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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 4, 2019 20:17:18 GMT -5
Jack took a little break, after exploring quite a bit of the big city around him. Towering skyscrapers, screens, and the sound of cars dashing fast through the streets. It sure took him by surprise, seeing a place that felt so familiar, and yet not. The Almira had taken him and his crew to many worlds, but none as interesting as the one they were in now. He looked up to see the clear sky once more, and smiled.
Now he just needed to find one of his crewmembers, and he was good to return to his ship.
Where the hell did you go off to, M'Lyn...?" Jack groaned, "Can't even contact you through your com..." "Jack, do you copy?" "Ah... Alice?!" "Focus! Enemy readings at 2 o' clock! You might be surrounded if you don't make your move and get out of there!" "Roger-doger!"
As per his sister's advice, Jack made his run-for-it. The shadowy monsters... The Heartless. Those weren't enemies he could fight alone, not with his little battle knowledge. Sure, he could hack into a few nearby machines and either block the Heartless or get rid of them, but wasting time like that was an easy opportunity to get him killed. Alice had made the right move to warn him.
"I'd really appreciate M'Lyn's help right about now!" Jack yelled. "I can't reach her, though!" Alice's voice echoed through Jack's com, "Her com is probably busted..." "Huh, ain't that convenient?!" "Focus on getting out of there and finding her! Then we can leave!"
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 6, 2019 23:22:18 GMT -5
Small clouds peppered the sky, pink and gold from the setting sun. A large suspended red bridge was illuminated in lights, the darkening city lit up from streetlights, building windows and skyscrapers. Kujo walked down the street, both hands shoved into his lavender pant pockets as he made his way toward the nearest market. His deep emerald eyes scanned the area vigilantly. The rumors of odd black creatures with yellow eyes had become more and more regular around the city over the last two years. He had to stay focused.
Though this city had its own heroes, ‘Big Hero 6’, protecting it, they couldn’t catch every attack. They had their hands full as it was with the amount of crime in the city, not to mention its size. Because of this, countless incidents of injured residents and night attacks alarmed most locals. Kujo himself had grown up on this world. He knew for a fact the rumors weren’t merely gossip, as two years ago he had come face to face with the creatures. Ever since that encounter, the imposingly tall teenager in vibrant clothing continued to keep watch, protecting his city.
Even while running small errands, he stayed vigilant. From his own experience he learned the creatures never seemed to come out during the day. It was only at night. Because of this, he tried to postpone most of his daily errands until night time. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and all that. Turning the corner of the intersection between impossibly tall buildings, Kujo collided head on with someone running down the street. THWACK! Surprisingly, the teenager didn’t even stagger back, his medium length unruly black hair hardly moving as his emerald eyes looked down. He hardly even blinked.
"You jokin'? Don’t run around at night. That’s dangerous—” For a moment his eyes narrowed at the guy before him. He looked around Kujo’s age, maybe a little younger. He was a bit shorter than Kujo himself, with dark grey hair and earth toned clothing. ”—what if you had hurt someone?” It wasn’t the biggest deal in the world, and he had other things to be doing, but still—
Kujo looked down at the guy, waiting for his response. It wasn’t a huge deal, but an apology would at least be nice.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 7, 2019 18:01:00 GMT -5
Jack was slightly tossed aback, staggering after colliding against someone. It was odd to hear someone aside M'Lyn treating him like a child, and the thought made him chuckle. Looking apologethic at the person in front, Jack scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry 'bout that... I was sorta focused on somethin' else... Hehe..." he said, chuckling.
Jack regained his composure, standing straight, and looking at the boy in front of him. He definitely looked average, like any other person he'd manage to see out in the streets while he was scouting. It was surprising, however, how calm and serious he was after coliding with someone else.
"Umm... Oh, right" Jack nodded to himself, "Can I ask ya something? Have you seen... A rather tall woman, with blonde hair and... maybe cat ears and tail?" he asked, "I've been looking for them for a while, but... Let's just say I haven't had the luck to find 'em." "Jack, do you copy?!" Alice's voice rang through the com once more, "Enemy readings! Not as many as before, but..." "How many? And where?" Jack demanded, serious. "3 Shadows, 2 Tireblades. Do you think you can take them?" "Well... Doesn't look like much now..." Jack sighed, and turned to face the Heartless.
Not too far away, the Heartless Alice had informed about were approaching the two. Jack readied himself, his com displaying a screen over his eyes, analyzing the surroundings and enemies before him. He glanced back at the boy besides him, with a serious tone.
