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~[ＰＲ♢ＪΞＣＴ：Ｓ♢ＵＬ ＦＩＲＥ]~

["ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ, ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴘᴇʀɪᴀʟ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ, ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏʀᴍ!"]

It was the golden age of Solrif after a long period of arduous war. When victory was found at last, sudden burst of change occurred. Positive change. The economy skyrocketed. New fashion trends appeared on the newspaper every week on the dawn on Monday morning. News shared by the newspaper boy shifted from grave and somber news about frontline, food shortages and needing more men to new viral housewife recipe, young conductor's shouts of fame and top 5 best bed textures.

To the common people, this was more than a golden era, it was an era where even the most wildest dreams has the chance of bearing fruit.

However, no matter how much the economy changed, there will always be scums of the earth lying near the darkest cracks where human civilization tends to ignore, gravitate away from. It was more than the poor, the unsuccessful, the sloth, it was the unwelcomed population.. Âmes.

It creates quite a glaring difference when their counterparts are the pristine and honorable nobility, the Vies. Those who were born with everything Ames could possibly desire. Money, fame, status and a sense of emotional stability and more. Compared to the rotten apples that could lash out at any time, Vies hold the authority behind the scene.

These two couldn't be possibly any more different as desire and selfishness dashes any sort of intimacy the two party can create. Even more so with the Imperial Crown hell-bent on driving the two factions apart. Yet there appeared an meager organization that wanted to change that fact, that statement, that foolish stereotype.

They were the Lightchasers.

A growing middle party that has dedicated itself to become a sanctuary for both classes. Not as master and weapon, but rather as equals who can stand side by side.


[ 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙳𝚊𝚢 ; 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟻𝚝𝚑 𝟷𝟾𝟾𝚇 ; 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗 ]

Below the towering smoke sky, there stood a looming chaos. Clearly segregated by bright saturated red and wooden eaves, Solrif's Chinatown was loud today for a different reason than usual. It's ground shook and dust particles lifted to the air not by the laughing children nor the rhythmic gallops horses. The shaking red lanterns with gold foreign calligraphy trembled in tune with screams of the running tenants. The smell of burnt sugar mingles with the smell of burnt ash.

Above the mazes of smoke-choked alleyways and half finished games of mahjong stood a dark figure. It's long black hair blew ominously alongside the wind. It darted with it's cat-like reflexes so fast that it was impossible to see the perpetrator's face. Any man that dares to stop it were all met with the same fate, a fast delivery to heaven. As it leaped from building to building, each step it took created insurmountable damage at it's wake. Crevices that amounts to the size of meteor strikes were created in an instant before another was made yards away. If an ordinary took time to stop and turn around, they would have mistaken the dark figure as the reaper who was here to harvest their souls.

But it was the Chinatown. Having survived disasters upon disasters, fearful might call it a reaper, the religious might call it the devil, but the educated would call it an Ame. An Ame that has lost absolute control over their emotions and is only doomed to create catastrophe in it's paths.

But what was an Ame doing here of all places?



[ 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙳𝚊𝚢 ; 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟻𝚝𝚑 𝟷𝟾𝟾𝚇 ; 𝙻𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚛𝚙. ]

Riing—

"Hello this is the Lighthouse Corp how can I help you?" A bright voice rang through an empty office. The masculine hand grabbing the red telephone paused. The male hummed in understanding while the speaker spilled the contents through the handset. "Is that so? I see, thank you for informing us, we'll be there to support the situation shortly!"

Lumiere places the telephone back mount before swiftly picking it up again. This time he was the one who turned the dial. First at 9, then spinning counterclockwise at 1 before spinning clockwise to his 9 again. Without waiting for a beat, Lumiere spoke through the reciever.

"We have a Code 9 in Chinatown. I repeat: Code 9 in Chinatown. All available personnel are to report for duty without delay. Vies paired with Ames will lead the initial response. Unpaired Ames: remain on standby and prepare to collaborate with unpaired Vies as needed. This is a full-priority mobilization. No exceptions. Tao RuoDie will lead the operation. I expect full cooperation."

Lumiere's firm voice statics through the speaker of the walky talky that every member was required to carry on. The voice was calm, authoritative and held no room for objections. Code 9 stood for rampaging Ames that is currently causing great havoc. If they were a beat slower than the imperial forces, any growing authority they had as a third party will immediately disappear and all sponsors they have will recede as if they never reached out in the first place. Ultimately, hinting that their small corporation will just simply, die.

But those latter words weren't mention, or hinted, or spoken at all of course!

---

Shuto Kohaku, Lighthouse member, received the transmission while staring aimlessly out of the window of a Korean Barbecue, with another member across the table. He had his chin resting on his hand with mock concentration, while his other one was cooking some food. He had one foot tapping restlessly along to the instrumental song playing in the background.

Of course his relaxing day with good food and doing nothing productive would be interrupted by a call for their mobilisation, how annoying. But Shuto was not one to ignore his responsibilities, although he really did not want to leave the few plates of meat they had yet to feast on. It was such a waste, of both food and money.

Shuto grabbed his coat that had been laid over the empty seat next to him and got up. He put the money for the meal on the table, gave the food one last longing look and left the busy restaurant. The air hit him the moment he stepped outside, attacking his face with stuffy steam and ash smelling smoke. Those fumes didn’t smell any healthier than eating food half rotten with mold… no, that may be an exaggeration.

Code 9 for a rampaging Ame, in Chinatown no less. Shuto would never forgive them if the guy destroyed any of his favourite restaurants, that would be quite horrible, quite horrible indeed. Many establishments were old, foundations built many distant years ago and he did not think he’d have the mental capacity to watch them be torn down mercilessly, that would be such a shame.

