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Angela	Manager of Branch O-5681, Due to unusual Outsider interference during Abnormality Suppression, Nothing There escaped captivity. We have reason to believe that it has escaped into the Backstreets of your district. We need the Abnormality back in our facilities in a manner that does not draw attention from the Head. As our agents are disallowed from engaging directly with the City for security purposes, and yours are not, please assemble a small team of Agents to assist the Outsiders in its recapture. Some Outsiders may have different goals in mind but the team lead of the Outsiders can be trusted to be supportive of this goal. --Secretary Angela Getting into The City is tougher than getting into Lobotomy Corp, surprisingly enough. To get into Lobotomy Corp, you really just need the artificial warpgate there to be open which Angela tends to open for anybody who wants to drop on by. To get to the City, you can't go through Lobotomy Corp since they have no ready access from there so the only real option is to travel directly through the natural City warp gates all of which are tightly controlled by their respective Wings. Fortunately, Angela was able to provide Outsider Traveler Passes that should be good for a couple weeks. These passes are specifically for Nest O's Backstreets where Nothing There is, according to Hook's map. 'Wonderlab' has been asked to help as well. The main facility's agents are allowed to work in the Multiverse properly but barring Cinder paying Petra a visit under extenuating circumstances, L Corp agents from the Main Office are generally barred from visiting The City properly for security reasons. But the Wonderlab Trio have been given a two-week pass for the Backstreets proper. There is security gating to go through in order to make it to the Backstreets but the security is largely meant for those going out. People from the Wings 'slumming it' in the Backstreets is not unheard of. Why the Backstreets? Well, aside from Hook's map, there is a big clue as to where to go from there. Recently the Sweepers have stopped Sweeping at the annointed time between 3:13 and 4:34 AM. The Sweepers are considered a natural phenomena of the City and a dangerous one at that--only something MORE dangerous could possible stop the Sweepers from engaging in their task. This also suggests that if something isn't done and done soon--the Head may indeed notice what's going on. Fortunately only the Sweepers in District O's backstreets have stopped operating so those that do not have a special map have an idea of where to go as well. It's within the Backstreets that the two teams will run into each other. The Backstreets are not nearly as nice as the Nests and are roughly analogous to slums. There are plenty of stores advertising their wares but the vast majority of them are shuttered down and the lights have been dimmed or turned off entirely. There are people on the streets! But not too many and most, upon seeing Outsiders (and outsiders) arriving give them a wide berth of 'Just Trying To Survive Here, Man' and hurry along with their business, though there are two men and one woman lingering in an alleyway that seem in no hurry to move along. They are definitely armed--it's impossible to miss the weaponry of the two men--one carrying two large scythes on his back and another carrying a hatchet about half the length of their arm. The one with the scythes is studying the newcomers to the Backstreets but doesn't seem to be in a hurry to approach.
Captain Hook	The ratty old parchment, notched and worn, is one of the most valuable tools in William Hook's collection. It's unrolled in his hand as he leads the way, from the most efficient Warp Gate to the maze of the Backstreets. The Captain walks as if he owns the place - which, granted, isn't really different from anywhere else, but in this situation it's as if he's utterly used to the area, as if he's completely certain that he knows where he's going. It's like he's lived here his whole life, though it's most certainly his first time.      The Map With The X On It is very detailed, in its odd little way. It's just an ink and parchment map, with dotted lines and little sigils, and yet nonetheless Hook navigates with it easily. When the hatchet-wielding gentlefolk arrive, Hook rolls the map up and stows it in his coat pocket, which has the side-effect of showing his cutlass and flintlock, and thereby informing the gentlefolk that he is not an easy mark to be taken but rather an experienced sea captain.      "Ho, there," Hook says, doffing his hat briefly before settling it back on his head, "Quite a day, isn't it?"
Kukuru	Kukuru has only heard of the Backstreets in passing at best, but the name alone is enough to tell her that today's foray into unknown (to her) territory should be done with more care to blend in than she usually doesn't bother with. When she arrives through one of the indicated City gates with a pass from Angela, she does so covered (almost) from head to toe in dark colors and tighter jackets and leggings that keep her ambient fluttering to minimum. Her hair's even tied back in a long braid, to really keep it all under control. Letting Nothing There get out of control was a direct result of what she did, after all, so it would only be natural for her to take this seriously. Coming in with Hook's team, Kukuru's even got a different approach to her usual 'stumble along and keep one eye open'. Instead, as his map points the way forward, she's looking up to find high vantage points, then teleporting right up to them to keep up with the group from further above. Whether they're rooftops, high poles, or even particularly high signs, she's doing this repeatedly in order to get a better look at the surrounding area, focusing on trying to find traces of the missing Abnormality on the way. She's not paying much attention to her own surroundings as she does this, though, and it takes her a moment to even notice that there's some armed folks hanging out in a nearby alleyway. Once she does notice them, though, Kukuru hops off the sign she's most recently perched herself on to land next to him in a low squat. It's a pretty big drop, though, so it takes her several seconds before she can stnad back up properly. "Hmm...? Ah. He-llo there. Is everything okay over heeere?" She asks in her usual tone, although she still looks somewhat distracted as she glances around that alley idly, then back outside of it. She's still trying to spot traces of Nothing There even then.
Dysnomia	It was impossible to miss the energy of this place, even for a normal person. But to Mia, it was downright oppressive. She pulled her senses inward to escape the creeping, painful, familiar feeling of cramps souls with their backs against the wall, the desperation crawling over her skin like locusts, setting Mia's teeth to grinding.     She much preferred the quiet.     Your city sucks. She thought, to no one in particular. "Let's finish this and get out," Mia complained. "Where to now..." She frowned as Hook pocketed the map, then followed his gaze to the lurking predators.     She immediately met their eyes, back straight, eyebrows pulled inward. Her stare was sharp enough to bleed, and absently, a without realizing what she was doing, Mia let a mist begin to pool at her feet.     Reaching out with her thoughts, Dysnomia dipped the talons of her will into the shallows of these interloper's minds, sought out their intent.
Wonderlab Trio	Buried a dozen stories below the streets, at the very base of the inverted structure of Lobotomy Corporation Branch O-5681, the expansive wall of monitors lights up with a high-priority email. The chair behind the long, sterile white desk is empty. Sitting on the edge of the desk, thighs crossed and chin demurely tilted downwards, is a familiar figure in a labcoat with long silver hair, tied up in a ponytail on one side. Her eyes are closed, and her only movement in response to the email is a digital distortion flickering around the edges of her figure.     "Outsiders, Outsiders, Outsiders... what a mess they've made. What a mess you've made, sister." She doesn't need to move to read the email, sitting stock-still on the desk. Her hands are splayed out to either side of her hips, and her head tilts, then stops after a precise angular fraction. "Allowing such unknown quantities to let loose an ALEPH into the City. Allowing yourself to trust them, in returning it."     "It seems our honorable Secretary has gone mad, dearest Manager~"     There's no one else in the room, and Manual's voice echoes off of the expanse of tiles lit with florescent light. She's silent for a moment, utterly still, and then continues in a completely different tone.     "ALEPH is the most dangerous Risk Level, Manager. You should devote as much concentration and attention as possible to managing an ALEPH Abnormality's breach. Such things are inevitable, but even so, a lapse in judgement may lead to the loss of an entire Department. Or an entire District. Please do not take our warning lightly."     "Dispatch employees to suppress Nothing There as you please, Manager." Below Manual's heels is blood soaked into the white tile, staining it rust-brown. She tilts the toe of her heel to touch it to the stain, then grinds the point in, twisting back and forth. Her foot flickers, and the tip of her heel phases into the ground. Manual's pout twists into a tight little frown. "How like her. How astutely risk-averse, to distance herself from her own disasters, and send someone expendable in her place."     The screen behind Manual flickers through the hundreds of CCTV cameras in the facility, barely lingering for a frame on each as Manual searches. The display comes to a stop in the red hallways of Disciplinary Department, with a trio of agents walking together. One, the short, black-haired one, turns back to the camera, hearing the tiny movement of the lens. They lag behind the others, to lean forwards and wave at the camera, a wide, hungry smile plastered on their face.     "If I am to lay my neck out in her place, let no one say I went quietly to the slaughter. Not again. Deploying Disciplinary Team for suppression, Manager."     Catt takes the lead on this mission, for more reasons than simply being the team captain. Their navigation through the Backstreets is instinctual and familiar, though far from *casual*, and they bring the other two through gaps in the barriers of the Nest besides the official passage points. No records, back and forth. Taii and Rose follow behind them, with varying degrees of certainty-- and it's Rose, actually, who is the most offput by the Backstreets, though they try to hide it.
