Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Sept 4, 2023 21:36:17 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png Where is he?
Noise assails him from every direction. People crowding, lines pulling him about like a tidal wave. He should be checking for faces. Or asking directions. The last thing he recalls doing is half-lucidly accepting a SEER stamp from a hawker.
He takes a step and nearly bites his tongue as pain pulses up his leg.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, he’s been walking that long? He looks around, realizing there’s a lot of smells, a lot of food. Concessions lined up, bustling beside the thrumming walls of the main halls. This stupid fucking costume — he won’t be able to sit down in a chair with it, and he still can’t take it off. There are phones everywhere.
No escalators, but he does see double doors; doors he can actually squeeze into. Heedless of the giant EMPLOYEES ONLY on top of them, he hobbles his way through.
It leads to more hallways. A stairwell. He recognizes the backstage; probably used by maintenance and performers, but he doesn’t see any staff around. It’ll do.
He wants to sit by the stairwell, but the pain relegates him to a corner, beside a wall of posters. He groans as he sits down, back to the wall, and moves to pull off the giant foam head.
His fingers twitch around the foam head, something in his chest twisting. He tears it off and practically gasps for air. It’s stagnant and cold in the stairwell, and it’s like standing in a spring meadow.
He takes in lungfuls, trying to calm down as he rests the foam head in his lap. Sweat dribbles down the side of his head; he’s practically drenched, the fans inside the costume having done very little for his comfort. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, the upper half of his body free: half man, half Moltres.
“How do I get into this shit,” he mumbles, folding his arms over the foam head as he rests his back against the wall, waiting for the pain to subside; for him to be able to stand again.
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Sept 5, 2023 1:10:21 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/1011703533558566924/1148251786759639111/image~png "Sir, I need you to listen to me." A tall woman walks down the stairs barefoot, risking the ruin of a perfectly good pair of black stockings. In her left hand, she holds a pair of red pumps and an elegant yet obnoxiously large hat, marked by plush cat ears. In her right hand is the latest OnePlus phone, having gotten annoyed by the small earbud after hours of wearing it — radio earpieces are infinitely more comfortable in her opinion.
"I know that I agreed to come to this event in your place, but this is all rather excessive." There's a natural professionalism to the way she speaks, yet her tone is dry — completely devoid of emotion and definitely lacking the saccharine sweetness that had filled her words until just a few moments ago. After all, in this place, with no attendees in sight, she's able to drop the act, and that's a good thing considering that the edges of her mouth had begun to hurt from all the fake smiles. How can her boss enjoy public appearances so much? Ariel will never understand.
"Frankly, I do not know — nor do I care to know — anything about Pokémon, and pretending that I do is exhausting. People keep asking me to take pictures, and you know how much I dislike pictures. And, while I had expected to have to pretend to be you when meeting the friends you have in this game, you never mentioned anything about meeting people who dislike you — especially your ex. That man is exhausting."
Ariel had told herself that she could withstand most of these things and had even enjoyed parts of the convention so far, but after running into that last one, she had found herself in desperate need of a break. That's how she had ended up sneaking into one of the EMPLOYEES ONLY areas.
"Ari, I know that you're kind of frustrated right now, but I need you to—"
"Sir, please don't change the topic." Farther down, Ariel spots someone sitting on the staircase, wearing what looks like some kind of flaming bird Pokémon costume. A huge costume. So huge, in fact, that there's barely space for her to squeeze by. "As I was saying—"
"Ari, is there anyone near you?"
Weird.
As she heads down the stairs, she looks at what she assumes must be a Hydance employee. The poor guy looks like he's having an awful time in his costume, and honestly, she feels for him, because she sure is having an awful time too. The worst part is knowing that he's probably getting paid minimum wage for all this bullshit. If she weren't on the phone with her boss, Ariel would ask if he's doing alright, but that would also mean risking being asked about what she's doing here. Mentally, she prepares an excuse, giving the man no more than an acknowledging look. There are no smiles.
"I'm in an Employees Only area. There's someone in a costume here, but—"
'He's just a Hydance employee.'
Mr. Marzán cuts her off before she can say this.
"No, Ari. The app says it's someone I know."
