Born too late to be a magical girl, born too early to forget them…
That could've almost been Miyako Nozawa's motto, a metaphorical tattoo over her heart. The Frost Decade had finished by the time she'd been born, and already her twentieth birthday had come and gone.
Nothing could more scream that she was an adult by now than the winding, head-blurring college application form she was trying to make sense of, staring back at her from her laptop screen as she sat outside a countryside café. If this is just the form, I don't even want to think about the entrance exams, it occurred to her as she briefly removed her glasses and rubbed her temples.
Neither alien-hide nor plant-hair had been seen of the Dandelionhearts since the Frost Decade, but even if they were still around, most likely she'd already aged past the cut-off date for them to have anointed her a Hanazakari. Though maybe I shouldn't get so hung up on age, she thought, 'cause the Hanazakari would be in at least their mid-thirties by now. Ah, not like that's a problem, she apologised to nobody.
Speaking of Hanazakari, Miyako may have been meaning to fill out her application, but that wasn't the real reason she was here. She wasn't even there for the coffee and melon-pan, much as she slurped and munched them down, both better quality than she was told she should get used to in college.
No, she was keeping her eyes peeled for the very sort of person she admired most, for the chance to make her teenage dream come true, if the past the point of her actually being a teenager. I'm going to meet a Hanazakari, a saviour of the world, in person!
Not that one as devoted to them as her had never met one before, just only fleetingly for an autograph or rarely photo. Japan's government and corporations made meeting a real Hanazakari pretty hard, most being registered under the title of Senshi with the former and as an Idol with the latter. Out of the three main designations for Hanazakari, that just left the independents, or 'Witches'.
She alt-tabbed to check the remains of the Hanazakari forums again. Yep, those rumours still spoke of a raggedy, auburn-haired woman in a tattered overcoat who lived on the outskirts of Hinodeharu. And Miyako needed no reminder this was Hinodeharu, her having come all the way out here.
Suddenly, a hush fell over the people sitting at and walking past the café, as they then slowly shuffled to the side. All this tension was over a single forty-pushing woman walking down the street, or more like stomping with her gait. A woman who was the spitting image of the Witch described to Miyako.
While everyone else avoided her, Miyako leapt out of her chair with her coffee unfinished, rushed right up to this woman (not the easiest thing to do in a long dress like hers), and exclaimed, "Hi there, I'm Nozawa Miyako! Really, really big fan, I came here just to meet you!"
The crowd gasped as the Witch slowly turned to gaze down at Miyako. "Tell me, girl," she said, "Do you go around forcing everyone into the spotlight like that?"
"What? Oh no, nonono, that's not what I meant to do at all!" Miyako said, her grin wavering and a sweatdrop trickling down her freckled face. "The forums just said you lived in this town, so I thought this could be my one chance."
"You realise you sound like a stalker, don't you?" the Witch told her, her tone of voice no less sour. She then sighed and said, "Alright, let's just get this over with.
Article:
[ ] You read my novels, don't you? So naturally you want me, the award nominated Kuramazov, to autograph one of your copies."
[ ] You look college age. Take it you're eager to make a good first impression on one of your lecturers? Because I'm sorry to say you've been doing the opposite so far."
[ ] You'd know I'm an archivist, so what, are there some hidden records you want? And why should I trust you with them?"
"Huh? Wow, sounds impressive, but I wanted to meet you for a whole 'nother reason. You know, the big one!" Miyako said.
But as Miyako beamed and grinned, the Witch just narrowed her eyes and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"That you're a Hanazakari!" Miyako let out. "You saved Japan, no, the whole word, from the Frost Fair! How could I not want to meet you?"
The Witch's expression changed, not to pleasure but paranoia. She placed a hand over Miyako's mouth and the other tight around her arm before the girl had any chance to react, then ran off with her into the nearby bushes. Not till the Witch had looked all around for a mysterious 'anyone else' did she finally release her grip on Miyako.
"Who sent you?" she hissed at Miyako. "Because you look suspiciously young to be naturally into Hanazakari, I doubt you even lived through the Frost Decade. Did RUNE send you? Because whatever Yumemi's asking, my answer is still no. And that goes double if some corporation picked you!"
"You've got me all wrong!" Miyako shrieked. Is- Is this really what a Hanazakari's like? she worried, with neither 'love' nor 'justice' being the impression she got. She took a few deep breaths to stabilise herself, then said, "I just… always wanted to meet a real magical girl. That's all."
Only then did the Witch's grim face soften. "Well, you've met one now," she said, sighing at herself. "More correct to say I was a Hanazakari, the Frost Fair hasn't been seen for decades now. Really, no one's been a Hanazakari since then, no matter what propaganda will tell you. We said we would fight for all of humanity, not for militaries or corporations."
"Wait, you've all still got magic, right?" Miyako asked. As the Witch cautiously nodded, the girl followed with, "I've heard about all sorts of Hanazakari spells, I know you could use some of them to make people's lives better! Doesn't have to all be fighting."
"If only," the Witch muttered, "We were chosen to be weapons of war. Oh, the Dandelionhearts told us they just wanted to give the defenceless the chance to defend themselves, but they knew what they were signing us up for." Her voice lowered further as she said, "Well, they're all dead now, like they have anyone to speak for them."
