't look like she was going to be saying anything back any time soon. Actually, she looked more like she was about to faceplant into that egg sandwich any second now.

"Are… Are you all right?"

Ah. Her Japanese accent was beginning to make its unwanted appearance too.

And by the looks of things, a colossal man with hair redder than her beret was also making an unwanted appearance. He didn't seem to be concerned about Aya though, looking towards the blue haired lady instead.

That was the morning of her day off ruined, then.

"Madame, I... could you tell me what happened here, with this woman? Is...is everything alright?"

Great. Another invasion. Wait, wasn't that the silvery haired and taller than average man (according to Aya's standards, seeing as she didn't come across men who exceeded her height very often) who's dog she had almost ran over a few minutes ago? Wait…

Had he been watching too?

"Y-Yes, everything is all right. She is just… I do not know… Tired?"

Gah, this has become too awkward…

She glanced away after attempting to make eye contact with the man, tugging her beret down a little. She then stole a look at the exhausted girl and the giant muscleman, looking a bit concerned herself. Not to mention a little guilty after shouting at a girl who was probably on the verge of collapsing.

"You… You are okay, right?" Aya asked. Her head would turn slightly to face the silver haired man, and again to the heavily breathing lady.

@MyCatGinger@Narcotic Dollie@Saarebas
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Knight of Doom
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Knight of Doom Slowly Becoming an Alcoholic

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Amaya was surprised at the voice that came through the radio this morning normally Nick Weston’s suave charms radiated out of it. As of later though, he had been sounding not too great. Perhaps he was sick? Well, it wasn’t really any of her business. Now, the uncertain, shaky voice of Nori Haywood came through the radio. The blond girl recognized the name from the few times she had been dragged to Club LUSH by her roommate Rachel. Of course, once her name was mentioned on the radio, a familiar mix of embarrassment and gratitude filled her. Every time she’s mentioned on the radio, there’s a string of compliments attached. This time, she had apparently served the new radio host without realizing it.

Amaya turned off the radio on her desk and started preparing for the day. She had to go out today to find a suitable residence before the university kicked her out. So, she threw on a cute outfit and grabbed her purse before leaving her dorm room. The emerald eyed beauty decided to walk around Shine Junction, and maybe stop by a couple cafes along the way. Perhaps there might be some flyers up. It wasn’t a very common practice, but one can always hope. Besides is she didn’t at least feel like she was doing something to help her situation, the anxiety would get to her. While, Shine City wasn’t exactly teeming with criminals, Amaya didn’t really want to be homeless for 3 months. Earlier, she had surfed the web, hoping for something, but to no avail.

The preoccupied girl wasn’t really thinking about where she was going, her feet simply carried her away. By the time she realized it, she had to stop in her tracks to gather herself and recognize the place she was actually at. Looking around, it was just another crossroads. Amaya looked over to the store on her right, which actually turned out to be a bar. There was a sign by the door that announced their Grand Opening tonight at 4:00. Free drinks? Amaya registered this in the back of her mind. If Rachel ended up trying to drag her to Club LUSH (For the 5th time this week) she’d have to mention this place. It was a lot classier than a club for sure. This time actually looking around for flyers, the college student roamed around some more. If she couldn’t find anything by lunch time, she’d check the internet again.
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Hidden 9 yrs ago → 9 yrs ago Post by sakurasan
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sakurasan you don't know how to wash your shoes

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Users: @sakurasan and @Evil Snowman








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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Stern Algorithm
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Stern Algorithm Loquacious Aggression

