CROWNLESS (IC)

[Kirby]

Kyra Kyanos
High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

"Thanks, Aisha. Remind me to get you something once we get back. And don't be mad at Byron. It's not easy being a scaredy-cat~"

Byron sputters, lost for words, and turns back to the railings with a huff. His face flushes a little as you pat him on the shoulder, though he pretends not to notice. Aisha stifles her laugh behind her hand, and watches you as you balance precariously on the railings. You remember, how they freaked out the first few times you pulled this stunt, but now they don’t even bat an eye. They knew you wouldn’t fall.

The boy looks over the edge, his expression not quite a smirk, not quite a smile— an expression of wistfulness.

“We’ll make it here some day.” He stares off into the distance. “Us— all of us.” Aisha tosses another can of soda, this time at him. He catches it before it falls off the railing. “And I ain’t bullshitting with this. It’s not a dream or fantasy. We really will make it up here.” His face is steeled, a face of determination and resolve. “Mr. Kruger’s giving us better jobs nowadays, and we can only go up from here. We’ll make it to the top, like him and those before him.”

Aisha snorts. “Y’know we’ll never be more than street rats to guys like him, right? Blood Front’s nothing more than a plaything to those Empire freaks.” She shrugs. “And we’re better off like this. ‘The tallest tree’s the first the meet the scythe’, and shit like that, y’know?”

He looks upset, but doesn’t respond. He doesn't get to, anyway.

“AH!”

They reflexively turn, as you yelp, expression of alarm and fear. They calm down as you regain your balance, though Byron still looks like he’s on edge.

"A courier...? This time of the day? Somebody's waiting for a package at Pharos, huh...?"

Aisha freezes, and then puts her hand to her chin. She looks confused.

“I— wait. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Byron perks up. “Are you sure it’s the Pharos? Isn’t it supposed to be closed down, or something?”

She nods, pensively. “Yeah, it is. There’s some huge event there, the whole block’s closed off, swarming with security and shit. There shouldn’t even be anyone there to deliver to. I mean, the party’s just on the lower levels, right? If there’s a package that needs delivering, they could just do it there, rather from the roofs. If I remember correctly, it’s—” She starts to look nervous. “A Purist event.”

A deadened silence. The implication sinks in.

[Verg Avesta]

Kyra Kyanos
High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

“Yeah, it is. There’s some huge event there, the whole block’s closed off, swarming with security and shit. There shouldn’t even be anyone there to deliver to. I mean, the party’s just on the lower levels, right? If there’s a package that needs delivering, they could just do it there, rather from the roofs. If I remember correctly, it’s— A Purist event.”

Kyra bit her thumb as she watched the journey of the silvery glint, getting slowly closer to the Pharos building. Her friends were right. The more she thought about it, the less the whole thing made sense; even if she wasn't always the brightest tool in the shed, and was the first one to admit as much, even Kyra could see that much. A package delivered during a high-class event of dangerous people, in secrecy, to a part of a building that was completely abandoned during said event. Everything about that smelled fishy. Even if she really didn't know what fishes smelled like. The point of the matter was still that something very suspicious was going, and it was being done via the hands of a courier who probably did not know anything.

"No way..." Kyra mumbled to herself, zipping up her hoodie.

Immediately, terrifying images began to play in her head. A shady deal meant to further the suspicious agendas of people like the purists. Or perhaps a deal that was supposed to cast them in a suspicious light and be found out, so that blame could be shifted elsewhere? Or... or a bomb! Maybe someone wanted to blow the building up, taking the purists with them. But even that had two sides. If someone wanted to frame the enemies of the purists, they could just blow up the bomb and blame terrorists.

And worst of all, innocent people like Aisha and Byron.

"Using couriers to conduct shady operations..." Kyra mumbled as she fastened her odd, mechanical, fingerless gloves. "... Unforgivable!"

Then there was the fact that if it turned out to be a bomb or some other kind of dangerous thing, couriers would be among the first people to be blamed. After all, they never asked questions or peeked into their packages in the name of customer confidentiality. But in situations like this, it was a double-edged sword. If a courier carried something dangerous, it would be blamed on them regardless. And Kyra had hard enough time as it was to find jobs. She didn't need another thing to complicate it... not to mention it would sully the names of her and all her comrades-in-arms-carrying-packages.

