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 Aug 4, 2023 20:59:02 GMT
 I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“I see.”
The cold drawl of Kioko’s voice belied the interest her questions and focus implied. Kei’s answer had more of an impact on her plans than she had expected. She could only ensure the purity of exactly one material — mercury. Her access to anything beyond that had been neutered by her circumstances. The intent had been to turn scrap into more useful forms, but Kioko couldn’t risk the integrity of her creations. Except when she wanted them to fail. Which meant her heists to feed the machine would need to revolve around higher end technology.
Just another reason to raid Sovereign Technologies’ warehouses — and their tech demos. To that end, Kioko brought her hand up to her mouth as if she was thinking about what Kei had said. And she was, but she was also covering the fact that that the tiniest trail of liquid metal was snaking past her lips to hide in her palm.
“A final question then.”
Where Kioko’s attention had been primarily on the tech before her, it now shifted wholly onto Kei. The full weight of her gaze settled upon him. Her hands braced themselves against the table that formed a barricade between the pair. The hand holding the key to her subterfuge rested next to the device which in turn provided cover for the coming act. The full force of her presence bared down on him to keep his attention on her and not the sleight of hand. Or rather, telekinesis and quicksilver as the latter integrated itself into the machine. There was already mercury within. It was a primary component of circuit boards in electrical devices. Her little addition would just make it easier for her to track later on as her Quirk resonated best with the metal she produced, though she could track its kin almost as well.
“How does the energy consumption of this device compare to common household appliances?”
Energy draw was a facet of manufacturing people outside of relevant industries didn’t consider with technology. Unfortunate considering how it directly impacted both consumer cost and the environment. More people should educate themselves on such things, but Kioko’s concern was for neither. She just needed to ensure the amount of power it took to function regularly wouldn’t draw suspicion to her or act as evidence against her through something as theoretically simple as the utility bills she had to pay at her apartment.
Plus, she needed to be able to afford said payments.
Notes & Tags: Kei Hada
|
|
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 Aug 4, 2023 20:57:33 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Silence and obedience were things Kioko appreciated in the scant few people with which she ever deigned to work. She watched as he enacted his half of the plan as best she could through the network of mirrors, though his shadowy nature moving in the shadows of cars and rainfall made him far more difficult to track than a vehicle with bright lights conveniently marking its location. It was unnecessary for knowing when he completed the task she had assigned him, but pivotal when it came to figuring out more about him — primarily his Quirk.
His ability to phase through objects was obvious. His control now as he passed part way through the bridge and maintained such positioning while stabbing the oncoming tire meant he could affect objects he touched and control the property in select parts of his body. It was certainly interesting.
And dangerous.
Even as Kioko’s mind worked to unravel how the Gyrfalcon worked, it fulfilled her end of the arrangement. Her senses extended out. Blood called to kin. Connection was established. All of it timed to reflections and slashes. The affair was far more subdued than what resulted from Sho’s participation in the plan. Daiki had no idea his phone was no longer functional as the mercury within and stripped itself free of its confines and shredded the delicate insides of the device from within — he was too busy trying to not veer off the side of the bridge.
“Already done,” Kioko stated simply in response to Sho’s cue. She had given him no indication of what she had done without ever moving a muscle. It was just another way of proving her mind alone was potentially more dangerous than most people.
The world above the exchange was no less tense and infinitely more chaotic. Daiki had managed to avoid crashing through the guardrails and plummeting into the choppy seas below, but he had careened into another car. Both were at a standstill in the middle of the lanes right before the bridge transitioned into the underwater tunnel that made up part of the aptly named Aqua-Line. Debris littered the wet asphalt around the wreck, further blocking off tunnel access. A queue of cars were already building up behind the scene of the crash. While they were necessary for keeping emergency responders from arriving too quickly upon the three Villains, Kioko hoped the civilians had enough wits about them to reverse away once Daiki dropped his guise in favor of the beast known as Ifrit. For the moment, he was still very human and toppling out from the driver’s side over his vehicle to inspect the damage even as he reached into his blazer for his phone to call for assistance — or backup.