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The alarm went off at 6AM. Shizuka rolled over gently in her bed and turned off the alarm. The memory of having been woken two hours ago by the sound of her drunk roommate returning to the dorm after another night of partying flooded back. It hadn't really interrupted her sleep that much, but Shizuka felt a bit more tired than usual. Well, she'd been feeling 'more tired than usual' for long enough for it to be considered usual. Still, she insisted on waking up early every morning just to maintain her health and good habits. Sitting up, Shizuka stretched, then made her way to the restroom to wash up. Afterwards, she headed to the kitchen and started preparing her breakfast, as well as a lunch box for herself and for her roommate. When she was done cooking and packing the lunches into their boxes, she took a post-it and scribbled a little note to her roommate, then put the lunch box in the fridge. Brewing herself some tea, Shizuka made her way to the dining table with her plate of breakfast and tea cup and sat down for a quiet meal, casually thumbing through her phone to catch up on email updates from her classes or her research professor. Fortunately, it was a quiet weekend with very little in the way of assignments and projects. From an outsider's perspective, the scene of Shizuka having breakfast could be described with the word 'serene'. While this was, for the most part, true, there were a great many things that could be troubling her, that she has simply chosen to not dwell upon. She knew that she needed to just keep moving forward. Finishing breakfast, she put her plate in the sink and left her dorm. Shizuka reached her bicycle which was parked at a bike rack that was reserved for Shine Academy dorm residents. It was still early enough in the morning to not be hot, so a casual, refreshing ride to her workplace would not result in her becoming sweaty and disheveled. Expecting it would get warm later in the day, Shizuka tied her hair up to keep cool.



Shizuka arrived at the bookstore Ink Sparks before opening time. Unlocking the front door, she made her way inside and locked the door again. To keep with the schedule, she wouldn't unlock it again until the shop actually opened, giving her some time and privacy to get the bookstore ready for the day. She did a quick rundown of the shelves, just to get a glimpse to see if anything was misplaced. Sure that everything was in order, she flipped the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open', and took her seat behind the counter. @Haeo


It had been a rather uneventful day, though the occasional individual would make their way into the shop and ask for things using slang and other terms Shizuka was unfamiliar with, her apparent cluelessness was usually enough to cause them to leave, certain that she did not have what they were looking for. She had heard that the place used to be a front for shady dealings, but thought that that was long enough ago that people should have stopped coming for those things by now. Other than those incidents, she made a few small book sales, but not much.

As the day wore on, it started getting warm. Surprisingly, it was warmer in the bookstore than it was in the storage behind it. Apparently, the storage had previously housed 'perishable goods' of questionable legality and was installed with better AC than the storefront. This was something she knew Mr. Smith wished to rectify, as uncomfortable customers was bad for business. Shizuka wondered if she would see Mr. Smith today. Granted, as the business owner, his attendance was far from mandatory, but he was much more involved than most business owners, he had to be to get this little shop off the ground.

The shop's internal audio system was tuned to Shine City Radio, the station that the other clerk liked to listen too, and Shizuka never saw a need to change it. But when the 'Naughty Nori's News' segment came up, it reminded Shizuka of 'Weston's Suggestions' and it's host, Nick Weston. Shizuka hadn't seen hide nor hair of him in a while and wondered what he was up to. A slight chill ran down her spine, prompting her to silently pray for his health and well-being.
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Hidden 9 yrs ago → 9 yrs ago Post by Section
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Section

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Well, that went great! Eidel thought to herself, beaming inside. And now, with the girl turned towards her, she could get a good look at her. She had blond hair, or perhaps it was light brown? Her eyes were of quite the nice blue-ish grey-ish color and she had clean looking pale skin. It was an appearance that suited her apparently shy demeanor, as she stammered to reply to Eidel, she felt a bit awkward as well. In a way, it almost felt like she cornered the poor girl, who seemed to be quite shy, not unlike herself. Well, she'd make up for it! At least, she hoped she would. Handing her the bottle of water, so cold that she had trouble carrying it, Eidel was about to make a gesture for her to follow and lead her on through the arcade, when she saw a guy get up for another StreetBrawler cabinet, get up, give a thumbs-up and a smile to the girl as he walked away.

A friend? Maybe even a boyfriend? Eidel looked on curiously as the rather good-looking, if not a little scruffy, man walked away and headed to other cabinets. Looking back at his machine, he had left an excellent score and she almost wished she could challenge him. Leaving it all to mystery for the time being, Eidel shrugged and made a gesture for the other girl to follow once again, glancing at things as she walked. She saw which games were open, paused every once in a while, then continued on, until she reached a cabinet with two guitars hanging off it. Eidel wasn't especially good at rhythm games, but she enjoyed them once in a while and they were a good way to relax. And as it currently was, Eidel was beginning to think both her and the other girl needed to relax, the other seemed still quite shaken by Eidel coming to talk to her and Eidel was feeling seriously bad about startling her. She was definitely feeling embarrassed as the adrenaline of winning earlier died down and now she was left quite nervous.

