( closed. )

[serve]

Who: Frankenstein (serve) & others
What: Event starters + monthly catchall
When: September
Where: Flona Cove, likely other places
Warning(s): Violence in at least one thread, sex in another. Looks away.


(( Starters below in the comments!

If you would like a custom starter, feel free to PM/hit up baklava! I'm very open to new CR, just not crazy about writing toplevels right now. :D ))

Comments

riza

[serve]

[ So this is it. The moment when they'll finally leave Thesa Station to see what their new world would be. The last thing he wants to do is leave Rai behind, and so, of course, he's kept a close eye on him. But this particular part is something they have to do alone. Or rather, he is of no help to his master.

It's frustrating, but it can't be helped. If nothing else, he knows that Rai is competent enough to make it to El Nysa. He may get lost once there, but Frankenstein will find him.

He can't do this alone. So, he feels understandably relieved when he sees a familiar face near himself an the teleporter. He knows firsthand that if Riza is anything like she was within the virtual reality, she is levelheaded and competent. This is important. He gives her a small, friendly smile. ]

I hate to be a burden, Riza, but it seems like I'll need your help.

[strictdiscipline]

[ "If nothing else, he knows that Rai is competent enough to make it to El Nysa." are you sure about this, frankie, are you really....

But Rai is not here, Riza is, and she has every confidence in both Frankenstein and the yet-unnamed and unknown Cadis Etrama di Raizel. If it's help he needs, then she'll happily provide it. ]

Not a burden at all - I'd be happy to assist. Those with more experience should share their knowledge and guide those who are newer, should they not?

[ That's always been her own personal conviction, at least, though she knows not all share in that belief.

While the requirements themselves are easy enough to complete, she also realizes that not everyone is comfortable with idle contact with veritable strangers, and she smiles ruefully. ]

I hope you don't mind a little bit of physical contact. It's the only way down, unfortunately.

[serve]

[ He wants to believe, at least. ]

That's rather humanitarian of you. Then again, I should expect no less from a woman who made those types of quick decisions in the simulation we shared.

[ The type of person that tries to find a solution to save the maximum amount of people as possible... the type of person he strives to become, but doesn't always quite get there.

His eyes widen. ] Oh? What kind of physical contact? [ physical contact encompasses a lot of possibilities okay...... and he's already had his fair share of awkward interactions, so he's wary. ]

[strictdiscipline]

Such decisions are often the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

[ It's perhaps talk a little too sober for their current (benign) predicament, but she's always been overly serious to the point where people had called her stern and cold. At the least, she realizes the dip and mood and quickly tries to correct it, smiling. ]

Though this decision won't be nearly as impactful. I believe the requirement is to hold hands, but if it would make you comfortable, we could simply touch fingers.

[ At least, she hopes that'll work. ]

ein

[serve]

[ This area is more like it. His master had wished for some solitude, as he often does, but wished to stay in Flona Cove, so Frankenstein gladly obliged, as he always does. But it didn't take long for Frankenstein to wish for some freaking peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the harbor and the shoreline near it. His increased aerial speed means that he can find this little pocket of calm water fairly quickly, too.

When he sinks into the water, he tries to remember when was the last time he had indulged in something like this. It must be at least 50 years. A forced change of surroundings would do him some good, apparently. He closes his eyes and simply enjoys the... total silence and solitude. ]

set me on fire please

[expendable]

[ Ein would never so much as entertain the notion of disturbing someone trying to get a moment's peace out of their day. It feels like something of an intrusion to even be here, in this idyllic cove, unprompted and without invitation. But it's so quiet here, he wanders in without even noticing Frankenstein's presence until he's in his orbit, having missed him on the other side of a stone pillar until they're practically within arm's reach.

Even then, unnoticed, Ein might have slunk away, but recognition stalls his retreat. He stares a moment too long and misses his footing, narrowly missing physically tumbling into the other man as he goes splashing into the water. ]

I-- I apologize for the intrusion. [ Stammering this, he rights himself and mops dripping hair out of his face, visibly flustered. ] Mister... Frankenstein, is it not?

I, ah-- We, um--

We met the other day.

