Alright, so, since it apparently needs to be said:
I will not be answering the question of whether or not Ryuuzaki will recover her human form, no matter how many people PM me or message me on my profile about it. You can stop sending me those.
I understand that this is question is a dealbreaker to some people, but try to understand it from my perspective. I generally try to avoid giving out major plot spoilers because by revealing that information, I would be essentially making a promise that something will or will not happen, and not just that but that it will happen in a certain manner, at a certain point in the story, creating expectations. But what if it doesn't live up to those expectations? What if it happens in a different manner than the reader thought, or doesn't at all? What if it takes too long to happen and they feel cheated?
And that stresses me the fuck out. It already has, when I've revealed stuff and started worrying over whether or not I'll be able to fulfill those promises. Hell, I stress over the unspoken expectations and promises made by the story text itself already, without even getting into OOC spoilers. And you know, I don't particularly enjoy stress, this is my hobby, the stuff I do for fun. It also means less time and effort spent on the stuff I actually want to do, like writing and actually advancing the story.
So in conclusion, not going to answer that question nor will I be convinced to, sorry, the only one I'm willing to discuss major plot spoilers with is my Beta reader.
Just a casual reminder. Posting a chapter is not a promise in any way of another chapter after that. This is internet fanfiction, we can play a little fast and loose with spoken and unspoken expectations.
Just a casual reminder. Posting a chapter is not a promise in any way of another chapter after that. This is internet fanfiction, we can play a little fast and loose with spoken and unspoken expectations.
So much this. Fanfiction authors don't owe us anything. So for the love of good fanfiction, please behave yourself everyone! I do not want to see my quite possibly number 1 favorite fanfiction of all time end up cancelled because posters refused to stop harassing the author.
Just a casual reminder. Posting a chapter is not a promise in any way of another chapter after that. This is internet fanfiction, we can play a little fast and loose with spoken and unspoken expectations.
So much this. Fanfiction authors don't owe us anything. So for the love of good fanfiction, please behave yourself everyone! I do not want to see my quite possibly number 1 favorite fanfiction of all time end up cancelled because posters refused to stop harassing the author.
Thank you, but it's fine, I wouldn't really consider it harassment, nor do I bear any ill will towards the people who did ask me those questions. It's just kinda exhausting to deal with, so I made this as a sort of blanket announcement and an explanation for why I don't answer those questions.
I know myself not to ask or harass to get 'sneak peeks' for the upcomming syory. We'll get to all the good stuff (every and each chapter) in due time. I mean' its only been in story's time not even half the school year if i am not mistaken.
I am quite happy to read the story at the pace you want to tell it to us. It is your tale you weave.
Of course, I know that this is a slow burn Toga ship as she's the only way we can get a double dragon romance with out also involving incest.
But you can't worry about people who can't follow even the most obvious clues.
This is certainly an interesting take. I don't think I have any real comment but to continue the good work.
The specific fear of shark-like creatures seems slightly strange to me, because of the sheer size difference. Does a shark, effectively shrunk by 10-20x, really evoke the same fear as the full-sized shark? The Thalassophobia, on the other hand, I can perfectly understand, because the fear of the unknown, rising from the occluded depths to meet oneself, remains the same regardless of scale. It's a very intriguing implication, and I'm glad you introduced me to it.
I generally try to avoid giving out major plot spoilers because by revealing that information, I would be essentially making a promise that something will or will not happen, and not just that but that it will happen in a certain manner, at a certain point in the story, creating expectations. But what if it doesn't live up to those expectations? What if it happens in a different manner than the reader thought, or doesn't at all? What if it takes too long to happen and they feel cheated?
And that stresses me the fuck out. It already has, when I've revealed stuff and started worrying over whether or not I'll be able to fulfill those promises. Hell, I stress over the unspoken expectations and promises made by the story text itself already, without even getting into OOC spoilers. And you know, I don't particularly enjoy stress, this is my hobby, the stuff I do for fun. It also means less time and effort spent on the stuff I actually want to do, like writing and actually advancing the story.
I think it would be a good idea just to announce that all plot spoilers are caveat emptor. I always took it as a given that works-in-progress were subject to change, and that even text already posted might be supplemented by another draft (or outright rendered noncanon) due to reader feedback. Given that, I think a healthier treatment would be to consider plot spoilers to represent the author's current plan (a plan which they intend, in good faith, to carry through, but which they are not binding themselves to carry through) and nothing more.
(I'm not saying, to be clear, that you should give away such a huge spoiler as "does Ryuuzaki ever turn back". I don't think there are many authors who would.)
I think it would be a good idea just to announce that all plot spoilers are caveat emptor. I always took it as a given that works-in-progress were subject to change, and that even text already posted might be supplemented by another draft (or outright rendered noncanon) due to reader feedback. Given that, I think a healthier treatment would be to consider plot spoilers to represent the author's current plan (a plan which they intend, in good faith, to carry through, but which they are not binding themselves to carry through) and nothing more.
(I'm not saying, to be clear, that you should give away such a huge spoiler as "does Ryuuzaki ever turn back". I don't think there are many authors who would.)
But even if I preface every spoiler by saying that it's subject to change, expectations are still being created. That's how the human mind works. And even if I say I disavow all responsibility for the disappointment created when those expectations aren't fulfilled, they will still bother me and stress me out. I can't just flip a switch like that. So I'd rather not deal with it at all.
This is certainly an interesting take. I don't think I have any real comment but to continue the good work.
The specific fear of shark-like creatures seems slightly strange to me, because of the sheer size difference. Does a shark, effectively shrunk by 10-20x, really evoke the same fear as the full-sized shark?
Would you say that a piranha can't be scary, just because it's tiny compared to you? What about spiders, or snakes, or jellyfish?
But more than that, I would compare it to viewing an image of a shark. It's tiny, and rationally you know that it can't hurt you. But as Ryuuzaki talks about in Chapter 28, it isn't scary in and of itself, but because it evokes that irrational scenario in your brain where it can. Implicitly, as Gang Orca notes, one where Ryuuzaki is not a dragon, but a vulnerable, defenseless little human.
Itsuka Kendo 07:33 Did you talk to her yet? Is she alright?
Setsuna Tokage 07:34 No, but Ryukyu said she's coming with us today so I guess she's fine.
Setsuna Tokage 07:34 Besides, you said she looked fine in the interview on the television.
Itsuka Kendo 07:34 I know, I'm just worried. She hasn't been online all week.
Setsuna Tokage 07:35 Probably busy.
Setsuna Tokage 07:35 gtg
Setsuna Tokage pocketed her phone and sighed, leaning her back against the wall. For the last two days it seemed like it was all anyone would talk about. The group chat had been insufferable. But it wasn't like she could blame them, the capture of the Hero Killer had made international news after all. And it was one of theirs that had done it. Or at least been at the heart of it. Of course they were excited. And worried.
