WRITING Collection of HSSI AUs

What's your favorite AU?

  • Wyra Steven Universe AU

  • Coi medieval/reverse AU

  • School of Rock AU

  • Mafia/Assassin AU


Results are only viewable after voting.

Yuuki_Tatsunohi

勇気 竜火
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Not accepting invites at this time
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Writing Levels
  1. Advanced
  2. Prestige
  3. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Sci-fi, Modern, Magical Realism, Slice-of-life, AU, Post-apocalyptic, mythology, time travel, fandom, romance, slow burns. Well, basically anything except for what is stated in the "Don't Like" section
On Discord, there is some obscure server that is the OOC for a roleplay called Hercules School for Super-powered Individuals. The players gather here to talk about stuff like the roleplay, new ideas, and life. Sometimes when a lot of people get together to talk about their characters, they can get very invested in how everyone interacts with each other to the point where it becomes full-blown alternate universes. Because of the large amount of AUs discussed, a new rule was made that anybody who came up with an AU must write a little piece about.

The GM of this roleplay, @Yuuki_Tatsunohi, kept coming up with a lot of AUs and so because of the rule had to write a bunch of ficlets whenever a new AU came to mind. Yuuki has also been dubbed the AU goddess by everyone in the server. This thread is just a collection of all the AUs written for this roleplay so far.

All characters belong to their respective players.

List of AUs
 
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Wyra Steven Universe!AU

“It’s too powerful!” Mayra cried. Will grit her teeth, as the monster roared, emerging from a pile of rubble with not a single scratch. “There’s no way we can stop it.”

“There is one way.” Will stood, offering one hand to Mayra. The tall girl looked at Will, meeting her gaze. There was a fire in her eyes, a fire that burned with a message that said, We can do this. Will gestured with her outstretched hand. “I know we can do it. I believe in us.

Mayra’s vision blurred. She furiously rubbed her eyes as a smile graced her features. The green gem on her palm shined bright as did Will’s blue gem. She took Will’s hand, finding courage from the warmth of her hand. “I believe in us too.”

There was a flash of light and where there was once two girls, now stood one, towering girl with curly blue hair. All four of her eyes opened and turned to the monster who looked on in awe. Odd glowing markings appeared on her right arm and the surrounding area formed what looked like a gauntlet around her fist. Little spikes formed on the knuckles of the gauntlet, creating a design that matched the markings on her arm.

The monster roared, charging for the girl. She smirked, raising her fist and yelled, *“Wyra Brick Break!” *
 
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Coi medieval/reverse!AU

Cora sighed. For what was probably the umpteenth time today, she was made to go through diplomatic lessons again with an added period where she had to observe her mother at her job. According to her mother, attending a session would help Cora truly see diplomacy in the royal court of the kingdom. The kingdom Cora was destined to inherit.

While Cora was not complaining about the luxuries and fortune she had, she felt the family job she was next in line for was--more than anything--suffocating. Lessons after lessons after lessons had been part of her daily life ever since she was able to speak. Meetings with allies, attending royal events, even meeting potential suitors had been part of her days. Not to mention the looming expectation to continue the “Great Kitonobe Dynasty” for ages to come. When that crown rested on her head, she would need to have a firm grip on her kingdom, be just to their people, yet at the same time kind, loving, and a beacon of light for her people in times of disaster.

How on earth could they expect all this from a seventeen-year-old?

Managing to convince her mother she needed a break, Cora snuck outside the castle walls and found her little quiet spot on the beach. Cora chose a lone rock poking out from the water far from the shore. She rested her chin in her hands, staring at the blue expanse of the ocean with the warm sun above. She closed her eyes and listened to the lapping waves, the cries of the seagulls, and the whistle of the ocean breeze. She then started to sing. An old tune from when she was little that her father would sing to her before tucking her into to bed.

“Wow, miss. You have the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.”

Cora jumped; in front of her was a boy around her age with blond hair and dazzling blue eyes. Behind the boy, a giant yellow fishtail moved back and forth in a manner similar one moving their legs back and forth in the air. Cora’s mouth hung open, frozen on the rock as water lapped at her toes.

“And a lovely face too.” He smiled. “I'd love to hear that beautiful voice sing again.”
 
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School of Rock!AU


Yuliya needed to enter that competition. She needed to win. How else can she pick herself back up from last year's crushing defeat at the hands of Bernard and The Supers? The memory of Bernard's stupid look of glee as he kissed that trophy like it was his lover haunted her dreams. Ugh, how she wanted to kick him in the crotch. She just needed a band. A good one that can blow the crowd away and wipe that smirk off Yuristheenis' stupid face!

