Firecracker_

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

Ret could feel the smug smile creep across his face as the ever familiar voice of Marcus growled over the phone at him. Before he could even voice a reply, the line clicked, and Ret let a slight chuckle escape his throat. The absolute loathing that Marcus always directed towards Ret never ceased being amusing, as it was immensely satisfying that the Unseen were repeat customers, even despite the disapproval of many among their ranks, even high ranking ones as Marcus.

Ret tossed his phone across his room, onto his couch, as he walked into his bathroom, stripping off his sweat stained clothes to shower. The Unseen were used to his habit of arriving when he felt like it, but this situation was different. Usually, Ret would be delivering information regarding the movement of the Kings around the neutral sectors, or surveillance photos of possible rapists or murderers. Today, although, was different. Someone had taken grave actions against innocents in Unseen territory. Surely the gang would be out for blood. He’d make sure to take fifteen minutes instead of thirty in the shower.

---

Having slipped into some of his finer attire, Ret straightened his facial mask and slid on his red-shaded glasses before stepping out of his apartment. Out on the street, Ret began his walk, noting the sun has fallen and the sky had turned a pleasant pinkish-orange, driven to all be shades of red through his glasses. Wind began to blow as the heat from earlier in the day had finally given way to a more enjoyable warmth, thankfully not too hot as to make Ret regret wearing one of his favorite jackets.

A harsh bump jolted Ret awake, and he realized he’d be staring at the sky for far too long, knocking into a young lady that had been traveling towards him.

”Christ, watch out! Ret spat, examining his jacket and shoes for any marks, wiping some stray dirt away from his pants, never turning to face the woman.

He could hear the woman behind him bark some sort of insult at him, but falling quiet once she realized he had already turned the corner, never once having looked at her. What a cocksucker. The woman thought.

The situation had already fluttered miles away from Ret’s head, having been replaced with his giddy excitement. Transactions were always his favorite, the trading of information always provided some sort of high for him. His glee was even further increased by the sight of neon window signs along the shop-fronts and bars of Korven coming alight, filling the busy plazas and neighborhoods with buzzing, colorful hues of pinks and blues. Nightlife was always his favorite, even if his love for sleep constantly battled with it for his undivided attention.

Slowly, a creeping realization slid into his mind, and his fingers began sliding slowly across his khaki denim, finding the hard metal of his pistol tucked into his waistband. A heavy sigh of relief flowed out of his lungs, as he thought he had left the weapon at home. His excitement had clouded his mind, and he bit his lip, thinking of how angry he would’ve if he’d been caught without a weapon.

As the bright, intoxicating lights of the Flying Lotus became visible in front Ret, every other thought besides that of business left his mind, Staring at the door, and the bouncers who eyed him, he straightened his jacket and stretched his arms and legs out.

You are smarter than every single person in this bar. Never forget that.

The same motivational thought always flew through his mind at a million miles per hour before his business meetings. He lived by it, and he was the smartest man in Morvai, so it had to be true.

Stepping forward, Ret greeted the guards.”Good evenin-” Before he could even finish his sentence, the bouncers pulled Ret towards them, and patted him up and down, harder and more impatient than usual. The stout man on his right found the weapon in his waistband, and yanked it out quickly, pushing Ret backwards in the process.

”Mind explaining this?” The man barked, as the other drew his own weapon and trained it on Ret.

”Whoa, whoa, come on Percy, you know I always keep it on me! You can hold it until I’m done talking to bossman! I’m cool, man!” Ret raised his hands slightly has he spoke, showing the guards he meant no harm.

”Y-yeah, he’s right Percy. The other, younger guard turned to his counterpart, and his gun began to fall.

The large man on the right stared at Ret, and then turned his gaze at his partner, his chest rising and falling with anxious breath.

”Right, right. My bad. Just, on edge, seeing as the whole ‘situation’ going on right now.” The guard spoke, his hands moving around with a nervous realization that he had overreacted.

”Yeah, it’s cool. Just, don’t scratch it or anything.” Ret said, sliding his way past the guards, growing impatient.

Ready to become the most attractive peacock in the bar, Ret felt his ego deflate as he found the bar devoid of any attractive women on the dance floor or other men trying desperately to impress those women. The only men in the bar seemed to be Sully and a few of his underlings, including a certain Miguel Hidalgo, a man Ret recognized from past transactions. Ret fancied the man’s sister a bit, but he’d save that bit of information for another day. Shame, he had no one to impress or show off in front of. He rarely ever expressed his inner peacock, but they knew him around this place. Well enough, that is, that he felt comfortable breaking out his few fine clothes and colognes around them once it was time to do business.

