OOC INFORMATION:
IGN: untinseled (account I’m applying with), Olzweig.
Previous bans/warns/kicks: I got one warn on my main account (Olzweig) for the action ‘/me kicks balls’. I had just returned to the server after a couple year hiatus and had not realized the proper term was now ‘F2B’.
Describe your activity on the server: I’m currently in a very busy time of school, yet despite that I still find some time to log on. I have summer break in approximately a month and a half or so, and will be considerably more active then. I try to log on for at least 30 minutes or so everyday, although it really does depend on the amount of homework I have. I log on in the event something important is happening, though. An important note is due to school I only log on in the evenings to late at night, and will occasionally have extracurricular activities that may bar me from getting on at all.
Specify your Discord username (USER#0000) and if you have a microphone: elizabvth#1312, and yes, I have a microphone - albeit it’s not the best quality.
Specify your country of origin and time zone: United States of America, PST (UTC -8:00).
What are your motivations in applying for the black market dealer role?: I have been apart of the crime faction really ever since I returned from my hiatus. Hell, on my first day back I helped kill someone’s character because I was asked to help out. I’ve loved watching how crime has changed over the past few years while different people are in charge, and would love to be able to take part in a way that isn’t just joining gangs and being a silly little criminal. I think it would be a nice opportunity in order to get more directly involved, as I feel as though crime allows for roleplay truly unique from other factions. You can have character interactions of a special sort that branch out from standard slice of life situations, which I quite enjoy as I am. . . a bit of a fun-chaser. I have joined two other factions in the past, school faculty and reporter, and found that - despite my enjoyment of both experiences - I just ended up being drawn back into the life of criminal roleplay. I have been able to have very fun interactions with Black Market Dealers in the past, and think it would be both entertaining and enjoyable to partake in such conversations from the other end.
TLDR : I LOVE CRIME ROLEPLAY!!!!!!!
What helps you to stand out from other applicants & what can you uniquely provide to the team?: I’ll start by saying the obvious, although perhaps that makes me less unique. I’m a member of the lore team, which means I have former practice with writing and storytelling. Character development is always a priority of mine, and I take care to write both realistic and sensical arcs for my characters. I enjoy being able to build upon pre-existing lore and backstory as I enter new interactions, keeping in mind what my character has already faced and how that would affect them.
Additionally, I’ve been with the crime faction for around. . . 2 years now, and although even that long may pale in comparison to some other players, I do have experience on my side.
I concede that many players have recently been switching from the ‘/roll 150’ ‘/me hit head’ ‘copy paste (insert keybind)’ to a more developed, lore-focused form of crime, which therefore may nullify any of my previous commentary. However, I am dedicated to writing as an art, and will do whatever I can in order to make sure I am keeping what I put out to the highest degree of quality that I am capable of.
As for what I can provide to the team, I have a few qualities about me that I believe can contribute in a positive manner.
≿ Writing Capabilities
I do not mean to sound conceited in any way, however I would like to propose that I am a capable writer. Even within lore team I will occasionally be asked to look over works prior to their publicization in order to provide revision. Writing has been a part of my life ever since I could remember, and it is with no doubt that the love for the craft has followed me since.
≿ Tenacity
No matter how much I may not wish to do something or may be worn out, I will not give up on it unless I am one hundred percent sure I am incapable of doing it. Although I may be determined, I am not so egotistical as to unfairly hold back from giving opportunities to others for my own selfish benefit.
≿ Work Ethic
I must preface this by saying I am a huge procrastinator, which is unsavory, however I have my own creative processes. Though, that does not mean I never work, as when faced with both motivation and time on my hands, I will work tirelessly to complete something (IE: this application).
≿ Collaborative Ability
I tackle every problem with an open mind, and am unafraid to abandon a personal idea if I am made known of why it may not be beneficial at the time. Due to this, I find it easy to work in a team setting, something that I think will be nice in a setting such as working amongst 3-4 other individuals.
