synflux | ( OPEN ) FIGHTING CRIME BY MOONLIGHT

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( OPEN ) FIGHTING CRIME BY MOONLIGHT

WHO: Every Outsider interested!
WHAT: Catch-all log for cleaning up (or making more of a mess of) Neo Tokyo's crime scene! Refer to the OOC post here for details. Neo Tokyo's current social and political climate can be found under the World / Setting section here.
WHERE: Neo Tokyo, Japan.
WHEN: Nov 2024 & onward.
WARNINGS: Violence, drug use, threats and coercion … whatever else that happens where crime and criminal activity are involved. Please mark for other CWs if necessary!

From the month of November and onward, Outsiders can find recruitment posters around the base for a specialised subsection of an anonymous Neo Tokyo security agency! Feel free to assume that's where most of the directives come from.

Current quests relating to this player plot can be found under < STREET FIGHTER > and < RISE AND THRIVE > on the QUEST BOARD.

People are free to use this log or their own for open and closed starters. However, if you'd like to contribute to the quest chain or setting changes, please remember to eventually submit your links and a summary under the associated quests! Otherwise, go wild!

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I hope you know there is a price to putting royalty to work.

[ or so he claims. he doesn't even try to make a secret of how he approaches the guard head on. he hits him with the hilt of his sword to the head, enough where he could hear the crack on contact of metal and skull. he doesn't seem to bat an eye, however. whether the man is dead or not, it's true that he's entirely silent and unmoving. as if it was an inconsequential detail, he steps right over the body and he draws his hand to the door, only to realize— it doesn't open.

so he does take the only next step that would be logical in such an instance. he picks up the body, feeling against the material of the clothes for any hint of a key. ]

The people of these times appear to find pleasure in the complex.

[ he brings the body closer to the door, waving the guard's arm in front of it to try and get the door open.

help... ]

[ Dispose of the body, he'd said. Deal with it, but Callisto, it seems, does things his way. Perhaps they would need him to get in, and he felt no qualms about using the guard, but he Certainly would have preferred that they simply chop off the necessary limb.

Though they wouldn't know which until they got to this moment. He sighed, and came out of hiding, slipping the eyepatch over his very noticeable eye, the defining feature of the man. His clothing had already shifted to look something like the service staff — he hadn't even been bothering to monitor Callisto's method of dealing with the man. He had the bloodthirsty aura of someone who would deal with a threat like that readily.

With his hair mussed slightly — He'd tugged it out of his tight press to his skull, closer to something a touch more curled around his forehead, he looked softer around the edges. Less sharp and aggressive, more like someone unassuming.

He walked up, to take the hand from him, and start waving it at different points at the door. First at the lock, then at the handle, but it wasn't until he silently wrapped the hand around the handle that it actually unlocked.

Go figure. He didn't even want to think about what technology would work for that. He twisted the hand to open it, but held it. ]

Stash it. I'll hold open the door.

[ there's a lot he could have offered in his defense.

for one, a severed limb made for a rough, shoddy cleanup, and he wasn't the type to bother himself with such menial tasks. all the more, he figured keeping the body together made it easier to hide and delay being found. or might have argued, except there's nothing more to offer when silco himself doesn't actually address it.

hence, he simply gives him a look, as if to say "watch your tongue" despite silco having said nothing the entire time. consider it an impression. he grabs the legs of the guard, allowing his body to simply drag in behind him as he hauls him through the door. fortunately, when they get past the threshold, there's two large bins, and he opens one and places the body right in, alongside what looks to be discarded pieces of plastics and cheap glass pieces.

he doesn't close it just yet, if just to strip off the jacket and tiny insignia pin on the man's shirt. ]

Perhaps, you should look like that more often. Takes at least a decade off of you. [ or so he offers, as he closes the lid. he throws the jacket on, before turning back towards silco, his head tilting along the shelves. maybe they could take a quick look here and then begin heading right out. ]

The deed is done.

[ he can feel the weight of silco's judgment even if he doesn't say anything. To be fair, Callisto is right. ]

No thank you. I have no interest in hiding my age.

