The New Normal
- Location
- Rockford, USA
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Raise Grades (3 actions)
[X] Improve Masque Affinity (1 action)
-[X] Train Maya
--[X] With Dad
[X] Feeling Weird (1 action)
[X] Command Training (1 action)
[X] Train With Sensei (1 action, LOCKED)
[X] A Scion's Observations (1 action)
[X] Ki (1 action, may be taken multiple times)
-[X] Flight
-[X] Multiform (After Flight, so as to benefit from Ki Talents levelling up)
[X] Research Project (1 action)
-[X] Perfect Multiform
[X] Organise the better ki sensors of the two clans into patrols, searching for the enemy scouts - now that they aren't shielded by their ships' armour, hopefully any slipups will be detectable. (2 actions)
-[X] Develop a plan that involves minimal loss of life, for the sake of gaining information (and your personal ethics). You (and Dad) can use Instant Transmission and/or Solar Flare to move in and incapacitate the scouts, while the rest of the group makes sure no one gets away or gets off a message.
--[X] This probably isn't Plan A, especially before you have an idea of how easily the enemy can sense you or send back info. But it's worth having a plan at hand in case the opportunity presents itself. (And boy, do you hope it does.)
---[X]Organise some trained seers as a response to the alien invasion. Initially attempt to scry the past on the ship to gain more information on the aliens and use that information to track them down though both Sight and other plans.
[X] Recruit Sensei Carrick (1 Action)
-[X] Since he's now part of the conspiracy and a much better Seer than us, he should Mind Project into Jaffur!
[X] Improve Masque Affinity (1 action)
-[X] Train Maya
--[X] With Dad
[X] Feeling Weird (1 action)
[X] Command Training (1 action)
[X] Train With Sensei (1 action, LOCKED)
[X] A Scion's Observations (1 action)
[X] Ki (1 action, may be taken multiple times)
-[X] Flight
-[X] Multiform (After Flight, so as to benefit from Ki Talents levelling up)
[X] Research Project (1 action)
-[X] Perfect Multiform
[X] Organise the better ki sensors of the two clans into patrols, searching for the enemy scouts - now that they aren't shielded by their ships' armour, hopefully any slipups will be detectable. (2 actions)
-[X] Develop a plan that involves minimal loss of life, for the sake of gaining information (and your personal ethics). You (and Dad) can use Instant Transmission and/or Solar Flare to move in and incapacitate the scouts, while the rest of the group makes sure no one gets away or gets off a message.
--[X] This probably isn't Plan A, especially before you have an idea of how easily the enemy can sense you or send back info. But it's worth having a plan at hand in case the opportunity presents itself. (And boy, do you hope it does.)
---[X]Organise some trained seers as a response to the alien invasion. Initially attempt to scry the past on the ship to gain more information on the aliens and use that information to track them down though both Sight and other plans.
[X] Recruit Sensei Carrick (1 Action)
-[X] Since he's now part of the conspiracy and a much better Seer than us, he should Mind Project into Jaffur!
The New Normal
The next few weeks are a flurry of activity. Your Dad spends his time coordinating voluntary mass evacuations to the Training Hall. Nobody is being required to leave -- but nobody outside the Hall is allowed to raise their power level either. If the aliens decide to start blasting things...
Beyond that, Dad puts together your people's strategy.
"The unfortunate thing is that we likely can't count on being able to sense them out," he says, spinning the globe on the table in front of you two and planting another note. "If their ship is ki shielded, the odds are good that they are personally as well, or that they can suppress their power levels. So our strategy is necessarily reactive." He plants another note. "I'm going to send out fast response teams. If the aliens reveal themselves -- and going by your vision, they should -- we can be on the scene in moments, before they can do much damage."
"Why wait?" you ask. "If we wait for them, then even if we react as quick as we can..."
"You and I don't sleep," he points out. "I mean, we do sometimes. But that's voluntary. We can plan around it. We'll be the first ones on the scene. You, most likely. Don't worry; I promise I'll call in to excuse you from school." He winks at you.
You roll your eyes. He chuckles, unrepentant.
"That works then, I guess," you say. "But why even have teams, if we're going to be the ones reacting?"
"We can make mistakes," he says. "Maybe we'll miss somebody. The teams are there to cover for those mistakes. They'll set up a perimeter while you and I take down the enemy."
"But we're still just reacting!" you say.
He shrugs. "There's not much else we can do. We already have some of the best ki sensors from each Clan assigned to the response teams and searching for the scouts that way. Between them, they cover every inch of the planet; we'll catch even a single screw-up. We already have a plan to respond faster than they should hopefully be capable of dealing with. What else can there be?"