"Uhhh, why don't we play a rhythm game? I'm not... too good, but I like playing them? I-it'll be free!" She flashed a nervous smile and slotted two quarters into the machine and after taking much too long a swig from her sticky can of orange soda for it to appear normal, she picked up the plastic guitar and picked a rather slow song to ease them in. Realizing she forgot to introduce herself, she spurted out a quick introduction, like the liquid that fired out of her soda can onto the floor when she opened it a few moments earlier. "Oh, oh, I'm Eidel, Eidel Shain! Sorry if I scared you earlier... I'm a bit new here. Hope we enjoy this." Giving her a concerned (or was it a concerning?) smile, she fired up a song and hit play.
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Vern was sitting in the dark. No matter how many times the bulbs were changed, the lighting in Ink Spark Bookstore was always spotty. Some spots were brightly lit and others were pitch black. In fact, the wiring was extraordinarily odd in this part of the building, forcing the lights and certain other fixtures to be placed in certain locations. The register, for example, had to be in the same place on the counter unless he wanted to tear up the foundation to re-lay the main cables and the lights were wired with too much power for standard bulbs. Instead, he had to use a higher intensity spotlight bulb. And so he sat in a small corner on the small balcony, the only second level that the store had room for, with no light while a stack of papers sat on a small table in front of him under the intense and excessively warm brilliance of a spotlight. The only sound was the scratching of his pen on the paper as he filled out and signed one form after another.

He finally owned his own business. It's true, he only owned one. But, time would change that. This little outfit would be the starting cash flow that would fund his acquisitions. So, with that modest plan in mind, he devoted a great deal of time and effort to making it stable, legal and profitable again.

Then the door opened. The store was still closed. Vern looked up from his work. Hidden in the shadows as he was it would be nearly impossible to see him. Besides, even he wasn't usually here quite so early. The fleeting thought of burglary flitted through his mind, as often happens in shady neighborhoods when locked doors are opened. But, it fled as quickly as it had come when one of the clerks he had hired a couple months ago entered and locked the door behind her to begin getting ready for her shift. Vern went back to his work.

Every now and again he would look up and observe how his employee was doing. She was very effective at proving to the persistent that this business had no remaining connection to illegal deals. In fact, the prior owner had sold it to fund his escape from that business. The last news of him that Vern had heard involved a train ticket east and plans to start over. Vern wished the man luck and returned to his work.

It did indeed get warm in this store. Unfortunately, correcting the AC issue was also affected by the power problem. Vern was actually getting quotes for a remodel of the front end. If he could get a bid in the right range then those front windows would be replaced by versions that could be opened, some of the wiring could be adjusted and some form of supplemental AC could be installed. But, for now, Vern suffered with his employees.

His preference for dark colors did not help at times like this. His buttoned up black shirt was open all the way down and untucked. The red of his thin t-shirt revealed a darker ring where sweat had made a mark at his neckline. His black slacks and professional black shoes were things he couldn't do much about with an employee, especially a female one, in the store. Then again, he never considered his boxers to be something worth showing off.

The 'Naughty Nori's News' radio segment happened to come up just as he was signing the last of his paperwork for the day. Surprisingly, this particular corner of the balcony had not been disturbed at all. In fact, Vern was certain that his employee had not yet realized that he was here at all. With that in mind, he stood up and used the small table to straighten the stack of papers. The sound of rustling cloth and paper carried surprisingly well in such a quiet store. With the stack straightened, he lifted his briefcase onto the table and placed the forms inside. With a click and a clack the latches snapped shut and he was done with his owner's work for the day. Now, for a walkthrough of the back and then off for lunch.

But first, he had to descend the narrow wood stairs and have a brief exchange with his current employee. He wore a professional but friendly smile as he reached the ground floor and approached the young lady manning the register for today's opening shift.

It was Shizuka. He had only had to hire eight people to fill necessary positions so he still remembered them all. She was a little shorter than him and a lot lighter but she carried herself with a subtle competence and respectful manner that had impressed him quickly. Her performance had been consistent and reliable, a very productive employee only surpassed by one particular hire in the shipping area who had just a little too much zeal for his job. She also preferred modest attire and seemed to avoid rough and rowdy company. She was also quite intelligent and pretty as well.

