You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 20, 2024 23:27:47 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 20, 2024 23:27:47 GMT
 I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
And so the bizarre two person faux-funeral march proceeded up the hill until they arrived in front of a monument that towered even over Kioko’s lofty stature. It was one of many and if Zipper had been paying more attention to their surroundings rather than her crush, she might have noticed that each one bore the surname of Kushiki. The entire hill had been claimed by their lineage and legacy. Suki, Kioko’s mother, had the largest by far. It was a testament to the impact she had on the world as not only the former CEO of Sovereign Technologies, but as one of Japan’s most beloved Heroes during her time as a Pro.
The closest marker bore the name of Kushiki Kenta. Kioko wholly ignored it in favor of the next closest. Kushiki Shunsuke. The eldest of her mother’s brothers, and one who passed even before Suki due to an illness. Or so they said. Kioko had her suspicions now, but they weren’t confirmed as of yet.
She set the box on her uncle’s tombstone and began to unpack it as Zipper had her moment with Kioko’s mother. It took every drop of Kioko’s willpower to not snort at the absurd comment. She needed no one to take care of her, much less a stranger who was at the mercy of their hormones.
Two separate flower vases filled with white chrysanthemums and lilies were pulled from the container. One larger than the other. Kioko set the smaller at the base of Shunsuke’s memorial, then turned her attention back to her mother’s in time to see Zipper giving her a thumbs up. If her eyes could have narrowed beyond their serpentine slits, they would have. Especially when she looked past Zipper and saw a flower arrangement already there. Large and ostentatious. Clearly her other uncle’s handiwork and to be expected since there had been a public remembrance for Suki earlier in the day.
Kioko audibly hissed, her forked tongue snaking out past dark painted lips in irritation. She stalked past Zipper, picked up the offensive display, and hurled it off the hill with every bit of force that she could muster. After she confirmed the sound of it crashing at the base, Kioko turned back to retrieve her flowers and placed them on her mother’s grave.
“Alright. There’s some cleaning stuff in the box. Your penance is cleaning up the site,” Kioko started before briefly pausing. “I suppose I should know the name of someone performing such an act in honor of my mother. Introduce yourself then get to work.” Granted, there was hardly that much work to be done. All of the monuments were well maintained and Suki’s in particular had already been cleaned in advance of the public gathering that morning. Still, it was the act that counted on a day such as this—even if Kioko was making someone else do it.
Notes & Tags: Zipper
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 19, 2024 17:27:41 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 19, 2024 17:27:41 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Ma’am.
Kioko very nearly snorted in spite of the serious nature of the situation. It was often harder to precisely pinpoint age with more obvious mutations, but Kioko highly doubted she was much older than the person that came to her aid. The awkwardness of the phrase not suited for just any teen to spout off complete with a prepared alias combined with a lack of hesitation in playing Hero hinted at the other snake’s current status and reason for being in Tokyo—home to the prestigious UAU. Kioko almost snorted a second time. It would be just her luck to be saved by an obnoxious Hero student instead of a random good Samaritan or passing Vigilante. One with more courage than intelligence too it seemed.
Equilibrium returned to her body and jaw unclenched so that speech could follow. Kioko’s hope for a follow-up hit had turned into capture. It favored her assumption of the girl being a Hero student even if she was technically breaking a rule by intervening. That wasn’t Kioko’s issue as she spoke. Her issue lied in the fact that the girl hadn’t connected the dots of what the man could do and was now making full contact with him.
“Get awa-”
But the warning was too late. Vibrations veiled under an eerie cackle radiated out from his hands and arms. Given that the tail had been used to bind them, there was likely little to be done. If she had no way of negating the situation immediately, she would experience dizziness, nausea, pain, and muscular weakness. Longer contact if she did not find a way to withdraw would result in bone shattering damage, muscular rupture, and possibly worse.
