Lurking in the Dark [IC]

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Gladis

Edgesquire
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Genres
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Historical, Shounen-ai and Shoujo-ai, Psychological, Steampunk and... well, I'm actually up for most kinds of role plays.
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Chapter 1:
A Festival for Evergreen

It was sometime early in the afternoon, and it was raining — yet the entire city appeared to be in high spirits. Bad weather was nothing new to the citizens of Gothenburgh, and rain had simply become part of the tradition. As such the streets near the city center were flooded with a sea of brightly colored umbrellas and raincoats. The air was filled with the laughter of adults and children alike, as they wandered between the many stalls to take part in everything they had to offer. The scent of freshly roasted almonds and other sweets was wafting through the air, mixing with the fragrance of the countless of flowers used as decor. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, from elderly to young.

It was the annual Evergreen Spring Festival at its finest. The festival was an event planned and carried out by the city council, often in collaboration with Carnival; celebrating both the arrival of spring and the local legend of Miss Evergreen, a woman who had single handedly made a stand against a great evil and sealed it away once and for all. It was a time for joy and laughter, a celebration meant to bring everyone together.

Monsters and humans alike.
 
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1st Rank Agent Jonathan Adams and Hound Anna Finch
Gothenburgh

Mid-Day
Evergreen Festival

pit​ pat​ pit​ pit​ pit pit​pat pat ​pita pat pit ​pit​

The sound was soothing in its own right, a dull symphony of rain drops falling harmlessly against the umbrellas and stalls all around every so often interrupted by a child yelling in glee or a parents laughter.

"You going to buy that missy?" Surprised by the voice Anna looked from the stall keeper following his gaze to her hands, a bag of roasted almonds resting in her palm, "I was just thinking that maybe--"

"She'll take the almonds sir, keep the change." Adams said as he reached out over her shoulder and placed a handful of coins in the shop keepers hands. Looking down at Anna he smiled, "You know you're supposed to ask when you want to buy more food Anna." the smile was welcoming and the tone neutral at best but he was sure Anna would be able to follow what he meant. He turned to the right and started walking through the crowd with Anna in tow.

Skipping a few steps Anna quickly reached Adams, leaning forward a bit to his left so she could survey her agents level of annoyance from the look on his face. She grinned to herself before snatching a glazed apple from the small bag full of food that Adams was already carrying. "You know me, I get hungry--" she said between bites of apple and almonds, "--I just can't help myself, you're the one that's supposed to stop me!" she said poking him in the side with an accusing finger, drawing pleasure from his wince at the unexpected pain. 'Acting like he doesn't get that I can't help my hunger.' she thought, 'How annoying.'

With a swift movement of his hand he gave Anna a slight push to the left, sending her nearly barreling into a group of high-school age boys all intent on winning the largest stuffed animals at the balloon dart throw they were standing in front of for their significant others. Jonathan couldn't help but laugh as all but one of the boys stopped to watch Anna regain herself and run back to him, "I think you have some secret admirers little bird." he said nodding toward the boys, still looking in her direction. "You make friends so easily, it's a gift. Seriously." he said mockingly before turning down a new aisle of stalls, 'I'm going to get very hurt.' he though, although the regret he expected to be plaguing him seemed absent at the moment he knew it would come after the fact.

Swimming in anger Anna fought herself to keep from letting loose one of the brass knuckles hidden up her sleeves, instead opting to grab Adams free hand, being sure to look up into his eyes and smile before she began to tighten her grip as much as she could manage without rendering his hand unusable. "Oh I know what the boys like" she said with a wink as the color of Adam's hand changed from its normal pinkish hue to a ghastly white under her grip. "So are you happy with your decision Adams? I think it was well worth it..." she teased as she tightened her grip further, "For me at least." she said with a few short laughs.

Jonathan was grinding his teeth so hard he was sure they would turn to sand 'Hah, fitting.' he mused at his inner-monologues own pun. "Well I guess you are." he said as he extended his other arm holding the bag full of goodies out to his side, up ahead a garbage can loomed.

Connecting the dots, Anna quickly released her vice and grabbed for the bag becoming more and more frustrated as Adams simply held it out of her reach high above his head.
 
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Kenneth Talbot
[ Gothenburgh // Midday // Evergreen Festival ]


~

The Evergreen Festival was something beautiful.

Alright, maybe not everyone would agree there; there was probably some people that thought a festival bringing everyone together was a completely deplorable and toxic thing. People who thought humans and monsters shouldn't even be looking the same way as one another, much less sharing the coming of spring. But those people, as far as Kenneth was concerned, were outliars. There had to be more people who enjoyed the festivities than there were people who couldn't stand the very concept. That's just the way the world worked.

Or, perhaps, Kenneth put too much stock into the goodness of humanity.

Some would call that 'naive'.

As the festival was in collaboration with the carnival, which Kenneth was dutifully a part of, he was expected to work. But he wasn't going to be selling any wares or running any springtime games, no. Kenneth played the organ in the carnival, and he would play the organ here, that was just logic. A place like this needed some cheery background music, after all. Now, Kenneth's carnival organ wasn't just a simple turn-crank calliope. It was an actual, rather cumbersome organ; the kind you actually had to sit down and press keys with. To it's credit, the thing was located inside an old-fashioned circus car, the sort that would usually be pulled by horse or train in an older time. But, unfortunately, that didn't exactly make it lighter. Or easier to haul, for that matter.

Any other day, Kenneth would have just waited until past midnight and then employed some help with this. But the festival was already being set up--In the rain. There wasn't any time to wait. If he was to help with the Evergreen Festival (and he did want to help), he needed to get his organ to the festival grounds, and now.

