Amidst the rubble of a war not long past, the stars seek to raise a new generation. Blessed with celestial powers that have begun to make their reappearance, the Gifted are individuals whose shoulders the future of the city rests on. Will you overthrow the dysfunctional government or work to keep it in power? Or will you undermine the whole game and play to your own advantage? No matter your motives, Hyperion is yours to shape.
notes: flashbang him takes place back at the opening of the @home net cafe
A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI
Lex had been running his bar for a few years now, and had always loved the booming atmosphere of this section of Hyperion. There were always new people, and business was always fairly good, but his favorite was the people. When he had first arrived in this section of the city, he had received a warm welcome, and he himself had made it a point to do the same to any new-coming business to his neighborhood.
He walked down the street, eyeing up all the storefronts, saying hi to familiar patrons, and observing to see anything new. A few blocks down, he saw a sign that stuck out. A new sign, declaring a building called @home. He smiled, the new business bringing a strange life to him. It had been a few months since the last new business had shown up, so Lex was glad to meet some fresh blood.
Walking up to the storefront, he noticed a bit more details on the glass door, noticing the fresh sheen to the glass. This store had turned out to be a net cafe, and the idea made Lex laugh a bit, not meanly, but rather entertained at the idea. Perhaps there would be gaming tournaments or movie nights or something here. He opened the door making his way in, seeing who he could only assume was the building's owner making last minute adjustments to the lighting and setups.
Walking up behind her, he greeted her with a raised hand and a smile. "Hi, How are you doing today?"
Owner of @_Home, net cafe located in District 4, seeking to maintain what peace that can be held onto, however long that may last. Currently a stray cat to the other districts.
still 21 in that side profileLex Mihairoko[attr="class","PlotTitle"]
[attr="class","PlotContentStyle"]
"Monitors, all good. Mice and phones accounted for," a woman counted out then walked over to a shaggy haired gentleman wearing mostly jeans and a polo shirt. They openly discussed what else their boss needed in terms of keeping things orderly and where they wanted to hang out for coffee later before parting to take care of other areas in the store. "Boss, I'll be heading out for tonight's shift," the male waved off, leaving the store for a smoke as a voice called from the smoke lounge area. "Just remember to set your alarm," Reyna sighed with a box of coffee supplies for the break room. It rested to the left near the smoking lounge but in mostly open view from the door. It had tinted glass to make it easy for the staff to see the customers and vice versa if anyone needed something.
Her usual uniform has her looking like a librarian to the area and it wasn't hard to have most guess that @home was almost more of a typical cafe than a net one. She undid her rolled up sleeves and walked past a card access vending machine and straightened up her shawl. A voice she didn't recognize came up to her and greeted friendly enough. "Hello, I am well. Is there anything I can assist you with? The smoking section is to the far left of the building." She answered as though he was a customer then patiently wait if there was more needed.
@home did just open up and have finally finished moving and installing about 30 computers for customers to use. Today would be about their second week open. Of the computers marked off; 20 for non-smokers in the main floor behind the front desk, 10 for the upstairs VIP area, and 10 for the vended smoking area. All with a headset, mouse, keyboard, and cushioned roller chair. For employees there weren't many places to hide out behind when the lounge was in open view but a second upstairs path was also marked off for such reasons. The floor plan itself felt open with computers having short divider walls and headphone hooks. Lamps hung from the ceiling as the net cafe's main light fixtures over a wooden floor base and, so far, felt like a bare minimum on the surface besides the vending machine.
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notes: I don't know why but I'm at a loss of words ; - ;
A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI
Lex smiled at the woman, placing one hand in his pocket, moving the other as he talked to accent his words. “Oh, I was actually just passing by and noticed your opening. My name is Lex, and I’m one of the owners of the Valhalla bar just down the street.” He extends his hand cordially for a handshake before he goes back to introducing himself. “I like to make it a point to welcome new businesses in the area, just kinda get a feel for who my neighbors are and what not.” He laughed a bit, not nervously but rather as some instinctual reaction he had to the tension, something he hoped would help break the ice.