"If ya don't know how to fight 'em, I'd suggest you leave this one to me" Jack adviced, "One false step, and you're a dead man. I can manage this lot." "Although I'd really appreciate it if M'Lyn was around..." Jack thought to himself with some annoyance.
It was one thing he couldn't avoid doing: relying on her unit's Weaponmaster whenever it came to fights.
[BATTLE! 3 Shadows, 2 Tireblades]
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 7, 2019 21:40:00 GMT -5
”Sorry ‘bout that…I was sorta focused on somethin’ else…hehe…” Kujo raised an eyebrow. With the guy’s overall sheepish and friendly demeanor, he didn’t seem to be a suspicious character. ”Umm…Oh, right!” Suddenly it seemed as though the guy had remembered something. ”Have you seen…a rather tall woman, with blonde hair and…maybe cat ears and a tail?” Kujo blinked. His expression didn’t change, nor did he move an inch, though his thoughts ran to the annual Con that usually took place in the city.
I didn’t think it was that time of year already… He himself had never participated in such festivities. He tended to stick to himself, mostly. ”How many? And where?” Suddenly, Jack was seemingly talking to himself. ”Well…doesn’t look like much now…” With that the guy sighed just as the Heartless emerged. Kujo could sense the approaching darkness, having been familiar to the sensation by now. Despite the oncoming enemies, his composure remained as calm as ever. ”If ya don’t know how to fight ‘em, I’d suggest you leave this one to me.”
It seemed this stranger knew about the Heartless. Were they police? Part of ‘Big Hero 6’? Despite his curiosity, he had better sense than to ask questions at a time like this. Kujo didn’t respond to Jack, who prepared themselves for the oncoming fight. The large man simply stood as still as he had since their conversation, his hands in his pockets as his emerald eyes glared at the oncoming creatures. ”Tch. Glad you’re not a normal civilian. That’d be annoying.”
Once the Heartless were around 2m away, a burst of light erupted behind Kujo. In its wake was a humanoid being taller and more muscular than the teen himself. With four translucent wings springing from its back, it seemed like a tall fairy of sorts. Covered in Purple Heart armor and a light toga, it seemed to glide through the air towards the Heartless. Kujo stood still, hands still in his pockets as he watched his Akogare unleash it's Wakeru ability. With a series of impossibly fast punches, it began to wash a torrent of melee attacks onto the Heartless, hoping to annihilate as many as possible with its power. Over the sound of the whirling fists, Kujo's "Pitiful." could be heard, a snide remark as a smirk creased his lips.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 8, 2019 16:39:35 GMT -5
It seemed things would be easy. Just a few Heartless were more than an enough challenge for Jack, who lacked prowess to fight larger groups of enemies. Heck, it could've been a bit of a breeze.
That was, until his screen displayed an insanely large energy reading.
"What the-?!" Jack jumped back out of instinct. The sudden burst and readings freaked him out.
What really shocked him was the figure that began to pumel the Heartless without fear whatsoever, while the boy stood there with a calm expression, even a smirk was drawn. Just who was he?
"Alice, are you recording this...?" Jack whispered to his Nav. "Ah- Yeah... This is insane... The power level's off the charts..." "Heh..." Jack grinned broadly, "Looks like this little issue actually turned to our favor!" "You think it's worth knowing?" "Any info is good info, I say!"
Both Tireblades were caught in the pummeling, while the Shadows melded down into the ground, and creeped towards Jack and the boy. As soon as they rose, however, Jack was reading a round-house kick, grounding it into a puff of black. The other two approached the boy, but Jack had an idea as for why he wasn't moving -he probably couldn't do much with that thing doing the job for him. Odds were that he was left vulnerable like that...
"Oi, don't get cocky, kid!" Jack shouted, tossing one of his Physical Barriers his way, "'Less you wanna actually die." "Two Shadows left. One of the Tireblades is on the run!" Alice informed through Jack's com, "Be careful -it's surprisingly fast." "Roger."
As Alice informed, one of the Tireblades had managed to get away from the creature's pummeling, while the other was quickly turned into dust. The other Shadows were trying to sneak towards the boy, while Jack was still looking around for his best opportunity to end the battle as quickly as possible. And after that, Jack could definitely ask him for help.
[2 Shadows, 1 Tireblade left]
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 8, 2019 20:38:14 GMT -5
While Akogare manage to end one of the Tireblades, Kujo kept his deep emerald eyes peeled on the battlefield around him. He was calm for a reason, after all. Panicking limited ones observational skills, their perception guided by their fragile mental state. How long in life had he worked to make his mind a fortress? One with durable walls, steady order and fierce determination? Those skulking bastards… The Shadows had managed to avoid his attack completely, phasing into the ground. He hated that ability of theirs.
