A/N: Congrats Nikke on their collab with Nier! Now, time to respond!
dino2000: Thanks! I'll be more than happy to provide.
cjboughton: *squints* that name looks familiar. Anyway, thanksm that makes me happy to hear, or read.
Anyway, I have tumblr. Why isn't it Twitter? I don't trust it. Go there if you're curious about things, follow to keep updated on things like polls and stuff. Now, onto the show!
Also, thanks khaylittle for being the beta reader, your help is very much appreciated.
A white collar man.
A family man.
A strange man.
A good man.
All of these can be used to describe the [Head of Security] of [Coin Rush], the Ark's casino resort.
The only thing that stands out is his height, nearing over six feet and towering over most citizens, and his status as one of the few males in high position in [Coin Rush]. His figure isn't burly, he doesn't give off a menacing aura, and his fighting skills, while great, aren't what most would believe is up to [Tetra Line]'s CEO, [Mustang], standards. If anything he gives off the feel of an average office worker. He's not exactly attractive either, he's a very normal man.
Yet, this normal man has been able to find cheaters, stop attacks on the casino, and above all, keep the peace in what is considered the Ark's adult playground. He's been courteous, skilled in multiple languages and sign language, able to be savage in those languages just as well, and great observational skills.
He has the respect of [Mustang] himself.
Yet none of that matters to that man.
Anything that pops up is simply another thing to take care of to keep up his [monotonous] life.
Today is no exception.
Bell woke up in a fine mood. That is good. He served himself some goop that is [Splendamin] and enjoyed it with moderation. Considering he has to go to the [Simulation Room] with Marian in a bit means he has to have something in his stomach but he has to admit, he does kind of miss actual food no matter how good the Splendamin is.
Idly, he taps his music player, inserting his headphones on as he scrolls through the options. Though he did notice a few things. "Are any of these before the 1990s?"
All of the songs were from popular bands from his time and before. And considering, to his knowledge, [Araki] isn't a mangaka in this world, though [Rohan] is probably still a thing. Bell wonder if his works survived the Raptures invasion. He leaves it for later and simply frowns at the lack of [Soft and Wet] and [Prince]. Though Bell can't say he's a true fan of [Prince].
In the end, he taps on a song and it begins to play, an upbeat tune that had him bobbing his head as he locked the door behind him as he left the complex he's residing in. "All the world~, join in~, start a love train~, love train~."
As the sound of [The O'Jays] invades his head, he sets his hat on his head, walking down the stairs before putting on his jacket, which looks like a letterman but without the patch and the sleeves being similar to the pattern under Marian's own jacket instead of the usual monotonous color. He pinned his pins at their spot, stretching as he began to walk towards the simulator. He brought out his phone, turning it on as he checks the time and nods when he notes he has time.
Only to stumble into a woman, her blonde hair flaying about as she wordlessly falls to the ground, some of the groceries flying about as Bell catches a bag before calling for [TPAB] its purple form lined with blue butterflies overlapping Bell's own from the torso up as it reaches up to grab it, catching it as it slowly lowers the bag onto Bell's waiting hands, dematerializing a second later as Bell sighs. He looks towards the woman, extending a hand as the blonde looks at it. "Sorry for that, wasn't paying attention."
She blinks, brushing her long blonde hair aside to reveal blue eyes as she begins to make signs as Bell feels his heart drop and she must notice as her signs became far more simpler but still needing a second. She shakes her head, raising a hand and making a circular motion with it as he manages to translate it with how simple it is. 'It's fine.'
"Here, let me help you with some of these." Bell says, moving the bags so they're on his forearm instead of his hand as he reaches for another set, the woman stunned as she tries to sign a refusal but was too late, Bell has the groceries in his hands and he was helping her up as he waited for directions.
She looks at him, pointing at her own head as he pats it with confusion before realizing what she meant. "Don't worry, as long as it doesn't take much time I'll be fine."
She tries again, her lip pursed in worry but Bell just shakes his head. "Don't worry ma'am, even if I was going to be late I'm a fast runner, I'll be fine." He insists as she thought on it before sighing, giving a small smile as she jerked her head, signaling him to follow as he does so, his height obvious in comparison to the woman he's walking beside.
He rests his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans, pursing his lips as he reached into his pocket, lowering the volume of his music player to stay aware as he follows after the shorter but older blonde.
Soon, Bell is with the lady, who introduced herself as [Marie], in front of her house as she just knocks on the door.
"Coming." A very dull voice spoke from behind the door, Marie's expression brightening as she waits, rocking on her feet as she waits to greet her husband if Bell is correct.
Bell's eyes widen, his eyes narrowing and his own carefree body tensing at the feeling of someone staring at him intensely. Looking him up and down as if trying to undress his very soul and look for any weakness. In his own personal opinion, he's not looking to recreate his little scuffle with Stephen any time soon.
Slowly, the door opened, revealing a tall man wearing a button up shirt with an unbuttoned black vest, his slacks well-pressed and his expression showing nothing, green eyes narrowed in suspicion with a sharp face that seems better at frowning than smiling. His hair was black with an above average form that was tensed.
The two sized each other up, nearly losing themselves in the feeling of danger they got from one another until the man flinched when his wife, Marie, jumped up, enveloping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, ignoring the two as Bell simply huffed in amusement. He raised his arms to show the bags, "I ran into her on accident, I offered to help her with her bags. Speaking of, do I leave them here or…?"
"I'll take care of it." He said, narrowing his eyes as he reached towards Bell's extended arm.
Slowly, as if performing a hostage exchange. The man grabbed the bags and was in the process of pulling back.
That is, until a spectral form overlapping his appeared, it was white, its arm had black gloves and it wore black shorts with a white 'x' on the sides along with black boots, it's mouth was covered by cloth with a black 'x' this time and its eyes were covered by sunglasses along with headphones over its ear. While the man was gathering the bags, the [figure] or his [Stand] was doing something.
A purple arm lined with blue butterflies catches the figure by the wrist, stopping it as it squeezed as the man's eyes widened by a bit, his eyes on [TPAB] while Bell's own were on the opposing [Stand].
