Kamen Evie

Tyrant Shell: The Answer of Rain (An Armored Core Inspired Mechapunk)

I've been waiting for this moment for thirteen years.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

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The face of Jasmine Breicen emerged from the crowds like a particularly spiky torpedo, having eventually deduced that she could probably find Lucas in one of the room’s four corners.

Lucas' eyes widened before darting directly to the floor. Despite his "grand" victory, he was still more than flustered being around this girl - not helped by his graceless exit of their last conversation where he basically fleed like she were another tournament competitor.

“Sooo…” Jasmine’s tone was particularly awkward, scrambling for a way to brush past the awkward end to their last conversation. “Congrats on the last-”

".... FIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTERS!"

The rest of the announcer’s words blurred as Jasmine glanced towards the screen, her face going blank with shock as she saw the results.

2. Isabella Levai vs. Lucas Miller.

“Uhhhhhhhh…” The witch glanced between the perpetually scared looking kid and the menacing old bishonen taking the stage.

“Yeesh,” Beelzebub’s grin was, for once, downright forced. “Good luck out there, kid…”

That her expression was devoid of any support and filled with concern signaled alarm bells in Lucas' head that he didn't even know he had. He would've been terrified of just about any opponent placed before him, but the strained reactions of Jasmine and Beelzebub made him nervous beyond compare. Even still, he wanted to project some kind of confidence and regain a little bit of credibility.

"I- I'm sure it's fine." He said with a weak smile. "It's just another fi-..." Lucas trailed off as his eyes wondered toward the stage. He wasn't facing another "fighter", he was facing some kind of hard nosed military type who looked like he'd killed people for looking at him funny.

It was moments before Lucas realised - in his terror induced waking coma - he was walking towards the stage. As if his body went on auto-pilot and only remembered the fact that girls were watching. Before he could turn tail and dart out the nearest exit to live another day, he was on the stage and facing down the white haired dragon.

Hands shaking, Lucas raised his arm outwards towards Isabella. "Hel-hello, L-L-Lew-Lewis- L-Lucas. I-I'm Luc-Lucas..." What was intended to be a self-confident shake of respect from one fighter to another instead looked more like a man on death row trying to face his executioner with some shred of dignity. A small pool of sweat formed beneath Lucas as his knees valiantly kept him upright despite shaking violently.

Isabella shook Lucas’ hand, if only for the fact that someone might complain if he didn’t. He glared at what could generously be called a Nomad with nothing but seething disdain. After relishing the chance to fight Horizon’s newest pet, he got stuck with the kind of embarrassment that should have been filtered out at the front counter, let alone round one. Not that he ever gave a fuck about these tournaments, but this year’s “fighting carnival” might as well be a circus.

“What a joke…” The would-be executioner muttered under his breath. “Either stand up and fight or save us both a couple minutes’ worth of dignity and step out of the ring.” He stepped back and pulled the Infernal Gear out of his trench coat, black steel glistening in the light of the arena as its dark gears spinned - Lucas, wisely, began backing up the second the old antique gun appeared from Isabella's coat. Was that even legal?. Chains burst out and wrapped around his waist as he held it close. A shadowy black bullet appeared in his hand, and he loaded it into the device. His finger sat next to the trigger as he spoke a word he already loathed, but held exceeding contempt for in this very moment:

”Henshin.”

Hider

A loud bang rang out across the arena as Justice Rider Sombra’s body became silhouetted by shadow, only for the slightest of moments, before reappearing in dark platemail that was dreaded long before the Justice Riders first walked the earth. His visor, managing to project malice even through its opaque surface, stared Lucas down as he advanced. He swung his blade down at the boy; his heart wasn’t in it, but it was a solid strike all the same.

His eyes closed involuntarily at the sheer power casually tossed around with a single word. Both alien and yet comfortingly familiar. When he looked up he realised why. The spiky haired old man had shed his skin and became a Justice Rider. Albeit one that looked plain wrong, or at least like some teenager had drawn an edgier version of the classic look.

Then the sword came down.

If there is one thing to be said about Lucas Miller, he was slippery. Isabella's swing of the sword was deceptively quick for a blade so unwieldy-looking yet, all the same, Lucas' finely tuned flight or flight instinct had him throw himself to the side in the nick of time. Saving him from a knock out or, more likely, being cleaved in half live on pay per view.

Lucas stood. The one thing he had going for him was his opponent's clear disinterest. Now was the time a Nomad would counter attack! Lucas raised his fists.

And began running in the opposite direction, as much distance as he possibly could between him and the nightmare from hell.

A long, annoyed, tired sigh resonated through Isabella’s armor as he continued walking towards his… opponent? Quarry? Punching bag? Embarrassment? Either way, it was as much the terrifying, unflinching advance of a murderous half-devil as it was the tired stroll of someone taking out the trash at the end of their shift. He stopped for a moment, held his blade sideways, then threw it towards Lucas, the sword spinning like a saw blade as it sailed forwards.

It was instinctual, a finely tuned sense of an animal of prey that constantly and correctly suspected danger. Lucas could practically feel the air being sliced through as the sword spun like a tornado towards him. He used his momentum from running to throw himself forward stomach first to the floor, narrowly avoiding becoming half the man he was - but not quite escaping without a new cut on his shirt and a nick on his back that was already dripping blood.

Adrenaline and fear intertwined as Lucas' shot back up to his feet in a flash. "T-that should NOT be a t-tournament legal manuever!" It sounded like a challenge but was really a desperate plea as Lucas breathed in heavily - shirt sticking to his sweat laden chest. He reared back his hand as it began glowing blue. Again, like an animal of prey, trapped in a corner meant needing to defend or perish. Isabella held his cloak in front of him…

M-MILLERGOKEN!

An explosion of colour as pure burning energy erupted from Lucas' palm and hurled towards Isabella!

…for roughly five inches before pettering out and dissolving into nothing.

Lucas looked on, expression a mixture of resignation and terror. His eyes glanced back at Isabella.

"...M-my bad?" He chuckled nervously.

“Why do you even bother trying?” Isabella asked. He didn’t bother waiting for an answer, continuing to walk forward the moment it was clear even his ki techniques were nothing more than a paper tiger. He snapped his finger, and his blade returned to his hand. It began to shift, transforming in ways that seemed mechanically plausible yet subconsciously unsettling to anyone who looked at it. It had become an axe, looking sharp, mean, and ready to execute. He kept up the pressure, slowly but surely cornering the kid at the edge of the ring. He raised his weapon.

“Let’s finish this.” The Dark Rider said. And then he brought the axe down.

But then… He froze. Weapon suspended mid-swing.

He felt a certain energy, looking into Lucas’ eyes. It was familiar and valued and despised all at once. And the realization of what that meant? Mind-shattering. So unexpected and completely stupid that it just stopped him right then and there.

Lucas' spirit was broken, his terror peaked, his back killing him. All he could do against the raised axe was close his eyes and fruitlessly shield himself with his hands.