Finally, a last bit of stray thought hit Kyra. If this mysterious package was carried by the rooftops, was that the reason it had been so easy to access this place? Could it be that they still hadn't been spotted because...?

"Aisha, Byron, listen to me," Kyra said, turning to face the other girl. "You two need to get outta here. If my hunch is right, things could get really ugly, and you don't want to be found here when that happens. A package like that knows only trouble. For couriers, for people in wrong places at wrong times... and for those who big shots can just sweep under the rug without a care. Go back, alert all you can, and stay on your toes the whole night. Somehow... I just have this lump in my stomach that tonight's gonna be something big."

Then, with a whisper, she added.

"... Something bad."

Turning back to the railing, Kyra kicked away her sneakers, letting them fall off the edge of the railing. The shoes fell long and far, disappearing into the city that stretched below them. Now that she was almost bare-footed, the heel-covering boots that left her toes exposed were completely visible. Armed in both hands and feet in similar fashion, Kyra stretched a bit, took aim at the silvery glint that was now rather far away, and took a deep breath. She felt the rush of oxygen in her lungs, and immediately, her body felt energized. It was just a warm-up, nothing more. But now that she had a goal, she felt like a jolt of pure energy had been shot into her heart.

"And I'm gonna see if I can stop that 'something' before it turns 'bad'," Kyra spoke, staring into the distance, stretching her arms. "A problem of one courier is the problem of all the couriers. We all share a responsibility... and I'm not gonna let this turn into some disaster which gets us all spat upon!"

Impulsive, yes. But that was how she was known as. A bit naive, a bit bullheaded, but definitely acting with all of her heart. The instant she had recognized the problem with the scene, the oddity and the alarming implications it had, Kyra had not thought about getting out of there... she had thought about how she could fix it. Thus, without hesitation, she jumped back up, balancing herself on the railing...


------------ And took a step forward, into the empty air.



"Oh yeah, and Aisha?" Kyra said, turning around on one leg as she began to fall. "Take care of Byron, you hear? Or I'm gonna be really cross with you!"

Then, disappearing from the sight, Kyra Kyanos fell from the rooftop, hands spread out like an eagle and with her back facing the ground far below her.

About half a second later, there was a piercing, concentrated sound of conflagration as four beams of fire struck the air. Another half a second later, Kyra Kyanos rose back over the edge of rooftop, spinning around and thus gaining new heading. The booster armament in her hands and legs gave bluish-hued flares of jet propulsion, sending the tanned girl into a flight over the city. She was a rocket-powered swallow, her hands and legs spitting fire, as she cut across the sky, heading to the direction where trouble was a-brewing.

In other words, Kyra Kyanos took to the skies, and targeted the silvery glint of a person running with the package.

[Janx]

Tyra Langdon
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

It seemed Marcus had already found a distraction before Tyra could reach the bar. That was easier than she expected. She was probably free now to do as she pleased, as long she returned to him by the end of the night. Then again, depending how lucky he got with that other woman perhaps even that would be unnecessary.

Making her way towards the bar, she catches a man gawking at her. Not that such an event is irregular, but he seems particularly fascinated. He’s clearly not used to such parties, his suit is ill fitting and he has already rolled up the sleeves. Unlike Marcus, he seems to be young and new to these sorts of things, and humble enough not to try and hide it.

Yes, he will make a good start to the evening. The cutie even has drinks for two.

Acting as if completely taken by his glance, Tyra gives him a small blush and a sweet smile. She beckons him with a mechanical digit before turning her back to him and moving through the crowds with an exaggerated, though gentle, sway of her hips.

She makes her way to a railing overlooking the courtyard. Looking out upon the people still arriving, as if suddenly being distracted from her prey, though she has little doubt that he’ll be here with some dorky pick-up line shortly.

