A Bro's Life (AGG-ish Anime Bro Quest)
- Thread starter LinkOnScepter
- Start date
- Original
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Alright, vote's been closed. Also, I updated Hose's RR with you guys. It's now at 2/10!
FaultOfKarma
The Karma Always Pays Back
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Nice that the Buddies option wins. Having a Bond looks way cooler and important than just having a relationship
Week 6.3
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
"Come on, Nagai! Keep up!"
Ritsuko turns around for a moment to wave you on before rushing off into the lights and sounds of the arcade. You follow her at a steady pace with your hands in your pockets. Partially to cool down from working out with Hose, and partially to marvel at the sheer number of Arcade Games in the building.
Because you were currently entering one of the biggest Arcades in Akihabara. A place that you never thought you'd ever get to walk into. Sure, you've been to Akihabara a few times. Mainly to buy some Manga or DVDs when you've got a bit of extra cash from work. But things like Arcades and otherwise were beyond your reach at the time. Couldn't afford to waste cash you needed for food on a video game.
Thus the reason why your eyes were wide open as you walked through the center of the Arcade. The cacophony of lights and sounds were almost enough to deafen you. A multitude of games were set up along the center in aisles and against the walls. People of all sorts were either standing in front of one of the machines, leaning against the wall and shooting the shit, or at a counter getting food and drinks. Their colorful assortment of clothing both embarrassing and fashionable made you feel justified in wearing your black blazer and pants. Your blazer was, of course, unbuttoned and showed off the red t-shirt underneath.
"Nagai! Get your ass over here!" you turn your head to your left, spotting Ritsuko waving at you from in front of a big machine. The plastic around the screen is painted blood red, with the control console painted a similar color. There are numerous lightning bolts shooting out from the edges of the flashing screen as the game's demo played. The Title Screen came up as you took position on the right console that said, "Crashing Waves."
You raise an eyebrow and turn to Ritsuko. She had on the same outfit from when you first met her which drew some glances towards her that you scared off with a glare or two. The girl pulled out a green, plastic card with the Arcade's name on it then swiped it through the card readers on both your consoles.
"So, you gonna tell me what this is?" you asks her while idly tapping away at the console. It's your typical joystick, four button affair that was easy enough to get used to. You pressed the "Start" button when the screen prompted you to, bringing you to a character select screen with five faces lit up on screen.
"A 3-D Arena Fighting Game. It's all the rage right now," Ritsuko answers while she quickly chooses her character. Which turns out to be the textbook example of a cutesy magical girl. Complete with pink dress, stars for pupils, and a comically large staff. Ritsuko's face gets a bit red when she sees your raised eyebrow and smirk. She quickly yells for you to shut up and pick your character.
You shrug and do so, choosing the young boy character who carries around two energy shields on his arms. There's a blurb under his model at the character select screen that tells you what he does. Apparently, he's all about blocking and countering whatever the opponent throws at him.
As the game begins, you realize you might have picked someone a bit too advanced for your first time. Ritsuko's character is all about one thing; powerful ranged attacks. She has a bunch of long range lasers that hit hard, have big hit boxes, and her ultimate can smash through environmental objects. You end up losing the first three round to her strategy of finding a safe spot and then pelting you with damaging projectiles. The good news is that Ritsuko is a good sport about the whole thing and gives you pointers on how to play the game. Not how to play your character though, cause she's never played him before.
Which is probably why you started winning come the fourth round. Turns out, your character had a lot of counters to Ritsuko's choice. His block negated most of the damage she sent your way, you had counters that would teleport you right to her spot if you pulled them off, and your ultimate gave you a few seconds of invincibility. Once you started figuring that out, you started to turn the fight around. The two of you got completely absorbed into the battle to the point where you didn't realize a small crowd had formed around you. Whether from people waiting to play for themselves, or to watch your intense fight.
The two of you decided to stop after the seventh round. She had you beat five to three, but it was pretty fun.
"I knew you'd like it," she says as the two of you walk away from the machine towards the food court, two other people taking your places, "I play it every time I come here to keep my skills sharp."
"Well, thanks for bringing me. Sorry about making you pay for me though. I'd take care of it but, you know, high schooler."
She waves off your concern, "Don't sweat it. Not like I'm hurting for cash."
"Cause of your dad?" she nods and you continue, "So, he doesn't mind that you're spending company funds on stuff like this?"
"Who gives a fuck what he thinks?!" she growls out, her face scrunching up in anger. She looks up when you reach the food court area and quickly drags you towards a WcDonalds before you can ask her to elaborate. You both order simple medium burger combos, find a good place to sit across from each other, and start chowing down.
The two of you are quiet as you scarf down your food. Only when the silence and satisfaction from having a full belly descends over you do you remember what you wanted to say to Ritsuko. You clear your throat and say, "By the way, thanks for helping out Hose last week."
"Eh, don't mention it," she leans back in her seat with a shrug, "I was already there and didn't want to miss out. Besides, my brother goes there. He may be a jerk but he's still my brother. Family's important you know."
You nod, "Yeah. How is the little pansy doing anyway? Still sore over what happened?"
"You know it. Though he won't admit it. Partially because it's a sore spot for him, but mostly cause dear old dad doesn't want him letting everyone know that a rando at his school got the best of him," she rolls her eyes as she says this. Then she leans forward with a cocky smile, "And, I've been practicing since the last time we fought. Things might go a bit differently next time."
You respond to her smile with one of your own, "That so? Well, I'll be looking forward to our next bout."
You stare each other down, then share a chuckle at your competitiveness. You continue by saying, "I'm serious though. You're were pretty good the first time we faced off. I can't wait to see how you've improved. Oh, and I'll try not to...you know....next time."
Her face starts getting red again as the both of you think back to "that" moment during your previous fight. She refuses to meet your eyes and suddenly takes a lot of interest in her empty drink cup, "Oh, right, uh, don't, don't worry about that! It was nothing and, uh, aaaannndddd......I-I'm gonna go get a refill! See you in a bit!"
She's up and rushing to the drink machine before you can say anything. You sit there for a couple of seconds, before a familiar voice rings in your head, "My Lord, I believe this is the part where you ask to meet the girl's parents."
You nearly jump out of your chair at Yato's suggestion. You make sure no one's watching you, and that Ritsuko is still getting a refill, before bringing your glove up to your face and whispering to it, "Yato, the hell are you talking about?!"
"You're trying to court this girl, are you not?"
"Wha-no! Well-I mean-I don't know! Why are you asking?"
"It is my duty as a retainer to assist my Lord in any way I can. This includes matters such as impressing the fairer sex. At it stands, I believe you are far enough along to establish an accord with her parents to-"
"Ok, yeah, I'm gonna start ignoring you, Yato."
"What'd you say?" you jump and quickly force your hands under the table, head swiveling to see look at Ritsuko. The girl's looking at you with confusion in her eyes and the straw of her drink in her mouth.
"Uh, nothing!" you quickly say as she sits back down. She seems a little skeptical, but shrugs it off. From there your time together is relatively normal. You stay until the sun starts to set and the sky turns orange. Then the two of you head out the door along with a bunch of other kids.
The two of you stand in front of the Arcade, neither really knowing what to say to the other. After multiple coughs into hands, scratches of necks, and eyes looking at anything but each other, you finally work up the courage to say, "It's getting late."
You mentally punch yourself for saying such a stupid line, but Ritsuko doesn't seem to notice. "Y-yeah, it is," she replies without looking at you.
You blink twice, take a deep breath and ask, "Do, uh, do you want me to walk you home?"
Ritsuko stiffens at your request. You get ready to take it back, but then she replies with a confident smile and nod, "Y-yeah! That sounds great! Just, follow me!"
