[Sol]

What's a competition without its spectators eh?

Housed in a secret location within Tokyo was the showcase for the tech involved in the brand new competition everyone knew and loved. No price was too high to pay, highlighted with the generous stock of food and drinks at the bar that patrons could visit before moving to the main area.

Several tables were set up to hold all the stolen liberated gear, free to pick up and test at everyone's leisure in ramshackle cages also erected in the space. A brawl already started before the group even made it to said cage, with at least three people fighting over a watch that supposedly did more than tell the time. They were promptly removed from the premises for not following the rules, minimal as they were.

The far wall was dominated by a screen, showing the familiar white snow of static. A burly man would move to kick its side. Then the screen was fixed, displaying the arena and its unlucky souls for all within the room to see. A teller nearby was already collecting bets not on who would win, but on who would live and who would die.

It's a simple gathering all around. Cheer on the competitors, test and barter on gear, and most of all: have a great time!

As for the list of gear...

SPOILER: Click to show

Gear: Jeanne’s Arch
Rank: S
Description: An ornately decorated stone arch. Walking through it grants you a portable cannon with a single cannonball in it and changes your clothing to a medieval equivalent. The arch can only be used once per round.
Drawback: The clothing manifested by the arch may be positively silly. Additionally there is a chance the cannon does not contain a cannonball meaning you’re just lugging around a heavy piece of iron.
Created by: Jinx

Gear: ShockStick v1
Rank: A
Description: An unremarkable jet black metal rod, roughly the size and shape of an EpiPen. When engaged by pressing a button, it can be jabbed into someone to deliver an electric shock. It has 3 settings, labelled ‘Deter’, ‘Stun’, and ‘Disable’.
Drawbacks: Due to an error with the voltage-gating, the settings may not be descriptive of their actual function. When the drawback is triggered ‘Deter’ delivers a shock strong enough to knock someone out, ‘Stun’ is about as effective as a joy buzzer and ‘Disable’ short-circuits the device for one round. Additionally, the metal casing is not insulated properly so the device will shock the user as well.
Created by: Aiden/Facade (Bluejay)

Gear: Knuckle Duster BUSTAH
Rank: A
Description: A pair of thick, brass knuckles that cover the top of the hand to guard it. These bad boiz have been modified to provide an option of 50\50 chance of either launching a firework explosion upon impact, or bursting out gunpowder! A gust of wind NORMALLY pushes the fireworks & gunpowder towards the opponent. Nothin' beats the element of surprise, suckaaaaas!
Drawback: They may heat up warmer than a toasted marshmallow. The fireworks will spark towards the user, gunpowder is pretty darn flammable and may dust back on the user when this option is activated with the gust mechanism failing.
Created by: Gadget (Memes)

Gear: Mirror Brigade
Rank: A
Description: A mirror shield that can absorb and reflect projectiles by temporarily storing them in a pocket dimension and then firing them back out.
Drawback: Sometimes the shield straight up won't work or it will fire what it has stored randomly
Created by: Matsu

Gear: POW! BONK! WHAM!
Rank: A
Description: A comically large triple barreled, spring loaded cannon that can be wielded with one hand! So cool! When the trigger is pulled there's a mallet, punching glove and lovingly prepared Pain Pie™ to fire at your enemies and frenemies!
Drawback: The spring is janky as hell, there's a 50% chance it's gonna whip and nay into the user's face.
Created by: Memes

Gear: Brick-a-break
Rank: B
Description: A weathered looking brick of little value. Should the user shout the name of an object (pillow, suitcase, rope ladder, net) while throwing it the brick transforms into said object.
Drawback: There is a chance it will not transform, completely ruining your plan.
Created by: Jinx

Gear: Pearade
Rank: B
Description: A pear that when thrown duplicates several times, each copy being duplicated right behind the last and maintaining the previous one’s momentum, resulting in an entire parade of pears hitting the target!
Drawback: The first duplicated pear might instead have its momentum reversed. Good luck weathering that barrage!
Created by: Jinx