”Oi, don’t get cocky, kid!” Jack’s shout reached Kujo, though the man hardly showed signs of hearing it. ”If you try to run—I’ll make it worse for you.” If the Shadows would hide in the ground, he would simply destroy it. All of it. SanFransokyo was known for its capable construction companies, after all. Akogare had already lunged backwards after the barrage ended, disappearing as a dim light seemed to emerge around Kujo’s form. ”USELESS!” CRASH! SLAM! CRACK!
With a flurry of fists, Kujo was beginning to punch the pavement he stood on. The blows were incredibly fast, though if one could somehow pause or perceive the image before them, they would notice the man’s fists glowing with a radiant light energy, giving them the appearance of Akogare’s fist rather than his own. Suddenly the ground was erupting and quaking from the blows, a large crater forming as Kujo aimed to catch the two Shadows in the area attack, as well as throw of the Tireblade's movement.
The street erupted as Kujo’s wrath was unleashed upon the silent avenue. He hoped his attack worked.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 9, 2019 19:25:00 GMT -5
"This kid's outta league...!"
In Jack's eyes, pummeling the ground to try and hit the Shadows wasn't exactly effective. They quickly melted with the ground, moving faster and faster to avoid the creature's fists. As for the resting Tireblade, it was charging full-speed at the two.
"Oh, shit..." Jack cursed under his breath, "Well, good thing people like leavin' their stuff unnatended..."
His screen displayed the ammount of precise seconds before the Tireblade collided with them, giving Jack a window of opportunity. Quickly, he tapped away in his arm's keyboard, and as soon as he stopped, one of the parked cars was ramming towards the Tireblade, intercepting the attack. Hacking "Intercept" command worked in the pinch, and it even dealt the final hit on the Tireblade.
The Shadows quickly rose from the ground behind the boy, both attacking in unison. One's attack was blocked by the Physical Barrier Jack had previously tossed his way, while the other looked to make use of the opening. When the first one's attack was blocked, it staggered a bit, but Jack was too slow to land a direct hit.
"Those Shadows sure are a nuisance..." Alice's voice rang through the com, worried, "Not only that, but despite his physical prowess... It doesn't seem like he's used to fighting Heartless whatsoever." "You can say that again..." Jack groaned, "Guess that this won't be easy after all, despite the strength..."
[2 Shadows left]
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 9, 2019 22:42:01 GMT -5
Noticing that his area attack had little effect, Kujo’s barrage of punches ceased. What little road remained around him was in shambles, he himself standing in a small crafter that had formed from the impacts. Luckily, the terrain wouldn’t impede him any. ”Damn.” Kujo released a heavy sigh. ”Seems I’m going to actually have to put in some effort—“ There was a sudden clench in his jaw. Teeth ground together. ”—f***ing pests.” Weren’t these guys just supposed to be small fry? It wasn’t that they were tough, but their movement’s were annoying.
CRASH! A Shadow collided into the Physical Barrier Jack had sent his way. Luckily, the device managed to survive the attack from earlier. The sudden sound caused Kujo’s emerald eyes to narrow and spin in the direction upwards towards the edge of the crater. With this, he noticed the second Shadow lunging down towards him. Within the blink of an eye, Kujo was leaping up from the crater to meet the Heartless, his face as calm and serious as ever. A shimmering light glowed around his left arm, giving it the appearance of Akogare’s. The armored muscular arm clenched as the Purple Heart knuckled fist lashed out to meet the Shadow in a direct punch.
Whether or not it landed, Kujo wasn’t worried. His Akogare was powerful, but that wasn’t it’s true ace up the sleeve.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 9, 2019 22:58:02 GMT -5
The Shadow was too slow to avoid the attack, recieving the direct blow of the boy's fist, to then dissapear into a ouff of smoke. The other Shadow didn't take long to follow, as Jack managed to catch it off-guard while going for a second attack, finishing it with a flying kick. Jack sighed, dismissing the screen and touching his ear to reach his Nav.
"Any more around, Alice?" he asked calmly. "No, all clear." Jack sighed once more, relieved. Thankfully, it wasn't a long fight. More importantly... He wanted to know about the boy besides him. Looking calm and collected, Jack began to make his move.
"Well, that was definitely a show..." he said, calm, "Although doesn't look like you've fought them for long... I can only guess it's been a fairly recent issue."