[Lace]

Rose Lewith
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

It didn't take long until Rose became self-conscious about having both both hands on her purse, taking her left hand off it.. which she then laid upon her curly hair strands, beginning to stroke them with her index and forefinger, as if she was going from one habit born out of nervousness to another. While doing this, she obviously took notice of the young man who obviously took notice of her during their brief eye contact. Something about him was intriguing enough to arouse her interest. Maybe it was because he didn't seem to remain one bit ambiguous about approaching her. Maybe it was because he looked hilariously serious and still flippant while doing so. Talking to him probably wouldn't result in the reveal of any big information, but it would certainly amuse her enough to feel more welcome at the event, Rose was sure of it. As he spoke his first words to her, she held up her hair strands with both of her fingers, trying to get a clearer view through eyeing him from the side.

"My friends always say my alcohol tolerance is way too high to ever have any fun. I guess a little drink will help me lighten up without causing too much harm."

Swiftly, her hand let go of her hair strands, resulting in them falling right back to their intended curly state. As she moved closer to the stranger, she now held it out as invitation to introduce himself.

"Rose Montgomery. It's my commandment not to talk to unfamiliar men, but after being left high and dry by my date: screw that. I'll have fun tonight and nothing can stop me, not even myself."

This should serve well enough for a self-introduction. A cheeky smile spread on her face and she raised her voice for the barman.

"One Mojito for me, please."

She recognized the author's name but chose to not pursue further conversation about it. Just because she was trying to find some enjoyment in the situation didn't mean she was free from work. Whether she was able to gain knowledge out of this man could only show itself through trying. Although she wanted it to be that way, it was way too early to tell that he wasn't a sketchy one.

"How come you're at this event? Not to step on anyone's toe, but you don't seem like most Nobles to me."

[Bloble]

Frederick Fontaine
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

"How come you're at this event? Not to step on anyone's toe, but you don't seem like most Nobles to me."

She's a smart one after all. This is even better. Most Nobles are too proud to feign smallness. Humility is to them an anti-drug. But she's good enough to go past that.

Rather than taking Rose's hand, Fontaine sneaks around. His glass clinks against the Mojito she ordered, a much more intimate greeting. She's one of those whose beauty is in the change, he realizes. It's not her smile that gets him; it's how she pulls it out of nowhere, as if daring the world to stop her. Her hair isn't just curly, it moves and breaths and has a life of its own.

"That's a compliment and a half," he replies. "And I don't much deserve it. The name's Felix Leiter." If she knows Fleming she'll know it's a fake, and Fontaine's perfectly fine with that.

Fontaine gestures with his glass. There's only one huge ice cube in the center, cooling the small amount of water surrounding it, slowly melting in the process. What'll he tell her? Whatever he doesn't care to part with, probably. In a way, it's best that he leave his mark. Some try to go through everything hidden, but he works for something bigger, that needs a bit of exposure to keep its reputation up.

"As for why I'm here... well, since you were so nice about it: same reason most everyone else is, Rose. Playing the Game. Meeting people. Making connections, doing favours and cashing 'em. Playing the game long and short. Dirty stuff. Boring stuff." It's all true, too. In fact, since she asked, he'll blow the top off the whole charade. He's been holding back some words anyway. "But Nobles have been doing this for years. We've figured out the kinks. Made it easier. Organized 'parties' and 'gatherings' as an excuse to get everyone together and scheming in one place. Threw in some drink to make it all go down easier. Put the stuff you don't wanna see in the middle of stuff you do wanna see. Example: I don't much like Holmwood, but you're a sight for sore eyes."

Fontaine likes her philosophy. Most people never consider that maybe they're the ones ruining their own day. Rose knows she's nervous and doesn't fit in, but she's giving herself the finger and coming here anyway. Yeah, he decides. She's a good one, too.

"We've both been hung out to dry by our plus ones. So how we step on their toes?"

[Lace]

"Wow.. That's, uh.. a surprisingly sincere response."

This was turning out to go an interesting path. Straight out saying that the young man's business is shady made him surprisingly not seem less trustworthy. If anything, being honest about it was more to her liking than trying to act like he was oblivious to the act around him, which was funnily enough exactly what Rose was doing. Obviously he'd turn his words in a way to flatter her, something that she expected from the first second of seeing him - but that didn't make his statement lose meaning. He knew that she knew that this was just a farce, without judging her for taking part in it. After all, he directly stated that he was taking part in this scheme at that very moment.