He made his way leisurely through the street, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint where the commotion was, just had to find where people were fleeing from. Under the red lanterns swinging frantically, to where trembled in the ground could be felt as Shuto walked, crevices were soon visible as he approached the site.

Shuto was a hard worker, but he hated when he had to work when he had been perfectly fine resting. He sighed, strolling through the streets with his hands deep in his pocket like a casual tourist wondering what was written in those foreign letters covering the lanterns and some shop fronts. It was quite a scene, empty tables with cracks running under them, the scared occupants having fled from the first noise they heard. Animals too had deserted the area, only smoke rose from chimneys and dust still semi-hovering in the air. Shuto batted the fumes aside, scanning the surroundings for danger and trying to look for the cause of this all.

But of course, alike to the many missions they have had within their reasonably small organisation, the Ame didn’t make it easy for them to track or subdue, as expected. The Ames weren't stupid, at least, the majority of them. Shuto hoped so much that they would just show themself and be done with it, he had a table of Korean Barbecue waiting for him.

Finding an alleyway to wait for the others who were definitely on their way, Shuto hid himself partially in the shadows, he didn’t want to make a move while unaccompanied, that was a dangerous zone where you just did not cross. Being a sad, lonely unpaired Vie, he had to wait for another unpaired Ame, or he could do nothing and wait for some other backup to appear and do the work themself, that could work too.

Now he just had to wait, as patiently as he could for everyone else to appear.

---

Kang Hari was enjoying her Korean BBQ with Shuto.

Until she wasn't. Those loud, cacophonous bells were ringing in her head again. The type of bells that rang when something was wrong. Those stupid, endless bells that wouldn't stop ringing until she found the source of the issue. They echoed throughout all chambers in her brain, disturbing the minute peace created by the joy of feasting on All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ (in particular, galbi - ribs, and black pig shoulder) whilst gossiping about her 'roommate' with Shuto. Why wouldn't they let her enjoy her food and peace?

Hari looked longingly at the spread in front of her. If she 'chose' - she never had a choice, who was she kidding - to finally reject the lightning streaking throughout her head and finally enjoy herself, then she would probably be penalised for not showing up on the scene when it was a Code Nine. But then again, if she was denied her KBBQ, she would become the next reason for a Code Nine to be called.

She was hungry, okay?

But there was the fact that she was supposed to be moving to the site of chaos because of her duty as a Lightchaser - remind me again, why did she join?

Stupid brain, stop arguing with yourself and get your *ss over there, you idiot.

She stared longingly at the slowly sizzling meat in front of her, then looked towards Shuto's seat. Of course, he had already gone off to answer the call. That little rule-follower. Tearing her gaze away from his seat, she directed her attention back onto the meat.

After a second or so of deep contemplation, she grabbed her chopsticks, picked up pa-kimchi, a leaf of lettuce, some rice, sesame oil, and pork, assembling the Korean monstrosity of eating KBBQ. Shoving it all into her mouth, she begrudgingly stood up and ran outside, taking note of the chaos going on around her.

Logically, the right decision would be to head in the opposite direction that the people around her were running. Hari sighed, looking back once again at the abandoned KBBQ place behind her, and started running towards the source of the chaos. She noted that the amount of screaming had increased tenfold the closer she got to the falling debris, which was coincidentally also falling faster and faster from higher up.

She kept running, narrowly dodging the falling rubble that rained down all around her. It was rather a shame. She really had enjoyed seeing the pretty lanterns all hung up by pagoda-inspired buildings decorated with red and gold decals. Plus, the people on the curb selling their vegetables were rather adorable. They had such grumpy faces and were exceptionally grumpy, but then again, she loved grumpy people! You'd know just by seeing who her roommate was - an absolutely adorable, grumpy, cat-lover. She hoped they had found somewhere safe to run. But she also hoped that they took their vegetables and goodies with them. They were delicious.

And obviously, thinking of the fresh produce sold made her remember her food waiting for her back at the restaurant.

She sighed. She better get this done with quickly.

She slowed down as running through all that dust was aggravating her eyes. Wiping at her eyes, she looked around, trying to find a sign of life (aka her bestie who probably knew more about this than she did). And guess who she found?

Shuto!

She ran over to him, punched his shoulder, and glared. "You f*ck*ng left me behind in the restaurant, you m*th*rf*ck*ng *ssh*l*." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Petulantly, she pivoted on her feet and faced away from him, still sulking.

pa do not expect this bad/good (your interpretation) quality in a post for the rest of the 20

---

Carnelian had been waiting for something to do.

Down in a barely lit alleyway, he was just leant against the grubby wall (he'd have to wash his shirt later. Ew), he was watching Astra stare at the paper for the past however long it's been. It felt like an AGE. He had just been stood there counting the bricks on the wall, wishing he'd brought one of his novels, when Astra had dragged him here (more like he followed her there. He's not leaving her by herself in this place.)

"Kid, are you even reading that?"

He chuckled, running his hand through his soft, pale hair. The air was muggy but it was quiet. Rather unusually so. Although Carnelian Etoile was not a man to question things unless he had to. Uses too much energy y'know?

Carnelian pushed himself off the wall, deciding to take a look at what his partner was reading. He peered over, slouching a bit to reach hxr level. He had to squint to see it properly. It was too dark to properly see out of his sunglasses. Taking a minute to process what she was reading, he threw his head back to laugh loudly. Her taste in novels surprised him each time, like he wasn't there when she got it.

"You like that stuff, Astra?"

Before he could continue teasing hxr, he heard the shrill call of a code 9. He sighed. When he said he wanted something to do, he was thinking more about having a glass of wine with a nice book, not a code 9. Code 9's meant work and Carnelian was not a man who enjoyed work. It was almost as annoying as when he has to explain to people that Astra was not his wife. Can't a man have a female friend these days?

