▊▊ · HEΛDLESS ❵

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⊰☠⊱ — Covered in wounds, blood seeped through his clothes, Nicolas managed to get to somewhere more isolated– somewhere safe for the time being. Coming across creatures he hadn’t exactly encountered before, they definitely gave him a warm welcome to remember. Sometimes he’d forget that it wasn’t only Normals and superhumans inhabiting the Hive. Today, he was reminded of that, just a few minutes ago. 

A displeased grunt parted thinned lips as shoulders would lax, patting down on wound of the wounds as he took a look at his palm– least he wasn’t bleeding badly. He managed to get away with minor injuries. As he was about to situate himself under a tree and take a quick nap, to restore some of the energy he wasted getting away from being tailed, someone came up from behind. How hadn’t he noticed? He wasn’t too far gone but rather distracted. 

Fuck. 

Without wasting another second, he swung his katana, which was still unsheathed, behind him– in an attempt to strike them. It came in contact with something hard, causing the deaf Tagged to raise a brow as he looked back. Almost as if he was watching in slow motion, the helmet came off the person’s head– or rather lack of, leaving him frozen on the spot as he stared at the headless body standing upright. It was a woman– from what he could tell from the skin-tight black outfit. It seemed women had a thing for attire like that. He wondered if it’s because it was easier to move in.. 

       Yet she had always to keep her guard up whenever they would be around, as unfortunate as it was.

       While her job was a rather simple one ( it required retrieving a package and assure its protection, which she could easily do ), but the beasts started being the last of her problems. They were easy to avoid, her shadows could easily stop them and there was Shooter, who was much quicker on his feet than the creatures, yet the problem that arose was another one.

       A sword, too quick for her reflexes, and a noise; something hitting her helmet, and the sound of something hitting the floor. It had been too quick for Celty to do anything, and she isn’t sure what happened but her helmet had been knocked off and there was a man ( in pain, covered in bruises, wounds and blood ), who she assumed was the one who attacked her, but he was... confused.

       That was understandable.

       It really has been some time since someone knocked her helmet off like that... I brought back memories ( not the most pleasant ones ), but Celty did not move. The man was confused, and she was worried, admittedly, despite having attacked her. The Dullahan judged it self defense; had those creatures attacked him? It was a possibility, though she couldn’t be certain. Her shadows quickly retrieved the helmet that flew away, bringing it back to her hands, and back to her “head”.

       Movements are slow and careful as well; I am no enemy, she tries to tell the other with how she moved and how her hands worked. Though most weren’t as capable of reading body movements as some of her friends were, there was still an attempt as the fairy pulled out her PDA.

“A Strain is someone that is born with special powers. Usually, they’re observed and dealt with in different ways depending on the risk they carry…” Explaining it, a subtle feeling of nausea overtook Anna as she considered her own past as a Strain. It hadn’t been pretty. She left out the explanation regarding Kings for now, afraid it might just make things more confusing.

       While the fairy had been lost in thoughts, the sound of the young girl’s voice resonates once again & it catches the woman off guard. Anri. Somehow, that girl had read her thoughts and, while it hadn’t been all of them, it was-- -- -- impressive.

       Her helmet nods three times, excitedly as she was, before typing in a new message.

Izaya leans forward dramatically to catch them: the first words Celty’s said to him all day. The message is depressingly short, with none of the usual suspicion or frustrated jeers she likes to give – but he grins, and he might as well be seconds away from celebrating. Good thing they’re at a joint like this, right? There’s always a party going on inside.

‘A delivery?’ he asks innocently, but it’s less innocent and more whatever could you mean? Listen closely, and you can almost hear the you’re so silly thrown in for flavour. ‘I didn’t leave you totally in the dark – come on. What else would I need you for?’ He turns away towards the bright doors, and says above the din – 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　‘Don’t answer that.’

Not that she would ever know anyway.

The inside of the casino is as garish as the outside. Stepping in is like stepping in a hurricane: the carpets are intricately patterned, the ceilings dizzingly high – and though the slots are a hundred steps away, they ring out loudly in a chaotic mess. It’s sickening, if you wait too long and don’t keep moving.

‘Over here,’ Izaya indicates, pointing the courier over to the tables. There are poker and blackjack games crowded by breathless spectators, but he doesn’t stop until he finds a table that’s empty – and it sticks out like a sore thumb, just like the two of them. The dealer nods as they approach…

And Izaya, of all things, decides to hang back.