She turned to her students, all of them watching and waiting for her to start the lesson. Five of them. Five unnaturally—no, prodigiously—talented and musically inclined kids who won't stop playing Green Day's Holiday from their Pepband sheets whenever they had the chance. And they were all 15 so they totally beat the 13 years of age limitation! From her stack of papers, she pulled out the Battle of the Band's poster and stuck it on the board.

"Final project is this—" she pointed at the poster "—enter the competition. 90% of this will go to your grade and you will get an A if you win.“

"But—"

"Rei, as our percussionist, you're gonna be our drummer. Mayra and Sam, bass guitar and electric guitar. Sam, forget the clarinet and learn the string instrument. Will, synth. You will be synth and keyboard. And Cora, you will lead vocals! No BUTS. Vocals. You got the voice, I heard you singing Carmen in the bathroom so don’t deny it. We have 3 months. Remember this is 90% of your grade and automatic A if you win. Got it?"

She was going to shape this bunch of kids into the best goddamn band that competition has ever seen. And win. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Bernard's face when her band wipes out the competition and takes back that shiny beautiful trophy from his grubby hands!
 
Mafia/Assassin!AU


“So, you have a guy that can do the job?” Wilhelmina asked, taking a sip from her cosmopolitan.

Rei nodded. “He got the job done right and on time. Nobody saw it coming, and no mess. Our product was recovered and so was the money. Hefty price, but for his skill set, he’s worth it.” Will remained silent. “Did I mention his mentors were the legendary S.Y. and The Hydrangea?”

Wilhelmina took a sip from her drink. “Is he here?”

Rei snapped his finger and the curtain behind him was pushed open, revealing a rather short man with curly blond hair. Hesitantly, he stepped out of the curtain, shifting from foot to foot. He jumped when the curtains behind him were pulled close. Rei gestured to the man behind him who just emerged from the curtain. “What do you think?”

“Doesn’t look like much,” said Will.

“My dear Willy, have you ever heard the phrase looks can be deceiving?” Rei asked. His friend glared at him. She hated it when he used that nickname with her and Rei was well aware of her dislike of the name. Too bad he just didn’t care. “He’s good.”

“Right. I’m sooo convinced.” Will rolled her eyes. Rei tilted his head, eyebrows raised and lips curled into a grin that said ‘try me.’ Will took another sip of her drink then abruptly chucked it at Sam. She then nodded at the two bodyguards in the room who leaped for the smaller man. In a matter of seconds, Sam caught the glass and smashed it on one the guard’s head, then dropped down and swiped his leg under the other one, knocking the guard off his feet and landing face first on the ground. The bodyguards lay curled on the ground, groaning in pain as the man straightened himself up.

“See?” asked Rei, his grin growing wider.

“Impressive,” Will grumbled. She crossed her arms. Rei said this man’s service would cost her a lot, more than any deal she or her family has made in the black market. At first glance, one wouldn’t think this guy was capable of taking down two men two times larger than him. That bumbling jittery look he had when he first appeared certainly had her thinking otherwise. But then again, that could be part of the act.

Will sighed. “Deal.” For all this guy is worth, he better kill those bastards for what they did to her. If he can make them suffer too before snuffing out their lives, then all the better. “What is your name by the way?”

He turned to the woman. “Sam.”
 
Coffeeshop/Mafia/Assassin!AU

Mayra had been working in this stupid coffee shop for a while now (7 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, and 5 hours… not that she was counting) and had come to realize something. Either the shop was secretly some sort of front for something or the people around here were just Like That.

She had started to notice something was off when the cute girl with the blue tipped dreads started bringing in very suspicious looking documents. Now, Mayra wasn’t a snooper. Her parents had taught her to stay out of other people’s business. What the cute girl did with those documents was her business, and Mayra was just a barista trying to pay for college. She just happened to glance at it once when she was bringing her a fill up of her coffee and noticed the names of some well-known gang members and what looked like prices. Strange. Very strange, but it wasn’t Mayra’s business.

Then the rich boy came in. Mayra could tell the blonde had been born with a silver spoon as soon as he trounced in with his designer clothes, but he was a bit different from the regular rich dicks. He came in with documents similar to the cute girl (Will, Mayra had memorized the name after the second time she came in) and sometimes even discussed them with Will. Again, strange, but Mayra did her job and tried to figure out how to ask Will for her number.

Finally, a new boy started to come in regularly. He was a small, unassuming thing. Shy and easily frightened, it had taken a while for Mayra to get him to open up. When she did, she found a very sweet kid who seemed to hold a love for comic books that Mayra could easily get behind. They chatted about whatever comics the boy, Sam, was reading whenever he came in. Sometimes he’d come in with bruises or strange stains that Mayra couldn’t help but comment on. He’d reassured her. No, he wasn’t being abused. Yes, he was fine. These were all just work related. Mayra suggested he quit his job. Sam had laughed her off.