Carnelian stood up straight wincing as he heard his bones pop and crack, holding out a hand to Astra.

"I guess we've got to go, kiddo. Duty calls, like always."

---

It was just some book. Some boring fiction, probably printed ages ago.

The winds whistled against hxr feet, dancing around as they breezed on past. Astra Inferi's fingers clasped around a worn novel, caressing the crisp pages, aged over time. Shx was enjoying reading. Or... well, feeling the texture of the pages. To hxr, there was no difference. Another hand, unoccupied, reached out to smooth down her ribbons which were fluttering about in the wind. God forbid her ribbons fall loose. They were hxr favorite accessory! And the only thing from home that shx brought along with hxr.

Beside hxr was a large pest. An invasive species, unfortunately a huge problem in the area... it seemed any sort of pest control failed to eradicate this kind. It was hxr Vie, Carnelian. The most obnoxious man on the planet. The most irritating man in all the lands. Shx rolled hxr eyes irritatedly as he continued to bother hxr, peeping about hxr book, trying to see what shx was reading. Stop bugging me, shx wanted to say. Shx inhaled and exhaled.

The man in front of hxr was just a big baby, after all... to hxr, he was a demon, patron scoundrel of being annoying. He didn't stop peeping over hxr to read his book. Shx groaned, leaning hxr head back in exasperation.

C'mon, Carnelian, aren't you older than me? Some kind of father figure he is. Shx thought, biting her tongue to keep the words in hxr throat.

"Of course I'm reading this," shx responded... and no, shx was not reading it. Shx was just feeling the paper beneath her fingertips. Shx quite enjoyed textures. All books are tactile galleries.

Another question, another reason to tear his face off. Not like shx could - shx didn't have the power to. He'd probably still haunt hxr when he was dead. He'd pop out of closets just to nag at her. Smoothing down hxr hair and ribbons, shx shot him a glare, as if daring him to go on, practically threatening violence if he dared speak again.

...He still did, anyway.

"Yes, I enjoy this 'stuff'." The 'stuff' in question was an old novel. Some grimy book about espionage and oil. Something about Greece? Shx didn't even know the plot - shx simply flips through pages to enjoy the textures. Books were nothing more than a tactile gallery to hxr. Shx looked up, gaze deadpan, "F*ck off, Carnelian." Shx murmured, pressing hxr fingers to his forehead and nudging him back. Shx took notice of his expression. "Is that a code 9?" Hxr lips, once pressed in a brooding line, curled the slightest bit up.

Finally! Something to do. Something to do that Carnelian can't exactly nag hxr about.

Shx looked up, hxr gaze obviously annoyed, shx smoothed down hxr hair yet again. Something shx did whenever she was displeased. Seems like Carnelian didn't get the message at all, though. Shx sighed, itching to shut him up. Be it through violence or through stunning him with any one of her abilities. Shx was not well versed with hxr powers, but what little shx knew was enough to shut him up.

Anything, absolutely anything, even if it was dealing with an Ame on a rampage, would be better to deal with than this... creature. If he gets on hxr nerves once more, shx swears to hxrself his face'll be gone. Oh, if only Astra's father was there! Shx'd whine to him and have him beheaded.

Not really. Maybe just have his reputation tarnished in the papers. Either way, shx imagined all the things shx could do if only shx was still connected to hxr wealthy lineage.

Although the sound of the alert did pierce hxr ears, shx grinned to hxrself. Not like I'm not worse, she giggled as she thought. Tightening hxr white ribbons on each side of hxr head, shx took his hand and followed behind him, holding back a pout. How ironic, how he played the responsible one! Shx was sure he'd leave his post to laze around on a sunbed to be fanned with leaves and to be fed with grapes the moment he had the opportunity.

"Whatever it takes to keep you quiet," shx muttered under hxr breath, still irritated. Hxr boots pattered against the ground as shx followed him out of the mucky alleyway, rubbing the heel of her boot against the ground to get rid of any gunk. Shx tapped hxr boot thrice until shx felt a small rock fall out. Shx grimaced, then ran after hxr Vie once again.

---

[FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE CALL]

"He Lei." RuoDie’s voice was dangerously calm, the kind of tone that made even the air stiffen in anticipation. "The cookie dough goes into the cookie cutters. Not. My. Hair."

She stood frozen in the middle of their tiny kitchen, strands of dark hair glued together with sticky, half-mixed batter. A clump of dough dangled precariously near her temple, threatening to plop onto her shoulder. Her arms, dusted white with flour, looked like they’d been dunked in a snowdrift. A single egg yolk slid slowly down her forearm, glistening under the lamplight like some grotesque, misplaced jewel.

He Lei, perched on the counter like a mischievous gargoyle, blinked at her with wide, guileless eyes—the same eyes that always looked just innocent enough to make her doubt whether his chaos was intentional. (It was. Always.) His fingers twitched toward the bowl of softened butter, his grin widening as he gauged her reaction.

“The flour," RuoDie continued, enunciating each word as if speaking to a particularly dim-witted cat, “does not belong on my arms. The eggs are not a skin treatment. And the butter—"

*Splat.*

A golden glob smacked against the wall beside her head.

For a single, deadly second, silence reigned.

Then He Lei burst into laughter, bright and unrepentant, kicking his legs like a child who’d just discovered the joy of rebellion.

RuoDie closed her eyes. Counted to five. Failed.

The shower water was scalding, but RuoDie didn’t really care. It was easier to focus on the comfort of a shower than on the fact that her partner had, once again, turned a simple baking attempt into a warzone.

She scrubbed at her hair, fingers catching in dough-clumped tangles. Why did I agree to this? The answer, of course, was the same as always: because He Lei had looked at her with those damnably hopeful eyes, and she’d folded like wet paper.

