007. action. mostly open!

[strikeraid]

[ Skyler has been out and about for a great deal of time during this Christmas holiday! Let us count the ways: ]

[ Option A: Oh Shit Let's Be Santa; or, Christmas shopping with his kid sister ]

[ THIS PROMPT IS WIDE OPEN CONTEXTUALLY! On the day of the 21st, Skyler will be walking around local shopping centers and the mall with a very cheery looking little girl, her jingle bell earrings tinkling as she turns her head and points at the next store she wants to go to, and the next, and the next. Skyler himself looks pretty harried, but allows himself to get pulled every which way, his arms slowly getting loaded down with shopping bags.

Catch him between trips resting on a bench while she traipses through the local Claire's clone, or intervene somewhere before or after he gets dragged into Build-a-Bear. IT'S UP TO YOU. THE SKY'S THE LIMIT. Hey, that stray Echo your character may get upon looking at him face to face might be enough, right? ]

[ /Option A: Oh Shit Let's Be Santa; or, Christmas shopping with his kid sister ]

[ Option B: Oh Shit Let's Be Santa mk II; or, Christmas shopping on his lonesies ]

[ The same as the above, but with no kid sister and totally available between the 21st through the 23rd. He will be keeping much more to himself and sticks mostly to department stores, checking his phone or brushing past in an aisle or standing in line at a register, not really looking anyone in the eye, but the Echo trigger may still apply! ]

[ /Option B: Oh Shit Let's Be Santa mk II; or, Christmas shopping on his lonesies ]

[ Option C: Blood Key Off Duty: haha duty ]

[ This Blood Key is sitting on a bench in the bohemian district, off duty and on his phone, but the sunglasses and the hoodie are a dead giveaway. He seems to be pretty distracted and not at all interested in your character... Advance or abscond? ]

[[ ooc: please note that i'd prefer to plan it in advance a little bit if your character wants to pick a fight! feel free to pm me or leave me an ooc message in the post so we can hash out the scenario really quick :) ]]

[ /Option C: Blood Key Off Duty: haha duty ]

[ Option D: Blood Key On Duty: YA GETTIN ROBBED SON ]

[ Oh, friend, why are you even here? They came in twos and threes and surrounded you faster than should really be possible. A guy in a dark grey hoodie and a metal pipe should be present, but he's not going to be the first one to talk. ]

[[ ooc: again, please note that i'd prefer to plan it in advance a little bit if your character wants to pick a fight! feel free to pm me or leave me an ooc message in the post so we can hash out the scenario really quick :) ]]

[ /Option D: Blood Key On Duty: YA GETTIN ROBBED SON ]

[ Option E: Blood Key On Duty: The One Where Skyler Tries To Rob a Girl [laugh track] (closed to blastiaobsessieanonymous) ]

[ Ever since the encounter with the girl with the purse, Skyler's been struggling to justify the fact that... holy shit, they're actually robbing people. People who probably don't deserve it. "Everyone else deserves it if they're on our turf" tends to be the general attitude among the Keys, but... Skyler tuts to himself as he rounds the corner and sees a lone figure wandering a little too close into Key territory. He doesn't exactly see eye to eye with the Keys, but he's not about to blow his own cover either. He's going along with it. It's a struggle, but he'll get used to it, he thinks.

Which is why he goes alone to tap her on the shoulder with his pipe. He pushes a little roughly, but it's mostly just to get her attention. He coughs a little and prepares to adopt a deeper voice that he's been using for these encounters. Mostly, he's depending on his appearance to make his intentions clear. The shades and bandanna over his mouth should make it pretty obvious, right? ]

[ /Option E: Blood Key On Duty: The One Where Skyler Tries To Rob a Girl [laugh track] (closed) ]

[[ ooc: Please note that if your character interacts with Skyler in any of these options, they will gain one echo if they haven't gotten a Blood Key echo yet! ]]

Comments

E

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

... Oh. One of you.

[Rita turns around to face the so-far anonymous member of the gang.]

Lemme guess. A stick-up.

[strikeraid]

[ ... great. He sighs a little through his nose, and growls a little in his lower register. ]

... Uh, yeah? What, were you looking for a fight? [ -- Aw, shit. If she says yes, she's either a) insane or b) from the network. Augh. They've gotten general warnings through the other squads about the stronger people, but no one's ever confirmed anything. That's generally how Hellbird likes it. But what to do if he actually encounters one... ]

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

... And you're alone.

[And then Britany Ruff spins around with a rapid punch, jumping back.]

Idiot.

b, on the 22nd

[sucrosity]

[She's in the local department store herself on the lookout for a few final gifts, for her doubles' partner and a last gift for her dad.

