overjoyed_net | Chapter 1: Black Warrant

Who: All killjoys.
Medium: Text with an attachment.
Security/Encryption: High.
Warnings: Language.

RAC agents will receive an email with attachment on midday, Week 1, Day 2, on their choice of communicator (ship, handheld, etc). The sender's address has been manipulated beyond recognition, but the domain is clear--RAC HQ. While the message itself is empty, the attachment requests biometric confirmation before it can be opened--a retinal scan, a thumb print, or for those with particularly unforgiving communicator models, a blood sacrifice.

Once they've confirmed their identity as registered RAC agents, they'll receive a Black Warrant notice.

Directive Secure an heir for the Nine. (Special)

Target Unknown.

Location Unknown.
Information

If it was easy, it wouldn't be any fun. Any agent worth their mettle should know the rules of the game by now: fight dirty or fight fair, it doesn't matter to us, but you better fight fast. One of those high flyin' Nine has gotten themselves sick without a viable heir and it falls to the RAC's finest to find the next in line for succession should our blessed overlords kick the bucket. Company intel won't tell us who ate the bad shrimp in particular, but as always, we don't need to ask.

The Lady of the Land, Seyah Derrish, has been poisoned and her heir or heirs are the only thing keeping the Nine from plunging our beloved shithole of a Quad into another War of the Nines. Use whatever resources at your disposal to find the welp before we end up with a lot more business on our hands than agents to handle it.

Just remember. The heir has to be legit. Don't grab your cousin, stick a bowtie on him, and think that's gonna satisfy anyone but your weird fantasies. They better be Qreshi in blood and birthright or it's a wash.

Whichever team can claim the warrant and successfully deliver the heir gets bragging rights for saving the Quad, but more importantly, they'll get a nice bonus and the RAC's gratitude to the sum of 10, 000 joy.

OOC: Use this network post to trash talk your fellow agents, say nice things to each other, or communicate over the network about the black warrant. Have fun!

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Great, I'm suddenly supposed to give a shit about fake royalty now. Eyes and ears, whose got 'em?

[Have a smirking Kanda, arching a brow at his handheld.]

So, do we need to even bother with this bullshit? Koon, you count, right? So if I see your ass, I'll turn you in myself.

[Attempt at distraction for all of the other killjoys? Definitely. Getting to annoy Koon?

Absolute bonus.]

Closed and encrypted to Lavi

[It only takes a moment, to call Lavi on a more secure line thanks to Noah. This one, however, gets a more serious look.]

Oy, Rabbit. Where the hell are you? We've got something to take care of. Now.

[Namely, get to Jennifer before anyone else figure out which castle kicked the princess out.]

[ The call doesn't get an immediate answer, and when it does, there's a distinct lack of lighting in the area. In fact, the only source of light at all seems to be from his communicator and a stray lantern. Lavi blinks, smiling on cue. ]

Uh--

[ He glances around, the faint murmur of voices, a slip of gold somewhere in the background passes by. ]

Kind of tied up right now. I can meet you in half an hour? Maybe [ he pauses to whisper something unintelligible to someone at his side ] longer?

[Kanda's eyes narrow at that flash of gold, the evasiveness of the other.]

...I don't give a damn what those monks are doing to you, tied up or otherwise, but this isn't something that can wait, ki-partner.

[He'd started to call him 'killjoy' - started to, and remembered Lavi's own words about how his relationship with the monks was related to the Bookman side of him. Correcting himself had been bothersome, but he wasn't going to intentionally create problems there for Lavi... not when his partner thought they might be able to help the current situation.

Which is why he glances away in an attempt to wrestle his frustration and irritation under control, forces himself to take first one and then another slow breath before he finally turns back to the handheld.

This time, his expression is carefully blank as he forces the words out.]

I need you on this one, Lavi.

[There's not many people Kanda trusts, and rare still the occasion where he admits needing or wanting help, but request he does at the sharp cost of his own pride. He doesn't particularly like the feel of it, saying something like that.]

[ He's not in the present company to show his gratitude for the mistake caught and amended, but it's felt, and were the lighting not so remarkably terrible in the undercity, it might even be visible in the sudden release and withdraw of tension.

Another series of whispers, this one with a wince, but the angle of the lens pans around, reveals the cracked walls of the small refuge where he's currently residing, and then pans back to him, shaking slightly with the pace of his walking.

He'll have to take care of his arm later. ]

Okay. Where?

