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

There's some stylistic choices here that remind me of Ryukasa, which is Gay Dragongirl Yakuza, but it might be farther down the line if the QM says they're largely taking from another quest/story.

Eh.

[}{] Reject all of them, relationships are a liability.

I am Edge! Reject connections to people, embrace murder of all of our problems!

Everyone talks about our mother, but I wonder what our dad was. If our mother was a full-kami by the point we were born then that might explain our unique abilities, though idk what she would be Kami of for us to end up Iron.

On the other hand if our mother and father were fire and earth elementally aligned then it would explain how we're Metal.


Though its usually leaning more towards being mystically inclined and magically powered since while on the Chinese wheel its called Metal, on the Japanese one its called Void. Its the element that has been drained of all Yin and Yang energy, potential in other words.

Of course none of the elemental wheel might even apply in this setting.

At first I thought we might be a chained City-Kami, the Sites seemed to imply we were retaking parts of ourself that were cut out/off-from, but now they kinda seem to be pieces of ourself that were just sealed around and are leaking out.

Speaking of, if we break chains by smashing our head against them then why not go to archery club more? Dragons hate bows.

If the matriarch even is a dragon, she definitely seems to not care about the clan she's supposed to be head of.

Also sealing Brawling to try and get Judo seems like a mistake? Brawling to me would be "Unrefined hand-to-hand combat" while any martial art would turn that into being Refined, so instead of making room for Judo it feels like we lost "hand-to-hand combat" as a whole? It was an asset after all, not a drawback/demerit. Or even both.

Executive decision: Take it easy, but take it.

The rap on the door came sooner than you expected. "Mei!? I just heard you screaming, what happened?"

Oh SHIT— "Ah— I— I'm all right, but I think I have some questions to ask."

"Oh, that? Your hair ribbon, mask, and phone are back to normal out here."

That's… Not what you actually wanted to ask, but it was incredibly good to know. Only one phone? Or both? You hastily leaned against the mirror. "Asura-chan, any idea what's with that?"

"Ask her!"

A moment's focus slowly pulled your hand out of the mirror, and it rippled shut behind you. You walked to the door and opened it, just a crack. "How long did it take?"

"I wasn't watching them, so I'm not sure," Yumeno said.

"Yumeno please I want to know when I can have clothes again."

"Didn't you… have a bag? And a satchel?"

"Yes, I did, but— I'm— I'm not sure where they went, they vanished when my clothes transformed and—" The realization you were, in fact, without any textbooks, even the reserve copies you'd filched from the Upper Library and the Understacks, struck an all new horror in your heart. "And that means they're in my armor and I don't know which ones."

Where was all this energy coming from!?

"Oh, they probably just changed then, like your phone did."

"I don't have a charger, by the way, do--"

"I've taken care of it," Yumeno said.

This gave you a slight amount of pause. "Took care of it as in they're charging now, or as in they've exploded?"

"Don't worry about it~" Yumeno repeated.

"Well, now I'm going to worry about it." Fully aware that you were in no state to be just slamming the door open, there was something here that would work, at least temporarily—

A quick moment's hunting turned up a cloth, which turned out to be a servicable, if depressingly thin, long silk shirt. On Yumeno, it probably just barely covered enough and was large enough to keep from tugging when she slept… wherever the heck she slept. On you?
It hung in massive drapes where it wasn't taut.

Regardless, you weren't going to be able to assess the damage while cowering in the bathroom, so--
[Face Danger +Rapport: 5+3 vs 1,1 OH NO]

Three things happened in quick succession:
1) you opened the door, to discover that Yumeno had been leaning against it.
2) Yumeno fell forward, and you caught her in the easygoing way of someone made of iron.
3) you discovered that the shirt was, in fact, of thin, cheap fabric, and did not much enjoy having to support the weight of a person.

For that moment, you were looking down at her, and your hands moved her stray hairs out of her face. "You all right?"