[serve]

[ That certainly breaks nearly drifting off in the warmth of the lagoon. He jerks awake at the sound of water splashing after Ein loses his footing, though there's immediate relief in his face and shoulders when he realizes it's a familiar face.

It may not be his peace and quiet, but this is much better than an enemy or a malicious animal interrupting. ]

Yes. And you're Ein. [ And they cuddled in the VR. That's not strange at all. ] It's good to see that you're a real life person.

[expendable]

[ Well, in Ein's opinion the cuddling wasn't the strange bit. It was the false memories and the having to pretend to be a native and all the things associated with that. ]

Yes, sir. I volunteered to assist with the retrieval of those who arrived with your wave. It was a very different experience than my own descent, but I'm glad you were spared from that amount of chaos and hardship.

[ There's... no real good way to offer a formal greeting when both parties are dressed for the beach and one is trying to relax in the water. This fact vexes Ein, and he continues to stand there quite stiffly, increasingly warm in the face. ]

yusuke

[serve]

[ So this is their new assigned living space. He is relieved, at least, to be rooming with someone at least vaguely familiar. At the moment, it's just Yusuke and Frankenstein, probably because idk, Chuuya is off being a fuckboy somewhere else, and Frankenstein wanted to check out their new area and make it acceptable for Rai beforehand. Rai is probably being babysat by QWOP at Thesa Station before he can come down to El Nysa again.

What he sees is... not impressive.

It's not the poor shape of the infrastructure, or the fact that it's small (although let's be honest, it's that too), but the absolutely... filthy state of the interior. It doesn't matter if by some miracle Chuuya, Yusuke, and the previous resident (lol) had recently cleaned— to Frankenstein, it's as filthy as a mud pit.

And he's shook, to be honest. He's shook to his core, simply standing at the doorway and taking it all in with increasingly furrowing brows.

Finally, he breaks the silence. ]

This is unacceptable. [ Truly. ] You have been living like animals, Yusuke. [ But, he's prepared. ]

[tricksune]

[ While Chuuya is being an irresponsible wine-o somewhere, Yusuke is left to introduce the hovel/apartment to their new roommate(s). It's not the worst, he thinks, but his standards are 1) living in a boys' dorm and 2) being too poor to actually own anything.

Frankenstein seems to have actual expectations though, and their humble abode must not be meeting them. He stands to the side, waiting for some kind of reaction as the seconds tick by with an increasingly ominous air. ]

What?

[ seriously???? it could be worse... nevermind that most of the living room (and bathroom) looks like there's either been someone living there, or is covered by a half-finished drawing. Slowly, ]

I hadn't realized we were in such dire straits...

[serve]

We have much work to do before-- [ He was about to say before "master can come here", but that's a bit much to explain just yet, maybe. And yet, he actually cannot bring himself to say "Rai" or even Raizel's full, proper name. It feels extremely casual and disrespectful after so many years. ]

We have much work to do. [ Yeah, we!!!

He takes one last look around the house. The half-finished drawing... the fact that he can already tell there's some mold in the bathroom and probably a mysterious puddle that Shu left behind. He looks back to Yusuke. ]

Are you sure only three people lived here before? Do you often have others over?

[tricksune]

[ At least he has some sense of manners, unlike Chuuya, drunk in a gutter—if he has new guests to welcome into his home, it only makes sense that he helps clean.

Also pretend I used plurals up there, there's probably dozens of papers and cobbled together canvasses everywhere. Which makes up the majority of the mess, even without Shu and Chuuya and whoever else adding to it. Or maybe it's Shu's fault. That seems safe to say, now that he's been shunted into space forever probably. Yusuke looks over the small space with a frown. ]

No... Though I have my own tasks to attend to when I'm home. I don't pay attention to who the others bring along. [ His attention wouldn't split, even if he was drawing in the common area. ] Ah, speaking of Nakahara—you'll have to decide which of us to bed with as well.

[ They already have both rooms occupied, technically. ]

archer

[serve]

[ This resort attraction in particular, is a win-win. Frankenstein finally gets a chance to stretch his proverbial legs after being cooped up in the space station for the past two weeks, and a win means those earnings will go directly to making sure Rai's standard of living more akin to what he's used to. He has very singular motivations, after all.