Regardless of what Nāga chose to do, Kioko was busy reacting already. She did not dare close the distance between herself and the entangled pair as the vibrations were spreading throughout the ground around them. At least not with her own body. The conjured serpentine golem was not affected in the same manner, especially not once it rose into the air, its levitation achieved through an increase of mental manipulation. It struck out once again. Faux fangs embedded in an exposed ankle as its body began the process of its own coiled capture to potentially replace Nāga if she managed to retreat.
Notes & Tags: Makitori Hebi | Initial effects of direct contact with vibration would be a 3 letter rank debuff to Strength from the physical effects.
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 19, 2024 15:27:30 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 19, 2024 15:27:30 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“Meliora.”
The moniker was known far and wide across Japan's underground. A black market tech specialist. Given most of the requests she received, arms dealer was nearly as apt a descriptor. Even that name carried enigmatic airs. Meliora worked not just for Villains, but Vigilantes too. Odder still, she had been known to turn down deadlier designs no matter the price tag attached. Outside of that, little was known about her personal doings beyond the gaze of the law. Were Chirp to turn his own eyes upon her misdeeds in the secret way that he could, he’d find her focus singular, targeted solely against those that had wronged her through family, company, and criminal organization. The general populace was safe from one such as she, provided they stayed out of her way. Which fit with the warning previously offered to Chirp.
She rummaged through the offering presented to her. Few pieces were deemed sufficient enough for her purposes. Her eyes flickered between evaluation of parts and pretender, though she knew not that Chirp was the latter. His cheeky attitude and penchant for birds as claimed by mask and alias might not have made her less wary, but they didn’t make her temporarily more amenable for conversation as she worked.
“Worry not, little bird. My prey isn’t avian in nature.”
The snake ventured closer to Kioko as if to confirm an absence of hostility toward Chirp. Though it remained as a barrier between the two if the feeling wasn’t mutual. It also had the honor of passing the box of remaining supplies back over to the man once Kioko was done parsing through it.
“All yours. Test away.”
Her attention did not wander from Chirp this time. Curiosity underlined by competition demanded she witness his creation. So she folded her arms beneath her chest and waited for whatever trial he had planned.
Notes & Tags: CHIRP ♪♪
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 19, 2024 0:59:47 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
With looks like hers, Kioko was hardly a stranger to being the origin of someone’s sexual awakening. Few rivaled the impact her appearance alone had on men, women, and any in between. Not that the siren’s call was intentional—in most cases. Certainly not here to be sure. Perhaps if Zipper’s dark features were traded for golden hair and eyes of a fairer green…
For a moment, it wasn’t Zipper babbling before Kioko, but another. A confession enacted by someone equally awkward. If not more so. That moment had years of shared memories, sneaking glances, and plenty of double entendres on Kioko’s part behind it. Everything that this encountered lacked. Still, it resonated with an ember kept burning in Kioko’s chest. One filled by old dreams and unspoken hope hidden far out of sight and mind. She understood the woes of unrequited feelings all too well these days. Surely she could summon up the empathy to maintain the boundary she had drawn in a more gentle manner. Just for today. She could do that, right?
“It’s almost impressive watching you tumble out of the closet in such a catastrophic manner.”
Apparently she could, in fact, not do that.
“You probably should go. Unfortunately, you decided to run your mouth in front of the wrong person. So now you have to stay and help to make up for this truly disastrous faux pas made at my expense. I'm devastated, you see.”
She didn't look devastated. Her stoic expression remained fully intact. She did look demanding though, especially as Kioko gestured toward the top of the hill, the base of which they currently stood. “Go on. Up there.” She may not have been an heiress any more, but manual labor was still something to which Kioko was unaccustomed. She planned on keeping it that way for as long as possible. Since love-struck fools and horny twenty-somethings were typically easy to bend to her will when she wanted something, it seemed like a good opportunity to outsource the work of cleaning her mother's gravestone.
Notes & Tags: Zipper
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 18, 2024 22:50:59 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 18, 2024 22:50:59 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“Close enough.”