Even with all the mounting evidence, Mayra shook it off as a mere coincidence. They couldn’t actually be part of anything illegal. They were all too nice. Besides, they had all given Mayra some good reasons for all of their strange habits. She could leave things be… Then ICE came.

See, Mayra wasn’t exactly in America legally… By all means she was a citizen as she had been born here, but her parents… They had been scared for her at first, so they lived in Ecuador for a while before sneaking once again past the border and into America. Mayra was always careful when talking about her parents and her past. Somehow, someone got wind that she and her family weren’t necessarily here by legal means. They couldn’t send Mayra back, she was by all intents and purposes a legal citizen. She did her taxes and studied and had a job. They could send her parents back, though.

When Mayra next saw Will, she had struggled to keep her smiling customer service face on. It took the other girl pulling her out of the café for her to explain what had happened, sobbing as she explained how the ICE agents had broken into her home, hurt her and her family before finally ripping her parents from her. She sobbed into Will’s arms that day, expecting some sympathies and pity. The next week, the ICE agents that had hurt her were found dead in their homes. Mayra had only told Will about what happened.

So maybe the café she worked for was a front. Maybe Will and rich boy (Rei, but calling him out on his silver spoon was so much fun) and Sam were all doing illegal things. That was fine. It wasn’t any of Mayra’s business. She’d just keep serving them coffee and providing company whenever she could. Maybe she’d even get Will’s number.
 
Wyra Pirate!AU

“When you hear three shots from my pistol, fire the cannons,” said Will, holding up three fingers. “Can you do that?”

The crew member she was talking, a short boy with a rather flat face nodded yet he still looked doubtful. His name was Sam, a new member of her crew. He was jittery, hardly talked to anyone, and fumbled more often than not, he was still a member of her crew. She wished the others wouldn’t give him a hard time or push their chores onto him just to be lazy. Help him out for crying out loud! And slacking off in chore work wasn’t acceptable. She felt bad for Sam, but Will wasn’t just going to let him rot away in the gun deck if she had anything to say about it. She was captain of the Big Hand!

“Just listen for the three shots. You’ll know ‘em when you hear ‘em.”

Will then walked towards a group of crew members gathered near some small rowing boats hanging over the edge, ready to be released. Will climbed into one of them and turned to her crew.

“Remember the plan: we board that fancy cargo ship, take everything they got: money, jewelry, weapons, anything. Anybody who tries to get in your way you have permission to kill.”

At this, many members raised their eyebrows, rather excited look twinkling in their eyes. “Your Governor boss say we can do that?”

Will snorted. “Rei is not my boss. We’re allies. With equal power. I provide his little island with protection, while he gives us a place to freely dock and live.”

“Almost freely,” mumbled one crew member.

Will pointed her gun at him. “Beating you in a poker game doesn’t mean get beat up. The man won fair and square. Frankly, I don’t know why I haven’t thrown you overboard for your embarrassing behavior.” She pulled her gun back, examining the barrel. “You give the Big Hand a bad name, especially with how much Arias Isle has given us.”

A few crew members glared at the man, aware of the trouble he caused just for being a sore loser. The man grew quiet, looking down in embarrassment.

“Alright, get on board; we’re setting out now!” Will barked, gesturing for the assigned members to jump onto the rowboats. Once all had boarded, the boats were lowered into the water and quietly, they approached the cargo ship. Those on the fancy cargo ship didn’t suspect a thing until they saw the grappling hooks latch onto the rails, the cargo crew haphazardly yelling back and forth while trying to fight off the invading pirates.

“Take everything and anything you see!”

Treasure and weapons were pillaged off the ship, some of them pried directly from the hands of crew members. Will helped wherever she could, moving treasure towards the waiting rowboats below or helping pull an enemy off one of her crewmates. Until she heard a scream.

Will looked back to see a girl, a very tall girl, fighting off a cargo shipman. She yelled at him, doing whatever she could to get away while struggling with the shackles holding her to a barrel. Will ran to the girl, knocking the cargo soldier in the head with the butt of her gun. She then smashed the barrel, freeing the girl from being stuck where she was.

“Run! Get out of here! There are boats starboard!” she shouted.

But the girl shook her head, speaking in a language Will couldn’t understand. Both girls jumped when something loud cracked behind them. The captain of the cargo ship had appeared, wielding his own gun. He shot at anybody who was not his crew. Her pirates grabbed whatever they could and headed for the rowboats, yelling at their companions to follow suit. The tall girl shouted something, looking every which way. Will grabbed her hand, pulling her with to the closest rail. Will paused, hearing the yells of the other captain as he made his way for them. She pulled out her gun, pointed it skyward and sent three bullets into the air.