She grabs you by the arm and pulls you along. You don't fight it and just go along with her.
Eventually, you reach her house (well, more like a mansion) before the sun fully sets, then say your goodbyes.
"I...uh...I had a....what I mean is....thanks for coming, Nagai. I haven't really brought a guy with me to...play games before so...oh, just thanks ok!" she shouts, her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson, before rushing up the walk way to her home. You wave her off with a smug smile your face that stays your entire walk back to the dorm.
Not bad for your first "date".
[Ritsuko Relationship Increased to 4! Now gives +3 to Brawling,+2 to Swords, and +1 to Objects! Now Gives +5 to Brawling when in Combat]
To explain, you unlock the Bonuses for a Relationship once the Rank gets above 3.
Ritsuko turns around for a moment to wave you on before rushing off into the lights and sounds of the arcade. You follow her at a steady pace with your hands in your pockets. Partially to cool down from working out with Hose, and partially to marvel at the sheer number of Arcade Games in the building.
Because you were currently entering one of the biggest Arcades in Akihabara. A place that you never thought you'd ever get to walk into. Sure, you've been to Akihabara a few times. Mainly to buy some Manga or DVDs when you've got a bit of extra cash from work. But things like Arcades and otherwise were beyond your reach at the time. Couldn't afford to waste cash you needed for food on a video game.
Thus the reason why your eyes were wide open as you walked through the center of the Arcade. The cacophony of lights and sounds were almost enough to deafen you. A multitude of games were set up along the center in aisles and against the walls. People of all sorts were either standing in front of one of the machines, leaning against the wall and shooting the shit, or at a counter getting food and drinks. Their colorful assortment of clothing both embarrassing and fashionable made you feel justified in wearing your black blazer and pants. Your blazer was, of course, unbuttoned and showed off the red t-shirt underneath.
"Nagai! Get your ass over here!" you turn your head to your left, spotting Ritsuko waving at you from in front of a big machine. The plastic around the screen is painted blood red, with the control console painted a similar color. There are numerous lightning bolts shooting out from the edges of the flashing screen as the game's demo played. The Title Screen came up as you took position on the right console that said, "Crashing Waves."
You raise an eyebrow and turn to Ritsuko. She had on the same outfit from when you first met her which drew some glances towards her that you scared off with a glare or two. The girl pulled out a green, plastic card with the Arcade's name on it then swiped it through the card readers on both your consoles.
"So, you gonna tell me what this is?" you asks her while idly tapping away at the console. It's your typical joystick, four button affair that was easy enough to get used to. You pressed the "Start" button when the screen prompted you to, bringing you to a character select screen with five faces lit up on screen.
"A 3-D Arena Fighting Game. It's all the rage right now," Ritsuko answers while she quickly chooses her character. Which turns out to be the textbook example of a cutesy magical girl. Complete with pink dress, stars for pupils, and a comically large staff. Ritsuko's face gets a bit red when she sees your raised eyebrow and smirk. She quickly yells for you to shut up and pick your character.
You shrug and do so, choosing the young boy character who carries around two energy shields on his arms. There's a blurb under his model at the character select screen that tells you what he does. Apparently, he's all about blocking and countering whatever the opponent throws at him.
As the game begins, you realize you might have picked someone a bit too advanced for your first time. Ritsuko's character is all about one thing; powerful ranged attacks. She has a bunch of long range lasers that hit hard, have big hit boxes, and her ultimate can smash through environmental objects. You end up losing the first three round to her strategy of finding a safe spot and then pelting you with damaging projectiles. The good news is that Ritsuko is a good sport about the whole thing and gives you pointers on how to play the game. Not how to play your character though, cause she's never played him before.
Which is probably why you started winning come the fourth round. Turns out, your character had a lot of counters to Ritsuko's choice. His block negated most of the damage she sent your way, you had counters that would teleport you right to her spot if you pulled them off, and your ultimate gave you a few seconds of invincibility. Once you started figuring that out, you started to turn the fight around. The two of you got completely absorbed into the battle to the point where you didn't realize a small crowd had formed around you. Whether from people waiting to play for themselves, or to watch your intense fight.
The two of you decided to stop after the seventh round. She had you beat five to three, but it was pretty fun.
"I knew you'd like it," she says as the two of you walk away from the machine towards the food court, two other people taking your places, "I play it every time I come here to keep my skills sharp."
"Well, thanks for bringing me. Sorry about making you pay for me though. I'd take care of it but, you know, high schooler."
She waves off your concern, "Don't sweat it. Not like I'm hurting for cash."
"Cause of your dad?" she nods and you continue, "So, he doesn't mind that you're spending company funds on stuff like this?"
"Who gives a fuck what he thinks?!" she growls out, her face scrunching up in anger. She looks up when you reach the food court area and quickly drags you towards a WcDonalds before you can ask her to elaborate. You both order simple medium burger combos, find a good place to sit across from each other, and start chowing down.
The two of you are quiet as you scarf down your food. Only when the silence and satisfaction from having a full belly descends over you do you remember what you wanted to say to Ritsuko. You clear your throat and say, "By the way, thanks for helping out Hose last week."
"Eh, don't mention it," she leans back in her seat with a shrug, "I was already there and didn't want to miss out. Besides, my brother goes there. He may be a jerk but he's still my brother. Family's important you know."
You nod, "Yeah. How is the little pansy doing anyway? Still sore over what happened?"
"You know it. Though he won't admit it. Partially because it's a sore spot for him, but mostly cause dear old dad doesn't want him letting everyone know that a rando at his school got the best of him," she rolls her eyes as she says this. Then she leans forward with a cocky smile, "And, I've been practicing since the last time we fought. Things might go a bit differently next time."
You respond to her smile with one of your own, "That so? Well, I'll be looking forward to our next bout."
You stare each other down, then share a chuckle at your competitiveness. You continue by saying, "I'm serious though. You're were pretty good the first time we faced off. I can't wait to see how you've improved. Oh, and I'll try not to...you know....next time."
Her face starts getting red again as the both of you think back to "that" moment during your previous fight. She refuses to meet your eyes and suddenly takes a lot of interest in her empty drink cup, "Oh, right, uh, don't, don't worry about that! It was nothing and, uh, aaaannndddd......I-I'm gonna go get a refill! See you in a bit!"
She's up and rushing to the drink machine before you can say anything. You sit there for a couple of seconds, before a familiar voice rings in your head, "My Lord, I believe this is the part where you ask to meet the girl's parents."
You nearly jump out of your chair at Yato's suggestion. You make sure no one's watching you, and that Ritsuko is still getting a refill, before bringing your glove up to your face and whispering to it, "Yato, the hell are you talking about?!"
"You're trying to court this girl, are you not?"
"Wha-no! Well-I mean-I don't know! Why are you asking?"
"It is my duty as a retainer to assist my Lord in any way I can. This includes matters such as impressing the fairer sex. At it stands, I believe you are far enough along to establish an accord with her parents to-"
"Ok, yeah, I'm gonna start ignoring you, Yato."
"What'd you say?" you jump and quickly force your hands under the table, head swiveling to see look at Ritsuko. The girl's looking at you with confusion in her eyes and the straw of her drink in her mouth.
"Uh, nothing!" you quickly say as she sits back down. She seems a little skeptical, but shrugs it off. From there your time together is relatively normal. You stay until the sun starts to set and the sky turns orange. Then the two of you head out the door along with a bunch of other kids.
The two of you stand in front of the Arcade, neither really knowing what to say to the other. After multiple coughs into hands, scratches of necks, and eyes looking at anything but each other, you finally work up the courage to say, "It's getting late."