A sharp tug in her gut—her Vie senses flaring.

"He Lei." Her voice carried through the thin bathroom door, sharp with warning. "Are you eating sugar?"*

A pause. Then, from the kitchen, the world’s most unconvincing: "No……."

The clink of a jar being hastily set down. The guilty shuffle of socked feet on tile.

RuoDie exhaled, long-suffering.

[PRESENT]

The walkie-talkie’s sudden crackle nearly made her jump out of her skin. Lumiere’s voice sliced through the static, cool and commanding: "Code 9 in Chinatown. All personnel mobilize. Tao RuoDie leads."

Before the last syllable had faded, the device was gone—snatched from the counter in a blur of movement.

He Lei crouched on the floor like a feral animal, the walkie-talkie clamped between his teeth. His eyes gleamed with single-minded determination. Mimi said no disturbances. This thing is disturbing her. Ergo, it must die.

"He Lei!" RuoDie burst out of the bathroom, hair still dripping, but otherwise tidy and well dressed. "Spit that out now!"

He shook the walkie-talkie violently, as if murdering a particularly stubborn rat.

"I swear to every god listening—" She lunged. He dodged, skittering backward with the grace of a cat who’d just spotted an open window. A brief, undignified scuffle ensued—RuoDie half-dressed and furious, He Lei grinning around his plastic prey.

Finally, she wrestled it free, and exhaled, long and slow, then thumbed the button. "Roger that," she gritted out, voice dripping with the exhaustion of someone who’d long since accepted their fate. "On our way."

He Lei, now sulking by the door, perked up instantly. Adventure!

RuoDie didn’t have the heart to tell him this one would involve more bloodshed- his favorite hobby.

The air in the alleyway was thick with the acrid sting of smoke and the metallic tang of fear. Around RuoDie, the assembled Lightchasers stood in tense clusters, their faces half-lit by the flickering glow of distant flames. The red lanterns above swung violently in the wind, casting erratic shadows that slithered like living things across the cobblestones. Somewhere beyond the maze of narrow streets, the rampaging Ames moved like a storm given flesh—each footfall a thunderclap, each strike a landslide.

RuoDie’s gaze swept over the group. No time for niceties.

“Are we missing anyone?” she called out, though she already knew the answer. In a Code 9, every second wasted was another block reduced to rubble, another life left to chance. She didn’t wait for a reply. “Never mind. We’ll work with what we have.” Her voice cut through the chaos, steady as a blade.

She turned to the unpaired Vies and Ames “You’re damage control. Fan out—chart the destruction, predict the Ame’s path. If you find civilians, get them clear. Then, to the paired teams, she gave a single nod. No need for speeches. They all knew what came next.

“The rest of us?” She adjusted her gloves, felt He Lei’s presence at her back like a gathering storm. A faint, feral grin tugged at her lips. Hunt or be hunted.

“We give chase.”

Somewhere beyond the smoke, chaos wore a human face. And they’d better fix it like their lives depended on it. Because it did

Servus tucked the stolen apple into his jacket. He might've been a Lightchaser but his old ways always managed to appear. He walked away from the clueless vendor with a noticeable grin on his face. He escaped the scene and pulled the apple out as soon as he got out of sight. He bit into the crisp flesh, golden juice dribbling. Yup. he thought, It's a good day for me.

An explosion. Except, it wasn't. A shattering boom echoed through the thin streets. Smoke billowed in the distance, erupting in curls of black. And then chaos. People screaming, rushing past him. They were desperate, near feral to escape the scene. They clearly knew something bad was happening. Servus had seen people walk the streets casually when the streets were flooded from week long rainstorms. This was bad.

People rushed out of buildings like a tsunami, a rhythmic pattern. Until two people ruined that. They ran against the wave, pushing through towards the explosions and smoke. Other Lightchasers? He probably should've instantly recognised them but honestly? He'd couldn't be bothered socialising. He took off after them but the surges of people meant he lagged behind. Wait. He thought to himself. If i get on the rooves, I'll be able to get there faster! He dropped the apple and rushed to some boxes, then hopping on to a store sign and finally squirming up some bay windows.

From above, he was able to better observe the scene. Smoke and ash clouded the sky, while shingles and bricks crowded the ground. He started running (technically stumbling), heading towards where the streets were most empty, the fumes were the greatest and trying to relocate where those two Lightchasers had ran off to.

[Some while later]

Servus listened from above, crouched on a roof. He'd hoped to make a grand entrance dropping from the rooftop. Unfortunately, he'd underestimated the difficulty of jumping and sprinting on slippery rooftops. His late arrival meant he was only able to hear, '-- control. Fan out—chart the destruction, predict the Ame’s path. If you find civilians, get them clear.' 'Code 9,' he muttered to himself. 'Now it's interesting.'

---

Dust billowed and fluttered, filling the storefront with screams and fear. Wood splintered with a crack, crushed under heavy boots and roiling rage, a soundless scream given voice by pounding footsteps of fleeing civilians. But the thing that shook the storefronts unseen and stalked through shattered tiles didn't deign any care to the destruction underfoot and simply vanished without another trace, slamming down on a rooftop only seconds later, wrought destruction on an area previously untouched by strife. Perhaps of age, make, or even luck though, that the next step taken by the shapeless blur crumbled underfoot, the crash of ancient tiles showering into the quickly emptying tea shop below. But again, the one responsible was no where to be seen, as fragile as mist.

RuoXi slipped, each step as light as the next as it trembled and shook, only one thing ringing through the chaos that tore it's head asunder until only rage, grief, betrayal, and nothingness remained. Run. Run as fast as you can, out out out until nothing was recognizable and everything promised its destruction. The floor crumbled away from under it but still, RuoXi ran, faster than the last step and slower than the next, the shapeless world around it spilling into an unravelled mess of turned backs and grasping hands. The more it ran, the more it was chased, through the searching dark and under the ever watching stars, past a beady sun and through grasping roots. Still it ran, feet barely touching the ground that seeked to swallow it whole, breaking through the vast skies.