She squared her shoulders and pushed off the wall, striding down the hallway.
Ryukyu Hero Agency was smaller than she'd perhaps originally expected for a Top Ten Hero, but the mahogany flooring and pre-Quirk tapestries told quite clearly it was a matter of preference rather than modesty or ability. She also didn't fail to note the width of the hallway, nor the size of the door before her, but she shoved that detail far into the back of her mind as she approached the entrance, left slightly ajar.
Time to face the music.
"-mber, for today you're my intern. That means acting professional and suspending sibling privilege while on the clock."
"Alright. Just keep in mind, that goes both ways… Ryukyu."
Ryukyu had her back towards Tokage, but turned around to face the intern as she entered. The older woman was clad in her Hero Costume, black qipao dress and white sleeves, claw headdress and small, decorative wings behind her head.
Standing behind her sister, even crouched the massive bulk of Ryuuzaki Tatsuma dominated the room by her sheer presence. Her draconic form was at the least ten meters long from snout to tail by Tokage's estimation, but even that number belied her sheer mass, thick muscle visible beneath the scales.
The two of them couldn't have looked more different, save for one thing: their eyes both shone with the same red, and the younger Tatsuma's scales bore the same snow-white colouration as the elder's hair.
"Ah, Lizardy, you're here. Good."
"Ryukyu." She bowed respectfully, before glancing up at her fellow intern. "Ryuuzaki."
The person of the hour. It wasn't enough to dominate the news cycle, she had to be here as well. Rationally, she knew that the other student hadn't intended for any of it. But it was hard not to feel bitter.
"It's Ryuju, as of yesterday." The dragon stared down at her, looming over Tokage.
"Not all of us have the time to follow the news." She bristled, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"Of course. No offence was meant."
Tokage internally kicked herself. Great start for the day. But it was too late to take back now.
Ryukyu frowned, and her heart sank further, but the older woman said nothing about the exchange, simply beckoning the two of them to follow.
"We've been doing patrolling for most of the week, and from what I've heard you saw more than enough action over at Endeavour." Ryukyu began as she walked out of the lobby and towards her office. Tatsuma glanced at Tokage before lumbering after her, and she hastened to follow. "So today we're going to cover something a little different. Any guesses?"
Tokage and Tatsuma spoke simultaneously.
"Paperwork?"
"Investigation?"
"Good answers both, but not quite. Those are important parts of being a Pro-Hero, but less prominent. This is supposed to be a work experience after all, and I would be remiss to let you go without addressing one of the things that will govern much of your day to day life. That is, we will be talking about money."
Tokage blinked.
That was not what she had been expecting. In hindsight it seemed obvious but nobody had really talked about the financial side of things until now.
"It's a topic that certain people think sullies the profession to even bring up, but I think that kind of talk is silly and unrealistic. Whether we like it or not, money is what turns the gears of society. The platonic ideal of heroism doesn't put food on the table. Nor is running a Hero Agency from your garage conducive to effective Hero work." Ryukyu pulled off her claw-like headdress and showed it to Tokage and Tatsuma. "I had this custom-made by an american support item company to my exact specifications, to fit over my claws when I transform. It's made of an alloy with a name too long for me to remember, but it's almost indestructible and acts as a thermal insulator. It's directly saved my life at least five times. It also cost millions."
"Yen?"
"Dollars. Now that's an extreme example, but the point stands. The two of you are getting your costumes paid for by UA, but a self-regenerating costume and miniaturized noise cancellers aren't cheap either." She said as she put the headdress back on. "Staff is another big expense. Of course you can do without, but it's all about efficiency. No human being can master every job, and all the time you spend on stuff that could be handled by someone else is time that you aren't out there saving people. You need doctors, because you can't fight crime sick or with a torn shoulder ligament. Sidekicks to shore up your weaknesses or just because you can't be in two places at once. Personal trainers, because in this job it pays to stay fit. Accountants, to manage finances. Public Relations people, for when you inevitably say something stupid in an interview. Dispatchers, to man the phones and make sure you are where you're most useful. Once you get big enough you start needing staff just to manage staff. Managers, HR, cleaners, the list goes on. All of them need a place to work from and a salary. And what's leftover goes to you."
Tokage wasn't sure if Ryukyu saw the twitch on her cheek, but the older woman went on. "And why shouldn't it? It's not wrong to be paid for your work, especially one as dangerous and stressful as pro-heroism. And if it attracts more people to be heroes, all the better."
"I don't know, that seems awfully mercenary." Tokage muttered, not meeting Ryukyu's gaze.
"Think of it this way: does it matter if the person pulling you out of a burning building is doing it for money or because they're just being nice?" Tokage jumped slightly as she heard Tatsuma's reptilian hiss coming from behind her. "Isn't it better that there are more heroes on the streets?"
"Exactly." Ryukyu said, and Tokage's ears burned with embarrassment at being shown up. "Anyway, the next logical question is, how do Pro-Heroes make money?" She said as she opened the door to her office, a stack of papers neatly piled on her desk. She walked over and grabbed on from the top, showing it to Tokage and Tatsuma. "The most basic form of income for Pro-Heroes is the stipend the Public Safety Commission pays us at the end of every month based on the reports we send in. Those reports are what you two are going to help me fill up."
Tokage could hear Tatsuma freeze behind her on the doorway- a four-ton dragon makes a lot of noise just by moving, and so the sudden cessation was very noticeable. "You're going to trust us with that? What if we mess up?"
"Hey! What are you implying about me?" Tokage questioned defensively, but Ryukyu stepped in.
"I trust you with coming along on patrol, and so potentially with people's lives. What's financials compared to that? But I am going to go over them myself, and then have my accountant check again."
Tokage was still glaring daggers at Tatsuma but the dragon seemed to relax, ignoring her as she stepped inside. In a few minutes all three of them were seated and peering over the submission forms, Ryukyu behind her desk, Tokage on the guest chair and Tatsuma laying on the floor beside her.
"...You know I can't hold a pen, right?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I would have set something up for you, but with all that's happened over the last two days… you can still assist us though!"
For an instant Tokage felt a surge of smugness, before it was replaced by a stab of horrified guilt. What the hell was wrong with her this morning? That was… not okay. She wanted to slap herself, but it would have elicited questions.
"Now, there's a certain base pay that you get just from holding an active Hero License. Not enough to live on, but a nice bit of supplementary income to incentivize people to get trained and be available in the case of an emergency even if they don't want to do it for their day job." Ryukyu explained, drawing Tokage away from her thoughts. "Beyond that everything gets tallied up. Villains taken down, civilians saved, cases resolved, time spent patrolling- even if you don't catch anyone you're still helping maintain the peace -and so on. Responding to police calls and requests pays well, too. The Commission also assigns a bounty for notorious villains, that gets paid out to each participating Pro-Hero. It's meant to disincentivize people from competing over who brings them in but the fame of taking down a famous villain often leads to it anyway."