Wonderlab Trio	EGO gear is a strictly-kept secret of Lobotomy Corporation, even from the Head. It'd be suicide, both career and literal, to wear it openly in public, so all three of them conceal it with outerwear. Catt wears a puffy jacket, concealing their EGO weapon, a long golden spoon named Bitter Medicine, beneath it. Taii wears flowery pants and a blue cardigan over their red and pink EGO suit, sliding the golden rod of Chignon down the back of their pants legs. Rose's Phlebostomy is coiled around their torso, beneath their suit, warm flesh-like rope pulsating uncomfortably at the close distance.     "Catt could see you from a mile away. Prying bird, will scare away anything it searches for with those garish feathers." Catt slips out into the alleyway, previously hidden in the shadows of a shop's vestibule. Rose and Taii follow, with Taii looking slightly apologetic at the tone of the greeting, and Rose not caring in the slightest.     "I assume you're the contacts? It's nice to meet you all, I've only briefly met an Outsider before this. I'm Rose."     "Um-- yes. I'm Taii. Please keep in mind the terms of our meeting," Implicitly, they mean do not talk about Abnormalities where anyone else might hear. "And I hope to work well with you. We all do."
Hibiki Tachibana	Well, you know, Hibiki was right there when Nothing There slipped on out of Lobotomy Corporation. Although there really wasn't any hope of actually stopping it from doing so at the time, there's still some responsibility when it comes to make sure it goes back before some genuinely serious trouble with the City happens because of it.     That, and she'd like for everything with Kukuru to end up alright, some way or another. After all the trials and tribulations of her trying so hard on so many fronts, plus everything with her fanclub, the least she deserves - as far as Hibiki is concerned, anyway - is for everything with Nothing There to have.../some/ kind of decent conclusion.     If she can do even a little to help make that happen, then she's going to try.     Even if it does mean having to go through the uncomfortable process of what's effectively going through tightly controlled customs, although Angela's efforts at procuring them passes makes that a whole lot less painful than it'd otherwise be. This does not make the Backstreets themselves be any less dour to exist in.     "Kukuru..." Suffice to say, as Everyone's Mom is still making worried glances around even in the middle of them beginning to question the alleyway hoodlums, Hibiki doesn't exactly miss it. For her part, she's remaining outside of said alley, essentially at its entrance, leaning against a wall and scanning the street--in other words, keeping watch on the rest of the block while they're all addressing the gang directly.     She's not too caught up in the 'finding' part, knowing firsthand how handy Captain Hook's map is. But it helps to keep an eye and an ear out. "Yeah," she responds off-handedly to Rose as the Wonderlab group joins in, giving the lot of them a small nod. "...Let's hope we can get this taken care off quickly."
Ozhira	This isn't the first time the Beast has gone through Customs to access a world where such a creature does not belong. Ozhira's passage through the City's proper warpgate and subsequent inspection goes off without a hitch. Even the typical jagged sharklike teeth are gone, replaced with the expected number and shapes of ordinary human dentition. Even the black blazer and red skirt are fairly ordinary by many modern fashion standards. The creature really could just... disappear in an environment like this.     Which is exactly the danger with this sort of creature. With creatures like Nothing There, and why the Devourer has come to the City proper.     Ozhira accompanies Hook, red eyes fixated on the map in his hands with no small amount of wonder on their face. It's him taking notice of the three armed persons that prompts them to stop, perhaps a step past where Hook had halted. Posture straightening, they follow his gaze to the three, as if this is the first time they had noticed these persons.     Hook addresses the trio. Ozhira's greeting is to just raise a hand, fingers curling in a little wave. It's not-- silent. They don't say anything. But there is a sort of deep, growling rumble in ultrasound, felt more than heard vibrating through the pavement as they attempt to infer if anyone is hidden out of sight beyond these three.     When they do speak, it is addressed to the Captain, "Are we joined? Or something else? Nothing at all? What do you think?"     Their eyes move past Hook to Taii when they step forward, following the local's approach. Their posture straightens, "We also hope, to work well with you."
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Talk of treasure does not move the Green Knight. But talk of hunting very much does. A hunt is many things--it's one of the oldest forms of trial there is. To hunt is to seek; whether it's food or glory or something harder to nail down, something inside. To hunt is to work, to test a litany of skills against those of one's quarry. At work, as in play, people show the truest sides of themselves--so believes the Green Knight.      Seven and a half feet of armored bulk crosses through a City warpgate, clutching a visitor pass in a machined green gauntlet. A pitiless black t-visor set into a green bucket helm reflects its surroundings, pitched down quite often to make eye contact with Wings personnel. Golden decals in stylized imitation of a boar's tusks travel up either side of the helmet.      Bercilak de Hautdesert moves with unnatural grace through the checkpoint, in defiance of both his armor and the massive, imposing exosuit harness that serves as a sort of exaggerated cuirass. From beneath computer-designed sleek pauldrons, there seems to quite literally sprout a cloak of living helenium and feather reeds, interwoven perfectly. It billows behind him as his credentials are approved and he steps into the Backstreets proper.      He pauses, once there's enough space for his preferred steed, shouldering the heavy weight of his oppressively long bearded greataxe with ease. Its green edge glows faintly. The knight's nanite cloud rapidly constructs a hoverbike which must surely have come from military surplus, for the thickness of its armored plates and the implied force of its silhouette. The hoverbike is massive, as it would need to be for a rider of his size and weight, larger than some models of civilian four-wheeled automobiles. It's green all over, just as he, but for a golden spray-on decal at the rear, depicting an alien hound in chase of prey.      Its rapport is a chest-thudding POW that grows into a constant, bonerattling hiss as the vehicle picks up speed. With one arm buried in its control console, and the other holding his axe easily across his shoulder, the Green Knight glides gracefully through the Backstreets until he reaches the agreed-upon meeting point, and the hiss returns to staccato explosions. These, too, die out, and there is blessed quiet--the means which keep it hovering apparently far less noisome than its means of propulsion.      Bercilak steps off of the bike, lowering his axe and switching it to the left hand. Heavy boots make weighty impacts against the ground as he approaches two strangers--one with two scythes, the other with a large hatchet.      "What itides?" He asks with businesslike cordiality, offering his right gauntlet in greeting to one stranger, then the other. "Art thou presencial for ihuntinge--oth that, onli amiren?" His left hand choked up all the way on his greataxe, he angles it that the cheek faces the strangers.      "If hit shalt be the rather," he offers, after handshakes, "Thanne gate thee upon mine stede and let us be aboute hit." He motions behind him, thumb pointed at the hoverbike. Certainly, the bike is big enough for the both of them to safely, if not comfortably, stand upon the running boards. Handshakes, as well, are offered to Hook, and to the Disciplinary Team, all of whom he's yet to meet.      "Bercilak of the High Wastelond. So als the Green Knight."
Raziel	'Lady Angela had reached her hand out, aiding me with her agents through it does no benefit to herself. I doubt there is anything in Nosgoth worth it to Lobotomy Corp or its goals, so when a request came to assist with a missing monster...' Raziel is in lock step with Hook, pausing when others meet up. 'Then there is nothing I wouldn't do to repay a debt owed. Though I fear that such a debt will never be properly paid... I would endeavor to repay it, even if it should take me a life time...' "Raziel of the Concord," he says back to Rose. His greeting is brisk, but not unkind or without any respect, just the opposite. However, they are on a hunt. Monsters would come out of the woodwork to likely stop them, and the monster on the loose is one of the strongest. "I am fine Kukuru, I can ask the same of you?" he in fact does ask the same of her, is /she/ alright? 'Tension was on the faces of those here, and not without good reason. Some have a larger stake in this than others. Others have personal issues with L-Corp and the City. All of this, understandable to me...' He pauses to look towards the approaching Bercilak. His thoughts stop dead in their tracks. '...The Green Knight, I have heard of this man... and heard this man. It seems this will be very interesting of a hunt, if not just for the company I shall keep.'
Meika Kirenai	City of Kagoshima, Earlier . . .     It's easiest to navigate skipping town on the days Meika has work shifts, she's found. Calling off- or more, reminding him that he'd already let her off for that day, means there's nothing to worry for the hours her parent's assume she's at that familiar little coffee shop. It doesn't matter if that's not the truth, that it is the first time he's heard of that, that seeded little memory is enough for Meika to rely on for something like this. It's worth it, she hopes, to take that shortcut. A crossed boundary of autonomy, and a scramble to get someone else there to brew up expensive coffee and run a till, versus recapturing a dangerous monster in another world. It's got to be.      With her supervisor out of the way, all she needs to do is wait for her father's car to be sufficiently far enough away from dropping her off, and book it on foot to the train station. The hardest part, as always, is convincing Sister Kurokawa, and the rest of them, that she has a proper reason, a enough good excuse, for trudging on through Kagoshima's warpgates, where any passersby and prying eyes could see.     Meika doesn't. Of course she doesn't. Not to visit this world, again, where all the troubles (at least, those in the shape of Magical Girls) seem to follow back on through to their city, too. Regardless of if the ban is spoken or unspoken, no justification could exist for her to go back. That only matters if she tells her where she's really going, though.     "Paladins business" isn't enough for Sister Kurokawa. "Paladins business, there's an emergency in..." sounds right enough, made-up details Meika's forgotten before getting to the warpgate buying just enough plausibility to be cleared. It'll be a problem if the Holy Refulgence's liason tries to find any reports after the fact, but that's a problem for another day. What is a problem is that those prying eyes aren't as easily fooled. She can trick her way out of work, lie her way to permission, but can't hide a thing from someone who can see the inputs she tries on the warpgate's terminals, and who can jumble up the keys and screen enough to be sure she knows she's doing something wrong, even if it's not enough to stop her.