The blur seemed to never slow, only picking up the pace as it never stepped on the same spot twice, perhaps never even once. All that was left was the rampage of an Âmes who knew not of anything that was happening. But none of that was of any thought to the common person, it was the destruction wrought in its wake, directionless and devoid of any deeper meaning than what meets the eye. Crumbled roofs, scattered rubble, innocents caught in a rampage that meant nothing and everything, coiling and destroying without even a thought as to what was occurring right under its feet. But perhaps, the one thing that no one would notice in the moment of chaos and unrest but only noted down after casualties were taken note of, was that there was no intent. Not to harm, not to destroy, not even for the hedonism that laced every whisper of a person's true nature. There was simply action, and little other.

RuoXi could feel the tether stretching through it waver and rip, tenuous and fragile. It still faintly pulsed with warmth, worry. These intermittent hums of the voice whose saved it from the darkness kept screaming legs pumping, heart beating, and mind as clear as it could be as it shattered and scattered into sand, the tenuous rolling waves keeping such tepid feelings whole. RuoXi didn't bother to hold onto that lifeline with what strength it could muster, instead channelling that warmth into the will to run, run even faster. Run until that bond stabilized, until it became as warm as the day it revived a second name. It would outrun even the recesses of its mind to return to its master's side. Like the evening tide, RuoXi would continue to run. Until she returns

Somewhere in the gilded ivory towers, a brown haired woman glanced out of the floor to ceiling windows that curved around the meeting room. The sturdy wheelchair upon which she sat produced nary a creak as she leaned back, observing the dust that settled heavily stop the roofs on a far far away part of the place that she called home. A sharp voice called her name and as quickly as it arrived, that silent gaze turned a leather bound back to the soundless chaos

The thread stretched. Ripped. Frayed.

And ultimately, bro-

Hand snapping out, RuoXi held onto that connection with a dying determination, stumbling as the hands that clawed away at it's shadows grasped its feet with a burning grip. It clawed at roughened skin, burning into muscle and gauging bone. It bubbled and hissed, lava burying into marrow and soul, what was once an ankle falling into the yawning abyss. But still, RuoXi held fast, clutching the broken threads that split into nothingness. And it forced that mangled leg to move. One step. Then another. Each step faster than the last, slower than the next. And the poor thing that had been thrown away as easily as a glance refused that fate.

So still, the thing ran. As nimble as the wind and just as transient, here one moment, gone the next. Leaving only destruction in its silent wake

---

Adele startled awake to an odd rumbling, shouts and chaos. Thanks to her horribly ruined sleep schedule, she was late to almost everything. Today, that might have been a fatal mistake, considering her crappy, cheap apartment in Chinatown was probably seconds away from becoming dust. A large, looming black figure jumped from rooftop to rooftop, flattening the city in its wake. Unfortunately for her, her building was directly in its path. She quickly grabbed her suitcase--- pre-packed, of course, always ready for the worst case scenarios--- and her ratty old deck of cards, and fell out of the room.

Avery landed on the door across the hallway, which she promptly kicked open. She slid through the window easily— having intentionally left it ajar the night before.

After an unpleasant tumble onto the outer wall of the neighboring building, she took a moment to survey the alleyway.

The narrow enclosure revealed little— it was covered in an unusual amount of dust, and the red lighting that typically coated the streets was replaced by an unpleasant gray. But all of this could have been gathered from her own room’s cheap window. Avery would need a better vantage point to assess the scene.

She allowed herself a moment of anxiety— the best option was to climb to the rooftop, simply by walking up the side of the building. But with how fast the shadowy figure was moving, seconds were prescious. The fastest route was to switch her gravity upwards, of course, but the landing would be a problem. If she turned off her gravity halfway, her momentum would carry her to the top— but if she overshot by the slightest bit, it would take a little while to correct her error. Adele didn't trust her prescision without her Vie.

It would have to be an unpleasant fall. In seconds, she shot upwards, to the right, and then back down, crashing into the top of the building. At least she had a better vantage point of the chaos. The figure continued destroying buildings, and with a groan, Avery realized the grocery store she worked at was part of the collateral damage, and her apartment soon would be, too.

Dammit, and I just payed rent early. I need a new job, AND a new house. How lovely.

Distracted by her woes, she almost missed the fact that a crowd was beginning to gather in an alleyway. While none of them looked uniquely special, she knew by the fact they weren't cowering in fear that they were likely a mixture of Ames and Vie. Additionally, they seemed too organized for random bystanders. Interesting.

Adele normally avoided such chaos, not wanting to fight since her Vie… died? Disappeared? Ran away??--- anyway, this time she had a bone to pick with this rouge b!tch who was destroying her city.

A thought came to her. She could find out more about this organization of Ames and Vie, and perhaps see if they were offering jobs or boarding, since hers were—ahem, decimated.

Avery also noticed another figure, similarly watching from a rooftop. They seemed to be a part of the organization as well.

In an instant, the group split into different directions, presumably off to fight. She followed the other rooftop observer, launching herself onto their building.

---

Shuto grimaced as he was punched by Hari, who was much shorter, it felt like a little child was trying to get his attention. His constitution had always been terrible, so he was wary of any injuries or bruises, those were always a pain as they wouldn’t heal for weeks.

“Yes, yes, I do apologise, but we have a code 9, and I don’t believe we could have sat and chatted about your emotionally constipated roommate.” He said as he turned to peer around the corner, some more Lightchaser members were gathering. A brief smile hovering over his face, his eyes darting around and listening to the orders being given out.