[ Also. Silco prefers looking severe. Intimidating. Anything to make himself look dangerous. He looked deeper, before he nodded as he took the coat. There's a storeroom a few paces up, and he tries the handle, thankfully, locking inside of the building seems to be something they overlooked.

He peered in. ]

Let's see if I can find a jacket that fits. It will be ideal if we are both there.

True, you did seem to enjoy wielding it like a sword. Except instead of leaving corpses in your wake, they're all just convenient excuses. [ once again, callisto has to turn it into a show of all the assumptions he can possibly make about someone. though, it's probably clear enough by now that he does it to get under people's skin than it is a real presumption on his part. it's all as lighthearted as everything else he says.

he follows behind, also scanning for anything that could be useful. they're in luck if just because it does seem like some like it's filled to the brim with various items, cabinets, and storage lockers. as for what, he opens what appears to be a metal cabinet. they're mostly just documents, however. then he tries what appears to be a unit about the size of a proper wardrobe. they do have shirts, but they don't quite look like the one the guard wore.

that said, he does end up tossing silco the little pin he took from the other guard. ] In case we don't find anything, I figure holding onto that wouldn't make our situation any worse.

[ he also does hold out various clothes items, as if to picture silco in them... ]

[ Silco offered him a smile in response, knowing. It looks off with one of his eyes blocked by the eyepatch, but the man can't just be showing that eye to anyone. He's interacted with Callisto enough by now that he's starting to figure out the shape of the man. Sure, he could take offense, but not right now. So he does the thing that always seems to upset other people, and just smile at them.

It always seems to irritate people. For some reason.

Silco had always kept the airs of belligerence and a nasty little undertone that said, very clearly, that he didn't really venerate anyone. Respect was earned and lost in the drop of a hat, and it took a lot to earn Silco's respect. Oddly, Callisto seemed to be a foul enough person that he's willing to work with him. That's the closest thing to respect one can get with the man.

So, he took the pin with an idle hand, rifling through documents to see what he could find. There isn't much, paper being rather... unused. Though the small board in the room has a schedule that seems to indicate there were 3 people on duty tonight. THey likely took out one, so there would be just two left.

He tipped his head, and looked at the jacket he held up. ]

Anything smaller, by chance? It wouldn't do for me to look like I'm wearing a large man's clothes. I'll look out of place.

[ Though, he wonders if he could get his clothing implant to shift into the shape of the clothing Callisto was wearing, his fingers opening up a new cabinet to find... another stashed jacket. This one had a stain on the lapel that looks like they'd encountered a messy customer. It's wrinkled, and he pulled it out with a curl of his lip. Annoyed.

Unfortunately, it was also slimmer, and smaller. Great. ]

Maybe one that isn't stained, at least?

[ some smiles had a way of not serving the purpose a "smile" technically should. but who could he blame for that? the person smiling, or the ones who created such bold misconceptions about them? but, oddly silco's smile doesn't bother him, doesn't strike him nearly as offensive as the way nobles had donned it as a mask, or wielded it much like one would a weapon. a potentially disarming one, but one all the same. the idea makes him low, nearly inaudible chuckle to himself, however. chalk it up to him being entirely inappropriate for such a covert mission, but at least neither of them seem to be showing any hint of nerves.

it's an observation callisto keeps to himself, however. instead he focuses on the task at hand. ] You are rather picky. Do they not have that phrase amongst commoners? "Beggars can't be choosers?" [ on one hand, while he sends those messages out, he does put the jacket back in its place. ]

Isn't this better? People may drop their guards once they see were how incredibly clumsy you may or may not be. Besides, do people not feel comfortable with flaws? [ his hand is even stretching out, as if to help silco into it. ]

[ There's a curl of his lip, annoyed. ]

Oh, yes. They do. It makes them look down on us, like we're dirty.

[ The sneer on his lip says enough, but he puts it on anyway. Well, there was nothing for it. He would need to play the role of the bumbling bufoon tonight, it seemed, so it had better be worth it. ]

And while I play the clumsy one that keeps dropping things out of fear, you'll be smoothing it over, then? While we look around the room and listen in. I want to get out of there with at least enough information to start moving in on their power players.