You blink and mentally scratch that off of your list of ideas what to do. Granted, you had planned for active patrols, but if your people can search without that, why risk it?
"We could still use the Seers," you say. "Not me, but the others can use pastsight to see the ship's landing. From there we can follow the scouts, wherever they went!"
[Communication-->Pass]
Dad blinks. "Hm. I had had them on prediction duties...but that would actually work. I keep forgetting, sometimes, about the abilities you have access to. I'm used to thinking about your future visions." He turns to smile at you. "Tell you what; we can make this a lesson as well. It's time to get your training to the next level, anyway."
You blink. "Training?"
"Your command training," he says. "We've covered the tactics of leading units. Might as well take the chance to teach you about some broader points of strategy." He spins the globe again and stops it with a finger on the aliens' landing site. "Write me up a proposal for your idea. Focus on implementation and how you would orchestrate the search parties beyond, 'point a Seer at it.' Submit it to me in a week and we'll review it then. I won't have you out looking yourself, but you'll be the one putting it all together." He then reaches over and ruffles your hair, provoking an angry squawk. "Good idea, Kakara."
"Kais on- Dad!"
"No swearing, young lady."
You have successfully organized a hunting team led by a Gokun Seer recommended by Sensei Carrick. The team has determined that the scouts headed west after their landing and is in pursuit. The trail is cold, and the team will need to move slowly to avoid detection by their quarry, but you have people on the trail of the scouts. Every month, the team will roll for progress towards finding the scouts.
Command Training skill improved! [Competent-->Talented] Skill capped except through practical application; this is the limit of Exile military theory.
* * *
"It's sort of like using your own ki, but outside you," you say, holding a little ball of ki in your hands. "You can feel your own when it's inside you. You can feel other people's ki when it's somewhere else! But it's easier to start like this."
Maya nods at you, forming her own ball of ki. It's a wavering little thing, yearning to break free from her meager control, but she can at least hold onto it now. When you started training her, she couldn't.
"It also helps if you have a larger power level around to feel," says Dad, off to the side. He powers up. You turn away, hiding a frown.
Dad's been keeping his power level very low around Maya. Only around a million. And you aren't sure why. He dwarfs Maya, sure, but at her rate of improvement she'll overtake him in no time at all.
[Intrigue-->Fail]
It makes no sense to you whatsoever. It's not like she's an enemy that he's trying to draw out.
Meanwhile, Maya perks up. Her ball fizzles out. "Oh-! Darn it! But I felt you!" She grins at your Dad, nervousness forgotten.
You blink, refocusing. "That's great, Maya! Can you feel this?" You release an active sensing pulse and watch it wash over her. It's a lot easier than it used to be; you've been spending a lot of time under Masque lately.
Normally you'd worry about the scouts...but Dad has a Sorcerer nearby maintaining a ward so that the three of you can practice. A bit expensive, but Dad is really banking on Maya. If Garenhulders start producing powerful ki users, then Masqued saiyans would be able to show their power levels as well. It would mean your people could relax the Masquerade a bit.
And you won't lie, being able to raise your power level a bit would be nice.
Maya grins, her hair tossing wildly in the backwash from your pulse. She closes her eyes and hums happily. "I can feel it, yeah!"
You grin back. "Nice."
"It's kinda fuzzy, though," she says.
"You'll get better details with time," says Dad. "Karen could sense you from the other side of the world without even really having to focus that much. She has a real gift for it."
Maya blinks, gaping at you. "You ca- can?"
You tilt your head in a nod. "Yeah. You're really bright. I couldn't miss you if I tried."
She blinks and tucks her head, mumbling something.
"You are very strong for your age," says Dad, sounding amused. "And you're improving all the time. You might get to be stronger than I am, eventually."
Maya looks up at him. "Re- Really?! Me?"
He smiles back. "I think so."
Maya's power level is now 107,894 (not the final figure for the year). Maya's Ki Sense is now at [Unlearned]. Maya's Ki Control improved! [Unlearned-->Competent] Maya's Ki Projection improved! [Poor-->Unpromising] Maya's training is now at a non-terrible level. Further training will need to be more focused in order to further develop skills.
Dad has walked Maya past a Sorcerer. She is not a Masqued saiyan. This, however, only moves the mystery a step further along; with billions-to-one odds against this possibility, what on Earth could it mean for such an unprecedented human ki mutant to show up on Garenhuld, of all places?
Masque Affinity improved! [Competent-->Talented]
* * *
As winter comes to a close, you find yourself in the bathroom, frowning at the mirror.
