Furious

Erik stopped short of the handle of his car as he heard the officer's door close behind him. A few words were exchanged to the twins, he noticed, as he turned around. After a few words to the happy crowd, Erik's lip curved upward in his achievement. It wasn't a smile of a person pleased in the outcome but a smirk speaking of quiet arrogance and steady confidence. Min Ji walked over to him and spoke in the voice of a leader whose toes had been bruised by an interloper, yet somewhat grateful despite the words. He'd noticed the nod of understanding earlier from both the twins.

"I'm not sure if Rosso has informed you of the way it works around here, but don't think you'll gain any favors in the race for the stunt you pulled back there," she had said. "You front the 10k's and you are in."

Erik's smile crept then to the other side of his mouth as well. "Money isn't an issue, and neither are favors. I just feel like racing in this Trident tonight, regardless of who it is or what they represent."

He held a hand out for a business-like shake, "Since you know Rosso, you know he doesn't hire anyone stupid. Maybe wreckless though. He's still fond of his dealings with you all; I remember him speaking of the Dice every so often. A lot about 'The Twins' though." That he was still fond of the dealings Erik really had no clue at all, but the rest was true, though it was always on some profitable deal he had met with them. Or out of necessity.

He breifly looked at her brother and then met eyes once more with her. "Your brother seems to be quite the level-headed guy. It looks like he's the only one of the three of you that likes that guy he's talking to."

Jack walked up from behind Erik and held up a ticket. "I gave M the 10k. Here's his pass, Min Ji." He bowed slightly in respect, then motioned his head to where they had been with Russ. "Sorry about that, I don't have any authority over Erik. I'm just his guide for now. Besides, he'd probably put me in jars if I tried to stop him from doing anything he wanted."

It's good to be feared, Erik thought. When Min Sun wasn't looking and Jack and Min Ji spoke, he looked Min Ji up and down quickly, sizing her up. He'd have to make some well made decisions to get that block of ice she called a heart thawed.

Kwan Gi SONG

Michael gave a nod and a brief smile in return. He had had dealings with Dante and his crew on several occasions, both as an employee of TriCo Domain and as a clan member of the Chimaeras, and Dante had proved himself skilled and reliable. He wasn't too fond of the way he had chosen to end things with his younger sister, to put it lightly, but unlike his sisters he tended to at least try and separate business from his personal feelings. He was a business man first and his business relation with Dante was valued more than the way Dante had handled himself on a personal matter, even if it included his Lindsey. He wasn't sure though if it was her heart that had been broken or her pride. Perhaps a little bit of both, although knowing her sister the pride must have stung harder.

"10K will do wonderfully."

He continued to study Dante, managing to avoid directly staring at him, a feature he had learned to master, noting his back turning a bit more stiff. Taking the money he realised with amusement that Lindsey was slowly making her way over, almost like a preditor on a hunt. His face however told nothing of the sort. One of many misconceptions people had of him was that he was an emotionless boring man with no sense of humour. Only those close to him knew that it was far from being true. Just because he seldom showed his emotions did not mean that he didn't have any.

"Well well well... look what the cat dragged in," was her first greeting to Dante after his return. Inwardly Kwan Gi smiled.


Min Sun SONG

Lindsey had been leaning against her ugly red car, watching the scene before her. Apart from the most surprisingly return, and perhaps most unwelcomed, of Dante, the ordinary night had turned into a rather interesting one. The newcomer, Erik, would be a nice addition to the backstreets of Dice. Deciding to finally have the inevitable meeting with Dante she pushed herself forward with her right leg against the door of the car, giving Erik an inviting nod as she walked up to Dante and her brother.

"Well well well... look what the cat dragged in," she said, for the first time openly looking at Dante from top til toe. She finally met his eyes, for the first time in a really long time, looking far from impressed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, implying that indeed it would have been better if he'd never returned at all.


Min Ji SONG

"Well you must understand our surprise...," she said as she shook his hand. "We haven't seen that car in a while." Rosso was far from an idiot, she knew that, but that did not guarantee that this fellow would be anything close to worth dealing with. He had proved himself to not be a total dimwit with the scene just before now. It was a start.

"Your brother seems to be quite the level-headed guy. It looks like he's the only one of the three of you that likes that guy he's talking to."

Did he just weave an insult into that statement, she wondered and an annoyed wrinkle appeared between her brows. Sure Kwan Gi had his emotions in better check than both of his sisters combined, she had to admit. But she couldn't help but to think that it was more of a remark of her own character than that of her brother. Her dark eyes grew shot him a quick glare, before throwing a glance at her twin and Dante.

"That is to no concern of you or this race," she added, a tad sharper this time, while taking the ticket from Jack as he joined them.
"Well the race is still on so no harm done," she continued with a smile turning to Jack instead. "You must give our regards to Rosso, and welcome him back to the streets of Dice."
Noting that Lindsey finally had decided to approach Dante she kept them under observation as she continued. "Do you know if he'll be staying a while this time? I'm sure Mr Pak would welcome a visit."

"Well," Jack started, and rubbed the back of his neck in an almost-embarrassed manner. "Truthfully, I have no idea where he is at the moment. I don't think he's got a permanent base of operations at present. Then again, I wouldn't really know. I'm not even a smallfry in this thing of his, either. More... eh... mid-level." He smirked, then looked at Erik. "What do you know Erik? Is he in the Dice this time of year?"

Erik cleared his throat lightly and shrugged, "Not right now. It depends on the situation and my trip here. If he's needed, he'll come. Hell... He might come because it's the first time the Dice has been brought up to him since he left a couple years back."

Erik looked at Min Ji and shrugged, "Sorry, Min Ji, you're right it isn't my concern." She obviously was touchy about her brother being the most restrained one.

He continued, "I Wish I knew where Rosso was though. I'll let him know of your greetings and well-wishes. Personally, it's been a few weeks since I've been around Rosso and I'd like to see him again. Should I ... use Mr.Pak's invitation to lure him?" Erik turned his head a few degrees and raised his eyebrow, eyes still fixed on Min Ji's. Hopefully she understood that there might be a business involvement. Erik wasn't one that typically needed protection, but a guide to the Dice besides Jack was a better thing than Jack alone. Face-time with the Chimaeras would boost his reputation in lieu of not wanting to broadcast he was with Rosso. Especially face time with the Twins.

"At the very least, I could meet the legend and let him know that Rosso's representative is in Kain's Dice, for possibly an extended period of time, depending on the situation I came for. However, I would like to keep it fairly low-key whom it is I work for. Not too many would recognize the car as his unless they knew much of him, which I'm not concerned about. Most of the people who know Rosso know Jack works for him anyway. He's Primarily a Watcher."

Jack piped in with another cleared throat, "Even though I love that you're being a diplomat, and that no one knows what you're talking about but us. We can't guarantee that for long." He lowered his voice a little, "I think we should talk about this later for that reason. Is that alright Min Ji? After the race perhaps, if you are free? I think Erik has an idea rolling around in his head."

Erik rolled his eyes a little and chuckled, "Thanks, Mr.Obvious," he joked quietly. "Shucks..."

Dante returned the Korean's smile, regarding him steadily for a moment. He was one of the lucky few that knew there was much more to Kwan Gi than met the eye. It was a rare thing to see him express emotion around others, he was sure to those close to him that Kwan Gi was at least a bit different. Dante admired that trait, and it was surprising how well it reflected his own self control. He had learned long ago that a good poker face can get you far, and Dante's was almost perfect. Like the male half of the Twins, he only showed as much emotion as he desired, however he was considerably more generous with showing emotion than Kwan Gs was. Not that he always portrayed the emotions that he was actually feeling, of course.

Movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and his eyes glanced over and back in less than the blink of an eye. Gravity seemed to try to rip is heart down through his stomach as he saw Min Sun approaching. The inevitable conflict, for that was surely the best word for what was to come, was at hand, and he felt a certain dread. Dante was a fairly fearless individual, but even so the sight of Min Sun all but stalking towards him was enough to provoke such feelings form him. He remembered clearly, almost a lifetime ago, when she had approached him countless times before ina much different fashion. Indeed had his past choices been different, or even a single one of them, perhaps she would still be looking at him as she used to. He couldn't say for certain.

"Well well well... look what the cat dragged in." Min Sun said, and he surpressed a sigh as she added, "What are you doing here?" He had expected something of that sort for their first encounter, however it didn't do much to soften the acid burn of her words, and he allowed himself to wince slightly in reaction. What made matters worse was that Min Sun was entirely right. Regardless of the circumstances, Dante knew her reaction to his actions those few years ago was completely warranted. He mentally kicked himself as he met her gaze calmly, his outward appearance not betraying his internal conflict, though his face wasn't a mask of stone.