"Name's Jack, by the way. Leader of an intel sub-unit. Now... If ya don't mind me asking, could you help me find this person I'm looking for? You look like you know the area well. Oh, and... I ain't askin' for charity. If there's one thing I can offer you lots of, is intel of any kind" Jack smirked with pride, "Whatever it is, I most definitely have it. Guarantee. So..." he held his hand towards him, "Can I count on ya?"
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 9, 2019 23:22:43 GMT -5
Once the last Heartless disappeared, Kujo’s hands went back into his pockets as he stepped out of the crater he stood in. It seemed there weren’t any other enemies around, as the large man scanned the area with his eyes. ”Well, that was definitely a show…” A voice broke the otherwise quiet night that had engulfed them. For a moment, Kujo had almost forgotten the other man was there. ”Although, it doesn’t look like you’ve fought them for long…” Though it stung his pride, he didn’t make a remark. What the stranger had said was true.
Though it was roughly two years ago that Kujo was made aware of the Heartless, it wasn’t until fairly recently that they actually started popping up in the city. For the longest time, Kujo and his mother had been safe, moving into a nicer home downtown, where the most light and action was. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the sightings in the heart of the city grew more and more frequent. There was even a curfew for citizens out, though Kujo didn’t care about such futile things as that.
As Jack introduced himself, Kujo’s emerald eyes narrowed. This guy works for an intel sub-unit? It seemed he knew something about the demonic creatures attacking his city. Jack apparently wasn’t from here, from his admission of trying to find a missing person and not knowing the area. Though he was looking for someone, Kujo still had his suspicions. ”I ain’t askin’ for charity. If there’s one thing I can offer you lots of, it’s intel of any kind.” The smirk on Jack’s face was prideful, causing Kujo to doubt it was a lie.
Though he was aware of the offered hand in front of him, he wouldn’t take it—yet. Kujo pointed his own finger at Jack, his emerald eyes keeping a stern and heavy gaze. ”Hold it.” Just where was this guy from? What intel unit was he with? How did he know about these creatures? Were they in other places? ”Who do you work for?” Kujo didn’t care for politics, or have any real loyalty to his government or anything like that—the one thing he had loyalty to was his mother. Who lived in this city.
If this guy was from some other military unit, digging up dirt on the city and those creatures, it could mean bad news. He had to see what this guy’s deal was, first. ”You say you’re looking for a missing person, not knowing this city, but where exactly are you from? How do you know they’re here?” For a moment, Kujo’s eyes narrowed as his gaze went from stern to menacing.
”Most importantly—“ His finger never lowered from Jack while he spoke. ”How—and what—do you know about these demons?”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 10, 2019 8:05:38 GMT -5
Of course it wouldn't be easy. Jack had expected as much from him. It seemed like he still had his doubts, although it wasn't exactly easy to explain most of it, World Order and all its rules. He had strict orders not to interfiere in any major way with those living in that world, or any for that matter. Jack lowered his hand, removing it for offer, and tucked it into his jacket with a sly smirk.
"Well... I'm sorry to inform that most info is classified. Ergo, I'm not exactly allowed to talk freely over certain things" Jack said calmly, "Of course, I can answer your questions to some degree. Although I'd appreciate it if you'd introduce yourself first and foremost. It's kinda rude not to reply back to an introduction, don't'cha think?"
"I'm not from this city. Where I'm from exactly, however, is classified information I'm not allowed to share freely" Jack explained, "We were sent on a scouting mission, and that's why we're here. All 3 members of my unit, although we got split up because of the Heartless..." he admitted, sheepishly, "And speaking of... The Heartless have been a secondary priority, if you will. While my main mission is to gather information -not for ill purpose, mind you-, the Heartless have been that constant of an issue, that research of them has become a necessity."
After that, Jack reached for his com, displaying the screen once more. He began to tap around his wrist, while thinking how to prove the boy his point. He did ask about "how" and "what", so maybe showing instead of explaining would do the trick.
"I can only share so much information out in field, but I'll make this one an exception" he said, looking at the screen in front of his eyes, "One question about the Heartless only, got it? And I'll share the respective info. How's that for an explanation?" Jack asked, smirking, as he looked at the boy in front directly.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 10, 2019 12:29:18 GMT -5
As Jack began to explain what he could, Kujo’s emerald eyes remained vigilant in scanning the area for more Heartless. The bastards always knew how to show up by surprise, though Kujo wouldn’t be fooled so easily. It seemed wherever Jack was from, it was far away from SanFransokyo, causing Kujo to wonder how it was the guy had gotten here. If he’s with military…he’s probably got a lot of hi-tech gear… As Jack began to explain that he and his team were primarily here for research around the Heartless, Kujo’s hands went back into his pockets as he stared at Jack.