"Wait." Tokage turned to look at Tatsuma, who had tilted her head. "Wouldn't… Stain have had a bounty?"
"One of the highest." Ryukyu shook her head. "But you're interns, so you don't qualify for the bounty. You're not legally allowed to be paid until you get your full Licenses."
"That's bull-" Tokage exclaimed, before cutting herself short, her ears burning. "That's not… right."
"I agree." Ryukyu nodded, to Tokage's surprise and relief. "It's overtly restrictive. The legislation was passed soon after the rules for bounties were changed to be paid to everyone involved, in response to an incident where a Pro-Hero by the name of Thunderwave started taking on interns from less than reputable Hero Schools and bringing them en-masse to dangerous fights to watch from the sidelines. The bounty would get multiplied by the headcount, then he'd pocket ninety percent of the interns' shares for himself as they'd agreed beforehand."
"I feel like there were other options for closing that loophole than totally forbidding interns from receiving compensation."
"Of course there were. But that's politics for you. Pro-Hero compensation has been a touchy subject in recent years, especially in areas where the Hero Killer was active. Representatives wanted to score points with some constituency or another, and nobody really cared to stop them. It's not like many Pro-Heroes are going to lobby against getting unpaid labour. 'They get to build up their fame and skills, isn't that enough?', that's what they said."
Tokage cast her head down, annoyed but with no retort coming to mind.
Soon enough they were hard at work, Ryukyu and Tokage filling out the forms as Tatsuma read from the records that the Agency kept. It was… awkward, not the least because they had to change pages for Tatsuma lest she absolutely shred the paper with her claws. The alternative was not involving her at all, which would defeat the point of the exercise, but it made the work slow and frustrating.
"That can't be right." Tokage finally muttered, staring at the end total she had reached.
"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Ryukyu asked.
"There's no way this can cover all the expenses of… all this." She gestured around her.
"It doesn't. It's good that you asked that, because that's what we'll be getting into next." Ryukyu said, leaning back in her chair. "Government pay is only one part of your income. Most new Heroes rely on it, but as you build up fame and connections you can also get commissions from private entities. Guarding a specific event or location, guest teaching for a Hero School, appearing for a panel at a convention or to sign autographs, interviews for the media, that sort of stuff. The UA Sport Festival's security detail pays excellently, because it means having to miss out on scouting opportunities."
She went on to explain. "Then once you really start making it big there's sponsorships to consider. The money is good, but it's a balancing act. It takes quite a bit of time, you have to follow their specifications and if you do it too much it's easy to get a reputation as "Shampoo Ad Hero" or the like. Now, where the real money lies for top heroes is in merchandise. Every action figure, colouring book, poster, keychain and video game bearing your likeness nets you royalties. And you don't even have to actively do anything for it, just negotiate the licensing deal and monitor their adherence to it, and that you can delegate to other people. But for today, we'll be doing a check-up in person."
-----
The convention center was not quite jam-packed, but the crowd could hardly be called sparse either. People were drifting in and out of various stalls that ran in endless rows all along the building's interior.
And then there was the merchandise. So. Much. Merchandise.
Each stall focused on a specific type of item or a particular hero. All-Might was, obviously, by far the most prominent, featuring between one third and one half of the convention's offerings, by Tokage's reckoning. Then maybe another third went to the remaining Top Ten; Endeavour, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Crust, Yoroi Musha, Wash, Ryukyu of course, and Gang Orca. The remainder was an assortment of historical and lower-ranked Heroes, probably most prominent among them Miruko, the current Number Eleven and on the track to break into the Top Ten in the next Hero Billboard Chart.
"This place is running something hero-related more or less around the calendar, and the merchandise sale figures are correspondingly massive." Ryukyu explained as the three of them made their way through the crowd. "If you want to get a pulse on the latest trends and currents, this is the place to be."
"So what exactly are we doing?" Tokage asked.
"Just patrolling, looking out for anything out of place or inappropriate. Of all sorts, it's a professional courtesy to let a fellow Pro know if there's an issue they should know of. I'm not expecting us to necessarily find anything, but I felt that it's important to introduce you to this side of the profession as well."
A lot of eyes followed them as they walked, the majority of them drawn to Ryukyu and even moreso- to Tokage's chagrin -Tatsuma. There was an invisible barrier there, an unspoken rule not to bother a Hero at work, but at the center of a fan convention, she wondered how long it would last.
They wandered across the floor, weaving past stalls here and there. Ryukyu made a stop in front of one stall, browsing it's offerings while the seller was over the moon, hardly able to get a word out of his mouth. She was about to move on when Tatsuma cleared her throat, and Tokage followed her gaze to a poster of Ryukyu and Hawks.
"Can I…?"
"Just make it quick." Ryukyu sighed.
"How… will you be paying, Miss?" The stall's owner managed to squawk out.
"With credit card." Tatsuma said, tapping her wristband that contained her communicator. She held it over the reader and it bleeped in affirmation, and she very carefully tucked the poster into a pouch on her vest, taking care not to touch it with her claws.
They continued on their way, and the crowds began to thicken. It was getting hard to see anything through the press of bodies, only Tatsuma's hulking form standing over the crowd.
"...Ryukyu, didn't you say that unlicensed heroes can't make license agreements?" She asked.
"Yes?" The older woman immediately perked up. "Did you see something?"
"Stall thirty-three, the guy with the iguana Quirk. He's keeping them under the counter, but I saw him take out a miniature M-Deku and sell it just now.".
"Thirty-three?" Ryukyu said, already moving at a determined pace. "I see it. Let's pay him a visit."
Tokage hurried to follow the two sisters as they marched off, caught off guard by the sudden shift. She cursed herself for not being on the watch- her Quirk was supposed to be good at scouting.
By the time she caught up they were already at the stall, Tatsuma's massive bulk obscuring her vision. There was a sound of something being knocked over and the clatter of running feet, only for Tatsuma to take a rapid step forward and interpose a massive, clawed forelimb in front of the fleeing merchant, larger than his entire body. Tokage saw him sputter to a halt, overbalance and fall over, landing on his rear.
"Okay, I think you already know why we-" Ryukyu began, whilst Tokage rounded around Tatsuma to get a better look at the man on the ground, who was wearing thick coat and a beanie, with distinctively lizard-like features, only for him to gasp out.
"Setsuna?"
"Makoto?" She peered down at him, her heart sinking. "Is that you? What are you doing here?"
"What do ya think?"
"You know him?" Ryukyu asked.
"...This is Makoto Tokage, my cousin." She said, wishing with all her heart that the ground would suddenly open up and swallow her.
"So these your friends, eh Setsuna?" He smiled up at them. "What do ya say we forget about all this, you know, between friends?"
"I'll be the judge of that." Ryukyu snapped, folding her arms over her chest. "Are you aware that selling counterfeit merchandise is a crime?"
