it’s oddly quiet on the subway train. it’s a given considering what shiro and ezi are escaping from — the riot, or whatever it was, was the thing of nightmares for androids. worse is that one of shiro’s optical parts is now completely ruined. he’s lucky ezi found him, even luckier the other seems to know leon ( or, knows of him at least ). it’s not too surprising given leon’s job.
shiro sticks close to ezi, head down, hood up. anything to conceal the blue neasource staining his face and hands. it’s on his hoodie, but there’s no way someone could surmise it’s his neasource unless they saw his eye. he’s fine now, ezi is right here and he’s pretty much invading the guy’s personal space as he tends to something on his phone ( contacting leon maybe? hopefully? ). so he’s okay, except not really because he’s still terrified someone is going to jump up and start something mid-ride.
briefly, he thinks back to midori and how he’d have readily stood up to fight against the persons responsible for his and their friends’ deaths, but he’s practically a vibrating phone after the riots. funny how he’d step up to help someone else, but not himself. the thought it quickly dashed away when the subway slows to a stop and he’s guided out and onto the platform outside.
lower level, of course, and he’s guided right to ecostay, to a floor he’s never been on. when the door opens there’s leon waiting for them. he never thought leon lived here, in the same building as him, all this time. but then, shiro doesn’t talk much with anyone in ecostay, why would he? it’d open up too many possibilities for something to go wrong.
“ leon , ” shiro says softly, trying to smile but it looks more like a grimace as he pulls the hood off of his head and reveals his now broken optical part with neasource staining his face and hands. behind him, he thinks ezi takes his leave, but shiro isn’t paying much attention to anything but the buzzing and static of his optical part and the look on leon’s face.
LOCATION: fraternity headquarters, ginza
DATE: 14/08/2142
STATUS: closed for @fallenqod
if he had time to sit somewhere and rest, he would. god, he wants to sleep for eight hours straight, but as it stands, there are more pressing matters at hand. his body hurts in numerous places, the terrible headache hasn't left, he’s happy his head stopped bleeding, but that and his hands continue to sting. the strategist is grateful for skye's help, for both patching him up and pulling him out of the scene. he doesn't know why, but he realizes that he went into shock for some damn reason, for the shortest of moments, unsure what the hell was happening.
and after they part ways, both worried out of their minds for their loved ones, eunjae rushes towards the headquarters. the city is in havoc, people trying to get from one place to another, police patrols at every corner. he must look like a right mess with bandages around his hands and blood messily wiped off of his face, so people don't bother him, and eunjae is glad. all he needs to know is if ares is alright — a short phone call notified him that the man was there, and that's all he needs to know.
it takes him longer than he would like to make it to ginza, and he ignores the questions around him, heading upstairs to ares' room instead. he opens the door quite unceremoniously, eyes wide as he searches for the man. god, he is so worried, he can't bother with the façades they put on their faces around each othe, he just needs to know if the younger is alright. "ares!" he yells out immediately, feet taking him to the leader, arms on his shoulders as his eyes frantically go up and down his frame. "are you alright? were you there?"
There was something different about the city today. It always looks bright, brimming with life and energy. Another busy day for the city of Tokyo. Yet for some reason Kinam couldn’t help but maintain his gaze on the metropolis below. He squinted his eyes and tilted his head in front of the grand windows that adorn the Ishikawa building, something was itching within him. Within the city. Something about the city was calling for him.
But there was just one problem. He can’t leave. Well, he can’t leave on his own. Unless there’s some type of schedule or a proper reason to step beyond the walls of the building he calls home. And while he knew this to be true, he couldn’t help but focus on the fact that he needed to go down there and see the city. Seeing it from up above in this ivory tower was doing Kinam no good.
Truth be told, while he enjoys the atmosphere of this building and all those who live and work inside it, he’s been hoping for the day that he could go down and explore the city. He’s never seen it up close and personal – never for pleasure, only for business. This is as close as he can get to it. And that fact alone can cause his good mood to crumble and make tears fill the corners of his eyes. He can’t share this with anyone though, he’s already in hot water as it is for his poor performances... “Your dancing needs more work.” or “Your singing isn’t sweeping us away.”
But he truly thinks that the answer to his problems is something called “passion”. Yes, “passion”. That’s what all of the idols of the past centuries have had. And with that “passion” they’ve managed to connect with their audience and give mind blowing performances that haven’t been forgotten even after all these destructive years of division between humans. “Passion” is something that Kinam wants to obtain. Maybe with some of that “passion” he, too, could give an earth shattering performance that’ll put him in Mr. Shiwoo’s good graces...
And if there’s one thing he’s passionate about, it’s that urban sprawl just below him. With its incredible neon lights, skyscrapers that seem to touch the heavens, and a mass array of characters with unique stories to tell about their day to day lives just living in this city. Kinam sighs fondly as he admires the holographic advertisement of some new product.
Minutes tick past...
Eventually, Kinam removes his palms from the glass of the window. Shutting his eyes to really allow his mind to process the decision he’s crafted. He’s going to walk out of Ishikawa. He’s going to go out into the city and see it for himself.