You have a bump. You scowl.
...you poke at it. This does not help.
There's a knock at the door. "Sissy, are you done yet?"
"Not now, Fee!" you say, not looking away from the mirror.
"But I gotta pee!"
Your eye twitches. "So hold it!"
"But it's my turn!"
You growl quietly, ignoring her. After a while, she goes away.
Then there's another knock.
You take a deep breath. "Go away, Fee!"
"Kakara Goku, open the door."
You pale at the sound of your Mom's voice. You decide to open the door.
Please don't notice please don't notice please don't notice-
Mom frowns down at you as the door swings open. "Why are you in Masque? What's going-?" And like a magnet, her eyes track upwards to your forehead, and the bump. "Ah."
"Kala?" says your Dad, coming around the corner. "What's-?" He follows her gaze. "Ah-ha."
"Kakara, come with me," says Mom, dragging you off to your parents' room.
"I'll let you handle this one, Kala," says Dad heading for the stairs.
"Yeah, I'll bet you do. You're still getting Mato!"
"I've got a few years!"
You blink. "Mom, what's-"
"Sit down." Mom gives you a gentle push into the armchair your parents keep in their room and then sits down on the bed. "Kakara, how long have you been getting those?"
You flush, ducking your head. "This is the first one."
She nods. "Kakara, have you noticed your clothes getting too small lately?" She peers at you with a knowing eye.
Truth be told, they have been. The shirts especially. You say so.
Mom nods. "I see. Okay." She stands again and goes over to the end table on her side of the bed. She comes back with a file folder bulging with papers and drops it in your lap with a heavy thump.
You look down. "'Puberty?'"
Mom sits again. "Kakara, it's time that we had a Talk."
* * *
You flee the bedroom a couple of hours later, face flaming, the folder and a bag Mom produced a little while into the conversation tucked under your arm. You cross Mato on the way to your own bedroom.
"Hey, Kakara, did you ask Mom where...my...um?" He says, trailing off as you steam directly past him and into your room. The door closes behind you with a final click.
You pretty much stay there for a couple of days, emerging only for meals and otherwise staring in fascinated horror at the reading materials, the diagrams, and the pads that your Mom provided.
Your Mom believes firmly in the educational value of a good visual aid. And a comprehensive lecture. And practical preparation. Suffice to say, you now know and are equipped for exactly what you can expect from puberty. You will not lose yearly actions as a result of going into this half-assed. Kakara is still not-quite-eleven, and thus is not yet at the point of needing to determine preferences on sexual orientation or activity. Please do not ask.
* * *
As the months tick over into spring, you head down to Sensei Carrick's house yet again. This time, you're feeling nervous.
It's time to bring your Sensei in on the conspiracy.
With your support, the people in favor of bringing in your Sensei carried the day at the meeting. And once that happened, you volunteered to be the one to tell him.
That said...this promises to be a difficult conversation. Maybe you could just...intend to tell him, really hard, and hope that he picks up on it? Then you could avoid this altogether! You pause on the path up to his house and close your eyes, concentrating.
After a few minutes, you hear the front door to his house slide open. Your heart leaps. Could it-?
"STOP STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF MY YARD AND GET IN HERE! YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS!"
slam
You slowly turn crimson and duck your head down, hurrying to the house. Opening the door, you step inside.
When you get into the house, you see a red-haired young woman hugging Sensei Carrick and then shrugging on a jacket. "See you next week?"
"Of course! You're always welcome here," says your Sensei.
"Thanks, Uncle Carrick," she says, smiling. She glances at you as you come in and suppresses a snicker. You turn even brighter red. "This is your newest apprentice?" she asks, giving you a polite smile. Then she blinks, looking closer. "Wait a minute..."
"That's a secret, Cynthia," says Sensei, flicking her behind her ear.
"Ow! Of course, but why?"
He snorts. "You're smart. You'll figure it out. Now get on out of here! I have work to do!"
"Fine, fine." She gives you a neutral look and nods politely. "Good to meet you, Scion." She steps out of the house, shifting seamlessly into her Masque as she does.
You frown as the door closes behind her. "Who was she?"
"Cynthia, my niece," says Sensei, sitting down. "Bright girl. Comes over for a chat every week."
You sit as well. "She doesn't like me, does she?"
He grumbles to himself. "She doesn't know you. But she's a historian. Particularly enamored of the stories of our family's attempt at a republic, before Lady Garla. She isn't a fan of the system of Lords and Ladies. But no, she has nothing against you in particular."
You frown in worry. "Will she tell anybody?"
He raises an eyebrow. "That you're a Seer? No. I asked her not to. That's enough."