You mentally punch yourself for saying such a stupid line, but Ritsuko doesn't seem to notice. "Y-yeah, it is," she replies without looking at you.
You blink twice, take a deep breath and ask, "Do, uh, do you want me to walk you home?"
Ritsuko stiffens at your request. You get ready to take it back, but then she replies with a confident smile and nod, "Y-yeah! That sounds great! Just, follow me!"
She grabs you by the arm and pulls you along. You don't fight it and just go along with her.
Eventually, you reach her house (well, more like a mansion) before the sun fully sets, then say your goodbyes.
"I...uh...I had a....what I mean is....thanks for coming, Nagai. I haven't really brought a guy with me to...play games before so...oh, just thanks ok!" she shouts, her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson, before rushing up the walk way to her home. You wave her off with a smug smile your face that stays your entire walk back to the dorm.
Not bad for your first "date".
[Ritsuko Relationship Increased to 4! Now gives +3 to Brawling,+2 to Swords, and +1 to Objects! Now Gives +5 to Brawling when in Combat]
To explain, you unlock the Bonuses for a Relationship once the Rank gets above 3.
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- Location
- United States
does make me wonder what the story would look like if we had gone another route in character creation.
older brother with valkyrie as our support. we'd fit the role of that mature mysterious badass and could give our little bro a whole lot of street cred. on the other hand, we wouldn't get moments like this so I'd say you guys made the right choice lol
also really enjoying the story op keep it up
older brother with valkyrie as our support. we'd fit the role of that mature mysterious badass and could give our little bro a whole lot of street cred. on the other hand, we wouldn't get moments like this so I'd say you guys made the right choice lol
also really enjoying the story op keep it up
- Location
- USA
You know, we're on track to be the beta couple for the show and I wholeheartedly approve. Cause that's not something you see too often in anime
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
..Dear God, I miss Arcades.
Truly, we're the rebel.
Awww, that's cute.
Sounds fitting for us.
You know, I really want to see Hayato and Ritsuko engage in a fierce duel of DDR.
Ah, the good old standard fastfood range of Japan, WcDonalds.
Dammit, they're adorable. I shi- *slap* No, be strong, it is too early to lock the route, wait till we meet more characters!
kinglugia
Hora hora~
Not a true rebel until you're strutting around with your blazer unbuttoned without an undershirt lol.
G-gah, the gap moe is too much! Quick, we need to find the trusted character who is actually an Organization Spy and betrays us in Our Time of Need.
FaultOfKarma
The Karma Always Pays Back
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
The awkwardness of them is too shippable
Honestly, I love the design of both together. A poor suit guy with a rich delinquent girl and both punches everyone? Cool and cute as fuck.
I think our QM just give us a hint of what Ritsuko probably will become if she enters the whole monster mess thing. Maybe a long range partner or something like a gun spirit? I bet in a girly fairy btw.
Honestly, I love the design of both together. A poor suit guy with a rich delinquent girl and both punches everyone? Cool and cute as fuck.
I think our QM just give us a hint of what Ritsuko probably will become if she enters the whole monster mess thing. Maybe a long range partner or something like a gun spirit? I bet in a girly fairy btw.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Nah. That's just something I thought would be interesting for her character.
Week 6.4
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
When you reach the top of the hill the school building is built on, the structure you see meets your expectations.
But it still makes you sad to see it in its current state.
A rectangular gray block of a building that hasn't seen a fresh coat of paint in years, Kirin High stands at the top of the hill like a bad pimple. Most of the windows were smashed out with their glass littering the ground near them. The grassy lawn was filled with discarded debris of all kinds. Broken knives, destroyed bikes, stomped-out cigarettes, and more are scattered around the area forcing you to watch your step as you follow Yameko and Yamato towards the building.
If you squint really hard, you can see the remains of what was once a normal school. The white walls, the clear windows, the pristine grass lawn that surrounded the school, and the open doors welcoming students inside. But that was years ago. Now it looked abandoned and decrepit. Especially with no student body anywhere to be seen.
"Brother? Is something wrong?" you're shaken from your musings by Yamato calling your name. He's already made it to the stairs that lead into the building, his plain white shirt and jeans standing out against the gray walls. He carries his bag with his laptop over his shoulder while staring at you with his trademark indifference.
"No, no. I'm ok," you say while moving towards the door, "It's just...this place doesn't look good."
"No, it does not," Yamato replies as you reach the door. The two of you enter the building, the smell of mold and the sound of creaky pipes flowing through the halls. You didn't spot any police on the way here, which is a good thing considering you're essentially walking into an investigation scene. If any cop caught you they'd probably force the three of you back to Raijin.
Yamato tells you that Yameko went ahead to let Hiroko know the three of you are here. He last saw her rushing up the stairs to the upper floors. In the meantime, the two of you move between floors hanging out and observing the inside of the school. Which, surprise, isn't much better than the outside.
Classrooms are filled with deteriorating desks which usually have some manner of insulting writing on them. Walls are covered in holes and cavities made by fists or weapons. The blackboards are either barren or broken. Every time you turn a corner you spot something that doesn't belong on the floor. You clean up what you can where you can. Partially to kill some time, and partially because you feel a school doesn't deserve this kind of treatment, but it's a pretty big task for one person to tackle.
Thankfully, you're not alone.
"So, how has your weekend been so far?" you ask Yamato as you lift up a recycle bin for him to put some crushed plastic bottles into.
"Adequate," he responds as he carefully shovels the debris into the circular container, "I have spent much of it speaking with Munagi. We have come up with numerous possible ways to ensure Agano's fair treatment. We also discussed what will happen with the Club once classes resume."
"Is Yameko with you when you talk?"
"No. Me and Munagi are sufficient when speaking of Agano. But she does contact the other members when we speak of Club matters."
"Hmm," you smile and nudge your brother with an elbow, "And that doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Knowing that the other Club members are relatively fine after what happened is good, and it allows me to discover if any of them have plans to interfere with Agano's Case."
"And...?"
"Most are unaware she was even at the attack," your brother's answer fills you with relief. The fewer people who know about Agano, the better your chances. The two of you do a bit more time-wasting until Yameko comes down the stairs to collect you.
The three flights of stairs the kitsune leads you up brings you to the school's rooftop. There you find a familiar-looking fox person. Hiroko sits in the middle of the rooftop wearing the same white outfit from when you found saw her, but with a long red scarf wrapped around her neck. Four bags sit on either side of her, while in front of her lay three small teacups each with smoke rising from them. Her head lifts as the three of you make your way over, smiling as Yameko reaches her.
The two supernaturals embrace, sighing in each other's arms while you and your brother sit down in front of two of the tea-filled cups. Your brother sits in the center while you're on his right and Yameko sits on his left once she separates from Hiroko.
"I believe it's time for proper introductions," Hiroko bows slightly as she begins, her tone much friendlier than when you first met her, "It is a pleasure to properly meet you both, Nagai Hayato, Nagai Yamato. My name is Hiroko. A kumiho and cousin to Yameko-chan."
[Supernatural: The What: 18/20: Fail!]
"Wait, what?!" you blurt out at the sudden revelation. Your gaze shuffles between the two supernaturals, completely missing where any similarities between the two are. Yeah, there's the fox ears and the tails but there are no other features that would make you think they're connected by blood.
[Yamato Supernatural: The What: 35/20: Success!]
[Yamato Supernatural: How and Why: 15/20: Fail!]
"I anticipated as much," Yamato admits which catches you completely off guard.
"Really?" you ask your brother, "Did Yameko tell you this?"
