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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[ 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. ]

[ Oh, Callisto.

Silco's lips twitched, and he blinked with his single eye. ]

The satisfaction of helping clean the crime up off the streets is insufficient for you? I will keep that in mind.

[ Says the local crime lord, who has certainly made no secret of the shit he gets up to. ]

Altruism is not your strong suit, is it?

[ No, of course not. They were sharks in the water, weren't they? Circling. Looking for weaknesses. Callisto was no fool. He had not forgotten. ]

Anything to satisfy someone of your stature, hm? I'll keep that in mind.

Would that be enough for you? You seem the sort who is no stranger to greed.

[ or so their talk at the gala seemed to have implied. or maybe, he just presumes everyone had a reason to act, and whatever this "reason" was for silco, callisto presumed it wouldn't be a particularly cheap price. ]

But very well, I'll just have to trust you'll make it worth my while. From what I gathered, all we have here is time, if not death.

[ this one one mission done away with. while they could potentially walk to base just like this, callisto seems keen on taking a detour. maybe it'd be less suspicious for eye witnesses, or maybe it's just another one of the crown prince's whims. either way, he wouldn't forget this exchange. ]

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( OPEN ) FIGHTING CRIME BY MOONLIGHT

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