Wait.

Wait.

Wasn't this horribly stereotypical?

Oh wow you were. Just inches from her lips. Her cheek. The nape of her neck. The little curve of her lips as she smiled. At least her nod was plainly visible.

In an attempt to maintain your composure, you set her on her feet and dusted yourself off, gently tying the torn shoulder of the shirt so it didn't slip down your chest any further than it had to.

Yumeno touched your hands with hers, and you felt your entire body separate into two distinct feelings: The one that started talking about how to convert this attack into a throw, and the other that wanted her to put you on the floor and make you relax.

You completely lost the thread of what she was saying as she tied the shirt at your shoulder, your eyes on her hands as they made deft movements, and then up at her eyes, concentrated on the knot, and your shoulder.

Should you?

Should you should you?

The knot completed, you decided to anyway, and kissed Yumeno on the cheek. "I thank you."

After a moment where she turned red as a strawberry, she recovered and said, "— You weren't listening to what I was saying at all, were you?"

"Ah…" You paused. "Well,"

"I was saying you could have probably fixed this yourself."

"… I mean, I was in the middle of tying it up when you started to do that on your own."

Yumeno blinked and covered her mouth, but you could still see the smile in her eyes. "Well, that's true, but… You transformed all your stuff, right?"

You immediately followed what she was saying. "But what would I turn this into…?"

"Whatever you want!" Yumeno said. "I have plenty."

"…" You briefly wondered if Asura-chan had any suggestions. Make it my dress! Show off!

More in supplication than any real expectation that it would work, you washed your hands and face and clapped twice in prayer, fixing the image of Asura-chan's scandalous evening gown firmly in your mind.

There was a sudden fwash of light and sound, and when it was over—

"Oh my."

Holy shit I didn't expect you to actually do it you animal.

You stole a look in the mirror.

Oh. As expected, you were wearing the dress that Asura-chan wore in the mirror. Without the gloves, mind; but then, you supposed you were rather short of jade, and it was only a dressing-gown that you'd changed.

You weren't expecting to look this beautiful in it, either. It very much caught some of your points, even if it did expose the muscular shoulders and arms that came from training to be someone who can throw fully loaded powered armor. I TOLD YOU!

"Where did you get the idea for it?" Yumeno asked, excited.

Where—

Where was she looking?

Squeeze your arms in front~

You didn't see any reason why not. "Well, who do you think? She did have her own look after all, and I really liked the look of villainous women in tokusatsu shows and action anime, you know?"

Yumeno paused, blinking at your statement. At least, you assumed she was blinking at your statement. You'd never really moved in this sort of gown before.

"… I suppose in hindsight, that does seem rather like a sign…" you admitted, mostly to fill up space.

"Who are these villainous women?" Yumeno said, all at once.

"Uh… well, let's let my phone and laptop charge and I guess I can show you some of them?"

---

For a little while, the questions came quickly.
Then, the questions stopped.
Eventually, she leaned away from you, and towards the laptop screen.

---

[Hearten +Rapport: 1+3 vs 1, 8 weak hit]

Despite your best efforts to stay awake and explain it all, to share what made you so excited, you drifted off to sleep in her arms, having slammed much of the first season of Sword Angel's Swansong, and you found yourself torn.

Your curse flared up once already because you let yourself relax, after all. And even if you were safe here for now… Could you really afford to let Yumeno take the brunt of a curse she didn't ask for?

Curled into the crook of her arm, you felt her breathing, but couldn't hear anything of her heartbeat as your head lay gently on her chest.
[You gain +2 Stress, 3/5, and lose one Momentum, 9/10.]

The next morning, you were still in her arms, and felt more than a little guilty about it.

Your phones and laptop, it turned out, had all been charged in a wall-slot panel that had a strange blue-white light about it, the characteristic of a strange, in-born star.

So many of the things Yumeno had were related to stars, come to think of it.