“Jump!” She pointed at the water below, members of her crew jumping overboard and being assisted onto the boats. The girl somehow understood, and with hands still holding on tight to each other, they both jumped. The cold seawater that hit Will stunned her for only a second before she broke through the surface, gasping for breath. Someone grabbed her shoulder, dragging her to the nearest rowboat and pulling her in. Someone else was pulled in after her, the girl she had just saved coughing water. A moment later there was a boom. A portion of the cargo ship burst, sporting a big hole in its side which was soon joined by another hole and another. The Big Hand sailed into view, shooting cannon balls at the target.

You did it, Sam, Will thought, a relieved smile on her face. She knew he could do it.

“Head back now,” she told the men around her. They all nodded, working on rowing back to the ship while keeping the stolen treasure nearby. Will turned to the girl. “Are you okay?”

It was only then, being so close to her Will noticed freckles dusting the bridge of her nose. They were a very close shade to the tan skin of the girl. And so many of them. Will wanted to count them all. Realizing she had been staring too long, Will shook her head and repeated the question.

The girl, catching her breath, tilted her head. She paused, looking confused, staring back at the ship she had just jumped from then looking at the approaching ship. Sam was there, yelling something and waving at the crew. They waved back, some of them holding up the treasures they had snagged in a show of victory over their conquest. The girl smiled, a big smile, as if all her worries had been washed away.

Gracias,” she said to Will.
 
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Coffeshop/Mafia/Assasin/and now Fantasy!AU

Part 3

Rei stood just behind the yellow line as white semitruck backed up into the little garage. A few men were guiding the truck, gesturing to the driver to keep going. According to the rumors, what lay inside that truck was something unlike any other. A find that, according to his ‘sources’, was straight out of a children’s book. It seemed ridiculous, and Rei certainly thought so, until he was given the footage as well as hearing the most beautiful song to ever grace his ears.

From that point on he set out to find it, using any resource he can. He’d even got Will to lend him some of her mob muscle to help. Tenacious? Perhaps. Mad? Maybe he’d always been. But one thing was for sure: he wanted to hear that song once again, no matter what.

And so, Rei soon found himself standing inside one of the company’s garages, shoes shined to perfection as he watched the men at work. He wasn’t aware of the arrival of another man with curly blond hair until said man was standing right next to him, causing Rei to jump slightly. Eerie how he could move without making a sound, popping up when you least expect him. But it was because of that stealth that Rei hired this assassin.

“Aah, Sam! Glad you could make it!” greeted Rei, flashing the man a bright smile.

Sam returned the greeting with a nod, looking back at the scene in front of him. “Is this the delivery?”

Rei nodded. “The one.” The semi came to a halt. The truck’s door slid open, a small ramp unfolding onto the deck. Rei then handed Sam a pair of earplugs. “Put them on. Just in case.” And proceeded to put on his own pair of earplugs.

The men set to work, rolling a humongous crate down the ramp. With crowbars, the sides of the crate were pried open, revealing large tank. And inside that tank was what appeared to be a human woman with a lower body that comprised of what appeared to be a fishtail.

Rei’s eyes grew wide at the sight before him. She was the same one from the video.

Their eyes met, and the half-woman-half-fish opened her mouth. She sang, entrancing everyone in the garage with most of the workers suddenly dropping everything in their hands. Her notes rose higher and suddenly everyone in the garage except for Sam and Rei turned to the two men. They rushed at them, but Rei took a step back, giving Sam the room to take them all down. The last hypnotized worker screamed as his arm was broken before being kicked in the chest by sam. Rei approached the man, examining the broken arm and shaking his head. He’ll surely receive an earful from Will once she sees the men she loaned him had been beaten up. Oh well.

The song stopped, the mermaid in the tank regarding Sam and Rei with fearful eyes. Sam pulled out a knife from within his sleeve.

“Should I kill her, Mr. Arias?”

Rei held up his hand, telling Sam to stand down. “No, there will be no need for that.” He stepped up to the tank, leaning in until he was face to face with the mermaid before him. “Sing for me.”

A glare darkened her features; she opened her mouth and bared razor-sharp teeth.

“No? Oh well. I will make you sing for me, one way or another.” He smirked. “And I always get what I want.”
 
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MOB DEVILS

Sam slumped over his tablet in a city diner, wireless keyboard strewn to the side, flicking his finger across file after file. In between taking sips of heavily creamed tea and muttering to himself, he'd scan the room. Sun was just starting to peek in the windows, there were only three seats filled (two bar-stools, and Sam himself settled in a corner booth), the radio was fizzling in and out of order...

C'mon Sam, what else... One of the waitresses, Jude, must've called in the night before; a sweet old girl who was probably having a problem with her lungs. Sixty years of smoking, Sam'd heard the waitresses talking, and she hadn't kicked the bucket yet. The bacon wasn't coming out crisp, which meant that Cap, the main cook, was finally letting Shaun have a go at the reigns. There had been talk that he'd beat the oven-timers to sounding the alarm, so it's only natural that his food would be a bit underdone. Jane, his usual waitress, had passed by his table six times in two hours. She lingered four of those six times, one of which she spent trying to figure out what Sam was doing on his tablet, and the other three spent staring at Sam himself...