What previous experience do you have in working with a team?: Of course, the most blatant, is I’m a member of the community team – lore, to be specific, as previously mentioned. I’ve had to work with my fellow team members whether it be as a collaboration on writing lore itself, or generally speaking to them. A few more SRP related team experiences, similarly to others, have come with my past gang experience. I was a member of Kaku-Kai for a while, and eventually ended up as a higher-up following a long sequence of events. This was during the time of the large gang war between Kaku-Kai and Bonten, and I often would have to work with others of both gangs in order to plan events and work to mediate the many problems that arose. Following Kaku-Kai, I had joined Adobansu, working as its right hand for a few months before I ultimately resigned due to wishing to focus on my studies. Although I had not remained in Adobansu as long as I had its predecessor, it was still a valuable experience which required me to work with the other higher ups in order to run the gang efficiently and in an organized manner.
Additionally, not as relative to the server, a lot of my extracurriculars require collaboration. For science bowl, I was my team’s captain, and learned both patience and compassion in order to wrangle up my rowdy teammates. That was in middle school, however, and following my entry to high school, I returned as a coach. Now I spend my time there giving lectures in order to teach the next generations, as well as assisting with behavioral problems if there are any. Our club sponsor (a teacher) dedicated me as the ‘captains coach’, and I’m in charge of determining whether a student is fit of leading their team. Moving on, I lead a book club full of 7th graders. I understand that middle school is a very turbulent time for adolescence, so I have experience with working with potentially immature and insensitive people. I’ve become accustomed to displaying both humility and reliability when working with others, as I would need such characteristics in order to maintain good relations in such situations. I do not mean to say any of this as a way to brag or inflate my ego, rather, I’d like to use it to develop my reliability as to back up my words.
What suggestions do you have to help better the crime faction?: It is hard to list suggestions that are able to be implemented, as in an idealized world there are many suggestions I would say could be improvements. However, I have come up with a couple, which I will list below.
≿ More Sewers Involvement
I understand that they have been recently renovated, adding new areas and such, but I believe there is a huge potential for more crime-related innovations. Perhaps new criminal hotspots could be implemented, found only through secret passageways or passwords of the like. I remember the old system with the various ‘locked’ doors found throughout the sewer system, with number codes able to be found on signs scattered throughout. I do not know if this is still a thing, as I have not seen it for a while, and will speak as though it is not; if it is indeed still a feature, my apologies.
I believe that bringing back some form of this could be both a new cause for exploration, and a new way to release crime lore. I do know there are some things currently in the works, but perhaps more could be written for other, independent organizations that are full of open-ended mysteries for players to imagine their own endings for. More lore-related signs and posts surrounding the sewers would be a great addition, in my opinion.
≿ Turfs
I do know this is a common sentiment shared by many other players, and I hate to sound like a broken record just mindlessly repeating the will of the crowd, but I do genuinely think some form of the turf system should be brought back/repopularized. I think an additional suggestion I’d make on this topic is allowing for turfs to be obtained ICly through character interaction. I emphasize ‘ICly’, as it should be done without any OOC means that is not becoming a verified gang. The way I see it, perhaps it can be an additional feature when dealers open their lines. Aspiring gang leads and others of the sort could perhaps ask to discuss terms of a turf, and in turn then interact with either a BMD or Sofia herself, proving why they are worthy of a turf as well as most likely providing a hefty sum of yen or something equal in value. I believe this could provide additional roleplay opportunities through a.) bringing back the ideas of turf wars [although, I do understand that they’re likely a whole ordeal and could be messy in their own way] and b.) provide thrilling interactions between criminals and the black market that may be hard to obtain otherwise.
≿ Enforcing More Policies for Unverified/Verified Gangs
I believe it would be important to encourage things such as activity checks or something of the sort in order for a gang to keep its status. I do not mean activity in terms of things such as executing minors/majors/KPS, but rather in terms of actual presence on the server. Do they leave sprays around? Do they continue to spread their name? Is their reputation upheld so they actually maintain a feared presence? I believe these check-ins with gangs could help with keeping the faction fun and fresh, as it could also encourage more events! Personally, I love gang events, and I think there could be more of those if gangs are prompted to stay active and present in the scene.
(Sorry if any of this is not phrased properly, if elaboration is desired, I can try to speak more on it.)