That is, until Marie slaps the man's shoulders hard enough to knock him out of the trance he was in, causing the man to turn in confusion at his pouting wife as she begins signing something at great speeds. The man's expression changes slightly while his [Stand] turns, looking absolutely heartbroken as it begins to sign along with the man with one hand instead of two, the two figures basically opposites in expression, the man calm and slightly bothered while the [Stand] seems to be on the verge of breaking down.
[TPAB] lets go of the arm he was holding since the [Stand] was having trouble signing with one arm, something the lady must have pointed out since the man turned, the [Stand] gaining a complicated expression.
Marie smacks the man on the shoulder, grabbing the bags from Bell, this time no [Stand] appearing as she returns into the apartment, pointedly not looking at the man who's [Stand] has receded into him. The man says nothing, watching his wife walk away with the groceries before turning to the younger man. "Thank you for helping my wife."
"I dunno man, that [Stand] didn't look very thankful but it's cool. What's your name?" Bell asks, genuinely curious as the man stood there for a second.
"[Isaac Mercury]." He said, extending a hand as Bell looks at it suspiciously. In the end, he released a quiet sigh, grasping the man's hand with a firm grip and shaking it.
"[Bell DeVoe]. Thanks for not using your [Stand] on me." Bell says as the man just shakes his head.
"I'm sorry for being so aggressive with [Nowhere Man]." He says, revealing the name of his [Stand]. "I'd like to apologize for doing so, if you'd have me, I'm thinking of going to the casino later tonight. If you'd be interested, would you like to join me?"
Bell hums, leaning to the side as he holds a hand to his chin. "Errr, I'm not really the gambling type, but… eh, fuck it." He turns to him, smiling as he nods. "I'd love to."
The man nods, his expression betraying nothing as the two exchanged contact information.
Soon, Bell was on his way to the [Simulation Room]. Feeling a bit lighter at the possibility of hanging out with a new acquaintance.
Now if only Marian would feel the same.
The beautiful brunette pouting as she looks away from Bell's general direction, since despite being early, Bell made no effort to wake her up despite literally living next to each other.
"Bell~!" She scowls cutely at her well-dressed commander. "Where were you?"
"Hey! I woke up early!" He retorts, crossing his arm while leaning back, his skewed hat and heterochromatic eyes narrowed with pursed lips.
"Then why did you check out at nine?" She asked, tapping her foot on the floor like a disappointed mother. "When we have the Simulation at ten?"
"I'll have you know I don't look this good without some work." He says, making a show to reveal his nails before straightening up, slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat. "I also ran into someone while they were shopping so I helped them."
"Oh." She says, blinking as she relaxes. "That's…"
[Commanders] are seen as heroes by the people of the [Ark] and the [Commanders] act as such, rarely interacting with normal people and keeping to themselves to the point where they get a big head because of this isolation that only worsens when you take in their lack of respect towards their [Nikkes] leads to disastrous results. Not that the people of the [Ark] are looking to have a conversation with someone shown to be extremely busy and important, it'd make them look [human].
Still, Marian's face relaxes into a fond smile, vague memories popping up as she nods. "Then that's fine. C'mon, we don't want to be late."
Bell nods, following along as they enter the building, following the direction to the [Simulator Room].
Bell is a very hypocritical man. He hates moving too much but hates staying still. He hates paperwork but would rather do that then be in the sun.
Bell is, or was, an avid gamer, playing mostly story-centered games and a few online games. He was always bad at online games but that's irrelevant to the present situation.
The [Simulation Room] has a leaderboard. [Einkk] the AI in charge of the [Simulation Room] gives Commanders a score depending on how many Raptures they killed and how well they performed. How that's calculated is beyond Bell's knowledge but the leaderboard shows only the ten best scores.
Right there, at the top, at number one with a score that exceeds the now number two by a large margin, was Bell's name and other information. It showed no picture, thank god, but its technically early enough for the building to be empty. That would soon change.
"Well done, Comma- I mean Bell!" Marian cheers, walking beside Bell, his expression blank as he looks to the sky. "Your tactics were exemplary! Especially when you funneled all the Raptures into a narrow hallway and-."
Bell's expression softened as he smiled at the excited and proud Marian, who was recounting the events of the [Simulation Room] with a glint in her eye. But inwardly he was worried.
If his tactics, which he considered to be basic, were seen as revolutionary then this world is doomed.
…
In reality, he was inwardly cackling.
Take that! Top of the leaderboard! Suck it motherfuckers!
He's played multiple games and he has never been at the top of a leaderboard. Ever. The pride is hard to push down as Marian worsens it by showering him with praise.
Taking a moment, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before releasing it, calming down enough to turn to Marian as he asks, "Hey Marian, are Raptures actually like that?"
Shrugging, Marian admits, "I don't know Bell. I haven't been to the [Surface] yet."
And Bell's conflict with Raptures was against a single Rapture. His experience probably isn't the best comparison.
Bell simply exhales and shakes his head. This is something worth celebrating not something to mope about. "Whatcha wanna do then?" He asks, turning to Marian, leaning on a wall. "I'll be doing something later at night so we should probably celebrate now."
"Then I'll just join you-." Marian starts but Bell came to a realization. Does he really want to admit to this beautiful and mature woman that he'll be on his own in a casino? After a bit of thought, he decided, no. As much as he loves being with Marian and enjoys being around her, he has a feeling that her disappointment would probably be very painful. Something he would not like to experience.
"Nah it's fine." He says, waving his hand to stop her. "You've probably got people you want to talk to and we did work up a sweat so we should take the rest of the day off after getting something to eat."
"Um, sure," she relents, tilting her head in confusion, "I'd like that. So, what are we gonna get?"
Bell relaxes, talking as he spots a place he finds interesting and points it out to Marian. Meanwhile, Marian was inwardly pouting, at missing out on time with her Commander.
In retaliation, she became a bit more teasing, needling him and causing him to blush as she laughed along with him.
Bell watches himself in the mirror, wearing a white shirt, the word 'Fuck' on it with his old gray coat he wore in the [Military Academy] pinned with two stars on the sleeves, keeping them up and revealing his forearms with a set of boots and jeans.