Meika Kirenai	Backstreets of District 15, Present . . .     Sometime en route, Meika underwent the telltale flash of her transformation into Chevalier Vermillion. Hunting an Abnormality requires it, she hopes, but mainly it'd feel wrong, dishonest almost, to show a different face of her to this strange city than the one she wore her only previous visit. Chevalier Vermillion can smile and clear herself through the security checkpoints once more, skates reverberating with each step she takes on them across the pavement, and join the others on the other side, where sparkling raiment serves to deflect just a smidgen of the guilt she feels from the wary backstreet residents giving as wide a berth as they do.     There's a few familiar faces Vermillion raises her clutched hockey stick in greeting to- Captain William, Miss Kukuru, and, hesitantly, Hibiki- and one familiar face that makes her retract it, her heart sink, and a bitter taste rise up in the back of her throat, that a slug like her should step back in a place like this.     "Oh. Introductions. Right." There's new people, after all- and with luck, even if they're hovering near Catt, they won't be so bad. "Magical Girl Chevalier Vermillion. I, um, am here to help. Too." Her smile noticably falters, as she silences an anxious heel-tap.     "I, um, hope I can be of service, and that you can all rely on me." Hastily added in, that last line comes out in an attempt to pretend, just a bit, to speak more like how her sister would, in company like this. More like someone who is reliable. More like how she- how a Knight, should. It's stilted, but she even tries to do a curtsy, the motion not quite coming naturally, a she fumbles with the hem of her skirt.
Wonderlab Trio	Taii lights up upon seeing Hibiki, grateful to recognize someone here. Rose gives her a smile too, at least acknowledging that they recognize her, though not nearly as dependent on the comfort of that familiarity as Taii. "Ah, Hibiki! It's good to see you again."     Catt lazily rolls their head onto their shoulder, staring at the Elites with dull black eyes and avoiding the trio of strangers behind them. "Why have you stopped? That beast could be killing thousands at this very moment." They're feebly interrupted by Taii murmuring "Captain...", and they look back at Taii for just a moment before continuing. "We're on a mission. Keep up with Catt, or disappear for your sightseeing."     Ozhira's sonar puts Rose immediately on guard. Their EGO weapon coils around their chest, crawling inside their sleeve with a fleshy rasp, to be prepared to jump into their hand the moment that Ozhira makes a threatening motion. When they speak, Rose eases up slightly, but steps forwards to address them directly. "I think an introduction would help with working better together, if you would."     Rose and Taii take Bercilak's hand, and Rose seems absolutely delighted with his whole demeanor, while Taii-- over two feet shorter than him, and dressed to blend in rather than in head to toe armor-- is cowed a bit. "I don't totally understand what you're saying, sorry. Bercilak? It's a pleasure to meet you. That's a bike, that you're riding? A-- a steed?"     Taii pulls back after the introduction, and mutters to themselves, 'who is this guy...'. Miles away, their murmured complaint is transmitted through a monitor, to a waiting crowd of excited clerks-- as well as a separate one, to her. The clerks, led by Flower, are treating the excursion as a sports game, whispering to each other about each new arrival and awestruck by the fact that *their* coworkers are meeting these Elites!     Within the crowd of excited fans, one clerk pushes to the front, with buzzed green hair and green eyes. "Oh! I know! I know him, actually! Flower, Flower, put me on, put me on."     Flower, with a headset that connects directly to radios in each of the Trio's ears, smugly swivels in their chair and twists the microphone over in the other clerk's direction. "Got a reporty-message coming in, Taii! One of my friends has got some deetsies on that myst-weird-ious knight."
Angela	The man with the scythes says, "Naoki, look alive. Might be our target." The woman (who is wearing a gas mask and a jacket with the hoodie up and carrying a backpack) takes a long look towards the group, gaze settling firmly on Kukuru. "She's got the horns, doesn't seem dangerous but she cleared out the Sweepers, Taein." Taien (the scythe guy) holds up a hand to his team and has them hang back as he approaches the Outsiders and the Wonderlab Team. They have no mental protection so Dysnomia can read their minds pretty easily. Their intent seems to be to confirm something about Kukuru and then kill her. They're roughly united in this though some (the guy with the hatchet) are more intent on the murder than the confirmation element of this goal. He doesn't come in swinging. Instead he says, "Sup." to Hook before his gaze settles on Catt. Folks from the Backstreets tend to have a good instinct from who else is from the Backstreet. Dysnomia senses that he's running calculations, considering whether his team can handle this group of Outsiders. ''Some of them are meeting for the first time so their teamwork isn't likely to be as good but we were expecting one monster not a monster and a whole bunch of Outsiders working with them. A Contract is a contract... hnnn....'' But no amount of thinking and prep can prepare him for Bercilak with a Singularity empowered hoverbike (this is Taein's read on the tech). Actually to be completely true, it is less Bercilak's bike that throws his analysis into rack and more Bercilak's... Bercilak. "What?" He asks. "He's offering to team up for the Hunt and introducing himself as Bercilak and..." Naoki stalls a bit as Bercilak refers to himself as the Green Knight, as does Taein, whose eyes widen appreciably. Meika notices something is off, however. Near Kukuru, the world has just gone... Silent. Completely Silent. Silent in a way that shouldn't be possible, and obscured for others by the natural sounds of the City around it. She has a moment to react. "Shit, I'm not being paid to fight a Color," Taein says. "...Thankfully I was only paid to be a distraction." A halbred comes to rest, gently, against Kukuru's neck held by a woman dressed in a black coat, black gloves, and black slacks. The blouse covers up over the neck. The woman's hair is long and white and in her other hand is a cellphone held up to her ear. "I would love to get on that bike. But just to be double special sure, your friend here isn't the one we're hunting?" She pauses and makes a kissy noise at her cellphone. "Oh don't you worry, he's not my type, honey. ... But it is a very nice bike." The clerks wouldn't recognize her by face, posture, voice, or weapons, or even name. But they will recognize the gloves. There is one particular Fixer in the Black Streets that utilizes those gloves. The Black Silence
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	For any Clerks from Branch O-5681 who happen to investigate (or who were fans of him and keep up) a few things pop up about Bercilak on the internet.      One of the most popular videos is one from the virtual world of Cadenza, where Bercilak held his own against multiple Elites, apparently deliberately leaning into a heel performance to test the virtue of a recently sapient virus. Of particular note in the video is that he is scarily graceful and skilled for the profile that he presents. Bercilak uses every part of the axe creatively, intuitively, contstantly changing his grip.      The Green Knight clearly puts thought into his spacing and reach throughout the fight, as well. When something does break past his guard, his positioning is such that his armor takes the punishment. It seems to repair itself, albeit much more slowly than his wounds do. He voluntarily stops, once he's satisfied, and even takes pains to help rebuild what was damaged in the effort.      He does maintain a bit of a presence on social media: yates blavatsky @masterb Sick to death of all the rainbows. just trying to buy some shoes @SmartMartOfficial (See image) bercilak de hautdesert @sir_grabahan wel thourt aserching withinne the shirterie thou fuckinge unwit
Meika Kirenai	'Ah, Hibiki! It's good to see you again.'     "..Oh. So you did end up visiting, Hibiki. How'd that go? How's..." She pauses. "Aha, never mind. I'm- I'm sure Courage is doing fine."     It's a gamble to call her out like that, and she knows she shouldn't, but Vermillion's expression drops a bit seeing someone who seems, probably, to be from the branch facility, recognize the symphogear user. It drops more, though, from the flare of accompanying jealosy that however they'd met, it went well. I knew it. Hah. She would have more luck with them. Arms cross in front of her chest, both unconsciously defensive and trying to make the teenager appear stern.
Captain Hook	Captain Hook doffs his hat properly, sweeping it across his chest in a low bow. "Captain William Hook, associate of the Concord, at your service." He sets the hat promptly back upon his head and whistles lightly.      When the halberd goes to Kukuru's neck, Hook's hook is there to lightly push it away. "Now, now," he says politely, "If you're being paid to hunt the dear lady, you're not being paid enough, I assure you." The pirate's smile doesn't waver, nor does his tone, and yet there's an *edge* there that wasn't there a moment ago.      "And should you have been paid to hunt her, then I would be most interested to learn who. Oh, yes, I'm sure you've your professional pride," Hook rolls his free hand idly, "But there's every possibility that the 'person' who paid you is in fact *our* quarry, and that 'person' is in fact a monster, so it's in our best interests to exchange information, hm?"