Kenneth had a red-and-black ladybug-print rain slicker on, as well as thick rubber galoshes. He had his back against the organ, the giant fancy wheels turning as he pushed and heaved against it. He'd started on this job early in the morning, and it was a rainy midday when he finally managed to get the darn thing at the festival grounds and into the spot it was supposed to be. And, with that job done, the organist collapsed onto the ground, back against the organ cart and head lolled forward to catch his breath.

"I-I am...Never...Nev-never, never, never, ever d-doing that...Alone...Again."

He pushed the hood of his slicker down, then began to pull off his galoshes. If he wanted to make all of his efforts worth something, he'd better start playing...After he caught his breath.​
 
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[[Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival]]
A deep blue umbrella patterned with large white stars wove its way expertly through the crowds, it's owner occasionally dipping or stretching up on tiptoe to avoid any accidental collisions with passersby. Despite the mob of people the Evergreen Festival had always been one of Mikaela's favourite events. The flowers, the stalls - even the rain couldn't take away from the lively atmosphere.

Of course, the Carnival faction definitely had something to do with that. It was one of the things that had drawn her to it, after all. Even if her father still didn't approve and only saw her membership as a 'temporary' thing Mikaela had no plans of returning to the Aristocrats any time soon. Come to think of it, wasn't she supposed to be working later? After glancing around for a moment slightly panicked she spotted a clock which confirmed she still had plenty of time to mess around. Heaving a sigh of relief her attention was immediately snatched by a nearby stall selling macarons.

"Uhm...could I have one strawberry, one lemon...ooh, and one of these as well please?" She asked, pointing to a lilac macaron with a small candied flower on top. After handing over her money she took the little bag of sweets offered to her and gave the elderly man behind the counter a wide smile. "Thank you!"

Treats now in hand Mikaela wandered a little further before finding a somewhat sheltered bench to sit and snack at. After folding her umbrella and laying it to the side she sat down and opened the bag, gazing at the confections inside. "Which should I eat first...?" She murmured to herself, deliberating for a moment before deciding on the lilac one. As she began to eat she scanned the crowds, hoping to do a little people watching as she relaxed. After all, all sorts turned up for the festival...​
 

[[ Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival ]]
Interaction: Miki @Strawberry275
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Luca's "thing" really wasn't festivals, but from childhood he'd been dragged along to the Evergreen Festival to show their alliance with the Carnival. This year, though, he wasn't tagging along with his parents. He had thought that, for once, he would actually try to have just a little bit of fun. In the morning, he had gotten up from his bed and decided to wear one of his favorite outfits; a pink, frilly dress with thigh-high, white stockings with ribbons on them, and a pair of platform shoes. To shield his skin, he was wearing a cardigan with ribbons at the ends of the sleeves, and carried a decorative, frilly umbrella in the same color scheme as his outfit.

He had his hair down, a flowery hair decoration on the left side of his head. As he scanned the crowd, he finally found his way through the sea of people when he noticed a secluded bench. He had finally found who he was looking for. Somehow, it had taken him hours and hours to locate Miki, or at least it felt like it. He noticed her observing the crowd, and decided to see if he could actually surprise her. He folded in his umbrella and snook up to her side, poking her on the shoulder.

He grinned when she finally noticed him, sitting down on the bench beside her. He noticed that she was eating some sweets; macarons, upon closer inspection.

"Heey, Miki. Sorry, I got a little late. There are way too many people here..." When she seemed to incline at his outfit, he grinned as he tapped his umbrella on the side of the bench. "Oh, this? My dad let me loose, for once, so I decided to make the best possible use of the freedom. After all, this is my favorite hobby." He was way too convincing at a girl, and not once had someone in this crowd noticed that he was a guy.

"Soo, what do you wanna do? I'm not good at going to festivals. You gotta teach me about this, Miss Carnival." He teased, smiling at her. Miki was one of the few people in his close proximity who was totally okay with his hobby. They even discussed fashion together sometimes.​
 
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Today. It had to be today..... Chad glared out from his post at two kids who tromped around in the main square of the festival. Of course... That old goat would pick HIM for this god damned mission on the day that the beta for Monster destroyer 3 was released. Of course! Chad grumbled under his breath as he glanced down at Elias fiddling with himself in the dark. "Ey. I don't want to be here either, so get it together. Go blend in or something.... and let me know if anything shifty happens." With a light tap of his shoe Chad kicked at Elias to send him off. he didn't particularly care to stand around looking like he were watching a kid the whole time. Plus..... for some reason it bothered him to smoke around Elias.

Chad slipped out his zippo lighter then and lit the end of his cigarette as he inhaled the first of sweet Marlboro nicotine.

This whole thing was a shit fest waiting to happen, and really that was the only reason he'd not given too much of a fight to the director about refusing this mission. "seriously.... fucking monsters and humans... celebrating..." Chad had his feelings for monsters, and those that knew him were not unaware of his hatred. It was so very contradictory to his normal persona but the agents at the MMW had come to know him for his flick of a switch aggression when it come to the scourge of midnight...

Chad took one last drag of his cigarette before discarding its core to the ground. He stomped it out and then wandered away from his post. "Well hell with it, If I am going to be stuck here I might as well make the best of it."

Chad's walk didn't carry him too far past the swindlers games before he noticed a particular pair that stuck out like a violet in a rose bush. The stark contrast duo of ole Adams and Miss Anna.

"You know. If you call for help the cops might come and take the bad man away." Chad chuckled and called over to them. "And you old Johnny boy don't you think your a bit old to be playing with little girls?" Whenever Chad was given the chance, he had NO issue what so ever fucking with Johnathan Adams, pride of the MMW. This was no different. Chad was going for the high score with the two of them.

"I heard you requested this one off.... No wonder I am the one that got stuck on babysitting duty at this damn festival."

Chad passed a playful glare towards Johnny and then looked to Anna for only a split second. then smirked towards Johnathan. Chad had no reservation in calling him out.

