[IC] Madou: Vivid World

[Masaki Haruna]

Prologue

In the year 2015, technology continues to advance in courtesy of China, Japan, North Korea, The United States, Russia and Singapore. One woman introduced her discovery on what is called [Pure Energy] and realize that it can be used as replacement for any kind of energy source (fuel, electricity, wind, etc) to make the world less polluted and abominating. In order to utilize that energy she invented Madou, a mechanism that is able to transform Pure Energy into different forms. Her discovery shocked the world and human technology advanced even further. But as time passed, more and more people wanted to know more about this mysterious [Pure Energy], and among them, this mysterious energy is referred to as "magic". Then, theoretical statements such as laws, the likes of dark matter, big bang, and other elemental entities and anomalies were more or less confirmed to be true. Even creatures that were said to be hoaxed became true. Her invention prospered and everyone would so remember the name of Ms. Elias Queen and her breakout achievements in history. Yet there are still more to learn. There is still knowledge laying out there waiting to be discovered by man. And so, many people aspire to become like Ms. Queen. With that ideology,the Queen Institute is established in honor of her work and contribution to society. The institute is a school of discovery for which the young and curious would discover and achieve. Elias and her followers made more things that even knowledge chewed more what it can chew. Curiosity is the core of conflict. Something that we don't understand causes things that could likely end up in unspeakable matters. Some things are better left undiscovered and unseen for the greater good of mankind. hree years after the discovery of [Pure Energy], a grave incident caused a shift in natural order, one that would change the world as we know it. An explosion of [Pure Energy] devoured nearly an entire country due to its unstable state. This incident is famously known as the Magical Calamity. Then, rumors spread about Elias' invention with a destructive nature. Later, Elias was stripped off of her luxury and was called a Witch for her atrocity against humanity. Elias was then disappeared from the public eye and after being missing for long time, people thought that Elias was dead. However, her name continue to spread as the inventor of the groundbreaking creation. Not too long ago after the magical calamity incident, a monstrous creature started appearing across the globe. No one knew where they came from nor what they came for. These creatures' true identities are Magical Beings or roughly known as demons by simple minds. No one knows how they came to be but theorists said that they are born from the feelings of people such as hatred, happiness, regret, despair, love but others rather blamed Elias for the creatures. Saying that they were released due to the overwhelming energy and anomalies of magic. Elias' successors and descendants ought to solve the problem, with no other choice but to use the atrocities and abominations that their predecessor created. Different types of magic were formed as well but the fight against demons weren't as easy as they imagined. It lasted for many years and sacrifices were made to ensure victory against the latter, but by grace, the world slowly reforms in to its original state. Many [Pure Energy]-based technologies were created ever since and magic has become part of our daily lives. Our ever-changing world reached its peak at that time. Mars became available as a habitat for us earthly humans to live. Project Mars was a success and the futuristic themes that our forefathers and kin dreamed of became a reality, with interstellar travel and all that. To that day, it marked the shift of human advancement changed our way of living.

Six Months Ago, Events Before The Story

Japan was locked down and not a single person is allowed to enter its premises and borders. This so happened that the death of their Prime Minister upon the United Nations meeting in Mars caused chaos in Okinawa and Tokyo. There are currently two out of 9 H-WMD Espers in Japan.

Now...Welcome to China

he world we once knew evolved into something better, it still have things intact, our geniuses are good people who made these dreams into reality and their achievements are forever remembered in the history books, their names not tarnished and names that will be thought to remembered by our successors through time. Integrated and evolved, our countries now are what we so imagined that of a comic book and fiction, our scientists are amazing people who made this dream come true, an eco-friendly life on development, our world is huge and comes many things to look forward for and to die for. We ensure the best for our people and the best that's to come. Story sets ablaze in China, The floating City of Tian Jin.

First Arc: A breath of fresh air

Everyone is in the floating city of China(free roam).

[Flamelord]

Annette Delauney The casino was loud, smokey to a fault. The sound of people talking, slot machines and other gambling stations filled the air in an audible racket, which was added to by music, that formed a layer people had to speak over if they wanted to be hear. Meanwhile, people moved about, playing, chatting, eating, drinking, and generally enjoying themselves. The Red Dragon, an almost somewhat stereotypical name, was a large resort building on the floating city of Tian Jin. A major feat of engineering that surpassed even the Three Gorges Dam, it was made possible through large amounts of cash, and advanced technology, and now served as a major business hub as well as vacation spot for rich people, and other tourists. Certainly, there were worse places to be in the world. At the moment, Annette Delauney, former nobility, currently wanted in several countries by Interpol as well as national governments, was relaxing in the Red Dragon. Specifically, one of the upper levels of the large, open area that allowed her to overlook the casino itself. She sipped on a drink as she scanned the crowd, wearing a black beret that went with her dress coat, pants, and the reflective sunglasses she wore. Not that it was light out, but it was necessary equipment for any self respecting thief, to prevent mind readers of hypnosis based espers that relied on eye contact. As for her part, she was not on vacation. She was waiting for a contact actually. With a place like this, there was a lot of riches, and a lot of valuable stuff. Perfect for a high class thief like her. She just had to find something worth the time and effort that attention from her. And alternatively, if she got hired for a job, she wouldn't complain. So for now, she sat, sipped on her drink, and waited, while occasionally checking her watch. She had the time.