"Not at all," he says with a shrug, "However, considering how similar the myths of kitsune and kumiho are, it wouldn't be far-fetched to suggest that the two creatures are related. Though this is conjecture and I have no evidence to explain why this might be the case."
Yameko daintily claps her hands, "Well said, Yamato-sama. And you are correct. The blood of our people can be traced to before even the Sengoku Period. It is something we all take great pride in."
"Though the reasons behind the separation are not seen as a proud moment in our history," Hiroko admits with a shake of her head. She quickly regains her composure and continues, "But we are not here to speak of the distant past. I'm sure you both have numerous questions for me. I will answer them to the best of my abilities. It is the least I can do to thank you for reuniting Yameko-chan and me."
You chuckle a bit while taking a sip of your tea. It's a floral kind with a hint of mint to it. Not really you're thing, but a drink's a drink. You decide to start with the questioning and ask, "Well to start, could you explain why exactly the two of you split up?"
[Empathy: Feelings: 35/35: Success! +5 XP]
You immediately regret your question. Both fox girls' moods sink like rocks thrown into a lake the moment you finish your sentence. The two of them look at the ground with frowns on their faces as the general feeling of the meeting completely changes. You get ready to fix your mistake with your usual upbeat response...
[Yamato and Yameko Bond Activates]
...When your bro beats you to the punch.
He places a hand on Yameko's shoulder causing the fox girl to turn her attention to him. He then says, "This is clearly difficult for the two of you to talk about. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."
"I know," Yameko lifts her head and nods to Hiroko.
The kumiho nods back and turns to you, "I apologize, Nagai Hayato. I know you did not mean any ill will with your question."
"No, no, I'm at fault. Didn't think that one through," you chuckle while nervously staring into the tea in your cup, "It's just...the two of you seem like such good friends. Makes me curious as to why you split up, I guess."
"Let's just say it's personal and leave it at that, Hayato-sama," Yameko says to you, her original elegance returned. She takes a sip of her tea before saying to Hiroko, "Why don't you tell us how you met Agano?"
Hiroko perks up at that. Her ears shoot up and her tails start waving through the air behind her. She tries to keep her composure, but can't hide the hint of a smile on her lips, "Oh, well, it's not that interesting but if you insist."
"Wait, I just remembered!" you shout while placing down your teacup. You hold your arms up and say, "Hiroko, meet Yato. He's my Bond Partner."
"Yato?"
"Salutations, white fox," Hiroko leans back a bit as Yato's voice rings out and his gauntlets appear on your arms, "We were not formally introduced the two times you met my Lord before now. I do hope you understand that the only reason you are allowed to roam free, is because of the kindness of my Lords."
Hiroko frowns at your Partner's words. You roll your eyes and pull him back, "Come on, Yato. Be nice."
"I am being nice, my Lord," is his reply, "What better way than by informing someone how fortunate they are to not be one of the many enemies we have crushed."
You pinch the bridge of your nose and turn back to Hiroko, "Sorry, Yato's a bit...old fashioned, I guess. Pay him no mind."
"I was not planning to," the kumiho says with a slight frown that quickly disappears, "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Agano."
She shifts around a bit before reaching forward with three of her tails. They circle around a single area in the center of your little group. Within a few seconds, white smoke and blue lights dance in the middle of her movements. Her hands enter the confluence, and their shadows take the shape of people deep within. It replicated her in the disguise you first saw her in.
"I wandered around a bit after I left Raijin," Hiroko begins, "I didn't have a goal or a destination of any kind. I simply put one foot in front of the other without looking where I was going. At some point, I ended up entering the land around Kirin High. That was where I found her."
The scene shifts to reveal a single girl who you're guessing is Agano, being surrounded by four others. She held a single knife in her right hand, but her left was holding onto her side. Hiroko continued, "I saw her being menaced by multiple ruffians, no doubt with vulgar actions in mind for her. Truth be told, I did entertain the idea of leaving her to them. I had no business interfering with their business after all."
You feel your hackles rise until Hiroko shifts the scene again. This time it shows her striding past the group surrounding Agano. She continues as her shadow moves to block Agano from her aggressors, "But I realized quickly how wrong that would be. How I would be no better than those three girls who singled me out at Raijin. Ignoring another's suffering for pitiable and inane reasons. I told the girl to run while I took care of her attackers. Part of it was to get her out of danger, but the other was so I could reveal my true form without worry."
"What of your opponents?" Yamato questions, "They would certainly remember the experience."
"You'd be shocked to learn how easy it is to mold the minds of the simple-minded. I would simply knock them out, and make them believe it was all a bad dream."
"Then why not reveal your true form? You could've just made Agano see it as a bad dream, couldn't you? Or why transform at all? Why not use your powers while disguised?" you ask.
Hiroko's response...is kind of cute, to be honest. She starts to shift around a bit while her free tails try to hide any facial expressions. One of her ears folds down while the other tilts away from you. "Um, well, you see...I...,"
Yameko giggles at her cousin's reaction, "Oh, Hiroko. Still carrying that want to be dramatic I see?"
"Well, I have these powers. I don't see why I shouldn't try to look good when I use them from time to time," Hiroko responds without looking at her friend. You swear you hear a mental scoff from Yato. The kumiho continues her tale as the shadows shift within the mist. This time you see Hiroko stepping back in surprise as Agano steps forward to face the attackers.
"However, Agano refused to leave. In fact, my presence seemed to harden her resolve. She stepped forward and dared any of her challengers to face her. Saying they'd have to get past her to get to me. At first, I was upset. I figured this girl clearly didn't understand the situation, and that I was the one who would rescue and protect her. So, I revealed myself. She and everyone else would know what I was. I figured they'd all start running away or cowering in fear. That's what usually happens."
The scene changes again to Hiroko in her true form towering over everyone in the mist. The one Yato revealed to you when you first met her. All the attackers have fallen to the ground or begun to walk away in terror.
But not Agano.
She's still standing with her arms out, blocking Hiroko.
"But she didn't move," Hiroko says as sentimentality creeps into her voice, "She stayed there rooted to the spot. Even after I drove the ruffians off, she stayed there. And when it was all over, she walked up to me, looked me in my eyes, and said three simple words."
Another scene shift. This one to Agano standing with one hand on Hiroko's large muzzle. Hiroko quietly says the words, "Are you ok?"
"It was the first time a human had ever asked me that while I was in that form. The first time they hadn't run or attacked me out of fear. Women, children, grown men, everyone reacted that way. But Agano didn't. That lone, pink-haired girl with blood running down her side saw me as more than a frightening beast. I turned back into the form you see before you, helped treat her wound, then carried her back to Kirin."
"Not home?" you ask.
"She said she didn't have one. Save the school. We went to the Nurses Office which was, surprisingly, still intact, and got her treatment. The nurse said this was the third time this week something like this had happened. The thought of her not just going to school at this place, but living like this completely alone shook me. I...I couldn't leave her. I couldn't leave the one person who looked at me with anything other than fear and loathing to that life. So, I Bonded with her. And we've been together ever since...until last week."
Her tails stop moving and she pulls her hands away from the mist as it begins to disappear. She sets her eyes on your brother and speaks with hesitation, "Agano is important to me. I can afford to wait for her to get out if her sentence is fair. But if it is not...then I cannot guarantee I will wait for it to be over."
"Understood," Yamato says without a hint of fear. He's completely sure of himself.
You expected nothing less.
Hiroko places a hand on her chest and sighs in relief. The tension visibly leaves her while her tails pick up the four bags on the ground. She lifts them up so everyone can see them and says, "These are Agano's things. I don't think I'd be able to give them to her, but I would like to try. Would you all accompany me?"