Are you familiar with all rules pertaining to weapon profiles, combat, permissions, and player conduct on the server?: Yes, I am, and I will stay up to date with them in the case that any revisions are pushed out.
Are you familiar with that if you leave the black market at any point, the black market lead will have permanent kill permissions on your character?: Yes.
Are you familiar with that if your character(s) is/are killed or permanently arrested twice, you will be removed from the black market?: Yes.
Are you familiar with that you cannot reveal any out-of-character plans or potential addition to the black market to others?: Yes, I am.
IC INFORMATION:
Full Legal Name: On the few official government documents they have, the name remains labeled as ‘Taro Yamado’: the Japanese equivalent of ‘John Doe’. It truly is a wonder what their real name is, if they have one; in the instance that you were to ask them, they’d simply reply, “Arcana Ishii.”
Criminal Alias: ‘SONATA’. | A piece of music which is played through musical instrument, composed most typically for a soloist with a lone accompaniment. It is characterized by, usually, several movements, each sharing similar key signatures; however, each act has its own unique identity, separate from one another to piece together a story through the barlines.
Age & Occupation: 26. | Ex-cardshark - though, they’d rather say they were a “professional card dealer, thanks,” - and a current musician.
Gender & Marital Status: Non-binary. | Records show ‘single’.
Pronouns: They/them/theirs highly preferred, he/him/his + she/her/hers secondary.
Ethnicity & Race: Japanese. | Asian.
Known Languages: Japanese, English, JSL.
Former Associations/Occupations: A deep look into their history reveals a past contract under an American casino by the name of ‘WOLFHOUND’, an interesting turn compared to where they’ve ended up.
Highest Level of Education: They’ve got nothing to their name more than a handy high school diploma, courtesy of a ratty public school; to them, street smarts have always outweighed the need for book smarts.
Physical/Mental Ailments: N/A. Their ‘medical’ records for the longest time have shown nothing but flawless health.
Known Family Members: They strictly refuse to speak of their family, for reasons unknown. However, included in their file is an aged-looking document, created by an anonymous source for a reason unobtainable.
(If you can't read it, it says old documents show of a mother named Shoko, with surname and current status unknown. A quote from Arcana reads, "I never knew her. Maybe she's dead." It also states that no record of a father can be found, though old papers are signed with 'Takara', which may be a potential name. Current status is unknown. Another quote from Arcana reads, "I don't even know what he looks like. Fuck off." The last note made simply marks Arcana as an only child, with no known cousins or other relatives.)
Describe your character's appearance to the greatest detail: Arcana is a person of androgynous build, exact body shape obscured by the various cloaks and other baggy clothing options that fills their wardrobe. Bad posture is a flaw of theirs, slumped shoulders leading them to present at a height of 5’9. Perhaps if they stopped slouching and saved their spine from its torment, they would be able to take full advantage of their 5’11 self. Their hands are so blank it is as though they were that of a mannequin. Not a single scar, beauty mark, nor callous adorns the skin, alluding to the fact that Arcana always keeps their gloves on when doing any ‘dirty work’. Concealed by black fabric, a silver band rests on their left ring finger, which is odd - aren’t they single?
Their eyes are piercing, dark brown irises guarded and oftentime filled with annoyance. The pale color of their skin is complemented by their long, black hair, locks falling neatly just past their shoulder. It is uncommon for them to have an updo of any sort, leaving their hair down to frame their face. The right side of it remains tucked behind their ear throughout the day to prevent it from getting into their eyes and generally becoming a nuisance, while the left side of their hair is untucked. Arcana’s presence as a whole demands attention, despite their lack of any flashiness in their appearance.
Describe your character's personality to the greatest detail: To any ordinary person, the virtuoso might seem like quite the rowdy, poorly mannered individual. They’re loud and can come off as arrogant, smug smirks a resident part of their demeanor. A filthy mouth comes with the rest of them, of course - they spew enough obscenities daily for a grandmother to clutch her pearls and grumble about the newer generations.