Ariel stops dead on her tracks. She turns to look at the suffering man, lowering the phone and then swiping with her thumb to reveal the UNOVRCon app. It's linked to Tuesday's account. A notification blinks, unmistakable after having seen more than a few similar ones ever since the convention begun:
She knows that this means that he would see a similar notification if he looked at his phone. Shit. This is her fault. Shit. If she loses her bonus because of this man learning the truth, she'll be pissed off.
"Kazuki." Ariel repeats a name that she had never seen or heard until. She stares at him, her expression severe. "...How much did you hear?"
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Sept 5, 2023 11:02:16 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png His moment of respite is shattered — not at once, but chipped at with every syllable of a distant voice. A voice that draws closer with every muffled step.
Don’t go down, he thinks. The voice follows him down.
The muscles in his thighs tighten — not to pull him up, but to lock him down. He is going nowhere.
Atsushi curses under his breath, curling in on himself. Sweat pattering on Moltres’ head. Without much else he can do, all that’s left is to listen.
And boy, is there a lot to hear.
There is a woman at the top of the staircase. She’s dressed quite classy — the cosplay is dead-on for C.L.A.W’s character, made of a prettier penny than what most of the amateurs at the photo op are capable of scrounging up. Her hair is a little too strawberry for a blonde, but he would have bought it. He really would have.
But the costume isn’t what Atsushi is paying attention to. It’s her face. The look in her eyes — cold as a shut door. Atsushi wants to laugh in sheer relief. She doesn’t recognize him.
Of course she wouldn’t. This is a convention whose demographic skews towards children and fanatics. The only fighting that’s popular here are ones that involve an HUD.
His phone pings him, and a quick check confirms it. The way she says his name, botching its pronunciation, also confirms it. “Tuesday,” he says, his voice a deep rumble that would be familiar to no one but the man in the phone. She asks him how much he's heard and he answers, “Not much.” Which is a bold-faced lie.
He sighs, wiping his face with his hand, his hair matted on his skin. It’s a relief that she doesn’t know who he is, but there’s still the issue of her having seen his face — the tattoos on his arms. “If you’re going to bother me, do you mind putting away the phone? I’ve had a shit day and I’m sick of seeing those things.”
He eyes the phone pressed to her ear. “Seems like an important call.”
Daring her to bullshit, just not in the way she’s calculating to do right then. |
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Sept 6, 2023 0:38:39 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/1011703533558566924/1148251786759639111/image~png She stares at him, gaze cold and calculating, and despite having heard his request loud and clear, the phone still returns to her ear.
"Sir, he says that he didn't hear much."
"Do you believe him?"
"No."
Yes, Ariel knows that this man who is supposedly her boss' friend or acquaintance can hear her, but that does not stop her. Aware that he has no idea who she is talking to or what the person at the other side of the line is saying, she continues to stare.
"Damn it, Kazuki." Mr Marzán sighs, and she can imagine him lifting the glasses he always wears when working at a computer and pinching the bridge of his nose — a common gesture when in private and definitely not one that is present at all in front of most. "I doubt he'll believe that you're actually Tuesday after all of this, so just try to get him not to say anything. I'll leave it at your discretion, but don't hang up the phone."
"Hm." Blue eyes narrow, still fixed on this curious man. "Very well, but he did ask me to put the phone away."
"...Why would he ask you that?"
Without a hurry at all, Ariel reaches into her purse, retrieving an earbud from its case and carefully putting it on before finally putting away the phone as Kazuki had requested. She can still hear her boss, and she knows that he can hear this Kazuki guy in return (what an usual name, is that Japanese?), there's a discrete microphone hidden in her outfit, as well as an equally hidden camera. Needless to say, great effort had gone into this plan, only for it to potentially be ruined by one unexpected encounter...
Make that two, actually.
"Why have you had a shit day?" Ariel asks then, and although completely uninvited, she takes a seat on one of the steps as well. She doesn't know this man at all, and he doesn't know her, but he knows Tuesday, and at this place that much is enough, in a way. "Mine hasn't been all that great either, as you heard."