And it was. There was no reason to get into the nitty gritty details. At least not about this particular facet of her history. Michael didn’t need to know that her father wasn’t involved in the family business, just her mother. He didn’t need to know that the parent who still drew breath was a Quirkless police officer that her grandparents never thought to be good enough to be brought into their family in the first place. He also didn’t need to know that he had turned into a violent drunk when her mother died. Nor did he need to know about the incident where he broke Kioko’s jaw before he was tossed off estate premises that led to him now living in a slum somewhere. Of the things that had transpired over the last few years, those somehow counted among the less egregious. Still, there was a little nuance that needed to be clarified to set the scene for the story.
“Sovereign Technologies has grown into an international mega-corporation since the advent of meta abilities. As such, it has many satellite locations across the world. These usually have specific areas of focus. The company highlights Hero support gear since that field is in the midst of an economic boom, but it has a hand in nearly every technological development category from common household goods to cutting edge medical equipment.”
A decidedly monotone cadence had ushered out her descriptions thus far began to crack toward the end even though she had yet to scratch the surface of the situation. It was almost as if her voice was so disused in regards to the current topic that it was rusty and every word highlighted the obvious neglect. Handling emotions had never been her forte. Repression was more her style.
She shifted in the booth, as if seeking comfort from a new position. But there wasn’t any reprieve. The only way past the moment now was through. No retreat. So she pushed forward.
“One of these foreign facilities developed a mask to help with sleep apnea. It was tested internally by people within the company from other locations. Including my mother. She died. Along with forty-six other people that participated in the trial due to a malfunction of the prototype. At the time, she was CEO after stepping down from Heroics since my grandfather had retired from the business, as well as the Hero field, and his oldest son, who was supposed to take over initially, died years before from a medical condition. As was common knowledge, I was next in line due to my… intellect, rather than my other uncle who was my mother's youngest brother and my grandparents' youngest child.”
Kioko couldn’t bring herself to say genius when describing the reason she had been heiress to a top position in the tech industry even at such a young age. To boast in the middle of the retelling of her own Shakespearean tragedy seemed garish. The fact was, however, there was no one better suited for leading Sovereign Technologies than she. So why wasn’t she?
The answer and the reason for all of the set up was delayed by their server returning to the table with drinks in hand. She set them down in front of the pair. Kioko reached for her tea and drew it close, letting heat sink into a hand that she had not realized was clenched up until that moment. It matched the tension returning to the rest of her that had restored her rigid posture as she spoke. Once more she sunk into the booth, letting energy leech from her even as she absorbed the warm from her drink.
Notes & Tags: Samaritan
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 18, 2024 19:45:21 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 18, 2024 19:45:21 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Reciprocated banter and boasting were scorned in favor of fluid tandem motion—a hallmark of true professionals. Suigetsu was clearly increasing his offense against her in retaliation for the more frequent raids she had been making on Sovereign hubs. If there had ever been even an ember of hope that he might relent in the pursuit of his niece’s head, it was fully snuffed out in that moment. It mattered not. Kioko had no mercy stored within her for him upon their next meeting either.
Such a meeting would require survival in the present. A feat growing ever more difficult to achieve as the assassins split off in a pincer maneuver meant to trap Kioko in between them. One to the front. One to the left. One to the right. The only clear path that remained was behind.
Kioko was by no means faster than well trained assassins. Her skills had been refined in areas other than athleticism. Granted, it created a weakness she would eventually need to address. At least if she intended to live long enough to achieve her goals. Given that she could not simply grow strong in the heat of the moment as she wasn’t the protagonist of some silly shounen anime, Kioko had to continue relying more on brains over brawn. Mind over matter—and the matter in question was mercury.
Serpent surged forward on thought alone. Its hoard of collected tech was abandoned in favor of transitioning from transport to bulwark. The reptilian form undulated into a cocoon around its mistress. Blades clashed against quicksilver coils. Those held by harlequin and wolfkin were forcibly rid of their momentum upon impact with hardened metal. Such was not the case for those of flame wielded by none other than one almost more moth than man. It was not victim to the fiery siren’s song like its non-human ilk, but sacrificing another to the blaze as super-heated sword edges bit into the mercury with ease.
But not without consequence.
