J'Samberabram’s weary trio of eyes scaled the tilted towers and dancing houses of Plusari Ave from tinted windows. He lounged in the spacious cab, ashing a navy cigar on the scarlet interior’s floor with two gentle taps. He paid no mind the itsy-bitsy critters scurrying from beneath the seats, shamelessly gobbling up the residue and inadvertently cleaning. The Jorian’s legs crossed after their departure, resting his white wing-tipped shoe on the knee of his tacky bengal-striped suit stolen from Betelgeuse. He was convincing himself to relax. Yes, many parts of Allure were in an absolute frenzy but in some ways, it wasn't much different than earlier episodes of the madcap megalopolis. After settling on that outlook, his almost-ghoulish hand stroked his peppered stubble and a smile with teeth resembling piano keys wedged into his face. [color=#FFEC70]“Why yes, I shouldn’t worry at all”[/color] he spoke out loud.

Following that statement, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. A collective gasp overtook Allureans large and small packed like sardines on the sidewalk. They too, like traffic and perhaps the entire city froze in place. The mild-mannered toad in the driver’s seat, Krupis, croaked [i]“What…is that”[/i] and J'Samberambram’s neck practically broke with how quickly he jerked upwards. His cartoonishly erupting eyes punched the lenses right out his aviator frames in disbelief. Intensely glaring out the sunroof, the violet bands outlying the moon made him slow to respond. [color=#FFEC70][i]“… I thought this was an Earth?”[/i][/color] In all truths, it was but its exponential transformation put it on pace to compete with Allure in outright zaniness.

In less than a New York minute, the collective shock dissolved, followed by a burst of rage as impatient citizens gaveled their horns, manufacturing a horrific conglomeration of pitched animal cries, blaring synths and alien obscenities. One resident went as far as to reach their gargantuan fiddler arm out a window, muscling a path through hysterical sidewalk crowds as opposed to waiting in traffic. Looking in on the carnage, J'Samberambram chided [color=#FFEC70][i]"You know, he has a point. Let's jet."[/i][/color]

Without a response, the toad substantially bulked up to the point where he barely fit in the front seat and J'Samberambram fastened his seatbelt. The interior below the amphibian retreated into a slot and its lanky arms snapped to the side of the vehicle like a junkyard magnet. Powerful legs propelled it off the cobblestone and for a while, the toad hopscotched his way through and on top of traffic, evading the abundance of gamboge carnivorous plants snapping at him and the jungle of vines draping between buildings. Krupis stopped, planting his feet in the middle of a busy intersection, narrowly avoiding collisions with one building scaling leap. Out of breath, he informed the mobster of whispers from the underground; rumors as good as fact from their network. [i]"Boss, I’m getting reports of portals opening all around Allure."[/i]

Noticeably reserved, J'Samberambram closed his baggy eyes, exhaling a pall of glimmering blue smoke which took the shape of a group of insectoids in an alleyway examining a rift in space. Two peaked around the entrance with one eye open as a masked mantis repeatedly jabbed at the potential portal with its bladed arm. This went on for at least a minute before the mobster lost his temper. His enlarged face embossed the brick wall beside them like it was elastic with a fuming expression. [color=#FFEC70][i]“Figure out what's on the other [b]damn[/b] side! While you're at it, organize the rest of Mantodea gang to find any more and lock them down.”[/i][/color] The group cowered but the orders from the head of the Bernulogos Crime Family were clear. Get it done.

Rubbing his wrinkled forehead with his left hand, he blew the lingering smoke out a slit in the window and leaned into the backseat. [color=#FFEC70][i]“Krupis, take me to Pleiades. Send a memo to Ixxa. Let her know I have one of her girls in the back.”[/i][/color] Silence hit the cab before the toad tucked in his lips. [i]“I... forgot about that. You think she's okay back there?”[/i] Lighting another cigar in his mouth muffling his speech, J'Samberambram angrily uttered: [color=#FFEC70][i]“How should I fucking know.”[/i][/color]