[sup][h1][center][img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/82fa3fb006e4a85a60530826f3e0fbe1/5ba732607eca068a-39/s400x600/d4a9d9d820de7c97233fbf8c007097f3049db381.gifv[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] S A R A H  M A R I E  K I N G[/color]
[color=orange]S A R A H  M A R I E  K I N G[/color][/center]
[/b][/h1][/sup]
[center][i]Outside the Lucky Noodle, Little Asia; with Kenzo Yamamoto
Abilities Used: [color=orange]Sixth Sense[/color][/i]
[@McNephelim][/center]

[indent]The seconds dragged by, with Sarah casting looks up and down the alley. Her eyes briefly locked onto an alleycat picking a meal from a nearby trash can. Concern following the prior incident with the shadow person prompted her to hyperfocus on the cat; as far as she could feel, it was just a cat. It returned her stare, their eyes aligning as Kenzo exited into the alley behind her. The cat hissed, and ran off with a piece of table scraps dangling from its mouth. She watched it with mild interest until it turned a corner and ran out of sight. [color=orange]“It’s this.”[/color] She turned to face Kenzo, motioning for him to close the door behind him. From her pocket, she revealed the amulet, still giving off its soft glow, and still pointing due East. [color=orange]“That shadow guy dropped it.”[/color] She held it close between herself and Kenzo, endeavoring to keep it out of sight from prying eyes. 

[color=orange]“If you can’t see it,”[/color] she explained, [color=orange]“It’s pointing that way.”[/color] She extended her arm out, her finger indicating the direction of the arrow-like sigil upon the amulet. [color=orange]“The other side of the city, maybe. It might lead to where Maddie is… or to whoever took her.”[/color] Sarah turned in the way the amulet was oriented, and held it firmly in front of her like a compass. [color=orange]“I’m going to find her. Your choice if you’d rather stay here or come along. If you stay, just tell the detective you don’t know where I went off to; keeps you out of trouble if you don’t know.”[/color] With a large stride, Sarah moved toward an adjacent alleyway, then stopped, turned back, and added: [color=orange]“If you follow me, I won’t slow down if you fall behind, so keep up.”[/color] 

She spun back, and continued at a brisk pace, taking a path through the other alleyway; she’d keep to the network of backalleys, avoiding the main roads [as best she could]. That much would get her as far as Millennia Park. If the amulet took her so far, she’d have to make a beeline across the park. If she had to cross through Riverside, she’d have to follow main roads; she could handle a few 70th Street scrubs and whatever else Mapleview could throw in her way, but crossing the Delgatos on their home turf was practically a death sentence, even for someone like her, or Kenzo. 

As she proceeded from the Lucky Noodle, her [i]Sixth Sense[/i] remained on high alert. Her following of the amulet’s guidance became almost automatic behind her vigilance for the danger around the next corner.[/indent]

[sup][h1][center][img]https://c.tenor.com/Brulmz2N_fwAAAAC/tenor.gif
[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] K E N  S H I M A Z U[/color]
[color=yellow]K E N  S H I M A Z U[/color][/center]
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[center][i]Lucky Noodle, Little Asia; with Steven Donahue and Julia Kray[/i]
[@Skelm], [@Silver Carrot][/center]

[indent]A silence fell over the room after Shimazu had last spoken. Steven seemed lost in thought, and Ken hesitated to disturb him. He directed his attention to the paramedic tending to Julia; he was just about finished cleaning and dressing her wounds. When the quiet was finally broken, it was by the medic departing and wishing everyone farewell. Ken’s eyes tracked him until he passed by, and then shifted back towards the kitchen; he sensed Sarah’s energy fading out of his range as she departed from the shop, and rolled his eyes. [color=yellow][i]So much for progress.[/i][/color] 

Julia spoke next, but stopped short of the exit to inquire about finding work. [color=yellow]“I could use an extra set of hands around the restaurant,"[/color] he said. [color=yellow]“One of my servers is starting college, so the weekdays will have an opening. If it suits you.”[/color] He looked around nervously at the mess of chairs and tables left by the afternoon’s excitement. [color=yellow]“I can assure that it isn’t normally [b]quite[/b] this active here.”[/color][/indent]

[CENTER][sup][h1][center][img]https://c.tenor.com/_dREp7THfQIAAAAd/tenor.gif[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] Z H A N G, T A I W U[/color]
[color=6ecff6]Z H A N G, T A I W U[/color][/center]
[/b][/h1][/sup]
[color=lightgray][sup][i]Nighthaven, with The Driver[/i][/sup][/color]
[@Nallore][/CENTER]

[indent][color=6ecff6]“Head back to the hideout,”[/color] Taiwu instructed. [color=6ecff6]“Pick up Xiao Feng first if we need to. I can wait until we get back to eat.”[/color] When the driver inquired of his trust in Amara and The Void, Taiwu simply shrugged. [color=6ecff6]“We have no standing conflicts with them. So long as no one does anything to agitate our truce, I trust that they’ll hold their end.”[/color][/indent]