[u][url=https://goo.gl/maps/FpH6B4XGad6hC8ic6]Love Street[/url][/u]
[i]Lincoln Park, Tenebrae[/i]
[@Lady Seraphina]

[i]"You called, I came. For your sake, you better hope this isn't a waste of my time."[/i]

The man took long a sip of his drink. “I’ll be honest, the gift is bait. I just wanted to see you with my own eyes.”

He stared longer than normal, taking in her tied hair, her hard gaze, the leather and the boots. A rebellious soul by nature, born to run free. If he could help her see her own potential, he knew she would be able to shape the world. Wordlessly, the briefcase was placed on the bar.

He turned towards her, his voice was as deep and sharp as his eyes. “The boss has taken an interest in you and asked me to invite you. But I have high standards for him, and I have to know what’s worth his time, and what isn’t.”

His hand patted the briefcase, eyes glancing down. “If you pass, you get to keep what’s in this, as well as handsome pay for a few contract jobs, easily three times more than what they’re paying you.” He gestured to the Valkyries behind them.

“And if you don’t pass, well… I guess we’ll see when we get there.” He said, leaning back thoughtfully.

A hand slipped over his head, pulling back his hood to reveal loosely spiked black hair. He had silver diamonds in his eyes and the sun tattooed on his neck. His masked eyes glinted as he stood. “Phantasm, your first job is to duel me. If you can lay me out flat, you get the reward of it. And if you need motivation, I can provide it if you simply deny me.”

He let the thinly veiled threat hover before stepping into the clear floor, facing Phantasm in a beckoning manner.

“Any questions?”

[hr]

[u][url=https://goo.gl/maps/6ESdBqzvrfTfA6Ze8]James & Sons Fine Jewelers[/url][/u]
[i]Near North Side, Tenebrae[/i]
[@Blizz]

The ominous cracking of knuckles. [i]”Knock knock, chucklefuck.”[/i]

The man spun, throwing a hand up over his face. Whether it was to shield himself from her intimidation or to protect his eyes from the surprising amount of light coming off her, he couldn’t tell. But what he did know, is that his plan had worked. So far.

“It’s you. I, uh, didn’t think it would work, b-but, you’re really here.” He stammered, then looked around himself, waving his hands in an embarrassed manner. “T-this isn’t what it looks like.”

He threw the backpack to the side, hurriedly pulling off the black sweater, cap, and mask, and hurling them into the burning wreckage of a car. The short, thin, Japanese-descendant man wore a pyjama top underneath, hand combing through his wavy dark hair before patting down his pockets.

He held up a worn ID tag with his name, a barcode, and ‘The Institute of Meta Sciences’. “S-see? I’m a good guy. My name is Akihiro Takeda. I’m a scientist.”

The wail of sirens approached, increasing in volume. The doctor’s voice caught in his throat. He had another minute and a half to make his case with this lady made of sunlight.

“Someone is creating a machine that will destroy the world as we know it if it isn’t stopped. I don’t have any powers or skills of my own, but I have a plan. You’re the first step in my plan, Miss Ellie Harper. You have power, you have the skill, and you have the courage.”

The flash of red and blue lights crept up along both sides of the street, lighting up the dark buildings. Thirty seconds until the police arrived.

The doctor tensed, eyes narrowed as he stared at Ellie. “Please help me.”

[hr]

[u][url=https://g.page/artinstitutechi?share]The Museum of Historical Sciences, a few blocks away from The Art Institute[/url][/u]
[i]Loop, Tenebrae[/i]
[@Shu]

He regarded her silently, mouth pressing firmer. The Scarlet Shadow exceed his expectations, arriving a full thirty minutes early. The plan she used after his initial tip-off was well-thought-out, and from the clean look of her garb, well-executed. He figured she met little resistance on her way here, despite the place crawling with guards.

No wonder the boss had his eye on her. The man’s face darkened crossly as he snapped the zippo one last time before pocketing it. He was jealous of the attention boss gave this lead. But it couldn’t be helped, at least, not now. If the boss wanted something, it was his duty to carry it out. He just enjoyed having someone who could keep up with him. Tonight was going according to the boss’ plan, as it usually did when he followed it.

With a loose swagger, the red-crescent man jumped down from the safe, pulling the steel door back for Scarlet Shadow. Inside, one expected to see a bright, shining treasure, but the reality presented itself in quite the opposite fashion. Besides a few loose bills and some papers about a certain diadem, the safe lay empty.

The scene would break any thief’s heart.

Almost as if he was smiling at the thought, the man pulled back his hood, revealing nearly shaved short, blond hair in the low light of the room. A black hair tattoo could be seen stylizing the base of his head. Black eyeliner highlighted the tangible, ravenous anticipation pouring from his masked, glaring eyes as he stepped into a low stance, one fist at his hip and the second stretched out, fingers beckoning her.

Without a word, he made it as plain as day - if she wanted to know more about her prize, he was the one who stood in her way.