"Hm. You wake up earlier than I do," Yumeno said.

"So, uh, how did you know my stuff was inside my armor?"

"Well, I didn't exactly, but…" Yumeno tapped her cheek for a moment in a way you found a little bit irritating. "You're an interesting case, you know? So much about you is already transformed in one way or another. So I thought, 'of course she'd change her own clothes'."

"'Transformed'?" You were following her words, but her meaning escaped you.

"People don't have souls made of iron just because, after all. That would be silly." Yumeno paused. "Do you want to know what I saw, that first day, during tryouts?"

"A month ago?" Was it really only a month ago? It felt like so much longer. That's change for you.

"I saw a woman feared and envied in equal measure." Yumeno walked to the kitchenette, and waved her hand, and a green display produced touch controls that Yumeno used to set up a pot and some various foods while she talked. "I saw someone who did not seem to understand the admiration she left in her wake. And…"

"And?"

Yumeno smiled, gently. "Yours was a guttering, flickering light. It was the star of someone struggling to survive, choked by darkness and thunderclouds. In some ways, it still is. But sometimes… Sometimes I think I see who you are, when you let your heart stop, when you let the iron fade. And she is a fine, noble woman, with a star of red and gold shining within her, waiting to change her whole life if she'd let it. But it's troublesome, you know? There's also a beauty in a star that furiously stops its own guttering."

You… You weren't entirely sure what to make of that. "Y-Yumeno?"

She tapped the side of the pot, and it lidded itself. "I think you've never realized how brightly you shine."

And then she leaned down, all that way,

Her hands on your cheek,

Your neck,

Your shoulder,

And for a heartstopping moment you wonder if she's going to take it that little step further and kiss you deeply.

Even then, when you weren't sure what she meant when she said why she was attached to you—

That desperation for contact and just a hint of petulance had you touching her cheek with one hand, while the other rested on her hip.

You suddenly realized that for all you wanted to, you had no idea how to actually kiss someone.

You go up on your tiptoes suddenly—

And your forehead bonks into Yumeno's, who ducked down at the same time.

Both of you laugh it off, the moment gone, the tension— for the moment— released.

But it leaves you with a question: Who are these women?

And why did you hit it off so quickly?
[Swear an Iron Vow: "I will discover why I am attractive to my admirers."]
[Rank: Formidable]
[And that starts with learning more about them— who they are, and what they do. +2 momentum, 10/10.]

Sadly, it turned out that would have to wait: Among the messages on your revived phone were ones from your underworld contact Tojo, and the Matriarch herself— Kaneko Chou.

It's about time we filled out that Outcast connection.

I already have a potential Outcast--

Formerly a member of a syndicate, he aims to become a fireman after his own heroism got in the way of paying his dues.

The vote is as follows:
[ ] [Outcast] Yes, that's our Outcast.
[ ] [Outcast] No, he's someone else.

[ ] [Write-in] Give me an Outcast, one to two sentences in concept, tops, like above.

If 'yes' wins, mechanically, this guy will slot into the blank "Outcast" slot, and there's no Make a Connection roll.

If 'No' wins, I will select the concept I most want to write and slot that in as Mei's Outcast.

Vote closes early Friday.

WEDS 5/12 0645: Yumeno's House
First, of course, you read the texts from Kaneko Chou.

"Report."

"What about?" you typed up.
[Face Danger +Resolve+Demon Knight: 2+2+1 vs 6, 2 weak hit]

"You know what this is about. You've been off grid for three days. Report."

Obviously you weren't going to tell the person who spells her name Chief that anything is going wrong. "Ah, that. Should I not be attempting to obscure your son's movements, Kaneko-dono?"

The rudeness via overformality was one way you got to be petty with Ichigo's mother. The rare occasions you spoke with her directly, anyhow.

"Well intentioned, but ultimately futile, given your goal of attending classes on a regular basis. Return to your apartments immediately."