Sully and his companions sat at the bar, bathed in the dim blue and purple lights that emanated from the liquor cabinets. The rest of the club was dark, as per usual, with the various strobe and disco lights soaring and sliding across the dance floor. All of which, including the stage, were absent of any life, other than a waitress dutifully wiping down tables that were already clean.

”Awful busy in here, Sully!” He chirped, finally ending his observation of the club, and stepping out of the doorway towards Sully, who had been staring at him for quite a moment. ”Now let’s get down to business, shall we?”

Ret lifted the sleeve on his right arm, revealing his brand tattoo, turning it towards Sully.

”I’ll give you a discount, seeing the position you unfortunately find yourself in today, Sully. Only fifteen-thousand credits tonight.”

@CaptainSully

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

Soot covered Ret’s skin, sticking to the thin gloss of sweat which had been present ever since he stepped out of his apartment. His mask and glasses made sure that most of the black dust stayed out of his eyes and lungs, but the stench of burning wood and rubber still permeated everything, from his hair to his clothes. Inching forward in a sea of people, Ret’s steps were slow and calculated, his gaze stuck above everyone’s head, peering into the cloud of dark smoke.

Whatever it was that the people around him were concerned with, Ret felt no interest in it. The streets around him were flooded with a cacophony of voices, all of them panicked, all of them concerned. Ret couldn’t have felt more liberated. No matter how many peoples’ shoulders grazed him, how many feet stepped over his shoes, nothing could steal the feeling of brilliant levity coursing through him. For every frightened person, every crying child, every angry peasant, there he was, content.

Content in his own knowledge, the fact that for each person asking “Who?”, Ret knew the answer.

His next step floated down, and stopped, for he had reached the place where he wanted to be the most. In front of him, a burning visage matching his own brilliance stood, the black soot as dark as his mind was bright. He couldn’t help but marvel at it. Bodies lay on the streets, shrouded in tarps, which were covered in the same soot ingrained on the corpses they covered. Water stood in stagnant pools all over the streets and sidewalks, painted a grisly reddish brown color from the mixture of blood and ash which swirled around in them. Even wetter still were the cheeks and faces of the sobbing citizens, huddled around the bodies of their loved ones, or stood around, gazing on in a sober state of sadness at the place which they used to call home.

A long, still moment had passed before something stirred Ret to move. His eyes shifted towards a young woman, a cloth wrapped around her face, taking a slow trot amongst the dead bodies, a small clipboard in hand. She took glances at the bodies, made a mark on the paper, and then inspected the tarps more closely to record something more substantial, perhaps a name or ID number. Ret hurried over, his eyes widening under his dark shades. He stood directly in front of the woman, his words taking a moment to finally jump from his throat.

”H-how many died?” He stammered oddly.

”Pardon?” She eeked, surprise heavy in her voice.

”How many, uh, people died today? In the fire?” He asked, a bit more calmly, attempting to sound solemn, as if he cared about the bodies that lay level with his feet.

”Uh, I’m… not quite sure at the moment. We’re at about twenty people, why? Did you have family that may have been hurt?” She questioned, her green eyes glaring at Ret with suspicion, as if they could see through the dark tint of his sunglasses.

”No, not at all, I’m just with a local news outlet, just trying to collect information. Trying to let people in the other parts of Korven and Eden get the bigger picture, ya know?”

”Oh, you are? Which one? The Korven Crier?” Her voice felt a little more curious more than anything, but this conversation had lasted long enough for Ret’s patience.

”Yes, that’s one, now please, could you give me as accurate number as possible?”

”Ah, yeah yeah. The volunteers told me they counted about thirty-seven deaths. That’s the unofficial number, though. They’re still combing through and picking out the bodies, and they have me taking the official count. I’m up to twenty at the moment.”

”Thirty seven, huh?” Ret muttered quietly, breaking eye-contact and looking around to process it. A moment passed, and his gaze rose to meet hers once more. ”How many injuries beyond those?”

”Oh gosh, now that I don’t know. There must’ve been at least a hundred injuries, everywhere from people who got burnt, to people who got trampled, all kinds of stuff.”

”A hundred, huh?” Ret uttered quiet, even a bit surprised himself.

”But don’t quote me on that! They’re still going through the building, I don’t know how many they’re gonna find!”

”Hmm, yeah. Ret said dismissively, as he turned and walked away, satisfied thoroughly with these new bits of information.

These new steps he took away from the smoke and soot filled plaza were just as light as his last, as he dove back into the sea of scrambling ants that milled around him. His spirits rose higher than the smoke, his prider thicker than it’s inky plumes.

He knew something no one else did, and it felt fantastic.