She's also not paying attention to much of where she's going, distracted by a display of jewelry. She pulls herself away from the cute earrings--Christmas is coming, after all--just in time to smack right into some poor guy on his phone.]

Woah, sorry!

[She juggles around the clothes in her arm to grab at him, trying to make sure she hasn't sent him flying.

At which point she notices his phone, and any concern takes on a level of unimpressed drawl.]

You always walk around with your cell phone out?

[strikeraid]

[ No, he hadn't exactly been looking where he was going, but to him, he had just looked down at his phone for just a second - just a second! - before his world was engulfed flying clothes and... the hand of a girl? He keeps a firm hold on his phone, fortunately - thank god for cyborg reflexes - and even manages to hang on to her arm in return. Phew, he's a bit heavier than he looks, isn't he?

He blinks for a moment - check, checking for the brown contacts in his eyes, good - before noticing her sudden change in tone. Oh... yeesh. He rolls his eyes, but stuffs his phone in his pocket. ]

Every day, specifically hoping to run right into you. You ok? [ sassy or not, she's still a girl, and he's still not too willing to harm a girl, ever. ]

D

[nevergivesup]

......Shit.

[ Goddammit, you've got to be fucking kidding. Jake stops in his tracks as soon as he notices them closing in around him. He eyes them, especially those behind, trying to gauge his chances of breaking away and running. One versus this many isn't exactly a hard bet to make, but he glares at them anyway, both in warning and in asking "What?" ]

[strikeraid]

[ Poor old... this guy gets four attackers: a chick in a yellow jacket with a box cutter and some pretty nice kicks, another girl, taller with broader shoulders with a red scarf over her nose along with her shades and black hoodie, a shorter, buffer guy in a blue hoodie already wrapping chains around his fists, and Skyler in his hoodie, naturally. The tall girl with the red bandanna takes the lead, rolling her neck and giving her fingers a good crack. ]

Nice day for a short cut, huh? [ Her voice drops a bit as her arms fall to her sides, her fingers already curling into fists. ] Wallet, now. Empty your pockets, take off your rings.

DDDDDD???

[amajin]

[It's usually not such a long walk to get to his car from work in downtown Locke City, but he's been parking outside the lot lately, partly because it's hard to get any exercise at a desk job, but partly because he just likes walking around some.]

[He's not aware he's taken a wrong turn into gang territory until he looks up and notices they're all around him. A spike of fear jams its way into his heart, but also awakened is a sense that he can deal with a situation like this. He's a genius, right?]

[He clears his throat and drawls at whoever seems the closest.] So, is it true you guys have robot parts?

d...elightful

[strikeraid]

[ Oh... even from afar, this guy seemed like an easy target. None of them are sure if this guy is confident or just stupid, but Skyler suspects that the reason should be obvious enough soon.

The guy he gestures to is a burly guy in a green sweater, who just stares at him. The other two individuals, a girl with blond hair and a red crowbar and a guy with orange Nikes look at each other and sigh. Heavily. Skyler, for his part, rolls his eyes under his sunglasses. Oh, god damn it, another network guy?

Eventually, the blonde girl chimes in with an answer. ]

None of your business, shrimp dick. Just hand over your shit and no one gets hurt, ok?

Route B Spoilers: Nice-Jerks Happen

[ex_elude798]

[Cue the Jaws theme, because he's advancing on that guy from the last store awfully fast. A little unnaturally fast, in fact, but the teeming population of the mall doesn't pay it any mind. Normally he'd exercise more discretion himself, but right now, Suzaku Kururugi is on a mission.

A very important mission.

So when he catches up to the guy, he practically clouts him with a bag. What is finesse, he needs no finesse. Who said helping anybody needed to be gentle, honestly? Because he never got that memo]

You left this on the counter.

[Yes, he followed some guy halfway across the mall expressly to smack him with his own Christmas presents. Or that's what he'll assume the contents of the bag are for, but it's not really his business]

HOW DARE YOU!!! TAG UR SPOILERS!!! OAO

[strikeraid]

[ Skyler's already done, done, done - he actually had enough to get Ari a little something more, which was a nice change from the years that he didn't take a summer job. Looks like it's something he's going to do more than once? It certainly feels worth it.

However, due to a whirlwind of last minute shoppers banging right into him, one thing has led to another and he completely forgot the bag with her present on the counter. He's a bit scatterbrained, but it would have taken a lot more than simple carelessness for him to forget a present for Ari.