[ A twitch of his lips, as he straightened the jacket once it's on thanks to Callisto's help. Yes, he'll let a noble help him with that. If he's going to be demeaned, they both will. ]

[ it's not a lie. callisto knows the cost of having "deficiencies", whether they're entirely perceived or otherwise. knows the way society's gaze looks upon others with nothing more than vague rumors and whispers to go by. so he has no such argument there. so he only seems to give silco a sort of knowing smile, even in the dark. a brief hint of teeth, before he texts right back. ]

Since you will be putting your body out there on the frontlines, how could I not return your sincerity? [ he seems to mull over silco's words before giving a firm nod. ] It should be easy enough. I do not make mistakes, and men's lips do get rather loose after a few drinks.

But, even without all of that... men in power make it painfully obvious, do they not?

[ who knew he'd be helping someone into their jacket like this. still, he's done more demeaning things on the battlefield in theory, even if entirely out of necessity. he doesn't look fazed, before he begins reaching for the door handle. his head cocking to the side as if to say, clumsy employees first.

another show of sincerity, of course. ]

A man who promises that they do not make mistakes is a man blind to them.

[ He texts back, with a roll of his eyes. Be normal like the rest of them, is what his expression says.

Which coming from mister "I'm always in control" is a fair bit hypocritical, but Silco has never promised that he's very self aware, and is in fact... not. ]

They make it very easy. They're lazy, likely never dealt with anyone who could challenge them, or if they do, they don't last long. The gangs here have not seen a true challenge in some time.

[ Not like where he's from, where gangs rise and fall in the span of weeks to months, fighting their way to the top for another one to come in. If one was at the top, they had to hold their position with power, money, and caution. Silco had always been Very cautious, since he began this endeavor. ~~With one notable exception.~~

He moved through the door with a sniff, adjusted his eyepatch, and shouldered the door as he did so. It wasn't hard to put on the act when his depth perception was messed up from the lack, but it is better than letting them see his most notable, defining feature. ]

Now, please do tell me if I manage to mess up, I'd hate to inconvenience our guests.

[ He finally says aloud as they approach the door, announcing their presence, before he opened it for Callisto. ]

[ admittedly, he does find humor in those words instead of offense. "an emperor must always be flawless" was a dogma he lived by, and a sentence he found himself reciting day to day. yet, this man is entirely right. even the emperor himself wasn't without his flaws, and callisto could readily be the first to see it, even if not the last.

but, he also gets this is coming from silco ... who he feels genuinely has the gift in perceiving the worst in others. if there was a mistake to be made, the man certainly didn't seem the type to allow himself to be blindsided by it. ] Lazy? Or complacent? I would argue the latter creeps up on people when they least expect it. All the better for their enemies, of course.

[ maybe he still considered it one ands the same. laziness. complacency. letting their guards down. either way, it wouldn't change the end result. callisto casts these thoughts aside, however as they reach the door. like any good and well-meaning coworker, he does respond in tune. ] Well, considering you have all but one eye, how could I not. [ his script could use work, but. ]

Here, [ he grabs a nearby tray, and gestures to a table near the other end. according to all the cigarettes they've accumulated in their ash tray, they seem to have been here longest, perhaps? ] I'll help you carry this to the tables.

[ His eye meets Callisto for only a brief moment. His lips quirk into a smile. ] Complacency... Laziness. They are one and the same. At least in this avenue.

[ Callisto was right, of course. He would find the flaw in anything, anyone. How could he not, being from a place where flaws were exploitable resources, the way to get ahead or do anything that needed doing. After all, when you had no other resources, no money, no food, what did you have? It was exploitation. Silco is cutthroat in a way that came from hard living. Little to go around.

His smile was placid as he took another, and nodded. ] Oh, please. I'm afraid they make me so nervous.