Raziel	"If you are hunting Kukuru, then you will have trouble with that.." Raziel says, stepping up towards the approaching group... they start leaving when The Black Silence appears, but her approach to the situation is more relaxed, as well as more measured. A professional, Raziel comes to the conclusion, as he turns towards her. "No, that is Kukuru, and someone you want on your side and not against you.  I thank you for your discussion in deciding not to make a move," Raziel continues.  "As I understand it, the monster we are hunting took her form... or one similar to it." Vermillion's attempt at being stern and serious but also knightly gets his attention.  He looks... bemused at it.  Like the bemusement that an elder knight might give a squire who is trying too hard to be noticed.  He moves to lean over to her and whisper something.  "Relax, save it for the monster and not how fellow knights may see you." Leaning back, he considers, "So we're not the only ones after it... and if it is that dangerous then a lot of people are desperate enough to get the price such a thing would give?" he asks, looking towards Taii, Catt, and Rose.  "I ask for forgiveness, I am new to this city and its ways."
Kukuru	"We'll be going back home soon, I'm sure." Kukuru says distractedly to Mia, trying to reassure her after that complaint. "Just gotta... Pick up the trail, mhm." She adds with little actual proof to offer, sounding reassuring enough even though it's pretty clear she's anxious about the whole matter. Why wouldn't she be? The pains the trio from Wonderlab take to keep their EGO gear out of sight certainly helps to keep Kukuru from recognizing them at first, especially with her attention going all over the place. It's only when Rose indicates the alleyway three as the contacts for today does she put two and two together, and she waves lightly at Rose, Taii, and Catt in short order. "Oh, yeah... My name's Kukuru." She doesn't do her usual thing. "Nice to meet you aaall. Mhm, got it..." The implied part actually reaches her for once, and she doesn't say anything to blow that cover. Hearing Hibiki, Kukuru's glances naturally fall over towards her in short order, even if it takes her a moment to get that usual smile back on her face. "Ah, Hi-bi-ki. You're here, too~" She states the obvious, looking and sounding oddly relieved about that. "Thank you. The more eyes the better, and the faster we can finish up and get back home." Ozhira, being a familiar face as well despite being so malleable, actually gives Kukuru a visible sense of relief. She even chuckles lightly at the greeting given to the alley trio, clapping once in apparent approval at the efforts. Bercilak's arrival, oddly enough, gets a somewhat more subdued response from Kukuru. She does smile brightly (if still distractedly) and wave in greeting, but remembering her most recent encounter with his more wiry friend does make her feel a bit more awkward in her greeting. Just a little, though, and certainly not enough to stop her from speaking. "He-llo, Bercy~ Have you ever been here before? The streets can be so confusing if you're going fast..." Raziel asks Kukuru something she's used to asking others, and it throws her for a loop briefly before she remembers to actually answer with a light nod. "Mhm! Thanks for asking, Razi... You're so sweet." She replies, sounding fine enough, although there's just enough of a delay in her answering that it's still clear she's distracted by everything. Vermillion's arrival gets a comforted noise from Kukuru, too, and she greets the magical girl with a soft smile and brief nod that, like with many others, is mostly cut short by her attention being everywhere at once. "Of course. Oh, that reminds me... If anyone gets hurt, I can-" As distracted as Kukuru's been greeting everyone and looking for Nothing There, she doesn't even realize the murderous intent surrounding coming from the Alleyway Trio. She just looks curious at most when the woman with the gas mask mentions clearing out Sweepers, head slowly lulling to one side with a questioning expression. "The... Who?" Unfamiliar terms aside, she's still just as distracted by the looks and her own task that she doesn't even realize there's a halberd until it's already touching her. Not realizing it's actually dangerous at first, she even giggles, like she's being tickled by something before looking over and realizing what it is. "... Huh? Oh, no, I'm not the-" Wait. Can't state what they're looking for too blatantly. She screws her face up briefly in thought, then finally adds, "-... Lost friend." Kukuru affirms with a confident nod, relaxing visibly when Hook and Raziel both step up in her defense. She doesn't quite make the connection that Hook does regarding their potential employer and Nothing There, instead just taking it all in stride with another relieved chuckle. "No, no, I think you're with... Us today. It's really important we find Nnnn..." She fakes a yawn. It's really convincing sounding. "Our friend. Can you help us out? They... Kind of look like me, but not. And they talk kinda like Ozhi here." She gestures at Ozhira for emphasis.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"Glathe am I imetinge thee," says Bercilak to Meika, alongside similar pleasantries for Hook and the Disciplinary Team. He doesn't tarry long before getting back on his bike. As before, the axe is held over his shoulder. Why have you stopped? That beast could be killing thousands at this very moment.      "Hit shalt quell muchel the mo, if we shalt biginne unwarili, onchacen hit al aclumsed," says the Green Knight from his bike. There is very little to be gained from an uncoordinated, unwary approach. He's ready to take off at a moment's notice, but would evidently prepare that moment to pass once at least a little planning has taken place.      His final thought on the matter, spoken to Catt, confirms Kukuru's question on whether he's been here before: "Thou'rt mo custumed to this londe thanne I. What consultacioun hath thee?" That's a bike, that you're riding? A-- a steed?      "Verily. A Phasefront Wraith, X2-45 siries."      The black t-visor swivels slowly to the pointed halberd, tracing the haft up to the gloved hand that wields it and then to the face of the wielder.      "Her? Fuck nay," scoffs Bercilak. He is, for better or worse, entirely unconcerned with the Black Silence's placement of the weapon. "Ofheren didst I that we wouldst ihunte an 'Anomali.' She is not an 'Anomali,' but a 'Kukuru.' 'Tis wholli differenced. Ifaith, she wouldst not e'en be sporteful to ifighte, hath thee a wantsum of sporte." The bucket helm shakes 'no,' elaborating after, "Too lambish. If *'tis* sporte thou lest, thanne I invite thee to smite me from off this stede--*afte* we hath cacched the Anomali."
Hibiki Tachibana	"...Nice to see you again too, Taii." Although Hibiki doesn't quite 'light up' in the same way, her expression eases up some, as does her voice. Because it is, in fact, nice - they got on pretty well before, and the energy is honestly a welcome uplifter compared to the backdrop of the City around them. "Hope everything's been going well." One can only hope, knowing L Corp facilities. Rose, of course, is also given a nod.     Meika's greeting isn't missed either, although there's a moment of hesitation of her own, and none of that same lightening of how she's carrying herself. The question being asked isn't necessarily a surprising one. She knows exactly how much Meika cares about the Magical Girl of Courage, and they haven't really had a chance to talk about it, since...     "Things went...alright. Better than I was expecting, I guess. We can talk about it more later."     It comes out stiffer than she'd like. It'll take her time to figure out how to talk to Meika again. That one night isn't leaving her mind any day soon, and neither will her reaction to the day the news dropped on the radio. At least this time, she has a free reign excuse to avoid the subject - they're not supposed to talk about Abnormalities out in the open, after all.     There's also the fact that, slow on the draw only thanks to the ambient sounds of the city hiding away that silence, her eyes go wide and she spins to look inside the alley--when did that woman get in there? She's immediately on guard when Kukuru is threatened, although there's really no chance she'd ever be able to respond to an actual attack before anyone actually up close already (and Kukuru would probably be fine in the event of almost anything).     ...And, after a moment, it hits her that this could only be because of Nothing There's mimicry of Kukuru. She de-tenses, although admittedly not by that much. "...She's not who you're after, no. You can be sure of that. Kukuru is Kukuru." As if that makes perfect sense. "So if you're here for the same thing as us, let's not start anything right now."     ...Was she just making kissy noises into her phone? While doing all of that...?
Ozhira	The subtle sound of something moving underneath Rose's outfit has Ozhira's unblinking gaze fixated on them most of all, though the creature does not otherwise move for five uninterrupted seconds. When they do, it is to raise both hands up, fingers straight and palms out, "We are Ozhira. We come, with the Concord."     "We seek-- something here."     The Silence Bubble renders what goes on inside of it a blind spot on Ozhira's senses. It takes a second for the creature to register this-- the absence of a sound return is even more suspect. Hook reacts first. The Beast whirls in place a heartbeat later with a second rumbling noise that vibrates through the pavement, hardly audible over the snarl of Bercilak's steel hog.     The aggressive posture of their arms lingers for several seconds before their posture relaxes and they straighten up their back from perhaps too much of an arc forward. Kukuru calls them out as part of the description and, in turn, the Beast glances down their own form, "They are, like us. When we were smaller. They have not-- grown, as we have. Learning is, difficult, for them."     The creature glances up, nodding once, "They are not this-- refined. This is Kukuru." A hand extends towards the horned woman, then gestures back to their own torso, "And we are Ozhira."