He's never been to a casino so he doesn't know how to dress so he just went with what he wanted, brushing his brown hair as he left.
Issac was waiting at a park, wearing a blue dress shirt under a white jacket with black slacks. He perks up, turning to look at Bell as he was entering the park. Blinking in his impassive and creepy way he does as he goes to meet the young Commander. "Bell."
"Mr. Mercury." He says, throwing his head up while resting his hands in his pockets, his manners conflicting with how he dresses as Isaac blinks.
"That's surprising." He mutters before continuing. "I expected you to be more informal."
"I am." Bell admits unashamedly. "Ma taught me better than to be rude to everyone I meet, besides, you seem like a good guy so I don't really mind."
"Thank you." Isaac responds as he watches Bell hop onto the short stone wall and rest his elbows on his knees, swinging his legs. "But just Isaac is fine." He looks Bell up and down once more, noting the coat usually worn by [Commanders] on him along with his clothes. "You also don't seem like the type to lose out on discounts."
He was proven tight when bell whirls around, eyes wide and focused, "...Discounts?"
Isaac nods, "Yes. Discounts. [Commanders] get a discount in nearly everything if they appear in their uniform."
Bell's expression scrunches up, leaning back as he stares at the sky and sighs. "...It's tempting. That said, it's so...dull. Not to mention the pomp some of the other [Commanders] have."
"They do tend to have an inflated ego." Isaac mutters under his breath, memories coming to mind.
"I know!" Bell exclaims in exasperation, causing Isaac to flinch as he rubs his ear, causing Bell to reel back and scratch the back of his head. "Sorry."
"It's fine." He manages, taking a deep breath. "My hearing has always been great to the point that if I concentrate hard enough I can pick out a sound from a loud room. Even if it is painful." He trails off as Bell nods.
"Oh, I'll try to keep that in mind." Bell says, looking around, anxious as he bites his lip.
Isaac notices how he doesn't have his [Nikkes] with him but he lets it go. Usually when he sees a [Commander] with his squad, the squad is usually uncomfortable.
"Then let's go, the casino shouldn't be too far." He says as Isaac hops off the short wall he's on and begins following after Isaac.
"So," Bell starts, walking besides the older man, "what casino are we going to?"
Isaac raises a brow, looking at the younger man and asking, "Don't you know this area?"
Bell shrugs, "No, when I was at the Academy I mostly focused on my grades. Didn't really take the time to socialize."
This only confuses Isaac more. The more a [Commander] was devoted to their studies during their time in the Academy, the more of a [Nikkephobe] they were. Still, he ignores it, he has a job to do. "I see. Then let me be the first," Isaac said, turning a corner as Bell began to hear the music as the two turned and Bell gaped, "to [Coin Rush], the Ark's premier adult playground."
At the end of the road is possibly the largest building Bell has ever seen in the Ark but not in his life, but the size, angle, and shape of the building gives off a larger than life feel that works well with the [Dome of Eternity] making it feel like a large building, larger than it actually was. Lights begin to light up as the peppy sound of laughter began to permeate from all the way from a few blocks down, if he narrowed his eyes he could see things like pools, penthouses and what is probably the casino proper. People of all types entered the door, some wore silk suits with women at their side while some wore a Commander's uniform with some girls with them that are probably Nikke. And right in front of him is Isaac, in the middle of the walkway with his hands in his pockets, looking back as the wind ruffles his clothes and hair, as he seems to pose in front of the large building.
Finally, Bell manages to speak, "Wow." He could see Isaac preen a bit but he was confused as to why. Regardless he follows after quietly, taking it all in as Isaac led him along.
Nodding at the people at the front, he opened the door as Bell blinked. A floor full of games and a car on display with a wheel displaying various prizes on the floor. If he moved himself a bit he could peer deeper to the tables where games like [Blackjack] and [Poker] were being played, if he listened in he could hear vague mentions of two girls named [Blanc] and [Noir] who might perform today. He tried to glance deeper in but he was stopped by a gentle and stern hand, "Woah, [High Roller], slow your roll."
Looking at the owner of the hand, Bell finds himself looking into a pair of striking red eyes with short black hair and red hair on the inside, she wore a white shirt and a red vest, the former straining against her sizeable chest and the latter emphasizing said strain. She had an earpiece peeking out of her hair and an ID pinned to her chest. Reading it, Bell catches the name [Rouge], the name fitting her overall theme. Though the nickname does catch his attention, "High Roller?" He asks, quirking a brow as the woman hummed, tilting her head in confusion.
"What, don't like it?" She asks, looking him up and down as she stops at his jacket and returning to him.
"I didn't say that…" He trailed off, turning to Isaac who's talking to the receptionist.
"Then before you go out there," she points to the floor, "you should go there." She adds, pointing to where Isaac is. "Only members are allowed to play the game."
"What, is it like a subscription or something?" He asks, following after Rouge as she shook her head.
"Not at all, it's more of an ID." She explains, "You only pay once and with it you can do things like spin the wheel, keep count of your chips, and rent out space in any of the suites, possibly even buy one. Each one has a multitude, from your own personal dealer to an indoor theater and your very own bar."
Bell hums in interest as he peers around and finally is beside Isaac, whose done talking with the receptionist as she smiles, "Hello, and welcome to [Coin Rush], Isaac tells me you're interested in joining?"
Turning to Isaac, Bell couldn't help but note, "They know you by name? Didn't take you for much of a gambler."
Little did he know that the receptionist and Rouge glanced at each other, smiling with knowing looks as Bell turns and begins answering the receptionist's question while Rouge waves them away. After paying, she hands a card to him as he nods. "Congratulations! Now all you need to do is go there," she points to a small booth, "to pick up your chips and then have fun!"
Bell nods, thanking her as he waves her away as Isaac follows after him.
After picking up their chips, they head off to the floor, where Bell is overwhelmed by the sounds and all the different tables as he has a hard time picking. "Do you know the rules of the games found here?"
"I know Blackjack and Texas Hold'em." he admits as Isaac nods, "A bit of roulette too."