“He’s smart. Smarter than most, in fact. We don’t have much time before he figures out this was no accident and shifts. Position yourself accordingly. I will distract him once he changes to give you an opening.”
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
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 Aug 2, 2023 15:11:43 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
The request to act was unnecessary. Kioko, observant as ever, didn’t need to see through shadow to know they had arrived at their destination. She had calculated an estimated travel time based on their original distance from the goal coupled with the speed that Gyrfalcon showed himself capable of moving. And while it was just that, an estimate, Kioko could feel the trajectory change when he swung them toward the area that would be their makeshift landing zone beneath the bridge. It had been her own intended access point to the bridge prior to meeting him. She was begrudgingly grateful for the ease and speed of transportation. A fact she would take to the grave with her. Possibly literally depending on how the impending encounter unfolded.
Sho’s burden would be lighted by almost a third as she mercury shifted off Kioko. It took the shape of an oversized crow that slipped through the unnatural shadows into those created by the bridge overhead. The form smoothed out into a platform with thick cords rising up from the corners to attach itself to the girders above so that Kioko could harden the metal and lock it into place rather than relying on her telekinetic control to stabilize the construct and hold their collective weight.
Freedom greeted Kioko on the other side of her endeavor. She hastily mirrored Sho’s steps away once he had relinquished his hold. Slender hands made a show of dusting off the rest of her, as if she could physically remove what had transpired from existence through the act. She loathed being touched by strangers — and people in general with scant few exceptions.
“Disable his vehicle and cut off communication.”
Small orbs of mercury broke free from the platform and crept up the side of the bridge. They formed a network of mirrors reflecting images of oncoming traffic down to Kioko and her literal partner-in-crime so that they could better watch for their target.
“You can handle the car, I’ll handle the latter.”
Kioko didn’t explain how, but all it would take was a thought on her part to blow the mercury in whatever cellphone he had in his person. Modern tech still relied heavily on the substance in circuitry and displays. Cellphones alone possessed around two grams for Kioko to work with. More than enough for her to render them useless. The fact that most people carried the devices on them made it nigh impossible for anyone to sneak up on her — unless they were fast. Lucky for Sho, he had been.
“Puncturing tires is less obvious than cutting fuel lines if we don’t want to give ourselves away immediately,” she added. Yes, he was a professional assassin and knew what he was doing. However, if he heavily relied on his Quirk in his line of work, it was possible he had forgotten or never known the true subtlety of the trade.
“And while you could also cut his break lines to injure him before we engage him ourselves for an advantage, it would cause casualties among the commuters and clog the freeway. I would rather avoid that if possible. Ifrit is not above using hostages as shields.”
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
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 Aug 2, 2023 13:10:11 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Serpentine eyes peered down at the tally counter with mild interest. The device itself was of little consequence to Kioko beyond the fact she was included in its tracking of visitors. She didn’t want to be remembered. Not like this when years prior, she had been among the sponsors at her mother and grandfather’s sides — and not when she had plans with which she didn’t want her presence associated. Alas, she was rather unforgettable, even without the clicker.
The interest she held had nothing to do with any of that though. He had answered her question with the display. Possibility and potential rapid fired ideas back and forth through her mind. Additional questions followed in their wake. Her gaze shifted back to the nervous young man.
“You mentioned the use of branches earlier and one of the main features is its ability to convert any material for printing use. How much work is done on the user’s end prior to the machine’s conversion? Does the material need to be broken down to specific dimensions or require any pre-treatment before the process? Beyond the obvious of just being able to fit into the material port.”
Her second line of questioning would wait until he had addressed this concern. Kioko was still figuring out how to phrase it in a way that wouldn’t open the door for further scrutiny with its implications. How fortunate it was that she had always been good at lying. The phrase silver tongued had practically been made for her.