They come off as temperamental and may even be seen as violent, although it is rare for them to actually ever get wrapped up in a real fistfight. They’re moreso the type to sneer and make offhanded comments, although not all of them are necessarily meant in a rude way. Arcana is somewhat of an anomaly to most, as they act much different to those they grow closer to, a further dive into their personality than the loud-mouthed asshole they claim to be. For those they like, the calloud individual is caring and may even be parental, although if questioned about it they’d sputter and flip the curious soul off. Physical affection and kind words are far out of their field of expertise, however, and may show their care in other ways, such as silently leaving gifts behind or being extra aggressive to people being bothersome.
It’s odd to define Arcana as strictly an extrovert or introvert, their personality being an odd mix of the two. Despite their explosiveness and want to take up as much space as possible, they actually cower when given the spotlight. They don’t like talking to people more than they have to / when it doesn’t benefit them, and would prefer to rather not have to make small talk. This comes off as them being blunt or cold with their responses, signs of agitation and annoyance bleeding into their mannerisms when trapped in such scenarios. Arcana’s the type at a party to hang out toward the edges, keeping a watchful eye on everyone rather than socializing. There’s a point to which they can blame their past, although much of it is also just a lack of natural affinity with being social.
At heart, it’s hard for them to truly tell what are their own feelings and beliefs and what aren’t. Oftentimes Arcana may question their idea of humanity, wondering how it would be possible for them to even be a real, natural person given what has happened to them. They’re a large believer in the idea of karmic debt/what goes around comes around, and is stuck in a mindset that they must’ve done something truly awful in order to have lost so much. Much of it stems from apprehension about the childhood they could never remember, wondering if they would have turned out differently if they had a mother and father, rather than the social worker they never referred to as anything past ‘Miss’.
Arcana also poses a question to the extents of morality, wondering how the labels of ‘villain’ and ‘hero’ differ much from one another. To them, heroes are just villains that happen to hide their crimes better.
Describe your character's backstory to the greatest detail:
For as long as one could remember, they were an orphan. Not a single detail about either of their parents was able to be recalled. No faces, no names - not even a faint memory of their voices. One could not remember anything about themself, which isn’t necessarily an odd thing for such a young child, but they didn’t have even the slightest recollection at all.
One did not have any memories before they were six years old. It was as though one simply did not have a consciousness until then. They simply woke up one day in a home, no idea as to how they got there or who they were. One was surprised to see a woman staring down at them, introducing herself as their new caregiver. “Good morning, Taro,” she said.
One was made aware of a new identity. That day, one became Taro Yamato.
Taro lived their life pretty normally from then on, attending school and such as a regular child. However, they often found themself on the receiving end of pestering due to having no parents and no real name. After all, who would want to befriend ‘John Doe’? You could only imagine the teasing they faced once news of them living with a government official instead of a family came out. Though, they didn’t really let it bother them, deciding their classmates’ opinions weren’t worth enough to actually mean something to them.
This form of harassment continued well through primary school and secondary school, trailing behind them like a curse. Visibly, they did not give their peers the light of day, merely walking away from the name-calling with a roll of their eyes. Yet, they would get home from a long day and spend countless hours looking in the mirror, questioning who they were. They were a nameless child, living with a nameless woman, having a nameless mother and a nameless father. After all, the social worker was never even around much anymore to help them out, she had not done any proper parenting after they turned 10. She would drop in at the start of every week to supply them with groceries and other toiletries, but never stuck around. Taro cannot remember a single day they were ever driven home from school, instead taking the long trek alone on foot.
Daydreaming served as Taro’s only escape from the harsh reality of their current situation, and soon they would discover a show meant for children younger than they, yet become enthralled in its simplicity. It focused on a young mage who traveled all across the world in search of an ancient relic. Obviously, it was just meant for kids to be exposed to learning about different countries and cultures, but they couldn’t help but look at the screen with bright brown eyes, taking in the sights of places like New York City with wonder painted on their face.
A whimsical escape to imagination cannot freeze time in reality, though, no matter how much Taro wished as such. The bullying increased, with them only becoming further ostracized. They would find taunting notes in their locker, the screws of their chair undone so it'd fall apart beneath them, and buckets of water dumped on them when they walked into the bathroom; but, despite its horrible nature, they weathered the storm.