"Of course," all three of you say in unison. You look at each other, all share a nod, then look back at Hiroko. She glances between the three of you before giggling and standing up. As you all get ready to leave, handing your empty teacups back to Hiroko, the kumiho places a hand on Yameko's shoulder, "Yameko-chan, could I speak with you in private for a moment?"
Without being told otherwise, you and Yamato leave the two fox girls to themselves. As the two of you walk down the stairs you ask your brother, "You good?"
"Could you clarify?"
"What Hiroko said. It puts a lot more pressure on us."
"That is true."
"But it's not gonna stop us. Right?"
"Correct."
"Wanna watch some TV shows when we get back to the dorm?"
"It would be a good pass time."
"Sweet."
[Hiroko SL Unlocked! +5XP]
Here we go. Hope it's good. Major problem was writing the meeting between Hiroko and Agano. Hope it makes sense.
Also, I pulled an allnighter for this one. I need to get more sleep.
But it still makes you sad to see it in its current state.
A rectangular gray block of a building that hasn't seen a fresh coat of paint in years, Kirin High stands at the top of the hill like a bad pimple. Most of the windows were smashed out with their glass littering the ground near them. The grassy lawn was filled with discarded debris of all kinds. Broken knives, destroyed bikes, stomped-out cigarettes, and more are scattered around the area forcing you to watch your step as you follow Yameko and Yamato towards the building.
If you squint really hard, you can see the remains of what was once a normal school. The white walls, the clear windows, the pristine grass lawn that surrounded the school, and the open doors welcoming students inside. But that was years ago. Now it looked abandoned and decrepit. Especially with no student body anywhere to be seen.
"Brother? Is something wrong?" you're shaken from your musings by Yamato calling your name. He's already made it to the stairs that lead into the building, his plain white shirt and jeans standing out against the gray walls. He carries his bag with his laptop over his shoulder while staring at you with his trademark indifference.
"No, no. I'm ok," you say while moving towards the door, "It's just...this place doesn't look good."
"No, it does not," Yamato replies as you reach the door. The two of you enter the building, the smell of mold and the sound of creaky pipes flowing through the halls. You didn't spot any police on the way here, which is a good thing considering you're essentially walking into an investigation scene. If any cop caught you they'd probably force the three of you back to Raijin.
Yamato tells you that Yameko went ahead to let Hiroko know the three of you are here. He last saw her rushing up the stairs to the upper floors. In the meantime, the two of you move between floors hanging out and observing the inside of the school. Which, surprise, isn't much better than the outside.
Classrooms are filled with deteriorating desks which usually have some manner of insulting writing on them. Walls are covered in holes and cavities made by fists or weapons. The blackboards are either barren or broken. Every time you turn a corner you spot something that doesn't belong on the floor. You clean up what you can where you can. Partially to kill some time, and partially because you feel a school doesn't deserve this kind of treatment, but it's a pretty big task for one person to tackle.
Thankfully, you're not alone.
"So, how has your weekend been so far?" you ask Yamato as you lift up a recycle bin for him to put some crushed plastic bottles into.
"Adequate," he responds as he carefully shovels the debris into the circular container, "I have spent much of it speaking with Munagi. We have come up with numerous possible ways to ensure Agano's fair treatment. We also discussed what will happen with the Club once classes resume."
"Is Yameko with you when you talk?"
"No. Me and Munagi are sufficient when speaking of Agano. But she does contact the other members when we speak of Club matters."
"Hmm," you smile and nudge your brother with an elbow, "And that doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Knowing that the other Club members are relatively fine after what happened is good, and it allows me to discover if any of them have plans to interfere with Agano's Case."
"And...?"
"Most are unaware she was even at the attack," your brother's answer fills you with relief. The fewer people who know about Agano, the better your chances. The two of you do a bit more time-wasting until Yameko comes down the stairs to collect you.
The three flights of stairs the kitsune leads you up brings you to the school's rooftop. There you find a familiar-looking fox person. Hiroko sits in the middle of the rooftop wearing the same white outfit from when you found saw her, but with a long red scarf wrapped around her neck. Four bags sit on either side of her, while in front of her lay three small teacups each with smoke rising from them. Her head lifts as the three of you make your way over, smiling as Yameko reaches her.
The two supernaturals embrace, sighing in each other's arms while you and your brother sit down in front of two of the tea-filled cups. Your brother sits in the center while you're on his right and Yameko sits on his left once she separates from Hiroko.
"I believe it's time for proper introductions," Hiroko bows slightly as she begins, her tone much friendlier than when you first met her, "It is a pleasure to properly meet you both, Nagai Hayato, Nagai Yamato. My name is Hiroko. A kumiho and cousin to Yameko-chan."
[Supernatural: The What: 18/20: Fail!]
"Wait, what?!" you blurt out at the sudden revelation. Your gaze shuffles between the two supernaturals, completely missing where any similarities between the two are. Yeah, there's the fox ears and the tails but there are no other features that would make you think they're connected by blood.
[Yamato Supernatural: The What: 35/20: Success!]
[Yamato Supernatural: How and Why: 15/20: Fail!]
"I anticipated as much," Yamato admits which catches you completely off guard.
"Really?" you ask your brother, "Did Yameko tell you this?"
"Not at all," he says with a shrug, "However, considering how similar the myths of kitsune and kumiho are, it wouldn't be far-fetched to suggest that the two creatures are related. Though this is conjecture and I have no evidence to explain why this might be the case."
Yameko daintily claps her hands, "Well said, Yamato-sama. And you are correct. The blood of our people can be traced to before even the Sengoku Period. It is something we all take great pride in."
"Though the reasons behind the separation are not seen as a proud moment in our history," Hiroko admits with a shake of her head. She quickly regains her composure and continues, "But we are not here to speak of the distant past. I'm sure you both have numerous questions for me. I will answer them to the best of my abilities. It is the least I can do to thank you for reuniting Yameko-chan and me."
You chuckle a bit while taking a sip of your tea. It's a floral kind with a hint of mint to it. Not really you're thing, but a drink's a drink. You decide to start with the questioning and ask, "Well to start, could you explain why exactly the two of you split up?"
[Empathy: Feelings: 35/35: Success! +5 XP]
You immediately regret your question. Both fox girls' moods sink like rocks thrown into a lake the moment you finish your sentence. The two of them look at the ground with frowns on their faces as the general feeling of the meeting completely changes. You get ready to fix your mistake with your usual upbeat response...
[Yamato and Yameko Bond Activates]
...When your bro beats you to the punch.
He places a hand on Yameko's shoulder causing the fox girl to turn her attention to him. He then says, "This is clearly difficult for the two of you to talk about. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."
"I know," Yameko lifts her head and nods to Hiroko.
The kumiho nods back and turns to you, "I apologize, Nagai Hayato. I know you did not mean any ill will with your question."
"No, no, I'm at fault. Didn't think that one through," you chuckle while nervously staring into the tea in your cup, "It's just...the two of you seem like such good friends. Makes me curious as to why you split up, I guess."
"Let's just say it's personal and leave it at that, Hayato-sama," Yameko says to you, her original elegance returned. She takes a sip of her tea before saying to Hiroko, "Why don't you tell us how you met Agano?"
Hiroko perks up at that. Her ears shoot up and her tails start waving through the air behind her. She tries to keep her composure, but can't hide the hint of a smile on her lips, "Oh, well, it's not that interesting but if you insist."
"Wait, I just remembered!" you shout while placing down your teacup. You hold your arms up and say, "Hiroko, meet Yato. He's my Bond Partner."
"Yato?"