Then the Witch asked Miyako, "Hmm, you don't still know my name, civilian or Hanazakari, don't you? Assuming you really aren't a stalker, let alone a spy."
Miyako shrugged. "Yeah, still got no idea. Er, Yamino Hanako? Sato Suzuko? Spider Lily in Full Bloom?" she feebly guessed.
The Witch did have to smile a little. "Arisugawa Koyomi," she told her, "I figured you did have obviously no idea. That, or there's the slightest probability that you're some remarkable actor hired by RUNE, in which case they already would've told you. As for my old Title, it's Starknight-"
Article:
[ ] Belladonna
[ ] Black Rose
[ ] Queen of the Night
-in Full Bloom."
Miyako couldn't help but smile. While that wasn't a Hanazakari Title she really recognised, as opposed to big names like Cherry Blossom and Chrysanthemum, she was still getting to know a real Hanazakari! Way better than being one among many to get an autograph, she thought.
Only then did she realise this talk had been a mostly one-way street. "Ah right, guess I ought to say more about myself. I'm Nozawa Miyako, wait I already said that, ahem, and I'm a ronin. Er, obviously not the cool Sanjuro or Forty-seven kind, not even the salary kind," she awkwardly chuckled, before she tried to straighten up and say, "But I totally know what I'm gonna be studying, it's- it's-
"I see," was all Koyomi replied to that with, before she took the conversation back into her hands, "Alright, you got what you wished for, you've met someone who can do magic and at some point was called a Hanazakari. Now, if those bystanders won't keep staring this time," she said as she looked out of the bushes then brought Miyako back with her onto the main street, "you're free to go. Fare thee well."
Learning that the first Hanazakari she'd truly talked to still wanted her gone stung Miyako, but something else drove the pain in deeper. "I, ah, don't have anywhere to go," she said, "I don't have any accommodation and, look, there's no way I can back to go my parents."
From the Hanazakari she'd heard about, Miyako would've expected an answer like 'they're your family, of course you can go back to them', but had to remember that not that many Hanazakari had the best home lives themselves. Koyomi however just asked, "Why is that?"
Miyako froze with every attempt to answer that question, before she just came out with, "I'm… a transwoman. Like, I am a woman, but my parents keep saying I'm not. More than just 'say', even." She grew cold and paralysed awaiting Koyomi's reaction, as part of her thought, she's a whole generation before me, who knows what she thinks of transwomen? Another part, however, held onto, she may not act like one, but Arisugawa-sama's still a magical girl. She can't be unloving, can't just cast someone in need aside like that…
"Fine, you can stay at my place," Koyomi said, relieving Miyako of her greatest fear. Of course, she was starting to sense that with Koyomi, there was always a catch. "But for one night only, maybe two, you hear? After that, we're finding you some actual accommodation, a part-time job too if need be."
Koyomi may not have made the friendliest-sounding statement, but Miyako still smiled and said, "Thank you, Arisugawa-sama, it means the world to me." You really are a Hanazakari…
Koyomi's Job:
[ ] You read my novels, don't you? So naturally you want me, the award nominated Kuramazov, to autograph one of your copies."
[ ] You look college age. Take it you're eager to make a good first impression on one of your lecturers? Because I'm sorry to say you've been doing the opposite so far."
[ ] You'd know I'm an archivist, so what, are there some hidden records you want? And why should I trust you with them?"
Article:
Koyomi's Hanazakari Title:
[ ] Belladonna
[ ] Black Rose
[ ] Queen of the Night
Article:
Miyako's planned degree:
[ ] Journalism."
[ ] Anthropology."
[ ] Art."
[ ] ...Okay I don't know yet, but still!"
[ ] Write-in- a historian or maybe an Anthropology heck even a psychologist I just love learning about humans though historian is probably what I'm going to go with (by Iris-Iven-Ibis)
[ ] Write-in: "I'm aiming for a Bachelor's in media and Communication!" (by Randino Treviani)
[ ] Write-in
Lewis Carroll said:
"We are but older children, dear,
Who fret to find our bedtime near."
Fool Bloom is mainly a narrative quest, yet does make use of a progression system to keep track of the player characters' statuses.
As the two main characters, both Koyomi and Miyako have multiple Aspects that determine their abilities and character growth, Koyomi more so with her being a Hanazakari. The long out-of-practice Koyomi is relearning what she knew, while for Miyako this is all for the first time. Progress in these aspects is arranged into several Ranks that can be purchased with Experience Points.
Credit goes to @Maugan Ra and his Bleach Quests for the format I'm using here, though of course altered to reflect this not being Bleach.
Koyomi Arisugawa (在栖川朔) Witch and Former Hero
One of the Hanazakari that fought back the Frost Fair decades ago, she's now a grouchy and reclusive woman pushing forty who's uncomfortable bringing up her time back then. She settled into a career as a novelist under the pen name 'Kuramazov', though has only ever written a single book about Hanazakari at her former publisher's insistence. She's also Jewish according to scriptural law, with her maternal grandmother having fled from Poland during WW2. Koyomi was, and may be again, the 'Black Rose' among the Hanazakari, with her Cultivar power being over darkness.