"Hello to you, as well, Min Sun." he replied with a touch of warmth, making sure his voice would be clearly heard, it wouldn't do to have anything he said be misheard and make matters worse. He continued, looking back into her eyes, though without even a hint of challenge in them. "I came back to the Dice because I needed to. I left a lot behind back then." Dante kept his calm gaze still holding to Min Sun's firey eyes, his own far kinder as a touch of emotion crept into them, clear for her to see if she so choose to look for it. "I came back because I want to... to reconnect with everything I foolishly pushed away." his voice was even as he said this, though the slight implication directed at Min Sun was apparent. He stopped then, refraining against saying more. He had said his piece, or rather a piece of what he truly wished to tell Min Sun, and so he would see just how she wanted to react.

Dante was not an idiot. He knew it would take more than a few calm words to penetrate Min Sun's anger. For that matter, he wasn't even sure what he was pursuing at the moment, or even if there was anything left to pursue. All he did know was that she deserved to know the truth, at the very least. The question would be, however, just how much truth would she be able to handle...

Min Ji SONG

Min Ji gave Jack an understanding smile. Sometime she forgot what it was like not being one of the few people the boss trusted and shared private information with. The Song twins had quickly rissen in the ranks of the Chimaeras, as well as the daily cover TriCo Domain, much thanks to her own skills as a driver and Michael's bussiness sense, knowing when to be delicate about something and when to not.

"Jack is right, this conversation is better suited elsewhere," she noted with a smile playing on her lips. "Here," she said as she pulled out a dark violet business card, holding it out to Jack.

"Give us a call and we'll take it from there," she continued and turned to face Erik. Her annoyance with him seemed to have flown away. "Time to start the race, so I suggest you'd get ready..."

Their one on one with one of the most known names within the Chimaeras ranks was over and she quickly turned her back to them, heading over to the other cars.


Kwan Gi & Min Sun

Lindsey kept his gaze as he first dared to meet hers. Her eyes were dark and unreadible. Michael watched the scene with interest, wondering what her next step would be. With Lindsey it was always difficult to tell. The only thing he could tell for sure was that she was pissed.

"Well I wish you good luck with that," he finally heard her say, her voice soft and surprisingly gentle. Not really what he had expected of a pissed off Linds.

"You know... It is good to see you again...," she continued, taking a step closer towards Dante. "You left in such a hurry and I never got a chance to give you this..."

She leaned closer, closing the gap between their heads, as if to kiss him on his cheek as she grabbed him by his shoulders. However, she didn't stop by his cheek but continued to put her mouth close to his ear and whispered 'Welcome back' simulatenousely as she made a well aimed kick with her knee into his soft parts.

Now that was the Lindsey he knew, Michael thought as she took a step back, quickly turning her heels around and heading back to her car.

"Stop fussing around," he could hear Min Ji from behind. "The race is starting in 5, be ready or be out!"

Erik lowered his head a little in respect as Min Ji turned to him. "Time to start the race... So I suggest you'd better get ready..." He perked up a corner of his lips in smirk and she turned around. His eyes sort of watched her form slink away until the movement of Min Sun kneeing the other guy in the groin and walked away back toward her car. That being said, next to Erik and Jack. "The race is starting in five, be ready or be out!" he heard Min Ji say and he nudged Jack.

"Nothing about the car I need to know about?" he asked.

"About your car? Not really. NO2 is accessible, there's various displays you can view on the windscreen if you choose, like GPS etc. You'll want to activate a couple of those. Also turn off the jammer I activated a minute ago on it. I don't want the battery to go dead overnight." He nudged Erik back though, "But don't think about it. Don't get close to the Chimaeras for the girl and the beast. She really is a Chimaera, Min Ji. Min Sun isn't very far behind. It also wouldn't be good for business or health." His warning went heard but unlistened by Erik.

"I'm not reckless. I cause plenty of wreckage." He smiled, "It's just another swath of destruction in my wake that no one is ready for." He sighed and looked at Jack, "It's just that girls with a fiery spirit and with power are so fun to bring down to your own level. But you're right." He looked back at Min Sun as she was about to reach her car and get into earshot. "It isn't directly part of why I'm here. I can make them part of it, though."

"Remind me to change my plans about having you stay in my loft before I got you your own. You'll just make it a mess," Jack lamented.

"Live with nothing, then you'll understand why 'something' is expendable. It's all the same. It's just more to have fun breaking," Erik replied.

Jack nodded. "So then, Rosso intends for you to take 'something' and turn it into 'nothing'?" he whispered.

"Pretty much it." Erik looked at his watch, "Well, it's about that time. Time to begin on the road to ruin." He opened the door and slid in. Before he closed the door he shrugged, "Sometimes you just have to throw out something that's broken and get a new one Jack. Things can't always be fixed. That's my part."

Dante watched Min Sun for the brief moment before she finally replied. The tone of her reply surprised him for a moment. She was coming closer, and an eternal moment of inner conflict played out in his mind. Part of him hoped her words were sincere, in fact that entire part of him believed them to be true and honest. "You know... It is good to see you again...," Min Sun continued, adding to his anticipation as the woman he had been so close to drew towards him. It was easy to look into her eyes and almost lose himself, and memories came back to him unbidden.

But Dante wouldn't be himself if not for his cool analytical mind. He knew something was up, after all Min Sun's reaction was a one-eighty from what he had expected. He had known her very well back then, and anything could happen in three years, but he doubted she would be this easy to forgive. But such is the power of emotions, especially in a mind like Dante's. So it was in the time it took for her to cross to him that he felt himself feeling more hope than was prudent as she leaned in to him.

"Welcome back" he heard in his ear as her leg swung up. He seemingly sensed it more than felt it as it approached his groin. Dante was a remarkable man, qith quick instincts and reactions that served him well in confrontations both in the race and on the streets. But his internal struggle slowed his thinking as he blinked, instinct alone, coupled with his reflexes, twisting his hips slightly. He grunted as she connected, though at least merely a glancing blow. Dante clenched his teeth as the spasm of pain coursed through his thighs, and he let out what someone might consider a sigh. He saw her spun, his eyes watching her back, though oddly his face and eyes showed no anger, and quite truthfully at that. 'That was more like it' he thought with an ironic mental chuckle.

"Own the road, Min Sun" Dante said before she had gotten too far, surprising himself by speaking up. He didn't know what prompted him to say it, other than age-old reaction, most likely. The words came from his lips in fluent Korean, and not the nigh-perfectness of someone putting on an act, but of someone who had spoken it all his life. Such was one of his gifts, as he had taught himself a fair number of languages over the years. But also, it was always the last thing he used to say to Min Sun before any of her races. He wasn't ever sure where it came from, simply that it seemed to fit the task at hand. He turned before seeing if she had heard him, though he knew his voice had carried, and he walked back to his car.

"Well, at least we made your first day back memorable." Asuka said quietly, a hint of apology in her voice, though Dante doubted it was sincere. He would be expecting too much to assume anyone wouldn't be pissed about his arrival, no matter the circumstances. He gave her a brief smile and opened the door, Asuka's eyes flitting up to look at Min Sun before looking back down. "Be good, Asuka." he said almost by way of a warning, and she grinned. "You just watch yourself, and be careful Dante." Dante nodded and slid into the seat, looking around him. "Well, it's good to be back." he said as she shut the door for him.

By modern standards, Jane's setup was quite plain looking. While some considered displays and such to be a neccessity, Dante did not. Besides, it would deaden the artistic feel of the age-old Supra. He smiled to himself as he looked over at the other cars, his being on the far end from the Song Twins, and blew out a breath. For all her simple, yet elegant, styling, Jane hid a monster beneath. She was wrought of the best electronics and mechanics Dante's crew could lay their hands on, which was saying a lot, and Lily was a whiz at the former fo the two. Dante smiled confidently. It didn't hold the smugness of someone who assumed they had the 'best money could buy', but it was the smile of someone who was back in his element.

"It's been too long, Jane." he said, almost whispering reverently, "But we're back. I won't let you down, just take good care of me, hon."

...

...

(I'm up for anything. My plans with Dante are fluid, mostly I just have his background and capabilities setup. Other than that, I can work with any situation, probably. I emailed Ark a couple days ago, but no reply either :/ His gchat status msg always seemed overworked and harried, though. I do think we can take this thread and run with it until he returns. So far, we've done a good job of making this really PC-reliant :D)

...