"Um..."
He shakes his head. "It's enough, Kakara. If Cynthia gives her word, she keeps it. Trust me." He settles back in his chair, signalling that he's done with the topic.
You sigh, but nod. Arguing further won't change anything. You tap your fingers together, trying to figure out the best way to bring up what you plan on doing.
Until, of course, Sensei decides to preempt you. "You look like something is on your mind. Spill."
You pout at the interruption. "Don't you know already? I've been thinking about how to tell you for months!"
He cracks a smile at that. "Ah, no. That's not quite how it works. You haven't reached this point in your education yet, but- here." He turns around and roots around in a satchel slung over the back of his chair. He then turns around, holding a sack filled with beads. He dumps it out on his table. "This is a bad metaphor, but it works well enough. Picture that the area filled by these beads is the time space you're trying to scry. You know, the past, the present, or the future. Whichever one of the three you're looking through, this represents it." He lays his fingers on the beads nearest him. "So, you start looking, and these are the things nearest you. That means something different for every type of Sight, but it usually has something to do with relevance. So you need to choose a vision to See. Easy enough; once you learn how, you look around and can grab whichever looks more interesting." He moves his fingers out to the next layer of beads. "But sometimes you don't want one nearest you. Sometimes immediate relevance isn't enough; you need something farther out. So you find the one that you think looks closest, and step past it. Then you have a new set of choices to look through. And you keep doing this until you find your vision. But that can take a long time, and the longer it takes, the more mental energy it requires."
With a wave of his hand, he uses telekinesis to sweep the beads back into the bag. "So, Seers tend not to use the Sight unless it's important. We save our juice for when we need to look for something, since we're always searching essentially blind. And we tend to suppress accidental visions, since they're only reliable or relevant roughly half the time and they bite into our reserves. I've been focusing on the wider galaxy since the Senzus and their scouting ship went into hiding, and more recently on the invaders. So no, I don't automatically know anything that's going to happen to me. I just don't have it in me."
You blink, feeling silly. "Oh. I didn't know that."
"You couldn't have," he points out. "I hadn't taught you yet."
You shrug.
He rolls his shoulders. "Anyway. What was it you wanted to talk about?"
You swallow. "Well...it's about...Jaffur."
He frowns. "What about him? You haven't found your way into his head again, have you?"
You shake your head. "No, not that. It's...it's about the Sealing, too."
He leans forward. "...go on."
You twine your fingers together and swallow nervously. "It...didn't really happen like everybody says it did." You take a breath, and decide to just say it. "I didn't help. I know everybody says that I did, but I didn't. I actually tried to help Jaffur escape, but I wasn't good enough. We lost." You swallow. "But...I haven't given up." You look Sensei in the eye. "Even since the Sealing, I've been trying to find other people who want Jaffur free. And I have. I found a lot of people. I managed to find the Senzus, and they're working with us. My Grandma and Patriarch Yammar are both helping us. They found a bunch of Houses that want to help. Even your House Head is with us! And...we have a plan. I fell into Jaffur's head before. It turns out that Jaffur is a Sorcerer. He wasn't ever trained, but if I can find him, Sorcerer Senzu can have me pass lessons to Jaffur. And then Jaffur can get through the Seal and talk to his uncle. Once that happens, Dandelor can teach Jaffur everything he needs to know to help us break out of the Seal from the inside while Dandelor keeps Jaron safe. That's the real reason I asked to learn about Mind Projection."
Sensei listens to you with an intent look on his face, giving no sign of what he thinks. When you finish talking, he keeps looking at you without speaking for a moment. And then he sighs, closing his sighs.
After a moment, he chuckles. "I suppose that's why my brother was so cagey when I sounded him out on what he really thought about the Sealing. Little fool. He's always trying to protect me." He opens his eyes. "Well. After our chat on the matter, I'm sure you don't need my thoughts on the Sealing." He laughs again. "I think you might be developing a habit for collecting conspiracies, Kakara. I had started talking to some of our fellow Seers myself about the truth of the Sealing after you spoke to me. I think they'd be very happy to learn that most of the nobility actually agrees with us about the matter."
You start to grin. "You mean..."
"You can count on us," he says, smiling back. "We had thought that the official story was the truth -- that Jaffur was ill, and the Sealing was a medical treatment. Distasteful, but necessary. But what you describe...that's a travesty. Whatever the truth about Jaffur, this can't be allowed to stand. I'll spread the word. You'll get your training -- and you'll have our support, when it's time to make your move."