"We've both been hung out to dry by our plus ones. So how we step on their toes?"

"I honestly don't know. Meeting a charmer was one of the things I'd least prepared myself for. This might sound dull, but isn't enjoying this conversation while they're off doing something most likely less enjoyable already one-upping them? We don't even have to try hard to make them the ones missing out."

Her eyes were stuck to the glass in front of her. She tried to confront him with as much honesty as he did, which made lying only harder. There was no one she was one-upping, there was off doing something less enjoyable. If she wasn't on duty she could engage in this little flirt without holding back. But she was. Rose raised her head and looked the man into the eyes with as much sincerity as she could bring up in this situation.

"I don't think this is just the regular dirty stuff. Something about this event is particularly unsettling and I want to know how much of that falls under Mr. Holmwood's intentions."

Immediately after finishing her sentence, Rose held her hand in front of her mouth and laughed embarrassed. She said exactly what she wanted to, but couldn't afford to completely break out of character just yet. Some ambiguity had to remain about the woman named Montgomery.

"What am I doing, saying all that to much someone I just met a short while ago."

[Velyoukai]

Hans Krulmich
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

To his momentary embarrassment, the object of his gawking actually recognized his actions, though from the smile and beckoning she gave him, he doubted it had been for accurate reasons. After watching her admittedly entrancing exit, Hans snapped out of his stupor just in time to prevent his glasses of wine from slipping from his hands.

Really, just flat out ogling a woman like that just because she had the most amazing integration work done between shoulder and torso, to the point that he wondered if the biomech plating went so far as to augment or replace her shoulder blades in order to better support the strain that the arms could go through; furthermore, the ease and elegance that she had been able to put into that finger motion had been astoundingly smooth, to the point that if not for his Crest agitating behind his eyes, Hans would have mistaken the motion for one made by complete flesh and bone.

A polite cough from another waiter broke his second near-trance, prompting Hans to flush and hurry after the beckoning woman. Even if he was still a little bit ensnared in the beauty of her prosthetic integration, that was no reason for a man his age to be gawking at a young woman like her. The least he owed her was a proper apology for any embarrassment he might've caused her.

Following her out to yet another outside terrace, a proper courtyard this time around, Hans shuffled his feet for a moment before approaching her and clearing his throat.

"Pardon me, Miss." He offered her his second glass of wine. If he ran into Gabrielli again before finding a waiter, then his sponsor could just have his glass. "I just wanted to apologize if my staring bothered you at all. I just wasn't expecting to see such a refined quality of elegance such as yours in a place like this. You really caught me off guard!"

[Rafflesiac]

Rowan Mercury
High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

A single glint of light at the edge of my vision. It could just be an airship fluttering by, a toy launched into the sky by a drunken reveler. It’s probably nothing.

But every instinct I have screams at me to turn my head.

“What... the hell?”

Someone is flying. Unlike me, they’re not faking it; this is genuine, self-propelled flight. Fire shoots from her hands and feet, transforming her into a shining star.

A star that is heading straight for me!

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Who is that, anyways? A rival trying to steal my job and get the deposit? Someone I ran afoul of without realizing it? Whoever she is, there are two things that are important. The first is that she definitely has the advantage in maneuverability and speed with this terrain.

The second is that I can’t let her interfere.

I land on a rooftop, legs sucking every last bit of energy I have as they shove against the concrete and steel, forging the familiar rhythm of motion, surpassing speed to launch me to my destination. I reach the edge of the roof, hands swept down to brush its edge.

With a twitch of my thumbs, short bursts of water fire from my wrists as I leap.

The wind hits harder as I accelerate, and I cut through it like a champion runner as I streak toward my goal. Land, fire, leap. I can’t profligately fling my supply like that woman can - but any amount of speed is better!

If people chase me, I just have to run faster! If someone tries to catch me, all I need to do is evade!

Above all else, I need to finish the job and get away!