The pink haired girl was grumpy, of course, it was quite understandable yet still, fairly unreasonably to be pouting at him leaving the restaurant, at least he paid.

“Fine, I’ll pay for it next time, we can get extra kimchi.” Shuto muttered, begrudging and slightly reluctant. He did not have many friends, so he didn’t want Hari to be upset at him all throughout their mission. And silent treatment from Hari was fairly scary. Shuto was fairly daring, but not to that extent.

Who knew such a short, middle school looking girl with light pink hair and a baby face would be so scary?

“Next time we’ll take Ayame too, how about that?”

Ayame, with split coloured hair, light cyan and white, Hari’s so called platonic roommate and the reason for many late night meetings in secret alleyways when Hari was so frantically gushing about her. They couldn’t ever talk about this topic outside of whispers and hushed mutters, not to mention constantly looking around when they were dining together, shutting up the moment a person passed by, no matter who.

Hari, pink haired, bright. Slightly passive aggressive at times but in a very cute and friendly way, you couldn’t guess that she was 16 due to her height and vibe. Her self proclaimed ‘healthy’ obsession with the girl she met at a carriage stop and became roommates with were stories Shuto always welcomed listening to. Them and their group excursions to restaurants, Ayame tagging along once in a while, mostly when they went to the favourite restaurant.

Ah yes, their most frequented restaurant, a Korean Barbecue place, the waiters never overstayed to eavesdrop on their conversations, they had become such regulars that the two of them could walk in and a booth would be reserved especially for them, dishes already ordered for them without even asking. They had to go to the restaurant, at least once a week, if they didn’t? That would be because the sky was collapsing down or something of that calibre. No questions asked, and no answers needed.

Of course, Shuto too was an avid enjoyer of food, perhaps not as much as Hari was, but he would kill for a piece of grilled beef and kimchi. Oh how heavenly that sounded, they were definitely going to get more food after this b*st*rd was taken care of and given some punishment for ruining their Korean Barbecue moment.

Shuto’s mind floated through the clouds imagining each food that came into mind so much that her forgot that, one, he was on a mission, and two, Hari was also there, and he was ignoring her.

He wanted to get everything done and dusted, wrapped up as soon as possible so the glorious reward of food would be accomplished, yet unfortunately, the Ame dashing from rooftop to rooftop denied him that. How utterly annoying.

Shuto, having been raised in the city, was decently familiar with the streets. despite how rarely he visited it, during his youth in hospitals or shut in his room with a tutor, maps littered his childhood room, covering the walls, floor and even some windows. Those maps were his solace in the dim rooms lit by candlelight after curfew hours, under the covers, daydreaming that maybe someday he could walk those streets freely himself, instead of through his imagination.

Unorganised and messy, cluttered with books and pages scattered all over the desks, Shuto reminisced of the days where his fixations were on the city roads, now? He had the responsibilities of being an adult and needing to look after himself, paying bills and all sorts, it was so much more boring.

Of course, making friends had always been difficult for Shuto, isolation separated himself from others in his age range. However, that wasn’t always a bad thing for him, being on his own was better that having a crowd always exclaiming and shouting. Shuto also cherished anything similar to acquaintances or the rare friend that he makes. Hari and Ayame being some of them.

Some would find it sad, some, tragic, but Shuto did not mind, he was the kind of person that did not really care about what others whispered behind his back. Unless it was about his friends.

Protective and defensive? Maybe, just a bit, perhaps. Of course, he’d never admit anything. But what he would say was he did want Hari and Ayame to end up together, it wasn’t exactly tolerated, but Shuto saw no problems with it and he wanted them to be happy, his two sisters being a family he never really had. Third wheeling was fine by him.

Maybe instead of zoning out, Shuto should be focusing on the task at had, dealing with that Ame. RuoDie, mission leader, gave out instructions. Damage control? That would be easy, maybe he could snap a few snacks on the way to fuel his energy. If they were lucky, they only needed to secure the area and shooing civilians away from the site.

Ames were unpredictable by nature, a rampaging one? Probably even more so, trying to pinpoint a path would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but as an sad, unpaired Vie, that was his job as a member.

Shuto waited for Hari, as leaving her behind would be extremely unwise, her punches hurt, somewhat, at least, for a person her size.

Brushing back some loose, black-white hair behind his ear, slightly pissed that it fell out of his ponytail, and patted down his coat of any dust.

---

Just like the rhythmic beating of a dragon boat's drummer. The heels of hxr boots beat down against the brick ground as shx made hxr way to Chinatown, following closely behind hxr Vie. Sweat slicked along hxr neck as shx ran - or skipped, if that is a better word for it. Hxr hair - long and wavy, cascading down hxr back - bobbed along with hxr footsteps, rushed and heavy. Shx was not one to hurry in hxr day-to-day life, but when duty calls - and shx means calls, not whatever narcissistic self-serving idea of duty Carnelian had - shx would do anything for it. Hxr superior leader was not hxr Vie, nor was it hxr mission leader, nor the president of the Lightchasers, but rather duty itself. Shx'd treat the commands of duty as the ultimate rule.

Sprinting through a thick and crowded marketplace, buyers and sellers alike clamoring in the opposite direction in a frenzied panic, shx found hxrself nearing Chinatown. The deafening screams grew louder in the direction shx faced, and the stampede grew denser. The mass of civilians dispersed now - leaving only a barren walkway cluttered with discarded fruits and vegetables - some still ripe, others now rotting, valuable trinkets scattered amongst them, sparkling as they caught the dazzling sunlight. The scent was overwhelming - sweetness, then decay. Rusted metals, then the scent of polish.