[ His tone was lilting, sarcastic, but right after, he moved to open one door, and make their way into the meeting room. ]

[ while they may have exchanged several words, it does become clearer to him that perhaps neither one of them were in their right minds. at least by the standards of the common man. but, was that really anyone's problem? (yes, but shhh)

for now, he seems perfectly content just going along with this little charade. while he could be offended by the prospect of being undercover as a regular citizen working to make ends meet, was it really different than the reality of his existence in this world? maybe not. ] Well, do try and keep yourself together. We have very important guests today. [ he says this as he eyes the guests beyond the door, almost as if to make it a point to brush and aptly stroke their egos before they even step in.

with the tray, he does grab some expensive looking wines that have surely been lined up for a purpose. one he doesn't think of as he begins setting them up like any well-trained servant might have. it seems being the crown prince at least gave way for him to provide what could be perceived as excellent service, even if there is nothing but mockery behind his eyes. two of the worst people here... acting like they're in the service industry. ]

Can you set this on the other end? [ he gestures so that silco and him can stand on two opposing sides of the room. that should create a decent enough opening for them to exchange information at the very least. ]

Oh, most certainly. I'll do my best.

[ His smile is placid, eye at half-mast. With the eyepatch over the dark pit of an eye, it hides everything that Silco hides with that bland expression. The burning pit of hatred about all of this. Truly, two of the worst people to work on this, and yet... Perhaps the two who disliked other people enough to do it well.

He took his own tray, and began to move, his feet sure and certain, his hand on the tray balancing it as he stepped to the opposite end of the room.

One of the men at the head of the table cleared his throat. 'Get your drinks now, we'll be staring shortly'

Silco, at the end, bumped into the end table, and one of the glasses clattered to the ground. ]

Oh, so sorry —

[ He scrambled to set the tray down, and start cleaning it up.

Every eye in the room was on him. ]

[ he didn't exactly expect him to be such a proficient actor. his demeanor is every bit of a fresh newly hired attendant, and the reminder is familiar and sickening all at the same time. either way, it's true that they both seemed to move easily enough. silco draws them in so easily. it's difficult not to look at the way he moves about, entirely docile, easy for them to drop their guards and feel comfortable enough. despite the way everyone stares down, it doesn't deter him from his own role. ]

I hope you weren't startled. [ he says as he places the other glasses down. he moves with ease, and while he had no actual investment in the etiquette lessons of his youth, his actions end up appearing rather polite and elegant, regardless. had silco not performed so well, callisto himself may not have acted so properly. ... or well, as proper as he can be with that tongue of his. ] He tends to get nervous in the face of such esteemed guests.

[ despite his words, they don't seem all that startled. they seem to taper off into conversation, but amongst it, the hierarchy between them seems quite clear. at the head of the table are two lackeys who seem to bow their heads to the other two sitting near the head, asking if they're all right, and if no glass flew that far out. naturally, nothing is amiss and no injuries could possibly come from such a thing, and yet he thinks they really do put on airs...

maybe silco is right and they're softer than expected. blind to potential threats, too.

besides those two and their lackeys, there is another man who sits by silco who appears to be unfazed, instead he seems to study the others at the table. if anything, callisto even senses some sort of bloodlust from them. was there issues amongst them? that could be another line to explore.

callisto seems to take this opportunity to walk over to silco now that he's done serving the items. he doesn't whisper anything in secret, too aware of how close they are to them, and instead silently assists him in cleaning the shards up. ]

[ Silco's quite good at playing the servile little trencher, after having seen Zaunites do it for so long. It's part of his youth, after all, playing this game and pretending like he understood his place.

He stooped yet again to pick up more glass, delicately pulling up the smaller shards first, the largest, he he left for last.

Callisto hovered off to the side at first, and he hoped the man was doing what Silco would, which is taking stock of the room. He's placing glasses, Silco can hear the sound returning to normal, and turning back to the ones in charge. Silco's fingers found the small recording device in his pocket, and he slipped it to the underside of the table, which wouldn't get video, but it would get audio. It was something.

It would give them some information, at least.

Maybe they could get more, if they timed things right. As he picked up the last one, he dropped it with a soft oath, and shook his hand.

A cut. ]

Apologies —

[ he murmured, to keep his head down, and look up at Callisto as he approached, allowing him to take the last one. ] I'll take this back?