"Oh come on, there's a lot of dedicated fans out there, I'm just responding to demand, you know?" He glanced towards the two interns as he got to his feet, licking his lips nervously. "If anything I'm doing them a service, helping them build publicity. Eh?"
"It's still a crime." Ryukyu scoffed, before gesturing at the pair of security guards pushing through the crowd towards them. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to go with these two fine gentlemen and they're going to turn your contraband over to the police. You'll be fined and a mark is going to be put on your record. Being difficult about it will only make it worse for you."
The man went pale, stammering out something unintelligible whilst Ryukyu talked to the two guards, before they took Makoto by the shoulder.
Tokage could feel the eyes on her as the security guards escorted the man away.
"Yes, they're all like that." She snapped curtly. "I'm the only one actually interested in making something of myself."
…
An awkward silence ensued for a moment until Tatsuma broke it.
"So you're not going to arrest him?"
"It's not an arrest-worthy crime." Ryukyu replied to her sister. "Sure, I could have taken him in for questioning, but what's the point in causing more drama and antagonizing people over a relatively minor crime?
"You know he's probably friends with the security here?" Tokage muttered.
"I don't doubt it, but I do doubt that they'd take a risk for him when the Number Ten Hero is involved. And if they do, well, worse for them because I'll be checking back on this case." She said, making a note on her phone before closing it and turning towards the doors. "Well, I think it's about time we got going. Don't want to be late to our next appointment."
-----
The route that Ryukyu was leading them on took them to one of the more run-down areas of Musutafu, the kind of area that they warn newcomers to stay well clear of. The buildings looked to be in lesser or greater degrees of disrepair, and she could spot frequent cracks and bumps in the pavement while trash was littered here and there across the streets.
"Is this where-" Tatsuma began.
"Yeah." Ryukyu replied curtly, cutting off her sister.
"...Where, exactly, are we going?" Tokage questioned.
"Well, I thought that all this talk of money and finances might leave a sour taste in your mouths, so we should end things doing a more heroic note." Ryukyu explained as they rounded the corner, coming to a stop in front of a small building. "And what's more heroic than community service?"
Tokage looked up at the sign hanging over the door, reading "Bothweli Daycare." It was low, squat building with a small fenced-off yard surrounding it, a couple of struggling trees poking out of the dirt alongside a swing set and a sandbox.
As soon as Ryukyu pushed the front gate open Tokage could hear yelling and the pitter-patter of small feet, as a horde preschoolers maybe between the ages of three and six emerged from the front door, crowding around the Pro-Hero in excitement, casting curious or wary glances at the two interns but the majority of their attention was on her.
"Ryukyu! Ryukyu! Did ya come to visit us 'gain? Did ya bring us any toys?"
"No toys this time." She smiled. "But we are here to visit. Where's your caretaker?"
Just as she said that an old woman, probably in her fifties, emerged from the building, shooing at the kids to make way and give some space.
"What have we talked about politeness, hmm? Is it polite to swarm guests and demand things of them?"
"No, Mrs. Nakashima." The children chorused. "We're sorry Mrs. Nakashima."
"Is it me that you need to say that to?"
Tokage saw some of the younger kids struggle for a moment, but starting from the older ones they turned to Ryukyu. "We're sorry Ms. Ryukyu.
"Please don't stop coming to visit." One added in a small voice.
"Of course not." She replied, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair before turning back towards Tokage and Tatsuma. "These are my interns, Ryuju and Lizardy. They'll be working with us today so I need you guys to be good to them and not give them any trouble. Can I count on you?"
"Yeah!"
"Now why don't you get going while we talk to Mrs. Nakashima?"
The kids scattered, and Ryukyu turned towards the older woman.
"Ryuju, Lizardy, thus is Naoko Nakashima, the head of Bothweli Daycare. Treat her as you would myself."
"Hard to be the head of anything when I'm the only one working here." She said with a sigh, rolling her shoulders. "It's good that you're here."
"What happened to the two assistants?" Ryukyu asked.
"They quit before their trial period was over, of course. We can't pay enough to retain workers."
"...Aren't daycares funded by public funds?" Tatsuma asked.
"We are." She said, turning to look up at the dragon. "Which means every daycare worker in the city gets paid the same. Which means nobody's going to take the risk of getting mugged or kidnapped on their commute, or getting caught in the middle of a gang fight. Ryukyu's the only reason they've left the daycare itself alone."
"But you didn't come here to hear an old woman complain. Lizardy, I need another pair of hands to help with dinner. Ryuju… I think you'd be best served watching the kids in the yard. Ryukyu, they've been clamouring for another story."
"We'll get on that." She smiled.
Soon enough Tokage was in the kitchen of the small daycare, tending to several pots of soup on the stove, adding in ingredients under Nakashima's instructions as she prepped them.
"Do you… get Pro-Heroes here often?" She asked after a while, just to break the silence.
"Just Ryukyu. A daycare isn't as immediately visible as cleaning a park or hosting a radio show." Nakashima stated bitterly, before sighing. "No, forget I said that. I'm sure there's many causes that need Heroes' attention."
"So Ryukyu's been a big assistance?"
"Oh, vital. When a drunk driver crashed into the fence last year and the city wouldn't send anyone to fix it for weeks she lit a fire under their asses. Twice a year she brings in a toy for every kid here. For most of them that's more than what they'd otherwise get. And she keeps the kids entertained and the druggies away. She's told me that if she legally could pay for the extra caretakers she would."
"Sounds like she's going out of her way to help."
"Oh, she's always been like that. Why, when she was a kid-" Nakashima stopped abruptly, shaking her head. "Ah, nevermind." Before Tokage could ask what she meant the older woman pressed on. "Why don't you go and call everyone in while I put in the finishing touches? Just ring the bell on the porch, the kids know what it means."
Weirded out by the sudden shift in behaviour, Tokage could do nothing but follow orders, making her way to the back porch. Ryukyu was sitting on a lawn chair under the shade of a tree, surrounded by a ring of raptly attentive kids who hung onto her every word as she told a story of a fight with a giant squid villain, emphasizing the tale with hand gestures every so often.
Most of the remaining kids were out on the playground, where Tatsuma's hulking form was sprawled on the sand, preschoolers crawling all over her as if she was a play castle. A gaggle of them were on her back, pretending to be dragon-riding, while others were marveling at the warm, white scales.
As Tokage watched one girl of maybe four years toppled over and fell, but Tatsuma simply shifted her wing to catch her with the membrane like a life net. The child squealed in excitement and began babbling something, drawing the attention of the others, but Tatsuma raised her head and spoke something inaudible in her deep, hissing voice, curbing their enthusiasm. She lowered her head back down as the kids went about playing on and around her. One boy came up to her and asked her something, only to squawk and jump backwards as she opened her massive, fanged jaws, slowly inching forward to poke one of her teeth with a finger.