Angela	Taein glances at Hook and actually relaxes a little, "Haha, Captain Hook huh. That's funny. We're from the Hook Office." Hook places his hook on the halbred but finds return pressure. Angela hadn't mentioned the Black Silence to him because ... she doesn't know the Black Silence exists. But she doesn't go in for the kill either, considering Hook's words. "Honey," She says in her phone. "Work might take longer than I expected. Can you handle the groceries? A pirate and a ... some pasty ass bloodfiend are telling me it's more complicated. ... I'm telling you you don't need to worry. You're always worrying. I'll be fine, there's another Color here. A Color from Outside. ... I mean I think he's flirting but it's just professional flirting. Yeah I know that's not what you're really worried about, you're worried about me becoming an Anomaly's lunch. But right now you should be worrying about getting us lunch from the grocery store. It's like you've never been married before. They're not gonna mess with me. Just relax. I'll stay on the line, okay?" Bercilak vouching for Kukuru seems to be the final straw for her. She lets Hook push the halbred away with his hook at that point though the weapon just vanishes entirely before it gets too far. "Alright you convinced me. And the Association will have your payment in your accounts. You should buzz off now," She tells the Hook OFfice. "Above your grade." There's no disagreement from the Hook Office here. The Black Silence says, "I'm called the Black Silence. That's my Fixer name. I'm the Color assigned to this task because, yeah, it's gotten that bad and they'd really like it to not get worse. So yeah, I'll help you all out. Don't care if you're with the Concord, that's not my business, but most of you look like you won't get in the way of the Hunt so we can work together." Despite the name she seems ... pretty chatty all told though there is a lot she's trying to figure out here too. She focuses on Bercilak for a moment. "Sounds like fun but you wouldn't say no to letting me bum a ride in the meanwhile, eh? The trouble I've been having is finding it. And if it can pretend to be other people, well, that'd explain why." The Hook Office is backing off though Taein does glance over to Kukuru. "The Sweepers." He says. "I'd say 'Don't stay out from 3:13 to 4:34' but something bigger's been hunting 'em and they haven't been showing around lately." Dysnomia can sense that the hostility seems to be fading away rapidly,, like it was all just a job to them and now the job has changed and they could care less. She doesn't react to stuff about the Magical Girl of Courage mostly because it sounds like a bunch of unrelated nonsense--probably something to do with Outsiders, she imagines. "The ones giving me the job is the Dawn Office and I can confirm it's on the up and up. But it does seem like I mistook the target so I'm sorry about that." She tells Hook before patting Kukuru on the shoulder as if to say 'No hard feelings' and she doesn't linger as if she expects Kukuru to accept that there are no hard feelings herself. She takes a long look at Ozhira. "...Look I'm not doing this one for the money, I'm doing it because they're making the Backstreets less safe. Getting it out of our hair is all I care about." In the phone she adds, "Yeah they're weird."
Meika Kirenai	'We can talk about it more later.'     "Sure. Priorities, right?" Later is, obviously, when talking would have to happen- but Vermillion is not so eager to let it be put aside without another jab. 'Relax, save it for the monster and not how fellow knights may see you.'     Chevalier Vermillion, in all her knightly splendor, exaggerates an eye roll and a huffing exhale Raziel's direction. "Don't- don't tell me what to do. I don't know you."     Vermillion twitches. Something is wrong around Kukuru- not with her, but with the ground, the air, the fact that the ambient rustle of passive, shuffling motions is gone, the whisper of breath is gone, and area there doesn't even echo in the slightest, are immediate cues of Something. Twisting on her skates, she launches into pre-emptive motion, grabbing her hockey stick with both hands, rotating it to prep a swing and-     Immediately cuts herself off, when the Black Silence puts the polearm against Kukuru's neck. Vermillion's halt, skates ripping dead-stopped into the asphalt, ought to have made a ripping din, but, too, is utterly silent. A flicker of red, pulsing energy still sits along the haft of her makeshift weapon, where she sits frozen in pose as others too react.     "Don't hurt her, that's-" A hesitant realization reminds her a bit about the enemy they're all here to go after. But her voice is right, and she... The energy in the hockey stick dissipates. "...I- I don't think she's a threat.." Much less uncertain. She backpedals a step, brow furrowing.     "She's not a- You're not a threat, right?" Halfway through, she looks to Kukuru, as if for confirmation. "Right."
Raziel	"I am not a blood fiend.  I am a ghost.  I /used/ to be a vampire, so I'd appreciate it if you used the correct term... and my name is Raziel.  I am sure you got it earlier when you were stocking us," Raziel says, both annoyed at the comment, but annoyed that she's talking to someone on a phone and them at the same time. It's very rude! Meika, on the other hand, speaks up.  When she demands to not tell her what to do, and that she doesn't know him... well it's more amusing than it should be.  With a chuckle, he holds his hands out to her and speaks calmly.   "Very well, very well... you just looked uncomfortable there being that rigid.  I thought you could use being told to relax.  With how things will be hunting a monster in this place, being too wound up might cause you to snap, but I apologize if I was being too forward."
Captain Hook	"It's perfectly understandable," Hook says with that same charming smile, "There's nothing to apologize for."      He unrolls The Map With An X On It and turns it to show the Black Silence. "Your target - *our* target - is here." He taps the X with his hook. He traces the dotted line back to where they are. "We are here."      "There's the information, as promised." He rolls up the Map and stows it once more. "Pleasure to be working with you."
Wonderlab Trio	"Catt isn't surprised to see you crawling back, little sl--" That's as far as they get before the Hook Office makes their move. Or, rather-- that they move at all. Instant, spring-loaded reflexes have Catt twist and leap at Rose, battle-instinct ready. They grab Rose by the front of their shirt and leap onto a roof overhanging the alleyway in the blink of an eye, reduced to a wild-eyed black blur.     Taii, a moment slower, reaches into the back of their pants to draw Chignon, and then freezes. Immediately escalating to weapons, even if Taii's would be for fleeing, and *EGO* weapons no less, escalates this into something no one else seems ready for. Instead, alone on the ground, Taii stiffens up in alarm at the sight of those gloves, but doesn't move to run.     In their ear, the Berc Stan is chattering to the end of their explanation, before trailing off in awe. "And he posts like *crazy*, you've got no idea Taii. I can't tell what he's saying, but half the time it's something crude so I can always...." Flower, eyes locked on the screen and hushed, "The Black Silence... T-Taii, if you...."     On the rooftop, Rose struggles out of Catt's grasp, while the latter crouches on all fours, halfway between a runner's start and a cat with its back arched. "Captain Catt!! How--!! We're going back down there and staying with Taii! If you're not, then I'm--" Catt cuts them off with a silent, wide-eyed point to a cloud of mist, nestled in a rooftop alcove several buildings away. Taii can get out any time they need-- Rose and Catt are better off being prepared up here, especially since no blood's been drawn yet. Rose hesitates, then nods, turning back to the Black Silence.     "... The Black Silence. We've been tracking that target too. So I have it, on decent knowledge, that that woman isn't it." In the face of the potential threat, Taii straightens up and speaks clearer, rigidly tense but more assertive than they were minutes ago. Even so, when the Color starts talking, they wheeze out air and tears bud up in their eyes from the stress.     "Yes ma'am. We're hunting it for the same purpose. We'd appreciate your help." Taii glances up to the rooftop-- someone paying very close attention and making a few unfair assumptions about microexpressions might read subtle betrayal on their face-- and that signal is enough for Catt and Rose to hop back to the ground. Catt just lands silently, clothes fluttering, but Rose's sleeves sprout feathers as they fall, shedding them in a stream to lower them gently to the ground.     "Impressive entrance, miss Color. It's reassuring to be reminded that your skills aren't for show." Rose puts a hand on Taii's shoulder, steadying them in the aftermath of the stress, then they turn to Bercilak. "Do you have room for all of us?"
Hibiki Tachibana	Although there's not any real opportunity here to get in any last words at Meika's closing jab, let it be known that the unnatural quiet surrounding the Black Silence made the exhale-from-the-nose from Hibiki be more audible than it otherwise would be.     But piorities is right. "The Black Silence...like the Red Mist..." And...the Green Knight, apparently. It's probably not on her to correct any misconceptions there, although it does make for a much needed moment of amusement. Only a moment though, before she pushes off the wall and stands up straight and proper. There's no ability to discern intent and feelings casually, the way Dysnomia can, but...     ...listening to the woman, and hearing her speak about why she's actually doing this, Hibiki finally eases up. "We're glad for the help. Especially from someone like you - it'll make this a lot easier. And...we don't want any more trouble for everyone than there already is." It's easy to tell, even for a visitor, how the Backstreets are--even without Nothing There rampaging around.     There's a little grimace at them all being called weird, but...well, they are. It's hard to argue with. She also glances back towards Bercilak's very impressive steed. "...Probably not /all/ of us," she mentions back towards Rose, although come to think of it, she's never heard Berc mention what the weight limit on that thing is.