Technique: Knight (50/400xp)
The application of a Hanazakari's abilities and spells, be it in combat or other situations, as well as the formulation of new abilities. As of now, Koyomi gotten to grips with the basics of her Hanazakari powers once more.
Physique: Knight (0/400xp)
The enhancement of Hanazakari's raw physical power upon their transformation, enchanting their speed, strength, and endurance. As of now, Koyomi is in increasingly better shape for her age which helps with the new battles she faces.
Heart: Knight (100/400xp)
The reserves of raw magical power, which as a Hanazakari is inherently connected with one's feelings, willpower, and the built-up strength of one's bonds with others. As of now, Koyomi's emotions and resolve have been further strengthened in reaction to what she's found out about RUNE, Yamahi, and the Earthly Purified.
Mind: Knight (300/400xp)
A Hanazakari's sensory capacity, such as detecting both Frost Fair activity and other Hanazakari, but just as crucial for battle-scarred veterans, detecting when there is no Frost Fair activity. More broadly, this enables one to understand other people by detecting their thoughts and emotions. As of now, Koyomi is skeptical of others if a little less strongly, and has honed her senses of anything Frost Fair-related.
Miyako Nozawa (野沢尚宮こ) Fangirl Born Too Late
A passing trans girl, she's a major Hanazakari fangirl who came to Hinodeharu after hearing one lived in the area. That turned out to be Koyomi, who turned out to be not quite what she had expected, but Miyako insists on trying to see her good nature nevertheless. Having a Journalism degree in mind, she still has yet to be accepted into college. Was living with her parents until she ran away from them, in part over their transphobia.
Emotional Intelligence: Baroness (0/800xp)
How well Miyako can understand the emotions of others, both when it comes to empathizing with others in their struggles and wishes but also spotting any malicious intent. At this stage, Miyako is becoming better at reading the room and understanding people.
Emotional Strength: Baroness (0/800xp)
How deeply felt Miyako's own emotions are, including her willpower and fighting spirit but also her compassion. At this stage, Miyako is enduring and trying to carry on after seeing Koyomi do likewise.
Supporting Cast
Civillians
Reiji Yuuki (夕樹伶史)
A boy who works at the local theatre, who's overwhelmingly passionate about the stage as much as his theatre struggles. Has a distrust of Hanazakari and especially Koyomi though, which strains his otherwise pleasant interactions with Miyako. He was high school friends with Kazuya and still feels strongly about him, even if Kazuya due to his condition hasn't been able to return this friendship. A brown-haired boy who often dons a beret and capelet.
Kazuya Kai (改冬夜)
The firstborn of the prestigious Kai family, who would've been heir had his emotions not been stolen by Frost Fair at a young age, and had his parents not been too ashamed to seek help. Because of this he's been unable to maintain a job, lacking not only passion but even the appearance of it. While his family tries not to acknowledge his existence, it's become an open secret in town by this point. His Frost Fair infection has left him looking unnaturally pale, with light-bluish hair and wearing a duller blue yukata.
Asahi Higashi (東旭)
Koyomi's non-Hanazakari friend from back in the day, who often had to be rescued by her back then, something Asahi maintains a bit of a complex about. She's now the Head Priestess of the Hinodeharu Inari Shrine after her husband Tsukasa passed away from tuberculosis, with her having tried to contact her friend after moving to the same town only for Koyomi to keep blanking her. May become Miyako's new boss as she works at the shrine and has already set her up with accommodation. Has a wavy red bob which hides her face, due to her having lost an eye in a Frost Fair attack.
Hayato Higashi (東隼)
Asahi's son, a mild-mannered traditional boy into such arts as archery, ikebana, calligraphy, and incense. His parents' and Kazuya's experiences with the Frost Fair have weirdly got him pondering what being emotionless would be like. Holds Koyomi in quite high regard, due to her repeatedly saving both of his parents' lives.
Ryoichi Kai (改良一)
Kazuya's younger brother who was conceived and chosen to become family heir after Kazuya was emotionally drained by a Heart Leech. He has a typical obnoxious rich boy attitude, yet surprisingly seems to care about Kazuya in spite of having been born to replace him. Disdains Reiji because of his closeness with Kazuya.
Shiori Ōgami-Ueno (大神-上野栞)
The adopted daughter of Hachiro Ōgami and Mikoto Ueno. Half of her face is hidden by her hair, and the other half is often hidden by whichever book she's now reading. She's a big fan of Koyomi, or rather Kuramazov, for her novels, as opposed to Miyako for Koyomi being a Hanazakari. Strangely, Hibiki Izumi also seemed to know a 'Shiori' too, though it's a common enough name.
Sora Yasuda (安田空)
Miyako's close friend from high school, who back then had no idea she was a trans girl or planning to run away, though at least knew of her being a Hanazakari fan. Says people saw him as the Tsukkomi (straight man) to Miyako's Boke (comic relief) back then, even though Miyako was just acting as natural. Seems supportive of her transition upon meeting her again, despite knowing little about anything trans, but is a little weirded out by everything else now going on in her life.