"Salutations, white fox," Hiroko leans back a bit as Yato's voice rings out and his gauntlets appear on your arms, "We were not formally introduced the two times you met my Lord before now. I do hope you understand that the only reason you are allowed to roam free, is because of the kindness of my Lords."
Hiroko frowns at your Partner's words. You roll your eyes and pull him back, "Come on, Yato. Be nice."
"I am being nice, my Lord," is his reply, "What better way than by informing someone how fortunate they are to not be one of the many enemies we have crushed."
You pinch the bridge of your nose and turn back to Hiroko, "Sorry, Yato's a bit...old fashioned, I guess. Pay him no mind."
"I was not planning to," the kumiho says with a slight frown that quickly disappears, "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Agano."
She shifts around a bit before reaching forward with three of her tails. They circle around a single area in the center of your little group. Within a few seconds, white smoke and blue lights dance in the middle of her movements. Her hands enter the confluence, and their shadows take the shape of people deep within. It replicated her in the disguise you first saw her in.
"I wandered around a bit after I left Raijin," Hiroko begins, "I didn't have a goal or a destination of any kind. I simply put one foot in front of the other without looking where I was going. At some point, I ended up entering the land around Kirin High. That was where I found her."
The scene shifts to reveal a single girl who you're guessing is Agano, being surrounded by four others. She held a single knife in her right hand, but her left was holding onto her side. Hiroko continued, "I saw her being menaced by multiple ruffians, no doubt with vulgar actions in mind for her. Truth be told, I did entertain the idea of leaving her to them. I had no business interfering with their business after all."
You feel your hackles rise until Hiroko shifts the scene again. This time it shows her striding past the group surrounding Agano. She continues as her shadow moves to block Agano from her aggressors, "But I realized quickly how wrong that would be. How I would be no better than those three girls who singled me out at Raijin. Ignoring another's suffering for pitiable and inane reasons. I told the girl to run while I took care of her attackers. Part of it was to get her out of danger, but the other was so I could reveal my true form without worry."
"What of your opponents?" Yamato questions, "They would certainly remember the experience."
"You'd be shocked to learn how easy it is to mold the minds of the simple-minded. I would simply knock them out, and make them believe it was all a bad dream."
"Then why not reveal your true form? You could've just made Agano see it as a bad dream, couldn't you? Or why transform at all? Why not use your powers while disguised?" you ask.
Hiroko's response...is kind of cute, to be honest. She starts to shift around a bit while her free tails try to hide any facial expressions. One of her ears folds down while the other tilts away from you. "Um, well, you see...I...,"
Yameko giggles at her cousin's reaction, "Oh, Hiroko. Still carrying that want to be dramatic I see?"
"Well, I have these powers. I don't see why I shouldn't try to look good when I use them from time to time," Hiroko responds without looking at her friend. You swear you hear a mental scoff from Yato. The kumiho continues her tale as the shadows shift within the mist. This time you see Hiroko stepping back in surprise as Agano steps forward to face the attackers.
"However, Agano refused to leave. In fact, my presence seemed to harden her resolve. She stepped forward and dared any of her challengers to face her. Saying they'd have to get past her to get to me. At first, I was upset. I figured this girl clearly didn't understand the situation, and that I was the one who would rescue and protect her. So, I revealed myself. She and everyone else would know what I was. I figured they'd all start running away or cowering in fear. That's what usually happens."
The scene changes again to Hiroko in her true form towering over everyone in the mist. The one Yato revealed to you when you first met her. All the attackers have fallen to the ground or begun to walk away in terror.
But not Agano.
She's still standing with her arms out, blocking Hiroko.
"But she didn't move," Hiroko says as sentimentality creeps into her voice, "She stayed there rooted to the spot. Even after I drove the ruffians off, she stayed there. And when it was all over, she walked up to me, looked me in my eyes, and said three simple words."
Another scene shift. This one to Agano standing with one hand on Hiroko's large muzzle. Hiroko quietly says the words, "Are you ok?"
"It was the first time a human had ever asked me that while I was in that form. The first time they hadn't run or attacked me out of fear. Women, children, grown men, everyone reacted that way. But Agano didn't. That lone, pink-haired girl with blood running down her side saw me as more than a frightening beast. I turned back into the form you see before you, helped treat her wound, then carried her back to Kirin."
"Not home?" you ask.
"She said she didn't have one. Save the school. We went to the Nurses Office which was, surprisingly, still intact, and got her treatment. The nurse said this was the third time this week something like this had happened. The thought of her not just going to school at this place, but living like this completely alone shook me. I...I couldn't leave her. I couldn't leave the one person who looked at me with anything other than fear and loathing to that life. So, I Bonded with her. And we've been together ever since...until last week."
Her tails stop moving and she pulls her hands away from the mist as it begins to disappear. She sets her eyes on your brother and speaks with hesitation, "Agano is important to me. I can afford to wait for her to get out if her sentence is fair. But if it is not...then I cannot guarantee I will wait for it to be over."
"Understood," Yamato says without a hint of fear. He's completely sure of himself.
You expected nothing less.
Hiroko places a hand on her chest and sighs in relief. The tension visibly leaves her while her tails pick up the four bags on the ground. She lifts them up so everyone can see them and says, "These are Agano's things. I don't think I'd be able to give them to her, but I would like to try. Would you all accompany me?"
"Of course," all three of you say in unison. You look at each other, all share a nod, then look back at Hiroko. She glances between the three of you before giggling and standing up. As you all get ready to leave, handing your empty teacups back to Hiroko, the kumiho places a hand on Yameko's shoulder, "Yameko-chan, could I speak with you in private for a moment?"
Without being told otherwise, you and Yamato leave the two fox girls to themselves. As the two of you walk down the stairs you ask your brother, "You good?"
"Could you clarify?"
"What Hiroko said. It puts a lot more pressure on us."
"That is true."
"But it's not gonna stop us. Right?"
"Correct."
"Wanna watch some TV shows when we get back to the dorm?"
"It would be a good pass time."
"Sweet."
[Hiroko SL Unlocked! +5XP]
Here we go. Hope it's good. Major problem was writing the meeting between Hiroko and Agano. Hope it makes sense.
Also, I pulled an allnighter for this one. I need to get more sleep.
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Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
A traditional delinquent school. Makes you wonder how they're supposed to stay open and functional.
Makes sense.
Phew, barely. Need to up our Empathy skills.
Good job, bro.
FTFY
Cute.
Well done.
Well, if you have it, flaunt it.
Not what I expected, but pretty heartwarming. With everything that has happened, Agano reminds me of Homura from PMMM.
Our brother does or doesn't. No trying.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
how you met Agano
hide
I always wondered where the anime delinquents get to practice their wallpunching intimidation tactics, and this school is here to answer!How so? I haven't noticed her saying anything we didn't already know. Is this about "if Agano isn't given a fair sentence, I will break her out"?
Rather bold words for someone who isn't being judged only because their involvement is being concealed. Oh, well, and also because of their supernatural status, but this is arguably an even worse position given the existence of the Organisation.
Speaking of, I started to forget the details of the setting we voted on at the beginning of the quest. It might be a good idea to keep them somewhere near the character sheets.
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- Location
- Goose Land
Yeah, with the reveal of the All-20s I have plans to go through our skills and present a training plan to shore up our strengths and weaknesses.
Might as well do that now.
For School, it'd slipped my mind that we hadn't just had Education Skills checked, so we'll want to look into working on these two eventually.
We don't have a relationship with anyone who is especially talented in the Culture Skills, though our Bro and his Partner both have the All-20s, and Bro has a Talent in Invention so we can work with him to bring Practicality up to par.