"I suppose you did it for her, huh?"​
 
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[BCOLOR=transparent]There was some minor commotion at the nearby cotton candy stall. Maria sighed. Again. Honestly, Hisato was the one who had insisted she should take a break and go enjoy herself. With his protection obviously, who knew what could hapen when such a big crowd formed and people of all ages, sizes and ”interests” gathered. But now he was stopping at every other stall to buy more sweets … with [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]her[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] money. And it was raining for what had to be at least the third year in a row. Yes, sighs were in order Maria thought.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Even more so when she glanced to the side and spotted Chad who appeared to be harassing Johnathan and Anna. She quickly looked away tried to be look as boring and unnoticable as possible, she did not have the energy to deal with any of them right now, especially not Chad. She angled her red umbrella so that it would hide her face. It was doomed to failure though because there was no way she would be able to get Hisato to follow her away from there in a sufficiently unnoticable manner and knowing her luck, especially when she was with her current companion, they’d probably recognize her by her incredibly generic umbrella so using it to hide would be useless.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Maybe she was being too pessimistic. It was unlikely Jonathan or Anna would call out to her even if they noticed her and Chad, as stated earlier, was busy with harrasing them. Maria blamed her pessimism on the rain.[/BCOLOR]
 
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[[Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival]]
[Interaction: Luca @MiNaGi ]
As Mikaela finished off the macaron she continued to watch the various people in the crowd explore the festival. As well as the excited children dragging their parents along behind them as they raced from one exciting spectacle to the next there were plenty of couples around, along with some groups of people who looked just a little out of place. These were the most fun, since she could waste time by trying to imagine who they might be, or why they were at the festival.

Suddenly she was pulled out of her speculations by a sudden poke at her shoulder causing her to let out a surprised yelp. As she turned to see who it was her face suddenly split into a wide grin. "Luca! You really came!" Mikaela threw her arms around him in a hug only to pull back when she noticed his outfit. "Ohmigosh you look so cuuute!"

Whilst for some people crossdressing might seem an odd hobby, especially when their fiance was the one doing it, it had never been a problem for Mikaela. Luca enjoyed it and he looked super pretty, so what was the issue? If she didn't know it was him even she probably wouldn't realise he was a guy.

"Don't worry about being late, it's suuuuuuper crowded. Maybe we should've decided on a meeting place..."

After a moments thought and some more glancing around at the nearby stalls Mikaela offered the bag of macarons to him with a smile. "Want one? There's still strawberry or lemon left. After that...I guess we can just wander around a bit? Seems like what everyone else is doing. Besides, some of the stalls have some really cute stuff!"
 

[[ Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival ]]
Interaction: Miki @Strawberry275
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"Of course, I always look cute like this." Luca wasn't usually this confident, but he knew that Miki wouldn't find it weird when he spoke like this. He hugged her back, letting go when she did and smoothing out his dress. Miki's hugs were always quite intense. He looked out at the crowd. It's crowded alright... He thought as he sighed, only to be drawn out of his trance when Miki spoke to him again.

That seemed like a fair deal to Luca. He reached out his hand, letting it waver in the air for a few seconds before lowering it, taking the macaron with lemon flavor. He brought out a paper tissue to hold it in, not wanting to get anything on his favorite dress. They sat like that and ate in silence for what felt like no time at all, before they were done.

Realizing that they probably had to do something else than sit around all the time, they both got up simultaneously. They'd really gotten used to being together in the last while, with Miki dragging Luca everywhere she could think of to spend time together. While his father thought that it was because they were crushing on each other, that was really impossible.

Not only did Miki feel like his cute little sister, but he was gay. And she was gay, too. There was really no way they'd ever be crushing on each other. He glanced around at the stands before walking off in a random direction, followed by Miki.

"Okay, so where should we go first? I always held onto my dad's sleeve when we came here in the past, so I can't say I'm familiar with the layout." He grinned as he walked down the crowded path with Miki on his arm so that neither of them would get lost from each other in this sea of people.​
 
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[[Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival]]
Elias looked around from his place next to Chad, just a little overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds of the festival. Not to mention the terrible mood Chad was in. Not that Elias didn't understand why but...someone had to be on duty at the festival. And it's not like Chad had wanted to go and enjoy it anyway, so wasn't he clearly the best choice? With a sigh Elias brushed damp hair from his face as he listened to his agent complain. Having no umbrella wasn't much fun either.

"Yeah, got it," He muttered, dodging Chad's kick as he turned to walk away. Glancing back he saw him immediately light a cigarette and scoffed. For some reason he'd noticed he tended not to smoke around him, and it bothered him that he couldn't figure out why. Clearly it wasn't out of concern for Elias's health, so why bother?

With a sigh he continued to wander through the festival before stopping under a covered area to take brief shelter from the rain. "Ahhh...don't take it out on me just 'cause you can't play some stupid beta the day it comes out," He grumbled to himself, remembering that most of Chad's complaints had been centred around some game coming out that day. It wasn't like he wouldn't be able to play it after work. Speaking of which, he was supposed to be working right now...

Rather half-heartedly Elias scanned the crowd but after a few minutes with nothing out of the ordinary he gave up again. Who would try and cause trouble at a festival like this? It was one of the few occasions humans and monsters actually seemed able to coexist calmly, at least for a little while. Maybe if he just tried to relax for once and not worry about stuff, the peace could be a nice break, Elias thought to himself, although the words seemed to manifest in Anna's voice. She'd probably be happy if he tried to enjoy himself at the festival, even if he was meant to be working.

Elias sneezed and his thoughts went back to his somewhat damp hair and clothing. Maybe finding some coffee or an umbrella should be his priority for now instead of messing around.​
 
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Noelani decided within moments of entering the festival that she liked them.

