identity has a half-life

Good to meet you. You may address me as Upsilon. If you're too stupid, U will do. If you're agreeable, we're sure to have a splendid time. If you have any business offers for me, I'll be happy to offer you a fair price. Be courteous if you know what is good for you.

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Liability Contracts - [ Closed Starter for Beatrice ]

U was not pleased by this news. Kill or be killed? Not an issue. That, he could deal with, but the idea of being bound to one of these fools, these weaklings, was a great irritation. The idea that he, U. Upsilon, would be gravely injured upon the death of one of these strangers was one that made his blood boil with rage. 

But he was a businessman, and so he retained his composure. He didn't get to where he was now by freaking out, no, he was a man who excelled in maintaining his composure. What was to be done, of course, was to find the person that corresponded to his collar and make sure that they were kept safe.

Relaxing on one of the park benches, the suited man observed every passing individual carefully, waiting for one with a light that matched his own.  

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

This Ain't A Scene [ Closed Starter for Shiro ]

U was a businessman. And in business, it payed to be working alongside people you could trust, or at least, people you knew how to read well enough so that you could tell when they were about to betray you and needed to be disposed of. 

And this was a perilous situation. As the beast gave its explanation, U remained impassive, which was fairly easy to do for a man with no face. However, even with visible features, his level of worry would not have been inordinate.

After all, he was no fool. To get the jump on U. Upsilon was something dozens of people, mortal and otherwise, people with the help of magic and gods and vast sums of money, incredibly clever and strong and powerful people, had tried before, and every one of them had ended up the same way; a missing person's report filed to The Ninety-Second Sun and promptly forgotten by the world

However, there were others here, and although U could not be said to give half a damn about the lives of others, when he saw the distressed reaction of the phantasmal girl he had acquainted himself with earlier, he could not help vanishing himself and reappearing by her side.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a tray of small, delicate chocolates and martini glasses, offering the selection to Shiro. "My, my, this is not good at all, is it, Miss Inubashiri? Not a good thing in the slightest. Here, perhaps some refreshments will avail us of our worries for now." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Trying to stifle her sobs through various kinds of hiccups, Shiro soon was calmed down by the gentle gesture of U patting her head. She returned this gesture by subconsciously nuzzling the hand now on her head, as she reached up and pawed at her own sad and droopy ears.

It was only until she heard U speak again that her attention was drawn back to reality, and as she looked up she saw a rather nice looking treat being offered her way. She was also drawn to the fact that the male had said he was willing to help her find Sir Arthur! Her eyes lit up as she hesitantly took the candy treat from U, nodding in gratitude before holding it close to herself,

“Oh my, really? You mean that, Mr Upsilon…?! You would really help me find Sir Arthur? Oh thank you so much…! I really am in your debt!" She stifled another sob, but that one was of happiness. She’d never been shown so much kindness before, it was quite refreshing. However, upon hearing that the other had lost something of his own, she soon had a confused expression upon her features, her head tilted to one side.

“Goodness… You have also lost something? Is it something of great importance to you? Maybe I can help you to find your lost item too! They must not be too far away…" Shiro spoke with a certain degree of hesitance. She jumped the gun slightly asking about U’s personal possession, anxiously, she awaited an answer from him, hoping that his item was nothing too personal to him, like Sir Arthur was to herself.】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U was very gratified to see her take his offer of food. She had manners. A very well-brought-up young lady. Simply delightful to meet someone so polite these days, he thought to himself. As she nuzzled his hand, he began to scratch gently. That was what you did with dogs, right? He'd never had a dog, apart from company guard dogs and that once incident with a hellhound. 

He put a hand over his heart, his posture the very picture of honesty and sincerity. "Oh my dear young lady, you are not indebted to me in the slightest. I make it my business to help those in need." 

In fact, a more accurate description of Mr. Upsilon's general policy was to exploit those in need for his own personal profit, but this case was different. "Perhaps a description of the gentleman is in order so that I may properly assist you. I am sure he will be located safely in just under no time, Miss Inubashiri." 

When she asked the question, he chuckled lightly, raising a hand to cover his absence of a mouth. "Ohoho, nothing too important, merely... what you might call a tool of the trade. If it got into the wrong hands, however, we would have a serious problem." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

Joel continued smiling smugly, Upsilon’s frustration was growing. “You do realise I have no reason to trust you, right? You’re not asking for manners, you’re asking for stupidity.” Joel’s tone was fairly casual, irreverent even despite the mounting tension he was creating. “My life? I assume you’re asking about money. I work as a Seeker, I find things other people can’t, people who don’t want to be found, words everyone else forgot. But if you’re actually asking about my life and not just money then the answer is I’m devoted to a simple and honest pursuit: I seek a good time.”