[ His finger is very obviously bleeding. He holds it over his tray of glass, giving them the clear opportunity to leave the room. ]

[ their dynamics seemed easy enough to grasp at the very least, and for a moment his eyes seem to sharpen and linger on them a second longer than he intends. he nearly makes eye contact, before purposely tears his focus away, instead placing it on silco, who fortunately makes it easy enough.

while they've never laid down a full plan with one another, he doesn't once question silco's methods. even now, he doesn't doubt the distraction he makes is without purpose. it's why he feels almost hypersensitive to their surroundings— the shuffling of their seats, the way their body language falls, and even the tones hidden away behind layers of pretenses. whether in court, or here, it seems there are no shortage of those who readily speak in praises and compliments, just to hide a proverbial dagger behind their back.

once he reaches silco, he does grip only his wrist. obviously, out of false concern. ] Oh, we should really get this patched up. I would hate for our guests to see blood on such an auspicious night. [ what do people of this world label it as? ... a biohazard? he seems to look back at silco and gives a sort of easygoing shrug as he casts the idea aside for now. he faces the guest, giving a polished bow. ]

We shall temporarily take our leave. Please feel free to call us if we are needed. Though, any of our other staff should also be open to assist you. [ if they ever regain consciousness. but, between that and mister clumsy over here, maybe they would still prefer the former.

at least, the gap they leave in their absence wouldn't be too apparent in the near future. except, even as callisto is walking out, he hasn't released his hold over silco yet. ]

Ah, thank you —

[ He mumbled, in that way that sounded like he was ashamed, or at the very least like he was fighting the urge to cower out of his skin. It's really remarkable, how Silco seems to morph into a different man in his own way, a little bit of the cruel creature tucked into his skin, and all he has to do is pretend he's a boy again. He knows this game all-too well, after all. It is easy, and automatic.

Callisto led him out, the tray with the shards of glass with them, and as soon as the door closed behind them, Silco tossed it onto a countertop, not concerned with any flaked off, or fell.

His posture morphed immediately — just as stooped over, Silco seemed to lean forward like he's still curled into mines — but there's a different tenseness to it, like he is not afraid, but more like he is ready to strike. ]

Yes?

[ He asked, a hiss in his tone, as he starts to pull away from him. ]

[ his acting truly is excellent. had he not had x amount of conversations with silco prior to all of this, it would have been enough to even dupe him. he wonders if it's truly just acting, or if these falsified emotions, actions, and everything else encompassing this specially curated role was... perhaps closer to some version or reality of this man. callisto can't say beyond him simply being impressed as anyone who knew silco would be.

contrary to that, it's clear by his own movements, or even the way he establishes eye contact that callisto couldn't exactly hide who he is was, or the status he held. there's no hint of him actually being docile even against his best efforts, and so perhaps it's fortunate that they don't linger around the vips for long.

even if he'd be the last person to say so. just like establishing his own dominance, when he feels silco pulling away from him, he instinctively grips tighter. when he catches himself, only then does his hold loosen. he maintains a steady gaze fixed on silco, before he huffs, releasing his arm with it and letting silco pull away completely. ]

Nothing at all, your slyness. [ lol. he thinks he's so funny. that said, he cocks his head to the side. ] So did you do what you came here for? [ he isn't well-versed in tech, and so here's where he double checks they got what they needed. ]

[ Silco's lips quirk slightly, and he looked Callisto up and down. ]

Weren't you the one who lectured me about acting once?

[ See, Silco just needed proper motivation. And also, unfortunately, this was easy. There had been so many jobs in his youth when he and — no matter — had posed as servants, only to case the joint and sneak goods away down to the undercity. As much as it rankled, as much as it made his shoulders rise like an agitated beast.

No, he knew the game. ]

I did. The piece is planted, and they're none the wiser. Whatever they say will be recorded.

[ Transmitted to him personally, and transcribed the important points as well. Then whatever he thought was... "useful" to the agency — or more accurately: just useful enough but not too useful — will make it to Izou's hands. ]

You were quite the help today. You should feel proud of yourself. I didn't think someone of your status would get dirty with the rest of us.