The general festivity was attractive alone. Smiles lined the faces of passing people and lights strung up between stalls bathed the festival in a warm, inviting hue. Games, sweets, freshly cooked food and shows were going on all around her and she found it intriguing, provoking a more curious part of her. Upon entering a brief smile had flickered against the corner of pale pink lips, though it was quickly drowned.

For once, the General herself was adorned in normal clothing and not the usual strict or military type styles she would typically wear. She wore a black top with the top half being sheer chiffon lined with polka dots and from slightly below the collar bone the material becoming black cotton. A pair of grey faded fitted jeans and heeled ankle boots finished off her outfit. Her normal hair style of a ponytail was let loose to fall across her shoulders and down to her waist in raven tresses as dull red eyes were ultimately made to stand out against her pale skin and dark hair. Noelani had done nothing to hide them or even the eerie blue ring around her pupil that was the origin of her damned ability. A black coat adorned her thin form and a simple brown satchel bag hung from her right shoulder to hold her phone, money and other items. Her usual black gloves were worn on her hands, especially due to the fact the lower portion of her lower arm was skeletal.

For once, she was fitting into the crowd...though its reasoning was more than just to appear human...It was to avoid Makoto. A slight grumble tore itself from her lips as she let her gaze stray from the lanterns and around herself cautiously. The green haired lieutenant had a skill at finding her and so Noelani was going to avoid her and get the sugar she so dangerously craved. The very thought of the younger monster finding her brought a slight panic to her thoughts, prompting her to hurry as she spun around and moved forwards to enter the horde of humans that stood in the pathways.

It did not take long for her to find the nearest sweet related stall, in fact it was probably less than a minute before she was stood in front of a vendor with her emotionless expression and gaze staring directly at him. No words fell from her lips and the vendor simple stared back with worry and the beginning of fear knitting his brows together. "...M-Ma'am?" He promoted, though he only got a slight nod of her head in response. "...Can I help you?" Noelani slid her gaze from his and to the plastic wrapped bags of colourful candy pieces, finishing off with a bow made from ribbon. "I would like five bags." The vendor seemed to take a few minutes to regain himself before nodding and moving to gather her order into a plastic bag. The general simply shifting her hand to the latch of her bag, pulling it open to remove her purse and then the money. She handed it over with a small nod of her head, taking the plastic bag into her hands. "Thank you."

Most of the stalls that Noelani then visited followed a similar pattern. The general would fall into her tradition of silence before prompted out of it by the vendor who eventually gathered their wits to speak before she ordered a large amount of their products. It was not hoarding...or at least Noelani was adamant to deny that she was buying the massive array of sweet products to hoard them. She simply was storing it because it was a definite fact that her lieutenant would continue to repeat her horrendous habit of stealing her sugary snacks.

A short while later she had a few bags hanging from her arm as she continued to weave through the crowds. One bag was larger than the rest and was shoved full of candy for herself, some even stored in her satchel while the other two were much smaller and were for Makoto and her Nico, her child in all ways but blood. A small but happy sigh seemed to tumble from her lips as she eventually came upon a few game stalls. Red orbs lit up with a competitive glimmer as she watched humans stumble around and shove money into vendors hands for another turn. Prizes went from over sized teddies and plush toys to candy and more. Without a thought, Noelani was already standing at a stall for a game winning goldfish.

There was a large circular table within the center as the counter created a ring around it. In the middle were rectangular tanks with goldfish swimming unaware of their fate in their plastic confinements, around the uplifted tanks was a dip in the surface that was filled up with water. Bowls were set up upon small floating circular tubes so that they floated around the table. Noelani glanced up to the hanging instructions, head cocked to the side curiously. "Get the ball into the bowl?...How is this going to acquire them a profit..." She mumbled quietly to herself before shrugging. Having dropped her bags by her feet she handed over the money to the vendor before taking up the plastic ping pong balls. Without effort to her movements, Noelani threw the ball lightly forwards with an underhand throw towards the floating bowls....However, it simply bounced off...

A small gasp escaped Noelani before her gaze narrowed in a focus that came only to her with her title and work. It was insulting... A scowl forced its way out from her blank state as she looked to the two other balls in her left hand before back to the bowls critically. "Weirdly shaped so that its likely they bounce of the curved rims...?" Still mumbling to herself, Noelani once again repeated the throw, only to get a similar result. With one ball left she was once again back to looking blankly at the moving bowls, though disdain hidden behind her gaze. Noelani had decided she wanted the Goldfish and she wanted to win one for Nico...so she would stay at the damned stall until she just had to leave if it was necessary to complete her newly set task.

She was not going to fail...



 
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The rain spattered on the filthy cobbles of the slums, sending frothy sludge tumbling down the steep hills and congealing on the fronts of the lean-tos. It was the day of the Evergreen festival, and every eye was focused on the main areas of the city - ministry and police alike were keeping a vigilant watch for troublemakers. In a sleazy alleyway far out of sight, however, liquid gold flowed from the gloom...punctuated by yells and screams of terror.


“All of me...Why not take all of me?” crooned a sultry voice in the darkness as an angular, tall figure approached former drug baron Orlando Rodridna, who was now cowering in between a stack of cardboard boxes and a dustbin. “Can’t you see, I’m no good, withoooout you…” Orlando was a very box-like, portly fellow in a sweaty old purple suit. He had fallen out of favour with the local gangs after it was revealed several weeks ago that his newest shipment of a new hallucinogen called “Lilac Dream” contained all manner of fillers, such as washing detergent and table salt, and hardly any real product. The angular fellow pulled on the hem of his trenchcoat whilst he loosely, elegantly held onto the bloodied crowbar in the other. “Take my lips - I wanna lose them. Take my arms, I’ll never use them-” The flowing voice which echoed through the street had stopped suddenly - there was a soft striking noise followed by another holler.