While he had a certain professional distance that he preferred to maintain, especially while being so busy with work, Vern had admitted to himself that his opinion of her was extraordinarily high for having only recently become acquainted. Still, perhaps it wasn't just professional distance that kept him from being more open and trying to be a little more than coworkers. It was hard to talk about, but he could feel that she didn't value herself very accurately. She somehow reminded him of a brand new model of family van with all the latest safety features and a used pickup price tag.

But, he couldn't blame it all on what he felt from her. He still had no idea how his neighbor was doing, the first real friend he had made after moving here. They had regular contact for quite awhile, especially after... that night. But then she just vanished. In fact, his other neighbor had disappeared as well. She hadn't been noisy but her absence had made that four story building feel remarkably empty. So, he was mildly concerned about his next door neighbor and solidly worried about his cross-alley neighbor. Sometimes he wished that he didn't care quite so much.

"Good morning, Shizuka." He said. His tone was a little upbeat but too regular to be natural. He was being professional through his worries with a little effort, and that effort showed today. "You've been handling things well. Just, remember to check the balcony during your morning walkthrough, and keep up the good work. I only realized today how easy it is to hide up there. I'm working on a solution, but for now just be a little extra careful."
Hidden 9 yrs ago → 9 yrs ago Post by Azaria Blue
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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Narcotic Dollie
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Calliope was doubled over with her hands on her knees when the pigeon chaser closed in on her. "H-Hey, you… You forget what you saw! You… need to go! Right now!" the other woman commanded, lovely eyes narrowed under long, dark eyelashes. This only caused Calliope to blink up at her in confusion as the ringing in her ears started to die down. Was she embarrassed that she was chasing pigeons? Was that weird behavior? Maybe the taller woman was just worried that she hadn’t done a good job scaring the birds away?

“N-no, it’s fine,” Calliope reassured, her heart rate slowing as she caught her breath. “You, um, did a very good job, ma’am. Your form was lovely, they seemed quite terrified of you.”

This seemed to soften the other woman somewhat, because after a moment she asked, "Are… Are you all right?" The question was marked with a soft lilt that made Calliope lean closer to better understand her. ’Oh, right, I just made a scene, didn't I?’ the blue eyed woman realized, mortified at her actions. “Yes ma’am, I--”

"Excuse me lass, but are ya okay?" interrupted a concerned voice, causing Calliope to look over and see her running mate from earlier jog back to check on her well being. The vet student felt her face grow hot and she straightened up quickly. “No, I-I--,”

"Has something happened here? ...do you need assistance, miss...?"

A white haired man with brown puppy dog eyes made his way over to the group and now she was starting to get truly anxious. This was the exact opposite of blending in, she stuck out like a sore thumb. “U-m...,” she started, overwhelmed by the exorbitant amount of attention.

”Take a deep breath, miss,” Calliope heard someone say and her gaze quickly flitted over to the large tan and black dog at the white haired man’s side. He was panting from the walk, but other than that his muzzle remained motionless. ”There is no need to panic, no one here will harm you,” the dog continued, his head cocking to the side as he continued to watch her. ”Just calm down and try again.”

“Sorry,” Calliope said after a moment, standing up straight and grabbing the hem of her shirt to mop the sweat from her brow. “I just rolled my ankle,” she fibbed, chewing at her bottom lip before adding. “No big deal or anything. I just got...distracted. Yep. Distracted.”

@MyCatGinger@Jay Kalton@Saarebas

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Hidden 9 yrs ago → 9 yrs ago Post by Adelynn Ryder
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Adelynn Ryder Unquiet Paladin

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"An..uh... Annabelle Wolfe!" she stumbled through her own name.

Anna smiled back at Eidel, noting her also stammered introduction. Perhaps she was shy as well. She seemed very nice though. She'd been very friendly and understanding, leading Annabelle away from the crowd of people, and the she'd even offered her a water bottle so cold it sapped all heat from Anna's hand as she carried it. However, they hadn't managed to escape without Anna being spotted one more time. The Third Strike guy had seen her watching his game. Apparently, her powers of invisibility were severely lacking today. At least he hadn't seemed angry. In fact, he had also been quite friendly, smiling and giving her another thumbs up. She had smiled back, though she wasn't sure if he had seen past her black hood. As she'd followed Eidel to the rhythm games, she'd gotten a closer look at him when they passed. He was attractive, though from his eyes one could tell he'd been staring at a screen for a while. Then again, so had she. As they passed by the Third Strike cabinet, she made note of the score he'd obtained. It had indeed beaten hers- top of the board. "SAW" the initials read. She'd come back to this at some point. By the end of the week, she was determined now to move "SAW" into the second place, replacing the first rank with her own initials.