Gear: Crickets
Rank: C
Description: Palm-sized plastic cricket. When activated it blocks out all sound within a three meter radius of the cricket.
Drawback: There is a chance it may make actual cricket noises instead across a three meter radius.
Created by: Jinx

Gear: To throw shade
Rank: C
Description: a pair of shades which gives you audio feedback about the physical characteristics of the people around you. Their height, weight, heart rate, etc.
Drawback: it will occasionally only give you those in a language you don't understand

Gear: C-4
Rank: C
Description: For where you see one man, I C-4! Allows the user to create three illusory replicas indistinguishable from themselves. Usage requires describing four sets of actions. Upon the start of your next post you then state which of the four is truly your character.
Drawback: Should the drawback be triggered the thread organizer decides which of the four is your character
Created by: Jinx

Gear: Go-go Yo-yo!
Rank: D
Description: A pair of thick yo-yos that can have rounded, saw-like panels emerge from its side! These are triggered by a sleeper throw, or traditional rapid throws, but doing rock the cradle will trigger another mechanism to cause a plume of dust to obstruct vision! This tracks with other tricks, too! GO GO GADGET YO-YO!
Drawback: Sometimes the mechanisms get jammed, click click nuffin!
Created by: Gadget (Memes)

---

Welcome to the Underground Exhibit! As a more lax thread, there will be little if any mod intervention, and it'll instead be led by the participants who opted in! All you need to know is that this thread will close on 29/02/2024, and you're free to ask about any of the gear featured! Have fun!

Ghouligan | facade | Bakiri Retsu | Rui Matsui | Elias

[Ghouligan]

Antoine didn’t want to mingle with Japan’s underbelly. One of the downsides of being Bernie’s security guard meant being his errand boy. And whenever he finished his evening meetings, there was always work to be done. Tonight, he’d be venturing into an underground arena where people’s lives were pitted against each other.

“And the list?” Antoine stuck his hand out.

“List? Oh, right!” Bernie grabbed a crumpled paper from his pocket and handed it over. “It should have everything you need.”

“Mirror Brigade? Sticky hand?”

“Yep, those are the big two! It’s why they’re at the top.”

“I mean the list of your moles or informants or whatever.”

“Oh, you’re not killing tonight.”

“Then why am I going?”

“To bring me back the Mirror Brigade, Sticky Hand, and everything else on that list. Or to at least get some photos and find out who took them. We can bid for them later.”

“I’m shopping?”

“Window shopping. Isn’t that exciting?!”

Needless to say, it wasn’t exciting. Antoine found himself amid an exhibit not as Ghouligan, an umbral husk of force hidden underneath a demon mask, but as Antoine, the security guard. If he were lucky, he’d be able to get in and out as quickly as possible.

“Great.” He sighed. “Just in time.”

As he entered, the competition was starting. And some deranged man in a bird mask was using some adhesive appendage to try and greet people before they came to blows.

There’s the sticky hand. He crosses that off the list. Let’s see what else is around here.

---

Ghouligan

[Rui Matsui]

''Bestie! Bestie you gotta see this!'' Rui rushed up to the man who she had never seen before and tried to tug on his sleeve as she pointed to the nearby bar. She was already a little tipsy, enjoying the atmosphere of the exhibit to the fullest, mainly by ignoring the actual tech and just coming for the food, drinks and fights. See, she always liked watching people fight, but lately she was training to become stronger too, meaning now she could watch others for inspiration and who knew, if someone she liked got maimed she could always bring them back and make another bestie!

Whether Antoine resisted or not she would insist, pointing towards the bar. ''There's food! There's drinks! Isn't that amazing? You should try some, try some!'' She took a long sip from the bottle she held in her other hand. ''It's to die for, but you probably don't wanna die. Not unless you're writing your last will there!'' She laughed to herself, ''who wants to die anyway?!'' She raised the bottle up high, before looking back at Antoine with a confident smirk. ''If you stick with me you won't die, bestie I'll make sure of it. I'll keep you safe. There's lotsa tough people around here so you have to be super careful!''

