Attention everyone!

I'm sorry to interrupt your dinners if you're eating dinner now. Or whatever you do afterward if it is now after. If you haven't eaten yet you should try the ramen place. It's really good.

Oh, um, but...I have something very important to tell you all!

Diva is dangerous, and you should stay away from her! She might turn you into a vampire! ...Or lick you.

Okay, I think that's all. Oh! Except she's got long dark hair and blue eyes and pale skin and she's kind of pretty.

[As promised, he hasn't gone near her!]


(OOC: Backdated to evening.)

[Cross doesn't care much about hiding today. All of the brats he normally avoids would be hovering over that ponytailed moron, so he's content to flop himself down on a random park bench, stretched out on his back, blowing smoke rings into the air. Get close enough and you're likely to hear him murmuring every now and again about idiots and how they're not worth the trouble.]

[And if any ladies get close enough, they might get a cat-call. He's pissed, but he's not blind.]

[Several hours prior to his shift, Zero finds himself heading into the Defense Force Headquarters. He's been in Marina for a long time, but the days since his stabilizer accident have turned out to be some of the most trying and stressful for him in Marina. The little tolerance and patience he was able to muster had been spent.

His talk with Saya had been educational, but something needed to be done. Diva wasn't the only issue at the moment. Sam and Dean had taken it upon themselves to go after Zelman for his attack on Sasha. Zero didn't blame them, he would have done the same thing in the situation. The truth was, the Defense Force was not set up for these sort of attacks. Dispatch was used to monitor the life signs of the inmates, but when a vampire attacked, some of the ones in Marina could change their victim without ever risking their life.

Each world the vampires came from were a little different. The rules were different. For as experienced as Zero himself was in dealing with the vampires from his own world, he was blind and unprepared when it came to the rest of them. A fact that was quickly becoming painfully obvious as he attempted to manage the situation with Diva.

Something needed to be done to tighten up the net, losing Conrad felt like a personal failure and it was something that couldn't happen again.

He hated the feeling of chaos more than anything, but that is what the recent situation with the vampires had felt like recently. He needed to find a way to put everything in some sort of order.

The morning announcements had been the final straw.

It was a damned stupid time for Dean to get himself collared for a week.

Entering the Headquarters, he moved through the building in his efforts to search for Suzaku.]

[ooc: Feel free to run into him on his way to the DF or within it if you are a DF member.]

[Shiki's in bed, lying on her stomach facing the screen. Judging from the mussed hair and blankets pulled up to and bunched around her shoulders, she's been curled up asleep in it until recently]

The chances of a doll maker being here are pretty much slim to none. [Statement. Even her voice is dull and sleepy] Any mages lying around?

[Things were quiet outside, the snow crunching underneath Hei's feet as he traveled back towards his apartment in sector 3. And the stars, even fake, looked sharper in the cold air.]

[His hands were stuffed into his pockets, protecting them against the cold while a bag dangled from his wrist. It was just a midnight snack, but even midnight snacks could be miscalculated.]

I'm sure you're all tired of people asking "Where am I and how did I get here" all the time, and I actually bothered to read the newbie pamphlet, so I'll cut to the chase.

Acumen: I have someone who needs his head chopped off and I can't do that if I'm stuck here. You will send me home, or you will pay.

[ a young man standing straight, adjacent to a desk some of you might recognize as Gino's in the DF office. he's only nineteen, but his expression is all business and it has the effect of making him look older than he is. mature, responsible, and there's just something in his eyes. ]

Good morning, everyone. For those of you who are new here, my name is Suzaku Kururugi. I'm currently head of the Defense Force here in Marina. The Defense Force is here for your protection, and you can also address any questions you might have to us. If you need help, with anything, you can come down to our HQ and ask -- or you can use your communicator to direct a private message to "the Defense Force". The communicator knows who we are.

If you're interested in signing up to join the Defense Force, please let me know. [ a pause, because how to say this, and then: ] We have civilian positions open as well, if there's anyone who's good with computers or details.


[Filtered to current DF members]

...Please report. Several of our people have failed to appear for their scheduled patrols, and I'm sorry -- but Marina needs Defense Force members it can depend upon. I know we're a volunteer organization, but we've also been entrusted with the means to protect people here and that is a duty I hope we all take very seriously.



((ooc: This is both a recruitment post AND a roll call. DF members who don't respond to this post will be removed and have their weapon confiscated! (Hiatused characters excepted.) Please remember that you must be willing to be involved with DF activities: if another player needs to plot with the DF, you and your character should be ready to volunteer. If that's not something you can do, please don't join, resign ICly, or let Suzaku take you off the Force. Thank you!))

[Shoving her way out of the convenience store a bit roughly due to the several bags full of bottled water taking up her hands, Shiki starts to lug them back to her place in Sector 3. The chilly air causes her breath to come out in white puffs, but despite the temperature drop, the girl's still sticking to her yukata + bright red jacket over it-- though she has switched out the geta for her combat boots now. Frozen feet do not want.

She's not in any hurry on her route back past the park; pace slow and steady even though it's cold out, brown eyes mostly staying on the fake cloudy sky above instead of in front of her. This, and the walk being earlier in the day than usual, is for a single reason: she wants to see it snow, and be in it, if it does come again.

She hates the cold, but snow is something important. Even if-- no, though it reminds her of him, and it hurts, she still wants to see it again and again.