But for now, she was playing with Eidel. She knew at this point they had two things in common- video games and awkwardness- and as they approached the rhythm games, she suspected they would soon find a third commonality. Anna loved music. It was part of what had drawn her to the theater. Though she'd always been unfit for the spotlight, she envied the soloists in her favorite musical productions. She'd spent many an hour-long shower singing into the device she was supposed to be rinsing herself off with, and several more hours sitting in front of her television, playing with plastic instruments much like the one she now picked up. As a music loving gamer, it was only natural for her to have gotten into rhythm games. Music, she knew, was just as important to the progression of a story as choreographed fight scenes. She pulled the guitar strap across her shoulder, looking at the song title that Eidel had chosen. It was a slower song, one Anna did not know very well, but she remembered liking the sound of it. She smiled again at her game partner.

"Thanks. Next game's on me."

Strumming the plastic guitar, she scrolled through the difficulties. She selected "Expert" and the game began. Slower songs on a higher difficulty meant lots of drawn out chords. She wished these instruments had real strings rather than plastic buttons. It would certainly give her an advantage. Plus, then it would be much easier to memorize how to play them off of the game version. As it was, she'd pick up her guitar at home and only be able to recall colors. "Red, Yellow, Orange" didn't exactly tell her what key the song was in. But pointless complaints aside, the game was going quite well. Eidel seemed to be doing fine on whatever difficulty she had picked (Anna had been too stressed out by introducing herself to pay attention) and she was definitely a good person to game with. Quiet, but focused, and she obviously knew what she was doing.

She's pretty too, Anna thought, though she wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. A moment later, she figured it out though. This was someone she could look up to. She was like Annabelle, but prettier, stronger... willing to walk up to people she hadn't met in an arcade despite obvious shyness. She was an amazing potential friend. Anna had always told herself that she didn't need friends, but playing with other people felt right. She looked over at her opponent as she continued to strum the plastic instrument. She smiled, and even laughed quietly. This was so much fun.
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Annabelle Wolfe, Eidel pondered the name of the shy girl to herself. It was a pretty name, the kind of name she might find in a book, as if both the first name and last name were chosen by a writer for synthesis. She briefly wondered if she could use "Anna" for short. Strumming on the controller smoothly enough even though she typically wasn't especially good at rhythm games, even if she enjoyed them, she focused on the music, hoping it would help her through the song a bit more, as the song played through loud speakers meant to be audible over hubbub of the arcade, she let her thoughts wander a bit as the streams of color went down the screen. What would she do this afternoon? It was still only around half-past eleven, once they finished the song, would they move onto something harder or play another game? Maybe part ways? Was Anna enjoying this? She had given her a genuine smile earlier, which lifted her spirits, but Eidel was still doubting her choices now; as they say, old habits die hard. Feeling a bit worried, she looked over and her heart jumped when she found the previously admittedly gloomy girl smiling, even laughing, though it was quiet. It felt as if she had seen someone she had known for a long time smile for the very first time in the long time they knew each other, as ridiculous as that analogy sounds, even though they had met only less than a half-hour ago.

In all honesty, it made Eidel quite joyous and bubbly and as the song went on, she transitioned from standing and focusing on playing the plastic guitar to actually dancing and doing her able best to sing along in a low voice. She missed many more notes in her excitement, but suddenly, she was having a lot more fun, probably even more than when she was playing BlazBlue, by a long shot. She almost wanted to beckon Anna into doing it with her, but she didn't want to force her and instead stuck to dancing awkwardly with the guitar (the particular style, titled "el drunko penguino", was a classic dancing technique, mixing Mexican and Scottish styles, inspired by drunk, dying penguins and perfected by Eidel, on her own, far from any eye) and singing quietly as to not bother her partner. She had lost most of the serious focus she had on the game, but she was in an astonishingly good mood, it wasn't like she could help it! The day was finally looking up.

