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 Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2023 9:02 am
RAPID THREAD
This means 1 sentence to 2 para replies so we can reply quickly without stressing our brain or detracting from the main thread. This style is great for conversations.
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FRI - Oct 14th - 7am - Cloudy - 62*F
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2023 9:38 am
 The morning would seem like any other for the young BoM member who had just been given his new assignment. He had yet to begin the application process for Rengoku, paperwork, uniforms, ect. There was a pile of information back on his desk waiting for him to continue studying before he began his assignment. Among the dragons, there were several persons of interest in attendance, namely a particular female who had been at an arcane warehouse explosion resulting in two deaths, the rift event, and the recent museum catastrophe. Was it all a coincidence? Possibly, but being involved in three incidents in the last 6 months was a little too suspect to ignore. There was also the close yet ambiguous relationship the girl had with the dragon Shingen was trying to get close to. Dragon culture in general was a very secretive affair. Many of the large, multi-million dollar conglomerates were dragon owned and security to their events was tight. All the money trails looked legit on the surface, but that was also a red flag for certain detectives. When something appeared to be too perfect, it usually meant there was a closet of skeletons hiding around somewhere. As far as that all went, there wasn't a lot of funding or manpower dedicated to this little hunt. If anything, the paperwork filed for this little project was more investigation on potential dangers the students posed with verbal orders to get close to the dragon kid and see what he could find out about dragon politics and what the major players had up their sleeves. Unfortunately for Shingen, one of his superiors high up on the totem pole was a mole for the head of ATIN Corp which meant Typhon Isernia was aware of the project and by proxy, so was Deia Isernia. Thankfully, the orders of spying on the dragon kid wasn't written in paper. It was a verbal, clandestine request masked by the official mission of investigating potential dangers and possible involvement in recent events which meant Shingen was not currently on Typhon's hit list. The elder dragon would not hesitate to eliminate any threats of exposing their plans to the masses. Being in position to spy on the students gave Deia a unique reason to approach the BoM agent. As of yet, she didn't have her own informant operating in the Bureau so she was determined to recruit Shingen to her side. Perhaps it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Therefore, his habits were carefully studied and a poor kid was promised a good amount of money to sit in the alley across the street and watch the cafe he occasionally frequented every morning before school. When Shingen did go in for a coffee or pastry- whatever he like to get, the kid with a hoodie pulled over his face would stop him on his way out with a tug on the back of his coat. "Hey Mister, you dropped this." A crappy brick phone would be shoved into Shingen's hand and the kid would turn around and dart away before he could protest, weaving in between the customers exiting the shop to avoid getting caught. Then he was gone and Shingen was stuck with an unfamiliar phone that had a number marked on the back in sharpie.
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2023 8:42 am
 A hundred different things went through Shingen’s mind as he stood in line at the coffee shop. He’d made it a routine of his to get his weekend started with their signature white mocha latte before getting into the news. There was a barista that worked there with a cheery attitude and a cute look to boot. If he had been any regular guy with a regular job or maybe attending college, he would have tried his luck with her but Shingen knew better than to drag anyone along the treacherous path he was on. It made him wonder if his new assignment would have him doing such things to blend in. The possibilities buzzed around his head, never having attended a public school much less as a nobody.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. He had to trust his training and his superiors. He’d like to think they chose him because of his job performance but it was hard to refute the fact that he was likely one, if not the youngest members of the BoM and was the only one able to pass as a high schooler. This isn’t what I signed up for. He thought to himself as he stepped up behind the next person to order. He didn’t noticed the hooded figure quickly step up behind him until he called out to him about dropping his phone.
By the time he could get a look at the kid’s face, he was standing there holding an old phone, seeing him disappear into the street outside. What the hell? He examined the brick of a phone and noticed the number written on the back. All of a sudden it dawned on him what might be happening and he looked up to see if there were any eyes on him, to no avail. Shingen knew the first thing he had to do was keep it casual and decided to put the phone in his pocket. After making his order, Shingen found his usual corner in the café that allowed him to look out across the place and into the street and sat down.
Dialing the number, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the leafy pattern floating at the top of his latte. There were so many things wrong with what he was now doing but it was apparent that it was better knowing who was watching him and why, opposed to letting them tail his every move.
Location: Cafe With: Outfit: OOC:
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:54 pm
Dialing the number would take him to a non-answering line that didn't have a voicemailbox set up. However he would receive a text moments after.
1 pm. Rengoku botanical garden. Tropical green house.
And that was it.
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Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2023 10:02 am
After the call hailed no one, Shingen put the phone down and took a sip from his latte, looking out to the passerby’s outside. He looked like he did any other day, enjoying his coffee except he was methodically ruling out each person in the café as a potential observer. It wasn’t a minute before the phone’s little screen lit up and Shingen flipped it open to see a single text message. ”Hmph.” He closed the phone back up and put it in his pocket, choosing to finish his coffee. He even had time for a muffin.