“Honestly, I didn’t know you guys would have moved in so quickly, or else I would have brought a basket or something. But, as a make-up gift, if you guys ever make it down to the bar, first round of food and drinks you have will be on me, alright?” He smiled, looking around at the place again as he scratched his face a little, looking for something to say. “So I see you guys run a net café! Cool idea, especially in this part of town what with the younger crowd, I’m sure you’ll get a lot of business. Any special events you guys got coming up? I’d be happy to host some fliers for you guys!”
His interest was genuine. He himself was a big user of computers, and joint ventures between businesses was generally good for both. Not to mention, he always loved meeting new people, so he considered this to be a nice turn of events. Who knows, maybe they could both come out on top with this business deal.
Owner of @_Home, net cafe located in District 4, seeking to maintain what peace that can be held onto, however long that may last. Currently a stray cat to the other districts.
the bad side effect of working with meLex Mihairoko[attr="class","PlotTitle"]
[attr="class","PlotContentStyle"]
"Oh!" So he wasn't a customer after all. Reyna adjusted her glasses and sized him up a bit more as he introduced himself. Her eyes working from his shoes to the top of his red head then back down to his hand. It took her a moment before attempting to shake his hand with a polite grin before refocusing on the conversation. "If you need some down time away, I plan to be open nearly 24/7 minus holidays and certain occasions but we're still getting a feel of our customers," she gladly informed him.
As an owner of a bar, Reyna began running the options through her head to seeing him after this meeting. The woman pegged him to be unavailable around late nights or mid-day if he isn't sleeping. But wait, he too is an owner, there might be some free time in him after all but that has yet to be seen. After all, this may explain why he has come right now. The thought of a gift basket was flattering so long as she hoped it wasn't anything alcoholic. The temptation would be too great for her workers to pop a bottle on duty. "Really? That kind of offer?" Reyna blinked surprised at this level of generosity. "We'll make that be our special day to fully celebrate the grand opening! Heh heh~ Say, what is Vallhala like?" Knowingly it would be hard to let such an offer pass by, it was already accepted the moment the words left his mouth. Her workers will be thrilled! Ah! But that would be another day off for hangovers. Reyna nodded to herself at this sudden revelation with a lightly curled fist against her chin.
"Ah, I should introduce myself as well. I am Reyna Visco, owner of @_Home." Reyna laughed a bit and carried on, often neglecting this aspect when getting carried away. "Hmm, a, yes yes, I'd love to have some help adverting," she chatted, speaking like a merchant. "At the moment, I am looking into some online games and styles the locals around here would find interest in. It's too early to consider tournaments so at the moment the computers are free of use from basic net browsing to filing work with the printer. If I had a better idea of what online games are popular, I can make it so every computer would have the launcher all updated and ready to go!" She said with a small fist pump in her enthusiasm.
"Although I do worry if the image isn't exact." The woman wasn't afraid to disclose some concerns to a fellow owner in an attempt to fish for advise. "I did some polls and testing about the name '@_Home'. Most of the votes had people think it was a computer related and net cafe like while others think it's more like Stellar Bucks that was more cafe with convenient wifi to hop onto." Image is important and the only moniker outside the store was a pink @_Home neon sign above the glass doors. The concern of the name didn't stop there though as Reyna began to also mumble about her own attire. "Maybe I'm not trendy enough...?" Compared to how Lex was dressed, Reyna looked to be more closer to her 30s and should be surrounded by books and old antiques than polished computer monitors. Lex looked more like the sharp type that can blend in a crowd so keenly.