Kukuru	> 'Thou'rt mo custumed to this londe thanne I. What consultacioun hath thee?' "Mm... It's pretty rough out here, from everything I've heard. Everyone's still working really hard to survive, though, so... I think they're good, even if they have to do bad things sometimes." Kukuru answers, firmly at first, then looking uncertain by the time she finishes her statement. "Although I've never been all the way out here before, so it's still kinda new to me..." >'Ifaith, she wouldst not e'en be sporteful to ifighte, hath thee a wantsum of sporte.' "I can be sportful! Just... Not right now." She pouts a little at that. So many people jumping to her defense and assuring that Kukuru is, indeed, a/the Kukuru, warms her heart to almost bursting as well. For a moment, her anxiety over finding Nothing There is replaced by genuine affection for everyone present, soaking it all in for a few more moments before smacking herself in the cheeks to get her focus back on track (and to try not to fawn over what sounds like the Black Silence's conversation with a loved one back home). "Black Silence? That's a neat name. Just like... Mhm!" She nods at Hibiki with a recognizing chuckle, then turns back to the Fixer. "Don't worry, we'll be pulling our weight and then some." Kukuru declares with a confident little pump of her fists, already starting to glance around as though something might have changed about Nothing There not being there in the past minute. There probably hasn't, but it doesn't hurt to look. The Hook Office clarifies who/what the Sweepers are in regards to timing and how they're disappearing, and some of that cheer disappears from Kukuru's face. "Oh... That's not a good sign. Do you think it could be... Um." Calling Nothing There a lost friend at this point might be too awkward, notwithstanding how it's technically true in her mind. But... It'd be easier to call them an Anomaly like everyone else is, right? "... I guess." She's still having trouble actually saying it. Black Silence apologizing for the mix up, though, does get Kukuru to perk up a bit once more. Not all the way like she was earlier, but that's still enough to improve her mood compared to that momentary drop. "Ah, don't worry about it. The important thing is you actually apologized."  She assures, apparently quite pleased about that one key difference! Vermillion's uncertainty and question, meanwhile, have Kukuru's tone actually softening more, like she's trying to reassure a frightened niece. "Oh, of course not, dear. I'm only a threat to anyone that'll hurt my family or friends~" She doesn't realize thatmight just make her sound more threatening, especially since she says it in such a cheerfully doting tone. Realizing Bercilak's ride might or might not fit everyone here, meanwhile, Kukuru puffs her chest up a bit as she claps her hands together. "Oh, I have a way to help us keep up! We'll just need to all stay close for it." She lies a bit too easily. Her teleportation clouds don't actually need everyone to pile up just to keep up, but it IS somewhat easier to get everyone through them if they don't have to stay open as long to keep up with Bercilak's bike once it's time to go fast.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"Glathe wouldst the Green Knight be, ihuntinge togeder with the Black Silence," says Bercilak with a nod. He gestures with the hand not holding the axe, to the sizeable running boards on either side of the bike. They're big enough for -him- to hang off the side, so there's more than enough space for a normal sized person.      Waiting for her to climb aboard (and switching the axe to the other hand, if necessary), he continues--"Hit would biseme thy fame hath for-gon thee," not without a note of amusement at the Disciplinary Team's decidedly strong reactions to her very presence. The blunt eye of his greataxe faces the sky, as he lets the haft slide down his armored palm 'til his grip is choked all the way up, behind the beard. He points, then, with the bit of the axe, at Rose, on the rooftop.      "Illeoqs," he says, pronounced 'ih-LOOKS,' "At that one thither. Hau irede art thei, to stond ayenst thee, spite of thy fame." With approval and interest, he intones, "Thei shalt be one to kepe an eye upon, I trow."      "Verily," syas Bercilak, loud enough for Rose to hear. "For thee, thy felwes, and the Black Silence al. This stede was dight for theim of mochenes and appareled as me, ywis!" The running boards can accomodate all four, in other words, safely, if not comfortably. Hibiki, on the other hand, or any 'fifth...'      "Hibiki so als, ifaith, might be shouven hit... in lasse she wouldst ride upon the nose. Bahaha."      "Hook didst sheu to thee his map, yea?" asks Bercilak of the Black Silence. "Conduct me as thou lest--I shalt hath us thither hasteli." Indeed--the moment his passengers are on board and ready, the bike takes off. It is thankfully much more merciful on the ears to ride than it is to passively hear.      The flying, armored behemoth has a powerful kick to it, and the armored plates do have conveniently placed angles for handholds. There's also Bercilak himself, in an emergency, one arm disappeared into the futuristic bike's dash to work its internally contained steering controls one-handed. The other remains choked up on the axe, holding it as a punch weapon as the bike climbs above the backstreets.
Ozhira	"We are weird," Ozhira affirms, even though Black Silence wasn't directing that comment towards them.     They lean closely as Hook shows his map to Silence, then back with their gaze turning upward. With their mouth hanging open slightly, it's clear that at some point between Earlier and Now their teeth have reverted back to their usual jagged shark-like interlocking triangle shapes.     In doing so to get their bearings, the beast notes the return of the two Wonderlab employees who booked it the second Silence showed up. Catt comes down so fast, so it's only Rose who's still up there long enough to be in the direction of Ozhira's wave-- and an utterly disastrous sharktoothed smile.     Look, it's a work in progress.     Kukuru brings up teleportation as a way to keep up with Bercilak's bike, prompting the creature's quote-unquote Smile to disappear to a more thoughtful and less distressing expression. After a moment, their fingers wrap around their red necktie and pull it off with a squishy sound, offering it to Kukuru, "Carry part of us. We will reform, if we find what we are looking for."     Their other hand lifts, gesturing towards their own torso with a thumb, "We will move, separately. They might hide-- in places we would. So, we will check these places." Glancing aside, the creature addresses Black Silence directly, "Is this agreeable, to you?" Their gaze wanders to the Hook Office folks, indicating the question is meant for them too.
Meika Kirenai	Only a small bit of the tension releases from Chevalier Vermillion's expression, even as her stance goes back to something more casual, with the Fixer's introduction and dismissal of the Hook Office. Still, there's questions and worries.     "It's- it's bad, that those.. Sweepers? Are, um, being stopped from... doing their jobs, right?" She cautiously tries to avoid admitting she's a little lost on what they are and do. "What do they do? If... they're dangerous, but gone, wouldn't that be..... better..?" 'With how things will be hunting a monster in this place, being too wound up might cause you to snap'     "What- what's *that* supposed to mean? I hunt Temp- I hunt monsters. I'm *used* to stuff like this. I'm not going to snap, or break, or- or whatever." 'Like this' may be a bit of a stretch, but there's a bitter tone behind her words as she tries to cover that up. She only actually glares at him for a moment, however, before her vision goes back to shifting between others.     "Yeah. You were." '...Probably not /all/ of us'     Chevalier Vermillion purses her lips. She wants, quite badly, to get to ride the cool techno hoverbike. She misses her scooter, and she misses the silly little bicycle she had as a kid, even with its training wheels still on. But even as Kukuru voices input on a solution, Chevalier Vermillion is already opting herself out. It'll be crowded, and if it's not able to keep everyone... I'm...     "I- I don't need help getting around. I can do that on my own. I'll keep up just fine, even if- even if we're going by air." The magical girl smiles, and adjusts her grip on her hockey stick, tapping it absentmindedly against the ground.