But the final blow never came.

Cautiously, one eye peeked open, had his resiliency touched the heart of this grizzled old soldier? Instead of a look of respect he found a look of trepidation, fear and disgust - like some unknown force had intervened and suspended Isabella in place. Lucas felt it somewhat himself, a dull iron-like taste in the back of his throat, both hollow and filling that soothed and harmed in equal measure. But it also felt a little like indigestion, nevertheless it effected Lucas nowhere near as hard as it seemed to with Isabella.

"Uhh... dude?" He asked. Eyes glancing over to the equally confused crowd. For a second, nothing happened.

Then, Lucas, scared little Lucas, used one of the most basic defensive techniques in his repertoire. The old re-position. He suddenly grabbed the lapels of Izzy's coat and spun him to where Lucas had once stood before giving him a weaker-than-average-yet-still-forceful two-handed shove to the chest. Immediately cocooning into another "not the face!" defensive position as his self-preservation leaked back out of him.

The sudden pressure brought Isabella back to reality, fighting instincts honed by decades of battle kicking back in instantaneously. He put his foot behind him, stabilizing himself so he could finish the match for good.

Except he failed to register one small, very crucial detail:

He was at the edge of the ring.

The Rider’s foot was only off by a couple inches. Enough for the realization to sink in, as he lost his balance and fell off the raised surface of the arena, tumbling off the edge in what he felt could only be the most undignified fashion possible.

Silence filled the air. Everyone from the fighters to the crowd once again frozen in disbelief.

None were more silent or disbelieving of events than Lucas himself, staring wide-eyed as his opponent went from inflicting violent reprisal to falling off the edge of the stage for a technical knock out in a matter of seconds.

His eyes glanced around. Unlike the last fight, the crowd's silence was more shock than anything else - even the announcer in their booth was too stunned to make the call that Lucas. Lucas Miller had just technically won.

Lucas slowly, unsurely, raised both his arms...

...And the crowd promptly went nuts.

"LADIES & GENTLEMEN! YOUR WINNER BY RING OUT! ASTONISHINGLY! LEWIS MILLER!!!!!!!"

Lucas, if anything, looked more perturbed and shy at the crowd response than anything else, arms still raised out of pure reflex and adrenaline. An interviewer rushed onto the stage and shook the hand of his still raised arm.

"Mr. Miller! Mr. Miller! An incredible upset! Defeating a Justice Rider in your third ever professional bout! Do you have anything to say to the millions watching around the world!?"

She stuck the microphone inches away from Lucas. The Tiger fucking panicked, arms still held above his head as he stared like a dear in headlights at the camera, he squeaked out the first thing that popped in his head.

"I- I'm goin' to Bizbyland!"

The crowd erupted into yet another raucous cheer.

It wasn’t long before a particular set of noises managed to rise above the din. A rapid duet of “Holy shit!” and “I told ya!” on a repeating loop, rapidly drawing closer. Jasmine Breicen and Beelzebub the Glutton dashed onto the stage, shoving the interviewer aside and practically tackling Lucas as they filled the air with joyous laughter.

“Dude!” The witch said. “I thought you were gonna die!”

“See!” The devil cried. “Wuninamillion!” Jasmine threw her arm around Lucas’ shoulders and managed to steady her phone enough to snap a selfie of the trio, holding up two of her fingers as she captured the joy of the moment. She smiled and wrote a quick post before the phone disappeared again.

THE BIZBYLAND SWEEP

@skankinkickflips

Jasmine chuckled and sighed, stepping away to give Lucas a bit of breathing room. Where was Izzy anyways? It looked like he managed to sneak away while everyone was caught up in the hype.

Lucas, overwhelmed by the win much less the response to it, could only give a surprised little smile and thumbs up as Jasmine snapped a picture of them. It felt like a dream, he was half-expecting it to devolve into one of the ones where he embarrassed himself by wetting his pants on live T.V or something.

"It's weird, he just stopped. Like, he knew me or somethin'?" Despite his confusion, the smile remained on his face. Even his stutter faltered for a moment, suppressed by his bewilderment and joy.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I gotta call my dad!" Lucas turned up the volume on his Bluetooth as the trio were ushered away from the stage so the next fight could begin.

"Luke! What happened!? The website streaming this pay per view for free is on a MASSIVE delay! I'm like half an hour behind!"

"Uh, well, I- I actually won, dad!" Lucas said, smile remaining as he pressed the device against his ear to hear his response amidst the crowd's continued cheering.

He quickly had to remove it as Perry's delighted shrieking pierced everything else in the arena, Lucas' eardrum included.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

Jill carefully considered all of Oh-One’s capabilities as Auri listed them off, comparing them to what she knew about what she could do, what SHINING could do… Never heard of these factories, but I suppose if they’re an issue it’ll be quite the scuffle…

Come to think of it, she’d never bothered to look too closely into what Auri or Justin could do either…

"And what the hell can we do about that?"

"We can steal the Power Stone first."

The sheer audacity sent Jill swerving right off her train of thought. She did indeed look at Auri with a good degree of shock. Even if it was a joke, she could hardly tell what that lady was thinking sometimes. She laughed half-heartedly before going back to trying to size up the situation. If it was really a 30% chance of success, they were pretty outmatched…

Unless!

Yeah, that was it! She idly ran her thumb over the EX-System sitting in her pocket. The form she used in the last match was only a small fraction of what it was really capable of, and not even Auri knew what it could do… Well, Jill didn’t either, but if it had so many safety locks on it, it was probably worth the hype. She looked back up to the pair, finally confident in her plan.

“Well, I think if I-”

”JUSTY!!!!!”

"... Please don’t call me that,” Justin groaned.

”I think it’s cute…” Auri giggled with her hand on her lips. ”... Justy.”

"... See what you started?”

”Auri Auclair, former assistant to the genius Gerard Delacroix,“ She introduced herself with a little flair.

Florian’s entrance prompted only an instant’s shocked pause from Jill, the urge to groan having been trained out of her years ago. Any awkwardness in an awkward smile was long gone. She tipped her hat in response to his bow, and politely sat through his little spiel while having to try extra hard to suppress the grimace the moment he mentioned his superior genetics. She never really got used to that. She managed to shake it off, and leaned over to the bar.

“Hey, can ya just get me a glass of water? Thanks!” Jill was a determined teetotaler, and wasn’t going to leave an inch of room to start drinking in this particular moment. She decided that Florian was about as out of his depth in this crisis as a deep sea anglerfish on a commercial airliner… best to leave him out of the loop for now.

“Well as I was saying,” Jill smiled. “I’ve got a new form that the world ain’t seen yet, do ya think I should see if I can use it in the next match? Or should I hold off on it?” Jill winked at Auri and Justin.

Auri smiled,

“Could your new form help you win your next match? If not, I recommend saving it for later.” She said.