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Lex smiled at the woman as she introduced herself and her place of work, and chuckled warmly when she asked about his own business. “Strangely enough, Valhalla has more of a classic look to it as far as bar’s go. From the outside, it looks more like a hole in the wall than the popular place it has turned into. Inside we tend to go for more of a classic bar look. We only have a couple tv’s, and the majority of entertainment we have is either supplied through the jukebox, the billiard tables, the dartboard, and occasionally some live music. That being said, I think I do a good job of keeping a homely atmosphere in the bar, so many of my patrons have become regulars. Whether you consider that a good thing or not is I guess up to you.” He thought for a moment about the decorations he had recently put up and the overall aesthetic he had been going for in the recent renovations. “I suppose if anything, the style and aesthetic is kind of that of a 1940’s prohibition era mafia bar? But worn with time, and a hint of modern tavern in on top of that, make it appealing to more people coming in off of the streets.”
He rubbed his face as he often did when he was thinking, before perking up at the woman’s introduction and acceptance of his offer. He shook her hand with a light smile and chuckle. “Sure thing, just come by sometime and drop em off, and I’ll be sure to plaster a few up.” He tried to laugh off the woman’s worry though at her own lack of trendiness. “In my experience, once people get your name, people will begin to show up. Internet cafes are pretty good meeting spots for some of the more devoted geeks.” Sensing the woman’s inflection, he figured he could give her some help there as well. “If you’re worried about your dress and style, I like the antique librarian look. It works for you, and I think it’s something unique you should keep.”
Owner of @_Home, net cafe located in District 4, seeking to maintain what peace that can be held onto, however long that may last. Currently a stray cat to the other districts.
Apologies. Fill free to end it as you feel to, Lex Mihairoko.[attr="class","PlotTitle"]
[attr="class","PlotContentStyle"]
Reyna began to tug at her glasses retainers as her mind began to drift to window shopping or picking up a fashion magazine. Her attire had always roughly been in this style thanks to her parents' choice of dress. Having lived her life like that had the style just stick with her without too much thought put into why other than punk clothes felt out of place. Her concerns faded some as Lex voiced some approval to her attire. She couldn't help to check herself over before smiling gently, arms folding loosely from his compliments. "I’ve never thought of it in that fashion before. Heh heh, I guess you are right. This is my identity." She chuckled, feeling better and a touch more confident after hearing his supportive words.
"Thanks for offering some ideas. Your bar sounds like straight out of the movies." The way he described it had that alluring hint to it. The style of a mafia bar had the charm of a park attraction. To go there, to experience it, then perhaps stay and keep coming as a patron was how customs often returned. Speaking of patrons, Reyna couldn't help but fire away the very question off the top of her head. "Do you dress the part as well? You look very trendy as is. You must have some steady patrons that would like that mood setting. Hmm, mood setting...," Reyna felt certain of this before stepping slightly to the side as though rolling up her thoughts together. She did her best to research what she could before picking the 4th District to be a hosting location for @_Home but with mafia type bars, Lex helped her remember of something that would be best to ask a man such as himself of other concerns.
"If you would be so kind and perhaps not find what I am about to say as any sort of intrusion, is this district under someone's influence? I wonder if fights are a frequent thing here." Gangs and their powers shift over time and while things may appear so peaceful on the outside, Reyna wanted to try to be prepared for what lies under the surface. In an attempt to have her warm guest feel welcomed after coming all this way here to greet @_Home into the district as a new neighbor would, she just had to try and be accommodating to him. "Would you like anything to drink? We don't have anything under the counter but at least juice, coffee, and the like be fine? I can also set it to where your first hour of computer use is free if you ever need any of our stations in a pinch for welcoming us."
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He smiled back as she complimented the style of his bar, and was happy to respond to her question. “Most days I tend to dress closer to the part. Today is more of a relaxed day, and I really didn’t feel like wearing my full get-up. Usually it’s dress pants, dress shoes, white shirt, and a dress vest with tie honestly. Nothing super fancy, but it’s usually enough to carry the vibe. We tend to try and be relaxed there, and I guess my own reluctance to stick to my uniform expresses that well enough.”
Her next question came from nowhere to him, but he supposed he that it was a valid question. With the war and conflicts so far behind, and it being no rumor that there were conglomerations of gifted vying for power in the absence of the government that the question would have been posted sooner or later. He let out a breath before he answered, signifying the length of the answer that was about to come.