There's no point in pretending that she believes that he didn't hear her. Lying has always been part of Ariel's profession, but for now, she's tired.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Sept 9, 2023 3:39:51 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png His eyes narrow as she continues the call, hearing every word, as she had intended. She had failed his dare, but what she had done was still useful; it told him about the man on the phone, and even more about herself.
Whoever this woman is, she’s not Tuesday — but she’s close. Tuesday without the charisma. Sugar-free T-Fuel, served cold; cold to the point the can bent. But she’s compliant, bound by some sort of obligation, presumably deep pockets.
Atsushi massages his temple as the woman makes a show of putting on an earbud, stowing the phone as requested. It’s strange, really. Everything she has done has made the message blindingly clear:
I don’t trust you, and you cannot trust me.
Yet she asks him about his day. She sits with him on the greasy, dusty staircase in the cold backroom and tries to relate to him. Her exhaustion is genuine. There is no reason it shouldn’t be.
“Why do you think?” he growls, gesturing to the costume still pooling around his waist. The beads of sweat that roll down his skin as if he’s a chilled water bottle in the summer. He hunches over the mascot helmet, turning his face away from her. “That’s all you’re getting out of me about this. You’ve made it clear I can’t trust you.”
If she has that fancy little earbud, who’s to say what else she has? Bodycams? Perhaps she had spots around the venue bugged, like some kind of spy. Atsushi doesn’t understand why she would, but it’s better to assume the worst when he’s being recorded. He has been burned countless times by people he thought he could trust — by places he thought were safe. There is no such thing as privacy in this day and age.
“And just so you know, Tuesday—” because she— he is listening, there is no one else he can think of who would benefit from such an intricate stunt “—this ‘body double’ shit isn’t a good look. It’s giving terrorist or pervert vibes and I’m leaning to the latter considering what you’ve done in the game.”
Atsushi huffs, moving to untie his hair. The strands have come loose, soaked through and clinging to his neck like tendrils. Itchy. “It’s funny, though. I didn’t think tricking people into wearing thigh highs was something you also did in real life.” |
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Nov 1, 2023 2:11:45 GMT 9
#s://i~imgur~com/EMDgHRo~png "Fair. That doesn't look comfortable." Her own costume is driving her crazy, yes, but his? His looks like plain torture. Who in the world would voluntarily wear a giant flaming chicken costume? "Hm... but you weren't in the list of costumed employees. Were I someone else, I would assume that you're some creep using a costume to stalk someone here."
If that is Ariel's definition of a joke, it's delivered in the driest way possible, the woman even going as far as raising an eyebrow as she holds the gaze of this 'Kazuki'. At least he seems to know her boss quite well, although her expression doesn't change at all when she makes her next statement:
"Yes, Tuesday is a pervert."
"Hey! What the fuck?!"
Only then does she give the faintest of smirks, fading in a matter of seconds and perhaps only present because of the reaction coming from her earbud. She really had been joking this time, but then again, actions speak louder than words.
"You too, huh? I shouldn't be surprised that they still act this way in the game, but at least I'm getting paid ridiculously well."
"Oh, Ari, I think my heart is breaking..." Mr Marzán says, melodramatic as ever. And, just as she expects, these words are followed by a light laugh, clearly not having meant them in the slightest. "Kind of a pot calling the kettle black, though, no? He's obviously hiding his identity too... I'll have Alexa do a quick search to see what she finds."
Ariel has other plans.
"Given your costume, I think you'd understand why Tuesday would send someone here in their place, wouldn't you, Kazuki?"
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Nov 2, 2023 23:39:06 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png “I would assume that you're some creep using a costume to stalk someone here."
Atsushi squints, not just because he’s offended, but also because it’s true. The resulting stare-off between him and Fake Tuesday is a formidable one. It becomes quickly apparent they are both in the spiteful bitches department.
It is unfortunate then, that he loses—because Fake Tuesday calling Tuesday a pervert is enough to shock a laugh out of him.
“Fuck—no shit. She’s got interesting tastes.” And he had to hand it, at least the impostor’s smart enough to wheedle a paycheck out of it. “I’ll keep that in mind the next time she makes me do it for free.” And yes, he is admitting he expects it. Expect anything from Tuesday.