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Upsilon casually, loosely, almost absent-mindedly, formed one of his hands into a fist, allowing a little crackle of green energy to materialize in it before relaxing again. It was a casual gesture, but the implicit threat was obvious as he continued to speak in a friendly tone.

Of course, U sympathized entirely. Trust in his position was a terrible idea, but, he thought to himself, at least he was capable of having some manners. "My good man, what could I possibly have to gain from poisoning someone like you?" 

He laughed condescendingly. "A bounty hunter, then. A hired blade. A position respectable enough for one of your caliber. I can't say I haven't hired your sort before."

U reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a business card that he held between his fingers, flicking it into the air where it hung for a second before floating smoothly over to the other man. On it, in fine, green ink, it read: "U. Upsilon. C.E.O and Founder of 92nd Sun Armaments and Enterprises." along with a mailing address for a pub in London and a phone number that consisted mostly of incomprehensible symbols that seemed to float around the paper if you didn't fix your eye right on them. 

"Perhaps we could do business sometime." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Shiro gave a slight hiccup at U’s words. She had no idea what had happened to him, and why it did, but if he had tried to escape and something stopped him from doing so, then she could only fear that they were going to be here a while.

And if she couldn’t find Sir Arthur here.. It only meant he was outside these walls by himself..! Or someone had stolen him…

Wiping away her tears, she felt somewhat jumped a little by the pat to her shoulder, but was soon reassured on realising it was U. The young girl soon took a moment to look at the other. He looked so respectable, and so upper class, and whilst she felt like the lowest of the universe, she could only wonder why two completely differing people were thrown in the same place. Punishment? It couldn’t be a prison, the other looked far too respectable to have done anything wrong, right? Or maybe she was naive. However, she soon noticed that she hadn’t explained about Sir Arthur. With wide tear-filled eyes, she piped up again,

        “Oh, I do hope so… You see…. Sir Arthur is my closest friend.." She gestured an estimate of size with her hands that looked to be three quarters of a head length, "He is about this tall… A.. And he is but a small white puppy… He looks a little battered but… He has been with me all my life and I am so careless, how could I have lost him…!" She spoke between sobs and hiccups before finally reaching the end of her explanation and bursting into tears. She hid her face in her hands, how embarrassing to cry before such a high class male!】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U tilted his head a little, listening intently. A trite tale of an animal companion, sweet and adorable, utter tosh as far as he was concerned. But for some reason, the tears in this creature's eyes made him feel something that was almost close to pity. Perhaps even empathy. This was annoying. How could he make this feeling go away? Perhaps by helping her? Yes, that seemed like it might perhaps help. 

Gingerly, he put a gloved hand on her head between her ears and patted gently a few times. Perhaps this would help? Crying people were definitely not within his area of expertise. 

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a large, shiny bar of candy and offered it to her. "Now now, Miss Inubashiri. I am sure that your friend will be safe. I promise that I shall put all the resources at my disposal to help you get him back, so please, don't fret, young lady." 

He frowned. Well, he didn't, but had he had a face he might have. "Don't blame yourself for the loss of your friend. As happens, I seem to have misplaced something of value also."

Upon his arrival, U had attempted to draw out his weapon of choice, a spectacularly powerful magical implement he affectionately called Sunshatter. But it hadn't been there. U was starting to suspect that it, along with Miss Inubashiri's friend, had been taken.

Not really sure what else to do, he continued to gingerly pat the spirit on the head, in the hope that she would perhaps cry a little less. 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Still sipping at the drink within her small, pale hands, Shiro nodded every now and again, to show U that he had her full attention. She was also beginning to think about her own question, and why this place didn’t seem loads of fun, despite the fact that theme parks were built to be fun. What was with the collars, and why was Sir Arthur missing!? Whimpering at these thoughts, Shiro tried to place them at the back of her mind, sipping the drink again to calm herself down a little.