Florian's eyes darted back and forth, as though watching some sort of table tennis match rather than a conversation. He chuckled good naturedly at Auri's suggestion.

"You simply must utilize all your tools if you are to continue, Jillian!" He said, chuckling again and shaking his head. "No matter what form your next match may take, it's imperative to give it your all!"

He added extra emphasis to the words "next match" as though it were merely a custom he'd just learned instead of a system deliberately designed to keep him out of the loop. Even lightly nudging Justy in the arm (and getting a somber look in return), as he'd seen friends do on many situational comedies shown on television.

Jill nodded thoughtfully. It was, surprisingly, good advice.

“Well, everything I’ve done with the EX-System so far is only a fraction of what it can really do,” She frowned, still turning everything over in her head. “Judging by how much I’ve gotten out of it so far, if I can handle it at full capacity, well… I’d say the next match would be a piece of cake!”

Auri paused for a second, before she replied,

“... And if you cannot?”

Jill’s gaze turned sideways.

“I’m not sure…” She said. It wasn’t hard to tell that she thought it certainly wasn’t anything good. To which Auri put her hand on top of Jill’s and said,

“Then I wouldn’t risk it, regardless of the stakes,” She started, ”... If we put our hearts and minds together, we can win this.”

Florian gave a little nod. ”Ms. Auclair.” He started. ”How thought provoking.” He meant it too, though with how his ilk tended to socialize it would’ve been easy to read it as backhanded.

”Pray tell, how is the EX system treating you, Ms. Breicen?” There was genuine curiosity in his tone, not just the kind he always added out of politeness to make his conversational sparring partner feel seen and heard. He knew a little of how the EX system functioned as his Basilisk system employed similar technology and capabilities, but the EX-System was practically a MINERVA black project with how tight lipped the higher ups had been.

”Having seen it in action, it’s difficult to fathom that we’ve still yet to see it at its full capability. Are you concerned about damaging the machinery?” His head tilted. ”If so, please do not worry, I’d be happy to do everything in my power to expedite repairs and get it returned to you in tip top condition before the event has concluded! I would hate to see you or anyone forced to compete with a handicapped performance!” Again, sincere, and again, anyone who didn’t know Florian intimately well could very easily see it as a thinly veiled dig.

Jill frowned, but she was pretty distracted by now. She stared at the glass of water now sat in front of her.

“... It looks very appetizing, doesn’t it?” Auri said with a smile. “I think it wants you to, you know, drink it.”

“Well, can’t say I’m worried about breaking it…” She said, before drifting back to Florian’s first question. “The thing’s exhilaratin’, to be honest. When it’s on, I feel so full of life that I could burst, but once it’s off I feel pretty out of it. Hits like a truck if you’ve been goin’ too wild with it. Izzy said I should be careful with it, but I’ve been gettin’ better with it the more I used it… Back when I started, I couldn’t even keep up the form I used against Aaron just now.” She sat in silence for a few moments, then downed her glass and set it back down on the bar.

“Weird as it is,” Jill started up again, her usual confidence starting to swell back up again. “I agree with Florian. I didn’t sign up for this line of work to be a coward.” She looked to her new cyborg friend with a smile.

“What do you think, ‘Justy?’”

"... I’m hoping no one else picks up on that nickname,” “Justy” groaned with a roll of his eyes. Then he shrugged and responded to Jill, "I’m just listening… just do whatever it takes to win the next match - and remember, there’s always the next tournament if this doesn’t go well, so don’t shoot your bolt too early.”

Florian nodded. ”Well said, my friend.” He added, not picking up on Justin’s barely disguised contempt. ”Nevertheless, keep at it, Ms. Breicen. I have no doubt you’ll have complete mastery over the system very soon!” He said, turning back towards Jill. In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure that’d be the case. Jill’s system was similar in technology and theory but very different in execution. Florian’s Basilisk System could, in laymen’s terms, alter reality. Allowing him to form and use constructs from thin air, but the EX-System… It almost appeared to alter the “self”.

The Star of MINERVA shook his head, he was getting too serious and introspective in front of his compatriots and that was simply rude. ”As said however, my friend Justy is accurate, there will always be the next tournament to try again!” A brilliant Wessington smile and thumbs up towards the three, a light drizzling of sparkles falling from his grin. ”I will, gladly, let you all inspect the power stone should you really wish it of course! Provided you submit the appropriate forms and documentation to the MINERVA head office!”

He bowed slightly, once for Jill, once for Auri and once for his best friend. ”It was a genuine pleasure to reconvene with you Ms. Breicen and Justin, my friend. As well as making your acquaintance, Ms. Auclair. But, sadly, I must cut my time with you all short, I have a very regimented training schedule that I must adhere to before the following matches. That said:” He reached into his jacket pocket and produced three crisp business cards, deftly placing one each in the hands of his very dear friends.

”Please. Do get in contact if my wealth of experience or vast array of connections can be of use to you. Day or night, I rarely sleep.” Another bow, another smile. Though a smaller and slightly more open one than normal. Despite not being entirely sure what the hell the conversation was about, he enjoyed a rare moment of affability that he rarely received from those, supposedly, of the same social class as himself.

“Adieu.” Florian turned and sauntered off. The bartender returned over to the groups corner of the bar, holding three “electrolyte heavy” drinks and a single glass of water. “Is that guy still taking his drink?” he asked in a practically soul dead tone of voice.

When Florian left, Justin was quiet for a second before he spoke to Jill and Oh-Seven,

"Great call, l don’t think he’s friends with tincan, but I don't see him keeping his mouth shut.

“Yeah,” Jill nodded. “He was makin’ a lot more sense than he usually does, at least. Nice meetin’ you, Justin. I think I’ll link back up with izzy and-” Massive speakers suddenly sprang to life as if determined to cut her off.

”.... ARRRE YOU READY FIIIIIIGHTERS? THE NEXT ROUND BEGINS NOW!”

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

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Interactions: Auri, Justin @Punished GN

World Fighting Carnival - Reception Room Bar.

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Jill shrugged and frowned when Auri asked if Aaron was still around.

“I think he went through a portal?” She mumbled. She supposed he could be here somewhere. She didn’t know what Auri meant by intuition, though. Her intuition told her that he was telling the truth, anyway. Maybe Auri had some kind of magic?

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Jill listened intently as the stranger gave his rundown on the stone’s defenses. She wasn’t sure about the guy’s vibes initially, but she perked up when he mentioned he used to be with MAVERICK. She had a lot of respect for the organization, and figured she probably would have ended up there if she wasn’t on a fast track towards SHINING from such a young age. The young Rider shook Justin’s hand with enthusiasm, clearly delighted to see and feel such advanced cybernetics, but she knew better than to ask about them right out of the gate… She was too fascinated to avoid staring for a few moments too long, though.

“Jill Breicen!” She smiled. “Current Justice Rider.” She looked between the two of them, pretty pleased with this coalition.