"Then let's start with that." Isaac says, walking towards the tables with a monitor showing 'hot' numbers and similar statistics. There was a small group there, already throwing their chips at their chosen number, color, row, column, whatever.
Fiddling with the chip in hand, Bell looks at his option, Isaac doing the same as the people around them clamber and talk. Idly, Bell glances at Isaac, worried that all the sound would be overwhelming him but instead Isaac seemed relaxed, taking in all the information as Bell returns to the table.
Bell watches the roulette spin, black and red merging together as he loses himself in his own world. Finally, he sets his chip on the black as Isaac does the same, the two looking at each other in surprise but were interrupted by the dealer. "All bets are in! Are there anymore?" No one says anything as the dealer flashes a smile. He raises his arm, cocking it back with a white ball in between his fingers as he lets it go and the ball begins to spin around the edge.
The gamblers, Isaac and Bell included, watch with bated breath as the ball begins to slow down, the dull and repetitive sound slowing as it finally begins to bounce off the edges of the numbers.
Finally, it stops.
On a black tile.
Bell smiles as the adrenaline rush hits, cheers and curses resounding from beside him as Isaac picks up his chips while Bell does the same.
He stares at the two chips, his heart beating a mile a minute as he comes to a realization. He might be a bit of a gambler.
Inwardly begging for forgiveness to Marian at what his Commander is becoming, he sets the chip on the big word 'Even' as he waits, Isaac doing the same as the two watch the next round.
"So," Rouge starts, shuffling cards as she looks at the two players on her table, "good night?"
Bell was beaming, swinging his legs as he looks at the large pile of chips beside him. His original set of chips increased by a large margin as he went from table to table. Roulette was normal, he lost a few, won a bit more while his skills varied in [Blackjack] and [Texas Hold'em].
He lost a lot at [Texas Hold'em], more than he did at [Blackjack]. But at the end, standing in front of Rouge, he had more than he came in with. "I guess." Bell tried to play off his excitement, but Rouge was better at reading than Bell was at hiding.
"Sure~," she drawled, watching as Isaac looked at his cards and tapped the table. Rouge sent a few cards as Bell glanced at his own, tapping the table as she also sends him a card. "I guess the nickname High Roller fits." She says while dealing, "I dropped by on a few of your games, some of those moves even had me sweating."
Bell pauses, quirking his brow as he turned to her. "Really?"
"Dunno~." She evades, revealing her cards to be a seven and a ten. Bell's end up being three, four, and seven while Isaac's were nine, five, and six. "It'd be unfair if I said anything."
Bell rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue as he stares at the table with narrowed eyes, his mouth occasionally moving as Rouge tried to listen in but didn't get anything. "Is he-?"
"He's sober." Isaac interrupts, glancing at Bell with the barest amount of respect. "He's been doing that ever since he first played poker. He lost and really got focused, he's been saying things and I caught a few things."
"Card counting?" She asks, narrowing her eyes at Bell who's holding a hand to his chin.
"I don't think he knows what that is." Isaac said. "I think he's coming up with strategies and tactics."
She blinked, watching in surprise as she wondered what he was seeing in place of the cards. Something no average Commander would so. "So that's the look of the [Commander] who got the highest score in the [Simulation Room]."
"Really?" Isaac's eyes widen before relaxing. "That ain't no easy feat."
Rouge nods, "Hmm, heard he's the closest to reach [New Hope]'s score."
"He's not very sociable though." Isaac nods, Bell's brow twitching, interrupting the scenario going through his mind.
"Not very well-liked either." Rouge adds. "A bunch of my usuals blew more cash, some of them were [Commanders] complaining about him. Not to mention his strange squad."
"What's so strange about it?" Isaac asks.
"It's permanent."
"And they weren't permanent before?"
"No."
"I have ears you know." Bell grumbles, Isaac smiling slightly as Rouge simply raises her arms and shrugs.
"It's just what I've heard, don't blame the messenger." She says as Bell sighs.
Isaac's eyes are nailed to the clock as Bell jerks forward, turning to hear someone apologize to him as Bell huffs. "What's with the crowd anyway? I've been bumped like ten times and that's the only guy that apologized."
"Don't you know?" She asks, leaning forward as she crosses her arm and smirks, watching as Bell's eyes trail down her collar to her chest before returning to her eyes. "Blanc and Noir are performing today."
"Who?" He asks, as she blinks in shock as the lights go out. A thunderous cheer resounds through the floor, people shoving each other and trying to crowd the stage as more and more appear, the tension palpable and on the verge of bursting as the music fades away.
In the silence, Bell only hears Rouge mutter, "Just watch and be amazed."
It's slow, gradual, as the lights begin to change into playboy bunnies, drums going off as the curtains were pulled away to reveal a set of poles.
In the midst of this, Isaac walked away, something Bell could accept as this show is probably not meant for anyone who's married or underage. Thankfully, Bell was neither underage or married so he could enjoy this show for all it is.
From the void behind the end of the runways a pair of legs appear one is pale as snow with the slim leg clad in a white thigh high while the other was a mocha brown with a black thigh high. Then the two stepped out.
One of them was clad in a white bunny suit befitting her slim figure and pale skin, her face in a bright smile that lit up the room as she winked to the crowd, placing a hand to her lip before kissing it our towards the crowd, causing some of them to go insane in their cheering.
The woman to her side was her direct opposite, with a buxom body and mocha brown skin and a shy disposition, the woman in the black bunny suit brought her hand, blowing out a kiss as the other half of the crowd went wild. The sound seemed to startle her and her flustered expression only increased as the cheering increased along with the smile on the white-haired bunny girl.
The two sauntered towards the pole as the lines connected in Bell's lust-addled brain.
"[Blanc] and [Noir]. White and black?" He muttered as he saw the two grab onto the poles then they began to dance.
At some point, in the middle of the show he returned to his senses after watching the pair of bunny girls pole dance as he turned to Rouge, who was watching him in amusement. "So," she drawled on to an embarrassed Bell, "how was it?"
"Amazing." He responded in a trance before bringing a hand to his head, "Still, I think I've overstayed my welcome. Gotta get home and get a good night's sleep. You know where Isaac went?"