[Madani]

Name: Masayume Yakuse Location: The floating City of Tian Jin. Masayume Yakuse, a man on his early thirties, let out a collected yawn as if celebrating himself for finishing his work. The sun outside were dyed red, emitting orange light. It's time to go home, think the man, as he tidy up his desk and wear his coat. The school building was beautifully painted by the afternoon sunlight, accompanied with unusual silent and absent students. He can hear his footsteps loud and clear which almost feel surreal. There is only handful of people left, including Yakuse who stayed behind to finish his piled-up work. It has been two years since he work here, and he find his job as a teacher to be enjoyable at least. He actually had enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life, but going with the reason "Rotting in luxury is not an option" he had his acquaintance to introduce him to some places. "I hope she didn't mess anything up while I'm away" Complaints escape his mouth; his lips clearly formed a smile though, but soon disappear into the thin air. Disturbing thoughts start floating on his head. Yasuke shakes his head strong, erasing the thoughts from his head. There's no good remembering it, he repeats. His steps eventually reached to a certain district of the town, filled with bars, casinos, and hotel. The trends of people passing by are clear. There are many foreigners just like him, although the city has considerably lots of them, this place is where most of those people gather. The business will get busier at night and more couples will be passing by looking for some additional amenities and privacy. This is one of places Yakuse often visits during his earlier days in Tian Jin, at the bars for no particular reason. But now is different, "She will get worried" He said, checking his wristwatch. The clock is ticking, it seems he can't keep his promise after all.

[Teal]

~ Tian Jin Sky City, Highway - Red Dragon Resort~

"This is backfiring at me.", Jason exclaimed, throwing the cigar down in between his feet before stomping it, leaving a scuff on the rough, navy colored asphalt. His action provoked a scowl by Zhen, the young driver of some Chinese car-for-hire company who was supposed to deliver him in front of the "Red Dragon", that until the car's tire popped up and they had to make a stop just aside the main highway. Watching the cars go by, then apathetically throwing a glimpse at his watch, with his impatience growing like a tumor with each second wasted, Jason finally decided to address his agitation to the young chauffeur the way how he always makes his mood swings known - by issuing a threat. "Are you making any progress with that tire, or should I call your boss?", the young prodigy spoke, clearly and showing no sign of sympathy for the man. Zhen, in the other hand, was still trying to figure out where the lug nuts are. The newly manufactured cars that were frequent around Tian Jin were equipped with highly advanced experimental tires, which were very different from the normal tires. Regardless, what chauffeur doesn't know how to change a spare tire? After a succession of grunts and cursing in Chinese, Zhen, a man about three-four years Jason's senior responded to his client's threat-question. "I'm sorry sir. I don't know how this happened. It's not my fault. The maintenance wo-", he was about to go on with his attempt at acquitting himself of all charges, until the young Ford interrupted his shameless exhibition of broken English and made-up words (made worse by his shrill voice) by slightly pressing his right hand on his mouth. "Don't. Don't blame the maintenance workers. That's so last year.", Jason spoke, not ever breaking from his monotone voice, before sauntering away from the chauffeur's pale face, leaving him to work on his own for the time being. Sneaking a glance back at the poor man, who remained intact for the first quarter of a minute until finally moving on to fix the tire, Jason pulled out his phone, working his hands to establish an uplink with the Sakurai nerve center. The process to creating a cyber bridge in between a floating city in China and a four-story building in Shimizu, Japan was quite a slow and complicated one, but he wasn't going anywhere, so why not make use of that time. His brief pondering was put to an end as a woman's voice was heard from his Android, prompting him to shift his sight at the screen. "Hello.", Jason waved, almost as if considering a small and nearly irrelevant gesture like waving to be a nuisance. The woman on the other end of the line, Sophie, a tall, slender woman, dressed in an appropriate work suit which occupied the role as Jason's second-in-command, leaned towards the screen in a slightly inquisitive manner before querying. "Well? Did you change your mind?" Her question provoked an erratic chuckle by Jason, who quickly assembled himself before responding; "No Sophie, I'm still taking that vacation. I just called to see how the thing went.". His response was less than pleasing for Sophie, to whom the prospect of handling an organization with 40+ employees and engaging in felonies rubbed her the wrong way. Following a quiet, but distinguishable sigh, she began speaking yet again. "About that, I have some bad news and some good news. Which one do you wanna hear first?" "The bad one.", Jason spoke rapidly, as if in a hurry. "The bad news is; we hacked the Defense Ministry database and sifted through a load of information, but got caught before we could complete our search. I've never seen such a quick server shut down in my entire life, I tell you", the woman declared, her last sentence causing Jason's heart to sink deeper as he struggled to control his face muscles. The message that Sakurai's attempt at hacking a national database failed was no news for him. Ever since it's creation, Sakurai was nothing but an example of what happens when you try to use technology to bend the government. The fact that they got caught, however, made him anxious, his mind immediately springing at the likelihood of their IP being backtracked. If that was to happen, he'd be jailed in no time. It was Sophie's calm disposition and the thought of a good news that kept the young man from having a mental breakdown. "The good news is", the woman on the other end of the line began, after a brief intermission. "we slipped away clean." Her last words felt like a calming dose of morphine to Jason, as he lifted his head up then sighed in relief, glad to hear that he'd get to avoid prosecution yet another day. Sophie's facial expression, in the meanwhile, signified she was pissed off and frightened, simultaneously. The pleads that followed shortly after confirmed that. "Jason, please, we need you to come back. I-I don't think I can handle so many people at once. And the things you're making me do..", she stuttered, the change in her tone made it all the more obvious she didn't want to be any part of his activities. "You get half of the profit. Isn't that worth all the effort?", Jason queried, sneaking a devilish smirk which disappeared quickly so as to avoid coming off as inconsiderate before a woman who was about to burst in tears. His monotone changed to a more warming and somewhat even mocking tone towards the end, as he had his last word. "Look, I'll be there in a week. Just try and keep everything in check 'till I make my glorious return, understand?" The woman nodded before the screen went black, marking the end of the broadcast. Coincidentally, the end of the broadcast was also the end of that long period of staring at the highway, as Zhen blissfully notified he had finally fixed the car tire. That said, the duo departed from the highway and made their way into the "Red Dragon", where Jason was dropped. Staring in awe at the huge, mechanized building, the long-haired man took his first steps towards the entrance.