“So,” Jill started counting everything in her head. “We’ve got all that security, the three of us, I just told Izzy to keep an eye out earlier, too… What would ya say our chances are, Auri? You think we can take him?”

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Interactions: ???@KremeSupreme

World Fighting Carnival - Maintenance Room.

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Isabella only shot the man a casual glance as he lit up a cigarette and listened to the woman give him Horizon’s side of the intel, holding it aside as he leaned in to get a good look at the monitor. He was surprised at how well the exchange of information was going, at least. There were few things more frustrating than when they decided to clam up.

He definitely agreed that this guy was seedy, the outfit alone was a dead giveaway. But still, he didn’t look like he was the kind of threat that could take the stone and run off. At least, not by himself…

“Got it.” The half-devil said.“I’ll stick close to him when I can. Gonna get the plane dusted off too. Got a bad feeling about this one-”

*CLICK!*

Isabella’s hair started to stand on end again as SYM-24 walked by. He stood silently, staring the false Rider down with an unflinching look of well-mixed irritation and interest. There was a grudging respect for this creature growing as he realized that it could feel.

Or more precisely, that it could hate.

"I think he likes you,"

Motion resumed the moment the door slammed shut. Isabella took a drag from his cigarette and let out a long deep breath before turning back to the man.

“Probably recognizes another dog with a longer leash.” He said cynically. He turned to leave.

“I have to wonder what you all put in that thing. Can’t tell if you know the answer, or we’re all about to find out the hard way.” And with that, he disappeared again.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

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World Fighting Carnival - Reception Room.

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Isabella sighed and took a sip from his flask. The match was exhilarating; an uplifting reminder that the dark arts were still alive in their own way, but it was over now. He couldn’t even sneak halfway to the bar for a refill before Jill managed to track him down, swerving through the crowds like she was racing through rush hour. He had to wonder if she managed to dodge the cameras, too.

“Hey Izzy…” The younger Rider stopped to catch her breath. “Good match, huh?”

The older Rider frowned.

“There’s a lot to go over-”

“You ever heard of somethin’ called Oh-One?” The look in her eyes was too genuine to defuse. He thought for a moment.

“Can’t say I have.” Isabella stared off into the distance, scanning the crowd.

“Well, this lady came up to me before the match, she was tellin’ me about this big robot that’s gonna try and change humanity, and then in the match this guy was tellin’ me about how he’s gonna get the Power Stone too! Was just wonderin’ what you thought about it all…” Jill looked expectantly at the half-devil as she spoke. He didn’t know how to look like he was as impressed as she wanted him to be. He’d seen a lot of ambitious threats in his years, seeking to take over the world or destroy it or other such nonsense. None of them ever succeeded, and those in charge of society never thought it was worth it to try and prevent the phenomenon. They were, much like the Riders themselves, an eternally recurring fad of the year. Or decade, if the stars aligned. Still, that wasn’t to imply they weren’t worth taking seriously.

“Well,” Isabella stroked his chin. “If someone’s going to try and take the stone, we’re in a good spot to defend it now. I’m gonna make a few calls. Just focus on the tournament for now, Rider.” Jill smiled, and gave him a thumbs up. Before he could stop her, she was already running off again. A book slammed shut.

“She’s barely even stopping to say hi, huh.” Jasmine held her grimoire at her side as she went back to her phone. She’d been swapping back and forth since he finished his match.

“She’s making new friends,” The Rider shrugged. “You don’t have anything better to do?” The Witch shrugged back.

“Something similar, I guess.” Jasmine said. “You seen that Lucas kid anywhere?”

“Who?”

“Uhhh… Bizbyland?” Beelzebub helpfully added.

“... Who?” Isabella was looking more confused by the second.

“Never mind. I’m gonna have a look around.” Jasmine turned to leave. Isabella took a quick look around for Horizon’s little experiment, and its little companion. He only saw one of them.

“Be careful, hija.” He said. Jasmine turned around and smiled. She liked the switch from hijo, he’d noticed.

“I’ll be fine,” The witch said. “Besides, I’ve got the big guy too, right?” Beelzebub grinned unconvincingly.

“You’ve got my number.” Isabella said. “If you don’t know how to contact me magically yet, learn.” Jasmine nodded as she left. He left as well, sneaking off towards the garages. There was a lot to follow up on.

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Interactions: Oh-Seven @Punished GN

World Fighting Carnival - Reception Room Bar.

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Jill managed to track down Auri again pretty quickly. There was a lot going on, but she had a major case of tunnel vision.

“Auri!” Jill waved hello. “Hey, you know anything about that Aaron Sawyer guy I just fought? He was tellin’ me he was from the future, which sounded kinda weird, but he knew about Oh-One too! Said he’s after the power stone, so…” Her mind began to slow down, processing the Oni angrily demanding a drink (weren’t they not supposed to leave Japan? She supposed she didn’t mind) and then everything surrounding her. She finally registered that she was already talking to someone, who probably heard everything she just said. He was wearing a hoodie for some reason… which was weird in Brazil, but she wasn’t one to judge.

“Oh…” She said slowly. “Sorry to interrupt ya, there.”

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Interactions: ??? @KremeSupreme

World Fighting Carnival - Maintenance Room.

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Isabella snuck through the underbelly of the stadium with ease. Despite his size, he had the uncanny ability to escape notice and slip out of sight if you weren’t focused on him. It was part of what made him so valued for the more morally ambiguous work he’d found himself taking part in throughout his life. He snuck into Horizon Frontiers’ garage without making a sound. He looked over the room with disdainful interest. Evidently, their dog was having issues. Hopefully, there would come a time where he could make sure they couldn’t fix them, but it hadn’t come yet. He produced an SD card from his trenchcoat and tossed it towards the pair who looked like they weren’t doing anything, very deliberately choosing to do it before he even announced his presence.

“Here’s the data from the kid’s little bout.” His tone was tensely professional, mostly restraining his disregard for everything about this room and everyone in it. “She was telling me about some robot trying to take the stone… is it one of yours?”

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Rosie slipped out of the arena with a confident smile on her face, strutting towards a secluded alley. The match was child’s play, though with a bit of dramatic flair. She’d managed to draw it out, getting into her opponent’s head and dodging every single attack they threw at her while simultaneously refusing to throw so much as a jab back at them. Right when she was at the edge of the ring, and their rage was at its peak… she simply waited for the charge, grabbed them by the hand and pulled them off the edge of the ring. A victory by ring out! You didn’t get that doing odd jobs.

Of course, this was merely spectacle in the grand scheme of things. While Rosie was out in the ring, she’d sent her shadow out to sneak about and map out the rest of the stadium, identifying security patrols, keycards, door combinations, important documents, the likely location of the Power Stone, you name it… All of which Rosie could copy and forge to complete perfection. That paintbrush wasn’t just for parlor tricks. Rosie stopped next to the familiar sight of the black limo, which was now flanked by three hooded figures.