“You’ll see a lot of organizations around here. With the huge amount of younger people, they find themselves wrather drawn to the recruiting opportunities presented by impressionable people who are old enough to volunteer away their lives, but young enough to be blindly passionate. But to answer your question, no. No specific group owns or runs this district.” A slight chuckle escaped his lips. “I suppose, if anything, my bar tends to exert the most influence when it comes to this district. A lot of the various organizations meet there for drinks and meals among their members and higher ups, but I maintain a strict neutral ground policy, and most have come to respect that, through one way or another, I will enforce that peace.” He swung around a chair and sunk into it, placing a hand to his head as if to emphasize the constant headaches he was reliving.
“That being said, fights still happen, and more often than not damage can get extensive when it comes to conflicts involving gifted. The bar has been blown up more times than I would like to admit.” He laughed a bit and winked at Reyna for the next part. “Luckily though, I put the repairs on the offending party’s tab and force them to help rebuild, so in a way many of the highest ups follow my rules simply due to the rather massive tabs they’ve managed to accrue from property damage costs. Hopefully you don’t end up on that list.”
He stretched a bit, before getting back up and putting back the chair. “I also have other ways of course, but I prefer not to use those.”
Owner of @_Home, net cafe located in District 4, seeking to maintain what peace that can be held onto, however long that may last. Currently a stray cat to the other districts.
[attr="class","PlotContentStyle"] Reyna smiled gently as she mused over his words. He didn't seem like the type who could put up with dressed attire for too long. In his own words, he felt relaxed so today he wore relaxed attire. Patiently though did she await for the real question of concern. Not only would have to think about dangerous customers but also any backlash caused. Computer damages do get pretty expensive to replace and install all over again. Worst case would be cutting losses and transition to a different business style all together or just go out of one.
She began to make herself comfortable by pulling out a vacant seat than stand over him with arms loosely crossed. "I see," Reyna absorbed what she could out of it. "Guess that makes you the unofficial 'Boss' of the District along with being a 'Boss' to your bar." Who knew the person to have greeted herself had that much authority over other gangs in a strong armed fashion of property damages. Frankly the woman was surprised that tactic even worked at all considering the types of organizations growing and falling as quickly as they're made. One part of his recap did stand out to her as Reyna's eyes blinked attentively.
"Conflicts with the Gifted are starting to get more common place then." That was news. "I was under the impression that there weren't so many of them at all but in recent years, perhaps their population growth supplied into all these gangs and organizations popping up more frequently." Knowing the government is at odds with people of Gifted abilities, she looked to Lex with another concerning question. "You wouldn't suppose the government would do something to a problem distract, would you?"
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Lex slumped into his chair at her new question letting out a heavy breath of air. "That's...difficult." he finally said, scratching the back of his head. "Assuming that you are referring to our current district, i would have to say that I don't think they would do anything. They want a war on their hands about as much as most of us would want a war on ours. Everything is too divided at the moment for anything more than a skirmish to break out anyhow. Not only that, but there are too many innocents around this district who could be caught in the crossfire for them to bring down anything big, and I doubt they would want to spark a war under their noses without knowing what they could be dealing with."
He let out another sigh, and went to pull a match out of his pocket, noting the lack of other people. he could feel a rumbling inside himself, that of his Hunger picking up. Now was a bad time, and as he patted down his pockets, he noticed he had forgotten his lighter and spare matches back at the bar. He panicked a small amount, as he looked around the room. the computers were a good option, but asking to drain one of energy may be a bit too much, and just picking up an extention cord may be too much power as well, not to mention it would come from the grid. However it was then he noticed a faint ambient energy coming from near the woman. Seeing no other personell around he turned to her. "You wouldn't happen to have a lighter, some spare batteries, or a way of making a small bundle of energy of some sort would you?"
Owner of @_Home, net cafe located in District 4, seeking to maintain what peace that can be held onto, however long that may last. Currently a stray cat to the other districts.