She heard U pipe up again, and she listened again. He raised a few valid points that Shiro was left to think about. If you had loads of money and power, what would you do? Throw a bunch of mythical creatures into an abandoned and seemingly inescapable theme park. Sure. Shiro giggled for a moment over her own thoughts and her strange use of sarcasm, but the giggle was short lived, as U soon vanished. But just as quick as he had vanished, in the blink of Shiro’s eyes, he was back again, flying straight into the bench where he was sitting. The Poltergeist gasped in fear, and covered her eyes, as the male had broken a bench clean in half. Amazingly, as she unconvered her eyes, it seemed as though U was trying to play it off as though nothing happened, but Shiro was having none of that. With haste, she darted over to U, looking at him for any injuries.

      “Mr Upsilon!! Oh my goodness, are you alright!?" It was a silly question, he’d just been blasted god knows how many feet into the air, and to add insult to injury, had hit a bench and broke it due to the impact. With a frown, she began to listen again. So he tried to teleport out of the never ending walls. But at the idea of being held to ransom, or being stored in a prison led Shiro to gasp in shock horror. She hadn’t done anything wrong, had she!? Shaking in a newfound fear, she tried to stifle a few sobs, but before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.

       ”… D.. Do you reckon we will find the person behind this before we have to stay here any longer… I wish to find my beloved Sir Arthur…"】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U waved a hand, making a shooing gesture as Shiro rushed towards him. "My dear girl, don't worry about me. I assure you I'm capable of withstanding far worse. However, I would recommend for your own safety that you do not attempt to do what I just did. It was rather painful, and altogether a decidedly unpleasant experience." 

The spirit's concerns had caused U to begin to wonder as well. Where was he? Had it not been for the others, he would have suspected a prison. After all, he did pride himself on his slightly less than legal enterprises just as much as his business. Why, he thought to himself, with gangs under his thumb from Osaka to Chicago and a respectable and charming demeanor, what organization would not delight in imprisoning him? He was almost flattered by the idea.

But no, he simply could not imagine that the person in front of him was capable of crimes that would merit such a level of security. It was absolutely unthinkable. There must be something else to it. He was just considering this when she began to cry. 

This was not a good thing, oh no it was not. U knew many things, from what parts of a unicorn were the most sought after on the black market to how to mix an excellent martini, but he did not know how to deal with someone who was crying. Gingerly reaching out a shoulder, he awkwardly but gently patted her on the shoulder with a silk-gloved hand. 

"Oh no, my dear girl, please don't trouble yourself. I'm certain we will be out of here in just under no time at all, and you will be able to find this Arthur friend of yours, whoever he is. Th-there's no need to fret, now." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

Joel couldn’t help smiling and chuckling to himself. Upsilon was a serious and proud man and Joel had long ago learned how much fun it was to fuck with serious and proud men. He might have been offended by the insinuations regarding his upbringing but he couldn’t remember his upbringing, so it was of no concern to him. “Ever heard to beware Greeks bearing gifts? I don’t know you and this is hardly the place to start putting blind faith in strangers.” Joel put emphasis on the word strangers. The Storm gave another glance at Upsilon, his business had no endeared him to her, ‘I think he’s someone who expects to be treated a certain way. He doesn’t appreciate you deviating from his expectations.’ Joel laughed again, ‘And I don’t care what he appreciates.’

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U chuckled lightly, raising a hand to politely cover his mask's lack of a mouth. It was almost a titter, and any listener would have described the laugh as unbelievably obnoxious. This man was getting on U's nerves, and he had half a mind to vaporize him on the spot... but something told him that attempting such an action might be risky. This was for certain no ordinary man. The sword hanging at his waist was one indicator, the crackling power U could sense below the surface was another, and for no U had no intention of getting into a battle he might lose.

"Oh my good man, it only takes a little bit of manners to accept an offer made in good faith, but no matters. Evidently I overestimated your place and character, and for such a misjudgment I must apologize. What do you do with your life, hmm? A hired thug, perhaps?"   

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

Joel got the kind of reaction he was expecting; he’d managed to wound Upsilon’s pride and his reaction was an attempt to make it seem like Joel was at fault for not recognising his name. “Interesting.” The company sounded intriguing but Joel wasn’t surprised he wasn’t familiar with it. Joel and the people he worked with weren’t the kind to go to a company for artefacts, arms or enchantments. Auctions only whispered about, the dark corners of little known pubs, market stalls disguising their purpose, these were the places Joel found and took what he needed.