Angela	"Nice try, but ghosts aren't real." The Black Silence says to Raziel with unshakeable confidence. She studies the map. It is a little tough for her to grok but she seems to trust the charming pirate. Where hooks fail, savvy prospers. Fortunately, Will has both at his disposal. It's hard to say if The Black Silence thinks The Green Knight is really a Color or not but it puts whomever is on the other line at ease and frankly she does get the vibe that he can be trusted in a fight. Maybe it's because he is called a Knight in the first place, maybe it's because he talks like he's out of a ye olde fairy tale and that is just kind of awesome? Despite what a name like The Black Silence is, she probably doesn't come across as dour as you might otherwise expect--especially now that Kukuru has been revealed to not be the target. She even grins when Kukuru says who she IS a threat to but she doesn't comment on it, instead making her way to the Bercybike since she definitely doesn't want to be teleported if she can avoid it and definitely wants to watch some kind of magical fairy tale bike. Rose and Catt seem to be locals since they're the only ones who reacted the way Cityfolk normally react when she names herself--but she doesn't recognize them. "Captain..." She murmurs. THEY seem to know what they're doing. She thinks she can rely on Rose too but she's real uneasy about Taii. She doesn't seem to hear any radio chatter, at least. She studies Taii's eyes for a long moment like she's trying to see past what's immediately obvious. Eventually she says, "Alright. I don't know what you can do so I'm gonna trust you can handle yourselves, alright?" Into the phone, "Yeah yeah they're all friends. Don't worry I'll call if I get bad vibes. Yeah. Love you too." She finally hangs up the phone. "Sorry 'bout that, hubby's just a worrywart. Nobody else should mess with you so we should be able to head to that 'X' no problem." She looks over to Meika as she asks a pertinent question. "...Yes and no. The Sweepers absorb and consume everything they catch out during that time. It'd honestly be great if they weren't around anymore in some ways, but the problem is they're now more active in other Districts AND all the shit the Syndicates would rely on them to clean up isn't getting cleaned up and it's raising tensions throughout the Backstreets. I'd really rather deal with this before the Hana Association declares it a Star of the City so life can go back to normal." She sits down on Bercilak's bike and bobs her head to Bercilak. "Yeah, looks like it's in the Undercity. We shouldn't fly too high to avoid attention but I'm not dead either so I won't complain if it's an exciting enough ride to brag to Frownyface later." She gives a glance Ozhira's way but has determined that really dwelling on Ozhira's nature will make this job more complicated rather than less so she's not going to. She glances to Meika, "You got a smoke I could bum off ya?" Since she's read her as another Fixer by the way she talked. She understands enough of what Bercilak is saying to recognize he's saying that Rose is one to keep an eye on. And so the Black Silence does. Or maybe she's looking at Catt. They are quite close together. "The next gen's gonna be scary." The Black Silence admits.
Angela	The mention of Hibiki regarding the Red Mist does draw a snap of her head towards Hibiki. "...You heard of her even on the Outside huh? Incredible. She vanished like a decade ago." She lets out a low whistle of appreciation for someone she's only 99 percent sure is dead.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Hibiki so als, ifaith, might be shouven hit... in lasse she wouldst ride upon the nose. Bahaha."     "Thanks for the offer, big guy," for the first time today, Hibiki has something of a wry smile. Just a little one, though. It sounds like that should appended after a moment with 'but I'll go with Kukuru', or 'nah I'm fine walking', or even the ever simple 'don't worry about me'.     But no, she saddles right on up and does not have a bit of hesitation when it comes to hopping on up and finding a spot for her foot to hitch on one side of the bike's nose, throwing her arm over it from the top to secure a grip. The fact she's not even transformed right this second doesn't seem to be an issue for her, which probably speaks to trusting Bercilak's driving ability. Probably.     As they get a move on, she looks back over her shoulder towards the Black Silence. "Word about amazing people tends to get around. Can't say we expected to meet a Color today either, you know?" Do not ask from which wellspring she drew on to play that off coolly. She doesn't keep the subject on that for long, either, although that's only half on purpose and half out of genuine curiosity.     "Your husband's the type to always worry when you're going off on work, huh? ...I guess that's one thing no amount of reputation or power is ever going to stop from happening, huh..."
Wonderlab Trio	Staring into the Black Silence's eyes is a daunting task, but Taii holds themselves up to it. Pale yellow eyes stay locked on hers, even as the duration of the stare gradually pushes Taii's chin down nervously, but the rest of their posture shrinks until Rose comes up and gives them backup. The least reliable-- but clearly pushing themselves.     "We can handle ourselves; we won't get in your way. After all, the three of us were the ones entrusted with escorting Outside aid towards the target. I'm confident in all of our abilities." "The Black Silence...like the Red Mist..."     Even in the midst of everything else going on, that murmured line catches Taii's attention. They turn towards Hibiki, independently of Catt and Rose, and look at her curiously. "The... Red Mist? She disappeared long before Warpgates started showing up. Have you heard stories about her?"     Rose smiles at Bercilak, already fully recovered from the spike of anxiety, though still alert. "Ahaha, not that I expect to *need* to fight the Black Silence, since our goals are aligned, but if it came down to it... I'd give it my all. Just like always. Anything I would fight for is still worth fighting for no matter what or who I'm up against."     Catt seems to have become subdued by the Black Silence's presence. They silently hang back, gaze slid off into the corner of their eyes while they stand stiffly and readily, not nearly as soothed as the others by her demeanor. The offer to get on Bercilak's bike snaps their eyes back to the front, and they frown. "Don't like it. Catt will walk. Catt won't slow you down."     Rose looks forlornly back at them, then to Hibiki. "Oh dear... well, that makes room for you, Hibiki."     Taii and Rose clamber on, with a moment of hesitation and silent communication before Rose puts themselves besides the Black Silence, and Taii goes to the side that Hibiki will be on. "Ehehe... I prefer slower rides, but it's... it'll be exciting? It'll be exciting."     Adding on to the Black Silence's explanation, Rose says, "Sweepers are practically a force of nature. Anything that can decimate them like this threatens to kill anything else it comes across. They're a benchmark-- and, as the Black Silence says, there's political considerations, too."     Catt doesn't have as easy a time keeping up with the bike or the teleportation as they would like to claim to. Relying on Kukuru, or riding on that horrible machine, are both out of the question, though, so they leap across rooftops and scurry through alleyways to follow instead. Between their enhanced resonance with their EGO suit, and their familiarity with maneuvering around the Backstreets, they manage to keep pace, but they'll be winded when they arrive.
Raziel	"I assure you, I do very much exist," Raziel says to the Black Mist.  "But if you think ghosts do not... well this trip will be enlightening to you I suppose.." Raziel says with a helpless shrug.   He turns towards Vermillion, giving her a long look.  It's hard to tell exactly what goes behind those eyes, but he does recognize some things that he's seen in others before.  He sighs, shaking his head, and releases the bemused look.   It seems this was a bit deeper than simple nerves before a mission.  Raziel doesn't have the spoons right now to think about this, given his own worries.  Though some twinge in the back of his head wants him to pay attention to her.   "My apologies," he finally says.  "My attempts at levity were not made to poke holes at your skill," he says finally, and firmly. Looking towards Hook he finally speaks more about current matters.  "Well, with this out of the way, I'll scout ahead for you..." he says and immediately fades into non-existence.  Not with smoke, or mirrors, or flashy pyrotechnics... But he simply fades from sight as might a ghost.  Moments later, he is seen on a nearby rooftop, running forward, and disappearing again.