Two hours before the appointed time, Shingen had settled himself on a roof several buildings away from the entrance of the botanical garden. He hoped he could spot anyone setting a trap or anything suspicious. At the very least, he wanted to know who he was dealing with in order to keep from walking into an ambush. He had brought along a small monocular on a small tripod that could mount a smartphone. He used it for reconnaissance in order to take photos and scope out the area but only looked through when something looked interesting. He didn’t need someone creeping up on him afterall.
Location: Rooftop down the street from the Rengoku Botanical Garden Outfit: See Image Left
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Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2023 7:07 pm
Shingen would find that the garden was quite large and happened to be a major tourist attraction, especially on weekends. With the amount of people going in and out of the facility, it was difficult to pick out any one particular person. One thing was clear, this was likely not an ambush. He wouldn't find any people going in with suitcases, loaded backpacks, or even briefcases which meant they had an inside contact and set equipment up when the facility was in the opening stages, or there was another reason for calling him out there.
In the hour leading up to his meeting time, several high profile persons of interest entered the facility. Any one of them could be behind the cryptic message, but all looked to be on a leisurely venture. After all, the garden did host a variety of endangered species that the wealthy might try their hand at acquiring.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2023 9:24 am
A few hours, and a few cups of Thermos coffee later, Shingen realized there wasn’t much out of the ordinary happening at the Garden. This was one of Rengoku’s popular attractions and it wasn’t unusual to see all kinds of tourists and locals come and visit. If there was anything suspicious, Shingen had either been too late to see it set up or it would happen in another way. As the final hour approached, business types appeared. It looked like some sort of corporate outing or perhaps they had rented out a venue for an event.
Taking everything up with him, he headed down the street and to the Garden. The tickets were inexpensive and Shingen took up a pamphlet with the day’s events. He looked like any other local looking to check out the Botanical Garden that season. In reality, he was a fan of flowers although he rarely had the time to appreciate them. He set himself at one of the courtyards surrounded by flowers and pulled out his phone to take pictures of the ones that looked picturesque. His situational awareness was at it’s high, knowing that whoever texted him would find him.
Location: Rengoku Botanical Garden>Floral Courtyard Outfit: See Image Left
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2023 8:42 pm
Plants had always been quite fascinating to the young dragon. As with any creature of her species, they all had something they tended to hoard- a thing that fascinated or pleased them in some way. Deia’s thing was exotic and rare plants. She spent an obscene portion of her research grants collecting, maintaining, and protecting her top secret greenhouse facility. So naturally, a rare orchid exhibition would pique her interest. It was also the perfect cover to have a clandestine meeting without alerting her father of her business. The man loved her research but failed to acknowledge her worth since she was a female, thus pinning all of his hopes on her incompetent, human loving brother. Ever since Ash was exposed as was her rather dire mistake in genetic choices, he'd had her basically on lockdown. It was suffocating. Which is why she needed to expand her personal influence outside of his command. This operative was young and fresh, she doubted he harbored loyalties to anyone yet- which meant he could be a perfect fruit to pluck.
Deia didn't approach right away. She'd leave him wondering who had called him. He looked quite paranoid really, casing anyone who looked in his direction- so she purposely ignored him. It was a good fifteen minutes after their appointed meeting time that he would find himself admiring the same white orchid as Deia.
"Did you know the ghost orchid is considered extinct?"
Currently Wearing: minus the cape
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 8:40 am
An elegantly peculiar flower had caught Shingen’s attention. It’s petals hung down from the sides and he couldn’t help but see it as an icon of a person, like something one would see painted on a cave wall by aborigines. He had become suddenly engrossed with taking a well angled picture of it with his phone camera that he hadn’t noticed someone walk up beside him. The only thing that had changed was a strange sensation of heat in his midsection that he quickly shrugged off as having drank too much caffeine. It was a woman’s voice that spoke up, offering a fact over what Shingen assumed was the flower he now tried to photograph.
“Doesn’t surprise me” Shingen started, finding just the right angle as to not only get all of the petals in display but also a background that framed the flower. “Wild beauty tends to die in captivity.” He finished, rising triumphantly from his perfect picture to turn to the stranger, smirking. The woman was striking, wearing a slim fitting shade of magenta that made her emerald hair stand out the more. Whatever she had done to her eyes brought him in even further although he would be damned if he let her know that.
Location: Rengoku Botanical Garden>Floral Courtyard Outfit: See Image Left
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2023 10:58 pm
Deia was tiny and petite compared to the male standing next to her, which was quite annoying. Even with a pair of 4" heels, she was still shorter than the young BoM agent, which meant she had to look up at him. However, despite her tiny package, she had the confidence of a lion- or in this case, a dragon. Deia was much larger in her dragon form and a force to be reckoned with when she was in human form. Unlike many of her peers, Deia kept her scaled hidden under her skin, constantly frozen in a partially transformed state that could not be perceived by the naked eye save for the slit at the center of her pupils. Not only did the bright crimson color of her eyes allude to the fact that she wasn't human, but the iris was one of the first things to change when one activated parts of their dragon form along with heightened senses. Senses that Deia currently used to take in details about Shingen that she couldn't have gotten from a paper. His scent for one, committed to memory.