[attr="class","PlotContentStyle"] "That's a relief," she commented a bit too openly than most would think to do. She wasn't a hard protester or anti-government since the majority of the city tends to put up with them being there out of obligation. The city does maintain much of the supplies and well being of many. Reyna began to look very pleased with the outcomes of this conversation, meanwhile, Mr. Lex gradually turned more sluggish to appear weary by the onslaught of questions Reyna continued to deal out. Luckily Lex was able to cut her short of another round of concerns with a request of his own. Eager to be helpful to her guest, Reyna nodded in answer.
"Afraid I can't let you smoke here in this section of the building." Her hand raised from her lap to point out a No Smoking sticker. More toward the left side of the net cafe was the official smoker section but Lex wasn't a paying customer and neither was Reyna about to put a charge on his occupation from going out of his way to great them into the district. Generosity like this must be returned in kind! "I'll see about asking if we got some batteries around. Would some coffee hold you over a moment?" As she said all this without missing a beat.
"Is there a size type you require, sir. We may only have a few AAs in stock. AAA in smaller amounts," she explained the likelihood that there wouldn't be any D sizes. After she explained this did it the penny finally dropped. Reyna's brow raised by how his question derailed so quickly from needing a lighter to smoke. "Energy?"
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He could tell he had accidentally worried the woman. It was understandable though. his reaction had some heavy implications, but it wasn't like he wasn't open about his abilities anyhow. That being said, most of the time he used them in the bar, his drunk patrons could easily write them off as fancy bar and table magic. But there were those that knew the truth as well.
He found that most reacted unsettled originally when they found out his ability, but he could quickly put them at ease, especially those at the bar when a fight broke out. They most found comfort in his enforcement of the peace with his ability.
That being said, next to no one knew the caviot of what would happen if the hunger got too much. Luckily, he didn't think he was anywhere near that point, at least not at the moment. He just tended to get paranoid after the first time it went off.
"Uh, yeah energy," he responded, trying not to worry the lady. "It's weird, I know, but really any kind would do. Worst comes to worst those Double As will do, but if you have something of just a slightly higher caliber that would be nice. A lightbulb, a pot of boiling water, anything really. I'm kinda like an energy sponge, but it acts like a second stomach almost. Its annoying really." He laughed, trying to ease the tension. "Imagine having to eat 6 meals a day, but half of those you had to hide, and it had to be matches or D batteries. My grocery bill is through the roof."
Owner of @_Home, net cafe located in District 4, seeking to maintain what peace that can be held onto, however long that may last. Currently a stray cat to the other districts.
Looks like it, Lex Mihairoko[attr="class","PlotTitle"]
[attr="class","PlotContentStyle"] The man before her gradually started to lose her as Reyna slowly looked less sure about talking with him. He began to spout about energy and going straight into forms of heat, electricity, and equating it all to having a second stomach. Nothing at all like the feminine version for desserts.
"I..think I understand?" Reyna said with uncertainty. His grocery analogy fell apart when it came to bulky meals then shifting it down to matches and batteries again. A small match book can't be that expensive but batteries would rack up a bit. The woman eventually shook her head as the thoughts about groceries and batteries was making this exchange too complicated from over thinking this. He needed 'energy' and to save off of having him eat up supplies or take out a computer, she'll have to do something about it.
"I hope I understand this and you when doing this." What this meant exactly wasn't so clear as she pressed her hands together in contemplation of how to assist Mr.Lex. A part of her was actually curious on how this goes. How would someone eat energy? Between just them sitting together before a computer tables, she cracked a small gap in her hands to reveal a dim light. It was small and maybe the size of a ping-pong ball that can easily be exchanged by hand. Either this was enough wasn't something Reyna would rightly know but she looked at Lex curiously in sharing what ability she had in creating. Although, it is a mini-flash bomb at its most lethal use which raises the question that needed to be asked while Lex took it from her. "But then how much would be too much of a meal in groceries?"
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