Kukuru	Ozhira offers Kukuru the necktie, and she puts it around her own neck without a second thought. It does take her a moment to remember to take off her own tie, though, so she's not just wearing two ties at once. "Okaaay. And if you find anything out there, we'll know where to go." Red might not match her hair, but it is a third color for her overall profile at the moment. She's actually quite good at tying ties on the spot, too! Vermillion doesn't sound like she needs to hand getting around, and Kukuru smiles again in an effort to help her feel less anxious about the situation. "That's fine. Just don't be afraid to ask for a hand when you want it, okay? Light hands and light work, right?" She alludes to the phrase without realizing she's butchered it a fair bit. "Ghosts are real. Not all of them are as handsome, but they can be friendly, too." Kukuru says to Black Silence as she vouches for Raziel's existence along with that of some of her neighbors back home. She quiets down once Black Silence goes back to the phone, though, giving her an understanding smile even though Kukuru goes back to glancing around anxiously, then at Hook's map to reaffirm where they're even headed. Just because Nothing There isn't here doesn't mean she won't hope they show up here, anyway, ready to come back with her and conveniently fix everything all at once without issue. Between Black Silence and Rose explaining how strong Sweepers are, meanwhile, has Kukuru looking both relieved and anxious at the same time. "That's... Hmn. That doesn't sound great, but... What are the Sweepers like? Um. As people, outside of their jobs?" If there's one thing she can hold out hope for, maybe it's that they're not great, so Nothing There could have been justified. Barely, but still. Bercilak offering and Hibiki accepting a ride on the nose, though, is the first thing that gets Kukuru to showing only distress. "Isn't that gonna be dangerous? It'll be harder to see, and if you fall off..." She inhales through her teeth, still fretting by the time Bercilak starts to move. "J... Just say something if you need me to come over!" After calming herself down, Kukuru too gets her head back on to start preparing a larger teleportation cloud. It crackles ominously with some clearly dark power behind it, but she's still smiling just as pleasantly as before. "Once everyone's through, I'll follow you in, and we'll keep up from up high." She explains, pointing at a rooftop nearby that should give a clear sight line of where the motorbike is headed. She'll be able to keep up relatively well with periodic teleports, too, although she might start to look winded after the fourth or fifth consecutive jump.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Sorry 'bout that, hubby's just a worrywart. Nobody else should mess with you so we should be able to head to that 'X' no problem. Your husband's the type to always worry when you're going off on work, huh? ...I guess that's one thing no amount of reputation or power is ever going to stop from happening, huh...     "Muchel contrariwise, Hibiki--the Silence shouldst ilern him som-what to ifighte," says Bercilak conversationally as they fly. Not without some amusement, he adds, "Ynogh to knal him upon his asse whon times, 'til-whanne he shalt understond bi the fernesse of skill bituhhen theim that she was not made a Color yesterdai." Anything I would fight for is still worth fighting for no matter what or who I'm up against.     "Poune hit," says Bercilak, offering the knuckles of his axe-wielding hand for a fistbump. "Glathe am I ofheren," he says approvingly. "Glathe, too, shalt I be to ilern -what- thou wouldst ifighte for--and to fraist thy determinacioun."     Yeah, looks like it's in the Undercity. We shouldn't fly too high to avoid attention but I'm not dead either so I won't complain if it's an exciting enough ride to brag to Frownyface later. Ehehe... I prefer slower rides, but it's... it'll be exciting? It'll be exciting.     These are exactly the right things--or, depending on one's perspective, exactly the wrong things--for Bercilak to be told.     "Bahahaha! OFHOLD THEE HETE-FASTE, FUCKERS!" The Green Knight's bellow will certainly draw attention. And if it doesn't, well... his piloting probably will. Bercilak throws his helmet back and utters a belly laugh, all the same.      Having already taken an interest in Rose for their display of spirit earlier, he, increasing his speed and the bike's altitude. The behemoth bucks, its nose pitching up. The bike pitches into a barrel roll, perfectly calculated to prevent anyone from falling. Should any of his passengers overcorrect, his reaction time is inhumanly good, steering into their correction to prevent a fall.      Occasionally, his helmet dips, tracking Catt's movement across the rooftops.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Oh dear... well, that makes room for you, Hibiki."     "Yeah." Hibiki has a small frown, watching Catt--as they begin ascending, she can tell that they have no intention of using Kukuru's teleportation or anything else. Her attention lingers on that a little longer than perhaps necessary. Although she's also sure to snap out of it to reassure Kukuru, with a tiny smile coming to her face just to help with that. "I'll be okay. Promise. If it came down to it, I know you'd be the first one to catch me out of the sky."     She will still, of course, ride on the nose even with Catt's space open. Because going fast is how you feel alive, and she knows exactly how the Green Knight drives his ride.     "Have you heard stories about her?"     This helps make it land, that the branch facilities really /must/ not have a good understanding of what goes on at the main one. It's not that strange of a thing, in the grand scheme of things. Would someone working in a store halfway across the country know about the going-ons at headquarters? No, but in the context of Lobotomy Corporation's goals...well, it's something to think about.     "One or two, from someone who was a fan." Noncomittal, and she counters with another comment that's as genuine as it is changing the subject. "I've kinda been thinking about this ever since I learned about these 'Colors', but...I wonder if two people can have the same one...?"     "Ynogh to knal him upon his asse whon times, 'til-whanne he shalt understond bi the fernesse of skill bituhhen theim that she was not made a Color yesterdai."     That gets a chuckle out of her, although it's mostly drowned out by the roar of the engine and the sound of wind rushing past. She's hanging on extra-tight, although not /too/ tight. "...I dunno if you can handle it /that/ easily, Berc."     Well, she's only speaking for herself there.
Meika Kirenai	'Nice try, but ghosts aren't real.'     "You don't know that, they're..." She trails off, and looks to Raziel. I mean, he's not one, though, right? That'd be ridiculous. Maybe it's just a... different place's word for.. whatever he is? Her shoulders tighten up, and she bites the inside of her lip. "...Doesn't matter." 'The Sweepers absorb and consume everything they catch out during that time.' 'Anything that can decimate them like this threatens to kill anything else it comes across.'     "O-oh. Yeah. That... makes sense. Not.. fewer problems. Just different ones, and more elsewhere." She sighs. "What's... um, 'Star of the City', mean? I- I mean, if it even matters." The phrasing of that doesn't sound like a bad thing, if not for the tone and placement of how it was said. It sounds like the name of a medal, or award. She almost wants to giggle at the idea of that getting placed on.... She realizes 'Sweeper', in her head, has been visualized as street-sweeping vehicles with teeth instead of brushes. That can't be right...     "Here's hoping it won't be a problem. Um. Thanks for explaining." A little smile to the Fixer, and Rose. 'You got a smoke I could bum off ya?'     Vermillion startles. Being read like that makes her eyebrow raise, concern masking over vulnerability, for just a second. She does, actually, even if she's not supposed to. Being asked that by the Black Silence, though, a capital-A Adult Professional, rubs her wrong- the kind of person who should be mad at a kid like her for answering positively, or shouldn't even expect her to, even if she'd assume anyways. It's wrong, isn't it? Her hand pats at a pocket, and she pulls out a half-flattened cigarette box, holding it, and the plastic lighter thumb-pinched against it, out.     "Yeah. Take one." Once the box is returned, Chevalier Vermillion grabs one herself. She usually tries not to smoke, out on duty, in uniform, but it's different when Kayoko can't see, and with that already box pulled out, she's already basically admitted to it. She lights it, and puts it to her lips, half forgetting that she's going to be facing the windy dashes across rooftops in just a few moments, to keep up with Bercilak's ride.     Her eyes follow Hibiki, as she hops up on the front of the hoverbike, without saying a word. That looks like fun... Her free hand fidgets around the body of her hockey stick, squeezing tight beneath the armored gauntlet. It being fun, like that, means it's not proper for someone on-duty. She wants to scowl, but doesn't. Her face stays closer to a smile, really.     It's deafeningly noisy sitting by to watch the bike take off, but she takes a drag of her cigarette and follows its takeoff with her gaze, readying herself for her own journey. Pushing off against pavement, her skates ring and clash against the ground, leaving faint red marks in their wake, accelerating her skating motions. She ducks down to prep for a jump, and kicks off, launching herself up to a lower rooftop. It's easy to spin her momentum from there on out, into soaring leaps and resonant skating, occasionally tearing up shingling tiles in the process, and carefully dodging any cabling strung between buildings.     It's nice to feel the wind in her hair, even as it tries to blow out the embers of the cigarette clutched in her lips. Keeping up isn't hard, nor is telling the path, by sound alone if not by sight- she tries not to think of it as being as fun as it is, which comes easier when she's similarly trying to avoid crossing paths, while navigating rooftops, with Catt. Chevalier Vermillion will get there, with ample time- breathing hard, but far from winded. It *is* nice to get to stretch my legs...
Angela	The Black Silence laughs, "Oh he's about as good as I am in a fight, we actually usually team up. He's kind of got a sour personality though." She makes a scowly sort of face. "He'd probably make this face and worry even if I was the Head themself." She waves a hand to Hibiki. "Sounds like someone's speaking from experience! All jokes aside it doesn't hurt to spare your partner some consideration now and then even if you can handle it. That's what it is after all, a ''partnership''." "But don't worry." She assures Bercilak. "I've nailed his ass a bunch of time though that's not to say my ass hasn't been--" Kukuru asks what Sweepers are like. The Black Silence hesitates before saying, with confidence, "Weird, we can't really communicate properly so... They drain people of their fluid and smell awful." She frowns skeptically at the continued insistence that ghosts are real but doesn't rague any further. Maybe in other universes ghosts do exist, but now she's committed to living a life where they don't no matter the evidence to the contrary. She nods to Rose's explanation. "What they said." She says and then gives Rose a pat on the shoulder too. "Aw I'm sure you'd give me a run for my money. Better to not have to fight after all, 'specially since I'm retiring soon." She watches after Catt for a moment and admit, "They really remind me of him too in a way..." softly. But they don't press the matter. She instead takes a cigarette from Meika--she not only doesn't get mad, but doesn't seem to think about it as a way to be--and lights it with lighter emblazoned wih a sun and the word DAWN underneath. She takes a drag and says, "Nah, the name of Colors--and the designation of Anomalies--are all up to the Hana Association and they don't double up. If there's two people who'd have a similar Color to one another they just use like 'Vermillion' instead of 'Red'." She looks to Meika and is happy to answer, "Stars of the City are about the greatest designation an Anomaly can get from the Association, it doesn't neccessarily mean it's the most dangerous Abnormality but it is the biggest threat to the City's normal operations. Stars can rise and fall just like the ones in the sky. Right now it's designated as an Urban Nightmare which is the rank below that but if it gets any higher, it'll end up a huge mess. Salvador wants me to cut it down before it makes that much of a mess." She doesn't explain the name, though, and doesn't seem to realize she quite gave it. But she actually lets out a woop of excitement of her own as the bike gets going because fancy title and all, in the end she's still human and can still enjoy a fucking awesome bike.