Typically, he isn't one much for an audience, but he doesn't think much of the crowd of people, anyway. His attention is for the contender before him, and him only. This is interesting. Even before he has any idea who his opponent will be, back home on Earth, he has some idea of what even the strongest of modified humans, nobles, and werewolves can do. This is truly a wildcard decision on his end, but much like always, he isn't worried in the least.

His brows raise slightly when his opponent enters the makeshift ring, not at all disappointed. This man has helped him before, and though his perception had been tampered with then, he remembers enough. ]

Ah, it's you. You know, I've been wondering what you're made of.

[ I edited this tag solely to tell you that no matter what shippy thirsty bullshit I am playing right now, this will by far be the most embarrassing thread. ]

[fakers]

[ it's always a little odd encountering someone in reality that he'd previously only met in vr; though they retain their memories, obviously their behavior in the simulation had been unusual. so it's hard to tell whether this man is truly the same as the one he knew while searching for poop.

though any doubts are dispelled as soon as he speaks. yes, this is definitely the same strange, haughty man he had met back then. ]

That's funny. I was thinking much the same thing.

[ he's wearing his normal outfit, though without his customary red cloak... so his arms are bare and crossed as he waits for the signal to begin fighting... though archer isn't the type to stick to any sort of defensive stance, frankenstein seems the same. it's either supreme confidence or a complete lack of combat ability; archer has no doubt it's the former. ]

Let's begin, shall we?

[ your move, bro. ]

[serve]

Then let us hope neither of us disappoint.

[ It is difficult to gauge an idea of what he's up against when his opponent doesn't possess an aura, or at least not one that abides by the same principles as his own or Rai's. That uncertainty means that though he feels it will likely be necessary to draw upon his power, he doesn't just yet.

But he still makes a move, lest they simply stand around and talk shit all evening. He's not such a big fan of that, even if the people in the stands don't seem to mind it and accept it as part of the show (like rift watching WWE). He moves quickly and darts to the other's left side, with speed that comes only after countless years of endless work in the laboratory, too quick to be visible to those in the stands, but perhaps still trackable by his opponent. He aims to land a swift blow to the center of his chest, intending to cut off his balance. Testing. ]

[fakers]

[ though archer suddenly feels constrained, as if he had freer range of motion only moments ago, he figures it must merely be due to this man's aura. though it's clearly different than what he's used to... he can still feel some measure of power radiating from this man. ]

"frankenstein"... he remembers the name, if only because it's a difficult one to forget. the name belongs to a heroic spirit within the throne of heroes as well, though obviously the one he knows of is quite different from this one.

archer has always been physically weaker than other servants, and makes up for that only through his ability to see through his opponent's moves. predicting their attacks before they come, and adapting to them preemptively. while frankenstein's speed surpasses his expectations, he nonetheless could see the attack coming. so in a blur of motion he shifts to the side, narrowly dodging the blow while while returning fire with one of his own.

it's more a jab to test than an actual blow meant to harm. his view is much the same as his opponent's: there's too much that remains unknown to commit to truly attacking already. ]

Not bad. [ the crowd at least seems to be pleased, their bloodthirsty cheers increasing. even if half of them can barely even tell what just happened. ]

chuuya

[serve]

[ He's just stepped off the train, and even though it hasn't been more than twenty minutes or so, Rai has found some way of wandering off and allowing himself to get lost. At least he's somewhat (sort of) in the spirit of beachwear. He surveys the area in the harbor, trying to pick an adequate direction to begin his exploration.

Before he can lift himself into the air, however, he spots a glimpse of one of his new housemates. A man he had a somewhat... awkward interaction with before, and someone he must now share space with. But he looks occupied?

This essentially summed up to [Frankenstein is standing there, come bother him?], sorry. ]

[vacuum]

[ With 400 silver on the line, Chuuya's on the prowl -- which might be really poor wording for what he's about to do, but he's really on the search for the quickest and easiest way to earn that money. His mysterious benefactor is watching, and he has to find someone to 'charm' fast. It's when he spots a familiar face that he realises this could be far easier than it has to be. Sure, they had an awkward first meeting, and this would only make things more awkward, but 400 silver could buy him a really nice hat. Sacrifices have to be made.

