A Tale of Regrets

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FrozenTear

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Note that the first post is reserved for links and Arc summaries.

OOC: For Signing ups and information on the RP.

Current Arc: Arc 1 ~ A Tale of Second Chances ~

Active Roster:
Player - Character
ERode - Huo Ying Yue
Huntress - Cassandra "Cassie/Cass" Brighton
Bone Hurting Juice - Nils Olsen
 
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Death.

Death came for all.

He rode upon a pale horse, holding his scythe on one hand while the other ushered Hades upon the world. She sat upon her umbra throne, her empty eyes gaze upon those who came before her as she held an hourglass. It was a beast, holding a scale as it judged the dead – and it placed a feather to seek out the worthy and to weed out the wretched. The rich and the poor; the young and the old; the faithful and the faithless.

Death came for all.

But for some reason, not you.

The young Asian woman that was discovered in a bloody carpet roll; the tough angry lass that fought off a beast consuming her; the thin youth that was brought back the instant he was struck dead.

You did not have a close encounter with Death. You collided with Death. And for some reason, Death not only gracefully allowed you to live. To be more specific, Death gave you the gift of a second Life… and something more. Ever since your return as one of the living, you have honed your gifts. It had always been up to you on how you use them and your second lease in life.

Today, however, you could feel a dark cloud hanging over you. It was like a shadow – creeping unto you before you could notice. Now, you could feel a pressure on your chest and your heart as a slight anxiety consumed you. You could not focus on the tasks that you had set your mind on. You simply could not shake off the feeling that something is coming…


@ERode @Huntress @Bone Hurting Juice

(OOC: For the first post, describe on what your character is currently doing and where. They could be on an errand in their homecity (give it a name, doesn't necessarily need to be in the States), doing their work, on hiding, etc, doesn't matter. Introduce your characters! This is after their return, but how long had elapsed since then is up to you. )
 
It was a searingly bright day, the sort of day she'd be spending indoors if she could. The sky was a blue that could swallow her whole, and the sun beat down on all those outside, casting a white light that washed the world with heat. The air itself had stagnated, and even pigeons cooed underneath the shade of trees and buildings. Few braved such muggy conditions, and those that did treated shadowless streets as if it were lava, skirting the sides for minor relief.

Ying-Yue was not amongst them.

Atop the roof of an office building, the woman stubbornly braved the elements, sweat turning her perm into nothing but a curly mess. Though originally, her get-up had operated under the 'role' of an officer worker skipping out to take a smoke break, maybe it would have been better to just go for a sunbathing setup instead. She felt her face burning underneath a thick layer of 75 SPF sunscreen, and even the momentary relief of a can of beer, held within the 'cooler' in her left hand, wasn't enough to chase away this wholly painful summer day.

But retreat wasn't an option. She wasn't here to enjoy the feeling of her face peeling away from deadly UV rays, after all, nor did Ying-Yue have a job she could skip out on to begin with. No, the only reason to be on a rooftop was to spy on the going-ons in another, adjacent building.

Her right hand pushed her bangs off her forehead. Her left hand flicked a cigarette out. She caught it in her mouth, and then, with the snapping of her fingers, produced a small flame to ignite it. Taking a long puff, the private investigator fought off her crippling depression and existential dread and formed an 'o' with her fingers next, placing it against her left eye.

A telescope, powerful enough to observe the going-ons of a private office. Through half-closed blinds, she could see a man and a woman, could watch their motions carefully, could see if they would suddenly go at it like the animals on the History channel.

But they didn't.

"Another bust?"

Funny thing was, wives paid more when evidence of affairs cropped up. When it turned out there was nothing, they'd call you a sloppy investigator and insist that you simply missed something important. Stupid shit, really.

Ying-Yue continued to watch, but it had been a week at this point. She wouldn't have expected anything more. Could have just taken it easy.

But she didn't.

There was that constant pricking sensation in her left thumb.

So she continued to work, continued to stay alert, even as the weather and the boredom drained at her further and further. Her intuition told her something was going to happen. If the person she investigated was going to act, Ying-Yue was certain that today would be the day.
 