OOC, Sorry, wasn't aware you were waiting for my opinion. I concur! let's try this not to die this time 'round...

OOC: I would like to join in this thread, but during the race if possible as a surprise contender. I've been thinking about joining in for awhile now, as the thread appeals to me with its cross of urban street racing and an underworld.

OOC: Alright then, lets keep going. I talked to ark, he's been super duper busy IRL... poor bloke... He said to move on without him for now. He'll catch up when he's able. Says sorry to everyone for his abrupt missing status, but not to worry.

On other news, let's all dismiss all the OOC we've written so far to '...' as text so it isn't clutter and move on from here.

-Diaskeaus: Join up. THere's no charsheets, race begins momentarily.

IC:

Jack stepped back to the spectator's area and logged his phone onto the private network of watchers for the various points of the race. People were set up all along the racetrack with cameras just waiting for the racers to come down the way. The green light was given by all the racers at the line and Jack noted that Erik didn't waste effort revving the engine at the line. Instead he seemed more like a prowling lioness on the hunt, not moving but ready to pounce at any moment's notice. The trident even seemed to growl lowly like the predators of the Savannah.

(Just wanted to say I'm still in this but.... where's SoHee :V

edit: Yeah, I was having the same issue dealing with the race. It's kinda hard to really do anything as far as posting, hopefully we can make it interesting lol I'll hopefully post tonight)

Min Sun

Her satisfied smile froze for a brief millisecond as she heard the very familiar korean words said from behind. She shook quickly shook it off and entered her car. The style wasn't particularly up to par, but underneith the hood it was hot. The RX-8 would surely put up a fight, even though she guessed that at least one of her two competitors was a more experienced driver than her. The new guy was a joker, but considering the car he would be driving he was far from being a tool. She gave the gas pedal a light push to warm up the engine while putting on her favourite set of mp3s.

"Good luck," came a male voice from the small headset she had just put in her right ear, merely visible. "We start in 3." She nodded, even though the responce wasn't visible for the speaker and turned up the volume on the stereo. Rapid drums drowned the sound from the outside and she closed her eyes, leaning back against the head-rest.

Two red-heads stepped in front of the line, in between each empty space from the three cars, and waved to the cheering crowd. Too alike not to be siblings, or at least related. In each hand they held a violet scarf, the colour of the Chimaeras. Min Sun was still in her own world inside the read RX-8, but she was aware that the race was about to start.

"10."

She took a deep breath. The voice came from her head-set. She knew that the 'start-girls' heard the same count as she did.

"9."

She placed a firm grip around the steering wheel.

"8."

She exhaled and opened her eyes, ignoring the crowd, ignoring both cars.

"7."

Revving the engine just to hear her roar over the drums and base.

"3... 2... 1..."

The girls waved with their violet scarves and the dark night was filled with even louder cheers and roaring engines as the three cars sped off. Min Sun's car was the second to cross the silver line. Each car had a straight long row to accelerate on, but it would soon be followed by twists and turns through the backside of Dice. Everywhere on the way cars would block roads, forcing them through the plotted race towards the finish line.

OOC: I feel like it is going to be difficult to write good "lengthier" race posts with 3 competitors... you both have the permission to write the race for Min Sun. I have no intention of letting her win this race, but she would not likely be far behind either....

Dante sighed briefly was he watched Min Sun continue towards her car. Despite how some might think, the frustration and pain was deep within him. Thoughts came to him unbidden once more, and he hastily pushed them aside. For now, he must grasp this moment. While Dante never put much stock into his races, even though he was considerably popular and amazingly skilled, he knew there was a certain extra edge to this one. 'Three years will do that to ya' a little voice in his head nagged, and Dante closed his eyes.

The race was simply an outlet for Dante, a way to put his passions and skills to the test. They were nothing serious to him, though that is not to say he didn't put effort into them. If that were the case, he wouldn't be so deserving of his reputation. A short knock on the heavy-tinted window brought him from his thoughts and he thumbed the switch activating the motor.

"Hey there tiger." Asuka smirked, getting a matching grin from him. "Everything is basically how you remember it, we didn't want to fool with you too much." she informed him, his head nodding in reply, "Though, there is one little feature we just had to add." Dante quirked an eyebrow at her tone and expression and she answered the unspoken question with a short sentence. "Jane, say hello to your old friend." Dante blinked in surprise a a soft, yet clearly heard, female voice spoke back from the car's speakers "Hello Dante." Asuka nearly giggled at his expression, and she shrugged as he looked back in her. "It's not too big of a deal, we got some connections going and it didn't bump the whole cost too" she lightly stressed the word "much. It's not full-out AI, mind you, that'd just be stupid. Basic commands and such, that's all. General voice-activated engine and electronics control."

"Still..." Dante said, shaking his head a bit, the unexpected gift touching him deeply, "Thanks, Passion." he said simply, choosing to use the alias she no longer used, and which Dante was the only living person allowed to use it. "I mean that, and..." he stopped as she looked up. "Stow it, Dante. You gotta go." He nodded and grinned wryly at her, "Good luck kiss for the hero?" Asuka laughed in reply and slapped his cheek, just enough to sting a tad. "Get outta here before I kick your ass over the finish line." she replied and Dante winked, giving her a short nod as the window rolled back up.

The girls were getting into position at the line and he took a relaxing breath. Closing his eyes for a moment, Dante's lips quirked into a small smile. "Jane." he said, still a little astonished to be talking to her, "Some music please. Something random, late seventy's era rock." he finished after a moment's thought. "Sure thing, Dante" the car's voice replied, and he grinned as the sound slowly picked up. As the countdown, silent to him, begun, his ears were greeted by the fitting music of Highway to Hell. His tastes were erratic, sampling from nearly all the genres, and it seemed that his crew had at least gotten his favorites.

He could feel the time drawing near, and his breathing slowed. For the moment before the Chimaera scarves dropped, time stopped for Dante for just an instant. And then, as the vocals of the late Bon Scott picked up, Dante slammed the gas and slipped past the silver line like a bullet.

(I don't care if I was first or third off the line, Ren, up to you for your chara. Not an important detail for me to decide lol)

Near the end of the short line of cars, a black Ford Contour SVT pulled into the arrangement. The windows were tinted, and the engine was quiet. The license plate of the car read, "SIRLUKE," but there were no other markings to signify who the driver was.

As the cars revved onto the speedway, the black car followed swiftly. Where it came from, no one knew.

Inside the car, the driver was calculating his next move. As the silver line flashed across his vision from within his dark helmet, he saw the next car pull slowly into view, and eased on the gas a little more.

OOC: I know I'm late, hope that's ok. I had kind of planned to join the thread during the race. So far, there are five racers, and I'm currently last in place, if that's alright with everyone.

OOC: to all: Perfectly fine :) I hope to throw some curveballs. :p Shari, feel free to throw some too if you want with NPCs since you aren't active with a PC right now. ^_^

IC:

Erik smoothly rolled off the line, preferring to sit back a few hundredths of a second to see what he was against. He could always make it up in a race if he was smart about it. Already, he could see that Dante had quick reflexes, and for a girl, Min Sun was determined to succeed in a predominantly male underground sport. On his right side mirror, he saw a black blur enter view from behind and start closing in. "Sneaky," he muttered. Shoving his foot down, he shifted gears and blew past 60mph in a blink. The GPS on the windshield showed a turn coming up. "How distracting," he grumbled and "shoved" it aside into the passenger window area. He'd bring it up when he was in first and didn't need to follow. Until then, it was reference material.

The dark alleys and buildings under construction zoomed by and his ride was smooth as silk. He hadn't even hit 150 yet and he was already neck and neck with Min Sun. He gave her mirror a love tap with his own to get her attention and grinned. He waved daintily with a few fingers in a cutesy motion and started chuckling. In return Erik got a rather lewd expression that he was a jerk off from the hot-headed girl racer. More amused than before he moved his mirror behind hers and hit the gas, breaking hers off.

Narrowly, he avoided her reprisal of knocking his back end to steer him into a wall by millimeters. Dante was only a few meters ahead.