“Afternoon, friends,” Rosie handed over her lovingly collected information. “I come bearing gifts.”

You haven’t gotten the Stone yet?” The short one hissed. They were trying to be angry, but they were clearly just clueless.

“If I’d gotten it, you’d already know.” Rosie frowned. “This is one of the most important and coveted artifacts in the world. It’s not a one devil job.”

”You promised this council that your skills were beyond measure.” The tall one mused. “You told us that you were still of use, instead of a has-been. An aimless degenerate-” Rosie glared daggers into the younger devil, sharpened by corners of Hell it had yet to see. It took a step back.

“I do not see a ‘council’ here,” Rosie said, stepping forward. “I see a party of idealogues who can’t put their money where their mouths are. You’ve got some big desires, and dear Belial has been telling you they’re exactly what the world needs. You don’t think highly of devils like me, or Beelzebub, who are not so strictly devoted to your lovely little dreams, but you forget that we have earned our keep, and when it comes time for you to act on your little plans, I find myself to be the one who has to step up to the plate. Do you resent us for being unwilling to act, I wonder? Or do you resent that we are the only ones who can?”

Rosie was met with silence. This was about as visibly angry as any devil could remember her being for centuries. Behind her back, many were willing to claim she’d gone soft, but face to face, none were willing to put that to the test.

“So, if you haven’t already found more participants in this little project, you’d better get to it soon. Understood?” Rosie sighed, anger fading as she was met with scared nods.

“And one more thing. Hooded robes? Seriously? It’s not 13XX anymore. You could at least try to be subtle.” The short one shifted awkwardly.

And with that, Rosie snuck back into the tournament hall. She’d managed to vent, at least.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

VS

AARON SAWYER

---

By the time Jill was stepping towards the stage, she was already psyched up, striding up to the plate with a smile and a confident look in her eye. As the samurai burst onto the arena, she reached into her pocket and withdrew a ring of keys that she tossed into the air. Just as Aaron pointed his sword at her, she caught them in her hand again.

“If ya need it that bad,” Jill said. “Then let’s see you fight for it!”

"JUSTICE RIDER JILL BREICEN, VERSUS THE UP AND COMING NOMAD AAAAAAAAAAAAARON SAWYERRRRRRRRRRRR!"

With well-practiced timing, a motorcycle roared as it burst onto the stage seemingly out of nowhere, stopping right at her side. She spun her keys around her finger while she withdrew her transformation device, the brightly-shining softly-glowing EX-System. A belt expanded around her waist as she attached it to her body. With one hand held forward, Jill inserted one of the keys into the device.

”HENSHIN!”

Start Your Engines!

With a turn of her wrist, she felt a glorious energy course through her entire body as it glowed blue, quickly fading as her body was encased in silver and blue armor. A scarf shimmered into existence around her neck. Her helmet glowed as it began wirelessly linking to her gear, feeding her all sorts of data. She stepped onto her motorcycle and revved the handle.

Justice Rider Blaze was raring to go.

“So the stories are true,” Aaron said to himself as he was illuminated in a blue energy. He disappeared into a blur and then suddenly appeared righr in front of Jill. Holding the sword with both hands he tried to stab the sword into the machinery of Jill’s bike.

Jill leaned to the side, the blade just barely missing Pit Stop as it pierced through the metal. Her heads up display flashed in protest. Not great, but she built this thing to take a few hits. As for her counterattack?

“Right where I want ya!” Jill smiled as the engine roared. Blinding headlights shone ahead while Cloud Nine took off with lightning speed straight towards the samurai caught right in front of it. He was launched off by it and sent rolling - stabbing the ground to catch himself.

He climbed up to his feet and laughed, “Let’s make this even…” He slashed the air and created a blue rift and dashed into it. A few moments later he came out riding a red futuristic motorcycle

He came out skidding sideways and let his sword hang low as he revved his motorcycle. “Let’s go!” Aaron shouted as he charged Jill and slashed his sword, creating a blue trail behind.

By the time Aaron was back with his bike, she was ready too; all turned around and sailing towards the joust. She waited ‘till the last second and twisted into a sideways slide, crowd cheering and sparks flying off the arena as the samurai’s sword flew right over her helmet. She righted herself and turned around at the edge of the arena. She wasn’t sure how to deal with all that fancy teleporting, but a bike? Like heck is she gonna let anyone beat her at her own game! Time for round two!

“Even?” Jill said. “Not yet!” She pulled the handle off her bike as it charged back in, a glowing blue blade extended from it and solidified into a steel katana with the SHINING logo engraved along the flat. Her heart raced, she felt like a knight at some medieval tournament as she passed close and swung, pouring all her excitement into the swing!

The two swords clashed and lightning spewed from all directions. Aaron went in the opposite direction with a skid, he looked at Jill as he quickly sped off in the opposite direction hoping that Jill would follow. Jill, never one to disappoint, was already closing in from behind, growing closer by the moment with her sword at the ready.

As she got closer, Aaron glanced over his shoulder before he pulled his sword out and pressed some buttons on the side. He started glowing blue as he slashed ahead of him at… nothing?

A copy of Aaron appeared behind him and floated for a few seconds before appearing behind Jill and slashing at her. Her armor caught the blade as it left a noticeable gash and a forceful impact that sent her careening out of control. She just barely managed to control her landing, dropping her sword and twisting her trajectory so she could roll out the worst of it. Still hurt, though she kept herself from showing it. Her bike skidded along the arena until Pit Stop finally managed to prop it back up, and it took off on its own, trying to keep its distance. A series of beeps sounded through Jill’s helmet.

“Just keep yer distance, buddy. I gotta think this through…” Some of Izzy’s training started to kick back into her muscle memory as she struck a pose and turned the key on her belt, pieces of her armor glowing blue as they charged up with more of her ki. Obviously this guy had more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’d keep making a fool out of her if she just kept charging in without a second thought. If she wanted to win, she’d have to turn things the other way around! She stood up and took a ready stance; eyes and ears open.

Aaron then pressed some buttons on his sword, which glew with electricity. He left behind a blue copy of himself as he dashed towards Jill at blinding speeds - his speed reverted to normal when he appeared above her with his sword in both hands and slashed at her. Jill smirked.

“Toh!”

She leapt backwards into the air, gracefully dodging the blade by mere inches. Blue flames burst from her armor as the power she charged concentrated in her boot. She suddenly changed direction, sailing towards Aaron with her foot outstretched in a pose that was known worldwide.

”BURNING BLUE KICK!”

By the time Aaron had time to react Jill’s flaming boot had already made impact with his face. Making a comical face, Aaron was sent sprawling across the floor. He did a few rolls before he pressed a button on his sword and teleported back onto his bike.

He whipped around towards Jill and pressed a button on his sword and activated a flash of speed so immense he was just a blue blur. It went completely past Jill and he came out of the dash in a skidding stop.