After a minute or two, the song finally came to an end and Eidel stood in front of her screen panting and weakly taking a tissue out of her pocket to clean up the controller and her damp forehead. "Sorry, Anna, got a little... excited there." She smiled bashfully and hung up the guitar as the machine indicated Annabelle's decisive victory, though suddenly, Eidel had stopped caring about winning as she sipped soda from her sticky can. "Wait, sorry, can I call you Anna?" Eidel quickly realized her slip-up and tried to rectify it with a quick apology. She felt very, VERY awkward all of the sudden and looked around, until her eyes fell upon someone serving... Japanese food? She didn't look like an arcade employee and a lot of kids and teens were crowding around her, but she was certainly serving Japanese food. Is she... a weeb? Eidel briefly thought to herself. Or are they weebs? Are we all weebs?, she reflected, thinking about the kids. Nah, they're just hungry. she decided, passing on the philosophy, before turning to Annabelle, with a better smile than before.

"Hungry? We can go get some food, if you want, but we can continue if you're having fun.."
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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Stern Algorithm
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"Good morning, Shizuka." He said. His tone was a little upbeat but too regular to be natural. He was being professional through his worries with a little effort, and that effort showed today. "You've been handling things well. Just, remember to check the balcony during your morning walkthrough, and keep up the good work. I only realized today how easy it is to hide up there. I'm working on a solution, but for now just be a little extra careful."


Shizuka was a little startled when Vern greeted her, having assumed she was alone in the shop. His reminder to check the balcony also served as an explanation for where he had been this whole time. "Understood, Mr. Smith, I'll be more vigilant," she replied. Shizuka had known Mr. Smith for a few months since she started working for him. So far, their relationship was simply that of an employer and employee; cordial. But she admired him somewhat. He gave the impression of a man with a complete awareness and control of his body. He seemed to make no wasted movements, every action was efficient, like a man who had programmed and fine-tuned his body like a machine. She didn't know what sort of background would push a man to become like that. She could guess some sort of 'special forces' or perhaps 'martial artist', but Shizuka wasn't the kind of person to guess at a person's past. And it was for this reason that the words coming out of Vern's mouth were so troubling. Despite his control, Shizuka was able to detect a hint of stress, or attempt to hide that stress, in his voice. Although he did just notify her to check the balcony from now on, Shizuka did not misconstrue his tone as one of displeasure or nagging, this tiny oversight on her part wasn't what was bothering him. Shizuka did not feel like Vern was 'taking it out on her' in the slightest. As it was a slow day, there was plenty of time to make conversation, so Shizuka asked, "I don't mean to pry, but is something upsetting you?"
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by ClocktowerEchos
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*grrrroooowwwwlllll*

Akio hated his stomach sometime, actually no, more of his eating habits and appetite. He swore he was hungry when he woke up, walking down the stairs made him want to eat an elephant and now, as he tramped his way down the side walk, he felt like he just eaten a full course meal. He didn't want to eat anything at all and promptly decided to skip going to the cafe. It was like he was fucking photosynthetic and the sun had given him all his food and energy; perhaps Akio's true calling in life was to be a tree or something.

At whatever the case, it was the thoughts of Foam Night that kept him from transforming into a whining bitch. Akio ran through the list in his head. First off (and arguably most important from what Akio had learned) was protection and not the body guard kind. Sinning was bound to get steamy in such a place and he guessed there would be a decent number of people who'd go there for the same reason as he was more or less. Like mother always said, "Chek yo self b4 u Rek urself" (not really though, Akio's head canon of his mother was a lot more interesting than how she really was).

Next on the list was his outfit. This was always the hardest part. How reveling should it be, how elaborate should it be, how colorful it should be, Akio had literally swam through his closet on more than one occasion trying to find the right outfit for these types of sinful outings. He mused, he pondered, he wondered and he thought deeply, trying his best not to walk into stuff. At any rate, he'd need new stockings; all this others where completely destroyed. Perhaps stuffing things in them and going out to walk in them in horrible weather was a bad idea after all...