(oooooo curve balls lol)

Dante accelerated smoothly as the cars left the line. Tapping the drive into second after barely a few meters, his attention focused, his concentration sharpening as the old ways flowed back to him. He tasted it in his mind like a fine wine and as the surroundings sped past he licked his lips in an almost primal, lustful fashion. Dante's senses soaked up his surroundings and he diverted some of his attention to the cars close behind him. The late arrival suddenly appeared, clawing his way towards the Trident, and Dante filed that little bit of data away. The music blasted in his ears, though unlike for some it heightened his awareness of the situation, cocooning him in a web of heart pumping action and sound. The maroon car slipped quickly forward and closed on Min Sun. Dante whipped Jane through the first turn, speeding through it as he expertly hugged the inner wall. Looking up he watching in surprise as the mirrors touched.... and then Min Sun's was broken off. Despite himself, he hissed as his eyes blazed, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. Though the glass was a dark as Jane's paint, it was made so Dante could see through it wasn't there, useful in races such as these.

He stamped on his anger as he saw her rebuttal and allowed himself a chuckle. But distraction could not be his ally at present, and he narrowed his eyes as the brash racer closed the gap. "Jane, I don't suppose you have any goodies to keep an eye on him." he said into the sea of music, and Jane confirmed several of his suspicions as she immediately replied. "Invalid request. Think again, Dante." the cool soprano answered through the drums and guitars. He ripped her through a pair of turns, criss-crossing in front of Erik as he hugged the railings. He tried again, "Jane, do you have any surveillance gear?" He wasn't foolish enough to use anything outrageous in a Chimaera sponsored race, and though they could be.... loose with their guidelines at times, any electronic warfare was frowned upon... heavily. Doing what it takes to win is one thing, blatantly trying to injure or kill the competition was another. "Alright then love, just keep an eye on that car for me please." Jane acknowledged and began passive tracking on Erik's car. It wouldn't reach very far, but if Dante was that far behind it wouldn't matter anyways. For now, she spun the wheel, simultaneously hitting the brakes and hand-brake as he sliced through a sudden hairpin turn.

Erik had his eye on Dante ahead, but his mind on the turn he just took. A drift that took the car almost one-eighty. He glanced to the GPS at such lightning speed most would have just seen a blue spaghetti; but not Erik. "Heh," his lips curled in a wicked grin. "Lets see how they like this," he mumbled.

Coming up on the turn he slammed on his brakes for a moment and punched the clutch in. It was just enough to catch a boost from an unassuming and probably somewhat mad Min Sun, for all the abuse her car was taking. It was only a bump, but with a fast downshift and a floored pedal, Erik swung the wheel out then into the turn with an acceleration most connector rods would squeal in agony with. He was slingshot out the turn while disrupting, hopefully, Min Sun's own drift, and causing an obstacle for the newcomer to get past.

Immediately shifting up again, he bolted forward. As he looked in the mirror, though, he could see Min Sun was no novice racer. Even at a lower speed and an offset weight shift from the bump, she pulled the corner with little loss to speed. He could almost see her eyes glowing red from behind her windshield with street lights flying by.

His attention immediately moved back to the fore and with Dante. He swiped the GPS just a little closer to the middle of the windscreen for easier reference and glanced at it. His next move would be coming soon in the two-seventy degree offramp to send them east. He had a nice little treat for Dante coming up. A night like this was just what he needed to let off some steam from his past jobs. Not that he didn't like what he did, but once and a while there were minor frustrations that just felt like spines from a Jumping Cholla cactus.

He was on Dante's bumper now, and finding him to be no novice either. Probably around his own level. Though, doubtful as showy. Feinting left, Erik floored the accelerator and pulled right immediately, coming about two-thirds up Dante's car. He continued to keep turning the wheel and got on the inside of the turn. He drifted sharply just a moment before entering the turn and was now ahead of Dante... backwards. He put it into reverse as smooth as a baby's bottom and drifted backwards down the two-seventy degree offramp looking into Dante's car driver's side to driver's side, but he couldn't see him.

Erik flicked on the dome light so Dante could see inside and made a gun with his hand, "shooting" at Dante and blowing "smoke" away from the "barrel." He grinned but kept in mind the end of the turn was rapidly approaching.

OOC:

Just showing my character off. :) if you don't like anything, let me know. One good PRP deserves another. ;) Show off to mine. :)

(Oh it's no prob, though what PRP were you talking about O.o If there was, it's wasn't meant to be lol unless it was the 'tracking', of course, though that's just cause Dante's a little miffed about the mirror thing heh. Anyways)

Dante narrowed his eyes again as he saw the new exchange between the two cars, biting off a curse. His usual cool detachment kicked in and he took a breath, calming himself instantly. As he regarded the situation with cool dispassion he decided there was nothing to be done about it. Even as he thought it, Min Sun had pulled out of the scrape. Quickly analyzing his thoughts he decided to let it be, Min Sun could take care of herself. Besides, it wasn't as if it was his 'duty' to protect her anymore, though that didn't lessen his want to see her kept safe.

The maroon Trident gained on Dante after that little maneuver and Dante nodded absently. It was true that Dante was not the type to 'showboat' and equally true that he was every bit as skilled as the Erik thought. He regarded the car coolly as a corner of his eye watched the GPS dot fluidly showing his movements towards Jane. Dante also conceded that the Trident was just as able as Jane, and decided to treat it as if it were better. Overestimating what your opponent can do never hurts. Dante watched as Erik ended up rear-facing and next to his window.

In a instant several thoughts of how to end the race quickly, for the other race at least, flashed through the back of his mind. No doubt a skilled driver such as Erik would have expected something as such, given how he was racing, and would be prepared to mitigate the damage and perhaps even counter it. Dante was sure he could do the same after said counter, however there would be little gain in it. As Erik's hand raised other thoughts and choices flashed through his mind and he mentally shrugged. If he wanted to taunt, or just play games, Dante would show him at least a glimmer of the reaction sought.

The driver window was down in a brief second as Erik blew on his finger. Dante's head turned, his expression a mask of dispassion as his eyes, devoid of emotion, locked with Erik's. He, too, was aware of the end of the turn rapidly approaching, though it didn't bother him. Dante had raced these streets and courses more than he could count, and he felt the keen edge of his mind sharpen further. The end of the turn hit them like a brick wall as he continued to watch only Erik, his eyes never shifting from the other racer's. Dante's hands moved with the skilled practice of a pro as they powered out of the turn and around the slight right that led to the next straightaway. Dante hugged the side of Erik's car as he snapped Jane straight with deadly precision, and veered slightly to the side, the movement both a courtesy and minor insult to Erik. The window rolled up as Dante finally looked straight ahead.

(oh, I feel I must say something. If anything seems like PRP, it is likely not. There's a reason for most of what Dante does, and how he does it, and even the reason he can even do it. Ark knows, but I'm not telling yet :3 DUN DUN DUN and such lol
And likewise, if anything needs changing cause it's causing issues, just make a mention of it)

edit:
(wow I totally forgot to spell check XD Anyways, I see what you mean. I always feel a bit uncomfortable controlling other people's characters, to any degree, but I shall endeavor to throw something in here and there. No big deal, finish when you can. This is turning out pretty good already.
I do love Dante as a character. He's passionate, playful at times, excellent company to have, yet meticulously controlled. He's got the ability to control his reactions and emotions and such almost completely, basically. Course, there's a reason for all that, but we'll get to that much later ^^ About winning, I haven't decided either way. For Dante winning or losing would not matter much, and I'm indifferent anyways.
Also, what did you mean 'he's little shallow when it comes to lust'?
That's enough for now, methinks :V)

OOC: No, not at all. Actually I was referring to my PRPs in that post. SoHee said to go ahead. I actually have a couple things purposed for her in the race (but not critical, as she said she doesn't HAVE to win), but I don't want to play her character, per se. Go ahead and PRP my char as you will, I trust you with him to a certain degree... ;)

I like Dante; he's little shallow when it comes to lust. Not to say Erik isn't extremely shallow either though :) ^_^ lol

IC:

Erik turned off the dome light and grinned. A serious one, he thought.

OOC: Going camping for the rest of the week.

That little son of a... It wasn't the loss of her mirror that angered her but rather the idea of him playing with her, showing off. Even though she was a Song and a Chimaera she had earned her spot in the ranks.

"Got a newcomer," the familiar voice of Michael came from the headset. She nodded to herself, having already noticed the new car. A few short sentences followed in Korean and she targeted the red lights ahead of her while hitting the gas. Time for playing catch-up, she thought as another corner came along. The two cars ahead were aldready drifting through it when she caught up with them. A well enough drift would gain her some valuable time. They accelerated out from the corner just as she entered her own drift, but she wasn't far behind now. She knew these streets well and the leading car had no real intel on the real course. They knew the starting point and the end point, that was all. Cars blocking the roads led them through the race.