”Hm…so they’re called ‘Heartless’?” Looking up towards the now night sky, Kujo wondered exactly what these creatures were, and why they were attacking his city. As Jack fiddled with his com device on his wrist, Kujo was happy to hear that he’d at least get some information at the moment. Hm…maybe I should help him out, just to learn more about these things… He couldn’t leave his city defenseless, not with his mom still living in it. ”One question about the Heartless only, got it?” Jack seemed serious as he said this last part. Despite Kujo’s rather cold personality, it seemed Jack was willing to work with him here, meeting him halfway.
Kujo sighed a bit, both hands remaining in his pocket. Dealing with people was so troublesome. ”One question, huh?” For a moment, he wondered what he should ask. ”You call these monsters ‘Heartless’…I’m not entirely sure just what that means, but I know they need to be exterminated.” His face as serious and stoic as ever, Kujo decided on his first question. ”Why are these bastards in my city?” Luckily, Jack’s answers and the battle from earlier already showed Kujo these things weren’t on Jack’s side. That means they came from somewhere else, though.
Oh, that’s right. He hadn’t given his name yet. Jack had seemed a little bristled at that, though for fair reason. ”Name’s Kujo, by the way.” Turning his head, he gazed down the street lit up by streetlights and tall buildings. ”You’re right, I know this area well.” Turning back towards Jack, Kujo pointed a finger at him once more, a glance of distrust in his eyes. ”If you have information one these…’Heartless’, I guess it’d be best for my city to help you out.” Truthfully, he wasn’t excited. Hunting down lost persons in this city was tricky, even when one knew the ins and outs.
He just hoped that whoever they were looking for was closer than they realized.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 10, 2019 12:47:07 GMT -5
Jack blinked a few times. The boy's name was Kujo, then... And his question didn't require any sort of intricate intel. He dismissed his screen by tapping away in his keyboard, and stretched about.
"Why they're here, huh?" he repeated, "Well... No reason in particular. Heartless seem to be driven about to almost anywhere, so them being here isn't exactly surprising" he explained, "They are, as you've seen, incredibly aggressive towards anyone, whether they're able to fight back or not. If you want to think it more simply... It's a predator-prey situation: they, the predator, hunt their prey. Unfortunately... That's as much as I know. Even if I know about them, there's still certain areas we're lacking in research. Sorry 'bout that."
Even after explaining, Jack was calm, and relieved in a sense. Kujo had agreed to help him out, albeit only for the info that came with the deal. Still, Jack was a man of his word: as soon as they'd found M'Lyn, Jack would hand over any info Kujo wanted.
"Well, if we're workin' together for the time being... Here's to a good partnership" Jack smirked, "I guess I should tell you how my partner looks, right? Well... Her name's M'Lyn. As I've said before, she's a blondie, with cat ears and tail of the same color. She wears... Let's call it a unique outfit" he chuckled at that last phrase.
"It's a shame that her com's probably busted... I could at least pinpoint her location... Haa... Must be the chip if that's the case..." Jack scratched the back of his head, and then pulled his screen once more, this time displaying a map of his surroundings, thanks to the analysis from earlier, "My understanding is that she didn't move much from this area" Jack said, circling at a part of the map, making sure Kujo followed, "But, as I said, I'm not well-versed with this town. That's why I'm countin' on you to guide me throughout this place, Kujo" he finished with a smile.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 11, 2019 1:06:38 GMT -5
As Jack began to explain the enigma that were the Heartless, Kujo felt his jaw clench with annoyance. So—they don’t act with logic, just instincts. It was irritating, but did allow him to relax a bit. If they merely reacted on instincts, they were stupid. Unintelligent predators. That wasn’t so bad. ”Well, if we’re workin’ together for the time being…here’s to a good partnership.” Kujo was caught off guard by the response. People weren’t normally so open and friendly. Well, he wasn’t anyway. People created weakness, after all. He knew that from the relationship he had with his mother. She was his weakness. The one thing he knew left him vulnerable. Jacks voice brought Kujo out of his thoughts.
”Her name’s M’Lyn. As I’ve said before, she’s a blondie, with cat ears and tail of the sam color. She wears…let’s call it a unique outfit!” At Jack’s chuckle, Kujo simply raised an eyebrow, his face as stoic as ever. Guess this ‘M’Lyn’ is really into cons. He still had no idea what convention was going on—but cat conventions weren’t unusual around San Fransokyo. Typically, women and men alike would wear cat outfits during those events. As Jack displayed a map from his screen, reaching out to circle it, Kujo bent over to follow along with his eyes. Looking at the circle spot, Kujo took note of where they were. ”Tch—!“ For a moment, Kujo straightened, his head lowering as he scowled.