Despite all the people crawling on her, touching her, Tatsuma simply sat there patiently, looking watchful yet content. It was a scene Tokage almost felt ashamed to break up as she went to ring the bell.
-----
"Thank you so much for coming." Nakashima said as she locked the front gate, pulling out the key. "Even if it was just for one day, I've been able to get many things done that have been sitting there because I can't leave the kids unattended."
Tokage simply felt too exhausted to speak. The last of the children had just been picked up a while ago, many of the parents gawking at the live dragon. Then the Daycare had to be cleaned and prepared for the next day. But in spite of that… it felt like they had done some good. It was a nice feeling.
"The honour was ours." Ryukyu bowed her head respectfully. "It's always a pleasure, and a good working experience for Ryuju and Lizardy. There's more to being a Hero than just punching villains."
"If only more of 'em saw it that way." Nakashima muttered, before clearing her throat. "Right, I won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you have places to be."
After waving their goodbyes the trio departed, Ryukyu taking the lead.
"Community service is something that every active hero needs to do, but at least you'll get to pick where you go. But remember that as Heroes you also have a responsibility to the community. Do not act frivolously."
The streets actually had more people on them as the sun was getting closer to setting but most of everyone gave them a wide berth, averting their eyes and looking down at the pavement.
After traveling a few blocks, however, there was a commotion of some sort up ahead. A middle-aged woman was struggling with a young man, trying to stop him from taking a backpack that she was holding on to with both arms.
"Help!"
"Hold on!" Ryukyu said as she stepped forward, a hand on her headdress, but as the man turned to look at them he let go of the woman, his eyes widening like dinner plates. He raised both his hands towards Ryukyu and the interns, palms open, suddenly there was a green light, rapidly coming towards them.
In that instant, in that split-second of decision-making, Tokage hesitated, her mind still struggling to catch up to what was happening. She was frozen in place.
Then, a huge shadow fell in front of her, obscuring the light and casting her in shadow. As the glare faded, Tokage got to see the sight of an elephant-sized dragon toppling over, green wisps of energy crackling on her scales as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she crashed down on her back with a loud crack, cracking the pavement beneath her.
Tatsuma had stepped in front of her. While she had been stood there Tatsuma had moved without hesitation, without even a moment's consideration, to throw herself in front of an unknown attack.
An angry growl emanated from behind her as smoke flooded the street and a second dragon charged forward, the smell of ozone filling Tokage's nostrils. The spell broken, Tokage rushed to Tatsuma's side to check her breathing, which was mercifully easy to see and hear.
"She's breathing!"
The man up ahead was still running, casting a glance over his shoulder and his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of the pissed-off dragon coming right at him. He pointed an open palm towards her and another blast emanated from it.
Now that Tokage could see clearly it seemed to be composed of something like green light or lightning, traveling fast, perhaps at the speed of an arrow. Ryukyu twisted her neck and, with liquid grace that nothing so big should be able to possess, wrung her body out mid-air so that the blast brushed past her, impacting against a lamppost. The green energy sparked and crackled as it made contact, but fizzled out in a few seconds, leaving the post standing unharmed.
"It's some sort of stunning effect!"
The villain was elbowing people out of the way as he went, shoving them to the ground. His initial victim had taken off running and people were scattering in all directions, but the streets were still crowded enough that Tokage could tell Ryukyu was having to slow down for fear of running into someone.
This was bad.
As she'd explained over the last four days, Ryukyu specialized in dealing with large and powerful villains, using her flight to be able to respond to calls from across the city in minutes. But her Quirk wasn't suited for dealing with situations like this.
The villain was also continuing to fire indiscriminately, and Tokage saw him hit a woman he'd shoved out of the way moments before, dazed and trying to get up as the blast hit her square in the face. She went limp as Tatsuma had, like a marionette with its strings cut.
Time slowed down. If she fell, she'd crack her head open on the pavement. Ryukyu had seen it, but she was too far away.
The only one who could do anything… was Tokage. She'd already hesitated once, and Tatsuma had to pay the price. It wouldn't happen again.
She threw herself forward, and activated her Quirk, her torso separating at the waist and rocketing forward. But not fast enough. The flight speed of Lizard Tail Cutter increased with the number of separations, but there was a short interval after each split until she could make a new one. She wouldn't make it in time.
No. Unacceptable.
She grabbed her left arm with the right and tugged it off before throwing it forward with everything she had. With the combination of her Quirk and the throw, her hand just barely managed to get under the woman's head before she hit the ground, scraping asphalt all the while.
Tokage winced in pain, but gently lowered the woman to the pavement and continued her flight past her. In the few seconds that had passed the villain's lead had gotten longer, as the people he'd tripped slowed Ryukyu's pursuit. Tokage sent a few more pieces of herself to go catch falling people, but the villain was getting away.
"We have to go above!" She shouted. "Otherwise he'll keep shooting into the crowd!"
"I know, but the downdraft would send people flying and risk injury!" Ryukyu grit her teeth. "You'll have to do it."
"Me? But-"
"Just go!"
A bit of sweat running down her brow, Tokage pushed herself higher into the air, continuing to separate herself every few seconds. She was gaining on the villain, and as he saw her he began firing upwards at her instead. Which took the civilians out of the harm's way, but left her dealing with a barrage of smaller blasts he was throwing out of his palms.
Trying not to think about the last time she'd been in this situation, Tokage spread her cloud of body parts wider apart, dodging the incoming fire. A few of them were hit, going numb and flopping to the ground, but she simply pressed on, careful to keep all of her vital parts high in the air as she sent pieces of her arms and legs to assault the villain.
A feint with her fist towards the jaw to distract her, pieces of her shin to the backs of his knees to make him lose footing, followed by her elbows to hook under his armpits to lift him into the air. He struggled, trying to pry her off, but she got a firm grip on his legs and flipped him mid-air, holding him upside down a good meter off the ground.
It was the first look that she had gotten of the man, in his early twenties with short black hair and scruffy clothing.
"You are under arrest. Do not resist further." She recited from memory, but the man spat back.
"Go to hell."
He brought his hand up to fire another blast, so Tokage triggered the taser built into her forearm, pressed against his chest, and he jolted in place before going limp.
Ryukyu reached them seconds later, her presence causing Tokage's skin to tingle with static electricity, but she took one look at the villain and Tokage before transforming back to human.
"That was well done. Do you have something to restrain him?"
Tokage shook her head, and Ryukyu pulled out a zip-tie from a pouch on her belt. "Always keep some on you, you never know when you need them."
She tossed it up to Tokage and she used it to bind the man's hands behind his back, before lowering him to the ground.
It took ten whole minutes for the police to arrive, all the while Ryukyu was talking to the bystanders who'd begun waking up, drowsy and disorientated whilst surreptitiously casting worried glances at her sister, still knocked out cold. When the squad car pulled up on the curb two officers disembarked. The older of the two took one look at the villain, shaking his head.