The good vibes are short-lived, though. The walls come back up as she negotiates for his silence, the threat heard loud and clear.
“First of all: Stop trying to hide him. I already heard you call the bastard Sir.” His eyes rake over her attire. “And yeah, I can take a guess. How’s this: The famous catgirl knight is being piloted by some spoiled, presumably recognizable tech nerd who’s too paranoid to show up in person and too much of an attention hog not to snoop with a hot body double. How warm am I?” |
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Nov 3, 2023 11:43:31 GMT 9
#s://i~imgur~com/EMDgHRo~png Yes, the casual tone the conversation takes is but a ruse, because Ariel sitting on this staircase and taking a moment to chat with a stranger who knows her boss in a game is actual both a negotiation and an attempt to determine if said man is a potential threat. So far, his response to all of this has her concerned, but in of her straightforwardness and no-nonsense attitude, she simply quirks a brow at the flurry of insults thrown her boss' way. Honestly, she's not even the slightest bit surprised that Mr Marzán apparently calls this rude man his friend, because in all of his narcissism, she has never seen her boss get offended when someone tries to slander his name (Of course not! He thinks himself to be above all of them!). "Spoiled? No. But, rich? Quite so. Recognizable? Absolutely. Tech Nerd? Many would think so, but not exactly."What's this, a game of Guess Who? Not really. It's actually Ariel buying time, because see, while Martín Marzán may not getting offended easily, he is indeed quite paranoid and extremely petty. "There we go. Atsushi Himura. Looks like he's kind of a well-known MMA fighter... Ha. So, the circumstances are actually similar after all."Ah, there it is. Intense as ever, she holds Atsushi Himura's gaze, ignoring the utter ridiculousness of his attire. "If you must know, him being here would be a security concern for both himself and everyone at the convention. I'm sure you're well aware of the risks that come with groups of people gathering around an individual when the venue isn't prepared for that sort of foot traffic, aren't you, Mr Himura?"A bomb is dropped and there is Ariel: statuesque, unflinching, and never one to look away.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Nov 3, 2023 13:09:57 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png Of course his brain shuffles through possibilities. Big names, the go-tos when you think of rich. The moguls. It’s all so stupid and fantastical and it doesn’t matter, because who specifically Tuesday is, his name, is not what Atsushi is digging for.
The spiel Fake Tuesday gives him makes his eyes glaze over. She sounds like every NDA he has ever been made to sign, all these people and names he has to pretend he doesn't know—
And there it is.
The bomb lands on a bullseye.
“If you think—” his voice is rising. It is filling the stairwell like a plume of smoke, stifling “—that our circumstances— in any capacity— are the same, then you are a PIECE. OF. SHIT.”
An explosion made to be heard—perhaps to destroy—even the most discreet little earbuds.
Some of the results that pull up when you search Atsushi Himura are as follows:
Cursing under his breath, Atsushi forces himself to get up. “That how you people get your kicks? Jeopardizing people’s careers? All because you can’t help but play spy at a fucking videogame con?”
His shoulder slams against the wall as his leg fails, the pain of it scraping up his tibia, the costume pooled around his waist sagging further until it’s all been peeled, revealing only a wreck of a man in civilian clothes.
The foam Moltres head bounces down the staircase, rolling until it taps the shut doors.
“Fuck you,” he spits, and begins dragging himself against the wall, limping to the exit. |
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Nov 3, 2023 14:01:16 GMT 9
#s://i~imgur~com/EMDgHRo~png Ariel had expected an explosion, but had she expected Atsushi Himura to explode?
Yes. Of course she had. Are you fucking kidding? The man looks, talks, and acts like a ticking timebomb. What is it with strong men and having the shortest fuses ever?
Oh... Actually, now that she thinks about it, Ariel had once read an article about how the constant and excessive traumatic head injuries in Mixed Martial Arts cause career fighters to end up having mood swings, increase in aggression, and all other sort of problems. Ah, that explains a lot. He got hit in the head until he became akin to a rabid dog, of course!
Even if true, none of that justifies his actions, though.