Notes & Tags: Kei Hada
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|
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 Aug 2, 2023 1:39:14 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Ignoring people was a specialty Kioko had honed in high school and in prison. It was remarkable how similar the two could be. Levi’s continued pleas fell upon intentionally deaf ears. Until he had the audacity to reach out and touch her.
She froze. Not with fear, but rage. He had seen earlier what happened when people violated her personal space, yet here he was tempting fate with a reenactment of her wrath. Her head turned ever so slowly to look down her nose at the man. Slitted pupils narrowed so severely they nearly disappeared into the silver backdrop of her irises. She hissed, forked tongue snaking past fangs and frowning lips in annoyance.
Were there not a myriad of onlookers bearing witness to the exchange, Kioko would have pulled her foot back. Not for freedom, but to kick him squarely in the face. Alas, there were people watching and once again, Levi’s saving grace was Kioko’s desire to not catch another charge. But if he kept acting a fool, someone was bound to call the police. Even if it was done on her behalf to rid her of the man clearly harassing her, Kioko didn’t want to deal with them or their questions. Not to mention the inevitable news articles that would arise from it with or without the so called reporter clutching at her writing his own story.
The hiss turned into a sigh. It seemed the quickest solution to rid herself of this pest was getting him wherever he was going. Preferably in one piece now that people had seen them together. Unless she wanted to be implicated in whatever misfortune befell him.
“Fine. Just stop calling me Kiki, you buffoon.”
She reached down to grab him by the collar. Her mercury from the earlier bar fight was still hidden beneath her clothes. Kioko used it to aid in pulling him to his feet. “What line are you taking,” she asked as she tried to lift him. Hopefully it wasn’t so far out of her way that escorting him would take all night.
Notes & Tags: ctrl
|
|
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 Aug 2, 2023 1:19:58 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Black lips curled at the corners ever so slightly at the admission that the infamous Gyrfalcon wasn’t fireproof. Information broker though she was not, it was still worthy of her notice and while he could have been lying, doing so as they drew closer to a battle where such a thing was to be tested would be foolish. Which in turn made his boasting on the other matter less dubious. Was it his own strength that made him feel as such or did the capability reside within his unusual weapon?
Kioko didn’t expect a partial answer to the thought to be given through a violation of her personal space as she was in the process of stating just how much she also didn’t trust him. Why else would she have had her metal playing mirror? Now it dropped its spyglass nature to come to Kioko’s aid. It encircled the pair as Sho explained why he had taken her in his actual arms. She was loathe to admit he was right, but not so prideful that she would compromise their success to dispute the fact. The line was still so razor thin that she debated it, or possibly stabbing him for his transgression, for a heart beat before rolling her eyes beneath the mask.
“Fine.”
The mercury that had been awaiting telepathic orders slithered across her arm that wasn’t pressed into Sho. It added to his weighted burden just before take off, but if he wanted a foothold when they arrived, he would deal with it. Her resources would be stretched to their max entangling with Daiki once he assumed the form of Ifrit as is. Leaving the quicksilver behind would effectively cripple their efforts before they ever began. Fortunately, the man seemed strong enough to deal with the extra cargo. Kioko could only imagine how ridiculous they looked though given she was the modern day equivalent of an amazon with her height and he was just above average at best. Thankfully they had his shadows to hide them.
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
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 Aug 1, 2023 21:45:05 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Perhaps if Kioko felt kinship and loyalty toward the Villains or their collective to any degree, information broker would have been another mantle to adorn herself within the underground. But she didn’t. The dark underbelly of society could burn to the ground and she would feel nothing. Unless she lit the match to set the blaze herself. Elation would be appropriate then. Fortunately for them, her ire was laser focused on the subset of Villains under the banner of the Umbra Syndicate. Since she could not bring about a cleansing inferno just yet, she settled for not providing Villains information. The right piece of intel was infinitely more dangerous in the wrong hands than any tech she could create. Then again, Kioko felt that way about many that lived their lives in the light too. Politicians, business people, and even some Heroes were just as bad. Such was the nature of humankind.