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

Hues of light blues and grays melded just ahead of Ret’s eyes, as his body sat afloat in the abyss. Slowly, screams and cries of distress began to permeate the walls around him, and he began to fidget as the cries began to annoy and discomfort him. The cries, though, only got closer and more clear, and Ret could feel his spine cold with sweat as anxiety began to grip him, pushing him further and further into his corner, as the abyss grew angry and malevolent, feeling like it was doing to toss him into the air. As Ret backed into the walls, the crying and screaming reached it’s fever pitch, and finally, the abyss dropped him, eliciting a scream from his mouth as he tumbled to the floor, his chair toppling over besides him.

Scrambling around on the floor of his apartment, Ret rushed to get his arms under him, raising his torso off the floor, his eyes squinting at the light above him. He took a deep breath as the image and source of noises became more clear, helping reality return to Ret’s mind more quickly.

On the screen in front of him was an emergency broadcast on the new channel, smoke clouding the image as various people rushed past the camera, the operator of which appeared to be sprinting in the opposite direction, towards whatever had driven so many fearful people away. Ret wiped the crust from his still heavy eyes as he stood up, picking up the chair that had thrown by his sleepy leaning. Realizing what smoke and screaming probably meant, Ret quickly slid into his computer chair, bringing up various windows and news feeds.

”Apartment fire in Korven, at least 3 dead!”

”Unknown activists set fire to apartment in Korven, response to be seen.

Shit.

Ret’s fingers typed away, his eyes speeding through various security screens and lines of code, as he desperately tried to find the correct area of Korven to access.

They must’ve beefed up security since the last time I did this.

His thoughts flew by a mach speed, as he tried time and again to find the correct cluster of cameras. Finally, one feed popped up, partially obscured by smoke, but not so much that Ret could not see the mass of scattering bodies. As the feed stabilized and clarified, Ret could see an altercation, as an older man had a noticeably younger and larger man by his collar. The older man only seemed to be trying to feebly shake the other, as he yelled something inaudible over the chaos in the square. The man had tears in his eyes as he shaked, and the younger man seemed to be stunned. The younger had three companions around him, all pulling masks down from their faces to scream at the pair, hands motioning to the younger one that it was time to go, yelling and waving their arms in a heated fervor. He tried his best to read their lips.

R-.....Red? No….Reed. Reed. he mumbled aloud to himself, his nose nearly pressed against the screen.

Finally, the younger man took the older’s hands and tore them off his collar, tossing the man down as he ran towards the rest of his group, the other three following him. As they turned, he could see an insignia crudely painted on their back in orange, but it was difficult to make out details in their movement.

A skull, maybe?...... And something on top of the skull.

What was atop the skull, Ret could not make out before they left the screen. Although, what he could make out was the street they were going down. They were escaping towards a rather more quiet and deserted part of Korven. Ret’s hand rushed to the keyboard to try to find a different set of cameras, but they froze when he realized something.

They’re headed towards here, my part of town.

Ret shot out of his chair, grabbing his gun, and pulling on a pair of running shoes before he ran upstairs to access the roof of his apartment. Screeching to a halt, Ret made sure to grab a mask for his face before stuffing his gun in his waistband and running up a set of stairs to the roof.

Shoving the door open, Ret burst on to the roof, quickling making his way to the narrow scaffolding that reached across the other roofs, knowing the street they had taken was just a few blocks away from his house. As he jogged across roofs and scaffolding, his main focus was on the streets below, trying to find the jackets or faces of those he had seen on the camera feed amongst all the other rushing bodies. The fire really seemed to have driven a lot of foot traffic into Ret’s usually silent part of town. Hopefully it wouldn’t last all day.

Suddenly, Ret could see a small pack of bodies making their way through the narrow alleyways below him, and as they passed his vantage point, he spotted their bright orange insignia, which now appeared to Ret to be a skull with an upwardly pointing arrow sitting atop it. Ret quickly shifted directions and began to follow the group as they shoved past locals, toppling a few over.

When the group reached a small intersection in the alleys, they unexpectedly split, each going one direction. Ret spotted the one he recognized as Reed, and followed him along the rooftop, approximately 60 feet above his target. He was following confidently, as he was 60 feet up, and well out of clear sight of the man, who was rushing ahead, his vision tunneled.

Once the target slowed down and began looking around, he took his jacket and mask off, apparently overwhelmed by the heat, which was also beginning to exhaust Ret. Taking the chance, Ret rushed down a nearby set of scaffolding as the target rested. It led down to a small entrance to the building, where he could feel the stray blowing of oscillating fans, cooling his hot skin, wet with sweat.

When Ret reemerged from the building, he had found an exit in an even smaller alley flanking the target. He slowly drew his gun, making sure his sole magazine was loaded and safety was off, and slowly slid out from the shadows, behind the target, who was scanning various directions to see if he had been followed. Ret slowly approached, and figuring he couldn’t risk an escape, took aim at the target’s legs. It was only once the gun rang out, deafening Ret momentarily, that he realized he hadn’t even checked for a suppressor. The weapon’s kick and noise stunned Ret for a second, but the target had already landed on the ground, screaming in pain and cradling his leg.