‘There’s something wrong about tying business to the magical. An attempt to tame a force far greater and more dangerous than you.’ The Storm announced gravely. Joel avoided looking at her at her as he considered what she was. In a way the goddess was a force far greater and dangerous than anyone else that had been successfully tamed, a metaphorical hurricane in a bottle, but Joel knew he had not really tamed The Storm. Such a task was impossible, they had a deal and that was the only reason this was working for him.

Returning his attention to Uplison Joel noticed that at least he’d declined to go for a fourth offer of food. Upsilon’s justification made Joel question whether it was right to be suspicious, maybe he was just a overly mannered person. It fit with what he’d seen so far. Still, he’d question what was being said some more. “Usually when that company is a guest, no? But this isn’t your home and none of us are here willingly.”

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U was slightly worried by this man's habit of paying attention to something that he himself could not see. What was he looking at? It was tempting to dismiss this man as insane, but U could feel the aura of power coming from him, a strange one, as if there as something impossibly powerful just out of sight. It put him on edge, although, being a distinguished gentleman as he was (or at least thought himself), he did not show it. 

"True, true, but I thought I may as well try and be civil. Not my fault if present company lacks the upbringing to reciprocate. I should obviously have considered this act of generosity better." The veiled insults were obvious behind the man's genial tone. 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Happily taking the cold drink from the man, Shiro nodded gratefully, before another smile graced her features, a light pink blush highlighting all the little freckles on her face. She took a sip of the drink, watching as the man offered her food as well. If she came to be hungry at some point after this, she’d possibly take up the offer, but for now the drink was all she could do for.

       ”Thank you, Mr Upsilon…! Your kindness is appreciated, and I hope to be of some service to you for providing such hospitality, e… especially in a place like this…!" She caught herself stuttering once she had registered that he continued to refer to her on a last name basis. Oh how she couldn’t bring herself to correct him. He didn’t need to do such a thing, since she was barely anyone of importance, but out of fear of accidentally offending him, she remained silent, that was until a question exited her mouth faster than she could stop herself,

        “Mr Upsilon… If I may ask you… Do you have any particular guesses as to what this place may be built so strangely for…?" By that she was referring to the very high up walls, and the gooey tar at the entrance. She wished she had answers, but maybe this intelligent man could provide educated estimates. Anxiously sipping the drink, she awaited a response.】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

"Think nothing of it, young Madam. It is only courteous to offer hospitality when in civilized company such as yourself." For once, U was speaking with complete sincerity. This stranger, Miss Inubashiri, was incredibly polite, something that U found was rather rare and therefore valued a great deal. 

Her question, however, was a cause for concern. Up till now, he hadn't really thought about what this garish and hideous theme park was for, or why these walls had been put in place to trap them, why they had been collared, why? 

Drumming gloved fingers against his mask, he was silent for a little bit before he spoke. "An excellent question, Miss Inubashiri. I don't wish to presume anything, but there are a few things we can tell for sure. Whoever has done this is not only rich in money, but powerful. Walls like these can't be constructed by just anyone, you know. They're massive, and also magical. Perhaps even..." He seemed to drift off into his own world, stroking his masked chin thoughtfully.

"Be right back" he assured, before vanishing in a flurry of white light and a loud pop. A few seconds later, he unceremoniously came flying through the air like a large and person-shaped cannonball and landed on the bench he'd been sitting on, breaking it in two and hitting the floor with smoke emanating from the impact. Sitting up, he brushed down his coat and pulled out a deckchair from his pocket, reclining on it between two halves of the bench as if nothing had happened.

"It appears that these walls are even impervious to my teleportation. Quite a feat. Whoever or whatever wants us here is an extraordinarily powerful creature. With these collars, it almost seems like a prison, only I don't think it very likely that an affable personage such as yourself would have reason to be locked in a place of such security. Perhaps we are being held to some sort of ransom? Presumably, of course, time will tell." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

The man, Usilon, spoke as if it was possible to be on anything other than first name basis with Joel. He’d traded his other names, among other stuff, for something far more useful. His focus on ‘manners’ and presumptions of fame were grating to Joel. “I can’t say I have.” Joel said in response to Upsilon’s talk of his company. He said it with a smile but in truth he hoped it would prod at the masked man.

He squinted at the bonbon, now beginning to grow suspicious. ‘He is persistent.’ The Storm remarked, almost beginning to come around to Joel’s paranoid streak. ‘Exactly, almost makes you nervous.’ For a third time he waved off the food. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m still good. You are relentless, aren’t you?”