"This the guy? Yeah, he's a known face 'round these parts. Daisuke Kishimoto, aka Knockout, small-time villain. His Quirk's called Concussion, which can knock out good if you get hit by it, especially from both hands. I'm guessing that's what happened to big guy over there?" He nodded towards Tatsuma.
"That is my sister." Ryukyu stated.
"Alright." He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Anyway, since it affects the nervous system directly his Quirk doesn't care for how tough you are, so he's a hot commodity for the local gangs as hired muscle. Must have fallen on hard times recently, to resort to muggings."
Ryukyu exchanged a few more words with the officers before they moved on to getting statements from the civilians, leaving the two of them standing by Tatsuma's side.
"I called the ambulance too, but emergency service response time is terrible in this part of the city." She fumed. "If they're not here in five minutes I'm going to-"
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by Tatsuma abruptly jolting to an upright position, wobbling on her feet as she took a step back, shaking her head. Her eyes seemed unfocused, rapidly darting back and forth between Tokage and Ryukyu.
"Keitä te ootte? Missä vitussa mä olen?" She began babbling something unintelligible, before looking down at herself, raising a clawed forelimb before her eyes as if in disbelief. "Kuka mä olen mitä mä-"
Just as abruptly as it had begun, Tatsuma's eyes rolled over and she collapsed again. Ryukyu stepped forward, worried, but she seemed to be breathing steadily all the same.
"...What was that?" Tokage asked, baffled. "Was that some sort of language?"
"Oh, Ryuuzaki speaks fluent Finnish."
"...Why? How?"
"Everybody needs a hobby. She thinks she's keeping it secret, but she's not as sneaky as she thinks she is." Ryukyu winked surreptitiously at her, before her expression sobered. "Don't… tell her I told you that, though. I'd rather she tell me about it of her own initiative."
Thoroughly confused, Tokage could do little except nod dumbly. A few seconds later Tatsuma began to stir again, though her awakening was not nearly as violent as before. She slowly cracked her eyes open, peering at the two of them.
"Oh. I thought I was dreaming. I saw a light…"
"You got hit by a Quirk that gave you a concussion, or something similar to one." Ryukyu explained.
"Right. I remember now. I stepped in front of…"
"Yeah." Tokage bit out, her mood instantly souring at the memory of having had to be saved. Ryukyu gave her a look, but said nothing.
"Anyway, you should lie down. The paramedics will be here any moment. Or I'm going to go and give them an earful about neglecting particular areas." She huffed.
The ambulances did arrive a few minutes later, and after checking everyone out to make sure there were no further ill effects, gave them leave to depart. The three of them returned to the Agency, the sun having already set by the time they got there.
"Well, I wanted to do a performance review before we call it a day, but I think we're officially running out of time." Ryukyu said as they turned onto the final street. "Ryuju, why don't you go home and rest after what's happened? I can come over to talk tomorrow. Lizardy, could you come with me? There's a few things that I'd like to discuss with you before you leave."
-----
Tokage's heart was hammering in her chest as she sat down in front of Ryukyu's desk, clutching her hands together on her lap to keep herself from fidgeting.
"I think that there exists a problem here, one that has been made apparent by today's events, which I would like to address." The older woman said, steepling her fingers. "So let us cut to the chase: your attitude towards Ryuju has been unacceptable. I can understand a simple rivalry, but this goes beyond that, into hostility."
"It's nothing." Tokage lied.
"It clearly isn't." Ryukyu retorted. "What is this really about?"
"I would've thought you'd known." Tokage crossed her arms defensively. "Is that not why you picked me as an intern?"
Ryukyu sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I did not pick you as an intern as a favour for my sister, or indeed because of her at all."
"Then why? It can't be because of my performance at the Sports Festival." She muttered bitterly. "It was nothing but a humiliating loss."
"Was it?" Ryukyu tilted her head in a manner that couldn't help but remind Tokage of her sister. "I recall you using teamwork and clever utilization of multiple Quirks to hatch a plan that almost succeeded against possibly the most unfair Quirk combination possible with the given roster, during the Cavalry Battle. I recall you correctly assessing exactly what you needed to achieve victory in the first round of the Tournament, and then executing it. I recall the quarterfinals being a hard-won victory for your opponent, even though he had a type advantage over you."
"..."
"I've read your file. Born to a low-income family in Saitama Prefecture, most of your family has a criminal record a mile long. Pickpocketing. Theft. Scams. Gang affiliations. Muggings. Extortion. But not you. You wanted something more, to be something more than a petty street criminal. You wanted to be a Hero. And not just that, you wanted to go to UA. And not just that, you wanted to enter on a recommendation. Through hard work and dedication, you were able to impress the Dinosaur Hero: Golden Saurian, and obtain a letter of recommendation from him, an unusual feat even without considering your background. But at the Recommended Student Exam, despite a solid performance you did not make the final cut. Golden Saurian retracted his recommendation."
Tokage bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping at Ryukyu to get on with it.
"You later attended the regular Exam and passed in twenty-third place with a score of nineteen villain points and twenty-eight hero points. The supervising teachers noted your creative solutions in bringing down the Fake Villains despite lacking direct attack power. Since moving to Musutafu and beginning your attendance your scores have been near the top of the Heroics Department, but your teachers have also noted that your stay at UA has been characterized by an aggressively competitive attitude towards your peers and an intense desire to prove yourself." Ryukyu paused, looking at Tokage. "At this point you are most likely wondering what my point is. And the truth is, the reason why I took you on as an intern is that I see a lot of myself in you."
"You?!" Tokage couldn't contain her outburst.
"Yes. I know it might be hard to believe, but I grew up in poverty, dreaming of something better, making something of myself." Tokage's mind went back to the odd exchange between the sisters and Nakashima's words. "It is why I became a Hero. One of the reasons, at least. I remember being so very jealous of the recommended students, who got a pass thanks to their prestigious families."
"Weren't you..." Tokage trailed off.
"Estranged." Was the curt reply, and Tokage got the impression that the topic was firmly off-limits. "I tried so hard to be the coolest kid in the class, to show that I belonged, that I deserved to be there. I'm sure Ryuju could tell many stories of how insufferable I was around that time. But I grew up. And, I'm saying this as someone who wants to see you succeed, you need to, as well."
"At least you had a strong Quirk." Tokage stated, crossing her arms. "Even if you understand where I came from, how could you possibly know what it's like to feel helplessly weak, to see others effortlessly brush through challenges that you could never surpass, to feel how raw power, assigned by random chance, can trump any amount of effort?"
"Get over it." Ryukyu stated bluntly, shocking her. "I know that sounds callous, but it's the cold, hard truth. The human experience is too vast to ever find a perfectly fair comparison. Injustice should be fought against, yes, but we humans are individuals, not clones pressed from a mould. There's always going to be someone better, faster, stronger, tougher or smarter. Or with a better Quirk, yes. Yours is by no means even bad, it just lacks direct attack power. The versatility it provides is incredible, and your regeneration means you can take risks as long as you leave at least a part of yourself safe. As shown today."