Rouge frowned looking around as he pointed to a door. "Last I saw he was heading over there."
"Thanks." Bell answered, hopping off the seat and walking towards the door, ignorant to the worried looks being sent towards him.
He opens the door, revealing the outside patio with a pool, a bar and a few tables being used by the people. It's there, at the end and in a hidden corner that he spotted a table.
On it was a middle aged man with brown hair and gray eyes, wearing a modified suit and a white shirt, humming a jaunty tune as he seems to play with a casino chip but…
Something about him was...familiar.
The closer I got to the table the more features were revealed and the more that feeling of familiarity just pounded at him with the force of at least three different siege weapons.
He was doing tricks with the cards, tricks that only magicians and the like could do but still, Bell wasn't tricked.
Slowly, he sat down in front of the man, reluctantly speaking up, "Hello…"
"Ah, welcome young man. Interested in a game?" He asks with a smile, showing no signs of deception as he keeps shuffling the set of cards he had on hand. The table had a small machine, probably an automatic deck shuffler or whatever the name is.
"Um...sure?" Bell starts, tapping his foot as he sits on the seat. "But...who are you? And why…" Bell trails off looking around at the numerous other tables, none of them glancing at their way in curiosity of boredom, all of them focused in their own little games, "is no one paying attention?"
"Well, only certain people come to my table." He says, smiling as a chill runs up Bell's spine, "And me? Well, I'm [Charles D'Arby], a very enthusiastic [gambler]."
Shit!
"Shit." Isaac uncharacteristically curses under his breath, huffing as he closes the door to the suite he just walked out of. His search has come up empty, as if his target just disappeared. Like every other time.
He grits his teeth, his lips contorting into a frustrated sneer that had him baring his teeth in an uncomfortable but familiar matter, bringing back a past he'd left behind after marrying Marie.
Since he is undercover he can't exactly be found just walking around so after a bit of talking into his phone he managed to get the security to cut the cameras of certain rooms he has trouble getting into or isn't just invited into. With how many suites there were and tables, it took a while and may have taken longer if it wasn't for [Nowhere Man]'s ability.
Currently, his ability was being used to silence his steps on the carpeted floor, walking down the halls with hurried steps as he looks around with sharp eyes and experience.
In the [silence] he hears a struggle, muffled voices and arguing as he stops, sighing in exhaustion as he backtracks towards the location of the sound.
"...all the noise go?" Isaac caught a masculine voice struggling as he sped up.
"Does it matter? Just get her-." A second masculine voice starts as it's interrupted by Isaac's experience as he turns the corner and stops at the sight.
A woman was being held by two men, struggling and crying as she's trying to escape their grip as her struggles restart when she spots him. "The hell are you looking at?"
Isaac simply quirks a brow, "The suites of [Coin Rush] are for our customers to use to relax and unwind. I do not believe the young woman looks very relaxed." He notes as he walks forward.
"Why don't you-!" One of them starts, reaching for his pocket only to stop as he blinks, noticing something, his arm, it was frozen, the muscles in it still tensed.
As if he stopped it from moving. "Wha-."
"Dude, bring it out alre-!" The other man starts but stops as his body stops moving, his mouth wide open and his eyes wide, moving around as all three of the people in the hall are frozen.
As if time has stopped, leaving them all aware of one moment for an eternity. That is, until [Isaac] began to move.
Then, he spoke, "My name is [Isaac Mercury], there are four things I love in this life and two have to do with my wife." He begins as he slowly walks forward, his steps barely making a sound, "I love my wife. I love the sounds she makes when she taps the silverware. I love the dull and constant sound of the casino. Finally," he cuts himself off, standing in front of the three as their eyes widen at the set of events currently happening, "I love [silence]."
Then, the woman falls out of the grasp of the two men stay there, their upper halves moving as they tried to run, "Wh-What?"
"I can't move my legs!" The second said, staring down in horror as they looked up.
Before either of them could do anything else, their faces contorted, sending them flying as if they were punched by some invisible force as the woman yelped while Isaac just huffed. The two thugs land in an unconscious heap with the white of their eyes visible as Isaac walks towards the woman, gently helping her up as he spoke, "Please wait here ma'am, security will be here in a bit."
"Wh-Who," the woman starts, shell shocked as she looks at the taller and older man, "Who are you?"
"No one important." he answers, standing up as he walks away. "Take care."
Slowly, the woman watches as the older man retreats away and slumps in relief as security comes in.
Isaac meanwhile rests on the windowsill as he huffs, his hands nearly going for his pack of cigarettes but he's already smoked once and anymore will have Marie angry at him and as cute as she is while angry, when it concerns his health her anger is a lot scarier. So he holds off, peering into the patio where a pool and other tables are located.
His eyes catch a certain jacket and shirt combination as he places his hands on the windowsill and leans forward while peering out.
"...Is that Bell?" He mutters under his breath.
He dashes out, cursing at how far the elevator is and hoping Bell comes out okay.
Bell stares at the man, the splitting image of the [D'Arby] brothers from the original timeline with a few exceptions in his clothes. Placing the cards away as he brings out a sealed box of cards after Bell accepted. "Here, still sealed."
Bell inspects it and nods, watching as D'Arby opens it, "So, [Bell~]," he starts, "as I have said, only a certain type of person approaches me. Those people have something they want." He slams the deck of cards on the table as D'Arby watches Bell's expression, still hesitant but also cautious, "Some of these are… unfortunate. A woman with an incurable disease even with the [Ark]'s medical science, or a man who can't walk. I give these people a [chance] to be rid of such ailments and gain such things."
As he's about to place the cards on the machines, Bell narrows his eyes. "[To Pimp a Butterfly]."
The [Stand] appears beside him, unleashing a devastating straight to his arm as the man flinches, yelling as his clothes is ripped and a bruise forms on his skin, "Y-You-!"
Slowly, a card floats down, landing on Bell's waiting hand as the back is shown before he flips it. An Ace of Spades. "Hmph." Bell harrumphs, glancing at the card. "Pretty nice card, eh?"
D'Arby grits his teeth, glaring at Bell before chuckling. "Good eye." He says, "As you can tell, I'm a bit of a [cheater]."