Jill dove to the side and grabbed her sword off the ground, a little surprised that Aaron didn’t end up hitting her, but she didn’t let it freeze her up. She let out a whistle, hopping on her own bike as it sped towards her, and dematerialized her blade before plugging the handle back in. She revved it up, charging up power while she waited for Aaron’s next move.

Then he just disappeared and appeared in front of her, with his sword cocked back ready to slash… but he just paused. Jill, on the other hand, set off to run him down the moment he appeared; a flicked switch sent her stored ki straight into the bike’s engine. A sound not unlike a massive gunshot rang across the arena as, for a brief moment, it raced towards Aaron far faster than any untrained eye could follow….

… which threw Aaron’s whole plan off as he was rammed by Jill - destroying his bike and launching him across the room. He came to a rolling stop and landed face down. He looked up for a second as he was coated in a blue light.

“… You’re good.” He muttered as he disappeared.

He appeared in the spot where he began the dash with only his sword. He pointed his sword at her and said, “Face me with your blade, Justice Rider.”

Jill skidded to a physics-defying abrupt stop; her ki and her suit were the only things keeping her from a self-ko via g-force. But she only needed to take a single breath as she stared Aaron down. The crowd went silent.

“Well…” She paused, before stepping off her bike.

“I’m not one to turn down a challenge, so I hope you’re ready!” Fans in the crowd cheered as she grabbed the hilt off her bike and summoned her blade. With a slap on the side, her bike raced away to give the two fighters room. She stanced up, not unlike a samurai herself, and ran forwards, meeting Aaron’s challenge with an overhead swing and the two blades clashed as Aaron quickly blocked then kicked Jill in the stomach and got her off him.

He walked a circle around Jill, blade in one hand and the other around his sheath. “On the bike your skills are unmatched,” Aaron spoke as he stopped. “But blade-to-blade…”

He charged her, holding the katana with both hands as he swung towards her core then pulled the blade back and swung upwards. Jill blocked his strikes, but each one sent her back a little bit further; she was clearly losing ground.

“Lemme guess,” Jill had a smile hidden beneath her helmet. “I’m not holdin’ up?” She tried to take back the offensive with a quick stab. Which Aaron couldn’t dodge in time and hit him in the side and he bore teeth.

He retaliated with a wide swimg using all of his strength. Jill, already fighting defensively, raised her sword to block. She could handle it.

Her sword couldn’t.

Her blade snapped in two right before Aaron’s hit her in the side. Pain shot through her body as it dug past her armor and sent her to the ground, followed by an electric tingling sensation that sent her rolling back to her feet again.

“Well,” Jill said through gritted teeth. “I tried.” She lunged forward and sent a straight punch towards Aaron’s chest. Which really caught him off guard as he lost his wind, stumbling backwards a little bit.

“... Hey, at the end of the day that’s all you can say.” He quickly spun around and delivered a reverse round-house kick towards Jill’s head. “Now you got me out of my element” Jill ducked, the swoosh of air above her head filling her with adrenaline. She clipped what was left of her sword to her belt and rushed in, but pulled her punches as she delivered a series of quick blows. For better or worse, she was also unmatched when it came to faking it for the crowd.

“Now pardon me if I’m bein’ rude…” The Rider said, starting up another flurry of punches which Aaron tried his best to block but a few slipped through. “But what do you want with that stone anyhow? Y’made it seem like you really needed it, but you’re an awful good sport for someone who’s in it to win it, y’know?” She capped off her flourish with a twirling kick which Aaron blocked but launched him off balance…

He put one foot forward as he said, “I do… but I can’t disrespect the legends.” He charged forward and threw a punch towards Jill. She leaned to the side and did a quick cartwheel to gain some distance.

”The legends?” Can’t say I’ve done that much yet…

“Well I’m flattered,” Jill turned the key on her belt. “But I didn’t come here for a cozy ride, and the fans ain’t tuning in to watch one either.” She felt her heart race as she kept charging power. Soon enough, her tanks were full, a slight crackle and hum resonating inside her helmet as that energizing power reached its peak, just waiting to be unleashed.

“If you wanna give me your respect…” The Rider struck another pose, arm confidently outstretched towards Aaron.

“Then give me everything you’ve got!”

Aaron grabbed onto his sword and pulled it out. He braced the blade against his hand and said, “Sure!” The blade glowed blue as he spun the blade in front of him with both hands. The blue extended to his body as two blue copies of Aaron appeared behind him. He held his sword towards the sky behind him as he shouted,

”PARADOX!”

He charged Jill with the copies behind him, and slashed his blade - his clones doing the same attack. Jill raised her arms and parried the first strike, turning herself ahead of Aaron, and intercepted the clones attacks with her gauntlets, blades grinding against her armor as she struggled.

“Yes,” Justice Rider Blaze chuckled. “That’s it!” her arms radiated blue flames as she found the strength to push the copies away. Even if she was having the time of her life, being surrounded was in a bad spot. Still, she let out a whistle, which was met with a quick series of beeps as Pit Stop flew away from the bike. She held out her hand and focused her ki.

”DAI HENSHIN!”

Armor Up!

The drone flew into her back and began unfolding, converting itself into segmented armor plating that distributed itself around her suit, leaving her looking like an armored samurai as heat sinks and exhausts jutted out from her armor to manage a new excess of power. She pulled the other handlebar off her bike and combined it with the one she had, whip solidifying and sword reforging, forming a mean-looking naginata. She gave it a twirling flourish, intense yet beautiful flames and arcs of lightning trailing its path.

This, as the fans would recognize, was Burnout Form.

Jill pulled the switch on her arm and charged in, sparks flying and armor clanking with every step until she made one wide swing towards all three Aarons. They blocked the attack - however it was too much for Aaron and he was sent sliding backwards. He held his footing, however the tip of the blade hit him in the bicep.

He quickly leapt into the air, augmented by a blue light - his copies followed - and slammed the blade downwards. His copies tripling the damage. Jill held up her weapon to block, feeling the strain on her legs as each hit came down so hard it chipped at the floor underneath her. Still, her increased strength held her steady, and as Aaron and his clones hit the ground, she twirled her naginata to attack them all in a graceful, powerful duet of blows. First came the blunt side, then came the blade, blue flames swirling in a beautiful tornado as they followed behind. Launching all three of them so hard they launched across the room and hit the wall. Briefly making them coalescence, as Aaron stood up on his two feet. He dropped to the samurai stance as he said,

“Come at me!”

Jill smiled, the EX-System ravenously storing away ki until it couldn’t hold any more. She leapt into the air, legs aflame as she twirled gracefully through the air. She extended her legs forward, arcs of electricity flying off her body as she put every last bit of stored ki into her next attack.

”Full Throttle Kick!”

She accelerated towards Aaron with astounding speed, spinning like a drill followed by a spiral of flame.