Just as she had passed an intersection a yellow Audi roared out, with the intension to block the new car, the Ford, or at least to throw him off the road. It was the Chimaeras way of welcoming the unwanted driver.

Erik was still in reverse on the outside of the turn. He lost a little momentum in such a maneuver, but it was fun and worth every cherished moment. Adrenaline and tricks with an audience were always things that made him happy. So far, the Dice made him a very happy man. Plenty to play with, tinker with, and exploit. A land fat with opportunity and demise. Two sides of a cruel mistress... Like either of the Song girls... he thought.

Which brought him back on point. Erik crossed Dante's path, taking more than what was allotted him by Dante's space allowance, and spun back around coming out on the other side of Dante. He chuckled when he could see dust specks on the grille and hood of Dante's car just from this race. Min Sun was almost on his bumper, he noticed. She had made good time in the drift while Dante and Erik were occupied with each other. He had known, though, that it would be the case. It was always better with two competitors to mess around with... Mmm... Messing around.

He grunted a smile when Jack had texted him. It popped up on the windscreen with a touch on the steering wheel. "Def'ly plyin the crwd. Sum R a lil cnsrnd abt ther investments. Dis isn't how u get frnds n the Chimeras," it read.

"Hmm... Perhaps not," Erik whispered grimly, his fun over. "Alright." They were on another straightaway now, and he was still neck and neck with Dante. Min Sun was riding his bumper, probably trying to get back at him. She'll have plenty of chance after the race and in the weeks ahead. He'll be around for a while. He pulsed the brights in quick code among racers, at least in his area. The race was at least halfway over by now. "Let's finish it," he said, basically. Enough playing.

Their cars were all essentially equal in different ways. His was multipurpose, but it was built with long distance and versatility in mind, but still able to hold its own in a situation with law enforcement. That said, racing is a crime law enforcement does like to minimize when it gets opportunity. Erik was confident that though he might be flashy. His fellow drivers were every bit as efficient as he. To survive out here, you have to be good. Unless you're the little fishes from the airport bleeding to death on the way to a hospital, if anyone cared to help them; or already dead.

OOC:

Indeed, lets end it.

Yeah I like Dante. And I love the way SoHee is playing her Trio this time around, especially. :)

(Not quite as good as I wanted, I swear I left something out :V Stupid work)

Dante's eyes tracked the Trident as it crossed in front of him, coming close to his front end, though his foot never left the pedal. The other driver was a flashy, and obviously liked to show off. He was a hunter, it seemed, and the sort that liked to play with his food before he ate it. Dante could tell already that Erik was a formidible foe, and dangerous to cross. The sort you don't want to piss off unless you enjoy pain.

But Dante had been a hunter himself for far too long, and he'd wager his shop that he had been one for far longer. The music slipped smoothly into another track, Jane was blending the music with remarkable skill. He was certainly going to thank his crew later. A wave of music crashed over Dante as the radio flipped to ATR's 'Speed', Jane was on full auto now as she mixed the tracks. Subconscious thought sent Dante's hand away from the steering wheel.

"Now now Jane, I don't need to be told hwo to drive" he murmured with a small smile as they neared the halfway point of the long stretch. Jane didn't reply, which prompted Dante to smile a bit wider. "Ahh there we are." he said a second later as his finger found the concealed little button. Taking a second to gauge distances, he finally nodded and spoke "Jane, give me a three second burn.... and hang on to your panties."

He pressed the button and for a split second nothing happened. That was all it took as the engine was flooded with a mixture far more potent than the old nitrous injections. Granted, racers nowadays still called it NOS, but that was beside the point. Dante's hand flew back to the steering wheel as his Supra pumped forward. The engine and trans screamed as horsepower and torque climbed, raising at a rate that would have taken anything from the old school NOS days and rent it in two.

While it was true he didn't know the actual course the Chimaera's had set, Dante had a feeling. Instincts told him that the race was drawing to a close, even though it would seem the track was shorter than expected. For all he knew they were wrong and he was burning his mix rather soon, though of course he wasn't bleeding his tank. The three second burst would be enough to take him to the end of the straightaway, which appeared to end in a curve to the right, with time to adjust his speed properly at the end. Jane pushed forward, creeping at first and then running ahead of the competition. Of course, he had no way of knowing what either Min Sun or Erik were packing in their racers, but he didn't care. Elation crept into his veins as his speed shot up and he kicked the tranny up into sixth gear, the equivalent of the older-style trans eight gear.

Win or lose, he was glad to be back.

"Alright, after the next right curve you get a small stretch of about 500 meters, and after that you'll come to another intersection. Prepare to take left and it's 200 meters to go. You need to save some NOS to take you out of that left turn," a voice spoke in Lindsey's headset, not Michael this time around.

She changed gear and accelerated just before the next curve, bumping Erik in the rear just as he was about to enter his drift. Dante sped off, creating a little bit of distance betwen him and her, but her drift was more than perfect and letting out a little bit of NOS gave her an extra push out from the curve. She had more than enough to push those last 200 meters.

As expected the distance between her and Dante grew smaller and while coming out of the last left turn she pushed the NOS and flew forward. The line of cars were clear about indicating where it would end. 150 meters. 100 meters. Soon coming up on the finish line... She felt the win in her pocket already, that was until she felt the NOS run out. The swear words in Korean would not end when she passed the finish line merely milliseconds after the other two cars. This was more than a fugly car, it was useless! The previous owner had installed the smaller tanks, a size the Chimaeras never used in their cars. She had totaly miscalculated how long the NOS would last. That effing...and Ash! That son of a dog... This loss was on him! Hadn't he bailed on them she would have been prepared.

She was still swearing outloud when she hit the breaks further down the road.

OOC: Rensha - Oh you do? Thanks! :)
Oh and btw, no one outside the Chimaeras would actually know that the driver's getting this special intel...
So she got the third place, you two battle it out of the first two :)

(You mean just Min Sun is getting that intel, right? Good ol' Chimaeras lol
And it's up to Ren for now. I've said I don't care either way, but then Dante's not just gonna roll over either haha)

"Hmph," Erik huffed as Dante flew off ahead using his added boosters. His car being deisel run had to have a slightly more exotic additive than that new stuff. A little harder to come by, but just as good. No telling how available it was in the Dice, but he wasn't going to waste it just yet, not when his GPS was telling him the track had another two straightaways especially. He wasn't redlined and there was a lot more torque to be had yet.

After merging the screen with the road, the GPS lined the edges of the street, a small window at the bottom of the windscreen showing an overhead view still available for blow-up. Erik floored the accelerator and went to the next gear up. Still flooring it, he wasn't going as fast as Dante, but he certainly didn't give him too much advance.

He got ready to round the curve, letting off the gas and downshifting two gears with some brake-work when Min Sun, who tried to keep pace so dramatically, bumped him. Erik's eyes narrowed and the car shifted weight suddenly, his drift drift getting a tad messed up going in. Quickly he compensated; it only lost him a small fraction of a second, but it was enough to cost the race if he wasn't careful.

The exit of the turn came up and with surgical precision he floored it and hit the next gear up, smoke flying into Min Sun's windscreen, potentially blinding her. It was a clutch moment, catching up with Dante while holding his small tank in reserve for the last push. Dante was a good couple seconds ahead, probably not even thinking that he would make it.

After the left drifted turn, he blinked and saw the straight away. It was going to come down to luck, which Erik hated. Either way, he liked the race so far. It was a good one. Brand New was full of incompetent racers who liked to show off but couldn't hold their skills up when it was time to push. These guys could hold their own. He wouldn't test Dante or Min Sun any more, if they had the chance to race again. He knew they wouldn't freak out under pressure. Well... Maybe Min Sun, but that was just her personality anyway. It wasn't nerves, for sure.

Min Sun had hit her NOS and jerked up while Erik waited for his own mix to kick in. It was slow but packed a wallop. He gritted his teeth and the gas was half way down. He had it in the last gear and all of a sudden he was vibrating along with the world. Min Sun flew backward it seemed, as her own fell off. He couldn't risk the lives ahead, though he wished he could, and turned his own off. He was not at the optimal angle to win, but at least he wouldn't kill anyone.

As he neared the finish, he and Dante were neck and neck with Dante ahead, but Dante was going straight. Erik, on the other hand, was going faster than Dante by quite a bit, and had to fly into the extreme right side of the track to do a left drift, coming back out of the winner circle. He was sure they at least tied, but the cameras would have to tell. He could live with second.