Orlando had been on the run for a few days now, ever since an anonymous section of the underworld had set out a rather hefty bounty to see his...permanent retirement from the drug business. It was not surprising that the bounty was swiftly snatched up by the infamous Tradler Sisters - they never really liked Orlando that much, and it was rather suspicious when they offered him a holiday home abroad out of the blue one morning. A female voice called out scoldingly from a window above the singing fellow and his unfortunate target; “Andrew! Don’t make such a scene like that, you’ll attract the police, city’s crawling with them today…” She frowned and turned at the sound of a fretful voice summoning her. “Miss Adler..?” It whispered, in a shaky voice. “A-are you quite done? M-my family and I would quite like to see the festivities…” The now-named Miss Adler offered the scared woman a sweet smile, she reached out and gently placed an arm on the woman’s shoulder, who flinched at the touch. Alice did not retract her arm, instead she steadily reached into her bra, revealing a hefty sum on money.


She flicked out a decent amount of notes, counting them. Alice removed her hand from the woman’s shoulder, silkily dragging down her arm, staring levelly into the woman’s eyes with a level gaze, until their hands met. Alice gently guided the hand upright and placed the pile of notes in the woman’s palm and offered another sweet smile. “Thank you for the hospitality, why don’t you buy your family something nice today? I’ll be on my way now.” she turned to the window and pulled it open and leant out again, she gazed out at the metal catwalk before stepping out onto it, turning and closing the window again. She ignored the woman’s gaze as it followed her down the catwalk, she gripped a metal ladder, as she swung her body smoothly onto its steps, it unhooked and glided down until it was just above floor height. The other man grumpily hefted the body of Orlando Rodridna over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started sauntering deeper into the slums with it.


They hardly went very far until he tossed the body into a barrel along with the trenchcoat and the crowbar, slamming the lid on it and heading off whistling a cheery tune. Alice walked alongside the man, her painted face creased into a disapproving frown. “Always the show-off aren’t you Andrew,” she sighed. The man smiled.


Soon, Orlando’s body was inconspicuously disposed thanks to a haggard old beggar with thorns covering his body. Chunky Martin, as he was known, had a very particular diet which the Tradler Sisters took advantage of. With the body gone and the evidence burnt, Andrew was the first to appear on the scene - he passed into the law-abiding territory from the other end of the slums, wearing a leather jacket and a flat-cap to shield himself from the rain. The man made a beeline for the large carnival organ in the middle of the square, his honeyed voice calling out smoothly to its player. "Kenneth, play for me! Ken, give us a song!" He cried, waving his arms in the air...even his laugh was deep and pleasurable to the ears, his unmistakable eyes glowing softly in the misty rain as he leant against the ornate cart which held the instrument.


Andrew Truman had arrived.
 
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[ Midday | Gothenburgh | Evergreen Spring Festival ]
[ Interaction: Mikaela Newton (@Strawberry275), Luca Carson (@MiNaGi) ]

Rain, as always. Rekeren didn't mind the weather; it suited his cultivated image. He seemed to fit right in with the rest of the crowd with his hunched shoulders and downcast eyes, like he had no real place to be but had no choice but walk under the gloomy gray sky. No one else looked at him. They had somewhere to go, after all. No time to give any consideration to the strange man with his hands in the pockets of his heavy trenchcoat. If only they knew.

Normally, Rekeren would be tucked away in his trailer home, but today was special -- the Evergreen Spring Festival. Normally the daytime hours were no place for him; his part took place shortly after midnight, when he and the other monsters had already shown their true colors. Only the bravest of the brave were invited to his shadowy show. All ages welcome, but not the faint of heart. It always drew in a fairly impressive crowd of thrill-seekers, curious newcomers and returning guests alike, and within his small, dark tent, he showed his audience terror like they'd never experienced before. Rekeren knew he would have a larger audience than normal, so today, he was out on the streets earlier than he usually would be. He would need larger, grander illusions to properly frighten everyone in his crowd, and for that, he needed to be well-fed.

He had his techniques down to a science by this point. All it took was a small flash of movement out of the corner of someone's eye to make them look around, and another to set them on edge as they walked past him. His small illusions brought just the right amount of fear, enough to gradually build up his energy over the day but not enough to make someone scream. While screaming and the mass hysteria that would soon follow it would create a feast for the fear-eater, the Carnival discouraged it. He had to follow the rules.

Turning a corner, Rekeren noticed a flash of purple in the crowd and his eyes fell on the hair bun covers of his friend, Mikaela Newton. She was fairly new to the Carnival but the two had already hit it off when she expressed interest in his illusion magic. She was talking to a young girl; Rekeren watched the two even share a hug. They seemed very close, but he couldn't say he recognized Miki's friend. Seeing one familiar face was a comfort, however, and Rekeren decided to approach the pair. "Hello Miki," he said, nodding in greeting with his hands still firmly in his pockets. "And hello to you too, miss." He gave a nod to Miki's friend as well. "How do you do?"
 
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[[Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival]]
[Interactions: Luca @MiNaGi, Rekeren @Moogle-Girl ]
"You still like hearing it, right? Just accept the compliment," Miki pouted, though only in jest. In truth she was extremely happy to see Luca being this confident, even if it was just the usual boost crossdressing seemed to give him. They lapsed back into a comfortable silence as they ate, a small bubble of peace amongst the hustle and bustle of the carnival.

Standing up with Luca Miki grabbed her umbrella before they left, more than happy to have some time to explore the carnival with her friend. The only issue was choosing where to go with so many different stalls. "Hm...earlier I saw one selling super pretty jewellery that was like, dried flowers in pendants and stuff. We could go check that out? Or there's a bunch of stalls with games if you feel up to challenging me. Ooor..."