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U would have scowled, had he not been better educated than that, and also wearing a mask that completely obscured his face. But he told himself that he did not scowl because he was better educated; he seemed like the bigger man that way. "Well then, your experience must be lacking. You're speaking, my good sir, to the esteemed owner, founder, and CEO of Ninety-Second Sun Arms and Enterprises Limited, the world's leading producers and procures of artefacts, magical arms, and enchanted paraphenalia." 

He gave this speech as if it was something rehearsed, and it very likely was. He was evidently trying to prove a point, that anybody who was anybody ought to have heard of him. However, he still had to be a gentleman. Pocketing the bonbon, U tilted his head quizzically. "Oh, my dear sir, it is merely good form to offer food to polite company, and likewise to accept it. Evidently such a practice is not required here." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Noticing the other’s formality towards her, Shiro shook her head frantically, a pale pink blush tainting her cheeks. Why was it all the time that someone was attentive, nice or formal towards her that she got all flustered like this!? No one had ever addressed her by her last name before, and it definitely came as a surprise to the Poltergeist. Smiling bravely towards the male, she noticed that he had not actually answered her question, which seemed to be okay to her, but her ears drooped a little as she thought maybe she was being too invasive.

Putting that to one side, she also realised that he had said that he was in her debt! She felt her heart beginning to race a little, she didn’t want to man to provide her with anything for her lack of knowledge over this place. Although, as he began to cycle a range of fruit flavoured drinks before her, she couldn’t help but now feel just the little bit thirsty. Ears perking up slightly at the bright colours in front of her, she subconsciously licked her lips, as her tail swished behind her happily,

        “…!! U… Uhh… Grape.. sir… If that would not be too much of a bother…!" She felt a little flushed that she was accepting this, however, she didn’t wish to disappoint the man further. She rocked back on her heels patiently, in case the male spoke again, idly tugging at the stained bandage around her wrist. Silently, she uttered a small "Thank you" to the male, looking towards him with a gentle smile on her face, her cheeks still painted a pale pink.】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

This girl in front of him was certainly an odd character. The ears, the chain, the tail... evidently not human. Not that that was a bad thing. U's right-hand man back at the Ninety-Second was a dwarf, and he was excellent. Humans were rather overrated. He chuckled with delight as she accepted his offer, pouring a glass of ice-cold grape juice and holding it out to her. 

"My pleasure, Miss Inubashiri. Perhaps you would like a snack to go with it? Feel free to ask." to demonstrate, he pulled out two chocolate-coated croissants, a danish pasty, a bag of crisps, and a chicken drumstick from an inner pocket of his tailcoat, sending them up into the air with a wave of his hand before another gesture sent them back into his pocket along with the juice jug. 

He felt glad when he saw the smile. Not that he wanted to make this stranger happy of anything, no that would be unprofessional. But for some reason, it lifted his spirits. "My name is U. Upsilon, by the by, but you may call me Mr. Upsilon." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Tilting her head, the man was silent for an awful long time. Had she done something wrong already!? Giving a slight whimper, the Poltergeist fiddled around with the chain, averting looking at the man in case she had become a nuisance already. Although, she was rather startled by the voice when he spoke up, and it would seem that he wanted her help.

And she hadn’t introduced herself…. Again…

Bowing apologetically, she felt herself getting flustered with all these formalities, she’d never really spoken to many people, especially those of higher class, with a nervous inhale, she spoke with haste,

       ”My apologies! I did not introduce myself either… Um.. I am Shiro Inubashiri… But you may call Shiro if it comforts you…" If it comforts them? Shiro, slow down. "… I can tell you sir, that we are in a theme park… As far as my deductions go, we have all awaken w… with these strange metal collars around our neck… Alas we are all also missing an item.." Looking away, slightly ashamed she sighed, "T… That is all I know…—-" She was cut off by the other offering her a drink. Was this the time to be sitting and having something alcoholic? With a frown, nervously, she shook her head, "I… I shall pass sir, I am sorry… There are only certain things I am allowed to drink sadly…." Pausing, she tilted her head and looked at the man, "… May I inquire as to who you are, sir…?"】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

The businessman listened intently until the girl had finished her explanation. U was rather disappointed to learn that she was not, in fact, hired help. That would have been useful, to say the least. However, the information she had was still helpful. Unconsciously, U raised a gloved hand to his neck, running a finger along a metal collar that had certainly not been there before. Had he had a visible face, he would have been scowling. Who'd done this? Had the police finally caught up with his... less savory business deals? No, no police force on the planet could, would do something like this. There was something far more sinister than that going on here. 