The warm Norwegian air didn't help his sweating. It didn't help that he wore that reflective coat, either. Even in the middle of the day, he wore it. Only the occasional gust of cool wind helped him. Working on both inside and outside of the house was both of a blessing and a curse. The cool, naturally cooled ambience of the inside was pleasurable, but only made him loathe the outdoors more and more. But a job was a job. There really wasn't much point in dwelling on minor discomforts. After all, if you had time to complain, you had time to work. That's what his boss said. Maybe it wasn't this one in particular, though. This one might have been the friendly drunk that had that phone chained to his ankle with deteriorating chain links.

"<Come here and just pull these lines now.>"

Back into the house Nils went. With a steady yet strong pull, Nils slowly dragged an old phone line from the wall. Attached to the opposite end was a new cable, it being haphazardly attached to the end of the phone like by a quick application of electrical tape. With the old, obsolete, and unused lines being replaced by plenum Cat 5, Nils job was almost done. He and his boss just had to drill in a few wall plates and that would be it. It wasn't really a hard job. Quite the opposite. The experienced drunk just had way too much work on his plate to handle alone, so he called Nils.

"Takk så mye! <This one's was last house. Surprised we got it all done today.>" His current boss said, giving Nils a firm slap on the back with his other hand reaching into his toolkit to pull out a small lunch bag. With the sudden shock, Nils straightened out and shot out an emotionless reply.

"Ja, <call me if anything else pops up. I'll see if I can fit it in.>"

"<Spending all of your time working isn't good, Nils.>"

"<Neither is beer.>"

The old electrician laughed as he opened the small lunch bag. Inside of it was nothing but a single beer kept cool by ice cubes lazily tossed into the bag. He shrugged, almost as if saying 'you got me there'. After cracking open a cold one, he reached into his wallet to give Nils a few kroner notes. An under the table deal, but a deal nonetheless. Nils took the money and said his goodbyes. The old electrician amicably returned his goodbyes, only to be interrupted by a phone call that spurred instant apologies and nervousness.

Still, that strange feeling loomed over Nils. Even though he put his mind to his work, he still felt something weigh him down. Not that he truly felt it, though. He just had a hunch.
 
It hadn't been easy. Coming to in complete confusion, in the middle of butt fuck nowhere, on some rural road that no one knew about. She was familiar with how desolate it could be outside of main arterial highways and streets. It had seemed like luck was on her side as she caught a trucker coming through. Stopping for strangers wasn't common practice but again, the woman thanked whoever was watching over her, as the frail looking older man stopped for her.

It had been roughly a month ago that Cassandra Brighton was saved from certain starvation and dehydration, and if that didn't kill her stubborn ass the wildlife would surely have led to her death...again? Could she make that a joke? Was it even a joke? It probably wasn't...Regardless, the woman now found herself lost in some back-country small town within the Gem State. Cassie hadn't been picky with where she ended up, she just needed some time to understand what had happened, how and why. She hadn't progressed much with her search for answers and was currently just trying to get her life in order, again. This had led her to a job at one of the two auto-shops in the town. It had been enough for her to afford an apartment and her next step was getting a car.

Today hadn't been a good day. From the moment she had woken up she felt off. Something in the air wasn't right. Cass was on edge and extremely irritable. She didn't often refrain from lashing out at other or enjoying a nice heated argument or debate, but today she was scared. Not scared of what could happen to her, she was scared of herself and what she might do if something set her off.

Work had started rough and carried on as a shitty day. Most of the guys at the shop kept their distance from a practically fuming and almost wild Cassie. They were scared to even approach her and ask for help or give her a job. Even Klaus, the owner, a man that didn't seem to fear anything was cautious in his approach. How she knew of their fear was unknown to her, she just somehow did.

"Cass, I need you to help Matt out on the Jeep. Is that okay?" He asked as he didn't even step into the area where she had her station.

Clenching her jaw with a sigh she looked up at the bald, bearded brute. Nodding slowly she got up and approached. "Yeah, no problem Klaus. The kid's being a pain in the ass again?" she asked in regards to the customer, knowing that the young guy that had brought the car in had been very demanding.