Ghouligan
Elias
Bakiri Retsu
facade

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Ghouligan Rui Matsui Bakiri Retsu facade

Even the dulled, dying lights of an old television screen couldn’t dim the scintillating lights that danced between combatants and their experiments gear. Elias was framed in indifference only further punctuated by an ice cold stare. He was here out of obligation, not choice. Still, there was a drink swishing in his hand, and for once it wasn’t on Club Nirvana’s dime. That counted for something.

His benefactors demanded his presence, to appraise the gear on display. The other attendants too. You never knew who might have to work with, or exploit, tomorrow. Either way, the serpent would have its piece. 

Elias thumbed through his phone. The device was secure, and now listed the gear up for grabs. His icy blue pearls scanned the screen. An odd assortment, but each piece had its uses. 

A cocktail waitress strode by collecting the now empty drink Elias held. "Thank you kindly," he offered with a nod. He would need one of his men to make a wish later so none present would remember his face exactly. It wasn't a foolproof tactic, but proven. Most time, when he operated as Djinn, a wish would see any witnesses remember little more than a blur. Safety enough for now. 

Maybe it was time to grab something to eat. If the organizer's were offering, it would be rude to decline. 

OWL

[Bakiri Retsu]

With a glass of overpriced whiskey in hand Retsu leafed through a pamphlet she'd gotten from one of the bookies. A rarity in this day and age where everyone seemed to be obsessed with having their text on a lit-up screen. The fact that the bookie was very much not one of the official tellers might have something to do with it but Retsu wasn't one to mind the details when they were in her favor. Skimming the list she muttered to herself while she decided what to fill in. Sure, she was mainly here to check out all the fancy tech but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun along the way.

"Percentage of surviving competitors... Let's say forty. Amount of equipment malfunctions? How fa fook am ah supposed ta know?" She continued muttering while she scribbled down 'seventy three'. "Total lost limbs..."

Retsu paused for a second. She'd lost her right arm twice so far but had the distinct feeling that wasn't exactly the norm, especially amongst those that walked away from a fight alive. With money being involved Retsu figured, in an incredibly rare moment of introspection, that she might as well get a different perspective on this.

"Oy, Ruister! How many limbs 'ave ya lost so far?"

Seeing her already talking to someone Retsu couldn't help but wonder just who she'd roped into a conversation. She snorted. Who knows, maybe it's the owner of the place? The last time something like this happened the little devil had somehow sniffed out the person in charge of the entire club they were in. And speak of the devil, Retsu thought as her gaze was briefly drawn to the man in question. It sure seemed like this was going to be a far more interesting day than she'd imagined.

Whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.

------

Tags: Elias  Rui Matsui  Ghouligan  facade Sol

[Ghouligan]

And, of course, someone went straight for him. A childlike figure with large protruding horns endearingly referred to him as ‘bestie’ despite having never met. With how familiar he was with the criminal underworld, he knew better than to trust their appearance — underneath the innocent facade lay a malevolence befitting the devil himself. Sun Tzu once said, ‘Keep your friends close; enemies closer.’ With those words digging into his psyche, Antoine decided to take her advice. If this were the most dangerous person here, he’d have to keep an eye on them.

“What do you recommend?” A few words out of his mouth, an another woman joins them. Apparently, they know each other. He returns his gaze to Rui and notices none of her limbs are missing. It’s either an inside joke or a crucial insight into her quirk. Trying to remain undercover, he kept it casual.

“A friend, yeah?” He asked. Just because he didn’t want to mingle didn’t mean he was incapable. Despite his outward appearance, he sometimes couldn’t stop himself from talking. His approach was mild, but he wasn’t as much a loner as one might think. “I’m Antoine. How does whole thing... work?”