[chukklehed]

Maria Black, Tian Jin's backstreets "Look boys, you really don't want to do this." The girl said, looking entirely unconcerned for someone backed up against the alley wall by a group of five men. "Oh really, princess? And why is that?" The apparent leader of the group said. "Because," She started explaining, then in an instant she disappeared, reappearing with her arm around the neck of the man on the far left, just before she threw him over her shoulder into the side of a dumpster. The other four men rallied quickly, but not quick enough to prevent her from delivering a swift kick directly into the leader's stomach and following up with a knee to his chin when he bent over. "Anyone else?" She asked calmly, setting herself again as the big man fell over. The other three hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran without a word. "Typical," Maria snorted, rolling the man she had kicked over with her foot. "I haven't had a decent brawl in weeks." She bent over and started going through the man's pockets, finding his wallet. "This should be enough for the trouble you gave me," She said, pulling out the cash he had and tossing the wallet back at him. "Pleasure doing business with you." She stuffed the bills in her pocket and walked out of the alleyway, whistling a song she had stuck in her head.

[Madani]

Name: Masayume Yakuse Location: The floating City of Tian Jin. His hunch was unfortunately correct. It seems he really can't get anything straight even when he wanted to. A group of five guys and a girl. This is not good, he thought, so he followed them secretly. Things doesn't really follow up the script of b-rated movies though. It wasn't a group of hooligan surrounding a poor girl, he was wrong, it was just thugs playing with each other. Even so as a respectable (self-proclaim) adult and an educator, it's his duty to not overlook the unjust. "I'm sorry lady, but I suppose those bits of fortune have place where it properly belongs" He said, stretching his right hand to reach out the girl's shoulder. I won't lose to mere brat, hope that wasn't so naive of him.

[chukklehed]

Maria Maria looked over her shoulder, moving it just out of the man's reach. "Yeah, it does," She replied, turning around. "It belongs in my pocket, by right of conquest. Besides, I think I deserve it more than a guy who needs four of his buddies to take on one girl. I would give it back to whatever poor fellow he took it from originally, but I don't know who that is." She raised an eyebrow at the man, looking him up and down. "Unless you're saying it was you? No, that's not possible. You're far too confident to have been taken down by that lot." She sighed and rolled her shoulder a bit, thinking. "Look, if you really want me to give it back, you'd have to earn it. That's just how I work." She grinned at him. "Since you're so polite, I won't even use my power this time. How about it?"