He hadn't even stopped the car yet and had opened his door. Flinging off the seatbelt, he put the car in park. He could hear the engine fizzing while it tried to cool itself. It was a well-made track. Lots of straights and drifts mixed up. One a long gentle curve of an off-ramp. Bounding out of the car he walked over, quite seriously and quickly, to Dante.

He stood in front of the hood of the car, steam coming off the grille like his own, and looked into the car. He suddenly smirked and gave a thumbs up. He motioned his approval and walked over to where he saw a gathering of Chimeras. Surely Min Ji and Kwan Gi would be there to announce the winner. Erik saw Jack in the crowd and he came out to meet Erik. Jack was giggling and a little sweaty on his forehead as he slapped Erik's back. "I thought you were going to run into us!" he tried to yell over the crowd.

"I thought about it," Erik snickered. "But I wouldn't make too many friends that way."

He stopped short of the Chimera's group and stood. "So," he asked. "What's the verdict?"

OOC: Flip a coin. ;)

OOC: Coin is flipped! :)

IC: After sliding up her car next to the rest of the cars Lindsey quickly exited her Mazda and spoke rapidly in Korean to her siblings who was already standing near the finish line, waiting next to their Murciélago. It was difficult to understand, even for someone that knew some Korean, but judging from her body language as she stood to lean against the Lamborghini with arms crossed she hadn't quite received the response she was looking for. Hadn't it been for her length and womenly body shape it would have been the image of a sulking child whose favourite toy just had been stolen. As it were it didn't quite look like that, but her displeasure could easily be read from her otherwise so alluring face.

The loud cheers gave the impression of a very pleased crowd, and indeed they should be. It had been a good race. And even better, close til the end. The fourth unentered car had yet to show up, and for now it had been forgotten. The crowd needed their winner and so they would have. Amanda and Michael nodded to each other and it was Amanda, no surprise there, that took a step forward. She held up a hand to stop Erik who was just about to approaching them.

"Who won?"
"The Trident!"
"No... the other one!"
"Who?"

Amanda smiled, it had been too close to tell, even for her. Their guess was just as good as hers. She put a finger over her ear, mostly covered by black hair. Soon she held up a hand for silence. Impressingly enough the crowd fell silent, an anticipation hanging still in the air.

"The photos tell us that the winner is...." she paused, hearing many of them almost holding their breath simultaneously while others in low whispers trying to silence each other. She smiled and turned to the racers.

"The Trident!" followed by an even louder cheer than before. Some were of course shouting out swear words since they just realised they had lost their bets, which could be mistaken for loud cheering at this point.

Kwan Gi, who had gotten the same message as his twin had already gone up to the racers, holding out a visible amount of money to Erik.

"Newcomers luck?" he said with a smile, holding out a hand, never missing out an opportunity of a potential business contact.

Dante cute his wheel as the final turn came up, down shifting and braking as he sliced into it. Though he had gained a decent lead the other two were not that far behind him. "Jane, tank status." he said and the center of his instrument cluster blinked, showing a pair of NOS tanks with barely anything left. Well that's what I get for having fun, he thought and grinned to himself.

They were on the final straightaway, Dante could see the finish line in the distance. As they bored down, Dante shifting into his final gear, the Trident suddenly kicked forward. "****" he swore softly. It seemed Erik had obtained the rare NOS equivalent, which was on obscene mistake for Dante to make. Regardless, he had to deal with the consequences.

His eyes darted around, checking his speed, the closing fo the Trident, the distance to the line, and again his tanks. He could see the impending doom if the other racer held his course, and realized what was about to happen. Everything clicked in his head and he nodded. Dante had one shot, that was it to make it first across the line, and it would be far closer than he liked. The Trident cut it's wheel as the neared and Dante blinked, punching the button for his NOS. They soared over the finish line and Dante spun Jane around, her tranny yelling in protest as she came to a sudden stop. "Sorry, old girl." he murmured.

He had been too late, but less than a second, and he knew it. As Erik walked over Dante stretched in his seat and cracked his neck. His eyes raised to meet Erik's as he stood in front of his car and Dante nodded his head once in reply to the thumbs up, the glimmer of a smile on his own face. His door opened to a torrent of angry Korean, undoubtedly coming from a very pissed off Min Sun.

"Well that was impressive." Asuka said from behind him as he stood, and he turned to glance at her. "Oh, well, you know me." he replied with an indifferent shrug. With a fleeting grin he walked off, stopping a respectful distance from the Trio as Erik moved forward to them. As the winner was announced and the mixed cheers and curses went up, Dante shrugged to Asuka, who had stepped up alongside him. "I'm out of practice." he said in a musing tone, and she snorted. "Who's fault is that?" she retorted and punched his shoulder. His eyes followed Kwan Gi and Erik as the former approached the other.

"Well the gang's gonna be pissed, we were counting on you to pay for dinner tonight." she continued with a playful grin. Dante laughed. "Bah I always pay." he threw back at her, yet his eyes had traveled to Min Sun in the background. She was practically livid, and considering her anger wasn't directed at him currently he the stunning look it gave her. Briefly he considered approaching her, but then he doubted that her current mood would make her any more amicable to see him. Instead he decided to wait to see the scene unfold, and to congratulate the winner.

The winner was announced and Erik grinned again. It wasn't so much the money, or anything else, but that he had fun showing off to the crowd. It was ironic, because very few in the crowd mattered at all to him and most he would love the chance to eradicate from the face of the planet. It didn't make him evil, it made him efficient. Three quarters of those people should never breed simply for biological reasons. The other quarter probably would end up with the wrong person to make a truly great individual. If anything, Erik did the world a favor because three out of four times he would kill someone who wasn't worth living at all in the first place. At least in HIS mind, Rosso always told Erik. It was never a sure thing weather they were supposed to live or not until they've done something truly great. Somewhat hypocritical, since the Culexus Vindicare never took someone on unless they're supposed to live.

He raised a hand to the crowd, but really his joy was directed to two people in particular. Dante and Min Sun. He turned to each and gave them both a nod after connecting eyes. Kwan Gi came over to shake his hand and give him the cash. The cash he didn't need, but it would be a good excuse for his expensive tastes and the quick repairs on the Trident.

Erik took the money and handed it to Jack beside him, then shook Kwan Gi's hand. "Newcomers luck?" he smiled.

Erik chuckled, "Only if I can get Min Sun to hold true to her promise of showing me around town tonight for winning. After all, that's all I really gunned for." He turned his head and his eyes told all, it was a joke. "I had talked to your sister earlier about my reason for coming. Rosso brings his greetings to Mr.Pak. Perhaps an arrangement could be made?"

He leaned in to Kwan's ear and spoke a few short words in Korean loud enough to hear over the screaming, but not by much. "I would like the facade of the Chimaera to cover my identity like a shroud." He looked nothing like a Korean, though anything could be explained away if it was needed.

Returning to English, he leaned back, "Is it possible to join you in name? That is my reason for racing. To show you that I can help you if you help me."

Jack's eyebrows arced up a moment and his eyes quickly went wide. He had expected it, but didn't think he would do it. It was a decent cover, and Rosso would likely approve. But Jack didn't know Korean. He looked at Min Sun and then at Erik and sighed, hoping he didn't do anything stupid...

OOC: ^_^ I have a dream!

Yamato Jun

Katsumoto's limo had left Gregor's project an hour or so ago. Katsumoto hadn't given Jun any further instructions, and judging from the expression Jun saw on his employer's face through his IR binoculars, he wasn't in the mood for talking. Jun took that as his cue to have the rest of the night for himself. He drove his BMW back towards town and to a multi-story building overlooking a series of conspicuously abandoned streets. The construction barricades and flashy cars parked around them meant Jun was where he was meaning to be. With his binoculars in tow, he reached the roof of the building as the racers were lining up.

After a short interruption from a police officer who was smart enough not to piss off a large crowd of possible drunk and/or high individuals, the race was on. Earlier in the evening Jun had given his card to one of the drivers. Now he would see just how good she really was. Being a Chimera was one thing, but being a good driver was something very different, and Katsumoto has specific needs. So far, the only test Jun had given her was a simple information pry which any pretty young girl could have done. More interesting was she used her friend to accomplish her "mission" and avoided risking her own appearance. Perhaps she didn't realize that's what she did, but indeed, she had good instincts. She could be very useful after properly trained.