Hanazakari
Yumemi Hoshizora (星空夢実), White Egret in Full Bloom
A Hanazakari whose name Koyomi knows but treats with suspicion, likely due to her being a State Hanazakari. They were allies in the fight against the Frost Fair back in the day, but since drifted apart as Yumemi joining the Japanese branch of the supernatural taskforce RUNE, rising to the rank of Brigadier, while Koyomi remained independent. Her Hanazakari Cultivar grants her power over dreams.
Hachiro Ōgami (大神八路), Cornus in Full Bloom
Another State Hanazakari, a Colonel below Yumemi at RUNE. Since the Frost Decade, he has come out as a transgender man, having married a cis man who's also a Hanazakari. Has quite the sense of humour, yet beneath that doesn't seem all that positive about his job at RUNE. His Hanazakari Cultivar enables him to communicate with dogs, such as the Xolo Karasu and the Shiba Inu Seizonsha.
Mikoto Ueno (上野命), Adzuki in Full Bloom
An independent Hanazakari and husband of Hachiro Ogami, the two having met at an orphanage. A dessert chef with a place in the thawing Tokyo outskirts, his husband has kept him in RUNE's good graces so far. Could turn corporate but personally couldn't stand to. His Cultivar would seem to have something to do with desserts, oddly contrasting Hachiro's Cultivar.
Cherry Blossom and Chrysanthemum in Full Bloom
The two top-ranking Hanazakari in Japan back during the Frost Fair, Miyako being a fan of both.
Padma (पद्म) in Full Bloom
A Nepali Hanazakari said to be one of the world's strongest, which as her Cultivar is linked with the multiverse, is easy to see why.
Namie Hirasaka(平坂波え), Higanbana in Full Bloom
A Hanazakari that Koyomi knew and was friends with back in the day... and who became the first Hanazakari she saw die. To this day Koyomi doesn't know whether she could've saved her back then, only that she was forced to move on. Her Flower was the Red Spider Lily or Higanbana, coincidentally the same flower Miyako happened to give to her fanfic self-insert character.
Henrietta Miranda Richards, Tudor Rose in Full Bloom
A British Hanazakari (or 'Starknight' as is the term over there) who became the UK's 'Champion over the Frost'. For her efforts then and since, she has been elected Prime Minister, making her the first ever Hanazakari Head of Government and an inspiration for Hanazakari not just in the UK but worldwide.
Vasilisa Valentinovna Mirova (Василиса Валентиновнa Мировa),Zinnia in Full Bloom
A Russian astronaut, her Hanazakari Cultivar as expected gives her control of her personal gravity field. From the ISS she was the first human to spot Sfira's spaceship approaching Earth, which she tracked down all the way to Japan, becoming rather argumentative about who should have jurisdiction over the alien. Comes off as the 'shoot first, ask questions later' type, like she's a little too retro sci-fi.
Kurara Minakata (みなかたくらら),Freesia in Full Bloom
A Slayer, or Hanazakari who hunts other Hanazakari, in service of a cult called Earthly Purified, who they've sent after the 'Bad Seed' Koyomi. She has an extremely childish personality and way of talking despite being as old as the average Hanazakari, and her Cultivar lets her make toys come to life... and make life turn into toys.
Palmira Aureliano Sakata-Kuroiwa(坂田-黒岩), Alstroemeria in Full Bloom
A non-binary Hanazakari who works in Nagoya as a private detective. Peruvian Japanese, she was absent from the Battle of Shin Sekigahara due to fighting in Peru. Instead of that battle, she knows Koyomi from years back when they were asked to investigate what her old publisher had done with her royalties. Palmira tries to present a typical private detective attitude but has trouble maintaining it. Her Cultivar gives her power over gold, though she's forbidden by the authorities to use it to make money for risk of inflation.
Hibiki Izumi (泉響),Hellebore in Full Bloom
An Idol Hanazakari who is a voice actress and by extension singer associated by Yamahi (801) Productions, though she has a grudging attitude to the latter. She got her start as a Takarazuka actress before going into voice acting after the physical strain of both the stage and fighting as a Hanazakari.
Her company was one of many who sided with the Frost Fair due to the riches they offered. This seems to have haunted her to the point of disassociation, denying her personal identity as she chooses to live life through her roles. Yet even those are dwindling as she ages, with most roles she now gets being for villains, a little too close to home. Her Cultivar lets her copy other Cultivars, provided she can comprehend and act out the corresponding Hanazakari's emotions.
Emi Daimon (橙門絵実), Orange in Full Bloom
A mangaka who is mostly known for doing character design for anime and manga adaptations of other works, her own multiple manga having had relatively little success or staying power (though Miyako's at least a fan). Being a Hanazakari mangaka she originally wrote for Shoujo magazines, before she was pressured into switching to Shonen for the money. Saddled with overwork, her hands have deteriorated to the point she had to replace them with robot-like prosthetics.
All these experiences have left with very little self-confidence in her work and herself, the loss of love for her job seeming to affect her Cultivar. Like weaponised aversion therapy, she can make others feel pain whenever they experience something they love. Unsurprisingly, she's grown to hate her own Cultivar.