Removing those thoughts from his head, he threw his arms up and stretched. Oh well, he still had an entire day to think over such. I am going to throughly enjoy this night tonight, Akio thought as the hissing of automated doors welcomed him to a pharmacy.
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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Sarcelle Renard
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Sarcelle Renard How I handle deadlines

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A weary hand ran through some rather grungy red hair. Reiji looked at his hand, now slick with sweat, with an expression of both disgust and exasperation. Based on the obnoxiously bright sun beating down on him, he could tell that it had to be close to noon already. An exhausted sigh escaped him and his slouch got worse. A long night was turning into an unbelievably long morning, which was leaving the former musician in a rather foul mood. And considering that on a good day he was already rather unapproachable, the massive waves of negative energy seeping out of him combined with his shabby appearance was making some people cross the street rather than walk past him.

The red head barely even registered the concerned and scared looks people shot his way. The only thing that he had on his mind was finding his way back to his rundown apartment, washing off the shit show that had been the night before, and collapsing into what served as a bed, even though that was a bit too generous of a term for it. Truth be told, Reiji should have been back home and asleep hours ago, incubating what was sure to become the mother of all hangovers, but it had been of those nights. You know, the kind where Murphy’s Law showed up, took the wheel, crashed the figurative car that is your life, and then left with the keys. Yeah, the glare he put on for the world had been well earned this time.

It had started out innocent enough. Well, as innocent as getting stinking drunk before 10:00 PM can be, but he liked to believe that was beside the point. The rest of the night was hazy, but more and more of it had been coming back to him as he made his long trek home. The memories came in short flashes, with each one visibly causing the man to scrunch his face up a bit, reliving the moment all to painfully well. So far, he knew that there had been a great deal of drinking (obviously), a fight or two (as evidenced by the new tears in his already ratty clothes), and hopping from one party to another, effectively taking a tour of the entire city. But the sweet cherry on top was when he awoke at dawn, in a small puddle of sweat and regret, in a small kids’ playground in a part of the city he did not recognize with no money for transport and with his janky phone that didn’t have GPS. Hell, he didn’t even know what had happened to his pack of smokes. It was not the worst situation he had woken up to by far, but it was still enough to make what little patience he had disappear like the Dodo.

And here he was, what must have been five hours later, just now approaching the Promised Land that was his crappy one room apartment. Being the stubborn ass that he was, Reiji had refused at every point and turn to ask anybody for directions. Deep down he knew it was an unbelievably stupid, but he had spent the first two hours convincing himself that he knew exactly where he had to go, even as hours three and four ticked by. Had things been different, such as his feet not feeling like they were about to shatter or had he not been drenched in sweat, the guy would have really appreciated the beautiful way the city woke up and came to life. But it wasn’t that kind of day, so instead he simply cursed the place under his breath at length.

The exhausted punk caught a whiff of something familiar. Having moved to the city not too long ago, much of the city was alien to him, but the smell of fluffy and buttery baked goods told him that he was only a few blocks away from his apartment. Summoning what little will he had left and ignoring the protests from his body, Reiji picked up his pace, well past ready to be out of this miserably nice weather. It did not take long for the dilapidated building he called home to come into view, at which point he broke into a dead sprint. The sight of a frazzled, sweaty, scruffy punk tearing down the street was enough to make people clear out of his way.

His face was one of pure determination as he took the steps two at a time, nearly knocking over one of his neighbors on the way. “Watch it!” they moaned, but it sounded so far away that he barely noticed. The key to his apartment slid home and the door was unlocked not a second too soon as he shouldered it open with much more force than was necessary. Relief washed through him, as the longest night had finally come to an end. As the door slammed shut, the schmuck had to resist the urge to sink to his knees from exhaustion and instead make a beeline to the little closet his landlord had the audacity to call a bathroom. It took a lot more effort than he cared to admit to not just get in the shower then and there, with his smelly clothes on and all, but the wait was worth it when the ice cold water hit his skin and washed away the night before in an all too literal sense.

Reiji got out of the bathroom with just a tired smile and towel on. Sure, the little apartment wasn’t much, with the only real furniture being his futon and a small table, but it had working lights, a stove, and warm water every now and then. And for him, that was enough. It may not have felt like home to the guy just yet, but he was confident that he just needed more time. His thoughts turned to the city he had left behind as he collapsed on his futon, wondering about people he was unlikely to see again. Thankfully, sleep was quick to take him before his thoughts could turn to things he’d rather not bother with.