Because... she needs him to stop the restlessness that's becoming harder to shove down]



[[ooc: catch her anywhere: Sector 5, 4 near the park, or in 3 /o/]]

[ Anyone who happens to be crazy enough to be up so late and be near the dojo might just find C.C. inside, doing some slow tumbling; back bends, handstands, that sort of thing. Her hair's tied up into braids circling her head, and she's just wearing a tank top and her shorts, despite the fact it's a little chilly in there. In the corner, Beagle is curled up and fast asleep in a blanket she brought for him.

She can't sleep. ]

[Naoya's wandering around in the graveyard before class, dressed in a costume (without the toy gun and cigar). He looks mildly amused, at least.]

It's that time of year, according to this place's time? Interesting.

[He stops and sits down amongst the graves, looking rather comfortable.]

Here's a question, my fellow inmates. What does 'death' mean to you? Aside from the purely biological definition.

[Heh. A fitting question, at least in his mind, for this time of year. Happy birthday, indeed.]

[One boring, dull wake-up call by Acumen? Check! One awesome, music driven obsessed wake-up call by Dean?

Blasting in your ear, baby!

But, don't mind him. He's just a little wired still from the previous night and might have raided the store instead of sleeping.

It was for a good cause okay!]

((ooc: will be tagging sporadically until I get the AC done!))

[She's had far too much coffee today to sleep, and she can't get comfortable since Naoya's stupid cat decided to make her stomach into a body pillow (even though she can't bring herself to push it off, either).]

Is anyone actually awake right now? [Aside from you, Ushiro, and your morbid questions haha, pot and kettle]

[Party! Lelouch has thrown a little party in the open space in the park adjacent his house; it's officially for everyone who has an October birthday. There are tables and decorations set up, plenty of delicious food and desserts, including a cake with a candle for all the birthday kids (after Lelouch gets feedback from birthday kids). He has party favors and everything: little bags of party favor treats for the attendees, and slightly more impressive baskets for the other October kids.

[But mostly: it's a party. There's music, decorations, food to eat, and funtimes. Lelouch will say a little something nice when they cut the cake. He's a good host, you'll have fun if you come~]


[[Please note that everyone not on the watch list got an invitation in the mail yesterday ICly, as apologized-for on the Monday post. Event-style posting; make your own thread and get comments, or comment to other people's threads!]]

Currently-known October birthdays: Euphie, Nunnallyx2, Rolo, Shiki... anyone else? Say so!

That's the second time I've seen those monsters. Whoever's doing it -- Acumen or whatever -- just cut it out already. I've seen better horror movies back home.

And what's with the cold? Don't tell me this place is actually going through autumn. It's such a useless season -- tch -- it doesn't even exist anymore!

...And to think, I was starting to get worried that these monsters wouldn't be showing up again.

[In contrast to her usual flat monotone, you can hear the maniacal grin in her voice. Along with-- the occasional sickening crack of broken bone, flesh being cut, and monsters' cries.

She's having the best time ever out here, guys]

Hey...

[Roxas is sitting on a bench outside the education center. he's playing with a little ball of wind swirling and swirling in his hand, really focusing on it, so he's not looking at the camera. he wants to fly in a tornado like Xaldin can, but he hasn't been able to keep it together enough since he discovered he could use it about an hour or so ago]

Has anyone ever -- encountered a black monster at night? Not the monsters that appear when it goes all misty. --A smart one.



((ooc: Get your fear and dissent here! Roxas is still unsettled by his encounter with Pride last night and he is sharing the anxiety, because he loves all of you.))

[It's late. The crowds that gathered for the Celestial Nights have dispersed, leaving only a few inmates out and about, while most are tucked away in their beds. Pride is one of the few, wandering the alleys, looking, listening, smelling for something.

Annoyance at Gluttony's hunger pangs have left him searching for a meal once again. Something to take the pain away even for a short while. Something more delectable than the dead meat in the kitchens or those lizards that roamed the streets a week ago. Something alive. Something human, or close.

The artificial light of the moon and streetlamps makes casting a shadow no problem at all.

He sniffs the air, searching for easy prey. Someone who smells alone. Someone who could disappear without a trace, without a companion to problematize things.]

[There's a long line of bamboo at the beach, their stalks curving gently over the quiet trickling of waves. Further back on the beach are colored lanterns and little tables with pens and sheets of paper and string.

You're supposed to write poems or notes to your loved ones who can't be with you today, right...?]


((event-style posting; comment here to get tagged by other people. sorry if this infringes on the people who posted recently, I was going to post this this morning but had to go out... consider this a post for people who don't have quite enough substance for their own action posts!))

[Rayflo has taken a walk out to the graveyard tonight. He's currently floating above the ground, legs crossed, Maria in his arms, and he's looking around. He doesn't know what he's looking for. Maybe he's not looking for anything anymore.

There a few of his bats flying above the area, screeching and swooping. They hadn't brought any answers for him. Maria climbs up on his shoulder to try to bat at one and it flaps indignantly.

He isn't seeking company, but he won't turn any away. A distraction could be just what he needs.]

[Clad in a pink kimono-- though lacking her trademark red jacket-- and geta that click clack rhythmically against the pavement with each step, Shiki is wandering through Sector 5. It's not quite night out yet, but she's slept most of the day away and she's restless.

Partly because she didn't get to kill Asagami yesterday. That machine thing said that the people who came were all gone, so with that fact and that she can't find the girl anywhere, Shiki figures that she was one of those to leave; on top of getting away from her. (How unfair. Her luck really is the worst)

And the other reason... The underground shelter is suffocating. Too many people, too close together. She wants to be alone and isolated and separate from the swirl of daily life.

...Maybe she can settle into one of these abandoned places in this quiet sector. She knows they're mostly deserted due to her tearing through them in search of Asagami Fujino, but she didn't really have the chance to see if one suited her tastes at the time...]