The well-tuned race cars rounded the last turn three-wide. Min Sun fell behind and was passed by the other racers, but Jun saw what he needed to see. With a smirk he began the short journey to his waiting sedan. In the distance he could hear the cheers of the crowd as he left the building. For now, he would let her cool her temper and sleep it off. She had the number to call if she was interested. If not, Jun might just have to pay her a personal visit.


Tobi Russ

Tobi's Interceptor was parked outside a small restaraunt not far from where she responded to a burgulary alarm a few minutes ago. Apparantly, some neighborhood troublemakers thought it was fun to throw rocks at breakable glass. The scattered when Tobi arrived and she spent the following hour talking to the shop owner and taking his police report, as well as filing the proper paperwok back at the precint HQ. Now she was having a well-deserved meal at the midpoint of her shift. This particular restauraunt was known for serving law enforcement officers during the graveyard shift, and there were at least 3 other officers in the diner with her. Not at her table - Tobi ate alone usually - but around if she needed them. Dice wasn't always a safe place for police.

OOC: Just an update post to let you all know I'm still around :p

In retrospect Min Sun would most likely realise that it had been a good race, but she wasn't there yet. She was still angry at herself, but perhaps mostly blaming the car for her defeat. There were too many if's running through her head. If she had had proper time to check the car before the race, if Ash had shown up, if she hadn't used the NOS too early, if, if if...However, she did manage to return a wink to Erik as he raised a hand towards her. She was perhaps a bad loser, but she wasn't that of a bad loser having a feeling that she would see Erik again. After all, Dice wasn't -that- big in certain circles.

"Good luck with that," Kwan Gi replied with a brief smile, knowing very well that a promise from Min Sun wasn't something you would hold on to very much. Her feelings towards someone could change in the blink of an eye.

"You probably realize that I cannot make any promises on behalf of Mr Pak," he continued when Erik spoke, "but perhaps a meeting with Mr Pak would suffice as a start?"

Kwan Gi prided himself that he seldom became surprised by anything, but he had to admit to himself, even though his face showed nothing, that he was surprised that this stranger knew Korean. Not many did. Most white studied Chinese or Japanese, but very seldom Korean.

"Like I said, I wouldn't assume anything until I have spoken to Mr Pak, but I am sure we can come to some agreement," he finally said. "I'll have someone call Jack with when and where." He offered his hand to both Erik and Jack, a clear sign of that the meeting was at an end, for now.

(*casts 98% res*)

As Erik spoke with Kwan Gi, the rest of the Black Lotus crew arrived. Grizzly and Lily had stayed behind at the shop, for whatever reasons which didn't matter much. "Well shoot boss, I'da thought you'dve managed to squeak out a win." Tekk said with a wide grin as they walked up. "Yeah, we didn't think you got that rusty." Solaris threw in with a laugh. Dante grinned as he turned to them. "Ah well, you know what they say about fools and their money." he shrugged dismissively as he walked towards them with Asuka. As a quartet they headed over to Jane, parked just a few feet from them.

"So what'dya think?" Asuka asked quietly as she leaned in the window opposite from Dante. He looked around for a moment, eyes taking in the restored interior. The other two stood around the hood, smiling in satisfaction. "She's beautiful, of course." he breathed, nodding his head slowly. "You all did an amazing job." he chuckled softly as he straightened, "I do like the AI, that is certainly fun." The truth was he loved it. Dante's passion for cars ran deep through his body and soul, and the added level of, well, intimacy the ability to actually speak to your car provided was all the better. "Yeah yeah, but you still didn't come out of top. I knew we should've..." Solaris began with a slight frown, stopping as Dante shook his head once.

"No. You lot weren't racing out there, I was. I was having way too much fun to worry about really winning." he smiled wistfully, gazing out over the city skyline, "I didn't get to do much racing while I was gone. She is a beaut, though. Really amazing." His voice trailed off slightly, and Tekk propped an eyebrow in Asuka and Solaris' directions. It wasn't like Dante to get all dreamy-looking, not like him in the least. "Speaking of which, what did you do while you were gone, Dante?" Tekk asked carefully, approaching the subject rather directly for the first time. Dante looked over and smiled, looking as if he was about to reply, then looked back at the two that had been conversing. "Sorry guys, looks like I gotta run." he said instead, slipping away from them. "You still owe us dinner!" Solaris called out to him, to which the other two laughed.

Dante moved over to Erik, noting the handshake which signaled Kwan Gi's departure. Circling around Erik slightly he approached, briefly sizing him up once more. "Good race." he started, holding out a hand, "Congrats on your first one in the Dice."

Erik took the hand and picked up a corner of his mouth. "Thank you," he said simply. "I hope to do so again." He pointed behind him to Dante's car and nodded, "Good car for a good racer. I imagine that you didn't learn to drive that way from racing though. Too utilitarian... Then again, you can never judge a book by it's cover." He took his hand back and thought for a moment about that one. It might not have been a very good illustration if the Dice didn't have anymore libraries and was all digital. He shook his head a little and continued his thought.

"It looks like you used to be in pretty well with the twins and Min Sun," He held a hand up to disquiet any remarks. "Don't worry, I'm not meddling, I've heard that from Min Ji already... heh... No no, I was wondering if you had any pointers about them I should know about. Jack here is helpful with that, but he's obviously not as well off with them as you." Erik wrapped his arm around Jack's shoulders and squeezed.

"Hi Dante," Jack said and held out a hand. "I'll leave you two to conspiring," he said sort of sheepishly.

Erik let go as Jack turned away and looked kind of disappointed. "A-alright... You're still my best bud, ya know...? Heh..." He looked back at Dante and shrugged. "Dunno what's up with him!"

----------

"... So that's how it went down," Jack finished saying on the phone. "He's trying to get himself embedded into the Chimaeras. He's speaking with Dante right now. Think he'd remember the Iceni?"

"Hmmm..." Jack heard over the phone. "I see... Kind of odd that Dante comes back the same night. I wonder. Things usually don't happen in this universe without a reason. Find out why he's back though, and where he's been. Erik might be doing that right now, but see if you can get the... how would you say... 'scoop'?"

"Yes sir. What about the idea of joining with the Chimaeras?" Jack asked.

"Looks like you'll need to learn Korean. I'm surprised you haven't already. Actually... I'm surprised that Erik already doe-... Oh... Yes, that's right. I forgot." Jack heard a few chuckles over the phone. "Never mind, it's nothing. Heh. Some people... Carry on and follow Erik wherever he leads you. Keep checking in though. He is your charge, so that means as much as he is your superior, it is my order that you hold his leash. He will respect and submit to that. A pity that I have to do that with him... Otherwise, he'd be more dangerous than what I sent him to get rid of. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes sir I do. He's quite dangerous when he wishes it to be. He has the odd feeling of being an unstoppable force though. Whatever he puts himself to, he just does. It doesn't matter how he gets it, he gets it. Sort of unsettling. He almost killed a dozen people tonight in that maneuver," Jack replied, concerned.

"But did he?" Rosso asked. "No. No use fretting over someone's judgment if they end up right in the end. A risky maneuver for one person may be every day for another. That happens to be the case with Erik. He takes what most people consider to be risks... For some reason, most of the time, it just isn't. I don't think even he understands how it works a lot of the time, but it does. I just need you to keep the beast behind bars until the right time. Otherwise, I need you to neutralize him. Not, unless absolutely necessary, to kill him." The phone clicked and the conversation was over.

"Yes sir," Jack said in whisper, and put his phone in his pocket.

-----------

Rosso gently put his phone away and patted his pocket. "Well. My boy is doing well. Kind of a lot for Jack to handle, I see, but that's alright. Something to stir up Jack will make him a more useful agent." Rosso smiled and his escort smiled back. "Well, let's get this mess cleaned up then, eh?" She nodded and started dialing on her phone.

Rosso walked a ways and looked over the board room he had only moments ago been talking to men in. Now blood caked one wall and where five other men were, there were only four carcasses. One out of five wasn't bad. Rosso could live with the deaths of four nearly innocent men, if it meant one of those bastards were dead.

Dante nodded slightly at Erik's comment. "Jane and I both thank you. She certainly gets the job done. And that is too true." he interjected smoothly as the other man paused. The comparison was not lost on him. Dante was not too far removed that he forgot the comforting feel and smell of a well-printed book. "Too many people consider what they see to be all there really is." he continued, calmly aware of just how accurate that comment was in his own case. "I prefer to let people's actions dictate my views on them." He paused, declining to say more at the moment, and looked back at Erik as he awaited, feeling quite certain the other was not finished yet.