He gave a bow, or at least as much of one as he could before downing the whisky in one gulp, the liquid reaching the part of his mask where a mouth would be found and then instantly vanishing before tossing the glass over his shoulder carelessly and pocketing the bottle. "Suit yourself, Miss Inubashiri. Many thanks for your information. I find myself in your debt." 

Reaching into his pockets again, he pulled out a jug larger than his head, full of ice and orange juice. In the other hand, he held a smaller glass. "Orange juice, then?" With a wave of his hand, the cup began to float, and he clicked his fingers, each snap turning the liquid in the jug into something different. "Grape, apple, mango, pineapple, blackcurrant? Surely you must be thirsty." 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

Joel was curious how the man swallowed the declined drink. Possibly a spell or what he had on his face might not be a mask as he initially assumed. The stranger asked about the others. “You are correct, there a quite a few others actually, even I haven’t met them all yet. But everyone here seems to be…” Joel paused as he searched for an accurate phrase. “…peculiar.” He felt satisfied with what he settled on.

As Joel looked as the new food and drink offered he noted how the stranger had drank what he previously offered without any ill effects. However Joel knew there were ways of accomplishing this and the stranger’s insistence was off-putting. ‘When did you develop a paranoid streak?’ The Storm asked to which Joel responded, ‘Since I woke up in a strange place with a collar round my neck.’ Joel shook his head. “Joel, but I’ll have to decline again, haven’t quite found my appetite yet. And you are?”

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U did not frown. That would have required a visible face. But he would have liked to. This man confused him. He seemed oddly focused on something that U couldn't see, which was never a good sign. Peculiar. Well, that was a word that could certainly apply to the man in front of him, and, of course, the the businessman himself. 

Slightly tetchily, U took a cup of coffee, holding it delicately in a manner more befitting a tea party than meeting a stranger after a kidnapping, sipping daintily and making sure not to spill any on his silk gloves. After taking a long sip, he finally deigned to reply. "Oh, my dear sir, you seem to make the mistake of thinking that we are on first-name terms. I dreadfully regret" he said, although his tone implied nothing of the sort. "that we are not. You may refer to me, as Mr. Upsilon, sir. I own a company. You may have heard of me." 

Reaching once more into his pocket, instead of pulling out something too large and extravagant, the masked man simply pulled out a small sweet. "Not even a bonbon, my good man?"

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

The masked man began to float and summoned a glass and bottle, so he clearly had magic. Joel wondered if the display was an attempt to show it off, though it would take more than that to really impress him. He looked at the drink being offered to him, Joel didn’t like the idea of accepting drinks from strangers. Maybe the masked man assumed Joel had something to do with why he was here and might attempt to drug or poison him. So with a smile and a wave he declined. “I’m good, but I appreciate the other.”

The Storm also began to float in the air, mimicking the stranger as a way of mocking him. Joel couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that, a response that would undoubtedly seem odd. “Sadly someone put a lot of effort into blocking the exits.” Joel answered the man’s question. “You’re right about me not knowing where we are but I’m not the only one, no one has the answer so far.” Joel was being fairly casual about the situation now, he wondered if the stranger would panic.

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U shrugged, a tone of disapproval clear in his voice. "Very well. Your loss." He then downed the glass, holding the flute between two fingers. How exactly he downed the glass was a mystery, but he held it to around where a mouth would be, tilted it, and sure enough the liquid vanished, with a slurping sound to boot. As he finished it, he swallowed, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing. 

The man didn't seemed surprised at all by the demonstration of magic going on before him, leading U to think that he probably had magic of his own. Interesting. His favourite kind of mortal, that is, if he was mortal. Concentrating, U could feel an aura of vast power radiating from the man, or at least, his vicinity. He must be a strong magician indeed.

The laugh was odd, but as a show of goodwill, U decided to ignore it too. "Well that certainly is a predicament. And nobody? That turn of phrase, of course, implies that there are more denizens of this delightful place than just you and I, correct?"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a large silver tray, with two mugs of coffee and a freshly baked croissant on an ornate dish, laying it between the two of them. "Care to share a coffee, Mr...."  