‘Looks like we’re a little early.’ His tone is unreadable, but the curl to his mouth is – ‘Say. Why don’t you play a game while wait?’ He shoos her towards the dealer, pulling his phone out and crooking it between cheek and shoulder.

       No answer came from the Dullahan, if only an air of I don’t appreciate your humor, much less your presence, so watch your words coming from her. She knows Izaya can read her, she knows he can read her well and while some times that becomes a bit of a bother ( he doesn’t use that ability of his for good, but if only to poke at people’s deepest wounds ), there are times Celty Sturluson can use it for her advantage; few times, but they’re better than nothing.

       She wouldn’t waste a few seconds of her time typing in a message that she knew Izaya wouldn’t absorb.

       When they step inside one of the casinos, the scenario is surreal. It’s loud and colorful and sparkly and too much for the fairy. It’s a place she has never been, a place she doesn’t want to be and a place, she knew, Shinra would never want her to be. She knew about the people in that place, and she knew gambling was entirely illegal. If her stomach was a working one, surely the woman would be feeling sick of it at this point; there were many things going through her mind, what Izaya’s plans could be and how she definitely shouldn’t have accepted that job.

       She didn’t need to eat, she didn’t need to buy clothes, she didn’t pay rent, what did she need money for?

       Old habits die hard, I suppose...

       When a voice ( his ) resonates again, it starts getting confusing & too hard to believe. We are early, he says, and she already knows things wouldn’t get better from there; why don’t you play a game?, he suggests.

       It’s at times like these Celty asks herself over & over just why, why does she keep accepting his jobs... The woman’s first instinct is to look back at Izaya, to ask him ( with all the body movement she would muster, he could read her, she knew ), just what the hell was he thinking?! Yet she is forced to sit down, awkward as she was, when the dealer starts playing with his cards.

      IT didn’t exactly surprise Shizuo that he’d seen that familiar helmet in the crowd that dispersed as the last of the new arrivals - a group which he was included in - exited the apparent holding area to be released into the city. That helmet couldn’t belong to anyone else, and he was able to pick it out of such a large crowd by experience alone - maybe she was waiting for Shinra to arrive, should he not have been here already. Or maybe curiosity had struck the the dullahan, and the sight of a familiar face - his familiar face - led her to stick around until the end. A cigarette now firmly entrenched between his lips, Shizuo strode forth towards his friend - already a fairly good start to his tenure here. 

       But she stayed, and waited, waited, waited...

       And in the end, they came back, with or without their memories of the city. Coming from Shizuo, it was a weird question to ask. Perhaps he had noticed the Dullahan’s absence in Ikebukuro?

Three or four months. It’s not my first time here, though... I think it has been eight months already, in total.

       Definitely much longer than she would like.

“ Well, I didn’t bring my swim trunks but this should be alright. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve dove a few leagues under the water. “ Taking a glance over at the helmeted individual holding up a PDA, he’d wonder why she’d only communicate via a cellphone but the idea was that maybe she was deaf and was saving them troubles, to which he’d nod his head at her text. 

“ Same goes with me. I can swim a pretty solid distance so you got no worries with me around. “ He’d say confidently, hitting his chest. Although he’d glance back at the individual with the phone and cat eared helmet. “ Keep that thing out of the water though. Might end up breaking. “ As he cracked his knuckles, he’d rotate his head a little bit. 

“ I’m ready to jump in at any time. Just say the word! “

✯ Well, suffice to say that she was wondering what someone like her, who didn’t have any notions about diving, could do.

✯“Wow… This must be even deeper than Eagle River…” Maya was crouched on the limit between earth and water. It was a shame there was no sand surrounding this… Lagoon? Lake? Sea? She had no idea of what was the minimum/maximum size for each of those terms.

✯ Her teammates seem to be all assuming they’ll need to hold their breaths to explore this place. Now, she didn’t doubt they’d be able of doing such a thing for so long (this city has plenty of super powerful types), but what could she, a totally normal human, do for this exploration’s sake if she couldn’t stay underwater that long?

✯ If only Samejima’s claims were true… Perhaps she could test it? Maya decided to close her eyes, hold her breath use her position to bring her face closer to the water’s surface. Closer, closer…

✯ *Splash!* At first, it felt just like poolwater. Which was a bit weird, isn’t this supposed to be saltwater? Well, she can’t stay like this forever. She opens her eyes… and no unpleasant sensation covers them. Sure, her vision is blurry just like what you’d expect from human eyes underwater, but no stinging that’d make her close them again.