Things all changed when they turned 16, having met a boy in one of their classes. He introduced himself as Kentaro, and did not seem at all disgusted or hateful of Taro. How could they not fall so deeply in love, when they were finally shown a small semblance of sympathy after all the cruelty they had faced? A rare stroke of good luck finally was bestowed upon them when they found out that he reciprocated such feelings. The pair began dating, both navigating the rocky thing that comes with one’s first relationship. Kentaro had come from a complicated background of his own, empathizing with Taro’s desire to run.
One did not have any memories before they were six years old. It was as though one simply did not have a consciousness until then. They simply woke up one day in a home, no idea as to how they got there or who they were. One was surprised to see a woman staring down at them, introducing herself as their new caregiver. “Good morning, Taro,” she said.
One was made aware of a new identity. That day, one became Taro Yamato.
Taro lived their life pretty normally from then on, attending school and such as a regular child. However, they often found themself on the receiving end of pestering due to having no parents and no real name. After all, who would want to befriend ‘John Doe’? You could only imagine the teasing they faced once news of them living with a government official instead of a family came out. Though, they didn’t really let it bother them, deciding their classmates’ opinions weren’t worth enough to actually mean something to them.
This form of harassment continued well through primary school and secondary school, trailing behind them like a curse. Visibly, they did not give their peers the light of day, merely walking away from the name-calling with a roll of their eyes. Yet, they would get home from a long day and spend countless hours looking in the mirror, questioning who they were. They were a nameless child, living with a nameless woman, having a nameless mother and a nameless father. After all, the social worker was never even around much anymore to help them out, she had not done any proper parenting after they turned 10. She would drop in at the start of every week to supply them with groceries and other toiletries, but never stuck around. Taro cannot remember a single day they were ever driven home from school, instead taking the long trek alone on foot.
Daydreaming served as Taro’s only escape from the harsh reality of their current situation, and soon they would discover a show meant for children younger than they, yet become enthralled in its simplicity. It focused on a young mage who traveled all across the world in search of an ancient relic. Obviously, it was just meant for kids to be exposed to learning about different countries and cultures, but they couldn’t help but look at the screen with bright brown eyes, taking in the sights of places like New York City with wonder painted on their face.
A whimsical escape to imagination cannot freeze time in reality, though, no matter how much Taro wished as such. The bullying increased, with them only becoming further ostracized. They would find taunting notes in their locker, the screws of their chair undone so it'd fall apart beneath them, and buckets of water dumped on them when they walked into the bathroom; but, despite its horrible nature, they weathered the storm.
Things all changed when they turned 16, having met a boy in one of their classes. He introduced himself as Kentaro, and did not seem at all disgusted or hateful of Taro. How could they not fall so deeply in love, when they were finally shown a small semblance of sympathy after all the cruelty they had faced? A rare stroke of good luck finally was bestowed upon them when they found out that he reciprocated such feelings. The pair began dating, both navigating the rocky thing that comes with one’s first relationship. Kentaro had come from a complicated background of his own, empathizing with Taro’s desire to run.
And so, they ran. It took two years before the couple eloped, running away from their hometown of Kyoto at the age of 18. They lived from day to day, the thrill of having left their old lives behind still high in their veins. It put rose-tinted glasses on the both of them, blocking out the true struggle that came with living on the streets. It hadn’t made itself entirely prevalent, that is, until the young newlyweds found themselves accidentally wandering into criminal territory. Somehow, they had caught the organization’s head’s eye, and were forcefully recruited by her through both a promise of shelter and food, and the looming threat of ending their lives.
The day Taro turned 19, they learned how to shoot a gun. It was stolen.
Life with the ‘gang’ was. . . relatively normal given it was a criminal organization. Sure, they learned to shoot guns and throw knives, but they never truly relied on it. The group was never violent for the sake of violence, and instead mostly waved weapons around just to intimidate others from encroaching on their property. They even made a new friend, a woman only known to them by the name of ‘9’. She acted as a motherly figure to Taro, inadvertently filling the role they had never once been able to experience in their upraising. Of course, though, good things could never last for such a damned soul.