As the darkness took over his consciousness, he couldn’t help but feel like he was forgetting something important. ’Shit…’ he sleepily realized, ’You have work in a few hours…’ Reiji passed out before he could give it a second thought.
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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Saarebas
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A blue haired woman suddenly doubling over in pain, another one who gets her kicks by scaring flocks of birds, and sudden visits from a old friendly classmate and his dogs, Arty wasn't even on the clock yet and it seemed that his day was already going to be quite the interesting one. Luckily for the bouncer dealing with bizarre and confusing situations came with the job territory so it didn't take him long to adjust. He ran through what just happened in his head a few more times just to make sure he wasn't being a complete fool and had misread the situation. But seeing as the general consensus was the same as the one Arty had arrived to the building sized redhead was able to reassure himself before he continued. It seemed that his running mate wasn't too worse for wears seeing as she was assuring the small gathering that her little scene had managed to summon that she was alright. Though he was rather satisfied with her answer Arty couldn't help but worried, he had rolled his ankle before and knew from experience that it was a less than pleasant feeling. "Yer sure ya fine lass? I could try and find ya somethin' for ya ankle if ya want.?"

As He waited for an answer Arty couldn't help but let his attention wander a bit from the blued haired girl that was attracting so much attention and onto the silver haired man totting around his two, if Arty had to describe them, amazing dogs. The Irishman immediately recognized him, it was Mister Matsuoka. He was a teacher down at the local college as well as one of the unfortunate souls to have witnessed Arty's earlier attempts at cooking, there were many a ruined pan and burnt apron sacrificed in those days. He offered Shou a warm grin. "Mornin' teach, how have ya been?" He asked, though he still didn't take his full attention off the blue haired girl just in case she did take him up on his offer.

It had almost slipped Arty's mind that all this was caused by someone chasing birds, and that someone was still among the group. It became quite obvious that this girl didn't attend anyone any harm, equally as obvious was the embarrassment she was feeling seeing as one could read it as clear as day on her face. Arty offered her a reassuring smile and a nod, being the ox that he was Arty had many a time made a fool of himself with his clumsiness so he easily could relate to the girl. He hoped that she would get his sympathy even though he couldn't find the right way to put them to words.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Haeo
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@Stern Algorithm

Vern's smile became a little more natural at Shizuka's response. It was a wonderful relief to have someone as steady as her working here. Though he did wish that he'd been better able to hide his stress. He really hadn't wanted to talk about something so personal at work. He really did try to keep his work and personal lives separate. He knew that his employees had their own lives and worries to contend with. It was bad form to bother them with his own personal issues.

But, he really didn't have anyone to talk to right now. The only two acquaintances that he had, here in Shine City, had both vanished. Yet, how do you explain to a younger woman who is also an employee of a company you own that you are a lonely, nearly thirty, man living in a apartment in an otherwise empty building and that your own neighbors didn't think it was worth your time or theirs for them to let you know that they were vanishing off the face of the earth. Or rather, how do you explain that without sounding pathetic and losing face both personally and professionally.

"Thank you for your diligence, and your concern, Shizuka. But... I'm afraid that there isn't really anything particularly unusual about my troubles." Vern took a breath and set down his briefcase on the floor by the counter. "The simple fact is that there are more challenges than I originally anticipated when I bought this business. Some with the building, some with other personnel. And, a few unfortunate personal coincidences as well. Perhaps I wasn't quite as prepared as I thought I was. But, I'll be alright."

Being honest and direct while staying professional was a lot harder than he had thought it would be, especially since he had a very strong feeling that he could trust Shizuka implicitly with anything he wished to reveal. And, he was so very tired. He had maintained his other job, managing the small portion of the city's public janitorial personnel that maintained the park, as well as taking care of maintenance and cleaning of a three story house, his own apartment on the fourth floor of the same, and the recently vacated apartment next door where his neighbor used to live. He also wasn't sleeping well.

The lighting here in the store and the uniform cap of his other job had managed to confuse the appearance of his face well enough that the dark circles under his eyes had been able to slowly darken without being noticed at either of his places of work, so far. He raised one hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose as the first subtle throbs of a headache began to knock at the backdoor of his consciousness. Some symptoms can't be hidden forever.
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