AC REMIX [Do You Remember

Aaron raised his blade and blocked the kick, sliding backwards as the intense flames singed his outfit. Eventually, he managed to come to a stop, but he was struggling against the full brunt of the attack. He was groaning, trying his damnest not to get pushed back even further - his blade heating up to the point it was glowing.

“I’m…. I’m not giving up here!” Aaron shouted, before he added a key line that would change everything. “... The FUTURE needs me!”

However, he started to lose ground again… he tried using all of his strength, including his paradox - yet that just wasn’t enough. He starting sliding faster and faster, until his guard was broken - he couldn’t hold his blade any longer and was launched backwards by the Justice Rider’s overwhelming kick! His eyes shot open as it hit him square in the chest, only being able to hold onto his blade for a second before it fell out of his hand. By the time the attack was over, he was launched away, stopping with a roll as his sword landed next to him.

“K.O! AARON SAYWER HAS BEEN DEFEATED BY JUUUUUUUUSTICE RIIIIDER JILL!”

Jill landed gracefully, coming down off the adrenaline, then staggered ever so slightly as she rose to her feet. She flipped the switch on her suit and powered down the EX-System, Pit Stop detaching from her armor as it faded away in a beautiful blue glow. She let out a sigh as she wiped the sweat off her forehead, her face pale for a moment before the color came back to it. She made sure to give Pit Stop a fist bump before she helped Aaron to his feet.

“That was some darn good fightin’ back there,” Jill smiled, offering up a handshake and Aaron accepted. “Hope I didn’t hit ya too hard!” She smiled, but it faded into a frown as she thought about the last moments of their fight. Nomads said crazy stuff all the time, but…

“Again, pardon me for prying…,” Jill’s voice was a little hushed, like she knew that maybe this was some kind of secret. “But what you said about the future back there, did that have somethin’ to do with why you needed the stone?”

“I…” Aaron stopped himself and continued. “I come from the future where a robotic being known as Oh-One has reached a sort of godhood using the power stones and decided to wipe out humanity.”

He sighed, “I came back in time to get the Power Stone in hopes of saving the future.”

“Oh!” Jill’s eyes lit up. “Just met a lady who was tellin’ me about that robot…” Jill frowned as she thought. Maybe Aaron was playing some kind of angle, but after their fight she didn’t think he was the kind of guy to lie to her like that. No one knew how to time travel yet, as far as she knew, and she couldn’t claim to understand it any more than sci-fi anime pretended to. She knew enough to keep it from hurting her head, but the thought of a bad future like that made her sad.

“It was probably Oh-Seven, or the Pariah…” Aaron said, “Both of them were killed in the future, however, so I couldn’t pick one out of a lineup.”

“Well,” Jill rolled the ideas around in her head, trying to find the silver lining. “I guess I don’t know if all that predestination theory junk is true or not, or if you’ll end up gettin’ that rock some other way… But as of today I already know who this Oh-One is and what he’s after, and I ain’t even seen him yet. Maybe you’ve already made a difference.” She smiled. Probably not the most convincing thing to say, but she chose to have faith in it.

“Maybe… I guess I’ll see in a minute,” Aaron said, as he turned away. He pulled out his sword and slashed at the air, creating a swirling blue portal into the future. He took a few steps into it, and looked back at Jill as he gave her his parting words with a smile, “If anything, I got to say I fought Jill Breicen herself!”

The portal closed and he disappeared. He left Jill with a lot on her mind… but she couldn’t help smiling back.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

---

World Fighting Carnival - Reception Room Bar.

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---

@Punished GN

Jill’s eyes went wide as Auri gave her a bombshell of info. An exposition, dump, even. She managed a quick and subtle glance around, looking for any SHINING staff that might have been trying to set this up. Nah, this was real. It didn’t feel appropriate, but she couldn’t help but start feeling excited again. A real adventure, a real fight, and Auri actually took her seriously enough to ask! The thought of being treated like a real hero was getting her revved up like no tomorrow. She opened her mouth to speak, practically ready to shout out how ready she was, but Auri grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down to the real world.

"Whoever wins or loses this tournament; I need your help to stop him. Because he seeks to "perfect" humanity... and God knows what that entails."

Jill slowed down and stared right back into her eyes. She took a deep breath and nodded.

”You can count on me.” Jill smiled, and gave a confident thumbs up. The kind you’d give for a friend, instead of the pose for TV kind.

Of course, her moment was interrupted by the sound of a boom. She turned her head back before looking all over the reception room. That wasn’t him, was it?

---

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@KremeSupreme

Isabella took one final breath of nicotine before he threw his cigarette on the ground, grinding it out under his boot. Neither Breicen sister was back yet, apparently the speakers now weren’t working at all, and he had half a mind to investigate these issues, even if it was just to see who to thank for canceling another worthless press show.

His eyes scanned the room as he walked towards the stage. His eyes momentarily settled on fellow SHINING agent Skyler Belsky, which prompted him to take a sip from his flask and move the fuck on before he got sucked into the typical vapid void of SHINING-brand ego. The second target of interest was standing so still that Isabella almost didn’t notice them, but as he got closer he knew something was off. His hair bristled as Leviathan recognized something that was no devil, but was not meant to be. He didn’t need the hint, though; he’d had enough “shows of good faith” involving cleaning up Horizon Frontiers’ occasional messes to recognize their stench in the air. He moved closer to the mock Rider, glancing sideways at him as he sized it up. When he was satisfied, he looked around for whoever was keeping an eye on their little toy. His eyes eventually landed on the mechanical bird up in the rafters. More than familiar with these kinds of surveillance tools, he stared it down, remaining silent. He knew better than to say anything: Horizon and the queen behind its throne weren’t the kind of people you wanted to mess with without a damn good reason.

But he could at least gain some satisfaction from posturing.

Of course, he was distracted by the sound of an explosion echoing through the reception room. Not too badly, but enough to break his gaze on the raven and his “fellow Rider.”

---

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@Zoey Boey

Rosie simply stood thoughtfully, taking note of the way Bea didn’t quite take the hat, as well as her rough hands. She again struck Rosie as someone who never had access to any of the finer luxuries in her short life, which was quite a shame. She was already feeling the parental urge to spoil, and might have done so in more accommodating circumstances.

Her young friend’s question froze Rosie in her tracks, which only gave itself away as a slight, considered pause. She put her beret back on and adjusted herself.

“Well, I suppose you could say I’m from around the Mediterranean, a rather religious community. I’ve been traveling away from it for quite a while though; I’ll have to admit I’m a bit older than I look.” A half-truth in a glass half empty sort of way, but it would do for now. Thankfully Bea seemed to be distracted enough by the chaos of the reception room, and changed course.

”Oh, shit- I’m not- I’m not buggin’ you, am I?” She asked with a smile, scratching the back of her head. ”It’s just, uh, I’m kinda here by myself until I ring up my family.”

Rosie laughed and shook her head.