Deep red eyes looked him up and down, noting any detail she could find in terms of personal care and hygiene. Were his clothes ironed? Linted? Animal hair? Crumbs? Did he use gel, lotion, deodorant? What were his heart rate and breathing like? She studied all of these things as she made small talk. A smirk tugged at the corner of her cupid's bow. "It only dies if you can't trick it into thinking it's still wild." She glanced at his camera. "Hobby or profession?"
Currently Wearing: minus the cape
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Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 8:33 am
As Shingen was caught up by her eyes, he began to notice something deeper to them. They were different. At first he thought she might have contacts on or had a speckled irises but a longer look revealed something more akin to a reptilian pupil. The discovery was chilling, that paired with the fluctuating sensation in his core truly had him off balance. Of course it wasn’t helpful that her striking looks were somehow compounded by her smaller stature.
Her gaze could have kept him frozen in place indefinitely, though her true words required a response. She had released him momentarily to look over his camera, asking him whether he was there out of choice or necessity. “Both, if I can help it.” He started, holding up the camera. “I’d like to make it to the big leagues one day. Get paid to travel the world and capture it’s secrets.” He replied.
Shingen couldn’t shake the notion of a strong presence from the woman. She couldn’t be much older than him but commanded the space as if she owned it. What is she?
Location: Rengoku Botanical Garden>Floral Courtyard Outfit: See Image Left
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 8:24 pm
He didn't seem to recognize her. That was pretty rare these days. Deia had made so many appearances at her father's side that she assumed almost everyone in the city knew her by now. Perhaps he simply didn't pay attention to the people behind the fortune 500 companies. Guess there were humans like that. How delightful it was to be so carefree and ignorant to the world. Deia wished her responsibilities were so few and far between that she could simply ignore the major processes of the world and gallivant off into the sunset.
"Perhaps I can help make that dream a reality." Her voice came across smooth as silk with a seductive purr woven into it's fibers, only it wasn't sexual in any way. The seduction here wasn't physical, but the intangible concept of being able to achieve something far away. Money, power, influence, the ability to manifest ideas into the real world. "Are you in the market for a side gig?"
Currently Wearing: minus the cape
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 1:48 pm
When the woman spoke of making his dream come true, Shingen somehow knew she was serious. He had suspected that she came from a position of influence despite her age and her offer came with no sign of faltering. Shingen didn’t know quite what to say at the moment. It wasn’t everyday that someone offered you up the world. Then it hit him. This was the anonymous texter from the café. Shingen chuckled at the realization, dismissing the idea that the offer had any kind of truth behind it.
”What could someone with that kind of money want from someone like me?” Shingen asked, feigning ignorance as he looked her over quizzingly. She’s a spy. And something else all at once. He pondered over the unique look in her eyes. I wonder if she’ll ask me to sell my soul. Shingen was aware he’d been found. There was confidential information he knew that any government entity would love to pick apart, black operations and the like spanning the globe that never happened.
It didn’t mean Shingen couldn’t have fun with it while it lasted. What was more, if they wanted to ensure extracting the information, they simply would have picked him up coming out of the café. This was something more.
Location: Rengoku Botanical Garden>Floral Courtyard Outfit: See Image Left
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 8:37 pm
Deia stepped up to him, her voice a dark purr. One hand reached for his chest, not in a rapid, threatening way but with slow deliberation. There was something dark and sultry in the way she touched him- if he didn't bat her hand right away. Her petite fingers would slide along the angled flap of his jacket. Such cheap fabric. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" Her fingertips followed the line all the way to his little decorative button, head changing her focus from his tacky clothing to his face, crimson orbs sharp with a predatory instinct. She tapped on the button. "What are you willing to offer?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2023 11:41 am
There were many subjects the BoM trained their recruits in. Basic things such as proficiency with their arts and weapons, effective communications using equipment and other things like operational security and navigation. Shingen, however, belonged to a higher echelon that received advanced training, specialized with their specific occupation. One of those subjects being interrogation and resistance to it. Shingen had done well enough in his class, choosing to get in the head of his subject as the aggressor and outlasting his aggressor as the subject.
None of that, however, changed who he was. He was still a young man at twenty years old, constantly caught up in someone else’s business. So when the woman stepped up to him and put her hand on him, his heart betrayed him. On the outside, he appeared just as he had been but on the inside, his heart was beating hard enough that he wouldn’t doubt she could feel it on her hand. She knew what she was doing. He knew what she was doing. But when she looked up at him from his button, Shingen was stricken.
Reptilian eyes on an innocent face mirrored her behavior. Enticing her prey. A serpent on a hunt. Freedom.” Shingen spoke down to her, his smirk now softened. ”Run away with me. Let the rest settle itself. It’s a big world. Easy to get lost in it all.” He said, searching her eyes. There was no retirement for their kind, he knew as much. To run was to keep running, especially from the large overlords that held the pieces to the board. ”Flowers like you don’t belong in captivity.” He said as he brought up his free hand to hold her at the chin.
Location: Rengoku Botanical Garden>Floral Courtyard Outfit: See Image Left
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