Toxic gas both colorless and odorless wafted away from the points of contact. Kioko could sense the vapors, though not control them. It was enough of a warning to inform her next actions. Part of the cocoon blossomed open at the top and ushered her out above the trio then dropped her behind them before it lurched away from the weaponized element to follow after as she sprinted toward the door she had entered earlier.
Mercury was not the sole entity in pursuit. Her would-be killers flitted after like silent wraiths—until the first retch. Envenomed now as they were, the assassins slowed to do battle with their own bodies. The distraction was sufficient enough for Kioko to temporarily lose them, and any other stalker, among a maze of hallways and doors.
Notes & Tags: tenma
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 17, 2024 21:39:30 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 17, 2024 21:39:30 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“Rhetorical. Don’t answer that,” Kioko interjected before the server could elaborate on why they had chosen to do karaoke or attempted to explain what it was. She needed nor wanted either response. “Just fill it up,” she said as she pushed the wine glass toward the other woman.
In the short amount of time it took for the server to pour the wine and return table-side, the first batch of outsiders trickled into the bar Kioko considered own. Of course she did so very quietly in the back of her mind in case Shu could somehow also read thoughts in addition to everything else he was capable of doing. She watched them in the middle of an almost ritualistic frat boy takeover of the space they entered with boisterous energy and the customary ringleader posted up at the bar.
It seemed Kioko was going to need vodka after all. She knocked back the entire glass of wine in one hearty draught. The lack of a normal gag reflex and throat control from how her Quirk manifested outside her body also made Kioko a chugging champion. The feat was unladylike enough that she rarely did so in public, but the back booth was private enough for her to break protocol in an effort to ready herself for a stronger drink.
A fluid motion deposited her outside of the booth before the effects of alcohol could kick in and make her anything less than the epitome of grace. With wine glass in hand, she sauntered over to the bar as the last of the goof troop’s orders were placed so that she could make her own given that table service was likely to be a fleeting luxury with how rowdy the establishment was promising to be for the evening. The fact that she could move at all much less elegantly in such attire made pondering whether or not her Quirk was fitting into and functioning ridiculously tight clothes not entirely remiss. Especially when she was in possession of curves so very clearly hazardous to unwitting fools that she would require warning signs had they been in the form of roads and rather than gracing her amazonian body.
Alas, Kioko came with no signage to warn of the danger concealed beneath form fitting garments. Neither were any red flags so blatantly obvious other than her relatively well-known identity to keep the unwitting at bay. Unless one counted serpentine eyes filled with a haughty superiority befitting her lineage as her gaze slithered over the quartet in the act of an obvious once over. At least until one of the servers freed them from the impending Medusa snare.
“Grey Goose,” she said as she slid the wine glass across the bar top. Another look to the men and she amended, “Make it a double.” The server bustled off to fulfill her request, leaving Kioko to take a new perch atop a nearby stool while she waited for either her drink or passive, if hardly passable, entertainment from observing the jester and his fellow harlequins.
Notes & Tags: Ryota Hada
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 17, 2024 19:04:00 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 17, 2024 19:04:00 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Evening ambience muffled the heavy exhale from Kioko’s nose when Michael offered his, and therefore their, services to an elderly woman posted up at a crosswalk devoid of any other white knight than Michael. The sound bordered on the verge of a snort. Lingering manners of a former socialite and Kioko’s understanding of who and how Michael was dulled the sharpness just enough for her to pass it off as a deeper breath from the walk if heard above the evening unfolding around them—unfortunate, she had her limits.
Gratitude laden with assumptions about their status called forth an unfettered snort this time. One complete with a roll of her eyes. Her reaction wasn’t because she had been associated with Michael, but that she had been associated at all. Nor had it been entirely a sound made in defense of and at the behest of her own honor and independence. Michael didn’t deserve to be tied, even in passing or rumor, to someone like her. Not if he wanted to keep the shine of his own reputation.
Kioko kept her silence otherwise. Offering no elaboration on her reaction. Were his ego wounded by an inaccurate interpretation of her behavior, he would have to ask. She wasn’t the type to offer information unprompted—she barely did so when actually prompted. That she had consented to tell Michael even a part of her tale was a small miracle in and of itself.