Shaking the stun away, Ret approached, gun still pointed, until he was close enough to step on the targets legs and arm, pointing his weapon in Reed’s wincing face.

”Alright, Reed, you’re going to tell me who you’re working for, and the names of your little buddies who helped you set that fire, or you die.”

Reed cried as Ret dug his foot into the bleeding wound, and grasped at Ret’s ankle, but his hands were kicked away roughly.

Ret ignored his aching wrist and ringing ears as he gave his head another quick shake, and spoke again through his mask.

”Answers, Reed! Now!

”H-How do you know my name?!” The young man choked through his pained groans.

Ret’s jaw tightened, the same as his hands around the weapon. ”I said answers, Reed, not more questions! You’re getting real close to dying!

”Th- the Upenders! We’re the Upenders! I work for the Upenders, and it was G- Garland, Richie and Lytra who set the fires! I’m brand new man, I just got mixed up with them, I don’t want to die!”

”Very nice, Reed. You guys got a place you all meet at or what?” Ret questioned calmly, easing up on Reed’s wound a bit.

”N-no! We just meet up in different places all the time, makes it harder for them to catch us!

”Hmm. Nice. Smart.” Ret leaned down and grabbed the arm that held the man’s brand and ran his hand slowly over it. He was doing literally nothing.

”Looks like my scanner has been working correctly. I kinda figured when I had your name right, but it’s nice to have solid proof. You know how this goes, this never happened. That hole in your leg was courtesy of some of these fine people in these parts that don’t take kindly to having their homes burned. Understand?”

”Y-yeah, I got it.

”Good.

Ret stood up, wound back, and gave Reed a solid kick to the side of his head, knocking him out. He spun around, ready to leave, and noticed a small crowd had come out to observe the shooting that had just occurred. He simply replied to their curious stares with a waving of his gun, as they all scattered and scurried away, back into their respective shanties and houses, allowing Ret to make his escape.

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

Ret Shuzu, Information Merchant

On File Picture

《Ret Shuzu》

《Retro, Cameraman》

《Approx. 25 Years Old》

《Male》

《Subject appears to be heterosexual, after having been caught on camera enganging with various indecent acts with various, unidentified women, both in public and private areas.

As evidenced by familial records, Subject is of American-Japanese descent, with both parents having lineage that traces back to mainland Japan many generations ago. Besides ethnic background, Subject’s family appears to hail from coastal California, the family having lived in America for a long, but undetermined amount of time.

Due to an increase in activity, and apparent improvement in general mood and mental health, it can be assumed that the subject’s preferred season is Summer.》

《Generally seen in earthy tones or greys, blending well into the various rabble of Korven, or can upscale to cleaner, nicer outfits to fit better into Eden’s higher class citizenry. Most of his clothing choices are utilitarian in nature, meant to help carry small objects and supplies easily, but to be very understated, as to not to draw attention. His loose, and sometimes multiple layers of clothing mostly conceal his slender, slightly tall build, along with a mask almost always concealing his face.

Subject is free of tattoos and/or piercings, as of last observation. Subject seems to avoid any markings or accessories that would draw any unwanted attention to himself. This is further reinforced by his habit of wearing dark tinted sunglasses and facial mask, further obscuring his identity, without being too obvious, as other citizens do the same, to avoid dust and sunlight.

Subject’s Brand tattoo is found to be located on his upper left wrist, usually covered up well, as to avoid any stray scan picking him up.》

《Subject is sole owner and proprietor of a small apartment in a rather empty and abandoned section of Korven, having installed security systems and many different deterrents for potential thieves, including many surveillance cameras, and electrified doors. The apartment contains many computers and a small scale server farm, presumably for use in hacking operations all over Morvai.

Apartment also contains a small amory, filled with an assortment of either stolen or illegally purchased weapons, along with various survival tools, such a pre-packaged meals, cooking utensils, fire starting tools, and other such items.

The only weapon, though, that the subject has been seen to carry with him appears to be a compact shotgun/handgun hybrid, customized with a suppressor.