She trailed off, blinking as her path was suddenly blocked by a tall dark man however her surprise quickly turned into a grin of recognition. "Hi Rekeren!" Miki greeted him brightly with a small wave, her other arm still linked through Luca's who she now turned to look at. "Luca, this is my friend Rekeren. He works at the carnival and he's sooo cool. Rekeren, this is Luca, my childhood friend from the Aristocrats."

Whilst this may not have been a great introduction it was about the only one she could come up with on the spot that didn't involve referring to Luca as some gender or other. Even when he was crossdressing Miki had witnessed him yelling about his genitals to any guy who dared flirt with him, so decided to leave it to him whether or not to correct Rekeren.

"Your show's still at midnight like usual, right?" She asked, addressing Rekeren again. "Are you out preparing just now? Or do you have some time to enjoy the festival too? Ah..." Miki's face suddenly fell, as though remembering something. "Sorry. I'd offer you one of the macarons I bought, but...we kinda ate them all..."

Miki wasn't even sure if Rekeren liked sweet things, but it would have been nice to at least be able to offer him one. He probably wasn't going to mess about all afternoon like she was, and being in a place so full of humans in the middle of the day must be pretty tough for him, so she'd like it if he was able to have fun at the festival at least a little bit. Finding yummy snacks to share with him might only be a small gesture but it was something she could do.​
 
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Kenneth Talbot
[ Gothenburgh // Midday // Evergreen Festival ]
[ @Ythania ]


The organist jumped with a small yelp at the voice asking him to play. H-he'd only just got here! He couldn't already have an audience! With one galosh off, he looked over to the one ask...

Ah. It was Andrew. Should have known, really; his voice was rather distinctive. And nice, too. Andrew had dropped by the carnival quite a few times before, and between a sweet-voiced singer and a carnival organist, they'd become something of companions. He let himself smile a bit. "W-well, just...Gimme a second!" He quickly replied, the slightest bit of a laugh behind his voice as he pulled the other galosh off, then peeled off the slicker and shoved it into one of the boots. Standing up, the organist took a second to preen a little bit; slightly pushing up his collar and then making sure his white gloves were on right, smoothing his clothes and making sure he was, in general, presentable. One finger dabbed at the corners of his mouth, and with a small sigh, he found no blackish bile had come up while he was shoving the cart. Thank goodness. While this was a festival celebrating togetherness and whatever, he didn't particularly want to take his chances looking too...Monster-y playing an organ in the middle of a fairground. And then having someone attack him. Which would be bad.

"Okay, okay, I--I think I'm all ready. I'll play for 'ya!"

With a cheery sort of grin, Kenneth hopped into the carnival organ's cart. He sat down on the little stool mounted in front of the keys, then cracked his knuckles and began to play the liveliest tune he knew.​
 
[CORINNE BANNER PLACEHOLDER]
|| Midday, Gothenburg, Evergreen Festival ||
|| Mentions: @Wolfsin, @FrostedCamel || Interactions: @Strawberry275 ||

Corinne tugged at the collar of her shirt as she leaned against a building just on the outskirts of the festival, a dark umbrella blocking the rain. It wasn't an event that changed much year to year in terms of where vendors set up, but it would still be wise to understand the layout in case something of importance happened. Since it was up to Chad and herself to keep an eye out for any sort trouble, or well... up to herself at least, she could not afford distractions.

And then there was Gabriel. He was somewhere, though Corinne couldn't be sure where. She had told him to scout out the west-side entrance and report to her. It had been at least fifteen minutes and there had still been no report. The girl cracked her knuckles and pushed herself off the building to begin her patrol. It was so crowded, more so than last year if Corinne could guess, and for a crowd this large trouble could slip through the cracks unnoticed.

She had just broke through a number of people when she caught site of Elias making his way toward her; though, it didn't seem like he had noticed her. He looked cold and soaked to the bone. Corinne felt her jaw tighten as she looked behind him and found Chad a few yards away with Johnathan and Anna, no doubt harassing them. Her eyes closed to a squint as she wondered if she should say something to him or not. If she did, it would cause a scene. If she didn't, he would continue slacking off. Thinking, she chewed on her lip and shrugged her shoulders once she finally reached a decision.

"Hey, Elias," she called out, walking over to the boy and using the width of the umbrella to cover them both. "Care to walk with me? Gabriel is off doing god-knows-what, and I could use the company."
 
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1st Rank Agents Jonathan Adams, Chad Kaiser, and Hound Anna Finch
Gothenburgh
Mid-Day
Evergreen Festival

A COLLAB BETWEEN @Wolfsin AND @FrostedCamel

Glancing to his left at the voice, Jonathan rolled his eyes as Chad approached. Lowering the bag so Anna could take it he turned to face Chad, "And if I call the cops they'll take you to an asylum... Shouldn't you be doing your job?" he replied as he gave Anna a small wave telling her to leave.​

"Job ey?" Chad chuckled and stepped back a bit. "You don't want that Adams" There was a sinister amusement found in chads eyes as he followed little Anna. Even if he hadn't intended to start anything really... this was too much fun to poke at the bear.

Clutching the bag close to her chest Anna stepped back a few paces, "Can't you just let us enjoy the festival you creep." she said under her breath staring at her feet. Chad was known around the ministry, nothing that Anna was too afraid of, but that didn't mean she wasn't intimidated by his presence and making things worse was the terrible relationship Chad and Adams shared. Pulling on Adams coat she continued to look at the ground, "Don't start anything, it's not going to be worth it if you do.".