Reticence receded only when they had laid claim to a back booth and her order requested. Kioko required only a few seconds to analyze the menu while Michael put his in first. “No,” she said. “I’ll take a lemon ginger tea and a cup of miso soup.” Alcohol might have made the act of confession easier, but there were still secrets that needed to be held under lock and key. It was better to calm her stomach than it would be to sooth her nerves and loosen her tongue in the process.
Once the server left, there was a noticeable softening in the rigidity that Kioko had carried herself from their initial meeting point to the now. She sank back into the booth in such a way that she no longer looked to be the amazon that she was, but something more normal. More human. More mundane. Whether truth or illusion, the effect was lessened by serpentine eyes locked directly onto Michael. Pupils perpetually slitted and a gaze seemingly indifferent even as she verbalized her way into treacherous territory with a question.
“Do you remember how my family acquired both fame and fortune?"
It would have been considered a tactless inquiry in their formerly shared circle. There were certain social protocols involved in boasting about wealth and power. Kioko wasn't boasting though. None of that belonged to her anymore because she no longer belonged to it in turn.
Notes & Tags: Samaritan
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 11, 2024 18:14:01 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 11, 2024 18:14:01 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“What a shame. I’m certain lots of men struggle getting their shots off though. So don’t feel too bad,” Kioko drawled from across the room. She tossed the microprocessor to the snake. The golem absorbed it into the amalgamation of tech. In regards to the question of its origin, dark painted lips simply twisted into a smug smile before they parted to say, “Sorry. I don’t hiss and tell.”
She, of course, had not stolen the snake. It had been conjured from her own body before she had stepped foot into the current room along with the claws adorning her hand. Even now its moves were not the independent actions of a sentient being, but mindful manipulations on her part. Chirp didn’t need to know that. Kioko was secretive at the best of times. This certainly wasn’t one of those times and while he had yet to be hostile toward her, he had by no means confirmed he was friend and not foe. Which meant no secrets for him. At least not ones willingly given.
Kioko’s attention shifted back to collecting more materials. She opted for less high tech samples now. Metals, mostly. They too were offered to her familiar before Kioko paused in her search. It was her turn to offer a question, but this one stemmed from need and not curiosity. “Any ceramics on your end?” He might as well make himself useful to her quest if he was going to be there.
Notes & Tags: CHIRP ♪♪
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 11, 2024 17:32:25 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 11, 2024 17:32:25 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Quietude was dismantled by a foreign voice giving life to a familiar name—Kioko’s own, in fact. Paranoia beget panic in a surge of electrical sensation and adrenaline throughout her frame. Such was her life that any encounter might be her last. Future heartbeats stolen by a blade plunged through her chest courtesy of one of her uncle’s many assassins. Granted, the possibility of a reporter was nearly as bad. Hounds sent to shred what was left of her reputation.
A pivot brought her face-to-face with the assailant. Whatever harm they intended, she would deal with it directly and with an aura of unrivaled haughty superiority. Sharp serpentine eyes undressed the woman before her with the sole intent of gauging the likelihood of weapons or surveillance tools hidden on her person. A second pass was made just as quickly. This particular scan was meant to pick up on any indicators of intoxication, for were she not a hit-woman or journalist, surely her mental faculties had been altered by some substance to give her the temporary courage to approach Kioko. Especially considering the circumstances.
Yet Kioko found no such indicators of her suspicions. Nor did she recognize the person at all. A face yet unseen by her. Then the woman opened her mouth. All became instantly clear. She was after Kioko’s heart as feared. Not to wound it, but to claim it as her own. Somehow, this was worse. The woman couldn’t possibly know her. Only of her. Which meant she had questionable taste at best. Even if whatever emotion she felt was pure and true, the people that loved Kioko suffered or died. Or suffered then died. Kioko had no need of a simping fangirl, stalker, or another eventual corpse on her conscience to visit during days meant to honor and remember the other ghosts that haunted her. So with all the ice in her heart and venom in her blood brought to bear on her tongue to coat her tone, she replied.