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Shiro]

[gentlewhitepoltergeist-blog]

【Pacing herself back to the entrance plaza, to check whether or not anyone else had awoken from their comatose state. Just as she was about to have a loot around, she caught a glance at a strange man, seated at one of the benches. He looked rather impatient, and he also looked a little on the mean and nasty side, so Shiro was tempted to just leave him as he was, as to not make him any angrier. Though, he did look as though he needed some assistance, so with hesitance, she walked towards the man, offering a small bow before him.

      “E… Excuse me sir, I do not mean to talk out of turn, I understand you must be incredibly respectable but…." she paused, standing up straight to look at him. Before she continued she managed a good look at the man, and was rather perplexed at his lack of expression and his strange mask. Holding back her anxieties about the man, Shiro continued on, "… But you seem lost… And maybe you just woke up.. I cannot provide too much information, through lack of knowledge myself… But I wish to aid you in any way I can, sir…" Nervously, Shiro waited for a response, nervously playing with the chain from her collar.】

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Upon hearing a voice, U raised his head to meet the stranger's eyes with his masks's complete lack of any. He listened patiently, drumming his fingers on his knee gently. This girl seemed liked she could do little harm. The chain around her neck must be some sort of magical artefact, perhaps binding her to this place. In any case, perhaps she was the help. Any decent facility employed servants. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass and a bottle of whisky, swilling the liquid in the bottle around to make sure it was still good before filling the glass to the brim, deliberately taking his time in replying. Didn't do to show the employed help too much respect, after all. 

With a genial tone, he held the glass out towards her. "All three of those assumptions are inexorably correct. I am highly distinguished, and have just woken up, lost. I would rather appreciate any help you might be able to provide, Miss." 

At this point, he waved a gloved hand to indicate that he hadn't caught her name. "Glass of whisky?" 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Joel]

[thestormandtheswordsman-blog]

Joel had begun to sit on the ground in the plaza, waiting for an explanation to present itself. It would have to at some point, there was a purpose to all of this. Though Joel wasn’t sure he’d like whatever the purpose was. ‘Maybe this is the purpose full stop, lock a bunch of people in an odd place and see what happens.’ Joel gloomily speculated. The Storm, who he could see sitting across from him, considered it for a moment. ‘Perhaps, this venue looks like it has been altered quiet heavily however and it would have been an unusual choice anyway. I believe whoever’s doing this wants something very specific to happen and they won’t leave it up to chance.’ Her considered response put Joel further on edge and he was beginning to grow impatient.

It was then he noticed someone new entering the plaza, a masked man in a fancy suit wearing a question mark on his face. He sat on the bench and his body language had all the signs on impatience. “If you’re waiting for someone to tell you what’s going on,” Joel called over to the stranger. “You could be waiting for a long time.”

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

U was not used to such rudeness. This was a lie. He dealt with people far ruder than this on a daily basis, but he liked to think to himself whenever someone was rude to him that he was not used to such rudeness; the thought made him feel superior. 

But he would allow this rudeness to slip. After all, he barely knew this man. For all he knew, this could be the person who brought him here, who was a person U felt was to be at the very least respected. Getting up and striding confidently over to the stranger, U made himself comfortable and crossed his legs in midair, his tailcoat dangling beneath him as he hovered a foot or so above the ground. No chance he was going to get his perfectly good suit dirty. 

With a flourish, U produced a wineglass in one hand and an ornate bottle in the other. Pouring a drink, he spoke. "I assume you, dear Sir, don't have the slightest idea where we are. Do you, however, know where the exit might be? Drink?" With this last word, he held out the glass to Joel, with a voice that suggested a friendly smile but with his mask remaining as plain and expressionless as a blank mask could be, which was very. 

[theninetysecondelement-blog]

Caterpillar Hookah [Open RP]

U was not used to this sort of indignity. Awakening God only knows where, awakening! He didn't even sleep! Absolutely ridiculous, completely unacceptable, and he had half a mind to vaporize whoever had had the audacity to do something so preposterous. 

What even was this place? A shop? No, worse than that, a gift shop. U was a businessman. He had no respect for gift shops, tiny huts that sold annoying plastic dinosaurs or whatever for eight times their actual value. Casually pocketing a few items with a snap of his fingers as he walked through, he opened the door, greeted with the sight of a large plaza. Lovely. 

Seating himself on a bench, he crossed his arms, one leg leaning on the other, giving a clear indication of impatience despite the fact that he had no visible face. Somebody had better have a damn good explanation.