Which is why he basically gets beaned by the bag. Robot reflexes or not, a sudden gesture like that requires that you saw it coming. He stumbles, then grabs at the bag, looking around wildly until his eyes zero in on the perpetrator (literally - he does have his brown contacts in, but the lock-on feature built into his eyes are still perfectly usable). He raises his eyebrows at his explanation. What in the fuck? ]

Ok, don't punch me with my shit, asshole. What are you, stupid?

C

[dododo]

[ Well, that's a view.

He knows what a Blood Key looks like, at this point. It could be unintentional, but one never knows, and for a moment he's not sure which to go with. Still, it's about time he does something, and perhaps he could... do something? Or get something out of it.

Honestly, he doesn't know, but talking seems to be all he can do. ]

Nice get-up.

[strikeraid]

[ He could be forgiven in having some doubts about the uniform - after all, shades and a hoodie aren't exactly an uncommon sight - but night is falling and his shades are firmly on his nose. Either he's a Key or he's plain forgotten that they're there. He looks up at the sudden remark, then pauses, sizing the old man up a bit. What...?

He sighs, then coughs, adopting a lower chest voice he's been using for these encounters. It comes pretty naturally now, after three weeks of almost constant afternoon and evening practice. ]

Yeah, thanks. Happy Halloween. [ He waves his fingers in a mocking celebratory gesture before returning them (and his attention) to his phone. ] You want me to fuck you up, old man?

D!

[dead_black_eyes]

[L is exhausted from a difficult day working at Espresso Yourself! No matter how patient others are with him, he is well aware that he's not a particularly good hire from an efficiency or customer service perspective, and his tips for the day are a whopping $.45 and a button. They are in his pocket as he walks home around 11:00 PM, along with an ancient, cracked iPhone that has two numbers programmed into it. They are labeled "Psych" and "Coffee."

As is often the case, L looks spacey and like he's off in his own world, rather than particularly attentive to his surroundings. His blue raincoat is shabby, his hair is uncombed despite the fact that he just came from work, and he shuffles along like someone who is so used to going unnoticed that he takes it utterly for granted.

It's a bad night to take that for granted.

He's heard about people getting ambushed by Blood Keys, but for some reason, he never considered it a viable possibility for him, personally.

He takes a step back.]

[strikeraid]

[ It's just two of them today - Skyler himself with his pipe and a blonde girl with a red crowbar - but for a guy like this? It probably would be more than enough. Unless this is yet another network member? He's run into them two or three times by now, and they've always put up a bit of a fight. Still, he's pretty sure that the girl he's partnered with and he can take care of a fair amount of trouble together.

The girl approaches the ragged character, going to shove him a little in the shoulder with her crowbar. ]

You know where you are, right?

C

[ursoreckless]

[ooc note: shou won't start a fight unless threatened. he also has had his blood key meeting earlier as 'some crazy Jap with braided hair' that shot a couple keys in the knees. feel free to know this.]

[he probably came from a party - there were a few going on, the people spilling back out into the streets, stumbling and singing as they either found cabs or more sober friends to take them home. he's not ready to go home yet and he also wasn't stumbling around or singing off-key. instead he seems to be in a wandering mood and there was an empty spot on this bench, upon which he sort of just flops, his long trench pulled in tight around him and his head leaning back so he would have been looking at the moon if the street lamp wasn't in his way.

he also was wearing shades, but it didn't seem to hinder him as he dug out a pack of smokes and a lighter.]

[strikeraid]

[ ooc: ( U_U)7 got it! ]

[ ... Ok, so who's this joker? He looks over and - oh hey. Hasn't he seen this guy on the network once or twice? Thank god for the power of open video feeds... But on the other hand, why is he wearing shades at night? He's pretty sure he's not a Key. Is he looking for trouble?

... The braids, though. There was something important about a Japanese guy with braids. Hm.

... Let's not overthink this. If there's one thing he cannot bring himself to do, it's overthinking anything in his entire life. He coughs once to get his voice into Key mode, deeper and a little raspier from disuse. ]

... You shittin' me?

a because you don't have enough threads already obvs

[chernobolt]

[sorry Skyler, but Kara isn't going to be your savior from the plush inside of Build-A-Bear. mostly because she was already inside the store by the time he and his sister entered, ponytail bobbing up and down as she coos over the tiny outfits and colorful animals.

at some point his sister and Kara's paths cross in the crowded store. it's easy enough for Skyler to spot his sister's new acquaintance; she's crouched down a bit to come level with the Harmony Dolphin display, discussing the different plushies available with the younger girl with a seriousness that makes it seem as if the topic at hand was the fate of the free world itself]

LMFAO what's one more UuU

[strikeraid]

[ He's panicking a little, actually - the Christmas rush makes one second away from your charges a thousand years lost in the crowds. He stops nearby, sighing in relief to see Ari safe and sound, her floral printed purse still over her shoulder. Who's her friend, though? She doesn't seem like she means her any harm, but overprotective instincts are hard to get rid of. He walks over, a little frazzled. ]

Ari, there you are. You can't just leave without letting me know!