"A bit." Bell grumbles, dematerializing [TPAB] as he throws the card to the table, "C'mon. Let's do this but first," Bell starts, leaning forward as he glares into D'Arby's very soul, "What's the [truth]?"
He smiles, almost innocently, "What do you mean?"
"A [Stand] is a reflection of the user." Bell explains. "And [gamblers] don't just give away what's precious, so tell me. What is your actual [ability]?"
The light seems to catch D'Arby's hair, causing a shadow to extend over his eyes, hiding them as he smiles. "My mother who raised me once told me that all are equal. None moreso than in death. But I was worthless for killing my twin in the womb." He said, as Bell blinked, wondering when he asked for his backstory as D'Arby simply continued, "You see, she was an alcoholic, even when she had both of us, distorting my visage at a young age and leaving her as beautiful. So, when she taught me how to play card games to gamble, I challenged her for her face. That's when my [Stand] appeared."
From behind him, a spectral figure appeared, red and black with its eyes gold as its hands were similar to a frog's suction cups. "I turn a person's [attributes] into [chips] to be used for betting. Even things they never knew they had. I can then use these chips to make bets against other people and either lose these chips or gain more. The people who win gain whatever attribute the [chips] hold on them. Like the ability to walk or the ability to see."
"...So you've just been taking things from people and giving them...for what? Cheap thrills?" Bell asks, glaring into the calm and collected D'Arby as he came to a realization. "...What did you do with those sicknesses you took?"
D'Arby didn't answer, just smiling as he continued, "The number of chips for every [attribute] is the same regardless of the use or reason. Seven-!"
Bell places his foot on the table, scattering some of the cards as he glares into D'Arby's eyes, grabbing him by the collar as he hisses out, "Where do the sicknesses go, D'Arby?"
D'Arby doesn't answer, and that was enough for Bell as he glares at him, letting him go as he drops himself on his seat. "So," he starts, Bell's voice deceptively calm as he taps the table, "Blackjack?"
D'Arby smiles and his stand pops up from behind him. "[Gambler Blues]." He said, and the [Stand] reached out, leaving Bell wary as he summons [TPAB]. Before he could move [Gambler Blues] swipes at Bell, nicking his body and face as the grooves caused by the swipes disappear along with [TPAB].
"My~." D'arby mutters as Bell tries to stay balanced from the sudden lack of [himself] he felt. Suddenly, in front of him, a veritable number of chips fall onto the table while D'Arby reaches down, bringing out his own case of [chips], revealing many different colors but D'Arby's attention is on the stack of [fourteen] chips of the same color. But they're spread in a way that Bell would only notice seven.
Bell himself looks through his chips, finding his legs, arm, heart, the ability to use all of these things as he gulps. He even sees a set of chips for [To Pimp a Butterfly]. He reaches and grabs it, inwardly sighing in relief.
"Now, let's star-oh." He mutters, grabbing the stack of cards and attempt to put it into the machine only to find the machine gone. "Huh, where'd it go?" He tries to look for it but finds nothing. If he were to look up at the trees, he'd find a congregation of black [butterflies] perched on a branch with one beside Bell. Bell took the liberty of using [TPAB] to turn the shuffling machine into [butterflies] when he held D'Arby by the collar.
"What's wrong?" Bell asks, blinking as D'Aby straightens up. "You were shuffling like a pro when I walked in, and I know for a fact that [To Pimp a Butterfly] didn't hit you that hard, just enough to leave a bruise."
This causes D'Arby to smile, "So that was your plan?"
"I have no idea." Bell closes his eyes, shrugging as he shakes his head, hiding the glint in his eyes. "All I know is that you are alone." Resting his hand on the table, he leans forward. "Or else you wouldn't have needed the machine. Now, we just have you and me."
"Is that what you think?" D'Arby asks.
"It's what I know." Bell says with a pained look as D'Arby smiles gleefully.
Little did he know that Bell's pained look isn't because of D'Arby's words, but in preparation of the scolding he's going to get for this.
He releases a sigh as D'Arby begins to shuffle. "How good are you at shuffling?"
Bell just chuckles, shaking his head, "You're going to hate me."
D'Arby ignores it, placing seven chips in the middle and Bell following.
D'Arby begins to talk, "Because we're only two people, if we have a tie we ignore it and start again. Aside from that, it's normal Blackjack." Bell nods in agreement, watching as D'Arby nods, he slides the card forward face down as Bell catches it before placing one in front of him face up then sliding another to Bell face down and one more in front of him face down.
D'Arby's card is a nine. If he gets anything less than an eight he'll have to draw but anything more and he'll be stuck with it. D'Arby reaches for the card and out comes a six, raising the number to sixteen, five away from [Blackjack].
Bell glances at his own cards, spotting a five and a nine, putting him at fourteen. He lets it down as he thinks on his next move. He could either ask for one more and risk it, which would be the smarter move since the probability of getting a number lower than eight is higher but this is D'Arby against an amateur like Bell.
Bell who's leaning on the chair with a relaxed feel despite his passable poker face. As if he's confident he'd win. D'Arby's eyes narrow as Bell makes a 'come here' gesture with his hands, signaling him to slide another card as he does the same for himself, revealing a three, making D'Arby's hand a nineteen.
D'Arby glanced up, watching as Bell glances at the card, his face brightening as he makes the signal to stand before turning his cards, revealing a twenty in total.
Quietly, Bell grabbed his chips, pulling them to his side as D'Arby passes him the deck.
Blackjack, is a game of chance, moreso than [Poker], but since it's two people, it's a lot more mellow than usual. This no longer a game of luck, bluff, and skill. But of prayer, luck, and cheating.
And Bell came unprepared as he stares at his hand, a seven, four, and eight, against D'Arby's King, and ten, totaling a twenty.
He sucks in his lips and returns the cards, detesting D'Arby's smug face as he begins to shuffle.
There would be five more matches, played with swiftness and curtness only found in an auction.
In total, all seven matches would amount to four minutes. Bell won the first, and D'Arby won four in a row, and Bell won the fifth, but that single win helped him regain most of his chips and then some.