Chad shook his head and looked directly into Jonathan's eyes, squaring up with his co-worker, rival, enemy? It was hard to say what the real deal was between them. Surely ol' Johnny wouldn't appreciate his little warning though. "Here I was, just minding my own business scanning the perimeter for suspicious figures... and boy did I hit the jackpot on this one!" Chad poked playfully into Jonathan's chest and smiled to his 'friend.' He glanced back at Anna just as she pulled at Jonathan's coat, and though he couldn't hear the little demon.. it was obvious what she felt. "So on guard.... so on guard with allies, I mean c'mon Johnny boy aren't we on the same team?"

Letting go a long sigh Jonathan brought his hand to the side of his head, this was going to be an uphill battle. "I ask myself that question every time you make your presence known." he replied, "The only thing is, I can never really figure out the answer. Thinking maybe you could help me out with that one?" he said as he moved his right hand to the weapon concealed beneath his coat. Leaning forward a bit he continued "So I'm thinking, we figure this out here. Right now in a crowd full of people--" he motioned with his free hand to the families and couples, the stalls and games, "--Or we put it off for another day when you're not missing your Hound and finally settle this stupid game you like to play."

As Adams spoke Anna slowly began to put her bag of goodies down at her side, and from her sleeeves she let slip her brass knuckles being sure to keep them tucked just out of sight of any passing festival-goers. "From my count it's two against one you monster" she said mockingly, knowing it would strike just the right chord on Chad.

About half way through the conversation Chad closed his eyes, leaving only their voices, and the soft whimper of a piano that was almost decadent for him, a tune that played in his mind whenever he got like this. When he opened them though there was no hostility simply a cock of his head as he looked between the two of them and then around him towards the crowd. "So I fight you both here, lose my job and can't get the next like three installments of my game? I don't see where the pros in this even come close to the number and veracity of the cons." Chad shook his head, and even though he appeared calm his skin burnt in place as he tried to keep himself from twitching... a facade he put his all into.

"No if I ever choose to end this 'game' as you call it... well you will know it. The fact is right now there are still plenty of demons hiding in closets much better boogeymen then your little flower here.... and I still get to put a bullet in their heads... that will suffice for now..." With that Chad turned from the two of them. Of course the floor was still open for them to initiate this, if that was what they wished. A snap of his zippo and Chad placed another cigarette in between his lips before he turned back to face the two of them. He blew a smoke ring, and immediately after a swift little shot of smoke that went right through the bullseye into Anna's face. "You ever think about smoking Adams? It is quite the stress relief."

Coughing from the smoke, Anna gripped her brass knuckles so tight she threatened to crack her own skin. "Oh you're just asking for it you little shit!" she said as she began to lunge forward her hood coming off as she did so.

Phmmp

Suddenly on her knees and grasping at her chest, Anna struggled to find the breath that had just been there.

Standing over Anna, Jonathan flexed his fist. It had been a solid hit, laying her out as intended. "Like you said Anna, nothing good will come of fighting.... at least not here." He said as he knelt down in front of her. Giving her a sad little smile he pulled her hood back over her head and stood up. "I think that's enough of this for today Chad, you should get back to work before something happens." with that he took his right hand off the butt of his pistol and shooed Chad away.

Chad had a hard time witholding his laughter as he looked down at the injured monster. He had half the thought to finish it there, but with Jonathan still quite ready to intercept him he decided it better not to waste a bullet. "Be grateful Anna.. He just saved your life... " Chad smirked and turned from them again just as Jonathan shooed him away. "Fine fine. You two enjoy yourselves now. A temper like that and freedom will escape you soon enough." And with that Chad walked off into the crowd, probably to go find something... to eat.

Watching intently as Chad disappeared into the crowd Jonathan waited until he could no longer see him before turning back to Anna. Kneeling down again he frowned at her, wiping away a tear in the process. "Sorry little bird, but that would have ended much worse if I had let you go through with that." he said, the pain in his voice evident.

Looking up at Adams as he wiped away her tear, embarassment flushing her face. She pushed him back as he spoke causing him to stumble and land squarely on his ass. "I'll--- find you--- later Adams." she said as she stood still struggling for breath. Walking away from Adams she winced at the pain in her chest, evident with every step. 'I'll just need to find Elias.' she thought as tears began to well up in her eyes again. Feverishly wiping them away she began to scan the masses for Chads Hound.
 
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Makoto Aihara > Nico
Gothenburgh
The Evergreen Festival; Midday
@Gladis

“…”
The festival. Nearly everyone in the city was there. Human, monster, young, old, male, female, rich, poor, they were all here. It was bursting with cheerful chatter as music was scattered among the different stalls. Everyone was having the times of their lives, finally the long awaited Evergreen Festival was here. However, amidst the glee filled faces was a rather brooding figure, with an air about him that reeked of rage. Makoto stood there, in the middle of the crowds, with a look of pure anger on his features, not giving a care in the world that he was in the way.

“When I find that woman I swear I’m gonna shove whatever sweets she managed to find so far up her…” The lieutenant paused for a moment before releasing a scowl. The small tug that clinged to his dark military-like blouse reminded him that he was not alone, though that didn’t change his wrath for the entire situation. It never failed, it seems like every time they go into public Noelani was getting lost and he was always having to find her. But today was different, today was the festival, and she had gotten away within the crowds which made it increasingly more difficult to track her. He wanted nothing more than to be at home doing the loads of paperwork that needed to be done, or finish some chores that were overdue, but no, Noelani just had to come to the festival, which meant that Makoto would have to come too lest she gets lost and overdoses on sweets, which is precisely what was happening despite all the measures he took to prevent this situation exactly. Oh how he hated festivals.

“Come on.” He growled as he commanded the figure behind him and moved through the masses. He knew exactly how to find the Captain, but that involve interacting with humans, it was bad enough that he was surrounded by tons of the useless beings. He groaned as he walked up to the nearest stall that sold sweets, knowing that if the woman passed through here, she would hit up all of those that sold any kind of sweets.