"I still had to be saved by her."
"Everyone needs to be saved on occasion. That's nothing special." Ryukyu replied.
"I get it. I get what it's like to feel inferior to others, to invent excuses to rationalize why you lost. I used to attribute it to those other students being able to pay for training courses and self-defence classes. Or they never suffered from malnutrition as a little kid and that's why they're doing better. Or maybe they didn't have a little sister they needed to babysit, leaving more time for training. Anything to avoid self-reflection. I only saw those ahead of me, without regard for those I'd left behind. Even today those feelings sometimes rear their head. Me, the Number Ten Hero. And yet there they are. Gang Orca doesn't have to mind collateral damage the way I do. Yoroi Musha is way older and more respected than I am. Wash is more marketable and popular. Crust is so earnest in everything he does. Edgeshot and Best Jeanist can project an aura of coolness that nobody can match. Hawks' speed is just unfair. Endeavour's efficiency at solving cases is inhuman. And let's not even talk about All-Might. What do they have that I don't? Why are they doing better than I am? But do you want to know what I realized, the secret of how I got out of it and became successful?"
Ryukyu leaned forwards, her hands on her desk as she looked Tokage straight in the eyes.
"It doesn't matter. None of it. Who comes first, who comes last. It. Does. Not. Matter. Comparing yourself to others will only hamper your growth with jealousy, and blind you to your own achievements. The only thing that does matter is giving it all you've got, being the best that you can be, being your own ideal self."
Ryukyu poked a finger at Tokage's chest.
"It's impossible not to notice the difference between the last four days and today. As soon as Ryuju came here you began antagonizing her and taking anything she said or did as an insult or one-upmanship, causing you to be distracted and act out. Most Pro-Heroes would not be as understanding of that kind of unprofessional behaviour as I am. So stop focusing on how you compare to others, and start looking into bettering yourself."
-----
Tokage looked up at the huge door, butterflies buzzing in her stomach. The internship week was over, she was free to go, but here she was.
Standing around. Waiting. Procrastinating.
This was stupid.
Taking a breath, she strode up to the door and rapped her knuckles against the frame, knocking thrice in quick succession. There was a sound of something massive shifting behind it, the floor vibrating as it got closer, until the door clicked open, revealing a massive, white-scaled dragon peering down at her.
"Tatsuma. Can we talk?"
She blinked slowly and shrugged, her folded wings rolling with the motion. "Sure."
Tatsuma retreated back into the room, giving Tokage room to follow her inside.
The air was warm but not to the point of being uncomfortable, a soft mat covering the floor while the walls were lined with posters, predominantly featuring Ryukyu. The only loose furniture was the massive, oddly shaped chair and the pile of pillows in the corner of the room: a large desk and various drawers were bolted into the walls themselves.
"I… need to apologize." She said, before bowing stiffly towards the other student. "My conduct towards you since the Recommended Student Exam has been unacceptable."
"Alright. I accept your apology."
"...Just like that?"
"Just like that." She confirmed. "Ever since the Recommended Students exam… you've been feeling like you were humiliated by your loss, that you had something to prove. Am I wrong?
"I…was it that obvious?" Tokage asked in a small voice.
"I mean it wasn't exactly hard to put two and two together once I really thought about it, given how insecurely you've been acting all day." She shrugged again as Tokage spluttered indignantly. "You probably had someone who gave you that recommendation? Someone you held in high regard? Whom you felt like you disappointed by not making it through the exam? Or maybe, who didn't take it well that you wanted to take the regular exam at UA rather than being a Recommended Student elsewhere?" She listed off, as Tokage's jaw hung open before she snapped it closed. "I still feel the pressure of the recommendation I got from Ryuko. That I'm not living up to it. If I'd failed at the first test I would have been… I'm not saying that how you acted was right. But I do understand it."
Tokage bowed her head in shame. "Nevertheless. It is clear that you deserved the Recommended Student spot. It's not fair for me to take my frustrations out on you."
"I don't feel like I do. Deserve it, I mean." Tatsuma stated, almost morosely. "I don't feel like I'm better than anyone else who competed for it. I've got a really strong Quirk, probably the third strongest in our year, and I've got Ryuko who supported me every step of the way. Sure, I've also had to work hard, but have I really worked harder than anyone else? Sometimes, I wonder, was it me who achieved any of these things that I've done? Or was it those advantages that I didn't really do anything to earn? If, hypothetically, someone else had been born in my place, into my circumstances, could they have done better with it?"
Tokage worked her jaw, trying to say something, but she couldn't find the words.
"But… I want to be a Hero. And to work towards that ideal, to become that person who saves people, I can't give up. Even if at times I feel unworthy… I have to keep going. So I can't give it anything less than everything I've got, and see how far it takes me. That's all any of us can do. Does that make sense?"
"I… think it does. I suppose I never really thought about it like that." She hung her head down. "Thank you."
An awkward silence ensued, and Tokage began shuffling her feet towards the door.
"Do you… have a ride home?"
"My father is coming to pick me up for the weekend to go back to Saitama, but it'll be a few hours." Because he had to drive a car due to being banned from the train.
"Do you… want to play a video game or something while you wait?" Tatsuma asked awkwardly.
Tokage considered her options. On one hand, things were awkward enough already. But on the other…
"What games do you have?"
"Uh." Tatsuma said, seemingly taken aback that she was actually considering the offer. She walked over to one of the closets, carefully prying it open to reveal a collection of old plastic cases all neatly lined up and ordered by category.
"Wow, these are old. From the Pre-Quirk era?"
"Replicas, most of them." Tatsuma added, rubbing her neck with a claw. "It's... a hobby of mine. Old stuff. Movies. Video games. TV series."
"What's this one?" Tokage asked, pointing at a blank spot.
"Oh. That's the one that I'm missing from the collection. The Bionicle: Mask of Light movie. If you ever happen to find a copy, I'll pay- I'll get Ryuko to pay anything for it. Well. Within reason."
"Why?" Tokage said, peering at the other movies in the same series. "Those look like little kids stuff."
"It's just something that I saw as a kid and have been wanting to find again ever since. For nostalgia, you know." She spoke quickly, before pointing at a particular game. "Anyway, maybe we could try out this one. It's a remake of an old strategy game. You know, build armies out of fantasy units, then fight to the death."
"I don't know, that sounds kinda ner-"
"One of the playable races is dinosaur people."
"Well why didn't you lead with that?" Tokage said immediately. "Let's get on with it!"
"We'll have to do split-screen, but I should have a regular keyboard and mouse for you here somewhere." Tatsuma walked over to a closet and gently pried it open with a claw, slowly and awkwardly looking through it. The moment stretched on and Tokage began to wonder if she should offer to help, only for Tatsuma to step away from the closet with a tiny keyboard held on her open palm.