Subject is reported to have approximately four hundred and thirty thousand ($430,000) dollars in his own bank account, but could have further money stored in illegitimate and stolen accounts on various servers, legitimate and not.》

《Subject has been observed interacting with numerous members of different gangs around Morvai, many being from rival gangs and various warring factions. It appears subject interacts with members of any group, so long as the promise of financial compensation is on the table.》

《Subject makes most of their money illegally, using the hacking of personal and private computer networks, physical espionage, and other means, to collect sensitve/personal information about individuals, corporations, gangs, and other notable parties, and sells this information to the highest bidder. Subject also accepts money to maintain others’ secrecy, taking increasingly higher bids of regular payments of money to either maintain or break silence regarding highly sensitive information.》

《Subject mainly resides in his server farm apartment in Korven, although does spend many nights moving out and around the various sectors of the city.》

✔Silver Tongue ✔Observant ✔Fleet Footed ✔Outstanding Memory ✘Manipulative ✘Physically Meek ✘Paranoid ✘Arrogant

《Due to the nature of Subject’s chosen occupation and upbringing, Subject has been noted as being very observant, displaying a very good memory for small details and important information. When it is necessary for the Subject to extract information out of individuals and peers, the Subject typically resorts to his natural charisma and skilled persuasion to convince others to work in his favor. In business dealings, the Subject is typically formal, but doesn’t hesitate to used thinly veiled threats and taunts to insure certain business associates remain compliant.

Subject is seen to be fairly arrogant in conversation, generally acting superior to the more poverty stricken members of society, but never to a point of physical intimidation or violence. Subject typically does not put trust into others easily, and has not been observed to have any long term companions or friends, only brief interactions with business partners or sex partners. Subject displays anti-social tendencies, but will speak to people when it is beneficial or convenient for him.》

☺Computer Games☺Easy Women☺Money☺Guns☹Drugs☹People in General☹Hypocrites☹Self-Righteous People

《Subject spends a majority of his time dealing with his illicit business, hacking computer systems, doing business deals, spying on people of interest or other various criminal activities. When taking a break from his business, Subject can be seen indulging in various computer games, internet pornography, or taking to the streets to solicit casual sex from various women Korven. More often, though, Subject tends to mix scholarly studies with his personal work, studying a large variety of subjects, such as the sciences, world history, or some humanities, for his own benefit. Subject seems to have express interest in United States history, specifically the periods of time immediately before and after the “event.”》

The following biography has been constructed out of objective information and personal input recorded from the subject himself, and various other sources.
《Ret Shuzu was born the only son to a pair of scrap merchants based in the safer parts of Lisden. These parents, Linda and Takeda Shuzu, made a majority of their meager income from selling valuable scraps of electronics and food, usually found by sneaking into the less secure parts of Korven. This was able to keep the family away from the outer walls, and closer towards Korven, but at the end of the day, they still lived in Lisden. Being in the nicer parts of Lisden, though, still wasn’t a suitable living for a child, so Ret was exposed to things regular children don’t usually get exposed to.

“Drugs, guns, sex. Mom and Pops didn’t just sell baby shit like food and batteries. They had lighter fingers and deeper pockets than most people ever knew. All the bullshit in Lisden had to come from somewhere. It just so happened that it was my parents. Little baby Retro didn’t know the difference. As long as I was fed, I was a happy little baby.

Exposed from a young age to the arts of theft and merchantry, Ret was soon to fall into the same footsteps as his parents, but unfortunately, business wasn’t destined to be as profitable as it had been for the family before. Due to the arrival of their son, the Shuzu’s were hesitant to continue in their trade of illegal goods, as the clientele that it drew around their child began to cause concerns over Ret’s safety. As they rolled back their dealing in drugs and weapons, other groups took more prevalence in the business, and few of them took kindly to the Shuzu’s continuing to compete with them in the types of business they were supposed to have given up. With their backs to the walls of Korven, disallowed entry due to their criminal history, and the various gangs of Lisden putting them in a corner, the Shuzu’s were in a dangerous place to be.

”Pops never took kindly to threats, especially after I was around. Everyone in Lisden that had a gun and thought they had a pair of balls was breathing down his neck, but he never caved. If he gave up, how was he gonna feed his family? That’s when they killed Mom. Spared my life as a message. ‘Leave the business, or its the kid next,’ they told my dad. I was, like, ten years old when that happened. I won’t forget as long as I live. I remember their faces. Every fucking detail.”

The next few years of Ret’s life are fuzzy. Between squatting in various spots around Lisden and Korven, the relationship between Ret and his father was strained. Ravenous hunger, daily threats of violence, getting kicked out of Korven time and time again, the pair faced many hardships. Takeda’s mental health also began to substantially deteriorate in the years follwing his wife’s death, Ret having to deal with his father lashing out and breaking down. Takeda’s failing mental and physical health finally hit a peak around the time Ret was 16 years old.

”He just walked out one day. Didn’t say shit to me or anyone else, just stood up, and stumbled his way to the front gates. Of course, the guards didn’t give much of a shit. They’re there to make sure what’s out there stays out, but some random druggy walking out, his delirious son right behind him? Not important to them. They just kinda let him shimmy past the gate doors, and watched him walk out towards the horizon, all while I just watched, yelling for him to come back. My legs were stuck. Once I got to the very edge of the doorway, my legs just froze. I was too scared.