✯ Then, she releases her breath. Plenty of bubbles appear around her head and water fills her mouth and throat. It’s a really, really weird feeling, yet she doesn’t seem to be drowning. It’s… actually a very nice feeling. All of this water inside her lungs, but it’s like she’s breathing air.

✯ She then takes her head off the water and looks at her companions. “Hey, guys, we don’t need to hold our breaths here! Pretty neat, huh?”

Nevertheless, they are ready, willing, and able to comply. He’s thankful for that much, at least.

“Alright, good to hear. All of you.”

Very good, in fact. They’re all raring to go, and a high morale is perfect for any type of team, especially a scouting division embarking on a brand new quest.

Imagine that. He’s leading three other squad members into a mission that’ll actually be beneficial.

“Diving head-first into foreign waters isn’t recommended. Actually, no, it’s a stupid idea. Besides, we’re not equipped for scuba diving, so we need to figure out another way to explore the waters.”

Easier said than done, he supposed.

Idly, his gaze flickers down to his cellphone. True, he just got here, but chances are that other teams may have found something noteworthy that he would like to hear about. So far, nothing. The cellphone once again is put away.

The little splash caught his attention. It was much too small to be someone falling into the waters– no, it was the young Maya Fey sticking her face in unknown waters. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

What if she were dragged down by whatever’s beneath the surface– his pace picks up again as he hurriedly strides towards the water’s edge, just as she lifted her head with what appeared to be an accomplished look. For a moment he would’ve just passed it off as her fooling around, but…

“What?” As preposterous as that sounded… he would trust her not to play tricks at a time like this, a time where the four should be embarking.

“What do you mean? Are you saying that there’s a means of breathing underwater? Hold on. I’ll test this, myself.”

It was a bit of a struggle, but he got on his knees before the continental dip. His face dips into the waters. A human sort of hesitation ensues before all reserves were released and he breathes in a cautious inhale. Beyond initial discomfort, the sensation of drowning… just wasn’t there. No suffocation, nothing.

His head lifts once more, turning towards the other two equally as eager.

“She’s right. You literally can breath underwater here.” Go figure.

“Good observation, Maya. That’s one less thing to worry about. Still not sure what’s waiting beneath the waves, but the fear of drowning is out of the picture now.” 

       It was a good team, the one she ended up with.

       They were somewhat reckless, too ( other than Jin Kisaragi, who seemed like quite the responsible, leader-like man ), but that recklessness brought only good things for them: information. It was possible for them -- the other three in her team -- to breath underwater. It made matters much easier for their team. Now they just needed to swim... and all of them knew how to, hopefully.

       ( though, quite honestly, she wasn’t sure if swimming with a biker suit would be a good idea. it was quick, almost god-like speed, but all of the shadows surrounding the dullahan’s body, the ones that took form of her suit, quickly changed into a pitch-black swim suit  that would definitely help her body better once they started their business. )

Kisaragi-san. 

       She started typing after a quick observation she made. Although the PDA was turned mostly to the one she spoke with, the other two could easily read her messages as well.

I just noticed it, but how will we receive messages from the other groups if our phones don’t work underwater? There will be no way for us to communicate with them were anything to happen, and they communicate with us as well. Were you told something about this?

       Unless those phones were water-proof, of course. Perhaps she could use hers to talk with her teammates, even though it was hardly as useful as her PDA.

     (X) posting order: @steponmebrother > @acephala > @heavenlyglutton > @mediumofthestars 

    There’s something oddly fitting for a master of ice to lead an expedition in a zone primarily submerged in water. The reason for his  appointment as squad leader is unknown, yet not at all unfamiliar to him. He was once a military man– among the youngest to command his own squad within the Praetorian guard. That choice was most certainly not erroneous in that regard.

    ‘District Theta’ was what this zone was officially referred to, dubbed “Regia” by some force or another long before Jin’s time (before anyone’s, really). This was the district his group was assigned to explore. What purpose did this expedition serve– well, he is uncertain as of yet. What was certain however was that a trip like this will certainly open new questions and answers up for him. Questions of which, pitifully so, he had been slacking off at uncovering.

    He had bills to pay, after all.