“Heavens, no!” She smiled. “I have nothing better to do until the tournament, personally. But don’t let me keep you, either. If you want my advice, it wouldn’t hurt to scope out the competition. I suppose I’ve already given you a bit of a start, but-” She twirled her paintbrush around in her fingers until it disappeared in her bag, as if to illustrate her point, but it was thoroughly upstaged when an explosion rocked the reception hall. She gave a nonchalant glance in its direction, letting the wind of the blast wave run through her hair.

“Well, I suppose some are quite eager to show you themselves…” Rosie smiled. Of course, her smile slowly faded as it was overwritten by the type of concern unique to a parent.

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “But if your family is waiting on a call, you need to let them know you’re okay. Here…” The artist withdrew a sleek black cell phone in a case with a purple heart on it. She offered it to Bea, under the assumption that she might not have one of her own.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

---

World Fighting Carnival - Reception Room Bar.

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@Punished GN

Jill felt her face grow warm again as Auri very blatantly looked her up and down. Things seemed to go awkwardly silent. Literally, since someone finally cut the music.

Focus, Jill! She’s just sizing you up for the fight!

But it turned out that wasn’t going to happen, for unexpected reasons.

"Are you familiar with the genius known as Gérard Delacroix?"

”Boy am I!” The young Rider felt herself getting more fired up by the second. ”I’d say I’m his biggest fan! Couldn’t tell ya how happy I was when he showed up to give a lecture back when I was in college. The stuff he had to say about compact systems, autonomous decision-making, sustainable power cores, it all rocked my world somethin’ fierce! I tell ya, it’s not often you see an engineer so good at mechanics and software all at once, what I’d give to be half as good at either! Wouldn’t have finished Pit Stop without learnin’ the stuff he had to say…”

Jill continued to go on her extremely nerdy tangent, revved up and lost in admiration. She fancied herself a lot smarter than she looked, and as far as she was concerned, Delacroix made her go back to looking like a fool in comparison. It was some time before she found her way again, perhaps a bit too long for those who didn’t share her passion.

”But it really sucks we lost him so soon, gotta wonder what else a guy like that coulda come up with…” She paused, finally slowing back down. ”Ah, sorry! Guess my mind went on a bit of a detour… Say, why’d ya wanna know? If you don’t mind me askin’, anyways.”

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

---

The Reception Room.

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@Punished GN

Jill bobbed and weaved her way through the crowd with nervous ease. She felt boxed in, and found herself deeply preferring that she’d be out on the road right now, with tons of space and fresh air. Where could that girl have ran off to? She sure had a knack for getting in trouble-

The wayward rider’s train of thought came to an abrupt stop as she collided with another woman. She gasped, stumbled back a bit, and blushed. Partially because she was so embarrassed about not even looking where she was going, and partially because this lady was, by her estimation, rather pretty! Jill successfully managed to cram every awkward feeling into an out of the way corner of her mind as she watched her biggest fan get excited. She shook her hand with the kind of casual handshaking expertise you had to practice for.

“Pleased to meet’cha, Auri!” Jill smiled. “But I guess you already know me, huh? Pretty cool that I might see a friendly face in the ring!”

---

Jasmine had only a sigh to offer up in response. There was probably some really deep thought to be had about the hedgehog’s dilemma, but she wasn’t in the mood to finish it. Beelzebub flapped over and said something completely unintelligible through a mouthful of chicken; meat, bones, wrappers and all.

“Yeah,” Jasmine said. “At least I got that signature.” The Prince of Gluttony swallowed. He had already eaten at least three times the volume of his entire body, and still maintained the same amount of fuzzy pudge.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll see ‘im again sooner or later.” Beelzebub stopped to lick his lips clean. “Say, I know what’ll cheer ya up! Y’never got one a them hot dogs!” Jasmine shrugged and called out her bizarre little order, pulling another energy drink from her pack.

---

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@Zoey Boey

Rosie could tell that she hit a nerve. It was understandable, especially at Bea’s age. Though the devil had long since embraced the winds of change as a way of life, that wasn’t always the case, and she could recognize the curse of uncertainty.

Still, she said nothing, only smiling and occasionally nodding understandingly. The thing about growing up is there aren’t any magic words you can say to make it happen. At least, not right away. Bea definitely had a good head on her shoulders if she didn’t trust the Power Stones, at least. As far as Rosie was concerned, those things were poison. Always best to hand the hot potato off to someone else before any of the major players even knew you had it. Preferably for a tidy sum, if possible.

Beatriz, for her part, picked a fantastic change of subject: Her beloved hat.

“Oh, this?” She took the article off its perch so Bea might have a better look at it. “It’s called a beret. You don’t necessarily need to be an artist to wear them, but I suppose it suits the image.”

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

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@Zoey Boey

Rosie shook Bea’s hand with gentle enthusiasm.

“Rosier Levai,” She smiled. “But you can call me Rosie. And don’t mind the help, it’s the least I could do.” She paused, putting a hand to her chin as she tried to figure out the best way to summarize her situation to someone who had no idea who or what she was. Not that she was afraid of coming out, but it was a big room and she wanted to stay low profile. She could always lie, as easily as she breathed, but Bea was already endearing enough to merit at least a half-truth. A glaring omission of information, even.

“I suppose you could say I don’t spend much time around this side of the scene,” She said with a frown. “I’m usually fighting to pay the bills and support my artistic pursuits. But I’ve been talking with some old friends of mine, and they’ve convinced me to throw my hat in the ring this time. I have to admit, I’m quite interested to see what kind of people are showing up for it these days.” She smiled, and looked back down at Beatriz.

“Speaking of which, what brings such a young spirit into such a big tournament? Fame? Fortune? Perhaps even the stone?”

---

@Drag

Jasmine smiled, a mixture of pride and embarrassment as Lucas read off some of the names on her board. She’d certainly had a few phases. She could tell she was kinda vibing with this guy. Most Nomads were insecure as hell, sure, but in the in-your-face, please-acknowledge-how-powerful-I-am-because-I-can’t-find-validation-anywhere-else sort of way. Lucas just seemed eager to talk about stuff.

And then he asked her her name again. And if she was competing.

“Oh, sorry,” Jasmine’s usual disaffected demeanor started to creep back in. “Jasmine Breicen. I’m not, like, fighting or anything. I only got stuck with the whole magical girl schtick because of some shit from my mom’s side of the family. I’m just sort of tagging along for...” She trailed off and her gaze drifted towards Beelzebub, who was taking full advantage of the bar and buffet meant for people actually competing as his coal-colored gut swelled with a continuous stream of everything the servers could throw at him.

Why was Jasmine here? Because this was a big career opportunity for her sister? Because the two of them hadn’t gotten a chance to really talk ever since she started doing the whole Justice Rider thing? Because it was a good escape from the monotony of college education? Because it was a good escape from the fact that she still had no idea what she wanted to do with her life? These were possible answers that were less being clearly raised in her mind and more swirling around and mixing together like a depressing miasma.

“Uh, just tagging along for now, I guess.”