“No you don’t, you simple minded fool.”
Notes & Tags: Zipper
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 10, 2024 22:35:40 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 10, 2024 22:35:40 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Meliora or Kioko.
What name she donned and its associated mask determined her plans each evening. An unending alternation between dark streets, cold metal, and bloodshed or the warm amber alcove of Noyote filled with the heady scents of coffee and dark liquors. Her soul, at least the remnants of it, craved the sanctuary of the latter. Comfort found in familiarity and faces that didn’t immediately twist into fear or disgust when the silver titan darkened the doorway. Her mind would not allow her to fade away into a blissful obscurity though. Not when she thirsted for revenge more than she hungered for happiness that was more fantasy than reality.
So it goes.
Another night, another raid. The laboratory security system had been disengaged by quick fingers and an even quicker mind at the helm of a laptop now hidden away. Infiltration was easy after that. A sliver of mercury was all it took to mimic lock and key entry. Anything more complex was fried by ripping the pre-existing liquid metal from its circuitry. Parts were scavenged for later use, carried by a silver snake slither after its mistress.
All was going according to plan. Naturally, it didn’t stay that way. Fate was particularly fond of putting a wrinkle into Kioko’s meticulous plans. The windows lining the south and west walls of the room she was currently looting exploded in a shower of glass that obscured the arrival of three masked entities. And they all had swords. Kioko rolled her eyes. Assassins really liked swords. And masks. Though Kioko wasn’t one to talk when it came to that. Her own was as ostentatious as they came.
More importantly than either weapon or disguise, was the insignia each of them wore as a pen near their respective collars. It marked them as members of The Umbra Syndicate. Which meant Kioko didn't have to hold back.
"What an interesting mistake to make as your last."
Notes & Tags: tenma | Outfit + Mask | Assassins [ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 10, 2024 22:35:02 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 10, 2024 22:35:02 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Notoriety had its benefits. Each step Kioko took further rending the sea of pedestrians in her path was on the list. Her trail carved its way through the daytime crowd from where she disembarked the disdainful chariot of public transport to farther down the road where wrought-iron gates framed the entrance of a cemetery at the base of one of Tokyo’s more prominent temples. After all, only the best for those of the Kushiki lineage—except for Kioko.
She entered the hallowed grounds, seemingly unaware of eyes upon her. Or rather, of a specific set of eyes. She was possessed of both looks and the demeanor to draw attention even without her infamy. An enigmatic monolith among mortals. The embodiment of intrigue and mystique within arm’s reach among the masses. Not that any were bold or suicidal enough to attempt it with her reputation and the icy expression adorning her features that rivaled any winter storm.
None so far, that was.
Silence followed Kioko up the twisting path. Ambient crowd chatter composed of whispers about her presence left in favor of the cemetery’s silent residents. Her eyes were drawn by habit to a few of the names. Her mother was not the first Kushiki to have their ashes memorialized here. Nor the last, but Kioko wasn’t quite ready to face the reality of her younger brother's inclusion yet. Even if two and a half years had passed. Hence while there was only one long box clutched within her hands.
Notes & Tags: Zipper | Outfit
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jan 10, 2024 22:34:49 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 10, 2024 22:34:49 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Deviant flirtation rolled off Kioko with enough impact to only elicit a roll of serpentine eyes from behind her mask. Even the conjured sparks came not from chemistry between them, but a potential misstep from altered attention in his workflow. That or he was just really bad at what he did.
An idiot in one regard, at least.
The consensus did nothing to lower her guard as she navigated around the room. Her gaze shifted from circumstantial conspirator to odds and ends plucked up seemingly at random. Anyone that knew anything about the woman behind Meliora knew there was nothing arbitrary about her actions. Each and every piece had a place. As to what that place was…
A slithering noise came from the hallway Kioko had been down only moments before. She paid no mind to it as she examined a microprocessor she had just pried free from a computer. “Now where is the fun in that,” she asked in turn, meeting his questioning probe for details with a query of her own. Information was Kioko’s most valuable currency. That it was also a weakness gave her all the more reason to reveal nothing of her hand.
