#✸ queue.

[regensia]

@muddsludge / continued !!

There was no doubt that the guy with the mask was strong, Sabo could tell not only from his massive build, but also just the way he carried himself. Sort of a no-frills kind of guy, and even if he had frills, they’d too be coated in the stench of blood.

❝ A twig? ❞  Sabo echoed at first, grinning wide.  ❝ Maybe more like the gasoline. Would you like to find out? ❞

The thrill of the fight aside, pragmatism guided Sabo’s apparent foolhardiness. He needed the guy out of the way, a significant obstacle, and usually from observation was Shin accompanied by another – today had been one of the first opportunities to catch him alone.

[regensia]

@pzfr / Rex said . . .

Rex comes forth to Haoxuan with sketches for a potential doll design. Though it doesn't seem like Rex's style: for the most part it's very gothic. "Tell me what you think, if it's doable and how much it'll cost. I don't mind splurging a bit on this one."

The sketch presented to him was crudely done, but with plenty of detail, notes in the margins. There was a clear vision here, something particularly gothic and with certainly spooky vibes. Haoxuan's sunset gaze traversed the scrawling handwriting repeatedly and compared the writing to the drawing, words of some sort of Japanese fashion echoing in the back of his mind.

( What was it again? Gothic kei? Something about Nabokov... )

A simply nod presented his initial answer, because he would be a fool to turn down a commission where the client admitted that they were willing to splurge. For whatever reason, Rex really wanted this doll design to come into fruition.

❝ It's doable. I'd say probably around five hundred bucks for plastic and resin, give or take. Porcelain will be way more. Looks like the clothes will have to be handmade, but I'll try to keep the costs down. It'll take probably two to three weeks. ❞ As with any creative craft, one paid for the cost of materials as well as the hours of experience of the craftsman. Eyes then lifted, stoicism written in the dollmaker's expression despite openly studying the other. This wasn't Rex's style in the slightest, and the guy didn't seem even remotely into gothic stuff. Sure, he got mopey on occasion, but not enough to warrant a custom doll with such a specific taste. The answer was self-evident: it was a gift, most likely.

❝ Who's it for? ❞

[regensia]

@espectres / Shou said . . .

“I’ve done… questionable things.“ to Keisuke!!

Blade Runner   {Sentence Starters}

Of course Keisuke wouldn't scold Shou for such a thing – he was hardly one to talk. Back in his room, he had been in the process of scrubbing blood from his boots, for though they were black, the coppery stench of violence wouldn't be suitable to carry around in a gym bag.

More than that, this felt a little bit like perhaps the teenager was attempting to open up to him, feeling isolated with emotions that were difficult for anyone of any age to handle. Guilt. Regret. Uncertainty.

Perhaps it was the elder brother instinct that was deeply engrained in him ever since the day his little sister had been born, but Keisuke gave a small smile, sincere and calm, but nothing too overbearing and friendly even. Just enough to show he was receptive and relaxed instead of potentially angry or annoyed.

"I'm here to listen, if you need. I'm sure things have never been easy for you."

Context told plenty; undoubtedly being raised by the likes of Toichiro had been difficult. Despite his apparent love for the man, the vigilante esper wasn't blind, perfectly aware of how cold and stern the elder Suzuki was, and at times plain unforgiving.

"Do you want to get some drinks at the konbini and then we can find a good spot to talk?"

[regensia]

@summerxmelodies / Melody said . . .

“Would you come after me? Hunt me?“ (Koby <3 )

Blade Runner   {Sentence Starters}

It was a question that took careful consideration. There was no way around it: Melody was a wanted woman. But she was also a fugitive from her very own father, at least as Koby had been able to guess provided enough context clues and information over time, never necessarily one to simply mind his own business.

No matter the stance of the Marines, the young captain was learning the validity of trusting his intuition, to go along with the gut sensation within him, and no longer doubt.

Melody had the potential to be dangerous, a wildcard if she so wanted. But the fact was clear that she hadn't ever gone out of her way to stir up trouble, always living her life on the road or upon a ship that would take her to the next island, away from the Marines who were assigned to chase her down.

She wasn't on the side of the Marines, but that didn't mean she was evil either. There were far greater and more legitimate threats to justice and peace to focus his energies upon.

"No. I wouldn't."

[regensia]

" Be careful, will you? "

A large hand had clasped around Nunnally's upper arm as the tall stranger tugged her back away from the curb where a cyclist came by far too close, nearly having crashed into the woman despite the pedestrians having the right of way. However, the man's hand then dropped, touch not lingering.

To say that this man that had helped her had an immense presence would be an understatement – he was far taller than most, clearly strong and fit, and had dashing looks fit for an actor with a charming smile to boot.

" It would be a shame for a little bunny like you to get injured, hm? "

@lured-into-wonderland

[regensia]

@pzfr​ / Rex said . . .

"I guess I could wear something like this every now and then..." 

 Rex took up the outfits Perona offered, and quick-changed into them in less than a minute (after dashing into a booth or something, that is-- modesty to maintain). 

 "Well? Whaddya think??"

The first answer was just a dramatic gasp, Perona otherwise silent as she studied the kodona outfit the cosmic hero bore. Not only had it been much quicker than expected, she found her hunch had been correct: black and white with a rare splash of red really suited him, including his hair. For a young woman who had no shame in forcing others to dress like her favorite stuffed animal companion to accompany her, this was like a downright dream.

“ You... you look... ” Handsome? Stunning? Nightmarish? Creepy? So perfectly Gothic? It was hard to decide upon a single adjective, but the Ghost Princess managed to settle with, “ you look good! ” A thumbs up of support followed this to help mask her excitement, the vibrant hue of her hair helping to mask the momentary blush that rose to the apples of her cheeks.

“ I love it! You should wear that all the time! Isn’t it so spooky and cute? Well – what do you think of it? Do you like it?? ”

[regensia]

@fallesto​ / continued !!

     To be fair, he had bitten off more than he could chew. That wasn’t exactly new to Garou, but he could only adapt and grow from the experience, already stronger than when he initially took that brutal hit from Mitsuri in the first place. Such adaptability and dogged drive for survival were his strong suits. Once he finished healing up, the martial artist was confident he’d be able to face the young woman in a match yet again if it came down to it, though uncertain of the likelihood he’d run into her again, at least not while he was hunkered down in the forest a bit of a distance away from the freshly-made clearing where he had landed. Splintered wood was stained with his blood the same as his skin and clothing, and he was certain there was a broken rib if not more, hunched over. It had been a draining few days as he worked on his recovery alone, hunting for himself, sleeping in the rough.

     He’d been in worse situations, but it wasn’t exactly a lifestyle he craved.

     Thoughts of facing off against Mitsuri again came much too soon, the same as the young woman herself, attempting a friendly wave. It wasn’t defense or fear like a cornered animal that he shouted at her, but genuine frustration. Had she decided to come finish the job and kill him off? Instead the skittish woman stuttered something about coming to check on him, about how he was a good person, about some inane wishy-washy bullshit. It only made him angrier.

     “Shut up!” One arm looped around himself, hugging close to keep his frame upright despite flares of pain, he could only direct the pain and anger he felt at the other. “Quit it with that bullshit! I told you I ain’t a good guy! You gotta make up your mind, you damn hypocrite!”

     It was true – unlike monsters or demons, he had yet to kill anyone, and the other’s insistence that he was a good person was unsettling. All his life he’d been told he was the bad guy, told others the same, and here was someone attempting to rewrite that narrative he’d carefully and brutally constructed. 

     “You just came here to make yourself feel better.”