They didn’t say as much as one word to me. They’d probably seen it a thousand times before. Oh, yeah, I was sobbing too. Looking back on it now, it’s almost kinda funny. I was crying as if I hadn’t seen it coming. He had already mentioned how empty he was without Mom. How much he blamed me for everything. How much he wanted to die. I guess I just wasn’t ready to be alone like that. Even for all his faults, I still loved my dad. When mom was still around, he was a completely different man. Caring, protective, the works. Funny, I can’t remember mom as much now, though. I don’t know if I’ve really forgotten about her, or if it’s just been too long without her but, I remember her face easily…. The rest is hard too recall without giving myself a massive fucking headache.”

Without guidance from his father, and his mother dead, Ret was left without anyone to accompany and take care of him as he grew into a young adult. Stealing became his main form of survival, until he was able to nab a computer. Then he, utterly captivated by the machine, learned the ins and out of it over the course of a few weeks, until he was introduced to the world of hacking and decryption by a local group of cyber criminals he had fallen into.

”If you ask me about it now, I really have no clue why those guys took me in. Honestly, they were a buncha weirdos, but man, were they handy with computers. They taught me the fundamentals of how to use the thing, but when I asked them if I could make money with the thing besides selling it, that’s when the real fun started. It started off small, just small networks in minor businesses or small websites, but I had this strange knack for it. It was when I was able to make my own ‘ghost’ bank account that they realized what they had on their hands. From there, the rest is history. Now, here I am. Information is a commodity, and I intend to make a profit.”

Shuzu,Linda- Mother- Murdered at age thirty-nine (39).
Shuzu, Takeda- Father- Presumed dead after leaving Morvai through front gates, to unknown location.

Klaus Jarsdel - Subject has engaged in multiple phone and at least a few email conversations. All interactions between the two men have been about the exchange of information about rivals, or the Subject’s price to keep certain information about Jarsdel confidential.

Elliot Connolly - Subject and Connolly have held a few in-person visits in the latter’s office, and a few telecommunications conversations, all involving the Subject’s knowledge on various crimes Connolly was investigating.

Esperanza Hidalgo Ms. Hidalgo and the Subject have only been seen engaging in a few in-person conversations, each of which resulting in the Subject purchasing Hidalgo’s escort services. Outside of these sexual encounters, the pair do not appear to associate with one another.

Miguel Hidalgo - Subject and Mr.Hidalgo have only engaged each other in conversation a few times, all regarding the latter’s various targets, with one exception being a conversation where Subject sold the names of men who were suspected to have assaulted Mr. Hidalgo’s sister, the aforementioned Esperanza Hidalgo. Mr. Hidalgo either appears to not care, or does not know about the relationship between the Subject and Ms. Hidalgo.

Tommy Patrick - Subject has been seen on multiple occasions purchasing limbs from Ms. Patrick. They have consistently been arms, either left and right, as the Subject simply purchases the arms to use the brands of deceased citizens of Morvai.

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

Ret Shuzu, Information Merchant

On File Picture

《Ret Shuzu》

《Retro, Cameraman》

《Approx. 25 Years Old》

《Male》

《Subject appears to be heterosexual, after having been caught on camera enganging with various indecent acts with various, unidentified women, both in public and private areas.

As evidenced by familial records, Subject is of American-Japanese descent, with both parents having lineage that traces back to mainland Japan many generations ago. Besides ethnic background, Subject’s family appears to hail from coastal California, the family having lived in America for a long, but undetermined amount of time.

Due to an increase in activity, and apparent improvement in general mood and mental health, it can be assumed that the subject’s preferred season is Summer.》

《Generally seen in earthy tones or greys, blending well into the various rabble of Korven, or can upscale to cleaner, nicer outfits to fit better into Eden’s higher class citizenry. Most of his clothing choices are utilitarian in nature, meant to help carry small objects and supplies easily, but to be very understated, as to not to draw attention. His loose, and sometimes multiple layers of clothing mostly conceal his slender, slightly tall build, along with a mask almost always concealing his face.

Subject is free of tattoos and/or piercings, as of last observation. Subject seems to avoid any markings or accessories that would draw any unwanted attention to himself. This is further reinforced by his habit of wearing dark tinted sunglasses and facial mask, further obscuring his identity, without being too obvious, as other citizens do the same, to avoid dust and sunlight.

Subject’s Brand tattoo is found to be located on his upper left wrist, usually covered up well, as to avoid any stray scan picking him up.》

《Subject is sole owner and proprietor of a small apartment in a rather empty and abandoned section of Korven, having installed security systems and many different deterrents for potential thieves, including many surveillance cameras, and electrified doors. The apartment contains many computers and a small scale server farm, presumably for use in hacking operations all over Morvai.

