TomoFlake: My Best Friend Is A Hero Who Thinks I'm In Love With HIm (an original anime mashup quest)

You narrowed your eyes. "What are you hoping to accomplish?"

She laughed a dramatic noblewoman's laugh, and her hands moved, and your knife was in your hand.

But she was already gone. "I've already accomplished it, my dear. Just what you always wanted!"

You pause, and squint, and the landscape changed around you.

Go For The Heart!
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"I shall lead you out of this place alive and well."
Difficulty: Dangerous
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MENACE O O . . . . . . . .

Belatedly, you realized that you had gotten separated from the others. But with the landscape shifting and changing around you constantly… Hmm. This would be… Irritating.

Waiting here seemed like a bad plan. For multiple reasons.

Instead, you decided to move on, with plenty to mull over.

[Delve the Depths +Resolve: 5+2 vs 7, 9 weak hit]
[Weak Hit: 62, Mark Progress]

A moment's moving about reveals--

This place was… Not new, but not as you remember it. This was-- This was your old place, wasn't it? Everything looked so much smaller now.

The low table near the old sunken hearth, it gave a nostalgic feeling. Your parents owned the house, and had decided to keep it in the old style. You understood how rich that had made you in general, even if now, it seemed like so much ash in the wind.

The open space, with sliding doors to the outside, revealed a place that was relatively secure, an island of calm in a storm that was building in fury, producing a shattered sky, every direction a different weather, a different place, in no means connected to your house, or even close.

And yet, your instincts honed from cleaning up Ichigo's messes, and arguably half the household, left you with a keen sense that the spaces were off. You slowly scanned the place, trying to find the out of place element, and found it, casually pulling up the tatami to reveal a ladder deeper into the earth.

"... In the dice-man's hand," you muttered, sliding down the ladder.

Go For The Heart!
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[Delve the Depths +Resolve: 5+2 vs 8, 4 weak hit]
[Oracle: 84, Mark Progress OR find opportunity]
This was a place you didn't expect. The Kaneko manor-- and it was a manor, as opulent as could be.

Luggage was near you, luggage you felt too heavy and sluggish to move. It never ended, did it?

Still, maybe doing all this had been the right thing to do, as you slowly tried to haul the luggage up endless stairs. Not for nothing were the Kaneko a powerful force.

You felt a chain link snap apart.

All that was left now were your wrists and anklets.

Just one more thing.

Just one more thing.

You'd kept saying that, hadn't you? One more thing, and you'd be done. You'd be able to walk out. You'd been saying it for ten years.

You'd been saying it through a college education you hated.

You'd said it secretly, to yourself, at the wedding ceremony.

You'd said it even more secretly as you pressed the flesh of your new relatives, as you and Ichigo curled up next to each other at night, cold, loveless, but united in revenge, at least.

But now? Now you meant it.

You knew Mrs. Kaneko was here.

The slaying knife was in your hand.

Did you ever have a choice?

For a moment, the knife flashes in your hand, and the gulf between you and Mrs. Kaneko is not only apparent, but literal, and you fall

into

water

With a gasp, you brought your head above the water, sputtering.

You walked out on to the beach, dragging a tuna behind you, and waved to your husband on the beach.

It was true, you had been here so long in this hidden village that you had forgotten what other people looked like. It didn't change your attraction to him. Not one whit.

And yet, you looked at each other.

This couldn't go on forever.

You'd literally jumped ship after the wedding, flown on Ichigo's back to the farthest reaches of the horizon.

Your chains still bound you. They were disintegrating slowly, in the sunlight, with time to recover, but you both knew the truth.

This was just another prison.

A fact emphasized by the shining thing on the horizon.

You ran for the tree cover.

Did you ever have a choice?

-- You tumbled into the forests, landing in a deep gully. They knew better, by now, than to think you dead from merely a long drop. They would send people to investigate.

You felt the places where your face was becoming a wooden mask. Could feel the heat of your body.

You knew that if you kept this up, this campaign of murder and senseless violence, that you would become a demon, a living demon lady. They would find you one day, a being of pure rage and fury.

In order to maintain his new position as the head of the Kaneko, Ichigo was forced to hunt you down. It felt like the only thing he had ever fully focused on.

Considering, it was a terrible decision, what you did that day.

But at least it had been your decision to make.

You leaned back, and let the water sweep you over the cascade and down into the falls, knives out--

Did you ever have a choice?