Her boss simply nodded in response as he stepped aside for her.

"Hey Cass! I don't have much left to do here, but Klaus said that we should probably tune it up a bit and adjust it if this idiot is gonna keep taking it off-road." The dark haired mechanic, Matt, spoke rather cheerfully.

"Yep, whatever the boss says." Cassandra's response was monotonous and almost robotic.

"You alright?" He asked with genuine worry in his voice.

Her sigh was deep and heavy, it almost sounded like she was annoyed at his question. Clenching her jaw she shook her head. You're okay, just having a bad day. Cass exhaled and glanced towards Matt. "Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed Matt. I'll get over it, don't worry." she tried to reassure him.
 
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Huo Ying-Yue


You continued to watch the two little birds in their room. Your eyes focused, and you noticed that the two were startled and their sight turned to someone coming into the room. A few men came into the office, all wearing the same costumes – a long black coat over a white shirt with a tie and fedoras fit for Indiana Jones. One of the men immediately went across the room towards the window and closed the blinds. But before he did that, you managed to see the face of the central figure that took down his glasses. You know that smirk on the man's face.

How could you forget that face? You remembered seeing him in a photo in the exact same apparel. He was part of the last investigation you did before you were rolled into a carpet, an experience you don't want to repeat ever again.




Nils Olsen


You left the man to his devices after you said your goodbye. The air was still warm, but at least you have stopped sweating by this point. There was a cool breeze coming towards your direction, and definitely helped with cooling you down from the heat. It was at this time your hand phone went off.

Someone was calling in from an unfamiliar number.

The phone call is from the local General Hospital. Once they confirmed your identity, they will reveal that both of your parents have been involved in a car accident. They have been admitted to the ICU, and they suggest that you make your way there as soon as possible.




Cass Brighton


As much as you try to compose yourself, your inner rage was not getting any quieter. While it wasn't getting any worse, the exploding point was not very far off either. Whether you like it or not, you have a job to do, and if you still want that roof over your head you better work on it with Matt.

Seems that the jeep was doing fine at first glance. You could try to perform an oil and filter change and top all the brake fluid and engine coolant. If you talk to customer, he would reveal that his car keeps pulling to the left, something that he didn't tell your boss – an indication that his jeep will need a realignment. He is quite impatient however, and would likely snap at you for asking 'stupid questions.'
 
Ying-Yue's blood boiled and she instinctively shifted her hand into a gun shape.

Her former informant had shown a picture of him before, back when neither of them knew what they were getting into. They called him 'Scarecrow.' They never got his real name. The cops could never pin a crime onto him, only noticing him in the periphery each time. And Ying-Yue never got any further than that, before she was murdered and that informant had to flee the country.

Reflex told her to leave, immediately, to pick a fight another day. But training cooled her blood. Her left hand naturally slid and pressed against the railing. Her right pinched the cigarette in her mouth, as she took in a deep puff and let all the smoke out. Who knew if there was someone else somewhere, watching her? She continued her act, absentmindedly sweeping the road down below in search for any particularly noteworthy vehicles, until her eyes naturally slid up towards adjacent buildings. Without her 'telescope' it was much harder to make out whether or not other people were looking out, but Ying-Yue had a cigarette to finish regardless.

It burned down to a stub. She dropped it from her lips, crushed it under her heels, and left, each step counted, each breath measured.

Daniel Parker, age forty two, middle management for a corporation that largely focused on processed foods. Married to Michiko Parker for seventeen years. No children.

Ashlyn Chen, age twenty five, secretary to Daniel Parker. Bounced around entry-level positions around the city, before landing her current position. Single. No records of notable promiscuity.

Where they the targets? Or was it the corporation they worked under?

Regardless of what the answer was, Ying-Yue headed down, two steps at a time in order to hit the ground floor in time. Turning around, she entered a coffeeshop, ordered an inconsequential latte, entertained the barista with a quick 'magic' trick, and sat herself at the window facing the office building she had been stalking out. On one corner of the street was the sole entrance and exit to underground park. On the other corner of the street was the main entrance into the building. If those individuals left through the emergency exit facing the alleyway, that'd be annoying, but the exits were monitored through CCTV. She'd be able to get records that way too.