"You will not speak to me that way." She declares after allowing a few seconds of silence to settle the metaphorical dust left behind by his explosive outburst. This area is now radioactive, and yet, Ariel shows no signs of fear or even concern for her own wellbeing. Foolish? Arguably. Justified? Always. There is no shock, there is no horror, and when she stands — still barefoot and holding onto her crimson heels and hat — she doesn't look away even once.
"I'm not your employee, I'm not your punching bag, and I'm most certainly not your lesser. You owe me an apology, Atsushi Himura, and I intend to claim it."
At first, her boss says nothing at all, and for a moment Ariel wonders if he's simply aware that she would have said all of this even if he tried to stop her or if he's still recovering from the man's impressively loud shouting. Whatever the answer may be, when Mr Marzán finally speaks, he says four stern words, having lost all amusement to his tone.
"Give him the card."
She does not question it, but the issue here is how to convince the man not to leave for long enough to fulfill her boss' instructions. Tricky, but perhaps...
"If you want to yell at Tuesday, you should at least do it in person." She declares next, watching him go through all the effort of shedding his cumbersome costume and begin to limp towards the exit. "He'd like to meet you."
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on Nov 10, 2023 13:23:14 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png Whether his MMA injuries caused him brain damage didn’t matter—it only takes getting dropped on your head as a baby once to ensure you stay bitter for the rest of your life. That, coupled with a lifetime of issues and a con’s worth of footnote issues, and the timebomb comparison became less a theory and more a self-fulfilling prophecy.
But this is not the time for psychological evaluation. Fake Tuesday declares her intent to pry an apology out of him as if swearing to have his head—a moxie that under any other circumstances, he would praise and enable to the fullest extent—but the current circumstance is that he despises her and her boss. The last thing he wants is to see her again.
He’s finally by the exit when she brings up the possibility of meeting Tuesday. Some part of him naturally wants to tell her to shove it, but the other part—
He bends down (painfully, slowly), picking up the Moltres head from the floor. He pulls the costume back up. If this is the end, he wants to reach his hotel room untouched. He wants that modicum of peace before all hell breaks loose.
He turns to her, loathing written across his soggy features. “Does he? What a fucking surprise.” Maybe the son of a bitch wants to rub it in.
Atsushi slips the Moltres head back on, completing the transformation from despicable vicious man to despicable vicious bird, waddling over to Fake Tuesday in a move that’s less a character quirk and more a persisting medical issue.
“Fine. Where?” |
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Tuesday
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Battle Legend
The Creed
Posts: 1,602
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Martín 'Mars' Marzán
OOC Username: Stells
Arena Points: 138
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Post by Tuesday on Nov 16, 2023 10:41:56 GMT 9
#s://i~imgur~com/EMDgHRo~png He doesn't apologise, because of course he doesn't. He's too proud, too angry, and too fucking misguided. He has decided he hates them, but for all Ariel knows, tomorrow he'll think he likes them, because men as volatile as Atsushi Himura often fling their rage at the nearest person and then act as if nothing happened. A summer storm, its lightning striking whatever is closest to the sky. Yet, in the sky, the storm always passes, and calm returns soon enough.
Thus, Ariel puts a pin on the lack of apology and instead turns her attention to following her boss' instructions with the efficiency that is her signature and pride. A black card is retrieved from her bag and extended towards the man, her blue eyes piercing through him like daggers ready to strike.
"You can go to the hotel across the street and give this card to the front desk, they'll tell you what room to go to. Or, you can throw it away, or shove it up your ass, for all I care. The choice is entirely yours, Mr Himura." The card in itself is simple, bearing the Marriott's logo on one side and a QR code on the other. Some VIP pass of some sort? Clearly, the sort of thing "Tuesday" had left detailed instructions for.
"Now, if you excuse me, putting up with the tantrums of men who behave like they need a change of diapers and a pacifier is not in my job description. Have a good day, and don't ever forget that you still owe me an apology."
Insults are a bit too unprofessional for Ariel's taste, but the whole thing is recorded, her boss is listening in on it, and her contract gives her a comfortable amount of leeway when it comes to situations like these. So, content with her choice, she does a perfect 180° — turning on her heels and beginning to walk up the same stairs she had descended only minutes earlier.
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