His eyebrows quirked upward slightly at the next statement, and gave the impression he was to say something even though he wasn't. Instead he nodded once as Erik continued, wanting to see where this was headed. A shrewd notion slipped quickly into his mind, and he was quickly rewarded with confirmation of just that thought. "Ah, I do see." he began, nodding again, "The Chimaera's are certainly an excellent way to get oneself immersed into the Dice." Oh come now, that cannot be all you wish to know. he thought as he said this. His eyes shifted to the arrival, whom he had seen at the start with Erik. "A pleasure." Dante replied kindly, giving a slight smile as he shook Jack's hand. He looked back to Erik as Jack left, shifting a shoulder in a slight shrug.

"Well now, to answer your question." he paused there, looking around for a moment as he collected his thoughts, thought he glanced at nothing in particular. "You should know your manners, particularly in the Asian scene, obviously. One would not want to disrespect a Chimaera of importance. Possibly more important than that, however, would be this. Do not make any promises that you cannot keep." he met Erik's eyes. He did not do so with any edge of challenge, but of frank sincerity. "I don't say that lightly. A broken promise to the Chimaera's would likely end with... unfortunate consequences." His mind absently flickered back to years before, though he quickly ripped it back to the present, though he let no trace of his thoughts show in his expression.

"I suppose short of that, I cannot help you much. I'm quite sure you have a store of knowledge about how the Dice works." he shrugged at Erik's curious expression, "Anyone who comes here, especially asking questions about any of the clans, would be incredibly idiotic to do so without doing their homework first." He gave Erik another genuine smile, letting the pause stretch for the moment. "Now then, since you wanted to know something, I guess fair's fair." he added now, grinning slightly, "What brings you to the Dice?"

(Another damnit-I'm-bored-time-to-make-a-second-character character :3 Again, no guarantees she will be sticking around, RP with her at your own risk lol)

Stacey let out a breath as she passed through the crowds on the street. Even though it was late at night, Dice's streets were filled with people. Unlike the day however, where the crowds would consist of mostly businessmen and women and other assorted 'up and ups', at night they were packed with a much younger crowd, on average, and one that was infinitely more fun. She had only been in the city for a few months now, but it was well enough to get herself noticed where she had wanted. The reason for her traveling to Kain's Dice was a complicated one, on no small part because, well, there was no reason. That may not have been exactly true, for there was the fact that Stacey had earnestly wanted to get away from anyone that would readily recognize her family's name. The Cunninghams were not ostentatiously rich, but they had influence. Most people could boast that their family had been around for generations. In Stacey's case it would be an understatement. The Cunningham family had been around from hundreds of years, they were one of the oldest families to have a completely documented history. Many people would be glad of that, feeling a swell of pig-headed pride that their family was doing so clandestinely well in the world today.

Stacey, on the other hand, could do without it. Family ties were nice and all, and she would be lying if she did not admit they came in handy, but too many people counted on everyone else to get them out of trouble. Stacey preferred to take matters into her own hands, if the situation called for a direct approach. That was one of the surprises about her, no doubt given greater weight due to her appearance. She was on the shorter side of a hundred and three quarter centimeters, and her frame was almost delicate. That's not to say that she looked frail, simply that she was a very stunning appearance, even in the Dice, with her soft lightly tanned skin and incredibly bright grey eyes. Anyone who knew her would know that liberties were not to be taken with her, and she was quick to inform interlopers into her personal space as well. And in the event certain people needed a more physical emphasis on this point, well, that was one reason her enjoyment of the martial arts served her well.

But returning to the matter at hand, Stacey had used what connections she had to procure the means to travel to the Dice, and escape her family's influence for as long as she felt was necessary. She had integrated into the Dice's society remarkably quickly, and found herself a good cluster of friends. At present she was working at a restaurant a little ways away from the downtown area, as well as being enrolled at the sole university near the city. Though she was almost twenty-seven she didn't believe learning should stop just because you finished a degree or two. Of course, those were merely slips of paper to be used to convince others you 'knew what you were doing', nothing to base your life upon. Which brings up another of the city's more attractive features.

Stacey's lips perked up at this thought, for at that moment of her mind's wandering she glimpsed a fine specimen of just that. Easing to the side of the crowd, and of course closer to her eye's target, she tucked a lock of greyish-silver hair behind her ear. Perky and tight rear-end, she thought as she bit her lip gently, Gorgeous body, she actually felt a shiver go down her spine, Mmmm and just listen to that rumble. She giggled softly, despite the fact that she detested the sound of herself giggling, as the simply delicious Lamborghini Reventón slipped past the sidewalk. No doubt it was driven by some beef-head that thought he knew how to handle it, she guessed, but that did not detract from the car itself. That, of course, would be Stacey's other passion: racing. Legal or not she loved it. And not that NASCAR type crap either, but real cars driven by real people. She grinned as she kept walking, wondering what her friends would think if they could hear her thoughts. With friends she was not quite so guarded, but she knew that levels of secrecy were good for anyone, and so that was why she had friends of all sorts.

(Meh, I suppose it passes. Dunno what I'm gonna do with her, but I'm sure somehow she'll get thrown into the mix ha)

Erik smiled and pointed at Dante, almost wagging his finger. "Ehhh... you... Well..." He thought about it a moment, noticeably. "I'm here to kill someone. Or something." It wasn't that he discarded his comment about the Chimaeras. It was that conversation had moved on. "I can trust you with that, I think. I like to imagine I know you rather intimately, sharing a lap on the track with you. You can tell a lot about a person from two things best, and three things only. Golf, and racing. Time is the third, but isn't the best, because you actually have to invest your life into being around the person for long periods and it is always a crapshoot." He smiled. "A lot of people say being there when someone dies, but I never feel that way. I always feel I never knew them enough."

He jokingly punched Dante's shoulder. "So then. What brings you back to the Dice? I don't know your situation and I know you just came back. Rather, I infer it. But then I infer a lot of things and don't particularly like being called an idiot. Though i suppose I should be. The Dice is a rather colorful place, and complex. I know what I hear, but I never gave it much thought. The Dice is like everywhere else, but grimier. Right? But who knew there were so many hotties!" He smiled. He chided Dante on saying anyone who didn't research the Dice was a fool, or rather more accurately, an idiot.

"Either way, you helped me out free of charge. What is it you do in the Dice? Maybe I can make it worth your while to work for me," he offered. "You're either an idiot to give free advice or someone trustworthy. I think highly of the later choice."

Dante tucked that first little bit of information into his brain. "Well I certainly hope it is no one that I know." he replied, his voice admirably grave, but then threw Erik a smile. He fell silent again, taking the time to absorb the other's words. His mind was still working, of course. Secretly he wondered if Erik was quite so smart to tell Dante this. He did not doubt Erik's intelligence for a moment, however, merely the tactfulness of revealing this little bit of info. Course, this was the Dice. But then, even in the Dice, people did not go around casually announcing they were going to kill someone. Beyond that, what would Dante do with that info anyways? The answer to that was simple: nothing. He may not know this man all that well, but he was, essentially, confided in. Dante wouldn't readily break that confidence. In fact, just about his only reason to do so would be if what had been said may affect someone he did know.

As he was thinking he pulled his lips into a wry smile as Erik commented on knowing people, nodding slightly in emphasis. He wondered if they would race again. That would be interesting, tonight wasn't the only way he raced after all. A light chuckle arose from his throat after Erik popped his shoulder and proposed his question. Erik seemed to like to talk, at least that was the initial impression he gave. It was likely a cover, Dante figured, but it wasn't something to dwell on. He had a feeling he would know better relatively soon.

"Oh nothing special, really. I just felt it was time to get back home." he answered with a light shrug. "Figured people missed me, wanted to get back to workin, yadda yadda." he waved a dismissive hand and grinned, "You know, the usual. You are right about the Dice, though. But for a few things it is essentially anywhere else. I wouldn't say grimmer... darker, perhaps?" He thought for a second, then nodded as if approving of his word choice. He turned then to the topic of what he actually did. "Well I'm your average gearhead." he cracked another smile, "I own the Black Lotus, over near the Chimaera territory. Quaint little shop, and I suppose if you ever need some work done you are more than welcome to see what we offer." he gestured at the Iceni in the background. "Feel free to bring her along if you like. I do not remember having the pleasure of working on on. Could be wrong, of course. Not many people can appreciate that car as a racer, which is strange." he shook his head, the gesture sad, "They're all hyped about the new Stingers. Man, I swear one day they are going to make a racer so small it'll vanish into oblivion."