Feeling hxr senses tingle, shx froze. Halting violently to a stop, dragging Carnelian back. Hxr eyes flicked across the bazaars placed haphazardly by the sides, center, and some even having several floors to them - when shx spotted a trail of smoke. God forbid anyone else gets injured. Shx thought almost instantly, running over in the direction. No longer was Carnelian leading the way - shx was clearly the escort now. As much as shx loved Carnelian, shx couldn't bear having that pompous egomaniac lead the way - surely he'd get lost or forget his purpose, and shx'd catch him browsing a jeweler's wares.

Dashing forth into another alley, shx found that shx'd finally arrived at Chinatown. "Carnelian," shx began, eyeing the wreckage, "don't stray too far." shx finished. Without Carnelian saying anything yet - shx was already exasperated. The look on his face was enough to faze hxr, it seemed. Throwing hxr arm to the side, shx shifted it into a brilliantly carved bow. The sort you'd see played by a maestro like Paganini or Tchaikovsky. Hxr dress billowed dramatically in the wind; its elegant sleeves flapping about. Shx shot him a glance.

"Well, maestro? Are you ready to play?" shx inquired slyly, shifting hxr arm back into its original form. Shx glanced around to ensure no one spotted hxr - shx never wanted to be spotted by anyone shx knew from the past. Those people all wore masks, parading around with a carefully crafted facade. Shx, too, had to join such a masquerade.

Many years back, when shx was merely a child. But that isn't what matters right now, isn't it? Hxr childhood is the least of hxr concerns. Hxr focus right now was hxr paramount duty. The air around hxr was smoky and polluted with dust - shx could barely breathe through it. All shx had to do was assist in neutralizing the current threat. While to hxr, it didn't sound that hard, shx has to rely on whatever excuse for a leader hxr Vie was. Shx'd say he was incredibly incompetent, pathetic, and indolent, he was all shx had to rely on. And for that, he has hxr utmost loyalty. No matter how obnoxious he could get, shx'd stay by his side.

Looking to him for a command or confirmation, shx dusted hxrself off and smoothed down hxr hair. Shx combed through hxr locks as a means of calming hxrself, shx scanned the area to think of a plan. A bit farther from hxr, RuoDie was yelling commands. Obediently, shx nodded.

Chase. That was hxr duty at the moment. And shx'd treat it seriously. No matter how much Carnelian dare bother hxr, shx'd make sure to fulfill what was entrusted upon hxr. Sprinting off in the direction shx'd been following, shx glimpsed briefly behind hxr to check on Carnelian. Surely he can't be struggling now, can he? Exhaling, shx slowed hxr pace to await hxr Vie, grabbing him by the hand once he catched up, yanking him along with hxr. He can't get sidetracked now - shx wouldn't dare allow it. Any sort of dilly-dallying wouldn't be tolerated by hxr right now. Perhaps it'd be fine if shx was still "reading", flicking through the pages of an old novel, but surely not during a Code 9.

"This is serious, Etoile," shx stated firmly, "so you better play this well."

With one last burst of energy, shx centered all hxr abilities into hxr core. Shx felt this violent, bright energy flashing within hxr, threatening to tear hxr apart. Shx felt hxr hands grow solid, morphing and melting as if being poured into a mold, as if shx was being reforged in a fiery furnace.

Gasping as shx swirled into hxrself, skin growing paler, florals swallowing hxr whole, now dotted across her complexion, erupting from where hxr eyes once were, shx flared and shrunk, soft skin transfiguring into wood, shape going from humanoid to instrument. Hxr arm swelled up as if channeling energy into itself, becoming thinner, smaller, into a bow. Florals carved intricately into it - or perhaps they weren't carved - they seemed to swell out, in fact. Hxr dress merged into hxr body, hips shifting into the elegant dip and curve of a violin.

Now in the form of a white violin, floral patterns laced around the bout and the waist. Shx landed gracefully in Carnelian's palms, bow dropping atop hxr.

Now, although silent, it seemed as if shx was commanding Carnelian. Beckoning him, almost.

Play.

---

Carnelian hated running almost as much as he hated code 9's. Hated the feeling of his lungs gasping for air and his legs aching to stop. The air was annoying to breathe as it was muggy and heavy and the light was dim so he was not having a good time. He huffed and puffed dramatically with every step, his shoes pattering on the concrete. This better not ruin them. The leather was still pristinely dark and smooth and he was very meticulous at cleaning even a speck of dirt from them. They were his favourites and very expensive. Definitely not something to ruin seeing as he wouldn't be able to afford to get the remade. He really wished they'd pay him more.

As they reached chinatown he had to stop for a moment to actually breathe. Although he hasn't breathed some nice, clear air since his father threw him out. Oh how he missed a nice, warm king bed with satin sheets and someone waiting on his beck and call. And the wine. Oh how Carnelian missed his dessert wines and how they invoked the feeling of the smooth liquid in his mouth, drowning his taste buds in the fruity, sweet taste and the buzzing in his veins of the alcohol coursing through his bloodstream. Carnelian had never really been a whiskey man, like most of the upper class, always preferring sweetness over sharpness

He did, unfortunately get thrown back into this depressing reality, when he was (very annoyingly) pulled back by his darling Ame. How rude of hxr! He had just seen the most darling cafe too! Maybe he'll drag her there later if it's still standing.

"That was rather aggressive, my dear."

He flashed hxr a grin either way, he loved how feisty she was, like a little kitten. Adorable. Although as soon as he caught the scent of the market, a mix of oversweetness and decay attacking his senses, he wrinkled his nose and made a rather disgusted face. How distasteful.. He followed behind his Ame, making soft 'ick' sounds every now and again. He really never could keep his mouth shut.