Mariya Kamizono (神園真理也), Rafflesia in Full Bloom
A Saint Hanazakari who is the leader of the Earthly Purified cult, she claims to be the one who will perform the Resurrection once all 'Bad Seeds', committers of the five utmost sins, have either been converted to her cause or died. This is addition to other beliefs like the Hanazakari having already been Resurrected from the stars. As Rafflesia in Full Bloom, her Cultivar is supposed to commence the Resurrection, but she claims the Bad Seeds' corruption keeps her from its full potential.
Maimi Tobi (鳶舞身), Maidenstears in Full Bloom
A mysterious swan living in the woods outside Hinodeharu, where swans don't usually reside. Turns out they were originally human and a Hanazakari, able to turn into a swan and a swan-human hybrid. After the deaths of the Dandelionhearts however, she was one of more than a few Hanazakari whose powers started to go haywire, in her case leaving her trapped in swan form. Koyomi knew of her yet promised not to tell anyone of her condition.
Chigusa Kagamino (鏡野千種),Narcissus in Full Bloom
An Idol Hanazakari who like Hibiki is also signed with Yamahi Productions. Unlike Hibiki who was an actress pressured into singing, Chigusa was a singer who took more and more acting roles, questionable as her acting career has been. She looks strangely young for her age and tries to act like it, with typical teen arrogance per her plant coming through, yet her dated slang hints she's older than she looks. Her Cultivar appears to be making copies of herself, and possibly something to do with that age of hers. Each clone of hers does sport a slightly different look, like dyeing their hair a different colour each.
Non-Humans
Emet (אמת), Black Rose's Dandelionheart
The Dandelionheart who delivered Koyomi's powers to her and became her companion. Like all Dandelionhearts are by their Hanazakari, they were named by her as their Pathragadan superiors never gave them one. They were also the last known Dandelionheart to die, killed at the Battle of Shin Sekigahara. As with all things Resurrection, it is debated if their death is the reason it still hasn't happened, and how much Koyomi is to blame.
'Blue Lotus' of the Frost Fair
The last known living Frostfarer, which would make him King Frost by default. Originally a Frost Knight who wasn't even that high-ranking, he was captured by RUNE after Shin Sekigahara and then experimented on as part of Project Lazarus, whose goal was to give humans the powers of the Frost Fair. Not being one of the stronger Frostfarers was actually what let him survive, as it made him easy to restrain for the project. Yet even this weaker Frostfarer escaped anyway, with killing him now meaning going against RUNE. Has a charming and joking personality, but like any Frostfarer there's the question of whether he ever means what he says or is only trying to rile up people's emotions to drain.
Sfira (ספירה) of Clan Madake
A young Pathragadan who impulsively travelled to Earth to visit, not really knowing that much about the planet beyond it being where the Frost Fair was defeated. They are of the Bamboo or Madake Clan thus are gifted with powers of super-speed, their Clan being lower-caste yet seen more as pets, if not possessions, by the upper-caste Pathragadans rather than servants. Like all Pathragadans they have mild telepathy and illusion powers, the latter achieved by bending light and so far used to mimic Koyomi's appearance, save having green hair.
There are two ways to gain Experience Points for aspects, first is at the end of an Arc where it'll be allocated by vote, the amount of XP varying depending on the Arc.
The second is by writing Omakes, with a normal omake netting 100xp (which may be lowered to 50xp in case of overload), and fanart 150xp (no generative AI). 400 words is the preferred minimum for prose omakes. XP will then be allocated to an Aspect of the omake maker's choice.
Squire (N/A) – The starting rank, you're a beginner or relearning this aspect after ages. You know how it works, kinda, but aren't sure how well you can pull it off.
Lady (100xp) – You've gotten back into the swing of this aspect but can still buckle under pressure.
Knight (200xp) – You've reliably developed or redeveloped this aspect and can now apply it under pressure to good results.
Baroness (400xp) – What you've learned and relearned has been boosted by practical experience and personal specialisation, allowing you to apply this aspect freely even under pressure or outright attack.
Contessa (800xp) – You've refined your abilities beyond simple training and can now personalise them to your tastes. No two people at this rank will practice a skill in quite the same way.
At this rank, you gain your first Finisher, and can purchase more with additional XP if you wish.
Marchioness (1600xp) – Your accelerating ability has earned you some renown across Japan if not beyond; even among RUNE internationally or the various corporations and new religions, they can't help but have some respect for you.
Duchess (2400xp) – You are reaching the upper levels of what is physically possible with aspect of a Hanazakari, past this point it will take more than mere practice or innate ability to advance.
Queen (3600xp) – Total mastery of this Hanazakari aspect, anything possible through its application can be achieved by you.
Empress (5400xp) – Going past what was thought possible and into the previously impossible. Your manifestation of this aspect is so far above the Hanazakari norm, let alone human norm, that it can seem inhuman to others.
Goddess (N/A) - You are the best, the Form of this aspect. It is unknown what it'd take to achieve this Rank, needing a certain condition to be met beyond just XP.
Plan votes aren't compulsory but are generally preferred. In the event of a tie a 1d2 will be rolled to break it, or 1d3 or even onwards if multiple votes are tied.