Did you ever really think they'd just let you go?

You'd changed your identity. Slipped through the Tunnels, out of Osaka, out into the world. Your face and name were all a mystery now.

Your set of skills had proven invaluable, not just to Lord Enma, but also to a dozen dozen other clients. To slip in unnoticed, to take information.

You'd even taken to being flashy about it, when you could afford to, but actually dressing the kunoichi was something you reserved for those occasions where it did not matter if you were seen.

No, the most often used form of your abilities was to slip in as just yourself, in a business suit and a knowledge of operations and programming.

148cm. Black hair. Black eyes. Unremarkable, and unremarked, another face with a clipboard, until the striking moment.

You cannot say that you take pride in your work. It's the mark of an amateur to claim that one only does things for pleasure.

But you must admit, watching rich assholes savage each other with carefully placed and stolen information?

It does make you smile.

But today, that came crashing down. You should have known better.

Because the server room was…

Because Ichigo was right there.

"... Mei?"

You immediately knew this wasn't real. Who would notice you, of all people, after ten years?

The illusion cracked and crumbled, briefly, and once more you were back at the little crossroads by your low table.

But now, there was a child, who said nothing to you as you sat down to consider. "Welcome," you found yourself saying.

The child said nothing to that, turning away from you. You paused. An angry child, was it? "What's wrong?"

"You don't like me."

[Face Danger +Rapport+Outcasts: 3+3+2 vs 3, 3 MATCH]

"... Is that so?" You asked, gently pouring yourself and her some tea.

"You don't! You ignore me all the time, and hate everyone, and never say anything!"

"... So you're mad at me because I don't listen to you?" You set the irori to make… You don't even know what. It's not like you brought food with you, and you trust dream-realm food about as much as you trust understacks food, which is to say, not at all and check it for poisonous ink, too.

"I'm not mad, you're mad!" she huffed. "You're mad at everyone but you shove it down and stand and listen to your stupid chains and I hate it!"

You glanced at her. "I see. That's too bad, because I'm making your favorite."

"No you're not! You don't even know my favorite!"

You smiled. "Really?"

You poured a bowl and set it beside her, and fill another for yourself. You recalled the dish-- an old fish stew your grandmother made often, before she died when you were about six. It was never quite the same when you tried, though you were quite competent at making it by now. "Well, I suppose it's not your favorite, then, but here's one I remember fondly."

You sat there, in silence, for a moment.

She snatched up the bowl and, a moment later, it was empty.

[Reach Your Destination vs 6: 5, 2 STRONG HIT]

[X] (Tragic) Shattered Spirit: "The actual pieces of my inheritance are scattered, and do not wish to return."

[You gain 1 XP.]
[CLOCK DELAYED-- ICHIGO'S PARENTS FORCE HIM TO BREAK UP HIS TEAM]

"I shall lead you out of this place alive and well."
Difficulty: Dangerous
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MENACE O O . . . . . . . .

---

Next update tomorrow night.

You calmly refilled the bowl for her.

"Why don't you ever make this, huh?" She said, starting to snuffle and cry.

"... Because I only have so much time in the day to cook, and…"

"And you think he hates it." She huffed. "So you don't do anything to offend him. You're so dumb."

It sat there for a moment. The stew vanished. You filled the bowl. "He wasn't before, but we've been through a lot, you know? He…"

"You're his servant! No, worse than that!"

You can't deny that. Much as you might want to.

"He can't even treat you as an equal!" She crossed her arms and pouted. "This is who you're going to marry?"

"... No," you say, at last, half expecting a horror to close on your throat like the collar did, or something to chain you to the floor, or some trap to go off, but nothing does. "No, I think. I think we can't do that anymore. Even if it was never a matter of love. Not for us."

"-- Why?"

"It would kill us, both of us, wouldn't it? Just a slower, colder death." you look at your hands, at the shackles. "No matter how 'natural' it seems-- we would be master and servant playing at husband and wife. No, worse, we would be loveless friends having to play husband and wife for everyone else, all the time."

For a moment, the girl turned to look at you. She was so cute. Black hair, brown eyes, a smile bright as the sun, and with all the malice and innocence of childhood, she said, "So we're gonna kill him?"

"Hmmmmmmmmm, maybe some other time," you said.

"Booooo!"

"Because you know who'd be better to kill?"