Taking a deep breath, Sam finished his observations, pinching his lower lip in thought. A whole month he'd been working on this job. Thirty-three days; the same diner, the same city, the same song and dance. Thank the stars he had something to show for it. Once again, he thumbed through the tablet files. Maps, underground networks, cell towers, sewer entrances, back alleys, names, keys, schedules, patterns... He had everything but a time and place.

"A shame they couldn't get me that much..." Sam murmured, rubbing his lip between his thumb and index finger.

"What was that, Sammy?" A voice shot from his side. Jane, her seventh stop that morning. Sam was still pinching his lip when he met her gaze. A group of staff stood behind the kitchen counter, trying to watch the interaction inconspicuously, though failing in Sam's book. Meanwhile Jane was practically hovering over him, looking determined at the very least.

"Muh? O-Oh, nuthin' Jane. 'S nuthin'." Sam coughed, hoping that'd be enough to recover his privacy. It wasn't.

"Nu-uh, I'm not buying it!" She sassed, taking a seat across from him with a confident strut. At the same time, two men trudged in, holding onto their hoods from the morning blusters; the same two men that Sam had been tailing since he got to the city. They grabbed onto a couple of stools right by Sam's spot, but after giving the blond a glance, they thought better of it and picked a booth further off.

Not that it matters. Sam sighed, reaching behind his ear to adjust what looked like a wireless headset. Now just gotta see what seat they grabbed and-

"SAM!" Jane had her hand on the table, eyes narrowed and face in a blush. Sam winced at the sudden demand for his attention, but complied none-the-less. Not like multitasking wasn't outside of his work range.

"S-Sorry, Jay. What were you saying?" He smiled, kicking himself internally for the stutter. Of all the things he couldn't get rid of...
"-started cryin' like a baby! And then the boss says, he says, 'You better watch your tone, coño. I make the rules, and you're gonna help me make sure they stick!' Talk aboutta-"
"I was saying," she started again, leaning back and brushing a few stray hairs back towards her brunette bun, "that every time you come in here you're glued to that screen of yours! Some of us are starting to worry, y'know? I mean, you only got in town a month ago, right?"
"-took hours to scrub that footage! You'd think warehouse cameras wouldn't be so detailed, but now eeeverything has to be, '1080p-this, HD-that, higher resolution,' blah blah blah, and it's just-"
"It was a few months ago, actually." Sam forced himself to argue back, not that the details were relevant. He had just found the right channel on his earpiece, and the last thing he needed was for the two thugs to go quiet over one-sided drama. Things had to look natural. "The job I was working had me moved to this side of the city. That's how I came across this place, remember?"
"-so, tomorrow right?" "Yeah, we just need to set the scene for a ransom video. Oh, earplugs. Don't forget the earplugs." "Right, number six, earplugs...uh, and the tank! We gotta pick up the-"
"Same difference!" Jane snarked, leaning forward again, "Anyways, you really ought to have someone show you around sometime. There's a billion things to do within spitting distance of here, and that's just a start!" she tried to make it subtle, but Sam saw her slip her notepad and pen out from under the table while she spoke. "S-So when's your next free day? And your phone number! There seriously are way cooler places to hang out than this dusty ol' heap... uh, don't tell Cap I said that."
"-Uh yeah, I'll have an omelette, some hash-browns, and-oh, no cheese. Lactose-intolerant 'n all that, and a coffee, black." "A short-stack for me, bacon on the side, and a water, thanks."
Sam's expression was confused, mostly at Jane. "Oh, uh...free days don't come by all that often. M-Maybe I can free up some time next Sunday...and uh, number, right. I-It's 1-888-477-5594" The blond kept up the casual mask while filing the info he overheard into the back of his head. All he had to do was get out of whatever situation this was, and he could get back to work.
"-wonder if we're gonna see some action when it all goes down. Washington don't take things on her hide." "Don't doubt it for a second. Proof's in the pudding, considering the turf she's stocked up. Too bad she fell for a-"
"Woah, that's a heck of a number. Where' you from?" Jane jumped at the opportunity to keep talking, but Sam was quickly wearing down. He reached a hand to his head before pulling it back, dismayed.

Right, I got it cut for the mission. Dang... Sam instead began tugging on his lip again as he thought through the chatter going on around him, and thank goodness for it. The diner was picking up steam, and soon the head waiter was fuming at Jane to get back on the clock, giving Sam the breathing room he needed to sort things out. A quick flick of his headset shut the rest of the residual noise off, and the silent click of keyboard keys filled its gap.