[ Ari looks up from her conversation, a little abashed but mostly very enthusiastic about the topic of Build a Bear accessorizing. ]

Aw, Kuya, come on, I was in the same store the entire time! I was just talking to her. [ She points at her new friend! ] We were talking about the new skirt patterns! [ HELLO!? Very important business. ]

D

[blackcrystal]

[ ooc: o7 ain't no way in hell mari's getting in a fight but there's a real good chance he'll toss hellbirds name out to get out of trouble ]

[ He's dressed similarly. Dark clothes, hood drawn up and tied. He's never been less sure what the fuck he's going to do in his life, but he needs to get a phone and he needs to do... something. Instead of a phone he buys a laptop secondhand, pays a little more than what it would be worth new but that means they aren't going to ask too many questions. It's good enough.

Getting out of the city is an option but it's not a good one. Forgetting something vital means he could slip up and make a mistake and go to fucking prison and he has absolutely no intention of that. No, no. He's going to be smart about this. A computer isn't traceable, especially if it's connecting to a network that doesn't exist. He's a god damn genius.

Sorta.

It feels like he blinked and missed it. Suddenly he's surrounded.

Mother of fuck. ]

... Yes? Can I help you?

[strikeraid]

[[ ooc: got it ( UuU)7 off we go, ex-boyfriend! ]]

[ The tall girl with a red bandanna over her mouth pauses in her walk towards their target, stroking her chin thoughtfully. The only two other members present, a broad guy in a blue hoodie and Skyler in his gray look at her, then at each other, then Blue Hoodie steps in, speaking for the three of them. ]

What do you think you're doing around here, huh? [ He nods to Skyler, who nods and slowly moves to cut off this guy's path behind him. ]

Another for option A? At least it's not another fight?

[sly_god]

[Someone can related to Skylar's distress as he is currently in the company of a two year old little girl, who is more interested in seeing how they build the bears than shopping for her mother's Christmas gift.

Alas Skylar, he cannot intervene on your behalf, when he needs someone to intervene on his behalf. Usually Lucas keeps a tight grip on little Elise, but he put her down to look at a particular bear station. Next he notices she seems to be enamored with another little girl's jingle bell earrings. She's a bold little one since she gently tugs at the girl's dress asking if she can touch said earrings.

This is what happens, when he looks away for a moment to see if he can find a employee that is free to help them.]

HEH. I could handle a bit more, it's all good UuU

[strikeraid]

[ It's really loud in here, and the two year old's voice almost gets swallowed whole in the cacophony, but since he's right next to his sister, he hears the faint strain of a baby child's voice asking, "Can I see?" followed by the jingling of Ari's earrings as she looks down and nods happily. It's only when she bends on a knee to let her look when he looks down himself, immediately noticing the lack of adult supervision for such a tiny child. The two are pretty enthralled with each other, so he takes a moment to bend at the knee, speaking to them both while looking for a possible guardian. ]

Who's your friend, Ari?

Iunno. She likes my earrings, though. Right?

[ the small child nods in agreement and continues rolling it around between her fingers. Skyler has to pull a wry little smile at the sight before looking around again... ]

Guess she's got pretty good taste. Where's your mom, chica?

[ Wait, maybe she's with him? The guy next to the clothing station? He's just spotted the three, after all, but he doesn't seem to be aware that Skyler's got anything to do with the group... Well, he and Ari do kind of make a strange pair, her in her skirts and bows and him in his jeans and second-hand hoodie, his spiked hair stuffed under a beanie. Not a lot of older high schoolers willingly go shopping with their younger siblings, after all. ]

B! December 23rd

[hollowleg]

[Shiro was still incredibly shaken up by his loss of control a few days ago.

But Christmas shopping wasn't going to do itself. He had a few more things he needed to buy, and a few more supplies for all his cookies. He's looking at a new rolling pin when he bumps into someone]

Sorr-- hhnnnghh... [oops that's a weird feeling. ONE HE KNOWS TOO WELL]

[strikeraid]

[ ...? That was barely even a nudge, much less a body check. He should know, he's been an attacker in lacrosse for years now. He looks back over at the guy, sliding his phone shut. ?? Was he trying to start shit? ]

... What's with you? [ ...! Belatedly, he realizes that this guy looks familiar... Hasn't he seen his face before? ]