[Verg Avesta]

Kyra Kyanos
High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

"Wait, whaaaat?"

Kyra's eyes widened in disbelief as her target picked up his speed. Now there was no question about it. The other Courier must've been an Esper. There was no way for a normal human to achieve such speeds, or make such long jumps that it would take him from rooftop to another. Wind whistling in her ears, Kyra bit her lower lip and squinted her eyes. She was trying to gauge if her speed would allow her to keep up with him before they reached Pharos. However, at the rate they were going with, it was a bit doubtful. Therefore, she would have to do something before things escalated into a full-blown catastrophe, as she feared.

That being said, Kyra couldn't blame the guy from running faster. Even she would have increased speed if she saw some unknown person with personal flight equipment barreling down from the sky, clearly after her. It wasn't a matter of being guilty or not, it was just normal human behavior in the face of something threatening.

Still, she did also want to yell out to the guy for being such a stupid-head and making things more difficult.

"Here goes, then!" Kyra instead said to herself, and pressed the buttons in her gloves, right between her thumbs and index fingers.

Immediately, the flames that had been flickering semi-blue-hued before became brilliant sapphire-like fountains of fire that propelled the girl forward. The burst in speed was immediately noticeable, and Kyra started gaining upon the guy thanks to her newfound speed and much easier route. Whereas the guy she was chasing had to actually jump and climb, she could take a straight path to the where she needed to go. In her mind, Kyra made a mental note to give her gadgeteer-friend a big hug next time. While WELKIN 2KY-D42H Set was perfectly fine when it came to ordinary courier work, sometimes you needed a little boost. And that's why hers had been modified into the state they were known today.

Dual Desperado Dash - 3D

"Heeeeeeeyyyyy!" Kyra yelled out as she got closer to the guy, enough at least that he could hear her voice. "Stooooop! Ehm, sorry, but! But! If you don't stop right now, you could be in big trouble, you know!? All couriers could suffer from it! So, could you at least stop for a moment and talk!?"

Realizing how her words must've sounded, Kyra hurried to shout again.

"O-oh, don't worry! I'm not a bad guy, honest!" she continued. "I'm a courier, like you! So, can you at least stop and talk?? Something really, super, mega bad might go down if you take that package to Pharos!"

[Janx]

Tyra Langdon

Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

"I just wanted to apologize if my staring bothered you at all. I just wasn't expecting to see such a refined quality of elegance such as yours in a place like this. You really caught me off guard!"

Tyra turns to him and gives a small smile as a light blush comes to her cheeks. It was not quite the line she was expecting. While crude, it had such an innocence to it that she found enticing. While seemingly intelligent, he clearly wasn’t used to talking to women. Had he ever been with one? Perhaps she’d find out.

“Perish the thought,” she says as she grabs the wine glass and takes a small sip, “I wouldn’t have beckoned you over to deride you for gazing. Rather it is quite refreshing to meet a handsome young man with such a tasteful eye. I am Laura MacDonald, and you are?”

[Rafflesiac]

Rowan Mercury
High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

She can go faster!?

Crap, this is bad! This is beyond bad! I’ve definitely got to find a way out of this kind of situation for later on! Wait, I need to find a way out of this situation now! But what do I do? There’s no cover up here, and she’s gaining faster than I can run!

"Heeeeeeeyyyyy! Stooooop! Ehm, sorry, but! But! If you don't stop right now, you could be in big trouble, you know!? All couriers could suffer from it! So, could you at least stop for a moment and talk!?"

All couriers? What is she talking about here? And I’ll be in big trouble if I don’t finish this job! But she seems pretty concerned; maybe there’s something larger going on here I don’t know about. Still...

"O-oh, don't worry! I'm not a bad guy, honest!

Hey, don’t make that face! I’m not a bad guy, honest!

Hands reaching for me, sliding along me, holding me down-

I shake my head and clench my hands so hard they bleed, and the images go away.

I'm a courier, like you!"

Another courier? She’s a rival, then.

Don’t be fooled. Live life for yourself, keep running no matter what anyone says. Finish the job, keep running, get a new job, finish that. Keep your head down. Trust no one.