...

It was around midday when Sam returned to his temporary apartment. It was in a bit of disrepair, and could have used a heavy cleanup, but it was in the perfect position for all his goings-ons, so the blond put up with it. Soon he had the creaky dining table covered with cases, black-leather with heavy metal clasps, only the best tools for the job.

Bless Mr. Arias, that man could finance the dead out of their graves if he wanted to. Sam hummed as he looked over the equipment. Welding equipment, multi-tool crowbars, knives of varying sizes, lengths, and uses, pistols, rifles, silencers, garrottes, a stepladder, a disguise (why'd it always have to be Groucho-glasses?), a few kinds of saws, and, for cleanup, a flamethrower. Not to mention a set of body armor, varying grenades, bugs and listening devices, and a LOT of cash. Always oversupplied, but Sam wouldn't argue. Besides, he still had someone else to mentally thank.

Same goes for Ms. Washington, takin' care of more headaches than I can count. Sam turned heel to face his apartment wall, layered with printout maps, dossiers, city requests, activity graphs...Sam knew he'd never have found a start, much less gotten as far as he had, without the network that was the Washington Family. Or maybe it's the Washington "Familia" now... Sam chuckled, picking out a few key tools, maps, and files, and putting them aside for later, then storing the rest back where they belonged. Tomorrow he'd probably have to get dirty again, but that was the name of the game. He was taught that much when he made the choice to pursue his profession.

Taking a moment aside, Sam pulled out his phone and looked through his most recent calls. Hydrangea, Hydrangea, S.Y., Hydrangea... Never answered, of course, but Sam knew they had their reasons. Off the grid, off the books, legendary assassins. Finding time for apprentices never was easy, no matter the job. The blond nearly made a quip about their availability to himself, just to lighten the air, but he quickly decided against it. For all he knew, they could have been in the same room. Just as a quick precaution to ease his nerves...

"H-Hydrangea? M-Miss Markov?" ...nothing. Sam sighed, half in relief, half in dejection. After two years, it would have been nice to catch up just a little. With a sigh, he waved away his paranoia and focused. If he didn't want to lose two of his most frequent clients, he'd have to be perfect.

...

It was approaching evening. Guards were in position, scattered across the block to seem as out-of-the-way and ordinary as possible. A couple taking a walk by the bay, some workmen enjoying coffee in a private patch of grass, a few haulers catching a break outside the doors of a warehouse...Sam'd have to pick his targets carefully.

Warehouse 6, one of the smallest, about a mile from the major port, which meant little interference from regular passers-by, but still by the water, which would make for an assortment of escape options. The size made it easily defensible, and the natural overgrowth from lack of use made camouflage next to unnecessary. If he even walked around the perimeter by himself, he'd probably get gutted and tossed to the fish. This was going to be a lot, even for him. Luckily, he still had a full hand of cards to play.

...

"I didn't think you were a seaside kind of person, Sammy." Jane mused, walking along with the blond as he lead them closer to the warehouse. She'd surpassed his expectations by getting there in ten minutes flat, which lead him to surmise that she probably went twenty miles over the speed limit the whole way. He didn't think she'd be that excited to stargaze when he called out of the blue, but who knew. Maybe she was into astrology. At the very least, he was glad she wasn't questioning how he had gotten her number.

"It's quiet, and open. It feels easier to breath and stretch, even if the smell isn't the greatest." Sam laughed just like he was taught. Following conversational flow had taken him far too long to learn, but now that he had it down, he liked to show off at least a little. He almost felt bad that the moment would have to end in about a minute-thirty.

The moment he and Jane crossed paths with the other couple, guards in acting, Sam was all business. With one hand, he cupped Jane's mouth and clenched his fingers against a ring he'd been wearing, releasing a fast-acting drug to knock her out. The second hand had gone to his waist, coming back up with a short and wide blade. A swift jab into both potential threats' necks, and a followup kick into the harbor, kept the noise to a bare minimum. That said, Sam knew he was on a short fuse now. Quick as he drew it, Sam tossed the blade away and set Jane down, then booked it to his next mark, and the next, and then the next. The last light of summer sun was just starting to simmer out when Sam finished off the last of the outer guards. Wiping his brow, the blond looked around...

Quiet.

He gave a satisfied huff. If reinforcements were gonna show up at all, he would've seen them by now. Whoever this "Peirce" boss was, he must not have cared too much about this particular investment. That meant that whoever was inside the warehouse now would be trapped there. Sam could take his time. The blond inserted an earpiece in both ears, pulled out a knife for defense, and prepared his infiltration.

...