No security.
No managers.
No band mates.
No one but himself...
As he dashes to the nearest wardrobe room, he makes a mental note to forbid himself from calling this another day of “exploration”. Finding the simplest clothes he could, he makes another mental note to forbid himself from making eye contact with anyone, lest they identify him and he ends up in worse trouble. Once he’s dressed in a plain black t-shirt, black jeans, and black hoodie he stops before the mirror and frowns. “Not good enough yet...” he scans the room and smiles once his eyes land on a cap. “Perfect!” This is what is called “street casual”. At least, this information is correct to his knowledge.
“What do I call this? How should I categorize this? Well...” he ponders to himself as he maneuvers his way down each floor as expertly as he can, avoiding running into people or androids who could hold him back from this.. this.. this experience he’s been craving for as long as he’s been staring out the windows. Once he reaches the main lobby floor, he feels a rush of energy surge through him. Just beyond those lobby doors lies in wait, the wondrous city of Tokyo. He shuts his eyes and braces himself one last time to slip and dodge past anyone who could cause trouble. It seems to be rush hour, so many employees are leaving at once. There’s so much momentum going on that Kinam doesn’t even notice once he’s just steps away from the grand entrance doors. His straight faced expression melting into a smile as he pushes himself from the building’s entrance and steps foot onto the concrete just outside.
Everything is so much larger. “What do I call this?” Everything is so much louder. “How should I categorize this?” Kinam lets out a small chuckle and slowly tears up seeing the glowing signs all around him letting him know his location, Akihabara... The Heart of Tokyo...
It’s all too much. It’s euphoria and at the same time it’s fear. But he worked too hard to back out now. He’s doing this for MANIA, for Ishikawa, for himself. This is it. Kinam stuffs his hands into the pockets of the black hoodie he borrowed from the wardrobe room - hopefully no one notices these articles of clothing are missing. Walking into the mass moving crowd of people, Kinam smiles to the sky and the skyscrapers. “Well... calling it an ‘exploration’ just doesn’t do it justice.”
“From my previous observations, Akihabara never seems to sleep...,” Kinam thinks to himself as he gazes at the enormous glowing advertisements and the crowd of people moving to and fro getting bigger and bigger as he makes his way down the street. “Observations..... that’s it. I know what to categorize this experience as.”
it's evening and though employees are just now preparing to leave for the day, skye takes her leave from her usual path of wandering around in front of yoriyoi kenko. usually she hovers around, waiting and watching for the woman who she once claimed as her owner, but lately her visits are becoming farther and few between. she's realized it's far too reckless for her to be seen around here, regardless of how infrequent the visits are. there is the matter, too, of questioning herself just why she comes there in the first place. nostalgia and rose-colored glasses and all that, she supposes.
blending in and moving along with the sea of people, she intends to travel back to the lower layer and go home or check in with her fellow members to see if there's anything that requires her attention. however, the moment she steps into essentially the heart of the district, everything shifts. the sounds of small explosions fill the air, thick plumes of smoke rise up around them, trapping everyone by means of confusion. skye's head snaps back and forth for sight of the cause, but is quickly distracted by the loud and echoing chants surrounding her.
"NO MORE ANDROIDS! NO MORE ANDROIDS! TOKYO IS OURS, AND WE'LL TAKE IT BACK FROM THEM!"
her fists clenched at her sides at the same time as she feels moisture build up behind her eyes, conflicting emotions of anger and anguish causing every word to cut her in two. she's seen many an outrage at androids, seen what contempt can drive a person to do, but never on this level, never to this degree. a movement dedicated solely to driving out her and her people. she tries to comprehend it but she struggles.
in spite of the person speaking, people around her bump and push her to get away from the area, eliminating any further attempts she has at decently thinking about this. it causes her attention to re-focus and in that moment she catches sight of someone fallen into broken glass, the male's attention on righting himself and not the people rushing around to get away. they're headed straight for him, the group big enough to trample him.
skye acts immediately and rushes over to him, leaving behind the current situation for something she can help with right this moment. none too gently, in spite of herself, she grabs onto the fabric of his shirt and jacket, yanking until he's forced to get up and come with her. she leads him to the first space out of the way she finds, a tiny alleyway carved between two buildings, and only then does she speak. "are you okay?"
the shadows grow steadily as shiro wanders down the streets, glancing into shops and just enjoying the atmosphere of the upper layer on his day off. it would be more enjoyable if the air didn’t feel unsettled; if there wasn’t this strange sensation bubbling at the bottom of shiro’s stomach, a wave of anxiety creeping up on him. the type of anxiety he only feels on his darkest days when the memories are too much.
a shout rings out above the bustling of the crowd, making shiro whirl around towards where the voice sounded out. seconds after the voice come the booms and the shouts, everyone scattering like roaches under a light. shiro is pushed and shoved as he stands there in shock, reading each laser as his mouth hangs open.