Apartment also contains a small amory, filled with an assortment of either stolen or illegally purchased weapons, along with various survival tools, such a pre-packaged meals, cooking utensils, fire starting tools, and other such items.

The only weapon, though, that the subject has been seen to carry with him appears to be a compact shotgun/handgun hybrid, customized with a suppressor.

Subject is reported to have approximately four hundred and thirty thousand ($430,000) dollars in his own bank account, but could have further money stored in illegitimate and stolen accounts on various servers, legitimate and not.》

《Subject has been observed interacting with numerous members of different gangs around Morvai, many being from rival gangs and various warring factions. It appears subject interacts with members of any group, so long as the promise of financial compensation is on the table.》

《Subject makes most of their money illegally, using the hacking of personal and private computer networks, physical espionage, and other means, to collect sensitve/personal information about individuals, corporations, gangs, and other notable parties, and sells this information to the highest bidder. Subject also accepts money to maintain others’ secrecy, taking increasingly higher bids of regular payments of money to either maintain or break silence regarding highly sensitive information.》

《Subject mainly resides in his server farm apartment in Korven, although does spend many nights moving out and around the various sectors of the city.》

✔Silver Tongue ✔Observant ✔Fleet Footed ✔Outstanding Memory ✘Manipulative ✘Physically Meek ✘Paranoid ✘Arrogant

《Due to the nature of Subject’s chosen occupation and upbringing, Subject has been noted as being very observant, displaying a very good memory for small details and important information. When it is necessary for the Subject to extract information out of individuals and peers, the Subject typically resorts to his natural charisma and skilled persuasion to convince others to work in his favor. In business dealings, the Subject is typically formal, but doesn’t hesitate to used thinly veiled threats and taunts to insure certain business associates remain compliant.

Subject is seen to be fairly arrogant in conversation, generally acting superior to the more poverty stricken members of society, but never to a point of physical intimidation or violence. Subject typically does not put trust into others easily, and has not been observed to have any long term companions or friends, only brief interactions with business partners or sex partners. Subject displays anti-social tendencies, but will speak to people when it is beneficial or convenient for him.》

☺Computer Games☺Easy Women☺Money☺Guns☹Drugs☹People in General☹Hypocrites☹Self-Righteous People

《Subject spends a majority of his time dealing with his illicit business, hacking computer systems, doing business deals, spying on people of interest or other various criminal activities. When taking a break from his business, Subject can be seen indulging in various computer games, internet pornography, or taking to the streets to solicit casual sex from various women Korven. More often, though, Subject tends to mix scholarly studies with his personal work, studying a large variety of subjects, such as the sciences, world history, or some humanities, for his own benefit. Subject seems to have express interest in United States history, specifically the periods of time immediately before and after the “event.”》

The following biography has been constructed out of objective information and personal input recorded from the subject himself, and various other sources.
《Ret Shuzu was born the only son to a pair of scrap merchants based in the safer parts of Lisden. These parents, Linda and Takeda Shuzu, made a majority of their meager income from selling valuable scraps of electronics and food, usually found by sneaking into the less secure parts of Korven. This was able to keep the family away from the outer walls, and closer towards Korven, but at the end of the day, they still lived in Lisden. Being in the nicer parts of Lisden, though, still wasn’t a suitable living for a child, so Ret was exposed to things regular children don’t usually get exposed to.

“Drugs, guns, sex. Mom and Pops didn’t just sell baby shit like food and batteries. They had lighter fingers and deeper pockets than most people ever knew. All the bullshit in Lisden had to come from somewhere. It just so happened that it was my parents. Little baby Retro didn’t know the difference. As long as I was fed, I was a happy little baby.

Exposed from a young age to the arts of theft and merchantry, Ret was soon to fall into the same footsteps as his parents, but unfortunately, business wasn’t destined to be as profitable as it had been for the family before. Due to the arrival of their son, the Shuzu’s were hesitant to continue in their trade of illegal goods, as the clientele that it drew around their child began to cause concerns over Ret’s safety. As they rolled back their dealing in drugs and weapons, other groups took more prevalence in the business, and few of them took kindly to the Shuzu’s continuing to compete with them in the types of business they were supposed to have given up. With their backs to the walls of Korven, disallowed entry due to their criminal history, and the various gangs of Lisden putting them in a corner, the Shuzu’s were in a dangerous place to be.

”Pops never took kindly to threats, especially after I was around. Everyone in Lisden that had a gun and thought they had a pair of balls was breathing down his neck, but he never caved. If he gave up, how was he gonna feed his family? That’s when they killed Mom. Spared my life as a message. ‘Leave the business, or its the kid next,’ they told my dad. I was, like, ten years old when that happened. I won’t forget as long as I live. I remember their faces. Every fucking detail.”