At this rate she’ll catch up. If running won’t work-

Aqua Barrage!

Then I’ll drive her away!

My arms sweep back as I run, and a hail of watery bullets fly toward the enemy.

[Velyoukai]

Hans Krulmich
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria

Evening

Young man? Hans felt his lips twitch upwards at the unexpected compliment. It'd been a long time since he'd been referred to by that phrase by anybody as young as Lady MacDonald. After a moment's thought, he decided he liked it.

"Thank you very much. It's a real pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady MacDonald." Remembering a flicker of years-lost manners, Hans gently grabbed her free hand and lifted it to press his lips against it. He pointedly ignored the taste of smooth biotech and the restlessness behind his eyes. "Doctor Hans Krulmich, at your mercy. I hope you don't find me too rude to ask, but..."

Hans cleared his throat and awkwardly trucked ahead. He'd already driven himself too forward with his curiosity to stop now, especially with her admittedly amazingly smooth hand that was just as fluid in touch and motion as any hand of flesh. To what degree did her fine motor control extend? She seemed very sophisticated, giving off that aura of elegance and class, without the overt judgment easily found in the eyes of most of the other party-goers. And with a pair like that, more so if the way she walked suggested what he thought it did, she probably wasn't too much—

Stop gushing and start talking, Hans! Flushing a bit again, he nodded. "Sorry; I got lost a bit. I was just wondering what brought you to a party like this? It all seems a little...bland, if I had to put it to words?"

[Verg Avesta]

Kyra Kyanos
High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

Nnnngghh! Why isn't that poopy-head stopping?? Kyra complained in her mind. I'm even asking politely and all! Not even looking at me, or answering at all... that's super rude! So he's super-rude-poopy-head!

Still holding her speed, Kyra swooped ever closer to the running, silver-haired courier. As she did, her eyes scanned the city ahead of her, making sure she would dodge any approaching bridge or a building ahead of time. She didn't want to get hurt as she chased the young man, even less by something silly as smacking straight into a billboard. That had happened to her once. Her head rang for a whole week afterwards, and her Abuela never stopped reminding her about it. Well, not until she had...

"Eh?"

The sudden whistling sound in the air shook Kyra off from her thoughts, but too late. She saw only a glimpse of the approaching attack, the watery bullets piercing the air in order to get to her. There was no time to dodge or roll out of the way. She had been too concentrated in her thoughts to realize that the other courier might have actually attacked her. In fact, such a possibility hadn't even occurred to her. Weren't they in the same job? Why on earth would he attack her!?

"Eeeeeek!" managing to let out nothing but a yelping shriek of surprise, Kyra managed to raise her arms to protect her face as the hail of water projectiles fell upon her.

[Janx]

Tyra Langdon

Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

Tyra blinked in amazement as he took her hand and kissed it. It was not so much the act of chivalry that impressed her, but rather his apparant ignorance to the mechanical nature of the limb. Most men either found them repulsive or intimidating, at least until she showed them what they could do.

He may not have realized it, but Hans had a scored more points than the typical hand kiss would receive. Maybe she should have given him her real name after all. Though Lady Langdon didn’t quite have the same ring to it.

"Sorry; I got lost a bit. I was just wondering what brought you to a party like this? It all seems a little...bland, if I had to put it to words?"

“It is no problem, Dr. Krulmich,” She gives a small giggle at his pause; he was going to be fun. “An…associate of mine desired my company for the evening” she glances in his direction, making sure he was still busy, but does not otherwise draw Hans’ attention to Marcus. She wanted his attention on her. “But he seems to have wandered off and found someone…more to his liking. It is no matter, he, like this party, is a bit…bland as you put it.”

Tyra gently leans back against the railing, “It is a bit astounding how people deify events such as this. They watch it on the news, read reports, and idolize all the big names that appear. Yet for those of us actually here it does seem a bit... dry and stuffy. I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side.”

Where had that come from? She was actually surprised how swiftly she’d come to that realization. Mere moments ago she was excited to finally be at something like this. Now she’d ditched the person who represented it, for a man who seemed more in tune with where she came from. Curious…

Another sip of her glass lets her hide her moment of introspection, “What about you, Doctor? You definitely appear to…stand out here.”