[Madani]

Name: Masayume Yakuse Location: The floating City of Tian Jin. Yakuse raised his eyebrows, impressed. Not because how confident the girl is, but something else. As a teacher he had met numerous teenagers like her. If youngsters don't hold on to baseless confidence, what else do they have? said one of his colleagues once. But this doesn't seem to be the case. Furthermore, something about her draws him in. She's somewhat like her, he convinced. "I'm a teacher, you see, personally I would like to avoid doing this" He replied. But his words clearly won't do any effect. Even in front of adult, this girl still act so proudly and do not doubt her action at all. Is this because she's young or it just the way she go all this time? No, that doesn't matter now. All matter now is... "Chengdu Moshu Yanjiu Academy, I recommend you to go there if you're interested" Chengdu Moshu Yanjiu Academy, the Chinese branch of Elias institute of magic in this floating city. Several years after Ms. Elias Queen's groundbreaking discovery, a school was build. It teaches its students the art of Madou and its usage. Among some group of people, these student are known as "Mage-in-training". Elias institute of magic is the only place where you can properly study Madou starting young age. "There is a place for people like you there" Still, this won't be enough to convince her, he thought. He had teach this girl some lesson, in various ways. Yakuse raised his empty left hand upward. Masayume Yakuse's Madou is custom-made with the shape of the bracelet he often wear. If mage in fantasy use magic wand, mage in this world use Madou. *----* The sound of wind. Yakuse's left hand reaches out for the girl's hand in tremendous speed. It appears that he attempt to seal her movement by grabbing her hand, but that is not his aim. Simultaneously, Yakuse's leg move to sweep the girl's leg, attempting to get her down on the floor.

[chukklehed]

Maria He's fast! She thought to herself, jumping backwards to avoid the reaching hand and just barely avoiding the leg sweep she hadn't seen. Who is this guy? she wondered as she got herself reset. "A school for people like me? Sorry, last time I checked there wasn't a program for abandoned fight happy Espers nearby." She stood there waiting for him, now that she had seen his speed, she felt confident she would be able to block his attacks. She found herself grinning widely, finally having found a decent opponent.

[Hebigami Shiho]

Ellis Val Sonata

Red Dragon Resort

A little girl, dressed in a cute, frilly one piece dress, strolls by the Red Dragon Resort, a place where it is most odd to find a girl her age, or apparenting her age at least. In her hands, she held an ice cream, and she licked it every now and then, effectively reducing its volume with each lick. A single, black tail resembling that of an actual demon poked out of her dress, and it moved around happily, much like a dog's, though hers did complex images to show how happy she was, making up for her lack of facial expressions. A pair of horns also stuck by the sides of her head, and more than one looked at her curiously, maybe with fear. Demons weren't a good choice of cosplay these days. An imposing bald man dressed all in black stood before her. He tried to smile, but only a deadly grin came out. "Missy? I think you are lost, right? Want me to take you to the lost children station? I'm sure they can do something about you." Even if he said so, his nervous laugh and the fact that he was already asking for reinforcements behind his back proved that he was afraid of whether Ellis was or not a real demon. 'What gibberish.' In a single motion, she took her horns off her head, leaving the guard impressed and making him drop whatever he had behind his back. Ellis' tail moved around with joy at the reaction of the guard. "My name is Ellis Val Sonata. You should know at the very least the name Sonata, unless you are a monkey in a suit. Or wait, precisely because of that is why you couldn't recognize me. What pitiful existance." She said all of that with her face not moving even for an inch towards any facial expression, as well as her voice sounding hollow and devoid of emotion. Still, her tail moved around to match what she was feeling. "Now, get out of my way, before I bring this whole building down just because of you. Wouldn't look nice in your curriculum, huh?" Her tail then pointed at the guard, who quickly bowed down and apologized with all his might. After that, he finally moved out of her way. Ellis went on with her walk, putting her horns back into place and licking her ice cream some more. Of course, few may have noticed that she held her ice cream up with magic, making it float mid air. The Val Sonata family, not really well known nor ancient, but for one reason or another, Ellis' charisma, as many call it, has made her rise in the world of business. Of course, she has countless people behind her, but Ellis has a weird ability to convince just about anyone. It is not magical, as some suspect, but neither does it seem natural. What is it that Ellis does, no one has any idea, not even her business partners. Of course, there's also a reason as to why many suspect it is magical, though it is a bit far off base. She calls herself a succubus, but everyone knows she isn't one. Her magic is good, but does not surpass the abilities of a professional. All in all, her special ability she merely calls 'Charm' has helped her, and a lot, when advancing through the business world. Right now, she was in a meeting with some important people, but right now she had nothing better to do. It seemed odd for someone of her status to be walking all alone without a bodyguard, but then again, few people believed she was actually a big fish. Her tail suddenly lost all of its energy and dropped down looking sad. "What should I do now? Is there anyone worth teasing?" She looked around for a bit, but no one really caught her eye. She turned back, winked at the guard from before and continued her way, entranced in her ice cream. That is, until she bumped into someone [Jason] and all of her ice cream was now on their clothes. "Oh no. How are you going to take responsibility for this?" Ellis said, looking up at the guy, her tail looking alerted and angry.