---

Bakiri Retsu Elias Rui Matsui

[Rui Matsui]

She stopped momentarily, looking in Retsu's direction as she called out to her. How many limbs had she lost? ''I don't know, thirty-one? Who's counting?'' She definitely wasn't. ''Oh her? That's just my bomb bestie, don't worry about her! I recommend...'' She paused for dramatic effect until they were a little closer to the bar. ''Whatever the most expensive drink is! That or juice, one of my besties told me if you drink juice you become really tough!'' She smiled up at Antoine confidently, imparting her wisdom free of charge because she was feeling generous today.

''You should also try their yakitori chicken skewers! It goes really well with alcohol.'' She nodded insistently. ''Oh! I'm Rui! Nice to meet you Anton Bestie, I'll show you how it works!'' Assuming he was like Lylyana and had just come out of a life of living as a hermit in the forest, she immediately proceeded to place an order for him. ''You're hungry right?'' She turned to look back at him, eyeing him up and down to confirm. ''You look hungry. Hey- are you one of those tech nerds who wants to get their hands on the gear here? I hear there's some really fancy stuff, you can even test it before you buy it!'' She motioned for him to lean in close so she could whisper. ''If you ask me, those yo-yos look like the most valuable piece of gear, you should go for those!''

Ghouligan
Bakiri Retsu
facade
Elias

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Ghouligan  Rui Matsui  Bakiri Retsu  facade

It was the oddest blend of grunge meets gothic chic. Some ends of the underground establishment might even live up to Nirvana standards. Sleek, dark surfaces, polished to the glean. At other ends though, there were flickering lights, torn and rickety furnishing, and the putrid mix of blood and vomit wafting about. Abysmal. 

With the profound lack of nearby floor staff, Elias rose from his table and moseyed on over to the bar, adjacent to the showcased pieces of gear. His eyes flicked between his phone and the path ahead. 

Shock stick, knuckle dusters, a mirror shield of some sort. Each piece up for grabs could prove useful, but the fact that each overtuned tool might backfire on the user was a dealbreaker. To Elias, at least. Still, the catalogue was snapped and in the serpent's eyes now. They would decide how to move forward. 

Elias leaned into the bar front and gave the bartender a casual three fingered wave with his gloved hand. Now, he hadn't been listening to the conversation taking place just a few feet behind him, but he couldn't help but overhear it in part. He hadn't even realized who was speaking when he turned to a few familiar faces and spoke up. 

"That would be one of the Karuizawa whiskies, angel," he answered in regard to the most expensive drink. It was a point in the establishment's favor. They had quite the menu.   

OWL

[Ghouligan]

“Thirty-one limbs?” Antoine looked a Rui and sure as hell didn’t see any injuries on her. His mind went back to the yacht where he killed a flesh-morphing criminal. They also resembled an Oni — more so than this little girl here. “Rui, can you grow extra body parts?”

As to the rest of the offers… it’s not that Antoine didn’t drink, it’s that he didn’t trust his inebriated self in the heart of the underworld. If he were to lose his inhibitions, he might try to take out everyone here. A futile effort when sober, but he was egotistical enough that he thought it possible.

“I’m good on the whiskey, but thanks.” At a glance, this seems like Bernie’s kind of client. It’s not a surprise that this kind of sort would be here. “I’m on the job. Can’t drink.”

Another lie.

“But I could eat,” Antoine had to concede some ground, even if it meant being poisoned. He turns to Elias, using him as reference. If they ate together, then it was less likely he’d be poisoned. “What about you? You hungry?”

“Rui, you don’t mind company, right?” As long as he’s inclusive, he might be able to get out of this place in one piece. “You should try out the Yo-Yo’s though. Sounds like you like them, yeah?”

---

Rui Matsui Elias

[Bakiri Retsu]

"Thirty-one?" Retsu muttered to herself. That probably checked out. She doubted any one person other than Rui could possibly lose that many but there were a lot of competitors down there. Scribbling down 'thirty one' on the list she handed it -and several high-denomination bills- over to the bookie before walking over to Rui and her friends. Her face scrunched when she took a glance at the screen on her way there and recognized one of the competitors.