"Kaneko-dono, forgive me if I am mistaken, but I believe I was given discretion in the matter of seeing to your son's safety. I am endeavoring to do so." You weren't sure how much more sarcastically you could put this. "However I will keep your suggestions in mind going forward, as regards security."

"Do not fail me."

You sneer at the words, but pocket the phone.
[Yeah, that probably cost you some company support, and Kaneko Chou doesn't like you much right now, but honestly? Kaneko Chou never likes you. Momentum -1, 9/10.]

As for the other phone…

The text from Tojo went--

"Please let's arrange a date and time so you can meet your contact properly."

The kanji were positively ancient— [Detective] and was that a 'wi'? How could you even manage that with a phone? He wasn't kidding about dying a hell of a long time ago.

You responded:

"I need to get back to an agreed upon place by 1630. Outside of that, feel free to suggest."

"Then let's meet now," came the immediate response. "Join me in Chuo Ward."

Chuo ward… Considering what happened last time, you didn't much care for the idea, but it wasn't like you could make a good counter-offer. "The kg lunch place ok?"

"Yes."

And so you were set to eat street food and talk with whatever scum Tojo popped up.

After morning classes in which you and Yumeno sat next to each other and you valiantly tried to pay attention to the lesson instead of being aware that Yumeno was next to you, you hailed Ichigo. "Ichigo. I know it's a bit to ask, but do you want to come down to Chuo Ward with me?"

"What for?"

You bounced your head side to side. "I'm meeting with people from the mountain pass, you remember, during Golden Week?"

"— Oh! Oh, yeah, that… Actually seems like something I'd be interested in."

"Mm."

[Make a Connection: AUTOMATIC STRONG HIT]

"Why did you bring him?" Tojo said, the moment he spotted Ichigo.

You rocked back and forth as if this would assuage him. "Insurance. Also, he never says no if I buy him a box lunch."

Tojo paused again. "I wish you hadn't brought him—"

"No. It's fine. I've heard a little about your circumstances. You're his bodyguard, right?" came a tenor from the shadows. You didn't know the voice, but it had a pleasant, sonorous tone to it.

You nodded. "If this can't reach his ears, I understand, but…"

The man stepped out of the relative shadows. "No, you both bear the same scars. I think he can hear it."

He was a fireman— or at least, wearing fire-resistant rescue gear. Broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted. His pants hung tight at the hip, and hiis breathing was a little uneasy. He regarded the two of you for a long moment, with one eyebrow raised, before nodding. With dark hair and blood red eyes, and a dark tan to his skin, he certainly cut a striking figure. [Detective] While he certainly cuts a striking figure, more striking to you are the burn scars, at least one across his chest— which you can see peeking up to his collar.

You lean your hip to one side and consider him. "Hm. I'll admit I haven't had anyone in the civil service able to look into things for me. I'm Torioi Mei. This is my friend, Kaneko Ichigo."

"Mm. Fujii Kazuma. Unfortunately, I can't say much for my connections in the civil service, but…" Fujii leaned against the wall of the shop and let it calm him as he talked. "Well, I have some information regarding your father."
FUJII KAZUMA (DEMON FIREMAN) (DANGEROUS) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[Compel: 2+3 vs 5, 6 MISS]

"Well, if you know a place we can be unobserved, I'm all ears," you reply.

Fujii nods, and gestures his head in one direction, and sets off in it. You wander through the underground mall, and eventually he opens a door into an apartment, bare save for a single tatami cot and a fire axe hung on the wall.

"Got fired, huh?" Ichigo asked.

"Nn. Not yet. I'm in training. Right now, that's the most important—"

"Oi." More people. Fantastic. Great. You turned to see a bunch of obvious heavies standing behind a spokesman in a wooden mask, and you pinch the bridge of your nose in irritation. "This is what you ended up leaving for, Fujii?"

"Th' fuck are you here?"