“I would consider it more of a hobby,” she quipped quietly from where she maintained the lead with Sho’s unspoken blessing. Her distaste of working with criminal elements was something she kept under lock and key. She needed their money to fund her plans just as much as she needed to keep her head on her shoulders. Revealing her hatred for those she worked with would hinder both of those.
“I have several plans.”
Most of them involve using you now.
That part remained within the confines of Kioko’s head as she moved onward in pursuit of their target. The buildings would be coming to an abrupt stop shortly as the landscape transitioned from industrial to bridgework ahead. Time to rest her body and Quirk came only from the gridlock of traffic ensnaring the car they tracked.
“Throwing it around is a rather banal use of my skills.”
A trace of indignation at the implication coupled with muted arrogance colored her cold voice. Begrudgingly, another facet of her reasoning was admitted. “And only a touch more effective than what you would have attempted.” She stood at the ledge of another building, but gestured outward instead of stepping off as before. The waters of Tokyo Bay were darkened by night and continued precipitation.
“Unless you are fireproof and can cleave a mountain, we will need to use the elements and environment to our advantage.”
Kioko turned to face Sho fully now instead of relying on reading him through reflections. “Whoever employed you either lacked crucial information about the true nature of the target they sent you after or wanted you dead. We hunt the one known as Ifrit.” She was equally adept at reading people, and while the assassin’s face might have been covered, Kioko looked for any sign of recognition. If Meliora and Gyrfalcon were names well-known in their so-called community, Ifrit was a legend — a monstrous one. His name was attached predominantly to the Umbra Syndicate as an enforcer. One who left fiery ruins and devastation in his wake. His transformation Quirk made him a walking tank of hardened musculature cloaked in hellfire. So if Sho had heard of Ifrit, Kioko’s use of the Aqua-Line would be understandable even without further explanation. As well as her choice of waiting until a night with heavy rainfall. What she lacked in strength, she clearly made up for in strategy.
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jul 31, 2023 21:11:15 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jul 31, 2023 21:11:15 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Relief was the anticipated reaction one expected to await them on the other side of an accord struck. Alas, that wasn’t the case for Kioko. Tension coiled ever tighter in her body upon learning the name of her barely willing partner for the evening. There was a difference in knowing that someone was an assassin or attempting to be an assassin and them actually being a well-known assassin. Well-known meant successful. The situation was no less dangerous for her in the wake of their agreement than it had been prior. Her only advantage came from the same source it always did — knowledge.
“The Aqua-Line.”
Her response was enigmatic at best. She had referred to the hybrid bridge-tunnel expressway that spanned across Tokyo Bay to connect opposite shores together. That much was common knowledge the man now known to her as Gyrfalcon would understand. It was the reasoning behind that being her answer which he was likely lacking. Imminent danger or not, Kioko couldn’t help the information and intelligence based superiority complex she possessed from rearing its head.
She walked to the edge of the building where her mercury awaited her. A wide berth was given to Sho in the process and though her eyes were pulled from him by the change of position, her gaze never left him. Only now she viewed him through the reflection of the metal under her control. If he tried anything, she’d use it to cave the side of the building and utilize gravity and her Quirk to hasten an escape with speeds beyond what she was capable of under her own power. Always having a Plan B was a lesson hammered into her head over the last two years. Sometimes literally.
“I suppose your own plan involved phasing through his car and stabbing him.”
The statement was made before Kioko stepped off the ledge. It overlooked an alley on the opposite side of the building from the one she had ascended from. The quicksilver construct undulated after her and caught her before she plummeted too far then transferred her to the next building. Shadow, structure height, and rainfall obscured her act from the general populace on the street, but not from Sho. Especially since she was calling across the gap to him now.