He had opened the back door and peered in from the bottom, fully expecting to hear a gunshot ring out against the door handle, as was the usual for trapped rats. To his surprise, there were no rats, literal or otherwise, to be found. Instead, Sam saw two girls: A lanky Hispanic lady gagged and tied to an uncomfortable-looking chair, and a...mermaid, Sam could only guess, settled at the bottom of a cramped tank. These were the ones. Washington's description of Mayra had been spot on, and there was a lot of detail to go off of, and Arias's suggestion that Sam'd "regret ever writing fairy-tales off as fiction" seemed to fit aptly here. Sam stepped forward gingerly, raising his hands to indicate a lack of intent to harm. The first thing he did was un-gag Mayra. After a quick sit-rep, he found she already had earplugs in, thank goodness, so Sam set himself to freeing her the rest of the way.

There was a beat after Mayra was untied. Sam looked around. Nothing. Giving up a location like this was a stupid idea. Sam knew it was a stupid idea, and the fact that he knew it was a stupid idea made him sweat bullets. Anyone inside that warehouse is gonna be trapped there...shoot. Sam's eyes narrowed as he caught his misstep. After explaining through gesture that he needed Mayra to keep an eye out while staying put, Sam took a seat on the floor facing the mermaid's tank. Another beat. Still nothing. Sam kept his eyes locked onto the creature before him, curious more than anything else. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and began typing, unwilling to make noise given the circumstances.

"Do you understand?" He held his phone up to the tank and waited for a response - After a moment of avoiding eye-contact, she gave his message a lookover, and eventually responded with a hesitant nod. Sam understood where she was coming from.

"Do you need water?" - She looked confused for a moment, and shook her head, motioning all around her in reserved movements. Sam quickly revised his message.

"-to breath?" - Her tail flicked anxiously as the question was clarified, and she nodded her head with matching eyes. Sam wondered if his line of questions was too specific, or not specific enough. Either way, he was getting nowhere, and time wasn't a resource he had on-hand. The blond shook his head and shoved his phone away, then turned to get Mayra's attention only to see something much, much worse.

Sam cursed the need for earplugs as he turned to meet a small squad of armed mob men, headed by someone who could only be described as a devil in man's skin. His smile was sinister and toothy, his features were sharp, his blood-red suit demanded respect, and the brass knuckles he was flashing were well-worn. This guy was used to doing things his way. The squad had brief interactions with each other as they took aim, and by reading their lips, Sam caught on to his suspicion.

Ed.
Eduardo.
Pierce.
Mr. Pierce.
Boss.


Eduardo Pierce - Octavo Diablo
 
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PvE

"G-Guys, no, we gotta-"
"Everybody, listen to Sam or we're gonna die!"
"Die? Will, what do you mean d-"
"Don't worry, m'lady! I'll rescue you!"
"Wait, where am I? Why am I getting hurt? How do I-"
"-this way, o-or else w-we won't beat the boss in time! A-And Will, you might wanna t-turn your mic down a-"
"There's the dude! Let's GOOOOOOO!!!"

Sam had been excited, he'd admit it. He'd spent his week polishing all of his accounts to perfection. He didn't want to make a bad first impression, after all. Will, Mayra, Rei, and Cora had all agreed to give his favorite video-game a try. He'd swore up and down that it was all free, and that he'd set everything up to be as beginner-friendly as possible. Even Will, who had played before, was there to help smooth the process over! What could go wrong?

"R-Rei, you're a p-paladin! You need t-to stay c-close to the team!"
"Haha, sorry Sam, but a gentleman never leaves his lady in distress!"
"B-But Cora's already d-dead. She'll r-respawn in a c-c-couple of seconds."
"Hey everyone, I think I lost..."
"Guys, Cora just died! Whadowedo?!
"Will? Sam? ¿Qué hago?"
"M-Mayra, k-keep supporting Will s-so she can keep enemies off the r-rest of us!"
"Wait a second, what-"
"YEAH MAYRA, WE GOT THIS! Believe in the me that believes in you!"
"¿PERDóNAME?"

Plenty... Plenty could go wrong - that was the answer. Sam was trying his best to direct the crew of semi-newbloods without stepping on any toes, but even with the benefit of being behind a screen, the curly-haired boy could hardly hike his voice up enough to be heard. Then there was the fact that, aside from Will, and maybe Rei, nobody had a clue what was happening. I thought it'd be obvious! Sam narrowed his eyes in thought, trying to scrap together a decent fight in the midst of his flailing peers, Just aim at the bad guys and mash buttons! Well, except for the healers. They aim at EVERYBODY and mash buttons... Of course, by mash buttons, Sam meant a carefully deciphered algorithm of well-timed key inputs that would synergize based on casting animations and spell cooldown timers, but he was sure everyone would have understood what he meant.

"We got him down to half-health!"
"F-Five seconds left..."
"I say that went pretty well for our first try! Great job, team!"
"You can say that again!"
"Are we not still fighting? The monster, it's still- oh, right. The timer."
"AH! ...dangit, I spilled my water..."