For OCs and crossover characters. May be changed and updated in the future:
Civillian
Name:
Anointed Age: (when they became a Hanazakari)
Current Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Nationality:
History: (divided into Pre- and Post-Hanazakari)
Personality:
Motivation: (what and why)
Hanazakari
Transformation Phrase:
Flower:
Cultivar: (their specific power)
Genera: (loose category of power. Swords being offensive, Wands communicatory, Cups combinatory, and Pentacles defensive)
Starshoot: (object or weapon that manifests on transformation, e.g., Koyomi's quill-sword)
Regalia: (Their Hanazakari outfit, often patterned on their respective flower)
Affiliation: (Senshi with government, Idol with corporation, Witch as independent, Seijin with religion, Dark with criminals)
Hanazakari - Humans who were granted magical powers by the Dandelionhearts so they could defend themselves against the Frost Fair. The Dandelionhearts selected the most vulnerable humans who they saw as needing protection the most, hence why a good number of (though not all) Hanazakari were teen girls. Hanazakari translates to Full Bloom, though they've also been called Starknights due to their powers' extraterrestrial origins.
Hanazakari powers come from their emotions, with the overuse of those powers risking a state of emotional burnout. As for why they'd attac Frostfarers with emotions when that's what Frostfarers want, a Hanazakari's emotions are strong enough that they're like an overdose to Frostfarers.
Genera - One of the two ways Hanazakari are usually grouped, 'Genera' here meaning powerset. When it comes to a Hanazakari's main power, Swords specialise in offence, Pentacles in defense, Wands in all-around utility, and Cups in crafting or the combination of items. The names are meant to come from the artifact which manifests in a Hanazakari's dominant hand upon transformation, but since numerous different artefacts have manifested so, 'Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles' are but the standardised Genera classifications established by RUNE. All of these are general classifications based on intended power use, so a Pentacle would still be capable of offence or a Sword of utility for instance.
Cultivar - The specific power an individual Hanazakari wields, sorted into one of the four Genera. An example is Koyomi Arisugawa as Starknight Black Rose in Full Bloom wielding power over darkness. With the strength of a Hanazakari's Heart, their Cultivare can evolve into a more advanced version.
Affiliations - The second way Hanazakari are grouped, there are three main affiliations. The first are Senshi, state Hanazakari working for a government. The second are Idols, Hanazakari employed by a corporation (as a Hanazakari, whereas a Hanazakari who happens to have an office job wouldn't count). The third are Witches or Majo who are independent and were the original Hanazakari affiliation from before their masquerade was blown and governments and corporations became involved. There are also Saints who are Hanazakari for religious movements, Dark Hanazakari affiliated with criminal organisations, and Slayers who target their fellow Hanazakari.
The Great Frost Fair - A Kingdom of icy Immortals from another world. Their extremely long lives made it harder and harder for them to become emotionally attached to anything, so they resorted to stealing the emotions of any species they claimed had a surplus of them. This eventually led them to attack humanity but not before they'd done the same several other worlds. Seemingly invulnerable as well as ageless, magic powers like those of the Hanazakari are the only things that can kill a Frostfarer (also known as just Frosts), and indeed no known Frostfarers survived the Frost Decade.
Frostfarers were usually sorted into Rooks who target landmarks, Knights who target individuals, and Bishops who target the masses. Frost Pawns are those who've had their emotions stolen by a Frostfarer, through a specifically grown organ called a Heart Leech, a few of which still around infesting people. The King Frost is the Frost Fair's leader, while the Snow Queen is the most powerful Frostfarer.
Dandelionhearts - The alien creatures who gave the Hanazakari powers to stand against the Frost Fair, on other worlds before coming to Earth. Per their name they resemble dandelions and cat's ear plants, with them having gotten to Earth by riding the solar winds. Each Dandelionheart was named by the Hanazakari they anointed, as their 'original masters' never gave them names. As with Frostfarers, it is presumed the last of the Dandelionhearts were killed during the Frost Decade, thus no more Hanazakari can be anointed.
The Dandelionhearts' homeworld has been translated as Pathragada. As they called themselves messengers, it's presumed they weren't the only Pathragadans, who may be their 'original masters'.
Frost Decade - Another name for the 1990s, being when the Frost Fair attacked Earth. Often split into pre- and post-Veil, before and after Hanazakari became revealed to the wider world and the Frost Fair's methods grew more direct.
Frost Generation - Those who were either born in or came of age in the Frost Decade, including Koyomi and most other Hanazakari, roughly corresponding to Millennials and late Gen X.
Afters - The generation born after the Frost Decade (short for 'the Aftermath'), of which includes Miyako, rough corresponding to Gen Z. This name hasn't become as standardised as 'Frost Generation' however, so other terms like Thawed, Thawers, New Spring, Post-Frost, and more are also used, especially regionally.
RUNE - Responsive United Nations Esotericists. An international organisation that arose in response to the Frost Decade to identify and combat any further supernatural threats, employing many State Hanazakari and dealing with more dangerous Hanazakari.
Being a Norn sucked back in the Age of Sagas. Being a Norn still sucks now. Nobody likes a fate-weaver. Verthandi has no past or future, but she and her sisters can change yours. Just don't make their job even harder for them...