There was a pregnant pause. "Wait--- Wait-- You mean--"

You nodded. "After all, isn't it their fault all of us are in this position in the first place?"

There was an utter delight there as she rammed into you with the full force of an exuberant child, and this was easy to turn about into a spinning hug. "Now. This does mean you're going to have to let Ichigo and his friends go."

Your child-self groaned in disappointment.

You raised an eyebrow. "A fine hero we'd be if we didn't save our friends, right?"

If anything, she groaned even louder.

"C'mon. He's still trying. He's had his own fights, clearly. And we both know what Tenshi Momo says about friends." You pause and lean in. "But we'll definitely start doing things for ourselves, all right?"

"We better! I don't wanna sit here listening to Ichigo talk for ages about some boring fight he got into, he can just keep fighting forever if that's all he's interested in."

You let out a long-suffering sigh. "You put him in a dream fugue where he's constantly fighting, then."

She had a sudden deer in the headlights look, like she wasn't quite ready for you to figure that one out.

"He's not really the one who's hurting us. Not yet. I think not ever."

"... I guess. But you'd better help me later! And so should he!"

"It's a bet."

"And take me with you to see Kazue!"

You laughed, and nodded. "We both want to see her again, huh? I wonder why."

VOW: I will shape a path for Kazue to find peace.
DIFFICULTY: Dangerous
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"Who cares why? Let's just go do it!"

[Compel +Rapport+Bond(Outcasts): 4+3+2 vs 5, 2 STRONG HIT]

"First, those three."

"-- Oh, yeah."

"I shall lead you out of this place alive and well."
Difficulty: Dangerous
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MENACE O O . . . . . . . .

She reaches her hand, and the vistas outside bend and warp, but completely fail to vanish, and she pauses. "It's… It's not working!"

"Shh, it's OK. Think about the dream you have them in. What's a good way to end it that they'll accept?"

"Uhhhhhh OH! I know!" And she pointed one finger high in the air, and the little home became a castle, and she vanished from your arms only to become a vision of yourself in tight leather, red and black and more stylish than you ever thought you could be, flanked by armored demons. … Armored demons with the faces of cute women. Marked on the chest was the kamon that had been on your mailbox in middle school-- eight hawks' feathers, arranged in a circle.

"... Let me be the villain," you said.

"No! It's my world, and I get to be the queen over a bunch of cute demon samurai." She said.

[Face Danger +Resolve+Bond: 6+2+2 vs 2, 4 STRONG HIT]

"You know what. Sure. You go ahead and do that." Instead, you carefully sat behind the throne, back up, seated in the proper position.

She did not realize, or did not care, that you still had your knife and were behind her.

No sooner had you arranged yourself, than the three of them came bursting in. Thankfully they were still largely themselves, even if their clothes were a bit the worse for whatever fighting they did. Ichigo, in particular, looked shocked at what he saw on the throne. "-- M-mei?"

Your… She wasn't really your inner child, but you supposed it was as good an appellation as any-- in any case, she laughed a high laugh. "So, at last, you have come to my palace, hero. I trust you enjoyed the little mess you made of my world?"

"Your world?" Ichigo prompted, looking between you and the other one. "That's ridiculous. Sooner or later, whatever fed you this power will come for you and it will not go well. Stop this, come home."

"Why? So you can use me as a stepping stone again? So we can sit in misery across a table drinking tea silently, wishing we were somewhere else? So you can hide behind me in a march through the underworld?" She looked at the back of her hand. "No, no, I think not."

Ichigo winced. "... I… I know the curse has been hard on us both, but you shouldn't act like this!"

"Why? Who's to bring shame on me down here? Two rich men's sons and their pet cat?"

"Someone's been pulling strings…" Hiroshi said.

[Secure an Advantage +Hard: 4+3 vs 2, 9 weak hit]

"So? What will you do, hero?"

Ichigo looked you dead in the eyes, narrowed them, and was then covered in a brilliant light. Golden horns sprouted from his head, golden scales covered his arms and chest and (thankfully) nethers, and his regard became steely with barely contained rage. Wings of light burst forth from his back, and suddenly he was streaking directly towards you.

Already in a position for one of your favorite throws, you reached, pulled, and tossed him over your shoulder by his arm and body, slamming him into the wood, splintering it. "Really? You thought I was the leather queen!?"