If I had wanted to be an actor, I would have cast aside my title and become a jester instead. [ he isn't sure if silco's words were a correction for his own, or if it was a callout. it's true that his acting was clearly nowhere near silco's level. while normally that wouldn't be enough to touch a nerve, callisto seems like he should prove his points now than forever hold his peace.

besides, who knows is silco has already perceived this as his weakness somehow. he feels it better to be cautious than be entirely unprepared for the future. or so he'd defend, but maybe it's just that callisto can't stand to see him smug. still, he's relieved to know their mission wasn't all for naught.

though, it's funny to admit now, it did help that silco was proficient in tech for all it's intents and purposes too. he thinks that would likely help in any of his future endeavors, too. though, he feels it best for him not to wonder what those will be. still, he can't get lost in his thoughts for long. especially when silco is silcoing.

he gives a slight laugh to his last statement. ]

How insolent. [ damn, approval from bad daddy himself. ] It should be I who says that to you. [ he sheds off the jacket, he flings it in an arc over silco's head. ] A word of advice, you'd do well to remember that even royals aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

[ but, now he figures is a good enough for any for them to take their leave through the rear exit. ]

[ They're moving toward the exit. Silco lets the bug start to run, activating it remotely. He's... fairly alright at these things. No genius, and he isn't exactly inventing them on his own, but he can get this going at least somewhat decently.

Never get between a crime lord and his need to commit atrocities, after all.

He took his own off, and simply dropped it into an abandoned corner, through a door. Nobody the wiser. He pulled the patch off next, and ran a hand through his hair, putting it back into place. As they walked by a room, he shifted his clothes back to normal, the red and gold he'd normally worn, with the tie.

Every bit the scummy crime lord from the undercity. ]

Is it? [ He laughed. ] You should know, we are not people of kings, where I am from. Royalty is that of the delusional vagrant, hoping for a scrap of legitimacy. [ He looked him up and down, the smirk on his face. ] Oh, but that couldn't possibly be you, is it?

[ He opened the door for him, a mocking little twist of his head when he did so. ]

[ the concept that royalty didn’t exist in other realms didn’t surprise him as much as others may believe it would. no, it made complete sense. even in one of the scenarios in which he’d execute the nobles one by one, empty the royal coffers, and hand out the money freely to the poor before waging war after war— he figures the world would have simply fallen into a state of anarchy. perhaps, some regions would keep to their inner circle of politics, or their council of elders who have watched over the lands for years, but…

did any of that truly matter?

it’s why he finds no offense, neither to the way silco laughs. ] Of course not. [ his words are oddly fluid, no hint of spitting venom. ] Yet it's always the powerless common man who seems to speak so well on such matters. Oh, but that also wouldn't be you, would it?

[ he gives a slight nod of his head, almost formal, as if treating silco as he really had just been his butler opening his door for him. but, all the same once they finally manage to leave without so much as a hiccup, he does add: ] Do not worry your little head. I have no desire to get caught up in such "delusions." While we are here, we are all acting as soldiers under the same flag for better or worse. I don't ever mistake who my enemies are.

So you shouldn't either.

[ Silco's laugh was mocking, but his smile was sharp. An acknowledgement that he knew the make of Callisto.

It's funny, actually. There are few people that he would consider sharks in the water, and yet... yet this royal, something that Silco naturally by his own admission rebels against, is one of them. He supposed that just like he could exceed expectations as a man borne and hewn through the mines, that this man could do so as well.

It's perhaps not like, but a begrudging respect, that sharp smile. ]

Hm. Soldiers.

[ yes, he supposed they were. Of the many hats he's worn, this is the most ill-fitting. ]

Well, don't fret, Callisto. After all, we completed one mission together successfully, didn't we? [ he reached out to pat the man's shoulder dismissively. ] I should say, that's quite the excellent work.

[ strangely, it may have been both ways. both individuals so sure they had the basic blueprint of the other other. or maybe they're both so accustomed to having to feel it out of people before they become a impending threat that lingers around their necks. while callisto would like to say he doesn't presume, he does and makes little secret of it. much like how his eyes still measure the distance of silco's hand that comes to pat him on the shoulder. ]

Did I seem like I was fretting? I was just merely speaking to myself.

[ but, the way his lips curve and the way he tilts his chin upwards with a natural sense of defiance. as if he were fighting some invisible perception silco may have formed about him. does he only solidify his position? either way, it's true that he respects those who aren't afraid to ruffle feathers, and silco certainly doesn't shy away. ]

Right, so you should think of a proper reward for the next time I stick my neck out for you.

[ pettily returning the pat on the shoulder right back. patting him like one would a stray dog. ]

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