A gender-reversed Beauty and the Beast-style story, with emphasis on the beast. An art student looking for love falls into an arranged marriage to a monster right out of his nightmares. Can he escape before the wedding, or could love actually bloom with a beast?
A high school student looking for friendship and trying to find it in fame, you've received an invitation to join no less than the most popular clique in school, the All-Aces! However, they have an... odd initiation ritual, called 'The Persona Game'. And why did they choose you, of all people?
It was a strange woman called The Doctor who found me, saying she was a time traveller who'd lived for centuries. I was trapped in an endless castle, then she showed me what true endlessness really looked like. I can go with her anywhere in time and space now... except back home.
Scheduled vote count started by ArlequineLunaire on Jul 30, 2023 at 6:33 AM, finished with 24 posts and 17 votes.
[X] Plan Inky Rose
-[x] You read my novels, don't you? So naturally you want me, the award nominated Kuramazov, to autograph one of your copies."
-[x] Black Rose
-[x] Journalism."
[X] - Plan I LOVE history
- [X] You'd know I'm an archivist, so what, are there some hidden records you want? And why should I trust you with them?"
- [X] Queen of the Night
- [X] Write-in- a historian or maybe an Anthropology heck even a psychologist I just love learning about humans though historian is probably what I'm going to go with
[X] Plan Media Magic
-[X] You look college age. Take it you're eager to make a good first impression on one of your lecturers? Because I'm sorry to say you've been doing the opposite so far."
-[X] Belladonna
-[X] Write-in: "I'm aiming for a Bachelor's in media and Communication!"
[X] Plan Inky Rose
-[x] You read my novels, don't you? So naturally you want me, the award nominated Kuramazov, to autograph one of your copies."
-[x] Black Rose
-[x] Journalism."
"So back in the Frost Decade, what did you do-" was the first thing Miyako couldn't stop herself from asking. The immediate response she got however was a hand to her face.
"You know that immediately asking questions like that does nothing to quell any suspicions that you're here to spy on me," Koyomi told her.
The two of them were now trudging uphill, with the out-of-town Miyako already starting to feel her lungs ache. Not like that stopped her from talking, "Oh right, forgot you were kinda touchy about that. Guess it's me, y'know, because if I was a Hanazakari back then I'd be telling tales of my adventures non-stop!"
"We Hanazakari didn't have 'adventures'," Koyomi muttered, not looking back to see Miyako's face sink at that line. "Didn't you ever watch those giant robot anime? War is no adventure, don't trust anyone who tells you it is."
"I know, I know, it's just…" Miyako began, but then shook her head and changed the subject entirely. "Okay, we'll discuss something normal. Yeah, I can do small talk! So, er, what you were doing out on the town? Groceries? Oh wait, we're headed back and you've got no bags, so no."
"I had mail to pick up," Koyomi said, "And before you ask, yes I am technologically sophisticated enough to have internet. Even if my place doesn't get the best reception."
"Ooh, using snail mail these days, that's sure something. Sounds like it was super important, like real confidential stuff since email could be hacked," Miyako said, then frowned. "Suppose that means you're not gonna tell me who sent it then."
"Someone I'd rather not get mail from, that's who," Koyomi said, before her eyes spotted a nearby shop. "Ah good, they're still stocking firewood. Worth interacting with the shopkeep to get something to burn this letter with. Wait here."
That raised several questions for Miyako, the first one to leave her lips being, "Wait, people still buy firewood?"
She then found herself alone on the hilltop street corner, fidgeting by twirling her brownish-blonde shoulder-length hair, then immediately unwinding it before she ended up with a serious knot.
While the Witch was out of sight, Miyako was then approached by a boy who looked about her age. He wasted no time in asking, "Hey, not meaning to intrude here, but… you do know that's Arisugawa you're hanging out with, don't you?"
Miyako twitched at that question, then asked, "W-what, is there some problem I don't know? I know she can be kinda mean, but she's still a Hanazakari!"
"Yeah, I'll bet she is," the boy sighed, then told her, "Look, she caused a big issue for us townsfolk a week ago. A new restaurant opened in town, great right? Except Arisugawa barged in and started snooping all around the place till she had to be kicked out, all these years later she still thought it was some monster plot to harvest emotions. And trust me, that was not a one-off case. Just ask around, people will back me up."
That was something Miyako didn't know how to respond to, but her thoughts were:
Article:
[ ] Okay, sounds like an overreaction from her. But Arisugawa-sama still had the best intentions there, and even a Hanazakari makes mistakes sometimes.
[ ] Wait, how do I know this guy isn't making that up to slander her? I'm gonna be a journalist, so it's my duty to investigate claims like this first.
[ ] Maybe I really ought to be more cautious of Arisugawa-sama. Just a little, be on the safe side.
[ ] Hey, who's to say it isn't a Frost Fair plot, what if they're not all gone?
-[ ] Or the plot of an all-new kind of monster faction?
[ ] On one hand, a member of Hanazakari should increase restaurant customer flow, in spite of any accusations, so I'm not sure how her doing that is a bad thing. On the other hand, the fact that she still cares enough to investigate a random restaurant because she wants to protect the japanese people, is really heartwarming, so thank you for telling me!! (Randino Treviani write-in)
[ ] Write-in
"Well, gotta go," the boy suddenly said, whistling with his hands in his pockets, "But nice meeting you. Oh yeah, there's also Kai Kazuya, one more person around town you should take note of. He seems harmless, so not like Arisugawa, just… weird, y'know?"