[Velyoukai]

Hans Krulmich
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

Another bored soul suffering in the dead party, but it brightened Hans' evening to see his conversation partners be comfortable. Felix's laughter had been a good reward, and now Lady MacDonald's willingness to let down her airs and relax a bit in his presence continued his good cheer. After the nervousness he'd suffered earlier in Gabrielli's car and the tenseness that seemed to emanate from the crowd of upper class citizens, as well as the reactions his Crest had gone through to Felix and now Lady MacDonald's touch, Hans was more than happy to bask in any positivity he could for the moment.

At the Lady's question, however, his good cheer turned to an abashed chuckle.

"Ah, that. Well, I mostly do my work out among the bungalows, so you're right about this not being my type of crowd." Hans smiled and took another drink, feeling the start of tipsiness sinking in. His contentedness returned, easing his tongue and mouth. Felix's warnings came to mind, but he put them out of sight. Too dreary a business to worry about. "To be honest, I'm only here because I healed a woman of her Blighted status. Her father was so thankful he dressed me up and forced me here, hah. I'd most likely be in my office, tending to somebody right now, if not for Mr. Gabrielli's insistence."

After a moment, Hans shook away his brief bout of wistfulness and laughed. "But I did manage to meet some nice people here, you in particular, Lady MacDonald. So that's the plus I'll get from a night like this. A rare example of true beauty from an otherwise unpleasant pack."

[Janx]

Tyra Langdon

Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

A medical doctor. Yes she could see it. Intelligent and a bit unused to being in public, but not nerdy enough to be a computer person, nor ranting about his field enough to be one of those scholarly ones. It also explained the ease he exhibited with her prosthetics. Perhaps there’d be more than just fun from meeting Hans. Knowing a good doctor was very important for an Esper.

“My my, such a charmer,” Tyra can’t help but giggle into her hand at his constant admiration, “Surely such a kind, successful young man such as yourself has himself a significant other. I hope I am not going to get you in hot water, am I?”

In truth she doubted he did. If his general demeanor didn’t give it away, the lack of ring or accompaniment did. Still, it was always good to check such things, and it tended to get shy, humble responses out of men.

[Velyoukai]

Hans Krulmich
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

"Ah..."

Hans' smile dimmed just slightly, though he laughed again and ran his hand through his hair to try and hide it. Much as he was enjoying the Lady's company, her words struck a chord within him. A significant other brought flashes of memories through his thoughts, of successes and failures, of lessons learned and a favor granted to someone he knew he would never be able to save. Beyond those, several other faces sped through his mind, each permanently burned into his memory thanks to the improvements he'd learned from them. So many who had come to him for help, and for all those he'd been able to save, so many more that had been consumed by their frailness in the end.

Outside his control, the Jaws of Eden threatened to flood his mouth with saliva.

A second later, Hans swallowed and renewed his smile at Lady MacDonald. "Actually, I used to be married, but that's in the past, really. All I really live for are my patients nowadays. I'm sorry for such a boring answer. I'm sure you were more interested in somebody with more to tell."

[Bloble]

Frederick Fontaine
Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

She's a curious one.

"I honestly don't know. Meeting a charmer was one of the things I'd least prepared myself for. This might sound dull, but isn't enjoying this conversation while they're off doing something most likely less enjoyable already one-upping them? We don't even have to try hard to make them the ones missing out."

Ah. She's worried. Doesn't want to rush into something dumb. A good state of mind to have. Luckily, that's also what Fontaine has in mind. Fifteen minutes is enough for one interesting conversation and little else, even for a spy of the caliber he wants to be.

"Not a problem," he says. "There's fun, and there's fun. Calling me a charmer, though... suppose I'm flattered."

"I don't think this is just the regular dirty stuff. Something about this event is particularly unsettling and I want to know how much of that falls under Mr. Holmwood's intentions."

"What am I doing, saying all that to much someone I just met a short while ago."