After having turned 20, they awoke one day to utter chaos. An extortion mission carried out under the darkness of the early morning had gone horribly wrong, resulting in at least six casualties. Many more were unaccounted for, though, 9 being amongst them. They were heartbroken, mourning her dearly. She’s actually the main reason they began pursuing music, as she would often express her wishes for wanting to get away from the criminal world in order to simply play guitar. Whenever Arcana, in the present, tunes their guitar, they swear they can hear 9’s voice in their ear, poking fun at them for being just a few cents too sharp.
The months following 9’s disappearance were horrible for Taro, disillusions flooding their head of one day having the door to their dormitory open and for her to be standing there with a smile. Of course, though, dreams will stay dreams, and not all of them can be made possible by running.
Distance had weaseled between them and Kentaro, naturally driven apart by conflicting schedules. The only words they exchanged were clipped declarations of love, though it was clear they were more so for the sake of saying it, rather than holding any meaning. It broke Taro’s heart, yet they could do nothing but watch their lover simply slip out of their hands.
No matter the growing iciness of their relationship, nothing could have prepared Taro for hearing of a ‘Recruit 129’ being reported as missing in action. Recruit 129 : Kentaro. An instinct deep within Taro, however, told them that he had simply made himself scarce. They knew they needed to leave this life behind, and ended up seeing an ad for a ‘savehaven to promote a new life’. Their hair would change, their name - everything about them.
That day, Taro Yamato died, and Arcana Ishii was reborn.
The day Taro turned 19, they learned how to shoot a gun. It was stolen.
Life with the ‘gang’ was. . . relatively normal given it was a criminal organization. Sure, they learned to shoot guns and throw knives, but they never truly relied on it. The group was never violent for the sake of violence, and instead mostly waved weapons around just to intimidate others from encroaching on their property. They even made a new friend, a woman only known to them by the name of ‘9’. She acted as a motherly figure to Taro, inadvertently filling the role they had never once been able to experience in their upraising. Of course, though, good things could never last for such a damned soul.
After having turned 20, they awoke one day to utter chaos. An extortion mission carried out under the darkness of the early morning had gone horribly wrong, resulting in at least six casualties. Many more were unaccounted for, though, 9 being amongst them. They were heartbroken, mourning her dearly. She’s actually the main reason they began pursuing music, as she would often express her wishes for wanting to get away from the criminal world in order to simply play guitar. Whenever Arcana, in the present, tunes their guitar, they swear they can hear 9’s voice in their ear, poking fun at them for being just a few cents too sharp.
The months following 9’s disappearance were horrible for Taro, disillusions flooding their head of one day having the door to their dormitory open and for her to be standing there with a smile. Of course, though, dreams will stay dreams, and not all of them can be made possible by running.
Distance had weaseled between them and Kentaro, naturally driven apart by conflicting schedules. The only words they exchanged were clipped declarations of love, though it was clear they were more so for the sake of saying it, rather than holding any meaning. It broke Taro’s heart, yet they could do nothing but watch their lover simply slip out of their hands.
No matter the growing iciness of their relationship, nothing could have prepared Taro for hearing of a ‘Recruit 129’ being reported as missing in action. Recruit 129 : Kentaro. An instinct deep within Taro, however, told them that he had simply made himself scarce. They knew they needed to leave this life behind, and ended up seeing an ad for a ‘savehaven to promote a new life’. Their hair would change, their name - everything about them.
That day, Taro Yamato died, and Arcana Ishii was reborn.
They were welcomed with warm arms to ‘WOLFHOUND’, and although a casino was not what they expected, Arcana grew to love the atmosphere. Their coworkers were far wilder than anyone they had known in Japan, and they thrived in the foreign environment. Dealing cards came naturally to them, and they worked at the casino up until they turned 23. Much like many other elements of their life, though, the peace was short-lived, and they found themself back in Japan after receiving an anonymous tip. It was cryptic in nature.
‘I know you’re looking for him. Karakura.’
There was no telling who exactly the ‘him’ was, however Arcana would waste no chances. Even though it had been so many years, them having been over it all, they wished just to see him. They still were somewhat attached to Kentaro, human nature rearing its ugly head, and went in search of this ‘Karakura’.