[ Simple as that. If Yu is willing to be that direct, he'll come running (briskly walking, anyway, it's too dark down here to run). ]

RacRoom Pub

[Not as popular a place as Royale, but that had been the intent. The Royale was too known, to easy to find.

Rackroom was owned by a retired killjoy that was more working drunk than agent, now.

Though Kanda can't quite see the change in Lavi's demeanor, the relief evident in Kanda's words says enough - probably too much. Hints that he hadn't been entirely sure that his partner would be willing to drop what he'd been doing to help him with this.

So to see him stepping out, towards him now? It means something.]

I'll be at the bar.

[ He frowns, though he doesn't argue. That's not precisely the easiest location to access from his current point, and it'd be much faster to get hop over to the Royale's seedy floors from the tunnels, but--

Yu probably has a reason, a good one, for not directing him there, so he lets it go, nodding faintly and surveying his path ahead for a moment before looking back at the screen.

Did you think I wouldn't come? Idiot. ]

Right. Meet you there as soon as I can.

[ Lavi gives a half wave of his hand, considering commenting on that look of relief, then settles for a suggestive grin and well-placed comment. Passive aggressive or teasing? It's always so hard to tell with these bookish types. ]

Try not to get too lonely without me.

[ aaaaand let's end that call there before Yu tells him to fuck off. ]

If you wanna fail the warrant, maybe.

[ He's growling inside, but as if he'll let Kanda see that!!!! Ugh. ]

I won't stop you though. You'll fail twice — once for turning in the wrong guy and for not being able to catch me in the first place.

You really think we can't catch you?

[If anything, Kanda's smirk gets even sharper at that and he laughs.]

What - warrant doesn't say it has to be a specific brat from Land Derrish. Maybe we should just call you Seyah now.

Think? Hah. You might want to consider re-evaluating your skills.

[ Insert overconfidence here, as well as a growing smile of his own. ]

It's been ages since they've kicked me out, keep up with the times. They don't want a failure like me.

No need - especially when your ass is worth more joy to the rest of us than yourself.

[Sneering now, he actually barks a cool, mirthless laugh - clearly at Koon’s expense.]

From the sound of it, they might not have a choice. Blood is blood in this place - and even bad blood like yours is probably worth more to them if the old lady dies. Can you stay neutral then, rich boy?

You talk as if I'd run from you in the first place.

I'm sure they can find someone better than me, it's not hard. [ The question is: is Koon purposely playing himself down or does he actually think this despite being a smug bastard?? It's a mystery. ] But hey, feel free to bark up the wrong tree all you'd like. Makes it even easier for the rest of us.

Edited (it's late and english is hard) 2016-12-22 05:21 (UTC)

Keep standing still then, moron. It'll be fun.

[A beat and a shrug.] At least you're not wrong about finding better. [Though that leaves Jennifer that he knows of, and the wolves of the Nine would just keep gnawing at her bones if she ends up being the one that goes back.

Shit.

People are annoying once you become even a little bit invested. Either way, it doesn't matter to him if Koon thinks Kanda's marked him as a target. Bonus points if it makes the other agent spend time looking over his shoulder.]

Heh. Must be nice, living in a delusion like that. You really think I'm the only one that can or will interpret the warrant this way? Best start watching your back, killjoy, before someone puts a tranq in it.

[ The grin flickers away in an instant, eyes cold and hard, head tilted to one side. It's not anger— condescension, unsurprisingly, is an act he's mastered. ]

Or I could make sure you can't participate in this at all. [ And just like that, the grin's back on his face, smug like none of that just happened. ] Well, I guess if the entire Quad is as stupid as you are, it can't be helped.

Moron. [ He too!! Can call people names!!! ] This was fun, but I've got a lead to follow. [ Whether or not he does is, once again, a mystery ( he doesn't ).

BUT HE'S NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND LET HIS BLOOD PRESSURE RISE, BYE KANDA. ]

[Seeing the line close and the screen go blank, Kanda actually laughs.

Tetchy, this one.

It'll be interesting to see how the week plays out for Koon, to see if this little tiff on an open network would yield results. Besides, he's fought with the brat enough to know that this one, at least, isn't a former Derrish that's going to be easy to kill.

Even if it would be fun to try.]

Chapter 1: Black Warrant

breaks in the network comments

[Video to all recipients]

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video right back you JERK

/deal with it former rich boy

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