”You guys really know how to get separated.” Pointing at the upper center area of the map, Kujo’s tone was laced with aggravation. ”We’re in the North part of the city, she’s all the way down by the big chef.” The 'Big Chef' was a popular tourist attraction as well as local hangout spot near the South part of the city. Residing behind a large archway lined with lanterns that lit up at night, 'Big Chef' was a large statue of a chef raising a knife into the air triumphantly. Kujo always thought it's smile was creepy and unsettling. The thought made him grimace. It would definitely take a while to walk on foot. Sighing, Kujo rested his hands in his pockets once more before shrugging a bit. There was no helping it. He had agreed to this, anyway, digging his own grave, so to speak.
”Well—hope you got some energy. This’ll be a bit of a walk. The street cars don’t really run this late at night and I don’t feel like waiting around for a bus.” With that, Kujo turned and began to head down the sidewalk, illuminated by tall streetlights and higher building lights. Raising a hand for Jack to follow, the tall man decided to indulge himself. Reaching into the inside pocket of his cropped jacket, Kujo pulled out a rather beat up pack of cigarettes. Grabbing the lighter from the same pocket, a flare of light erupted in front of his emerald eyes as he lit and inhaled. This guy better have some useful intel, making me walk so far outta the way.
The store he had wanted to stop at this evening was already coming up on the left. It was a twenty-four hour convenient store, so he could always stop on his way back. Tch. She better not nag me about bein’ out late— His mother did tend to worry. Ignoring the thought, Kujo headed north. Up ahead the road bended to the left, which they would walk down straight pretty much until they got there. It wasn’t a convoluted route, but it would take some time. The road they walked on was a major one, leading up towards the highway on one side while leading them out of the more residential area they were in on the other side. The buildings that surrounded them were small and huddled together, the occasional shop or bar sign still glowing in the evening. In the distance, they could make out the larger skyscrapers of the city, cracking the night sky as their small red lights that lined their edges blinked to warn off oncoming planes.
Looking up towards the night sky, he took another drag of his cigarette. Figures. I can never catch a break.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 11, 2019 14:42:44 GMT -5
Jack listened to Kujo's remarks, only smiling uneasily seeing how annoyed he was. At the mention of "walking", Jack just whistled away. In the end, there was quite the distance between the area M'Lyn was most likely in, and their current location. But that never stopped him from getting the job done.
"Who says we need to walk?" he asked, sheepishly, "...Heh... Watch this."
Jack turned to see the car he'd used to intercept one of the Tireblades before, and, with the help of his com, analyzed it to see if there was anything he had to fix. Luckily, the car seemed to be in perfect shape. Tapping away in his keyboard, Jack unlocked the car, and started the engine with a few simple commands. He sat down in the driver's seat, while nudging Kujo to join the co-pilot.
"No machine's able to escape my hacking. Period" Jack said pridefully, "Jump in. You'll just show me the quickest path, yeah?" "Do you need me to save there cords?" Alice asked through his com. "Oh, yeah... I need to send the car back, right?" "It would avoid unnecessary trouble, y'know."
Jack chuckled, and waited for Kujo to drop by. Not only was he looking forward for his help, but he also wanted to know more about his little partner. He smirked, confident.
"Code Blue, Alice" he muttered. "Understood."
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 12, 2019 10:07:14 GMT -5
”Who says we need to walk?” Jack’s voice was followed the sound of a roaring engine, causing Kujo to halt in his steps as he turned to look over his shoulder. It seemed that working for a sub-intel unit had some perks—as Jack seemed to have some pretty hi-tech toys. Lifting an eyebrow a bit as he continued to smoke his cigarette, Kujo couldn’t help but reveal the faintest smirk. ”Jump in. You’ll just show me the quickest path, yeah?” As Jack brought the car over towards Kujo, opening the passenger seat for him to get in, the large man flicked the cigarette butt onto the curb before ducking down into the open seat. Due to his height, he had to slouch a bit in the car, but it was something he was used to at this point in his life. ”Well, this’ll certainly make it easier.” Kujo’s tone had no annoyance in it now, but subtle respect.
He seems reliable, at least… Though still wary, the San Fransokyo local was beginning to warm up to Jack. Pointing down the long stretch of road ahead, illuminated by tall streetlights and distant buildings, Kujo pointed past many of the residential apartments clumped together. ”Head straight down this road and turn onto that ramp on the right.” The Highway would allow them to cut across the city in no time at all. When one had a car in San Fransokyo, traveling became extraordinarily easy because of the Highway. Reaching down to the front of his seat, Kujo managed to put the seat back a bit, allowing him to lean back and relax as he rested his hands behind his head.