For a third time, brown eyes observed a new city, foreign surroundings unable to be looked away from. Arcana stepped into the infamous town of crime, one objective in mind, and they’d do whatever it took to accomplish it. Even if it meant returning to their. . . nefarious roots in criminal activity.
‘I know you’re looking for him. Karakura.’
There was no telling who exactly the ‘him’ was, however Arcana would waste no chances. Even though it had been so many years, them having been over it all, they wished just to see him. They still were somewhat attached to Kentaro, human nature rearing its ugly head, and went in search of this ‘Karakura’.
For a third time, brown eyes observed a new city, foreign surroundings unable to be looked away from. Arcana stepped into the infamous town of crime, one objective in mind, and they’d do whatever it took to accomplish it. Even if it meant returning to their. . . nefarious roots in criminal activity.
Describe an interaction that your character may have as a black market dealer: Silence fell amongst the crowd as the soloist took the stage, Arcana entering the room where the lone masked individual sat tied to the chair. The sound of their boots against the stone floor echoed within the small space, a claustrophobic shiver running down the spine of their target. Their eyes, icy and dull, bore into the poor lad’s soul, the hairs on his arms rising against the scratchy fabric of the attire he was forced into. The light level in the chamber was low, only saving grace coming from a lone candle placed right beside the leg of the chair.
“Hey, fucker,” slipped past the soloist’s lips, each syllable perfectly timed as though it flowed like a musical phrase. Their words dripped with an emotion not quite identifiable, although the sharp edge of each character would be enough to draw blood if poked fun at.
The audience remained quiet – how could he not, after all, when his tongue already laid in a crimson mess on the concrete floor?
A notebook was rudely tossed into the man’s lap, pen stuffed into the spirals on its side as though it had personally offended whoever did it. Black gloved fingers retreated into the pocket from which they came, other hand rummaging around a pouch hidden in the folds of their clothing.
“Write everything you know,” they commanded, reaching out to tilt the man’s chin as to force eye contact. “For each fucking detail you leave out, I’m telling them to break an extra bone, so you better fucking behave, champ.”
With that, they flipped open the booklet, pulling out the pen and shifting the rope so the man could move one hand just enough to write. A false sense of cheeriness warmed their voice, poisonous honey oozing from each word.
“Look how kind I am, even getting you started. I have the patience of a rock, so you better get to writing or else we’ll both be here for centuries,” Arcana snorted, pulling out a mysterious object from the depths of their coat. “Or, do you need some. . . incentive?”
They crouched down in front of the man, flicking open the lighter they had produced out of their pocket. The soloist smiled, pulling out a photograph of a woman. They held the flame threateningly close, the tongue of fire leaping around the edges as though waiting for the cue to devour the picture.
“This might be a fucking picture, but the real deal’s next. So go on and tell me, bud. Who leaked this information to you?”
Fingers trembling with fright could barely wrap themselves around the pen, the man’s eyes wide and glossy with unshed tears. Uncertainty set the ink tip to paper, ugly, crooked lines appearing under his destructive hand as he struggled to write in a legible Kanji. The quiet sound of a tongue clucking came from right above him, and the man froze. Ever so slowly his head began to rise, blue meeting brown as his eyes stared directly into the soloist’s.
“My, my, I can’t read this shit! I doubt you can, either, any way!” Arcana threw their head back, laughing wildly. “Jesus, how are you competent in any form? Maybe I should just cut the shit and go straight for whoever sold your dumbass classified information.”
They sighed, shaking their head in disappointment as they moved toward the lone exit of the room, a heavy wooden trapdoor located in the floorboards. Soon enough, with a small cloud of dust, the entrance revealed itself, the light coming from below taunting the man still painfully trapped. Arcana paused before heading down the stairs, turning to face him once more.
A low bow of the performer, a sign of a conclusion; of asking for applause from the enthralled audience.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get to see the encore soon,” is the last thing the man heard before the trapdoor slammed shut, heavy footsteps getting quieter.
Describe any other additional information that is notable in considering your character for the role of a black market dealer: N/A.
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