You sit up straight, thrilled. "Then can you be the one to contact Jaffur? He's always awake in there, and if we have to wait for me to do it, it'll take a year or more, and-"
[Communication-->Given no dedicated cookies, a solid failure]
But Sensei shakes his head. "No. That I won't do. Jaffur doesn't know me, Kakara, and given what you've told me, he's a Super Saiyan even within his own mind. He's entirely justified in being paranoid about strangers with odd abilities, and if I were to appear in his mind, a shade with a minuscule fraction of my power level -- which already isn't much...he could vaporize me before I ever got a word out. It's too big of a risk. I'd guide you in, but I'm not letting you near a Sorcerer's mind until you're good and ready. What you plan on doing is dangerous. I'm going to help, but we're going to do this properly. Jaffur will keep. It's cold to say it, but he's lasted this long. Before we can get him out, we need to teach you everything we can about mind projection." He gives you a faint smirk. "Fortunately, you have the best teacher on Garenhuld for the purpose."
He rises, going to his herb jar and drawing forth a handful of spices. "Today, incidentally, is practical work. The smoke from these herbs will put you into a trance that makes it easier to exit your body. When you go under, try to focus on the exercises we've been working on. I don't expect you to succeed today, but you have proven me wrong more than once before." He hesitates and then looks at you. "...and, Kakara. Knowing what you did, it was incredibly brave of you to come clean with me today. Thank you for your trust." He smiles, and then tosses the herbs in, filling the room with smoke. You focus to fleeing scraps of memory, the records of your lessons with Sensei-
[Sight check (DC 75)-->Pass]
The world is grey.
That's the first thing you notice, anyway. The second thing is your body.
You gasp, flinching back at the sight of yourself in a chair, slumped over. And then you hear a slow, echoing clap from behind you.
"Very impressive," says Sensei. You whirl about. You notice that you drift slightly, as if in low gravity. Sensei's shade smiles at you. "I really didn't expect you to succeed. And yet, here we are."
You stare. Sensei's shade, standing without a care over his own body, lying on the ground, looks like a grey, translucent projection. He looks, frankly, like a ghost.
"This is weird," you say, your voice echoing hollowly.
"The first purposeful time is always a hard adjustment," he says, nodding. "So we'll keep it simple for now." He walks over to you. "Technically we can travel like we normally do like this, but there's a more effective way if you're in a hurry. Much like with the Sight, we can draw ourselves to something relevant, and even seek out those relevant things in a chain if we so need. It's even easier like this. This is actually excellent training for normal Sight, in fact. The risk is the only thing keeping us from making it a matter of course." He looks around for a moment and then smiles at you. "I'll let you steer this time. But stay close to me, and hold onto my hand. I'll pull us out if we wind up somewhere dangerous. Do try to avoid anything terribly risky, though; no minds. Beyond that, drift freely. Where to, Scion?"
Sensei Greatly Approves. Acquaintance Relationship Upgraded! [Positive-->Friendly] Sensei and all sympathetic Seers in Exile society are on board with the conspiracy. Sensei will now devote increased time to your training for the duration of the conspiracy, if you can schedule it (you may now double up on Seer Training actions, including specific technique training).
Vision quest initiated. Where to?
[ ] Family
[ ] Enemies
[ ] Friends
[ ] Opportunities
[ ] Obstacles
[ ] Write-in (for this vote, must be one word and open to broad interpretation)
THIS VOTE IS NOW CLOSED.
You will get the chance to hunt down more specific destinations in the next update, unless you like where you end up on your first try.
An announcement! The crossover with @The Fourth Monado's RP began at some point within the past ten updates. It's just that nobody save them actually noticed. Toldja it'd be quiet.
Another announcement! I have decided on the bonuses to be granted for @Erebeal's fan art pictures (visible under "Fan Art," in the Lore Screen). Erebeal has earned you all a Greater Bonus towards, "A big reveal," and a lesser bonus towards, "Standing your ground." As a reminder, bonuses are used at my discretion -- which means that they're used on the first situation meeting their description that would meaningfully benefit from them.
And...hoo. This was a monster of an update. I spent most of today getting this thing out. We covered a lot of ground here. This is in part why I had the last bit be the vision quest; doing a bunch of quick, short, low-tension updates will be a nice way to cool down from this giant. Lots of fun doing this, though!
You have not yet seen the results of the d12 roll I requested yet.
Enjoy, everybody!
THE NEXT FEW VOTES WILL PROCEED AT A FASTER PACE THAN THE NORM. THIS ONE WILL BE AT NORMAL PACE, SO THE FASTER TEMPO DOESN'T SURPRISE ANYBODY. TWO HOUR MORATORIUM.
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