I'm thinking we can try to take a peak at the Art Club on the Weekends to try to get that power leveled, and just spend 2 AP with our Bro before Testing happens.
3 AP to bring English up to snuff and learn about the All-20 and All-50 in one fell swoop.
Empathy is 5AP and a level away from All-50, so spending 2 or 3 AP on Interests to get the All-20 and bring it to around the other two sounds good.
We should probably drop an AP into The Who for Supernatural so our next level gets us the All-20, but once we really have the time we should try to push for the all 50 (7 AP after a level). We're Talented in it and knowing more about the Supernatural will make future encounters easier.
Tactics I bring up because we're a Fighter and having a solid foundation in Planning is sensible. That being said, our Bro is Talented in Tactics and specifically gives us a +2 to Cleverness, so if we spent a turn focusing on Cleverness that'd bring us up to 71 Cleverness (3 initial, 10 base training, +5 from Talent, +2 from SL) which should probably carry us into the midgame pretty well with our History of 56. 2 AP after that to bring us up to 100+ and we should probably be secure in leaving it there for the rest of the game. Edit: Digging into things, I have no idea how Talents and SLs actually help with training other people, but at the most pessimistic I think 4 AP would get us to 59, which is still pretty useful.
Now, Martial Arts.
Martial Arts is a bit different from the rest of the Skills because our choices in Setting Creation removed the "common" "three Unarmed Skills only" Tree, renamed it Martial Arts, and then broadly added any and every method of specific fighting that catches our eye into the tree.
WoG says that there are no All Perks, which is sane and sensible under these conditions.
Instead, the tree seems to directly add any and every relevant MA Skill to the Check and the compares the end value against your opponent or against a DC.
We have a Talent in it, and a Tagged Skill.
There are 5 Martial Arts Skills that are relevant to us right now, being Unarmed Focused.
Street Fighting is our Tagged Skill. It's all about Dirty Fighting and focuses on Winning before all else. Currently at 26.
Brawling is about beating the shit out of people, and not much else. Our maybe-girlfriend gives us a +3 to Training it. Currently at 6.
Karate is a Club Skill. Presumably we can get a bonus to training it in the Club Room, but we don't know anyone in specific who teaches it. Currently at 3.
MMA is also a Club Skill, and the side we actually went to. Hose is likely a Trainer for it but we need to increase his SL to actually see those results. Digging into things, we actually tried to train with him once but RER screwed that over. Hopefully we'll get a chance to try again. Currently at 16.
Unyielding Mountain. Our Supernatural Martial Art, what let's us throw normies around like they're pillows, and the basis for a self reinforcing Defensive Style that is Shonen as all hell. Currently capped at 50 due to Supernatural Pre-requisites so we don't kill ourselves. Resistance is the Supporting Skill Tree. Yato probably acts as a Trainer but we're honestly more limited by the Cap than our ability to train it. Currently at 38.
Setting a Goal of 50 in each of these Skills to provide us with a combined check of 250 before accounting for Resistance Skills (Physical definitely applies but our UM Techniques provide a universal bonus to all Resistances as long as we keep them balanced), 2 AP for Street Fighting (bringing us up to 56 or potentially 66 if Tags provide an additional bonus to training), 3 AP for Brawling (60), 3 AP + a level for Karate (48, fine to wait for the level considering everything else is going to be over 50), 2? AP for MMA (if Hose provides a +2 Bonus then we'll be at 50 on the dot), and 1 AP for UM (we should wait until we unlock 75 so we don't waste any Skill Gains).
I recommend starting with MMA as that's what our Club Focus is, then Brawling because of SL time spending, then Street Brawling because Winning, and then Karate because we don't have any Narrative or Mechanical incentives to do it sooner. UM should be done as soon as we uncap it, and should be advanced as soon as we have space for it, so 2 AP once we unlock 75 (unless our Talent in MA doesn't overcome the reduction to a Normal Skill that 50 to 75 has, meaning 3 AP total).
Call it 12 to 14 AP altogether, not counting for more than 1 level or Events/Special Opportunities/Increased SLs.
We'll eventually Partner with other people, giving us access to new Supernatural Martial Arts and incentives to improve new Supporting Skills, but WoG says that the majority of SMA don't synergize as well or as easily as MAs do so we'll just want to do what we can to master UM until we stumble into something to be the Offense/Mobility/Utility to UM's Defense.
WoG says that there are no All Perks, which is sane and sensible under these conditions.
Instead, the tree seems to directly add any and every relevant MA Skill to the Check and the compares the end value against your opponent or against a DC.
We have a Talent in it, and a Tagged Skill.
There are 5 Martial Arts Skills that are relevant to us right now, being Unarmed Focused.
Street Fighting is our Tagged Skill. It's all about Dirty Fighting and focuses on Winning before all else. Currently at 26.
Brawling is about beating the shit out of people, and not much else. Our maybe-girlfriend gives us a +3 to Training it. Currently at 6.
Karate is a Club Skill. Presumably we can get a bonus to training it in the Club Room, but we don't know anyone in specific who teaches it. Currently at 3.
MMA is also a Club Skill, and the side we actually went to. Hose is likely a Trainer for it but we need to increase his SL to actually see those results. Digging into things, we actually tried to train with him once but RER screwed that over. Hopefully we'll get a chance to try again. Currently at 16.
Unyielding Mountain. Our Supernatural Martial Art, what let's us throw normies around like they're pillows, and the basis for a self reinforcing Defensive Style that is Shonen as all hell. Currently capped at 50 due to Supernatural Pre-requisites so we don't kill ourselves. Resistance is the Supporting Skill Tree. Yato probably acts as a Trainer but we're honestly more limited by the Cap than our ability to train it. Currently at 38.
Setting a Goal of 50 in each of these Skills to provide us with a combined check of 250 before accounting for Resistance Skills (Physical definitely applies but our UM Techniques provide a universal bonus to all Resistances as long as we keep them balanced), 2 AP for Street Fighting (bringing us up to 56 or potentially 66 if Tags provide an additional bonus to training), 3 AP for Brawling (60), 3 AP + a level for Karate (48, fine to wait for the level considering everything else is going to be over 50), 2? AP for MMA (if Hose provides a +2 Bonus then we'll be at 50 on the dot), and 1 AP for UM (we should wait until we unlock 75 so we don't waste any Skill Gains).
I recommend starting with MMA as that's what our Club Focus is, then Brawling because of SL time spending, then Street Brawling because Winning, and then Karate because we don't have any Narrative or Mechanical incentives to do it sooner. UM should be done as soon as we uncap it, and should be advanced as soon as we have space for it, so 2 AP once we unlock 75 (unless our Talent in MA doesn't overcome the reduction to a Normal Skill that 50 to 75 has, meaning 3 AP total).
Call it 12 to 14 AP altogether, not counting for more than 1 level or Events/Special Opportunities/Increased SLs.
We'll eventually Partner with other people, giving us access to new Supernatural Martial Arts and incentives to improve new Supporting Skills, but WoG says that the majority of SMA don't synergize as well or as easily as MAs do so we'll just want to do what we can to master UM until we stumble into something to be the Offense/Mobility/Utility to UM's Defense.
Anyway, back to the rest of the Skills.
Speech has been our Shonen Problem Solver, so we should probably grab the All-20 at least before focusing on Diplomacy. A certain foxy lady helps improve our Speech skills by 1 while training, which doesn't actually help all that much but all gains should be appreciated. 1 AP into Persuasion (29), 2 into Intimidation (30), and then 2 into Diplomacy for 58. 5 total, 3 for the All-20.