In the background, soft rock played, as university students drank coffee and mooched off the free wifi.

And in the pale reflection of the window, Ying-Yue cut a curious figure: a young lady with a languid posture, but who had a gaze that was nothing but deathly focused.

Who knew her luck would be so volatile today?
 
With a job well done, Nils felt satisfied. As much as he could feel satisfied, anyways. It would have been pleasurable if his job had ended in the dark, as the cool night wind could have refreshed him. But a warm afternoon was good enough. Nothing else to do today, his schedule wrote. His phone rang. Without much hesitation, Nils picked up the phone. His minor anxiety was probably just him seeing a weird hallucination and forgetting about it. He wasn't worried about the call. After all, the worst it could be was a robocaller, right?

Unfortunately, Nils was wrong. It was the hospital. One nearby, too. Whoever was on the line had told Nils what had happened.

...

"<Hva?>"

...

"<When did this happen?>"

...

"<...Yes. I'll be there as soon as I can.>"

Nils looked at the street ahead of him. It was narrower than before. Longer, too. He didn't move. He only looked ahead as he tried to make what little sense he could. Carelessly putting his phone into his pocket, Nils took a slow step forwards. Then another. Then another. And finally broke into a sprint. The long roads seemed to stretch forever. When he reached the hospital, his legs felt like they were going to give out. But they didn't. He walked into reception, directly to the nurse operating the front desk.

"Nils?" The nurse was confused. "<Why are you here?>"

"<My parents,>" he replied, his breath ragged as he tried to sputter out whatever words he could, "<were... in an accident.>"

Without so much as a word, the nurse stood up. She knew. Quickly, her hand took Nils' as she pulled him to the ICU. She pulled him to where his parents were. They were unrecognizable. Their faces had been bruised and swollen beyond belief. Cuts had marked every part of their bodies. His father had been intubated and his mother had an oxygen mask on. They were completely different people.

"Far," he whispered to himself, "mor."
 
Servicing the Jeep didn't take long with two of them working on it. They were done with time to spare, lucky for Matt. His oddly happy and excited mood was starting to get under Cassie's skin and she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to keep telling herself that it would be okay, that she just needed to breath and relax. Taking the chance to get away from everyone in the garage she took a step out to the back and lit a cigarette. Taking her time the brunette attempted to clear her mind and thoughts to rid herself of whatever this negativity was that was closing in on her, preparing to suffocate her in this boiling rage she was feeling.

Tossing her smoke aside she made her way back into the shop. A grating voice entered her ears as she walked to her station. Shaking her head with a heavy exhale she swallowed back and clenched her jaw as she knelt down before one of her tool boxes. Making sure to keep herself seemingly busy and avoid dealing with what Matthew and Klaus were dealing with.

The young man who's Jeep they had just finished working on was complaining about all this other nonsense that was wrong with his vehicle. Things he probably should've mentioned before bringing the car in to be worked on. Obviously this guy wasn't a favoured customer, and thus the workers wouldn't be going out of their way to see if there was anything else that might've needed to be fixed on his car.

As their anger grew, their voices got louder, and as their loudness penetrated Cassie's ears, it grew painful for her. Pinching the bridge of her nose tightly she bared her teeth and clenched her jaw. She could feel the pounding of her heart against her chest as blood grew thicker as it flooded through her veins. Taking deep breaths she lowered her head and dropped the wrench she was holding, so that she could cup her face. Metal clattering against concrete split through her ear drums as she winced and tilted her head to the right slightly, almost like a twitch. Continuing on with taking deep breaths she swallowed back and stood up suddenly.