Now, is the seventh and final match as the two stare at each other, sweat trailing down their face with exhaustion lingering on their frames.
This time, Bell is dealing and as he sets down his two cards and D'Arby's he watches as D'Arby signals for one more. He slides it over with newfound mastery as D'Arby makes no attempt to goad him, just as emotionally exhausted as Bell.
In the end, it's his turn as he looks at his visible card, revealing a seven as he turns over the hidden card and revealing the second number.
A seven, totaling to fourteen. He huffs as he prepares to end this. "All-in." He mutters, pushing forward his stack of chips as D'Arby seems to reel in shock as his grip on his cards tighten for a second before he relaxes.
"Is this your cheap attempt at a bluff?" He asks and he stares straight into Bell's eyes.
There was no hint at fear in them. Just confidence.
He bites his lip, revealing a ten, five, and four in his hand, totaling to nineteen as he smiles. "Alright. All-in."
Bell reaches for a final card, turning it to reveal a six, making it into a twenty. Causing Bell to smile as he's about to cheer.
"Wait." D'Arby interrupts, leaving Bell mid-celebration as he interlocks his hand, leaning into them and continuing. "Do you think you could trick me with such shoddy cheating? Show me the actual card."
Bell looks away, biting his lip as he tries to speak. "C'mon boy, I don't have all day!"
But they both know he does, even if it was Blackjack or a twenty, Bell was [caught]. If he dares turn the card, his life is [forfeit].
Bell flinches once more at D'Arby's hand slamming against the table. "Come on!"
Reluctantly, with unsteady hands, Bell reaches over to the third card, stopping as his hand grabs the edges and his shaking stops. "Stop stalling, come on!"
His previously shaky voice became steady. "Hey D'Arby." He said, looking from the shadows created by his hair and light in tandem. "Tell me, what's the single truth in gambling?"
"What are you talking about?" He asks, "Just flip it over!"
"I'm just remembering a funny saying I heard once. Do you know it?" He continues, a flame lighting up in his eyes that stands out in the shadows of his face.
"I said stop sta-!" He started. Bell flipped the card in the middle of his sentence, the ending never coming as he materializes [Gambler Blues]. The [Stand] poised to strike at Bell.
The third number was a seven.
Twenty-One.
[Blackjack].
And with that, D'Arby finally noticed the empty patio they were in.
"[The house always wins]."
With that, the game was over.
Bell's eyes blank as he sways back before beginning to fall, his eyes glassy as they lose the light in them as he freezes mid-air along with the frozen D'Arby, his [Stand] in the process of punching a hole through the young man.
"[Nowhere Man: Quiet on the Set]."
The arm of [Gambler Blues] caved under the power of [Nowhere Man]. Translating the damage onto the user as D'Arby's arm broke.
From behind Bell, Isaac appeared, looking guilty as he patted the arm of the young man. "I'm sorry. I'll make this right."
With that, he turned, listening as he hears a large group near the casino as he resolves himself to finish this quickly.
He turns towards D'Arby, nearly growling as he walks closer. "You walk into the biggest casino of the [Ark], raising a racket and expect for people to not notice? Listen here, I am the [Head of Security] and I have to hear the family of the people you hurt cry for justice, for revenge. People who come here to unwind and relax. This is one of the few places I can relax myself. So grit your teeth." Isaac says, his voice heated as [Nowhere Man] appears behind him, curling his hand into a fist as the [Stand] glares down at D'Arby. "I'm going to knock the luck out of you."
D'Arby's eyes widen and his pupils dilate, his entire body quiet for a second before [Nowhere Man] deactivates his ability. "[Gambler Blu-argh!"
D'Arby tries to summon his own [Stand] but is stopped by [Nowhere Man], punching him in the mouth with a wordless cry as he rears back his other arm and brings it forward before repeating the movement into a devastating barrage, beating D'Arby like a drum.
At some point in between he started to drop casino chips, causing Isaac to continue his rush as the chips fell.
A cluster of chips landed near Bell, disappearing as they entered him as he began to cough, sitting up as he pats himself down in shock as he tried to calm his beating heart. "Oh, Jesus Christ!"
Then he turned, watching Isaac lay D'Arby out as more and more chips fell from him like [Sonic].
He could almost hear the clatter of chips hitting the floor be replaced by the sound of falling coins.
With a final punch, D'Arby is sent back, hitting a table, hurt, bloody, but still alive. Isaac glares at the man as he spits to the side, his [Stand] beside him and draped over him by his head as he placed a finger to the side of his lips in a pose. "Your misfortune is the house's luck, do us a favor and crawl in your delusions for eternity."
The patio is silent, sans the heavy breathing of Bell as Isaac turns to him. Neither of the two saying anything, not to mention that Bell is trying to come to terms with his temporary [death] and Isaac his guilt for roping Bell into this.
"He…" Bell starts, his mouth curving into a smile as Isaac looked at him incredulously. "I-I'm sorry, I-pffffahahahaha!" He bursts out, laughing his heart out as he tries to wipe away the tears as Isaac slumped. "That was fucking scary!" He says after calming down. "Is like this every time at [Coin Rush]?"
Isaac pauses, shaking his head as he pushes down the laughter coming from his own chest. "No." He answers, walking over as he extends a hand as Bell grasps it. "I can assure you it is not."
"I think I can live with that." Bell says, forcing himself up as he tries to get himself reacquainted with his own body.
The two turn towards D'Arby, unconscious as he gasps and groan. "So what do we do with him?"
"Leave him to the [A.C.P.U.]," Isaac answers, walking back into the casino, "they'll be here any minute. If you go back in and return to the crowd now I'll be able to spin a story that'll convince them."
"You sure?" Bell asks, quirking a brow. "Like I'm tired as hell so I'm not gonna say no. But…"
"Argh!" D'Arby cries from behind Bell, holding a knife to his throat despite bleeding and bruised. "Don't you dare move!"
"Oh come on!" Bell groans from within the grasp of a hysterical D'Arby.
"If-If you move I'll kill him!" He said, hysterical as he tried to stay up, pointing his knife towards Isaac then to Bell, both equally as unimpressed.