"Ah hope he fookin' dies."

Reaching the rest of the group she takes a seat as well, listening to their conversation for a moment before chiming in. 

"Ah'll take one," Retsu shrugged. Elias's recommendations had never failed her before. "Yo, bleach head, fancy meeting you here. Gathering intel?"

It was weird to think only a few months at best had passed since they had last met. So much had changed since then. She can't believe she almost tried to stab him back then or even thought to come back and blow up his club. A smile played on her lips when she thought back to her own foolishness. That was the kind of thing you outsourced to some poor mooks, not did yourself. 

"Yah, go try some stuff out Ruister." 

The main reason Retsu was here was to inspect the equipment made by other craftsmen after all and what better tester was there than one that was one that could test even lethal weaponry multiple times. 

------

Tags: Rui Matsui Elias facade Ghouligan

[Rui Matsui]

Her eyes lit up when she saw Elias. ''You're here too, bestie! Are you looking for gear or just getting drunk?'' Was the alcohol here better than the stuff they served at Club Nirvana? She couldn't tell, but she certainly preferred the vibes of the club over this place. ''Yeah something like that.'' She replied confidently looking up at Antoine with her hands on her hips. ''Grow extra limbs? Nah bestie, I'll show you what I can do!'' She grinned eagerly. In any other situation she would have offered to stab him, or simply just try and go for it so she could heal him, but since there was an area for testing out gear, why not kill two birds with one stone?

''Not at all bestie! The more the merrier.'' With both Antoine and Retsu's encouragement it was hard to resist testing the yo-yo gear. ''Sure! But normally I prefer stabbing or shooting!'' Wandering over to the cage she pointed at the next person who was fixing to go in to test some brass knuckles. ''Big guy! You and me!'' He laughed her off, but didn't turn down her challenge. He didn't know who he was dealing with yet.

''So how do they work?'' She muttered to herself, shaking the yo-yos in her hands. Her opponent wasted no time, throwing a jab right into her face that activated a firework explosion, engulfing the small villain in the spectacle before she even had a chance to test the yo-yos out.

Or so it seemed.

When the smoke settled Rui's body laid in the cage limp, charred and unmoving. Then as if her quirk had its own will, all the burns and broken bones she had sustained magically disappeared and she stood up once more. ''Did you see bestie? Did you see?!'' She beamed, turning towards Antoine with excitement like a child looking for validation from their parents. Then she ate another punch and was consumed by another small explosion.

Ghouligan
Elias
Bakiri Retsu
facade
Sol

[Elias]

The Bird of Hermes is    my name                       Eat  My   WINGS   TO   KEEP   ME   TAME Ghouligan  Bakiri Retsu  Rui Matsui  facade

Elias ordered his drink, a Karuizawa as he suggested, 1970 vintage. Then he turned back to the gathering. "I haven't the faintest clue what you're talking about, dear," he offered Bakiri with a smirk. "I'm just here for the entertainment."

And yet the Wish-Maker hadn't offered the ongoing match even a passing glance. Bloodsport was all well and good on occasion, but Elias had a more... sophisticated palate. Or so he liked to think. 

"That said, I am famished. I do believe I'll take you up on that," he said, turning to Antoine. "To whom do I owe the pleasure of this meal?" He asked Antoine, offering his hand for a shake. He would have been familiar with the Ghouligan, or at least the rattlings on some dark beast, but he knew nothing of the man standing before him. And that was odd for one attending such an event. 

Elias couldn't help but trail Rui to her cage match. She, on the other hand, he was familiar with. He knew her for the Mummy she was, though he hadn't yet seen her use her quirk on herself. She sure could take a beating, but, "uh, should someone perhaps step in and help her?" She could, of course, continue to heal through the damage and perhaps win by attrition, but the battering hardly seemed pleasant.  