"I don't... often have the need for these nowadays." She muttered as she handed it to Tokage, who tactfully said nothing.
In a few moments Tokage was sitting on one of Tatsuma's pillows, using it as a beanbag chair of sorts, with a keyboard on her lap and a mouse on top of a book.
"Sorry the setup is a little awkward."
"It's fine." Tokage muttered. "But if we're playing multiplayer, won't you be at an advantage since you've played this before?"
"Well, I'll have to play by voice control since I can't use a mouse. That's already one big handicap."
"Hmph."
Tokage scrolled through the roster that she had available: as Tatsuma had said, dinosaurs starting from human-sized foot soldiers all the way up to Triceratopses and Tyrannosauruses. She didn't really have a reference point for the stats that came up on the screen, but she picked out what she thought was a relatively balanced army, with a core of warriors and a sizable contingent of larger dinos.
"You're playing… elves? Tokage said as she clicked to confirm her choices, peering over at Tatsuma's half of the screen. "Why?"
Wordlessly, she pointed a claw at the screen, and Tokage followed her direction to a particular name on the unit roster.
Dragonriders. Tokage shook her head, but couldn't hold back the grin. Should've known.
They loaded into the battlefield, the two armies facing one another on hilly grassland, with pockets of trees strewn here and there. Tokage grouped her infantry into a long line, with the bigger dinos placed behind them.
Tatsuma's elves had been arranged in a half-circular spearwall atop a small hill, with archers and a battery of bolt throwers in the middle and a squadron of dragonriders hanging above the formation.
"You're going to camp on the hill?"
"Well, you don't have any ranged units, so…" Tatsuma said as the match commenced, clearing her throat. "Bolt throwers, fire at will."
The ballistae began unleashing hails of bolts at Tokage's army, hitting her troops. The damage seemed to be minimal as there were only a handful of the war machines, but it would add up over time. There seemed to be no other option than a frontal charge, and Tokage ordered her forces to advance up the map towards the hill.
As they got close the archers began firing as well, but the dinosaur warriors raised crude shields to protect themselves, and they greatly outnumbered the spear-elves as they charged up the slope. The armies made contact with an impressive crash, and Tokage had to admit the game's audio was on point.
Despite their defensive position the elven lines were getting hit hard, the dinosaur warriors wading into their lines swinging huge clubs. They were outnumbered and, as far as Tokage could tell, outmatched in stats as well.
"Archers retreat one hundred and fifty meters, staggered line, then fire at will."
"You're pulling back the archers? But they can't fire on the move."
Tatsuma shrugged her broad shoulders.
With the archers not firing as they retreated, the elven spear-wall was buckling. Now was the time to push. With a few clicks Tokage ordered her larger dinosaurs to join in, trampling through Tatsuma's forces, and she saw their morale bars plummet.
"Dragonriders, strafe along the enemy line."
Suddenly the dragon-mounted knights made their presence known, moving into position over the mass melee and letting loose huge gouts of fire from their maws, blasting into Tokage's lines. The last of the spear-elves were annihilated, but her forces took massive damage as well, many of her larger dinosaurs being set on fire while the smaller foot-soldiers were simply incinerated. Those that survived had their morale tanked, and several units began to rout. Tokage ordered the remainder to advance with a snarl, but the archers, having completed their retreat and turned around, began firing volleys of arrows that felled many more of her troops. The archers had retreated into a staggered line, meaning that she had to split her forces to chase them down whilst the dragons began swooping down, picking off isolated units while the cross-fire continued. Eventually her army had been whittled down enough that the last survivors simply broke and ran.
"This is ridiculous." She complained as the results screen popped up. "Those dragons are overpowered."
"Only if you group your army all in one spot for them to hit."
"Hmph. Let's go again." Tokage huffed.
"Of course."
The next time around Tokage spread her army out more, but Tatsuma simply charged her dragonriders into their back as they engaged the spears, causing a huge morale debuff for being engaged from the rear and causing her units to rout.
"You're thinking too linearly, trying to just bulldoze through my defences. You need fast movers to pressure my archers, or they will kite you to death."
"Again."
This time Tokage added packs of velociraptors into her army, and sent them prowling on the flanks to chase down the archers. Tatsuma was forced to use her dragons to ward them off, leaving her frontline to crush the elves without interference. With the core of her army intact, she was then able to surround and kill the dragons, a trio of Triceratops goring the largest to death, before chasing down the archers.
"Nice." Tatsuma said. "Want to go for a fourth?"
"Sure."
This time Tatsuma had completely changed her army, eschewing all of her infantry for a cavalry force of elven knights, of course supported by the dragons. She ran rings around Tokage, denying her infantry a decisive engagement while picking her units off one by one.
"You need some sort of tool to force an engagement, typically ranged weapons."
The fifth game was another win for Tokage, as she swapped several units for Triceratops with ballistae on their backs.
This went on for a while. Tatsuma would beat her, offer advice, and Tokage would adjust and occasionally get a win of her own. And it was… fun. It didn't matter that Tatsuma had more wins than she did. Even the losses taught her a lesson. And she was enjoying herself.
They were on their seventeenth match when Tokage's phone vibrated with a message from her dad, demanding to know where she was.
"Oh shit, Dad's here. I have to go." Tokage said. "This was… fun. We could do it again sometime?"
"Yeah."
She made to leave, straightening her clothes as she went.
"Hey, Tokage." Tatsuma said, and she paused at the doorway. She could tell that she was hesitating, before speaking up. "Want to be friends?"
"I… Yeah. I think I'd like that."
Sorry for the wait, I hope the new Chapter was worth it. This is the first of a couple of breather Chapters as we transition into the next Arc.
Finnish translations:
"Keitä te ootte? Missä vitussa mä olen?"="Who are you? Where the fuck am I?
"It's impossible not to notice the difference between the last four days and today. As soon as ⁹
Ryuju came here you began antagonizing her and taking anything she said or did as an insult or one-upmanship,
Yeah, the mugger's MO makes no sense here. If he's gonna rob a rando, why not use his stun power? Either he's an idiot or there's something deeper going on here.
Also, interesting that the whole Finnish-speaking has been noted but dismissed. I'm sure this will be brought up in the future.
I have to wonder how this looks to Ryuko.
On the one hand, learning an entire language as a hobby.
On the other hand, keeping it a secret and never talking to anyone in it.
As she'd explained over the last four days, Ryukyu specialized in dealing with large and powerful villains, using her flight to be able to respond to calls from across the city in minutes. But
Ryukyu reached them seconds later, her presence causing Tokage's skin tingle with static electricity, but she took one look at the villain and Tokage before transforming back to human.
"My father is coming to pick me up for the weekend to go back to Saitama, but it'll be a few hours." Because had to drive a car due to being banned from the train.