”Once we’re on the Highway, it’s a straight shot.”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 12, 2019 14:21:39 GMT -5
Jack grinned with glee. Now he had impressed Kujo, huh? Although that small pride of his was still there, hearing someone respecting such atributes fired his ego a bit further, but it wasn't like him to get caught over it whatsoever. Chuckling a bit and listening to Kujo's guidance, Jack went full throttle, but surprisingly, smoothly as well. The streets being empty as they were, there was no real need to slow down. Not that Jack would've done that, anyways.
"Roger, cap'n" he said with a smirk, "Ramp, huh... Alice?" he asked, while looking straight into view. "Hmm... Oh! S-Sorry!" "Sheesh, I need my Nav 24/7, sis!"
Jack laughed, as Alice fumbled in embarrassement. However, they weren't checking on each other for guidance, since that was Kujo's job. Alice had a more... Intricate job to do at that point in time.
Jack turned right as soon as he noticed the ramp, to then go full speed through the Highway. M'Lyn couldn't wait, and so their job -the less time they spent losing to go look for each other, the better it was for the Brigade. With one hand in the wheel, Jack lowered the window to rest his other arm on half-outside, not looking any other way but forward.
"This might be sudden 'n' all, but I'm sorta curious for your partner back then" Jack mentioned calmly, trying not to freak him out, "Never seen somethin' like that, and from where I'm from, that ain't common. Pretty sure it ain't common here, either... I might be wrong, though" he finished with a shrug.
A bit of silence, the only sound heard being the passing echo of streetlights like normal. No other noises aside their own breathing, until Jack decided to resume with his little chat.
"I ain't lookin' for intel from you, if that's your suspicion" he explained, "And even if I was, I ain't the type to use it selfishly. Then again... You could've probably guessed that based on my offer, right? You're a smart kid, I don't doubt that." "...Jack, what are you doing?" Alice asked through his com, "Didn't you say Code Blue?" "I'm just askin' because I wanna know ya better, is all. And, bein' honest, who's to say there's just you like that? I'm damn sure that posibilities are endless for ya. Searchin' hard enough can get you the answers you want, eventually. So... Yeah. You can choose to answer..." Jack looked his way with a somewhat uneasy smile, "Or just tell me to shut the f*&$ up. I won't push ya."
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 13, 2019 1:09:27 GMT -5
Relaxing in the comfortable seat of the car, Kujo’s emerald eyes glanced out the window at the passing lights. While the two made their way up the ramp, the large man took in the scene from the window at the city emerging into view. Tall skyscraper silhouettes broke the dim glow of the night horizon, small red lights blinking along their edges to signal flying planes that roared every now and then in the sky. Smaller buildings shrouded the lower half of the horizon, blending with the dark roads stretching over and into the city. Above were the large shark-like turbines floating in the sky, tethered by thin steel wire that stretched from the taller buildings.
To think—such pests would come to my city. For a moment, anger caused Kujo to clench his jaw. These ‘Heartless’ beings would pay the price for darkening his mother’s home and respite. ”This might be sudden ’n’ all, but I’m sorta curious about your partner back then.” Jack’s voice brought Kujo from his thoughts. They had already risen from the ramp and made their way onto the Highway. How long had he been distracted? That wasn’t like him. As Jack asked his questions and attempted to clear suspicions around himself, Kujo’s eyes stayed on the window, his expression just as stone as ever.
”I’m just askin’ because I wanna know ya better, is all.” This ‘Jack’ fellow had a very blunt and honest way of speaking. Even if it was at times a little too nice for Kujo’s liking, there was something about upfront and honest people he always respected. ”So…Yeah. You can choose to answer…or just tell me to shut the f*&$ up. I won’t push ya.” At the last comment, a faint chuckle escaped Kujo as he suddenly blinked in surprise. It had been a while since he had laughed. Jack…huh? His eyes shifted from the window to the driver, a small smirk still lingering on his face.
”My ‘partner’, as you put it, is my ‘Akogare’.” He realized the name alone would mean nothing without the explanation, but he liked giving the defining word first. ”We’re one and the same. Two sides of the same coin.” It was a simple but efficient enough explanation, in his opinion. ”But yeah, you’re right—it isn’t common.” For a moment, his eyes fell back to the city scene. ”I’ve never met anyone with this kind of power…though it hasn’t been too long since I’ve had it.” It had been nearly two full years now, since his Akogare’s first appearance. It had taken most of that time for him to even come to terms with it, understand it and learn how to fight with it.
