[hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7UxgEHd.png[/img][/center]

[right][b][code]World Fighting Carnival - Reception Room Bar.[/code][/b][/right]
[hr][hr]
[@Punished GN]

Jill’s eyes went wide as Auri gave her a bombshell of info. An exposition, dump, even. She managed a quick and subtle glance around, looking for any SHINING staff that might have been trying to set this up. Nah, this was [i]real.[/i] It didn’t feel appropriate, but she couldn’t help but start feeling excited again. A real adventure, a real fight, and Auri actually took her seriously enough to ask! The thought of being treated like a real hero was getting her revved up like no tomorrow. She opened her mouth to speak, practically ready to shout out how ready she was, but Auri grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down to the real world.

[quote]"Whoever wins or loses this tournament; I need your help to stop him. Because he seeks to "perfect" humanity... and God knows what that entails."[/quote]

Jill slowed down and stared right back into her eyes. She took a deep breath and nodded.

[color=LightSeaGreen]”You can count on me.”[/color] Jill smiled, and gave a confident thumbs up. The kind you’d give for a friend, instead of the pose for TV kind.

Of course, her moment was interrupted by the sound of a boom. She turned her head back before looking all over the reception room. That wasn’t him, was it?

[hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DhO9jwL.png[/img][/center]
[hr][hr]
[@KremeSupreme]

Isabella took one final breath of nicotine before he threw his cigarette on the ground, grinding it out under his boot. Neither Breicen sister was back yet, apparently the speakers now weren’t working at all, and he had half a mind to investigate these issues, even if it was just to see who to thank for canceling another worthless press show.

His eyes scanned the room as he walked towards the stage. His eyes momentarily settled on fellow SHINING agent Skyler Belsky, which prompted him to take a sip from his flask and move the fuck on before he got sucked into the typical vapid void of SHINING-brand ego. The second target of interest was standing so still that Isabella almost didn’t notice them, but as he got closer he knew something was off. His hair bristled as Leviathan recognized something that was no devil, but was not meant to be. He didn’t need the hint, though; he’d had enough “shows of good faith” involving cleaning up Horizon Frontiers’ occasional messes to recognize their stench in the air. He moved closer to the mock Rider, glancing sideways at him as he sized it up. When he was satisfied, he looked around for whoever was keeping an eye on their little toy. His eyes eventually landed on the mechanical bird up in the rafters. More than familiar with these kinds of surveillance tools, he stared it down, remaining silent. He knew better than to say anything: Horizon and the queen behind its throne weren’t the kind of people you wanted to mess with without a damn good reason.

But he could at least gain some satisfaction from posturing.

Of course, he was distracted by the sound of an explosion echoing through the reception room. Not too badly, but enough to break his gaze on the raven and his “fellow Rider.”

[hr]
[hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZohkpEb.png[/img][/center]
[hr]
[@Zoey Boey]

Rosie simply stood thoughtfully, taking note of the way Bea didn’t quite take the hat, as well as her rough hands. She again struck Rosie as someone who never had access to any of the finer luxuries in her short life, which was quite a shame. She was already feeling the parental urge to spoil, and might have done so in more accommodating circumstances.

Her young friend’s question froze Rosie in her tracks, which only gave itself away as a slight, considered pause. She put her beret back on and adjusted herself.

[color=MediumPurple]“Well, I suppose you could say I’m from around the Mediterranean, a rather religious community. I’ve been traveling away from it for quite a while though; I’ll have to admit I’m a bit older than I look.”[/color] A half-truth in a glass half empty sort of way, but it would do for now. Thankfully Bea seemed to be distracted enough by the chaos of the reception room, and changed course.

[quote]”Oh, shit- I’m not- I’m not buggin’ you, am I?” She asked with a smile, scratching the back of her head. ”It’s just, uh, I’m kinda here by myself until I ring up my family.”[/quote]

Rosie laughed and shook her head.

[color=MediumPurple]“Heavens, no!”[/color] She smiled. [color=MediumPurple]“I have nothing better to do until the tournament, personally. But don’t let me keep you, either. If you want my advice, it wouldn’t hurt to scope out the competition. I suppose I’ve already given you a bit of a start, but-”[/color] She twirled her paintbrush around in her fingers until it disappeared in her bag, as if to illustrate her point, but it was thoroughly upstaged when an explosion rocked the reception hall. She gave a nonchalant glance in its direction, letting the wind of the blast wave run through her hair.

[color=MediumPurple]“Well, I suppose some are quite eager to show you themselves…”[/color] Rosie smiled. Of course, her smile slowly faded as it was overwritten by the type of concern unique to a parent.

[color=MediumPurple]“Oh!”[/color] Her eyes lit up. [color=MediumPurple]“But if your family is waiting on a call, you need to let them know you’re okay. Here…”[/color] The artist withdrew a sleek black cell phone in a case with a purple heart on it. She offered it to Bea, under the assumption that she might not have one of her own.