The angry Makoto slammed his palms on the counter of the stall and glared at the vender.
“A stern looking woman that most likely scared the living shit out of you, did she buy any candy here?” He growled and he gazed daggers towards the man.
“Y-yes.” He stuttered for a moment before clearing his throat with embarrassment that someone smaller than he was frightened him as much as he did.
“Of course. So predicable…” He spun around and surveyed the area, these stalls were everywhere, he needed to get a direction. He went to another stall, repeating the process and receiving the same results, over and over and over again.
“This is useless!!! She can’t seriously have gone to every vender here!!! She hasn’t been missing for that long!!! I can’t believe this!” He was not having a good day in the least, and being near so many people was definitely not helping.

“Nico, don’t you let go of me. The last thing we need right now is you getting lost as well…” He hesitated for a moment then forced his features to soften just a little before looking back at the boy.
“…But if you see something you want, I guess let me know, I’ll get it for you. This is your first festival right?” He turned back and continued forward in his search, listening to whatever the boy had to say.
 
Andrew watched Kenneth get ready eagerly, hopping from one foot to the other with uncontained excitement. His eyes gleamed with glee and he pushed the flat cap upwards to avoid looking sinister whilst his friend wearily tugged off his waterproof gear; Andrew himself wore a simple white shirt with slacks and suspenders, partially covered by the thick and heavy brown leather raincoat. "Did you haul it all the way up here?" He asked with concern upon seeing patches of sweat, the slightly trembling limbs and the weary demeanour of the organist. Andrew then gently laid a hand on the edge of the organ, approaching Kenneth to inspect him closely as he checked for the unmistakable black sludge. "Don't worry," he murmured softly, "you're fine." Andrew couldn't see any marks or stains on the lad's clothing, and he hoped that the relaxing and enthralling effect his voice had might help to calm his organist.

Andrew cleared his throat as the music started to play. This was no smoky hotel bar, so he'd have to improvise a little bit, make sure his words had the right...effect. Soon Andrew's voice carried out across the square, amplifying itself as it echoed through the stalls.
"One day we took our lunches and all went driving down, to see the big procession parading through the town."

"The people lined the pavements; along the curb they sat: some woman with a parasol
Knocked off Eliza’s hat." Andrew never met an Eliza before, bit did it matter? The song was melodic and almost addictive to the ear. Silently it beckoned the listeners closer, it drew attention towards the singer and even had the potential to captivate and enthrall. Abdrew noticed amusedly that some of the festival goers in the growing crowd around the organ had even dropped sweets and chocolates onto the floor as they listened intently.

"The boys climbed up the lampposts, and up the awnings too; they shouted and they whistled to everyone they knew." The hardest part, really, was making sure Kenneth didn't stop playing because of him. But the organ was a booming instrument and Andrew had positioned himself so his voice would echo away from the organist and hopefully be drowned out by the music.

"The people were so noisy, all talking in the street,I thought I heard the music and heard the big drums beat." Andrew had time to think about little things...he was hardly interested in the song itself. If it rhymed and it sounded good then the crowd would eat it up like the candy in their bags. He wondered whether Alice got out okay, if she was busy doing her makeup. He wondered if she would buy him some sweets this year.

"Oh, the festival! The festival! All across the land, the monster folk and humankind can party hand in hand." Andrew pushed the unabashed elation into his voice. He was, after all, a representation of human-monster cooperation. He had an image to uphold.

"The festival, the festival! A place to laugh and sing, enjoy yourselves, dear citizens, and welcome in the spring!" Andrew let the final note carry out before bowing deeply. He needn't introduce himself; everyone knew Andrew Truman, the mischievous man with the golden voice. In fact, he said nothing at all, giving the crowd some time so the effect of his singing could wear off. He simply disappeared behind the organ and sat himself next to Kenneth, grinning and giving him two thumbs up - his own silent gesture of gratitude.
 

[[ Midday, Gothenburgh, Evergreen Festival ]]
Interaction: Miki @Strawberry275 and Rekeren @Moogle-Girl
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Luca's eyes were cautious when Rekeren approached them. His grip strengthened just slightly around the umbrella. He was going to protect Miki if things went south, but relaxed when Miki seemed to recognize him. Being addressed as a girl, he first let Miki answer for him before he put on his sweetest smile, speaking in his usual, clearly masculine voice.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Luca Carson, son of Miles Carson and heir to the Carson Enterprises. Additionally, I'm Miki's fiancé, but that's only on paper." This was always how it went with Luca's introductions. If things went south, he could usually beat up the people that wanted to pick on him. He was clearly not very masculine for a guy his own age, but that didn't mean he was a weakling.

Girls weren't weak. So why should a boy dressed up as one be seen as weak? He continued smiling effortlessly in Rekeren's direction, then remembering what Miki mentioned about the snacks. He glanced around for a little bit before directing his attention at the two of them.

"I mean, if he has a little time to spare, why don't we all get something to share?" He suggested. He wasn't always one to be this social, but it was the outfit giving him the boost he wouldn't usually have. He liked this new kind of festival type, as compared to spending time with his parents. He didn't mind another person tagging along, if Miki was the one to vouch for him. If Miki liked him, then there was a pretty good chance he was a good person.

In their idle moments, he decided to inquire at Rekeren. "So, Mr. Rekeren, what do you do for the Carnival?" It was nice to talk to people in a way that he isn't used to. "Also, just as a side note, there's no particular reason I'm dressed like this. Don't pay it too much mind." He smiled softly at Rekeren. Honestly despite him not having said much, he seemed pretty polite. After all, even if it was wrong, he had addressed Luca as "miss" because they didn't know each other very well. For now, he was pretty sure he could get along with this guy in the long run. I'm really happy that I decided to come here after all.
 
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