As they entered ANOTHER alleyway, he had to lean against the wall to catch his breath. The urge to have a gander at the markets wares nearly consumed him, but for once, he decided maybe the code 9 was a little more important. His gaze followed Astra's to the circus performers and scoffed. "And you told me to focus." He said it rather quietly, more of a whisper under his breath. Although his eyebrows raise as his hand was grabbed roughly. Aww, such a small and delicate hand. He was rather proud of his height and size after all. It was rather impressive after all. You don't come across someone his size very often, not many people stood at 6'5 like he did.

He was mesmerised by her transformation. Carnelian had a keen eye for anything he could perceive as beautiful, and this was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the sight, like he was bewitched by it. The downside was that it hurt his eyes to look at, he had to squint and shield them, even with his sunglasses on. He had to lean on the wall until he could see again, setting them back a few minutes while his vision returned. That was when he could pick up his Ame.

He had always known his cruel violin instructors teachings would come in handy one day, although albeit not exactly like this. Saying that, using a violin in battle was much more entertaining than playing the same notes over again to make a slightly different symphony.

---

Hari glared at Shuto for just a few seconds longer, contemplating whether she should forgive him or not. That tall m*th*rf*ck*r being so stupidly logical made her want to rip hairs out of her head. And that she did. Duh. What did you expect her to do? Let that one intrusive thought just echo into the abyss? Of course not!

While distractedly pulling on her hair, she contemplated what Shuto had suggested, her mind rapidly going into motion, noticing the allure of having her three favorite things all together in one place: her lovely, adorable, gorgeous roommate Ayame; the delectable, heavenly, moist, sweet, smoky, spicy Korean BBQ (along with the heavenly side dishes); and, begrudgingly, her bestie Shuto. It was hard making friends, okay? Hari was socially awkward and struggled to make friends, so she had to be grateful for Shuto to still be sticking around!

"Pinky promise? You have to pay!! Or else I'm not going to bring Ayame and you'll be stuck listening to..." Hari trailed off, a feeble attempt in creating a guise of suspense.

"OKAY I CAN'T HOLD IT BACK ANYMORE BUT SHE WAS SO F*CK*NG CUTE THIS MORNING WHEN SHE WAS CUDDLING OUR CATS IN OUR BED BUT LIKE THE LOOK IN HER EYES WAS SO AHHHH MY HEART COULD NOT HANDLE ALL THAT FLUFF AND CUTENESS SO EARLY IN THE MORNING BUT LIKE THE CATS WERE SO FLUFFY AND SHE HAD CAT HAIR ALL OVER HER BUT AHHHHHHHHHH" She whisper-yelled, her eyes sparkling as she remembered the scene she had seen this morning. Her hands gesticulated frantically as she bounced on the balls of her feet, excited to be gushing all about her healthy, platonic love for her roommate - excited to the point of forgetting that she had abandoned her KBBQ in order to act upon a Code Nine.

[In the Morning]
Hari had woken up to cat fur everywhere. There was elegant, posh, fragrant, glorious cat hair in her eyes, nose, mouth, hair - it was easier to list where cat hair wasn't instead of where it was. Rubbing at her eyes, she yawned, sitting up. The soft sunlight entered the room through the gap between their thick, olive curtains, creating a warm glow all around their room. The warm mood combined with her half-awake, blurry state only amplified the feeling of comfort and bliss she felt.

However, despite the warm tones and cozy feeling, she was thirsty. Parched, even. Letting out a groan as stiff muscles made way for the slowly adjusting joints, she tried to stand up to walk over to the Brita, only to fall down when she felt a small tug on her sleeve. It was her roommate, Ayame. The adorable, fluffy Ayame. The sunlight only emphasised the blissful look on her face as she cuddled with Royal, Mewies, April, Athena, Crookshanks, and Lil Jimbob.

unfortunately indeed the fluff must end and return to the plot

[Return to Plot]
However, already estimating Shuto's lackluster response, she sighed and nodded.

"Fine... I guess so. But you have to pay, talk to the waiter, and do all of the social interaction!!" Hari said, almost gleefully, listing each condition while using her fingers to count. She couldn't wait to see this happen! The reserved Shuto Kohauku, socialising with strangers? It was something incredibly rare, her only remembrance of this occurrence having been when she introduced Ayame to him.

But, then again, this forced social interaction wasn't purely out of spite. Sometimes, she worried that the lack of company aside from two lovesick fools would look bad on him. Already, the notion of two women being together was highly discouraged - penalised even - and being seen with a pair of sinners was most likely punishable. She didn't want Shuto to be totally alone if she and Ayame were caught. Sure, Hari and Ayame weren't together, but to outsiders, they most likely looked like a foolish couple fraternising and corrupting an intelligent, well-mannered, Viè.

Plusssss... maybe her bestie would find someone of his own!! Then they would be able to go on double 'group hangouts', all enjoy Korean BBQ, and so much more!!

Hari's mind was spinning, almost reeling, from the rapid throw-around of ideas and thoughts bouncing around all four ventricles in her brain. She was getting distracted!

F*ck. Of all moments to be stuck in her head, it was now?? When she had to be focused and concentrate on listening to Leader Tao RuoDie's orders, which were given for her to get her *ss up and actually do her job?? What was she doing - lollygagging about, daydreaming and being mindlessly lost??

She really needed to snap out of it. Sighing, she looked around, noting that most everybody else were concentrated on Leader Tao RuoDie's orders, probably already starting to form a plan and act upon it. What should she do? She hadn't been paying much attention- nor was she focusing on the scene at hand.

"Hey... Shuto? Uhm..." She whispered, so quiet it could've blended into the screams echoing behind them. "What are we supposed to do...?" She asked, practically begging him for help with the way she was practically on her knees, hands clasped tightly together, and her eyes pleading for him to 'save her from this embarrassing situation and get her *ss out of the situation she put herself in.'

---