[Madani]

Name: Masayume Yakuse Location: The floating City of Tian Jin. Yakuse had expected worse to be honest. It seems the girl is keeping her words for not using the power of hers at least. Esper... huh indeed that the number of them is increasing lately but he didn't expect to meet one in such situation. Abandoned Esper, no, little girl actually. It's true that the time of age they're in is like a fantasy of its own, but living as oddities in this world is not so forgiving. She must've seen lots of ugly expression of others; anger, fear, agony, disgust, and much more. But once she lose her sense of trust, she will eventually crumble. "You will be surprised knowing what waits you there" Yakuse took out something from his pocket and threw it onto the air. A piece of paper float aimlessly above. In mist of that, Yakuse active his Madou, "coating" the surrounding air with its energy. It makes everything under its area of effect to be heavier and lower people's perception of time, all beside Yakuse who control it. Why would he do it this far? He doesn't really care about the guy who got his money taken, since it was his own fault to begin with. Maybe he just want to stop this girl from going to the wrong path, or because it's his duty as educator, or because she resemblance her, he wasn't sure. For now, his goal is just to take the money she stole. Hnph, Yakuse swiftly steps forward and reach out his hand to where the girl put the money, attempting to take it.

-----------------

Name: ??? Location: A certain apartment. He's late. He's late, he's late! It was a children’s impeachment yelling. There's no one in the room to listen to it, and it simply dissolve into the air. A little girl, appears to be around the age of either elementary or middle school, is all alone in the dimly light room. Unable to stand the solitary, the girl stand up attempting to leave through the exit. *clig* The door won't open, it's locked. Masayume Yakuse had expected this and locked the door from outside. There are no keys inside, so basically the little girl is locked inside. There are some food and snacks inside the refrigerator but she's tired of them. It's almost seven p.m, time for girls’ famous anime 『Revive! Mystical Priest Girl Rasupu-chan』 to air. Yakuse had promised to go back before then, but from the looks of it he would be late.

[chukklehed]

Maria Maria watched the guy move, and now he was even faster. How does he keep speeding up like that? She thought, trying to avoid his grasp. Then she noticed the piece of paper flying faster than it should be. I see now, it's not him that's getting faster, it's ME that's getting slower. However, knowing this didn't help her out of the situation, and nothing she could think of besides breaking her promise would. She raised her hands above her head and stopped moving. "I give up, you win." She said, reaching her hand into the pocket with the money and taking it out. "You can have it. A deal is a deal."

[Madani]

Name: Masayume Yakuse Location: The floating City of Tian Jin In the end, he couldn't figure what her power might've. Doesn't matter actually. He got the money and he did what he have to do. His spell stop shortly after, releasing her from his binding. "Not much of an exchange though, but take that" The paper he threw earlier eventually fell onto the ground, revealing what it is. A school pamphlet. It was the thing he made earlier back at school. It was meant to be distributed later after new year, but giving it out earlier won't be a problem. Furthermore, Chengdu Moshu Yanjiu Academy possess much more secrets and talent like her is essential in the future. "Masayume Yakuse, Japanese. My address and numbers are on there, contact me if you will" He bid farewell, and leave while blending in with the crowd nearby. He have no use for the money and he would give it out to a charity or something he find along the way. Masayume Yakuse's job ends here for now, it will be sometime in the future where he will be needed. But now, he have another little girl to take care of.

[Teal]