“I promise that would not have gone as well as you expected.”
Because as he had said, she had intimate knowledge of the man.
Either he would follow or he wouldn’t. She assumed it would be the former if only for his own goals. Her vague answers provoking the opportunity for further inquiry were simply additional motivation. Kioko continued to keep an eye on him regardless of his choice as best she could as she moved across the platforms of edifice rooftops. Her focus alternated between Gyrfalcon and Daiki in equal measure. Such was the life of someone caught between being predator and prey.
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jul 31, 2023 16:45:38 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jul 31, 2023 16:45:38 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
The fact that broad daylight dominated the outside world beyond her door held no sway over the dim lighting in Kioko’s small rundown apartment. Blackout curtains were secured over what few windows the space possessed. Only the back lit screen of a high end laptop hilariously out of place in the dingy setting provided any illumination at all in the room.
Shadows draped across the landscape of Kioko’s face weren’t all from angled lighting. Lack of sleep and bruising from a bar fight two days prior claimed a fair share of the blame. So too did the scowl that formed when she saw the email notification pop up on the display over a research paper she had been scouring.
Sebastian.
She maneuvered the mouse over the little x at the top of the box. It lingered there for several seconds before she finally sighed and moved it to click on the message. A string of gibberish greeted her. Kioko didn’t even bother trying to decipher it. Could she? Yes. But it was unnecessary. Sebastian only reached out when he was hungry, thirsty, or in trouble. Sometimes all three... Usually all three. So he was either at Noyote given the current time meant his classes were out for the day or he was about to get arrested. With her track record, he was better off reaching out to Renjirou for the latter, so Kioko assumed it was the former and dragged herself off of the uncomfortable stool she had been perched upon so she could get ready to meet him at the usual place.
“What do you want?”
The cold drawl of her voice was accompanied by the trademark sound of her heels pointedly marking every step of her long-legged gait as Kioko approached the table that she and the other two always occupied when they visited the shared backdrop of their youth. Kioko slid into the booth opposite of Sebastian and motioned at one of the servers. She was probably going to need a drink for whatever reason Sebastian had for summoning her and if not for that, then for when she saw whatever tab he had run up under her name while he waited for her judging by the mess between them.
Notes & Tags: Sebastian Sinclaire | Outfit
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|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jul 31, 2023 15:45:45 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jul 31, 2023 15:45:45 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“Pathetic.”
Disdain in her tone echoed that written across her face. Commuters passing by on their way to or from the trains shot glances Levi’s way with similar opinions held within their eyes or whispered to companions. Albeit their scorn was diluted in comparison to that of Kioko’s. Few were as pointedly judgmental as she. To date, only a certain Tanuki could compare.
Her icy gaze shifted away from the spectacle. She had no desire to see him retch onto the platform nor be in the vicinity when it happened. That was all that saved him from the otherwise hostile response he would have normally received from calling her something so ridiculous. It reminded her of Sebastian — someone else she had poisoned out of annoyance more than once before.
A knot, small though it was, of guilt coiled in her chest. Kioko clearly wasn’t above poisoning people. Or worse. Yet she had never left Sebastian helpless in a public space. Then again, she was actually friends with him. For some very strange reason. Nevertheless, she had a reason to care about Sebastian. This guy was just a stranger and a reporter on top of that. A bloodthirsty shark that wanted information about the misery that was her downfall. And he had hit her in the face with a glass.
Her heart hardened as did her resolve. Sharp retorts from each step of stiletto heels punctured the ambient noise of the subway station as Kioko went to move past him. Avoiding him completely was impossible. Circumstance had planted him directly in the path she needed to take.