”Oh—after this bend, hang left.” Kujo raised a finger, pointing in the direction he meant. Since the Highway bent around the taller cities, it was harder to see the ramp coming up ahead. Luckily, he had the road memorized by now. ”There will be a ramp afterwards going down. That’ll bring us to where the ‘Big Chef’ is.”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 13, 2019 8:40:46 GMT -5
Jack listened calmly, still driving fast and smooth. "Akogare" was... quite the word, although Jack himself couldn't make head or tails of the meaning behind it. Hearing Kujo admit that it wasn't common, and that he'd yet to meet anyone else with the same power made Jack wonder a bit. Maybe in that world, there was no one who could aid him understand. But what if outside San Fransokyo, there were? Plenty of worlds in space, just as many fish in the sea. Although proposing such a feat would go against rules and World Order, Jack kept it in mind for later.
Kujo's guidance snapped his thought for a while, as Jack obeyed suit, staying by the left side of the road and then going down the ramp, soon seeing the giant statue called "Big Chef". Jack parked near the statue, waited for Kujo to get out, and then began to command the car to move on its own back to where they'd found it.
"Well, then... Let's focus on finding this damn Miqo'te..." Jack mumbled with amusement, and then looked at Kujo, "This is the place, ain't it? I doubt any other statue can be called 'Big Chef', with this one having a freaking chef hat for its head" he joked about a bit, before bringing up his screen to scan the area.
He began to walk about, looking mostly up. If he knew M'Lyn well enough, she preffered to be out of view whenever she was on her own, to avoid trouble. Being a Miqo'te brought its pros, sure, but also its cons -and the biggest of them all was that she was very easy to gather attention, mostly unwanted.
"Hey, M'Lyn! Where are you~?!" Jack yelled, knowing his partner could hear him, "Come out already and let's bail! We got what we came here for already!" "Jack?!"
A female voice forced Jack to look up. He could barely see it, but there it was -M'Lyn, with a spear in hand, fending off a large group of Heartless. She was, however, very high up, making a catch-up really difficult.
"Shit... That ain't good..." Jack groaned, and then looked at Kujo, with an idea in mind, "Hey, ya think your partner could catch her if she dropped down?! We ain't gonna get there in time, so she's gotta come to us, instead."
"M'LYN, JUMP!" "ARE YOU INSANE?!" "TRUST ME!"
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 13, 2019 9:49:54 GMT -5
Pulling up to the large chef statue, Kujo’s eyes scanned the area with a calm perception. Night time was when these ‘Heartless’ creatures came out in roves. Getting out of the car seat, thankful to stretch back out to his full height, Kujo’s eyebrow raised once more as the car returned on its own to its previous destination, driving away without a pilot. His glanced over at Jack from the corner of his eyes. This guy…has really useful tricks. Not only had they scored a free ride, but it looks like they wouldn’t end up in any sort of trouble due to the missing car. Secretly, Kujo had planned on driving the car back himself after all of these escapades ended, as he couldn’t have in good conscience stolen one from a normal hard working civilian.
”This is the place, ain’t it?” As Jack quipped, scanning the area, Kujo glanced around as well. Near the large statue was a tall archway, illuminated with many bright red lanterns. The buildings surrounding them were tall, only certain windows shining with activity at this late hour. ”Hey, M’Lyn! Where are you?!” Jacks shouting caught Kujo by surprise, though he didn’t visibly show it. Looking over at Jack with a temperate glare, the man’s jaw clenched. Tch! He’s just gonna shout for her?! Was all of that fancy gadgetry just for show? ”C’mon—I can never catch a break.” Kujo mumbled to himself, shoving his hands back into his pockets with a slightly soured look.
It was then that Jack found his partner, causing Kujo’s head to reel upwards. It seemed she was fending off a group of Heartless single handedly on the top of a roof. ”Hey, ya think your partner could catch her if she dropped down?!” Before Jack’s second question had finished, Kujo had already nodded, stepping forward as he made his way to the edge of the sidewalk. He had already had a similar idea. After making sure she was safe, Kujo could move in and murder the bastards who were tainting his city. Akogare appeared in a brilliant burst of light, hovering above the ground with its translucent pixie wings. The tall muscular form stood at the ready, its mystical eyes gazing up towards the roof, its mind synched with Kujo’s to know exactly what to do and what was going on. Kujo waited for the woman to jump, annoyed at her hesitance.
”Tch—some people just suck at getting saved.”
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