Resistance is the Support Skill for UM so it's pretty important to bring up its breakpoints. Yato trains as at- +3 now? so 6 AP for the All-50, and it looks like we have the All-20 thanks to the level up @LinkOnScepter ? It didn't come up it looks like. 1 AP dropped into Mental Resistance will unlock the 75 Cap for UM. After the All-50 we can drop 3 AP into Spiritual Resistance and wait on a level to uncap UM to 100.
Perception is important to actually understanding what in the world is going on around us. 6 AP for the All-20, and may the Kami have mercy on our Souls if we try to find time and space for that, let alone anything beyond it.
Evasion: Dodging is a sensible idea because we're The Combat Bro and not letting attacks actually connect is Efficient. Considering the Combat System it likely adds on directly to the Combined Check, like the applicable Resistance Skill does, so 2 AP to see what the 20 Perks are isn't a huge ask.
Smithing is probably going to end up being the Support Tree of one of the SMAs we pick up because why would we ever get a SMA in a Tree that we already plan on investing in?
We can generally assume that skill gain projection is thrown off if we stumble upon a new Partner as their SMA and Supporting Tree will become an immediate priority to sort out.
Beyond School requirements we can likely leave Culture and Invention untouched.
Melee might end up relevant if we ever want to make use of Kendo, but we're an Unarmed Specialist so we can likely disregard it.
Throwing Weapons, Explosives, and Firearms are all cool, but unlikely to get investment into them. Throwing: Improvised might be something to toss a few AP into so we can hurl Giant Objects at people with accuracy if we ever deal with some Dodge Tank Asshole.
Barter and Medicine are practical life style improving skills that we're probably never going to touch. Empathy helps catch when someone is trying to pull one over on us, and outside of actually identifying all these fancy rich bastards we really don't have a use for either Tree. That's what Yam's for
I'll have a Turn By Turn suggestion for how to spend our AP and what each "Stage" of progression should look like later.
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Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
I did earlier a tentative list of what skills we should train. The quote doesn't show the list itself, it need to be seen in the post.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Done.
To explain: Talents and SLs do help other people sometimes. It's based on a few things (having a Bonus in the skill, have a higher stat in the skill) but working with others can lead to both of you gaining points in it.
For instance, if you were to train with Ritsuko in Brawling, you'd gain points but she wouldn't cause she's better than you at it.
If you were to train her in Feelings though, both of you have a chance of gaining points since it's something you're sorta of similar in.
To explain Martial Arts: As it currently stands, in anything that's just a straight up fight you add all your Martial Arts together for it. Cause, it's a straight up, dirty, no holds barred fight. No point in not using everything you know to win. However, certain events/fights will require the use of certain types of Martial Arts or there will be consequences.
For instance, if you guys participate in the Martial Arts Tournament, you'll have to choose which team you'll be apart of (MMA, Kendo, or Karate) and then stick to THAT Martial Art and THAT Martial Art alone. Using anything else will result in a disqualification.
Or, if you're up against a Supernatural Opponent, using Mundane Martial Arts against them will give you a huge disadvantage.
- Location
- Goose Land
I more meant the specific mechanics.
I found someplace you saying that if you train a Normal Skill while being Tutored by someone with a Talent in the Skill (I'm defining +s as a Talent Skill or a Bonus Skill) you'd get +2 to your Skill gain, while it also seems that the SL Rank you have with a person applies to your training, and then there was apparently some confusion earlier on where the stated rules and what happened on screen wasn't the same thing and you said to default to the Update for rulings. Then there's the thing where people provide specific and different bonuses to different specific Skills as listed on their SL.
So all told I'm mildly confused about how exactly being trained or training with someone else works in terms of our own skill gains and would appreciate if you wrote down how exactly it works.
Edit: Also, since I'm thinking of it. Mental Resistance is our highest Resistance Skill, but we don't seem to have the corresponding "+10 to Mental Resistance, -5 to Physical Resistance" Technique? Is that on purpose or a mistake?
Edit the second:
What about Mundane Martial Arts in coordination with a Supernatural Martial Art?
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On Bonuses and Otherwise
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Ah, that would be my fault. Not just in that I'm creating the Mechanics here from the sea of my pants, but my general problem of remembering all the numbers focused mechanics that I create/use. Mostly cause I'm really bad at anything that isn't basic math.
To explain to the best of my ability:
1. If by Talents you mean things like Traits and Perks, both mainly only apply when you are using them on Checks unless they specifically say otherwise. For instance, your "Saviors of Raijin" Trait will only come into effect, if you get a Check while talking to someone who finds out the truth. Other than that they have no effect on training.
2. For Skills: If you train with someone who has a Bonus in a Skill while you have a Deduction, then you gain points as Normal and so will they. Training when you both have Normal Skills gives a +1 bonus to your Training. Training when one is Normal but the other is a Bonus will give a +2 to whoever has the Skill as Normal (so you get a +2 if Yamato helps you with Invention). If both have a Bonus, they get +10.
3. For the SLs, if the bonus says that it gives +points to Training, then it adds to Training. If it doesn't say Training, then it will add those points during a Check. At higher Relationships (6+), those bonuses become permanent increases to your Skills.
4. If, at any point, I forgot or didn't apply these things it's my own fault cause, again, I can't remember it all. And I know I could write it all down, but trust me that tends to just kill my motivation for writing. Quickly.
That's on purpose. There's no technique like that as, while using your Spirit to defend your body and Mind to defend your Spirit is something feasible and understandable, physically crippling yourself to somehow increase your Mental Resistance is a bit too far.
Combining Mundane Martial Arts with Supernatural Martial Arts against Mortal Opponents will work. They have no way of completely negating either.
Against Supernatural Opponents though, only the Supernatural Martial Art would have any effect. The Mundane's addition would simply be canceled out. This is because most Supernaturals can't be hurt through normal Mortal Martial Arts. Either their too strong for it, have ways to negate it's effect, or are smart enough to stop it from even mattering in a fight.
However, that's at lower (>80) levels. Bring Mortal Martial Arts above 90 or so, and they can start affecting Supernaturals...but at that point they stop being Mortal Martial Arts and require actual training and focus to use. Plus everyone will be able to tell your fighting style is anything but normal.
- Location
- US
Above 90, you say? Hm. We could get Brawling up there in 4 AP if we train alongside Yato. (6 > 98.) Given that we have 4 AP in a week, this is actually possible.
Might be worth doing.
Though, the Martial Arts tournament uses Karate/Kendo/MMA, so we should probably raise Karate or MMA instead. However, we don't have as much of a training boost to those two skills. (20 per AP vs 23 per AP.) Something to think about.
Looking at it, 4 AP with training with Yato would get MMA from 16 to 96, so that might be wiser since it'd cover us for the tourney solidly in addition to getting us a mundane martial art to levels relevant in supernatural combat.
EDIT: Hey @LinkOnScepter, if we got a mundane martial art up like this, would it directly add to UMD in combat checks for our total combat check (kind of how in no holds barred mundane fights all our martial arts are added up together), or would we have to choose which one to use?
Might be worth doing.
Though, the Martial Arts tournament uses Karate/Kendo/MMA, so we should probably raise Karate or MMA instead. However, we don't have as much of a training boost to those two skills. (20 per AP vs 23 per AP.) Something to think about.
Looking at it, 4 AP with training with Yato would get MMA from 16 to 96, so that might be wiser since it'd cover us for the tourney solidly in addition to getting us a mundane martial art to levels relevant in supernatural combat.
EDIT: Hey @LinkOnScepter, if we got a mundane martial art up like this, would it directly add to UMD in combat checks for our total combat check (kind of how in no holds barred mundane fights all our martial arts are added up together), or would we have to choose which one to use?
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