a fight breaks out nearby him, three hooded figures grabbing at an android. shiro isn’t a fighter so he carefully flees the area and he doesn’t try to be a hero even though guilt slowly eats at him ( he can’t break again — ‘ i’m sorry, so sorry ’ he chants in his head ). across the street isn’t any better and he winds up caught right in the middle of another group who are just waiting for their opportunity. he doesn’t slip by them as easily as the first group.
they hit him until he gets on his knees, arms covering his head in defense. he doesn’t strike out at them even when they shove him to the ground and begin kicking him. tears slide out of his squeezed shut eyes, but a bigger commotion nearby causes all of them to leave him and he slowly lifts his head only for him to realize one stayed behind and is watching him intently.
before he can cover his face, the man takes a swift kick at his head and connects the tip of a steel-toed boot to his right eye, the optical part blinking out before becoming static filled. the man leaves him when he’s called away.
shiro quickly pulls himself up to hide in a nearby alleyway. his hand covers his eye, blue neasource slowly dripping down his face, covering his hand and staining his shirt. now that he’s out of the crowd, all he can do is lean against the building and try to calm the anxiety that threatens to consume him alive.
it's seemingly just another day in the AKIHABARA district, the clock nears rush hour steadily, the streets are getting crowded every second. soon, most of the employees will leave their workplace and scatter around the district in their own ways, some heading to eat, some heading back home. what people don't realize is the masked figures who loom in the shadows, waiting for the clock to strike the exact hour they have planned.
it's natural that the district is chaotic; with headquarters reaching the skies, corporations have thousands of employees leaving their posts, then there are many other smaller stores and restaurants littering the streets, waiting for their customers. you can find whatever you'd like here, no matter the time of the day, AKIHABARA never sleeps. billboards flash all colors imaginable, trying to get your attention one way or another, numerous advertisements for new movies, cosmetics, clothes — it's always an assault on all your senses. but citizens have grown numb, and go on with their own tasks.
as such, not many people notice the people in black; those who have masks pulled up to their faces, eyes covered by their hoodies. they wait, patiently, quietly, while ASANO GORO moves to the main street from the alley they were hiding in. one hand goes to his ear, and a hint of a smirk plays on his lips before he speaks. “NOW!” and just like that, chaos unfolds.
drones drop off gas bombs simultaneously, and they explode at the same time with a loud boom. static fills people’s ears and screams of surprise come from every corner of the district. the air has turned into grey mist, so much that it’s impossible to see one meter away. people try to run around, but it’s fruitless, for they cannot find which way to go, and it causes more chaos altogether.
in the midst of all this, loud chanting begins. “NO MORE ANDROIDS! NO MORE ANDROIDS! TOKYO IS OURS, AND WE’LL TAKE IT BACK FROM THEM!” not one, but many people yell through megaphones, so loud that it silences the screams. the buzz of drones return, and they begin projecting letters on nearby buildings. lights of their lasers cut through the mist, it becomes the only thing that people can see through the thick air. it says NO MORE ANDROIDS! on various buildings, in red — making it clear that its the ANTI ANDROID MOVEMENT.
the chanting slows down, and drones shine their light on one man in particular. he stands in the fifth floor of a building, glass walls have broken down so that he can be in the center of all the commotion. it’s only a silhouette, but those of the movement know its their leader. the man speaks with a robotic voice, the megaphone corrupts his voice unrecognizable, yet the words are clear, spoken with conviction.
“CITIZENS OF TOKYO! YOU HAVE BEEN SLEEPING SOUNDLY IN YOUR BEDS, BELIEVING THE LIES OF PEOPLE WHO STAND AT THE TOP! YOU ARE LETTING THESE CORPORATIONS, THESE POLITICIANS REPLACE YOU WITH ROBOTS. AND WE SAY NO MORE! THIS IS OUR WORLD, AND WE WILL TAKE IT BACK FROM THEM! THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW, STAY STILL NO LONGER! SPEAK UP! JOIN OUR CAUSE!”
just as his words come to an end, the lights of the drones turn off, making him disappear immediately. the letters on the buildings morph into a new slogan. it says, ACT NOW. JOIN US, stark and clear. only a few seconds later, police sirens echo through the streets and the members of the movement disappear into the crowds. the mist leaves the air slowly, but it leaves people frightened, some on the ground short of breath, some still shaking from the shock. they don’t know the extent of the damage yet, but they do know a new era is about to begin.
OOC EXPLANATION: this is the first part of our new event: RIOTS. it can be assumed that even if your muse wasn’t present in AKIHABARA or on the higher layer, they would hear of it through the news and social media outlets. other districts on the higher layer such as GINZA and HARAJUKU, as well as SHIBUYA were also directly affected due to the influx of people fleeing from the chaos. the traffic is stuck for the rest of the day, and the public transportation network falters greatly as the police tries to get everything under control. besides the subject matter, this also means stricter police controls in order to find the culprits. androids and people with something to hide will need to be careful if they want to move through the layers.
it’s not mandatory to join, but it is definitely encouraged to write threads, solos or any other posts about the event, and you can tag them all with PHQRIOTS. when it comes to time limits, the event is open ended for the moment, meaning there is no end date, not until all parts of the event are released. feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions! we hope you’ll enjoy what we have in store for tokyo.