"In your dreams." Was all Bell said on the subject.
"Wha-?" He starts but is interrupted by a muffled gunshot, he falls groaning before falling unconscious by a backfist from Bell.
"Commander!" A feminine voice spoke, brown eyes alight with worry and a bit frantic as if she woke up a few minutes ago.
"Oh, so that was the call." Isaac spoke, reminiscing on the past few minutes.
The elevators took a while so he tried to go through the stairs but it didn't go well, not to mention the crowd that formed, what should've been a quick walk evolved into a few minutes. Especially with his confusion when he got a call from some of the people at the side entrances telling him about a [Nikke] looking for her [Commander].
Following his instincts, he let her in and she came at just the right time.
"Is this what you do with your free time?" She asks, watching as Bell looks away, sheepishly. "Playing with our money like that?"
"Hey, I won more than I lost." He tries to point out but is rebuked.
"That's not the problem, what if you lost and got conned into a shady loan?" She asked. "Or lost all of our money?"
"...But I didn't?" He points out only for Marian to pout and continue her scolding as Bell tries to escape at any and all points. Isaac couldn't help but see the similarities between a married couple and the strange pair of [Nikke] and [Commander].
He heard the doors close as he goes towards the two. "C'mon, you've gotta get out of here or else you'll be questioned as well."
"W-wait? Comma-Bell, who's this?" She asks, turning to Isaac with curiosity before having her arm grabbed by Bell.
"He's a friend." Bell answers as she grabs her, pulling her along. "Now c'mon. I don't wanna be stopped by the cops of this place."
As he watched the two go, Isaac couldn't help but feel fine with the new title he's got.
The next morning, a new headline hits the newspaper. Or multiple headlines of the deaf hearing, the injured healing, and more. There was nothing on incurable diseases so maybe Isaac hid those away until a cure is found or something.
Marian...is still angry.
She pouts angrily, a croissant in hand and coffee in the other while making a very visible effort to not look Bell in the eye.
It felt familiar as he spoke with the barista, deflecting the allegations of getting in trouble.
Though she did glare at Bell so that basically cemented his position in the 'doghouse' so to speak.
After leaving with hot chocolate and a muffin in hand, Bell follows after Marian. "Marian~, I said I was sorry."
She harrumphs, crossing her arms and eating her croissant. "I can't hear the Commander who abandoned her Nikke to go to a casino when the bunny sisters were having a show and only told me at the middle of the night to bail him out. Not at all."
Something about the statement struck Bell, just how she emphasized him being around girls that struck him. "Are-Are you jealous?"
This nearly caused Marian to drop her coffee as she coughed into her fist, missing how her cheeks are as red as a tomato. "A-and why wou-would I be jealous?"
Bell catches up, giving Marian as smooth a smile as he can, which has to be pretty smooth since Marian seems to enter a trance as he talks. "That I went alone?" She seems to snap out of it, blinking to see Bell's face become a teasing smile as he walks ahead with his back pointed forward. "Did someone feel lonely~?"
"N-No!" She tried to refuse but bell just laughed, shaking his head while looking forward, taking a sip from his hot chocolate as Marian pouts at his back. A second later, she shakes her head and saddles up beside her [Commander]. "Well, m-maybe a little."
"Then next time you can come along." He says, "I can teach you a few card games beforehand."
"I-I don't think Nikkes can play at the tables." Marian notes.
"Then we'll just play the machines." Bell says. "And if not, we can just walk around."
Marian just sighs, relenting this time to her [Commander] as the two walk around the Ark.
A/N: Nice! I was actually pretty excited about this chapter! Now, Isaac and we have a reappearance via D'Arby but not exactly. At this point we won't be getting to the surface yet, maybe the chapter after the next, but what squad do you want to see next? Personally, I can't wait to try and write characters like Matis or Prima Donna. Individually, I think it'd be hilarious if Bell and Cafe Sweety met.
Also, as you can tell, I'm not much of a gambler, as is probably obvious. Sorry if I got a few things wrong.
Also, Nikke and Nier crossover! I hope the story of the event is good, because they've had this for months. If it Isn't I'll riot. On the Nikke side I haven't gotten too far into the story and on the Nier I've gotten one ending it was ending [H] I think. I also really like Pascal, I hope nothing bad happens to them.
Now, time for Stand stats:
Stand Name: Nowhere Man
Musical Inspiration: Nowhere Man by the Beatles
User: Isaac Mercury
Power: C
Speed: B
Range: E-C
Staying: A
Precision: C
Potential: C
Abilities
Quiet on the Set- This ability shows itself in two different form. The first is with touch, anything that is touched by [Nowhere Man] is [silenced]. As in, not only is sound not heard, but it isn't caused, so if you were to punch a piece of wood [Nowhere Man] has touched nothing would happen. The second ability can be non-fatal or fatal, where he can impose [silence] within an area, causing everyone and anything to be silent, even muscles, impeding any movement. Taking this a step further, he can even cause hearts to stop beating, blood stop flowing, and more. At its core, [Nowhere Man] can make anything silent, from the muscles in a person's body to their skin, to their very organs. To simplify it, 'If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?'. The only exception is other [Stands] since they technically don't make a sound.
Stand Name: Gambler Blues
Musical Reference: Gambler's Blues by Dave Van Ronk
User: Charles D'Arby
Power: D
Speed: C
Range: E
Staying: B
Precision: B
Potential: C
Abilities
The Jack- [Gambler Blues] can turn [attributes] into chips, like a person's ability to walk or their attractiveness. Each attribute has the same worth of seven chips regardless of what it is. A person can only use the chips if they have all seven and they gain whatever attribute is on the chips, so if a man who's deaf gains the chips of someone's hearing, they'll instead gain the person's ability to hear.
That's it for stats. I'm not sure if I got [Nowhere Man] right, I just hope I explained his ability right. Isaac himself is going to take a role similar to Okuyasu, someone who's insanely overpowered with an ability of great potential but held back by something. In this case it's his wife.
Anyway, I have tumblr, it's the same as my FF name where I'll be leaving updates and probably have polls. So if you want, you could check that out.
Anyway, that's it. Have a nice day!