Sam sighed as the group hung up the reigns for the night, setting his headset aside. Maybe a post-game raid wasn't the best starting point, but he was sure they could get the hang of it! It'd just take a more...refined touch. Sam chewed on his thumb for a moment before jolting up in his seat and logging back into the game. Practiced mouse movements saw him in the IM screen. Thank goodness, she's still online!

"Hey Hydrangea! Long time, no speak! How's the guild?"

If there was one person Sam knew that could teach everyone the ropes, it'd be Hydrangea. She'd taught him, after all. A shame they never met in person, even after being in the same guild for two years. Sam sat back in his chair and reminisced for a moment. Who knew, with her on his side, maybe he and the crew could try and go competitive. It was a pipe dream, Sam figured, but so were the chances of Hydrangea being the group's homeroom teacher...
 
Circus AU
'The Area in Between'
"Um Rei... I'm starting to think this is a really bad idea, are you sure about this?" To that question the blonde smirked mischievously as he reached out one of his hands,

"M'lady, I'm extremely sure that the both of us know the answer to that question. You should live a little more y'know~ It wouldn't hurt to live alongside an attractive sire like myself~" He commented with a sing song voice a wink administered quickly after. Cora's cheeks tinted although once she took a long look past Rei a panicked expression flashed across her face. Rei didn't know whether to be remorseful or simply amused at her reaction to this situation.

Honestly he was surprised he could get her up on the trapeze platform in the first place. After all despite his constant advances towards the mermaid he refused to get attached. They were opposites, he adoring the freedom of the sky and she bound to the ground due to her element. Well besides the point that in his perspective if she was had to do more dangerous acts he'd be concerned daily of her getting a heart attack and would protest daily to it anyways.

Rei was well aware that Sam currently wasn't monitoring the area he couldn't help but continue glancing up nervously at the elevated platform above to make sure he wasn't to get caught... Yet.... On the other hand sometimes Rei (with no regrets) ended up dragging the poor stage manager into some of his acts. If anything most occasions he'd use the innocent Sam as a distraction knowing fully well they'd end up knowing who exactly committed the crime eventually. He just enjoyed seeing how long it'd take for them to finally make him atone for his crimes. Most occasions he'd get caught within not even 20 minutes. It was amazing, despite his nimbleness due to his flexibility it seemed that he could never escape from the hands of justice. Once again he motioned with the outreached hand for Cora to join him,

"So your answer, love?" Cora hesitantly reached out before shaking her head,

"I-I'm sorry Rei I can't..." She turned around in order to climb back down as Rei grabbed the back of her shirt tugging her to his side a dangerous glint in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly his words whispering into her ear,

"Hehe, I'm afraid we already crossed that bridge when you decided to join me up in my territory~" First her face turned red but promptly afterwards turned deathly pale. Mercilessly he leaned back his heels balancing dangerously on the edge as Cora's cries of protest suddenly became louder. Finally the heel of his sneakers slipped,

"Oops." As they fell a high pitched scream fell out of Cora's mouth while in Rei's case he squeezed his eyes tightly letting out first a scream and then a burst of laughter. He felt the net bend under his weight, recoiling upwards in retaliation to the sudden contact. As the net finally stopped shaking he let go of Cora curiously looking down at her reaction. He chuckled nervously, one arm still around her the other reached up to scratch at his cheek.

"Rei I told you I couldn't and yet you..." Rei watched as an upset expression came upon her face seeming at the brink of tears and then a look of embarrassment realizing how close they were. At that comment, Rei once again chuckled in a sheepish manner before a more apologetic expression came upon his face as if in a mournful state.

"I'm sorry." A soft apology slipping out of his lips. His grip loosened as Cora hurriedly moved off of him and scooted a little bit farther away and at his apology she paused. Rei soon gained his ever cheerful momentum as he grinned. With surprising speed he gripped her two hands into his, he puffed up a cheek frowning before finally opening his mouth,

"If you have it in your heart to forgive me I'd adore to have a moment to play my role in this stage along side you. After all it's quite a dilemma for a bird to soar only to find disappointment and boredom from flying in pointless circles."

Right. The main reason he dared make his lady afraid, for his own desire. The desire to be alongside her despite the height in which they performed. Sometimes he envied the crowd to witness her flawless performance although he had no need to be envious as he could witness the small beauties everyday despite the 'flaws' she found within her own act, doing it repeatedly until she perfected it. With a heavy weight on his chest he watched as she opened her mouth in reply.

Note: Despite the title I didn't know where I wanted to go with this exactly. Been watching too much Kaleido Star for my own good. A heartfelt short due to my sudden addiction to Ken x Sora and the frustration at the fact that they will never be canon.