"Oh, so very sorry, Lord Fuckshit. I just wanted to know why you decided to suddenly leave our presence."

Fujii sighs. "I wasn't interested in continuing advancement opportunities with the family, that's all. Always wanted to help people."

"Help people?"

"Fuck you, you know my parents are slaughterhouse workers in the sticks."

"Mm. And you think becoming a fireman will help them? Really?" The wooden mask grinned as the man leaned back. "And look who you're fucking around with, too. A gyaruo, a middle schooler, and— Oh? A mountain god?"

Now the man advanced, and the toughs filed in behind him. Quarters were getting cramped. "Did you fucking betray us, you piece of shit!? Fuck this, kill him!"

"Ichigo, shut the door."

Ichigo nodded.
[Battle +Hard+Armor-Piercing Blow+Demon Knight+Dragon's Fire: 6+3+2+1+2 vs 4, 4 MATCH]

Half a minute later, you dusted off your hands, sat on the ruined bodies of all the heavies save for the masked man, rolled your neck, spat in the face of one that looked like he was getting ideas, and sighed. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Torioi Mei. Daughter of Torioi Haruto and Torioi Hifuumi. Please, treat me kindly. So. Who the fuck are you?"
THE IRON DEVIL (??????) [EXTREME] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

"— Fine." The man pulls off his mask to reveal crows' feather hair, clever eyes, hands with ungentle black talons. "Since you ask so nicely, I might as well respond. You may call me Zaia."
[You gain +1 Momentum, 10/10.]

"Zaia, then." Another name made by just slamming syllables together, was it? "Now, what was it you wanted with my friend here?"

"Before I tell you that, tell me what you and this mountain god are doing here."

You paused. "If you must know, I'm looking for my parents. Or rather, several people claiming to be them."

"They're not dead?"
[Gather Information +Thoughtful+Detective: 2+2+1 10 vs 6, 3 STRONG HIT]

"Of course they're dead. I saw their cremations myself," you responded. "But it's bad for me to have impostors running around, you know? Bad for Lord Yama, too."

"— Ah, I see. That does make things clearer. I had wondered why there were rumors of your mother around. I suppose I should have guessed it was you." Zaia smiles. "You've done her proud."

You huff. "You say that like it's a compliment. I don't take much pleasure in blood soaked hands."

"Is that what you think of her?" Zaia says, as if muttering to himself. Not two questions in and already he had more information than you cared to give to him, but you supposed that such things were to be expected of what you could only assume was a tengu. "Or is that what you think I'd like to hear? I suppose it doesn't matter."

"I answered your question, now—"

"Mm. Well, that's true, you did ask what I was doing here, but honestly I was just going to try and shake down Kazuma here." Zaia shrugged. "Hardly a fair exchange of information."

"Tengu are big on exchange of information?"

"Why, it's our stock in trade, in this modern world." He smiled. "And a way for even other youkai to fear us. Quite the useful position, don't you agree?"

It didn't take much for you to realize that he was here, then, mostly to lean on Fujii for the same information you were after. "Well, then, perhaps it would be best to settle this quarrel now, instead of later. I am not one to want to give others a grudge."

You were perfectly aware that you said this atop his crushed subordinates, looking into his eyes with intent to kill.

"Mm. I see. Then, for now, a useful little bit of information I've come across. Tell me— when was the last time you went home?"

"The apartment? 'Bout a week, and you likely know why."

The laugh came out more like a caw, and Zaia grinned. "No, no. Not your little slapped together nest. I mean the place your parents thought could not be assaulted. Go there. Bring a friend. Or they'll bring you, I am sure."

"What's your angle?"

"No angle. Well, no more than usual for us. War is bad for everyone. And power vacuums invite wars."

"So you want me to fill my mother's position." You tapped your arm in irritation. The way Yumeno and the others had been so scared for you… It still stung.

"You wear it well already. You would surely not lack for allies."