“Besides,” she added. “I would not want to distract you from your own work. It seems you are struggling enough as it is.” Kioko often sauntered her way across the low road. Today was no exception, but none was lower than the silver serpent undulating through the doorway and toward Kioko. While her aforementioned guard remained intact, she had deemed him low enough of a threat to summon the mercurial golem into the room. It had been given the shape prior to her own entrance to carry items she had brought with her. Including the laptop she had taken over the security system with. Each article was embedded on its wide back. Other than the laptop, the rest were pieces of her latest project, broken down so that it would be difficult to figure out their end form without more information.
Notes & Tags: CHIRP ♪♪
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You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
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Jan 10, 2024 22:34:31 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 10, 2024 22:34:31 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
The Kioko of old never had issues with touch, but she was no longer that person. Elitism had set in during her teenage years. A toxic superiority that made Kioko inclined to believe no one was worthy enough to touch or be touched by her. Especially without permission. Attempts were met with a haughtiness so scathing, one might think it was her Quirk with the psychic damage it inflicted.
Renjirou and Sebastian had whittled away at that mindset. Renjirou, as always, did most of the work. Alas, the progress was fleeting. Torn away by betrayals from people she had trusted not to betray their access to her—and now she was about to explain, at least in part, one of those instances. Just not without first freezing like a feral animal when Michael took her hand. It took the vast majority of her willpower to neither recoil nor lash out verbally. Instincts finely honed by the kind of company unwillingly kept in the underground and among the seedier elements of Tokyo in general.
Instead, through great effort on her part and a display of gentle deferment on his, she would let Michael lead her to whatever location he had in mind. She had thought about Noyote, but perhaps it was best not to introduce him to that place yet. It was nearly sacred to her, held on a pedestal of the past in her mind. A place to be protected. A place to be kept separate from the rest of her life because the last dregs of her old one filled the back booth when she met with Renjirou and Sebastian. The thought of them seeing her there with someone else solidified her decision.
“Okay. Lead the way,” she said. Michael had managed to do what took most months if not longer. He had scraped together a modicum of trust from Kioko. Then again, like the other two that held it, he had the benefit of a shared youth that she secretly valued still tethering her to her former bonds.
Notes & Tags: Samaritan
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You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
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Jan 10, 2024 22:34:14 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jan 10, 2024 22:34:14 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Only a few seconds passed before Kioko’s lungs began to burn. She had been on the back end of an exhale through a cough from the dust in the air and the impacts she endured, cutting her oxygen supply short already. Involuntary tears crept their way across her waterline. Their presence was at odds with the inferno of wrath raging through her veins. One that resonated with its kin already outside of its host.
So it was that the attacker found himself struck by two snakes at once. A tail whip from one, a mercurial wave from the other. The combination of force backed by the benefit of surprise from the arrival of a third party earned Kioko her freedom.
She dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Fortunately, Kioko didn’t need her body up and running to stay in the fight. Or rather, out of it. The mercury rebounded off its earlier target to wrap around Kioko and yank her out of the way and toward the unexpected backup as the hand once around her neck swung in her direction again. It made contact with the ground instead. Vibrations could be felt radiating out from the point of impact before the spot where Kioko had been only a second before exploded.
“Any second now,” Kioko muttered through gritted teeth. She was wincing from pain and the disorienting effects of the vibrations radiating up through her body. They were strong enough that even close proximity had an effect. He wasn’t the only one that could passively alter how someone felt through their Quirk. Kioko had made contact with his skin beneath his sleeve through small tears caused by spikes she had rendered on the side of the metal that had hit him. Even if his flesh had not been torn, poison submerged into his bloodstream through the epidermal layer.
Kioko was toxic in every sense of the word and few, if any, were immune. Sure enough, the man stumbled as a wave of nausea rocked him in conjunction with a sudden headache and fatigue. Hopefully the other snake understood an opening when she saw it.
Notes & Tags: Makitori Hebi
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