Sporting a pair of skintight black pants, a white shirt and a black tie to match it, with the newest edition of dark blue Adidas sneakers, Jason's fashion choice for that day was a blend of formal and casual wear. He was also pulling a wheeled, leather luggage around him which contained some pretty serious stuff, serious enough to plunge him deep inside that corner of his mind. Walking towards the entrance almost like a somnambulist, playing different scenarios in his head, he felt a slight bump down his right rib followed by the sticky sensation of a cold liquid spraying down his shirt. Sucking his frustration deep inside the dark pits of his heart, Jason collected himself and exhaled in an attempt to spit out all the figurative venom that was flowing around his veins. Great. First that intoxicated chauffeur, now her. Perhaps Tian Jin wasn't a good vacation spot after all. Upon getting back to his senses, however, he noticed that not only she wasn't Chinese, she also was kind of an oddball. Her dress was laced with ornaments, her hair color was a light blue (aside from her hair reaching down to her knees) but most importantly; she was wiggling a tail, furiously while at that. Jason had heard of these children's mechanical toys which were infused with simplified A.Is and that could perform various tasks on command, but that wasn't the case there. Heck, after bumping on her, he was also pretty sure she was making her ice cream float, that or his brain was playing games. No. His brain never plays games. Jason was very suspicious that she could be a mage, or worse, an Esper and the least thing he wanted was to piss off a stuck-up weapon of mass destruction. He hadn't even seen the resort's interior yet. "I'm terribly sorry about this, but to be fair you did bump on me.", the young man responded, mustering a half-arsed smirk in an effort to appear as friendly as possible. Slipping his right hand on his pocket, he pulled out his wallet and got a couple of dollar bills, extending his hand towards the girl, who was probably no older than sixteen. "These will suffice for any kind of inconvenience I may have caused, and then some.", he said, his smile gradually vanishing as he did so.

[Hebigami Shiho]

Looking at the bills, Ellis' tail turned happy again. With her skills, those two dollars would most probably be enough for two ice creams instead of just one. She quickly snatched them away from Jason and looked at them with greedy eyes. "Yes, this will be enough to pay for your insolence." Ellis said, putting the bills away inside her cleavage. "You should not stare too much, or you'll get arrested for being a lolicon." She said, her tail moving around mockingly. Her face remained blank as always, though. "A pleasure making business with you, now if you'll excuse me." She walked past the guy, but well, he seemed kind enough to give some money to her, more than needed. She stopped a few centimeters away from him, her back facing him. Her tail snatched around the guy's leg, gripping it tightly, like a snake, going dangerously near parts that shouldn't be touched. "Fufu, you are kind enough, or at least fake kindness well enough for you to deceive others. I will give you a word of advice." Her tail wringled around, as if to test the guy. Ellis would have smiled, but her face didn't let her, and her tail was busy. "You are... average, yes, but you may be able to get your full potential if you work hard enough. Don't be deceived by appearances. Not everything is as it seems. Take it from me, a great example, Ellis Val Sonata." Her tail unwrapped from the guy's leg. She faked a giggle that sounded clearly mechanic, though her tail moved with joy. "Don't worry, the tail, like the horns, are just for show. Now, see you.... Jason" Ellis went away, after saying the guy's name, which she never heard. After that, she went directly to the ice cream stand from where she got her other ice cream. It was better there than in the resort. "Where might Yang be?" Her tail seemed sadder than ever before.

[Teal]