"If I need such in the future, I'll keep it in mind." You paused. "And seeing as you've had so much information freely given from me as it is, one more question in return."

He paused, clearly shocked that you put that together. "— You know what? Sure."

"These shackles. Who made them?"

Another laugh. "What kind of question is that? Nothing about 'how to break them' or 'who can help me remove them'?"

You smiled. Considering Yumeno and all the others, you were certain you didn't lack for ways to remove the curses, link by link and yard by yard. No, your concern was evading and defeating their author, who certainly felt every snapped link. "Are you saying you can't?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I can. There's only one idiot who would decide to layer smaller curses, link by link, yard by yard, after a larger one fails— and powerful enough to make it stick." He paused. "But it's better if I don't."

"It's a name."

"If I speak it, he will know. And if you aren't even strong and clever enough to break these?" Zaia looked up at you. "He'll kill you. Don't look into this further. It'll only end in tears. Some things you can't punch."

Great. Just fantastic news. You supposed it was only a matter of time until you ran into something that caused as much fear among youkai as the idea of your parents, or the idea of you at your full strength, did.

You picked up the human wreckage beneath you and sent it with him. You hoped Lord Yama would take care of the bill, but you supposed that was a lot of his job, one way or the other.
[Ominous, but those words were certainly ones to keep in mind as you proceeded. +2 Momentum, 5/10.]
Background Vow: "I will become an adult who my parents would have been proud of."
Difficulty: Epic
TRACK [XX] [XX] [X] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"So. That heady little question answered— What did you want to talk to me about?" You asked Fujii.
[Gather Information +Thougthful+Connection+Detective: 4+2+2+1 vs 2, 9 weak hit]

"Compared to all the revelations Zaia had for you, I barely rate."
[Ask the Oracle (Action/Theme): Love, Endure]

Fujii sighed. "I saw your father. Or, at least, someone who looked like the pictures of him Tojo showed me."

"Eh?" You looked over to Tojo, who showed you an old picture of his, from what must have been ages ago, not long after he graduated college. "What was he doing?"

Fujii shrugged. "Talking to a pair of distressed young girls. He had a wand in one hand, and a crystal in the other. At his bench were several pieces of welding equipment and other magical bits and pieces."

Something about the description felt… Off. Your right hand tapped your left arm in irritation as the question nagged at you. This was surely something more complicated.
"I will determine the whereabouts of my parents."
Rank: Formidable
[XX] [XX] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Still, you had a lead, itty bitty as it was. You just had to follow up on it, probably between now and the Full Moon Market at the End of Next Week.
But that meant, quite aside from meeting Auntie Kei, you'd have to work on having something to trade at the Night Market. Cash, after all, takes you only so far in a place where most everyone could have ready cash if they really wanted it. No, you'd have to find either something people want, or stake your name.

What to trade…

[ ] [FAVOR] Given you and the Understacks, you could always trade information. If you can figure out how to interpret its answers, after all, there's no better barometer of Osaka in general.
[ ] [FAVOR] Given your facility with the Steam Tunnels, you could stake favors as a courier. It'd be a little difficult, and you'd definitely have to explore the Steam Tunnels more thoroughly, but it could be a way to build serious favor with the members of the Night Market.
[ ] [FAVOR] Given your success at it so far, there's always being someone else's heavy. You don't much care for this idea, but you can't deny that you have a solid talent for combat.
[ ] [FAVOR] Given your apparent ability to attract disparate women, maybe you could work on helping people's love lives? You're not sure you have a plan for this, but you didn't have a plan to be in the middle of this web, either. Surely it'd all work out?

… But implementing that could wait just a little longer.

"I think it's time to try and retake our apartments," you said, as the two of you waited for the train back to Osaka University.

"So soon!?" Ichigo said.

"Your mother sent me a LINE earlier. She's worried about us going to ground. We're going to have to move soon."