Notes & Tags: ctrl
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jul 30, 2023 13:08:35 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jul 30, 2023 13:08:35 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Kioko was an expert in malicious compliance. So when the man called her to relinquish her defenses in the form of lowering the manifestations of her Quirk, she at least did the latter though hardly the former. “Certainly,” she crooned in such an agreeable tone that the sarcasm was unmissable. He had already demonstrated that he was faster than her and that he could phase through her mercury. By calling for her to surrender control as he had temporarily, he had only further raised her guard. So Kioko lowered the mercury, but she did so by settling it on the ledge of the rooftop behind the man, putting him squarely between the liquid metal and its mistress where it remained unmoving.
She wasn’t foolish enough to be otherwise menacing in the act. Simply wary and showing him that she was neither the type to be truly submissive or to have her actions manipulated in the favor of others — especially when said other still had their sword out. Between that and the fact he called for her to reveal her rather public identity, Kioko’s already frail obedience could only be stretched so far. His following demand was beyond unreasonable in their line of work, even without her personal attachments to the company and the well known case surrounding it.
“As for your second request, absolutely not. Compromising the civilian identity of those in the underworld without a foundation of trust for it to be kept secret is tantamount to death. I will give you a name though — Meliora.”
The name was well known throughout the Villain populace. Especially those that required gear to complete their jobs. Her physical appearance and demeanor fit with the tales told to those who had yet to meet her in person. A towering monolith of shadow and silver who spoke in words of spite and sarcasm in equal measure. She could only hope that was enough to give her the in she required.
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
You should see me in a crown.
ALIAS
Meliora
OCCUPATION
Black Market Tech Spec.
EVENT TOKENS
50
QUIRK
Mercurial
Archived
|
Jul 30, 2023 12:41:18 GMT
Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jul 30, 2023 12:41:18 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
The fastest route between any two points was a straight line, but that wasn’t the path Kioko took from the police-raided bar to the nearest subway station. She opted for stealth over speed in case either officer or the so-called reporter she had met before all hell broke loose tried to follow her. Serpentine maneuvers carved a winding trail through streets and alleyways alike until Kioko arrived at her destination.
A glance over her shoulder confirmed that no one was shadowing her. At least no one who was so poor at the act that they were caught. So she descended into the depths of the subway. The aches in her body that protested taking the stairs reminded her unnecessarily of the night’s events given that unlike her body, Kioko’s mind had never fully left them behind.
In spite of everything that had transpired, Kioko had learned neither the man’s name nor exactly why he had cornered her in the first place. She could guess since she had called him out as a journalist which he had had confirmed, or at least gone along with, but still never told her why he wanted to talk to her. Her thoughts extended through the initial meeting and past the fighting all the way to their departure. Kioko recalled both the look he had given her and the comment he had made.
Had he actually been a journalist or was he…
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The words were out of her mouth as soon as she reached the platform and saw what was waiting for her. Apparently Tuesday had come early and clearly Kioko had jinxed herself by saying never. That or the universe was punishing her for, well, everything.
Notes & Tags: ctrl
|
|
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 Jul 30, 2023 2:02:51 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Physical performances had not been the only victim of erosion. The quick in quicksilver meant little compared to what it used to and while Kioko’s plan might have been impeccable in other situations, it faltered beneath the deep running atrophy of her old self in body, soul, and Quirk. Only her mind had been untouched — or so she liked to think.
For not the first time in her life, Kioko fell. The very force that wrenched her from her status of silver surfer also protected her from the unfortunate side effects of gravity. How odd a choice for a self-insinuated assassin to not take advantage of an opportunity to more efficiently remove a threat to their mark and the paycheck on the other side of success.
Threads of potential reasoning tangled with Kioko’s other thoughts. Knots required undoing from where they were bound to desires of freedom and self-preservation that were at odds for her need for retribution if she were to get out of her current predicament one way or another. Snake-and-silver-tongued as she were, the most obvious way was by lying now that the motive of the other had been revealed.
“No.”