Shifting his sight towards the entrance, an involuntary hand twitch caused his wallet to drop and his teeth to clench in pain, trying as hard as he could keep that pain from manifesting into a blood curdling scream. He lowered his sight to see the girl who had wrapped his leg with her tail, as she began blabbering about how appearances deceive and slipped her name in too; Ellis Val Sonata. A visibly distressed Jason was just noticing some little details about the girl, details that were just off. Besides serving as a weapon, her tail also seemed to indicate her current mood, something which her face was unable to pull off. Whatever she was - Esper or Mage - her specialty seemed to be closely related to the brain, so it was definitely telekinesis. Relieving him off her grip and then bidding him farewell, the mention of his name, which he hadn't spoken out loud added 'telepathy' to the short list of supposed abilities she might possess. With the distance between him and Ellis growing with each step, a now slightly less anxious Jason grabbed his wallet, slipped into his front pocket before grabbing his luggage and entering the resort. The girl's advice stuck to his head like a bad case of migraine. She was right. He had the potential to see the light and the dark inside of people, if he wanted to. He just never thought he'd have to use his observational skills during a vacation. Jason's first obstacle was a security check-in, with three resort employees; two muscles and a female, which was overseeing the millimeter wave scanner, obstructing his path. That was an issue, taking into account Jason was packing a handgun in his luggage. "This way, sir", one of the guards pointed at a small spot, as the other took his luggage and began running it through the scanner. Some places in China did allow licensed firearms, but they were kept under strict surveillance by the respective security staff and were not allowed to get intoxicated with their gun holstered. However, Jason still was not sure if "Red Dragon" went by that policy. As he stared down to his stained torso, with the guard moving a glowing stick up and down, an audible beep caused both Jason and the security staff to wince. All three of them simultaneously looked at the poor, young man as the x-ray figure of what seemed to be a gun popped up in one of the screens, prompting an awkward chuckle by his side. "Sir, are you aware that you had a handgun in your luggage?", the other guard spoke as his Chinese accent made up for some funny pronunciation quirks. "Yes. Will that pose a problem?", Jason boldly responded after calming himself down. The guard near him, which had scanned Jason's body up until then, spoke; "The Red Dragon Resort doesn't have an anti-gun policy, but that doesn't mean we welcome them." The moment he brought up the fact that the resort is not against guns, Jason was put to ease, his movement now being less restricted and more carefree. While the hotel staff was still trying to keep him off the hotel, he wasn't bound by any law which meant he had to show them who Jason Ford really is. Nearing one of the guards, he breathed out in a deliberate manner, causing him to shy away in disgust as the smell of tobacco made up for a really unpleasant atmosphere. The other two guards gazed inquisitively, wondering what the hell was just happening. "Smell that? What brand do you think that is?", Jason spoke, swiveling around the room in search for an answer but getting none instead. "If you thought 'Stradivarius', then you were wrong. It was supposed to be a Stradivarius, this expensive brand of cigarettes which come in ten and cost for about forty dollars each, but it's not. It's actually a Chinese knockoff provided to me by some mentally unfit creature of habit who still maintains his job as a chauffeur in that car-for-hire company that just brought me before your doorstep, only because I consider making complaints as tedious. The company's policy is that they give out one cigar to each of their customers in case of a delay or anything of the like, and they gave one to me when one of the car tires popped out, but they didn't give me the real thing. No, no, no, Zhen the driver was hiding the real thing and instead replaced 'em with a load of cheap knockoffs. How do I know that, you might ask? Well, I'm not a cigar smoker, but I've never had a cigar give me such an excruciating throat pain when smoked, especially not one which costs forty dollars. Zhen, in the other hand, is an avid smoker judging by his yellow nail and teeth, and by his raucous voice, courtesy of the mucus covering his breathing canal. After one hour and a half of staring cars passing down a highway, I was dropped here where a thirteen year old girl, possibly an ESPer, nearly severed my left leg and robbed me of a couple of dollars and also accused me of being a pervert, somewhere along the line. So if you think that doesn't justify this gun, then I'll have a word with the higher-ups.", Jason finished his typical manic talking as the resort's staff stared in awe, their mouths hanging agape. After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence and glares, one of the guards decided to break the ice after a close inspection of the gun's license, pointing at the interior's main lobby. "Have a nice day, sir.", he spoke, mustering a fake smile with all his might. Shortly after that, Jason pulled his wheeled luggage with himself and made his way to the reception desk, looking back with a death glare at the still mute employees. Upon reaching the desk, he asked the receptionist, a woman in her late twenties, to hand him the key to his room which he'd reserved previously. Room 203, to be more precise. Refusing to let any of the staff carry his baggage, he took an elevator and walked down to his room, opening the door, throwing the luggage down to a corner and diving into his bed, finally finding some peace of mind.

[Leos Klien]

The floating city of Tain Jin, Victor stared at the daunting precipice that was now moments away, it looked to be more like a fortress than a place that people lived and went for holidays, being the very matter of why Victor was here himself. Victor was not very much of a holiday person, the beach, excessive drinking all of the common practices for people who go on holiday was something he resented, Victor was here because of the culture which wasn't that different to Japan's culture, especially it's history which is what interested him the most. However, his friends back at the court suggested that for once in his life he should really just do something for fun, do things he's never experienced before; excluding looking at 11th century texts from the Song Dynasty... So here he was, his luggage already making its way up to his room on the 7th floor of the Red Dragon hotel, which itself was within the Red dragon resort. A place highly recommended by his colleagues. It hadn't taken him long to make his way into the resort from the entrance to the city; about 30 mins, of course it helped that his chauffeur knew where he was going, taking the quickest possible route. The scenery was incredible along the way, the city was a spectacle to behold, every building in sight had a beautiful futuristic design that truly showed the engineering prowess that the Chinese held at their disposal. Tokyo itself was a glorious sight when the sun shrank away behind the horizon and the night took hold, but this... this was different. Already Victor felt that this place was worth being here. Victor made his way to the reception desk after going through the security scanner, of which he had no trouble at, and began going through the procedures of getting everything sorted. Then the conversation perked up about a certain Sword that was located in one his secure luggage containers; its only item which Victor valued more so than almost everything else he possessed. "Excuse me sir, but it appears that one of your secure luggage containers has, what appears to be a sword in it." Victor looked at the attendant straight in the eyes, making sure his expression was a warm one, he replied. "Yes, I'm aware of that and I believe I checked in about such an item being able to make it inside the resort. A couple of days ago I believe. Check with your manager, I'm sure he will clear it up for you." "Ah, my full name is Victor Glarus, I'm sure if you recite that to him he will remember." Whilst the attendant picked up the phone and started the process of talking to her manager Victor turned and took a look at the surroundings. There were a lot of people in the immaculate, and a somewhat traditional Chinese lobby, being named the Red Dragon it obviously tried to stick with a few of the Chinese roots as a theme. Something he appreciated a bit more than he did the other hotels he's been to in the past. The people themselves were generally dressed in a way that was really quite typical of holiday goers in a place like this. But it was mainly casual attire, with the odd bouts of formal attire, which he assumed belonged to those who were the more upper class residents of the hotel, or those who were simply going to the casino. Formal wear was quite common when you went into the grandest den of iniquity, it made you feel as if you belonged there, and other than the money you had on the table you could look as important and rich as the next person. Pulling himself from his thoughts he caught a few words in Chinese that the receptionist was hurriedly speaking in a hushed tone to her boss on the phone. He concealed a smile as it appeared that she was getting a earful. She put the phone down a few seconds later and recollected herself almost instantly, and with her trained smile she said. "Sorry for the inconvenience sir, but it appears that there was a slight misunderstanding, your luggage is already inside your room, and here is the key card." She gave a slight bow when she handed the card over, and Victor gave her his thanks as he made off to the lift towards his room. He soon made it to the 7th floor and went to the door that had the golden numbers 708 stamped on to the door. Quickly slotting the key card into the handle it gave a slight beep and doors mechanical lock relinquished its grip. The room was pretty impressive, Victor thought as he closed the door shut behind him; pocketing his key card, he made sure to get one of the grander suites available, it had plenty of space, a stunning view, better facilities en suite and of course a complementary bottle of champagne. Victor gave a slight chuckle as he went over towards the window and stared out onto the resort, and the city that surrounded it. Victor sighed slightly, he hated the time between getting here and doing something on a holiday it was monotonous and boring, and a process everyone goes through. Hmm, I think I'll go to the casino in a bit, need to get showered first though. Poker was a favoured card game of his, and thankfully he had the capital and skill (possibly luck too) to pursue this game and not put himself in debt within the process, however, he has never came out of a game with less money than before he started so that always helped. He started to strip off his clothes and then jumped into the shower, the warm water would prepare him for his evening ahead.