Ichigo hummed in irritation. "So she's nervous. We knew she'd be nervous. The time to start evading her is now, I think."

"We still need a base of operations. If nothing else we should start sweeping the area for our pursuers."

"… Fair." You tapped elbows.

"If we're doing that, though, maybe it's better if I go alone to scope the place out."

Ichigo nodded. "Are your friends going to give you the chance?"

"Here's hoping."

---

You managed to get to KickStand a little early this time. It was the first time you'd been there before anyone else showed up.

The green-haired elegant one was behind the counter today. Her sea-green eyes were vibrant, and she seemed to smile at a private little joke as you walked up to the counter with a little trepidation. "Welcome back," she said, as you entered.

A little nervous, you blurted out, "I thank you," without thinking about the implications of that statement.

She giggled. "A little prince, is it?"

Embarrassed, you crossed your arms.

"My bad, my bad. You just reminded me of someone I knew in high school, that's all."

… and why not? "I'll have a decaf with cream. But… Uh… What do you think of that group I'm usually with?"

"Like I said, they remind me of some people I met in high school. I'm sure that I could talk your ear off about them; one thing I'm never short of thanks to them is stories."

"Well, it's not like I'm short on time, either," you said, secretly wanting to learn as much as possible about groups you hadn't been allowed to be part of. "Though I guess it can wait."

"Mm. Speaking of, how are your studies going?"

"I wish I had more time to spend on them, honestly," you say, with a sigh. "I'm having no trouble keeping up with explanations, but…"

She nodded. "I understand entirely. Still, I wouldn't have given up on the precious memories I made for anything."

She passed you the coffee you asked for, and you stared at it for a long moment, digesting her words as much as the image in the foam, three intertwined hearts.

WEDS 5/12 1730, KickStand
… Your coffee was empty. Yumeno, Asamiya, and Morisawa are here, but in the midst of small talk and distant happenings, you're more worried about the fact that Kisaragi is an hour late.

But, so long as the others don't seem too worried, you suppose you can't really have space to talk about it…

Your private phone buzzed, and you pulled it out of your pocket. It was Kisaragi.

[Kisaragi] so I'm sorry to ask but I'm not sure there's anyone else I can turn to right now orz
[Kisaragi] I have a
[Kisaragi] Situation

Kisaragi has sent a photo:
[ ] [PICTURE] it's an image of a house, halfway burnt down, glowing with cuprous flame. A single doll-like being, with a similar flame alit upon its brow, seems to be watching the camera. (Unlock a new Site. Chance to Develop Your Relationship with Kisaragi. Chance for a new Connection.)
[ ] [PICTURE] It's an image, from above, of multiple scaled-and-mechanical monstrosities through what appear to be catwalks and rafters. One bears a blue magatama, glowing on its chest. (this will require a trip through the Steam Tunnels. A chance to Develop Your Relationship with Ichigo and Kisaragi, and Make Connections with Ayumu and Hiroshi.)
[ ] [PICTURE] It's an image from below of a small passel of people, moving stiffly. What little you can see of the area is concrete and steel. (Unlock a new Site. Chance to Develop Your Relationship with Asamiya and Kisaragi. Chance to advance several Vows.)
[ ] [PICTURE] Whatever's in the image is obscured by purple-black mist. (Chance to investigate your curses, advancing your Background Vow. Chance to Develop Your Relationship with Yumeno and Kisaragi.)

[Kisaragi] Normally I'd ask the others for help but things are kinda tense right now...

[ ] [THOUGHTS] [Write-in] Should we build a task force for this? If so, with who, and why? Do we even help Kisaragi? As usual, answers will provide Momentum.

Voting opens at in two and a bit hours-- Oct 26, 2022 at 3:00 PM -- and will close in two days.

Voting is still open, but I figure while doing that I could put up at least some of the art I've started commissioning for this, an artist's rendition of a particular scene in 2-10-2.


Art by Taylor McCarty.