"As if you wouldn't," Ichigo said. "And her flunkies are wearing your kamon."

You leaned in, uncomfortably close to his ear, and muttered, quietly, "Do you trust your friends to have some restraint?"

Ichigo nodded.

[Compel +Rapport+Bond: 3+3+2 vs 3, 2 STRONG HIT]

"Whatever comes next after you've clearly defeated her, whatever comes out, let me handle it."

"But--"

"Please, just this once, trust me. I'll accept responsibility."

Ichigo nodded again, just in time for Hiroshi to sweep you up, a blur of black hair, black cats' ears, black hands, black claws. Vertical, slitted eyes in a steel blue.

"I shall lead you out of this place alive and well."
Difficulty: Dangerous
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MENACE O O . . . . . . . .

[Face Danger +Rapport: 4+3 vs 3, 2 STRONG HIT]

It wasn't hard to tell that there was fury in his eyes, flame in his heart. You smiled. "You knew I was a judoka. Would you expect anything else?"

"He is not yours."

"We have bigger problems right now, Hiroshi," Ichigo reminded him. "We can tell her later!"

And then all was swords and claws. Spears and steel. Tooth, nail, and breath of fire.

Slowly, the battle began to crystallize, with Hiroshi and Ayumu-- for some reason you had figured Ayumu for the cat, but no, he wore a feathered cloak and his hands flashed about like sharp beaks-- taking care of the demon minions, which left you and Ichigo to deal with…

Well, you.

[Battle +Rapport: 6+3 vs 5, 5 MATCH]

Facing each other, hands outstretched, you both gripped hands. For a moment, you swore you could feel both your hearts beating at the same time. Calm. Pure.

Like bared steel, weapons in each others' hands.

You nodded. "I am at your disposal."

He winced. "No. No more being my servant. If you're so concerned about me, don't do it under my heel."

With that, he spun you about once, and with a mighty hurl, launched you at yourself.

You curled, and as if you knew just the right way to do it, you lashed out with your entire weight pressed into what should have been a bone-breaking amount of pressure on the ball of your foot, but instead of fragile bone, it felt more like unbreakable steel as you, improbably, moved through your demon-queen self, who was smirking.

Even now, you are absolutely certain that none of this should have caused an explosion.

Regardless, for some reason, this caused an explosion, one you flinched away from, even as the other three seemed perfectly used to it.

"I shall lead you out of this place alive and well."
Difficulty: Dangerous
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MENACE O O . . . . . . . .

[Fulfill your vow vs. 8: 2, 7 STRONG HIT]
[You gain 2xp.]

And in the dust and flames, there was, hanging in the air, a gleaming mote of light.

And beneath that, the little girl, watching it as it fell. You helped her up, and both of you opened a hand, cupping that mote between you.

Reality-- or at least, some version of it-- was reasserting itself. The room was becoming the cellar of the spa. The girl was fading.

And you?

You tried to pull it-- the core-- her-- into your heart.

And that's when you heard the slow clapping.

And that's when the pain hit.
[You accept raw power into your heart, and it washes over your body! 0/5 Body. Endure Harm +Hard: 1+2 vs 2, 10 Weak Hit]
[You accept raw neglected emotion into your heart, and feeling all of it at once fills you with incredible fear! 0/5 Stress. Endure Stress +Rapport: 6+3 vs 7, 2 STRONG HIT. You knew this had to happen. -1 Momentum, 9/10. +1 Stress, 1/5.]

---

VOTE:
PLEASE SELECT ONE ASSET, REPRESENTING MEI'S NASCENT ABILITIES. This asset will be free, but the other three may be picked up later, when we Advance:
[ ] Armor-Piercing Blow. This allows you to burn momentum more impressively, especially against seemingly invincible opponents, and will eventually allow you to offer Battle to things far beyond your 'weight class'.
[ ] Burning Heart. For some reason, you are just… Incredibly hard to kill. Expanding this skill helps you fight youkai and ensure a killing blow.
[ ] Demon Knight. Your other self is bound to you, and you may literally ask yourself for advice… though this advice may not be useful. This can eventually become a source of Experience, granting a little power when you inevitably Face Death.
[ ] Pathshaper. This allows you to use Resolve during Delves to move quickly or with care, instead of simply with concealment. As you progress, Delving becomes easier and offers more Momentum.

Vote opens at 1400 PST, and will last until Saturday.