[Masaki Haruna]

Mingyu Yang

Hider

Min is walking down the streets, looking for Ellis which outright makes him look like a pedophile to everyone's eyes, he just have kids to take care of big time and with his Uncle on the loose, he hopes that he doesn't cause so much trouble. Wearing his school uniform and favorite jacket, he wears his glasses and caught up with his Uncle. "Shūshu(Uncle). I've been looking where for you. And we're going to be late meeting Mei Fang. Tch... damned brat, have you seen Ellis?" He's in a hurry, speaking in Chinese at the same time.

Li Huang

One of the Board of Directors in Tian Jin City, he made a brief announcement. Everything was stopped, even the entertainment, jobs and everything was put at halt. The country China is that of a civilized benevolent martial law like environment ran by its Dictator Li Huang. "Brought to you by Tian Jin City. All students are to be in their homes, or dormitories or boarding houses. The time brought to you is a state of curfew. After this announcement, you are allowed to return to your daily doings. Foreigners are obliged to go to the Tian Jin C2 Building immediately. An opportunity of meeting two of the powerful Espers that is. Do not worry, everyone is invited." Next Segment: C2 Building

[Madani]

Name: Masayume Yakuse Mingyu Yang, a fierce young man who loves to mess around. He must've taken that from his mother, thought Yakuse. But that isn't the only reason. Both of his parents died with he was young so that rebellious part of him is understandable. After both of his parents' death, Mingyu is taken care by his uncle, Yakuse and they've been living together since then. "I had no idea" Yakuse reply nonchalantly. It was then the big announcement is made. Powerful Espers, Yakuse couldn't help but to wonder the sudden outburst of Espers happening lately, he even met one of them earlier in matter of fact. He really don't want to go, but the word "Foreigners are obliged to go" caught his attention. It seems he can't just miss this one. I'm sorry... after making one-sided apology inside his head Yakuse heads to mentioned place. "That girl loves these stuff right, your guesses she's somewhere there"

[chukklehed]

Maria Black "Tsk, curfew." Maria said, picking up the piece of paper the man had dropped. "Haven't caught me yet, won't catch me tonight." Her outline faded slowly, followed by her body, and eventually the only thing left of her was the faintest of blurs in the scenery, slipping back into the alleyway and disappearing from sight. "Chengdu Moshu Yanjiu huh?" Her voice came quietly. "Maybe I'll check it out tomorrow." Julia Miller, Outside the American Embassy "I hope one of those Espers they're talking about is me," Julia said after the announcement ended. "I'd hate to have to crash someone's party, and this sounds way too good to pass up." She made a show of brushing herself off, when she was actually checking that the several knives, darts and her small pistol were still in place. "I suppose I have everything I might need, no sense in keeping people waiting." The young looking woman hummed softly to herself as she set off towards her destination, the C2 building mentioned in the announcement.