A little spring in his step, Chuuya strides over with his usual energy. Before Frankenstein can say 'hello', or regard him with any form of familiarity, he slides his hand over the man's cheek, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him down to his level. ]

Hey, handsome -- [ idk i hate this. His voice drops into what he hopes is a sensual whisper. He's mostly doing it so their benefactor can't hear what he's saying. ] There's money to be made here, so just act like you're into this.

1/2

[serve]

[ It isn't often that he's caught off guard like this. Maybe he's really distracted by one of the vendor stalls, maybe they're selling different types of gourmet ramen or something.

Something that he's definitely not okay with is being yanked down like this, pleasant smile immediately twisting to loathing, just for a split second. ]

[serve]

[ Until he realizes that Chuuya seems to be doing this for a reason, and though he's still very much not okay with being handled like this, he conveys it by instead clutching Chuuya's hand in what looks to be a passionate gesture. Really, he's forcibly prying his hand away and lacing their fingers together firmly.

Honestly, he's on-board when Chuuya mentions money. His lord is a pampered one, and it's been pretty rough starting from nothing here, feeling helpless when he can't serve his master a cup of gourmet tea or a fresh set of his tailored suit. He meets their foreheads together, lowering his eyes and drawing even closer so that anyone passing by them might mistake them for lovers sharing an intimate moment. In fact, he even takes his free hand and lightly runs it through Chuuya's hair before he continues in his own whisper: ]

Whether I go along with this or not depends on your terms, of course. Who gets what share of the profits? [ He's not gonna do this if you're just using him for money... ]

[vacuum]

[ Wow, nobody told Frankie he could crank it up to 11. He wasn't expecting any more proximity than what he had initiated, so he's taken aback when Frankie leans his face even closer. Forehead to forehead. It's embarrassing enough to make his heartbeat race, and he gulps, but otherwise stays composed.

Then, at Frankie's question, there's a huff in annoyance. Of course nobody's going to just roll over and do his bidding without some kind of reward for it. As much as he wants the money all for himself, certain sacrifices have to be made. ]

We split them. 70-30. [ 70% going to him, of course. ]

zero

[serve]

[ It's nice to finally find a moment of peace and quiet, away from the main area of the harbor. To his credit, Frankenstein has done his research of the area-- as much as he can, anyway. He knows the major bodies of water, their dangers and benefits, but this remote location has completely escaped him. The problem is, he should have asked a local or two rather than relying on books.

But for now, he is blissfully enjoying his swim, though he reaches for his phone to occasionally send Rai a text inquiring about his status. Look, he just worries that he's going to curiously hop on a boat somewhere and never be seen again.

Eventually, however, he gives even that a rest, almost slipping into a gentle slumber, until the sound of a familiar voice makes his eyes open and widen. ]

[offtune]

[ the voice would have spoken something along the lines of: ] You sure this is where you wanna doze off?

[ she's already in the pool, her nude from submerged by the time he opens his eyes to see her. ]

Might run into some dangerous people.

[serve]

[ This definitely falls into at least top ten of "sights he doesn't expect to see" upon initially opening his eyes. It wouldn't be the first time that he's beheld Zero's naked form, and they have the virtual reality on Thesa Station to thank for that.

He is not the type to grow bashful at such sights. Especially for someone who has spent countless years testing the limits of human anatomy, and not always solely on himself. But this is sudden, and he still has some semblance of embarrassment, eyes growing wider as she approaches. ]

In my experience, those with dangerous intent don't usually show up in the nude.

Though I have yet to meet anyone I would consider a threat. [ Those that have proven themselves a good fight were only in the context of consensual fight club, after all. ]

Hello, Zero.

[offtune]

See, those are the ones you should be most aware of.

[ she remembers him, too. while it seems like a distant dream now, she can remember the shape of his body against hers. it seems to have been lost to her until she sees him again, and even moreso when she steps closer to him in the pool. ]

You think some silly simulated memory of us makes me less of a threat?

[ zero says this fondly, which makes her point moot— especially when paired with her light smile. ]

Frankenstein. I was wondering if you were real.