The next few years of Ret’s life are fuzzy. Between squatting in various spots around Lisden and Korven, the relationship between Ret and his father was strained. Ravenous hunger, daily threats of violence, getting kicked out of Korven time and time again, the pair faced many hardships. Takeda’s mental health also began to substantially deteriorate in the years follwing his wife’s death, Ret having to deal with his father lashing out and breaking down. Takeda’s failing mental and physical health finally hit a peak around the time Ret was 16 years old.

”He just walked out one day. Didn’t say shit to me or anyone else, just stood up, and stumbled his way to the front gates. Of course, the guards didn’t give much of a shit. They’re there to make sure what’s out there stays out, but some random druggy walking out, his delirious son right behind him? Not important to them. They just kinda let him shimmy past the gate doors, and watched him walk out towards the horizon, all while I just watched, yelling for him to come back. My legs were stuck. Once I got to the very edge of the doorway, my legs just froze. I was too scared.

They didn’t say as much as one word to me. They’d probably seen it a thousand times before. Oh, yeah, I was sobbing too. Looking back on it now, it’s almost kinda funny. I was crying as if I hadn’t seen it coming. He had already mentioned how empty he was without Mom. How much he blamed me for everything. How much he wanted to die. I guess I just wasn’t ready to be alone like that. Even for all his faults, I still loved my dad. When mom was still around, he was a completely different man. Caring, protective, the works. Funny, I can’t remember mom as much now, though. I don’t know if I’ve really forgotten about her, or if it’s just been too long without her but, I remember her face easily…. The rest is hard too recall without giving myself a massive fucking headache.”

Without guidance from his father, and his mother dead, Ret was left without anyone to accompany and take care of him as he grew into a young adult. Stealing became his main form of survival, until he was able to nab a computer. Then he, utterly captivated by the machine, learned the ins and out of it over the course of a few weeks, until he was introduced to the world of hacking and decryption by a local group of cyber criminals he had fallen into.

”If you ask me about it now, I really have no clue why those guys took me in. Honestly, they were a buncha weirdos, but man, were they handy with computers. They taught me the fundamentals of how to use the thing, but when I asked them if I could make money with the thing besides selling it, that’s when the real fun started. It started off small, just small networks in minor businesses or small websites, but I had this strange knack for it. It was when I was able to make my own ‘ghost’ bank account that they realized what they had on their hands. From there, the rest is history. Now, here I am. Information is a commodity, and I intend to make a profit.”

Shuzu,Linda- Mother- Murdered at age thirty-nine (39).
Shuzu, Takeda- Father- Presumed dead after leaving Morvai through front gates, to unknown location.

just hol up

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

calling dibs on hacker/big brother type character!

𝓒𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼

are you planning on having a plot to push our characters along, or are you gonna allow our characters to create their own plots, or a mix of both?

Dystopian Life [Come take a peek!]

count me in.

The Last Days (Sci-Fi Adventure)

this sounds kinda similar to a premise i wrote a while back, i might be interested. I'd like to see where this goes. While I think you left a little too much up in the air in terms of world building and the likes, if we get a good few people on board, we'll have a lot to work with in no time. I'll be around.

A Band of Survivors: Protecting What's Left of Humanity (Sci-fi, medium group, bleak universe)

@Heat@Tancuras@Binary Reign@Eisenhorn@Empath@Jarl Coolgruuf@Jbcool@Lady of Lore@Kessir Tarkin@Sildrae@Bazmund Sadly, this is not me coming to say that I've finished the OOC, but I feel like I've been silent for far too long, so I wanted to give you guys an update.

I have NOT dropped this idea completely. This WILL be put out sooner or later, and I'm incredibly sorry for having taken so long to give you at least this update. The world I want to build for this RP is quite large, and can sometimes be a bit overwhelming for me to work on, balancing my actual job, (which isn't time restrictive, just actually psychically exhausting), my social life and other hobbies. I would rather take the time to carefully and lovingly craft this world and then finally release it at a later date, than to rush and give you guys a shoddy, incomplete package.

This isn't me crying for help or forgiveness, this is just me simply asking for patience. If none of you are no longer interested, or your interest is waning, which I can relate, I understand completely. Regardless of how many of y'all are still on board, I will be continuing to work on this project, bit by bit, until I've built a world that I am satisfied with. I'm still open to ideas of what you guys would like to see, and I have a Discord channel for this if you'd like to discuss ideas or concepts with me or one another.

This idea ISN'T dead in the water, it's just taking it's time paddling to shore.

~Thanks, Firecracker.