There it is. She's definitely curious. Unabashedly so. And yet, wasn't talking to any of the Nobles or engrossed in any active business. An outsider, like Fontaine. Like the doctor. But she wants to know. Or does she need to know? In any case, she's a kindred spirit of sorts. Brimming with curiosity and a desire to understand. There's a light in her eyes that hasn't gone out yet.

"Well, it isn't smart." It's a biting remark delivered gently. Fontaine doesn't have to help her, but he doesn't have much of a reason not to. Maybe it's because she has a nice smile. More likely that she's obviously not one of the Purifiers Holmwood is so proud of. An enemy of an enemy. "But you chose the right time to say it. Holmwood's the center of the ball, but my business happens to be incidental to his being here. He could not show up at all, and it wouldn't matter."

It's true, and he has no shame in admitting it. Fontaine's a messenger. He's got the authority of a King behind him, and no time to waste on corrupt businessmen. Miss Fleming is the one seeking out WUYA's help, not the other way around. He's not the one sweating and in need of service: she is. He takes a drink. The chilled water quenches his thirst and dulls the building heat.

"There are plenty of people here," Fontaine continues lazily, staring with lidded eyes and a knowing half-smile at the too-curious Rose Montgomery. "With their eyes on Mr. Holmwood and his unsettling 'business'. And it's them you want to be watching when the man of the night arrives; they won't be looking at anyone else."

[Kirby]

High Rise Rooftops, Upper Alexandria
Evening

Kyra Kyanos— HP: 140/140 | AP: 80/80 | BP: 0/1000
Rowan Mercury— HP: 120/120 | AP: 120/120 | BP: 0/1000

Combat Phase: Turn 1

Actions

Rowan: Crest Skill, Crest Skill
Kyra: Activate Equip, Block (Arms)

Check!

(110 + 10 + 18) vs (85 + 10 + 20)138 vs 115
Rowan success

She’s fast, but he’s faster.

She isn’t sure how he does it, but she can’t keep up with his speed, a speed beyond anything she’d ever seen before. Even with her flight, her machine-powered boosters, he’s still faster than her, nearly invisible to the naked eye. He picks up speed, and the gap between them begins to increase. He’s almost at his destination, now.

From the distance, she can see him shoot a hail of water.

She’s too far away, and they don’t seem to be effective at range. She raises her arms, a reflexive instinct for an attack she couldn’t have known was coming.

Check!

((10 + 50)/2 + 5) vs (115/2 + 10))35 vs 68
Attack misses

And yet, at the speed he’s going at, he hadn’t the ability to aim his shots, and the bullets of water miss her entirely, though she can hear them, a shrill, howling as she passes by the shots that sends chills down her spine. At their current speed, impacting one of these shots head on could very much be lethal, even if it was just water.

The Pharos is close-by, now, and the courier is almost at his destination. And he shows no signs of stopping.

Kyra Kyanos— HP: 140/140 | AP: 80/80 | BP: 0/1000
Rowan Mercury— HP: 120/120 | AP: 110/120 | BP: 27/1000

Turn 2 Initiative:
Rowan
Kyra

[Janx]

Tyra Langdon

Pharos Tower Lobby, Upper Alexandria
Evening

“I…oh…” Tyra hadn’t predicted that. He seemed so young, the option of widower seemed completely out of the window. While it was possible they had married young, it seemed more likely he was older than he appeared. A concept not unfamiliar to her.

She hugs him around the neck and pulls herself to him as she tries to look up at him empathetically, “You have no reason to be sorry. Life is full of its pleasantries and tragedies.”

While she was here to have fun, his sorrow resonated with her deeply. Despite Tyra’s reputation at times, there was indeed still a normal human heart beating in her chest. She looks off to the side, unsure of what she says being polite, “I too have lost who I loved…the same day I lost these arms.”

Those arms, however, were also a reminder. Though she did not express it, she wondered if this man was some sort of trap. Cute, interested, full of compliments, and even having a sympathetic backstory. He was also the one who initiated their little meeting. She wanted to think she was just being paranoid. She didn’t have anyone out to kill her at the moment, from what she knew. Still, part of her still nagged at her to be cautious.