    Being so close to the waters provided the area with a distinct chill. He’s very much used to the cold. Prefers it, actually. His choice of attire provided a combination of maneuverable and warm, minimizing layers, moderating temperature management. He took a fondness over this coat, too.

    All that was left was to await further instruction. Fortunately, the company of his squad mates was available.

       One thing was going to the beach, the other thing was being completely surrounded by nothing but water. It gives the fairy a slightly uncomfortable feeling, but it’s something she can quickly ignore. 

       At the very last, her powers work there, one way or another. The other humans in her team seemed to be able to breath as well, so there wasn’t much she had to worry about.

       ( she could only hope her PDA wouldn’t come in contact with the water, though. )

I’ve heard the inhabitants of this district are mermaids. This is the first time I’ve met them.

       The contact with another fairy would do her good. Although Shinra ( and Celty ) desperately tried to find one the times they had gone to the beach, they were all for naught. Maybe she can take a few pictures to show Shinra...

If anything happens, I will try to protect all of you with the best of my ability. Let’s only hope this will be a safe trip.

TO: Maya Fey, Yuri Lowell, Celty Sturluson, Toriko FROM: Jin Kisaragi

      TO: Jin Kisaragi, Maya Fey, Yuri Lowell, Toriko

      FROM: Celty Sturluson

TXT: It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m Celty Sturluson.

          ❝There was no need in the past to take a train, places he needed to go easy enough to get to by carriage. Rarely did he go farther than a few cities over, either for his safety or Pandora’s convenience of having him in one place. He didn’t resent it, it was just one of those things that made up his life and thus something he didn’t think too much about. 

Now, standing on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive, the blond cannot help but feel excited. He bounces on his heels lightly, watches people enter the station. There are lots of people and wonders how they’ll all fit. He supposed trains had to be quite large to accommodate this any people, lest they be terribly cramped. 

     So there she is, waiting for the next train. It’s a weird sight, truly. A woman wearing a pitch-black motorbike suit, waiting for the train. People would have expected her to be with a bike ( like she often is ), or at least dressed differently. Although she could, well-- She was just too used to that outfit!

     It was good to know that her sense of style didn’t stop people from talking to her, though. It was a small boy ( a high school boy, most likely, around Mikado’s age? ), and he seemed pretty... excited to be there. It was cute, truthfully, but she didn’t let it show. Had he never taken a train before?

    The Dullahan takes her PDA out and types out her answer after a few seconds wondering how to answer him.

     “…I do.” Anna had a fondness for animals, since she had difficulty befriending animals. As an Empath, she had an idea of what they were thinking somewhat. Though, Mikoto had never let her keep one at Bar HOMRA. She understood it was because they couldn’t have a cat or dog running around where food was served, but… Maybe now that she was the King, she could figure something out eventually.

     She looks human, she feels human, but it’s weird. It’s hard to make up what exactly is going on with this small girl before Celty, but there were high chances she was special.

I’m... not sure if I know what a Strain is. Could you explain it to me?

“I’m afraid I have not heard of them before. I’ve heard of fairies as a general concept but I had no idea there were different kinds. Is this…” he paused, gesturing vaguely at her with one hand, “your actual form or are you simply taking on a human-like appearance?”

          He seemed uncertain about how to ask such things, a sheepish grin settling           on his face as he let out a hesitant little laugh.

     Better to simply answer his questions for now. She wouldn’t want to make this any more awkward for such a polite man!

This is actually how we look like. We resemble humans on the outside, but we are hardly similar.

     Abilities, mortality, aging... Truly, she could be mistaken for a human easily, but there was one crucial point that didn’t make her pass off as human. It will be fine, she reassured herself, he isn’t human either. Besides, hadn’t Celty told herself her friends accepted herself like that, that she accepted herself like that? There was nothing to fear.

     For a hesitating moment, a hand was brought to the vision of her cat-like helmet. For another moment, hardly as hesitating as before, she lifted it up -- presenting to the man before her... Nothingness. 

     Not a pair of eyes, not skin, not hair, not a skull. Nothing, if a black shadow.

     ❛ Aha! ❜, he proclaims aloud, pointing his body towards the south. On his way towards the nearest cafe, he’d come across a suspicious looking box left upon the ground. What were the chances of it still being in the same spot?

       ( she only hopes it’s the same package, but it might be, it has to be--!!!! )

     Those fingers of her are quick, almost god-like typing a new message on her PDA.