OWL

[Ghouligan]

“Who do you want dead?” Antoine asks before Rui does… Rui things.

“Jesus Christ.” People might have thought him surprised by the brutality, but he was upset with the fact a quirk like hers existed. And if she could heal others, then he needed to learn to what extent. Was there a time limit? Or was all of his work in this godforsaken country for naught? “That is… something.”

Antoine tried his best to save face. Fortunately, it slipped his mind people would see him as a normal person freaking out about his exposure to this quirk for the first time.

“I definitely saw and that’s super cool!” Now to confirm a suspicion. “A shame you can’t use it on others though. Think of all the fun you could have.”

“Name’s Antoine.” Antoine shakes Elias’ hand in the middle of the conversation, quickly shifting gears. “I’m here representing Bernie.” That sounded fancier than anticipated. “I’m a security guard turned delivery boy, I guess.”

Attention back to Rui. He catches the man’s arm, specifically avoiding contact with his hand, and prevents him from combusting the girl again. Even if she can heal, even if she deserves this, even if he wants to see the limits of her quirk, he has to keep up appearances.

“Stop hitting her. We’re gonna eat.” He lets go, assuming they’ll listen. Planting the seed, he says. “Kinda wanna look at the mirror after we get back.”

---

Rui Matsui Bakiri Retsu Elias

[Bakiri Retsu]

"Nah, she's fine." Retsu responded to Elias just as Rui was blasted into charcoal once more. Idly she wondered just what it would take to actually put the horned devil down. Not that she intended to do so of course but it never hurt to have a back-up plan. Grenades? Nah, they'd ruled that one out a while ago. Ah well, worries for later. Looking Antoine up and down she snorted at his mirror comment.

"Ah wouldna recommend that, bud. But hey, you do you." 

Checking out some of the nearby gear she started with the one she cared least about and picked up the brick. Giving the description a quick look she tossed it up and down while making her way over to the cage as well.

"Looking's nice and all but ya might as well try it while y'r here, nah?" Retsu added with a shrug, still throwing the brick up and down in her hand. Looking at the other two in turn she addressed them as well. "Ruister, ya figured out that yoyo yet? Elias, did'ya wanna try anything?"

The fact that she was still messing with the brick during her questions had no implications at all, if anyone asked. Offhandedly she wondered whether Facade was around somewhere too. This whole shebang seemed like his kinda thing but whether he came in person or not she couldn't say. For all she knew every other person here was hired by him to gather intel. Her eye briefly flicked to Rui again. Retsu herself wasn't contacted for it after all. 

------

Tags: Rui Matsui Ghouligan Elias facade

[Rui Matsui]

''Who says I can't use it on others?'' She tilted her head with confusion written all over her face before pointing at Retsu. ''How many hands you think she's lost?'' Gripping the bars of the cage with her hands she grinned directly at Antoine. ''If you let me kill you right now I could bring you back.'' She shrugged casually before turning back to try the yo-yos on this no name she was fighting. ''Think about it!'' She finally managed to activate the yo-yos to very little fanfare, but she herself was very impressed, despite the fact that the panels barely hurt her opponent.

Just as she was expecting to get hit with another jab, Antoine came to the rescue. He didn't really need to, but since she had gotten to test her gear she had already had her fun. Besides, she didn't want to miss out on the impromptu dinner either. In one final act of disrespect she flipped off the guy that had been punching her. ''Get good loser! Maybe one day you'll be able to kill someone.'' Tossing the Yo-yos back with the other gear she looked up at Antoine. ''Why? There's nothing on your face. You can also use your phone's camera as a mirror.'' She was always willing to share her wisdom.

Then she looked at Retsu, shrugging as she climbed into her seat. ''They didn't seem like anything special, but I liked the way they fly out and come back.'' She took another sip from her drink. ''I still prefer stabbing or shooting. They should have put a laser knife of display, or a gun that shoots blenders.'' When was the food going to arrive?

Bakiri Retsu
Elias
Ghouligan
facade