Storming to the back and outside once again she moved just slightly further down from the door and slid her back down the wall until she reached a seated position on the gravel. Feet flat against the ground and knees up, she jabbed her elbows into them and cradled her head once again. Cassandra could still hear them inside, and she was doing her best to turn her attention away from the argument that was only feeding her anger and grating her nerves. She didn't understand who had told this kid that he was something special, because he wasn't, and that didn't give him the right to treat others the way he did. He either needed a good slap across the face or a good scare, both of which Cass was willing to provide, although she knew that she didn't have the right to do so, hence her avoidance of the situation as a whole. In her current state of mind, she couldn't guarantee not hurting him.

Better to stay away.
 
Huo Ying-Yue


A black limousine drove out from the underground parking, the glass fully tinted so that no one can see inside. For those on-the-know though, this was an extremely suspicious vehicle to appear on the road. It quickly sped away, as if the driver was being chased by something. Curiously, another black sedan appeared after it did, driving towards the opposite direction on a more stable manner. The glass was similarly tinted.

Inside the limousine was just a driver and one of the Scarecrow's lackey. They were bait for whoever that was following them and would drive around the city, sending whoever after them in a wild-goose chase.

The Sedan was driven by one of Scarecrow's men while Daniel Parker sits in between the Scarecrow and Ashlyn Chen at the back seat. They will drive to him to a factory in the outskirts of town, where they will discuss 'business.' Turns out that Daniel Parker had broken his end of the deal and escaped Scarecrow's higher up for years – it's just a simple payback. They used Ashlyn to lure him out so they can make an example out of him – this time, he would make sure that he is dead with his own two eyes – by dirtying his own two hands.

She owed money to people who she wasn't supposed to, and she is now in a bind. She didn't know that the Scarecrow intends to kill Daniel… or her.


Nils Olsen


"<Lena,>" A raspy voice came from behind. The nurse nodded at and acknowledged the man in the white coat, who looked to be in his early thirties. His eyes were red and his lips dry – likely from exhaustion. He motioned to Nils and asked, "<May I know who this is…?>"

"<Doctor Kowalski, this is Nils. He is the patients' son,>" the nurse answered, her voice trembled.

"<I see,>" The doctor said, and nodded towards him apologetically. "<This is not a place to talk, please follow me.>"

Dr. Kowalski wants to have a chat with Nils, make sure that he is OK. He will offer to help, although he wouldn't use his own resources. He will also want to ask about his parents' details, if they have any insurance policy, etc. He is mostly aloof, tired from all the tragedies that he had seen.

Nils can stay for a while in the ICU and nurse Lena will accompany you. Eventually however, the nurse will walk him out to the corridor where he can have a seat and she will try to make sure that Nils is okay before she have to get back to her post.


Cass Brighton


Inside the mechanic's shop, the voices are getting louder and louder. The argument was getting worse, and before anyone can do anything, Matt was already kneeling on the floor, clenching the side of his head that had just been struck and trying to maintain balance. A wrench flew through the floor as the owner of the jeep merely sneered at what he had done while Evan was helping him up.

The young man continued to scream, and he didn't even acknowledge the fact that he had just struck another man with a potentially lethal blow.
 
Ying-Yue didn't appreciate mind games, especially not ones that would involve endlessly looping examples of reverse psychology. As two black sedans rolled out of underground parking, she tossed the remains of her coffee into the trash bin, stepping out of the coffeehouse and into the heat of the day again. Stifling. Draining. But this time, she didn't mind.

People and cameras would remember a sedan roaring down the streets, but no one would bother recalling a vehicle travelling at normal speeds. Flying under the radar could only be done slowly, with confidence, after all.

Her own vehicle was by the curb, a four-seater from the local rental company, a little beat up, a little dirty. Taking in one breath, then another, she steadied her heartbeat and stepped in. Twist the ignition, strap in the seatbelt, put on sunglasses, and go.

Time travelled slowly, and when the trajectory of the black sedan became clear, that of a factory in the outskirts of town, Ying-Yue drove a couple of blocks away, parking her vehicle there. Bundling her hair up in a beret, she swapped out her flats for runners and her trousers for sweatpants. She cracked open a bottle of lukewarm water as well, chugging down most of the contents before pouring the rest down her neck and back.

Was she ready?

No, but that never mattered.

With that, Ying-Yue headed over to the factory, looking for trouble.
 
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