That part wasn’t lying. That was her being stubborn again. She wasn’t picking a new target. “But if you think you can handle taking Ichikawa down on your own then you really don’t know who you’ll be dealing with.” That was only partly a lie. “And for the record, no one hired me, but I do need to ensure he’s dead. So you can get free backup and you can take all the credit back to whoever hired you.” There it was. Yet it flowed just as easily as the truth from her dark painted lips. She had no intention of letting Daiki die. Not yet. Not until she got the information she needed out of him.
“Deal?”
Her mercury swirled overhead. Kioko had grasped the man’s ability to phase through objects. She didn’t know if it extended to his body, so she wasn’t planning on risking an attack. What she intended to do if he disagreed, however, was fling the heavy metal into the street to cause chaos that would put Daiki on edge and alert the authorities that something was up. If Kioko wasn’t getting what she wanted, then no one was. She was petty like that.
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
|
|
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 Jul 30, 2023 1:43:18 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
“Any day n-”
Kioko might have been the one to keep Levi waiting, but she certainly wasn’t going to take the blame for it if she could turn it around on him. Her attempt to do so was cut short by a sudden face-to-face encounter with the man she hadn’t been expecting. What Kioko had been expecting was for him to grab her hand and nearly pull her out of the window sill or something else inane. That might have been preferable to this despite the gravity of the situation. Being so up close and personal to him was… uncomfortable. But not entirely unpleasant, she thought as she looked back into his eyes which made it even worse.
“I’d rather be onto the farewells,” she retorted to his almost dumbfounded greeting as she helped him up and out before clearing the window herself. Her second descent was infinitely more graceful than Levi’s. Granted, she was cheating with her Quirk both in aiding herself and through the prior envenoming of her counterpart for comparison.
“Maybe I should have left you in there if my reward for pulling you out is suffering through another drink with you.”
Then again, beggars couldn’t be choosers and Kioko’s finances weren’t in a place where turning down free drinks was easy since Sebastian managed to drink away most of what money she did make that wasn’t slated to be pumped into her revenge fantasy. But his quiet comment about the view that she outright ignored had renewed the uncomfortable sensation. Kioko didn’t need to deal with this on top of everything else. She turned her back on him and started to walk away. “See you never,” she said, not knowing just how wrong she was.
Notes & Tags: ctrl
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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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Post by Kushiki Kioko on Jul 30, 2023 0:31:57 GMT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
Tunnel vision had its downsides when the hunter was also the hunted. Kioko had no idea she had been followed until a rather unwelcome companion joined her on the rooftop. Syndicate? The single word claimed the title of first thought though it was dismissed after a hasty once over from slitted eyes hidden beneath hood and mask. The figure’s features were equally obscured in what appeared to be a self-created shadow rather than the artificial darkness she employed beneath her covers. The only tell that answered her question was the distinct lack of the emblem all Umbra Syndicate agents wore when not in their civilian identities. The network was so large it was necessary to identify one another in the wild at a glance and, knowing her uncle, it was just as much to spread their name in the underworld.
While Kioko immediately cleared him of that singular allegiance, she was no less wary. Being directly threatened tended to have that effect on a person. Three options presented themselves. She could stand and fight — and lose. Direct conflict was far from her specialty after a year in prison had eroded much of her strength. She relied on stealth to achieve her goals and that had been stripped of her for the time being. Turning tail was the second obvious option, but there was nothing preventing this stranger from plunging the materialized blade into her back if she fled. Nor did it put her any closer to her goal and if this man wasn’t a member of the Syndicate meant to protect Daiki nor part of Sovereign Technologies’ private security, then his intentions were similar enough to her own to spoil her plans.
“I choose neither.”
Option three it was. The mercury she had already summoned to aid her ascent joined with a second deluge from her mouth and gave her flight once more in a flurry of silver. The disc she rose up on concealed her identity from the masses below and levitated her through the air and seemingly out of reach of her potential assailant even as it attempted to zip her across the air and toward the next rooftop in the direction which Daiki’s vehicle moved at crawl.
Notes & Tags: Shō Matsui
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