#parasmol

     The news coverage of the disastrous state of Golden flashed across the screen of the nearby television, a cocked brow raised as the criminal mastermind watched on. Quite the mess those people are stuck in... And the riot instigated by the Saints wasn’t even that long ago! Those poor people have a bit of a bad luck streak lately... Who knows how long that’ll last? Roman maintained a casual demeanor as he watched the news, gloved fingers fiddling with the glass of whiskey by his side. At the very least, Golden didn’t have any major Saints-related resources tucked away there... Some of the gang members might be stuck there at the moment, but they’re certainly capable of handling themselves.

     ... Right?

          “Poor saps... Oh well, maybe this’ll toughen up some Saints stuck there,” Roman mused quietly to himself before taking another slow sip, savoring the strong taste lingering in his mouth. “Still though, it’d be best to get as much info on the mess as possible. I’ll check with Neo and see if...”

     His words trailed off once he started thinking about Neo, finally realizing that he actually has a vital stake in the outcome of this game. Golden Ward... the very ward where Neo lived. The same ward that was practically quarantined until further notice. The realization has his grip tighten on the fragile glass in hand-- any tighter would end up breaking it. His brow furrowed as he suddenly stood up, quickly forcing the rest of his drink down his throat before slamming it back down to free up his hand.

     Now he rested into his pocket to pull out his phone, quickly pulling up his contact to make a new message. Roman needed to find out what her situation was... The longer time passes, the more likely he’ll end up strolling on down there to find out for himself.

TO: NEO FROM: ROMAN

[TEXT] Are you in Golden right now? What’s going on, Neo?

A gloved hand covered his mouth as he woke up to the sound of something ringing and shaking the bench. It must have been going off for a while - it was the flat device he had been giving.

Rubbing at his eyes, he tossed the damned thing out onto the sidewalk, slumber disturbed. Right into the path of a short, multicolored haired woman. She was cute, and well-kept. Which often meant easy to charm. Often.

     Roman was still a fresh citizen of this strange city, yet he already had quite the list of gripes with his new predicament. Stuck on a remote island, completely blind towards the inner workings and secrets... all without the hard-earned resources he used to have at his disposal. Even his prized cane was missing--- the nerve of whoever took it! Having to start over with nothing but the clothes on his back was nothing short of infuriating.

     However, at least the world seems be trying to balance things out. While strolling through the ever-popular Pearl Street in the Golden Ward, a particular window shopper immediately caught his attention. The mismatching hair could hardly be mistaken for anyone else. There she was, safe and sound... This was a much needed relief for his conscious. But rather than stand around and bask in that feeling for too long, Roman hurried along to close the gap towards Neo. The moment he was a few feet away from her, he gave the ground a few quick taps of his temporary cane to get her attention, a grin already forming to greet his right hand woman.

Welcome back to scenic Isola Radiale, Neopolitan!

You’ll be staying in TOWNHOUSE 211!

You’ll retain everything you were given previously.

Enjoy your stay!

         RAVEN   would recognize that obnoxious color palette anywhere. 

         Her features toe a very thin line between amusement and ire, one hand resting on her hip as red eyes rake over her petite form. There was nothing to gain by starting a fight here just yet --- not when her very Aura felt muffled, not when her weapon situation was in such dire straits. She knows that... but that doesn’t mean her desire to pick one diminishes any less in her tone, in the glimmer of her gaze. 

                ❛   Will you be running this time ?  ❜

     Roman’s impromptu Halloween Deal had gone over pretty well over at Stingy Jack’s, if he does say so himself. It certainly got the seats filled up pretty quickly, with lots of cheering and chanting filling up the walls as the night went on. But with the dark of the night finally settling in, it was time for Torchwick to kindly send the good patrons on their way. A few here and there might have gone a little overboard with the discounted alcohol-- but that’s not his problem anymore! They’re outside now, a problem for the city at large to deal with. Even the employees were sent home early to enjoy the night however they wished, each one promised extra pay for dealing with the considerable workload tonight’s deal had brought. It wasn’t long before Stingy Jack’s was fully cleared out...

     Well, almost. The well-dressed owner was still lingering around... But he had also kept his just as lovely partner behind. She was never given a prior warning to what Roman had in mind, the mute having to patiently wait at the table at the exact center of the bar. This one table had been kept clean all night, the workers given explicit orders to not sit any customers on it... But now that everyone else was gone, a lone candle had been placed in the center of the wooden top, currently unlit. The rest of the establishments lighting had been snuffed out, save for the other candles that littered the place.

     Now, Roman is certainly a gifted man, his many talents usually put in favor of his criminal lifestyle... but cooking? It was a hobby he had dabbled in here and there, but... it certainly wasn’t a mastered talent. But the mastermind had been diligently preparing a meal for two, using the prepared ingredients his chefs left behind just for their boss. And after plenty of time, effort and planning went into the meal, the final product was eventually ready to be served! ... It doesn’t quite look like the pictures he had used for reference... But that should be fine!

     The silence of the main hall was finally broken as Roman made his grand re-entrance, each hand carrying a platter of food. His careful stride quickly brought him to the center of the room, one meal placed before Neo and the other where his seat remained empty.

@parasmol​  WROTE   :

❛   see if it helps , give it a week .  ❜

 (  X.  )  // accepting !

           IT   took her a surprisingly long amount of time to find the source of the noise. She’d barely been home twenty minutes when it started going off ---  SOME RANDOM SONG  blaring, filtering through the walls with ease. The source, however, was deceptively small... But it wasn’t hidden particularly well. Almost like whoever put it there was dying for her to find it. 

SEE IF IT HELPS , GIVE IT A WEEK.

               ❛   Huh... Well, that’s cryptic,   ❜   Ruby mumbles under her breath, nervous laughter soon following. Had whoever put it there been waiting all this time... ?  Nah, probably set on some kind of timer. Still... What the heck was the note attached to it about ?  She flips the device over in her hands a few times; the hairs on the back of her neck are already starting to stand on end, but her Aura alone tells her there’s nothing nearby. Nothing watching, anyway... 

           Waaait a second... Hadn’t she just been talking about how totally-creepy-but-not-at-all-creepy the mostly-empty house had been ?  And just a day later, this thing pops up... And in a week, well...