The boy quickly made his exit, not coincidentally just as Koyomi came out of the shop with a bundle of firewood beneath her arm. Miyako was left to think, Well, it's not like that guy wasn't a little weird himself, since he brought it up. Not that weird's bad or anything, of course, before she got to speculating just what this 'Kai Kazuya' was like.
She then shook her head to reorient herself and asked Koyomi, "Oh Arisugawa-sama, need any help carrying that firewood?"
"Sure, if you want. Just don't give yourself a splinter," Koyomi said before she lugged half the logs Miyako's way.
While Miyako successfully caught them, she immediately found herself straining to keep the wood aloft and not plummet to the ground. "It's okay, I got it, I totally got it," she wheezed.
"By the way, the town theatre's due to reopen in a few days-" the boy from before then reappeared and tried to add, only to find Koyomi's gaze right upon him. "Er, you get the gist. See ya!" He then disappeared just as quick.
"Hold on, why wouldn't that guy want to talk to you about the town theatre? You're a famous author, isn't that your thing?" Miyako asked, trying not to fall over with the firewood all the while.
"Firstly, the stage is a different medium. Secondly, I'd hardly say 'famous'. Hope not anyway, couldn't stand the attention," Koyomi said, her firewood in contrast not weighing her down at all. "And thirdly, why would he want to talk to me about the theatre?"
That statement got Miyako wondering if Koyomi had overheard her and that boy all along. Hanazakari do have enhanced senses, no wait, Arisugawa-sama isn't transformed right now. Ooh, maybe all her experience means she doesn't need to transform to have powers? She would've asked, but already had to expect that Koyomi would just give a non-answer if she did.
Miyako had heard the Witch of Hinodeharu lived on the outskirts of town, and it turned out they meant outskirts. The two had to walk through the forest eaves along a dirt path, then a series of stones, before they finally reached the clearing in which Koyomi's house stood. The sight of their destination made Miyako so relieved that she finally dropped all her wood to the ground before she could get in the door.
Not that it was a house you'd think would give anyone much relief. It was a rickety wooden shack that could've easily dated back a hundred or so years, in fact if Miyako didn't already know its occupant, she'd have guessed the place was abandoned. When she stepped onto its veranda, she braced herself for an almighty creak, and was grateful her foot didn't create a massive hole in it.
"What, did you expect some candycane cottage, portable pink palace, or mansion magicked up from a tree stump?" Koyomi muttered. She looked like she would've crossed her arms if not for that firewood.
Miyako was about to protest, but had to admit, "Suppose it sure is distinctive, which sounds to me like a Hanazakari's home. No wait, most Hanazakari lived in suburban Tokyo houses back in the day, houses any young girl could've lived in. Well, back when Tokyo was all in one piece, of course."
Walking indoors, Miyako could see the shadow-strewn, cobweb-cluttered house pulling double-duty as a summer test of courage, even if winter now felt like the way scarier month post-Frost Fair. She slowly looked around, still worried that any sudden bound could make the whole place collapse on top of her. She peeked into the kitchen first, but the pungent, grassy odour coming from it make her quick to consider eating out instead. Koyomi surely couldn't have been kicked out of every restaurant in town.
Miyako soon spotted Koyomi's writing desk, which made her concerned for the woman's eyesight as it stood in the same darkness as the rest of house. Perched on it was the very computer Koyomi insisted she had, with Miyako making out that she kept a typewriter and quill around anyway. No TV was to be found anywhere though, not that one was really needed with a computer these days.
Of course, Miyako had only just learned that the Hanazakari the forums had told her about and that author Kuramazov she'd vaguely heard of were one and the same. This made her want to check out her bookshelves, always good to see what authors themselves are reading, she thought on cue. That just let her down again, as while the shelves were well-stocked, the only books Miyako recognised were ones she'd read solely because she'd been assigned them in school, your Genji, Kokoro, Brothers Karamazov (natch), and she had to wince seeing No Longer Human again.
She'd given up hope of finding any manga by now, but she did spot one… about a doctor who saved a child's life only for him to grow up to be a serial killer. Weird, nothing Hanazakari-related either, she had to notice, though Koyomi had hardly been comfortable with her past so far. Plus, magical girl stories had certainly shifted in style after everyone had gotten proof such characters really existed.
"Are you done gawking?" Koyomi raised her voice. "Like I said, one night only. You've seen enough to know I'm not running any guesthouse."
"Eep, so sorry. I'm done, I'm done!" Miyako panicked at the silence being broken like that. Well, she wasn't quite done gawking as she spotted two more books, religious texts at that. First was a copy of the Zhuangzi, then next to it the Torah labelled as exactly that, and not 'the Old Testament'.
As Miyako couldn't help but stare at it, not having taken Koyomi for the religious type, Koyomi then outright told her, "I'm Jewish, well I suppose I am. Had a Jewish grandmother who came to Japan to flee World War II, weird as that sounds that sort of thing genuinely happened. She was my maternal grandma, so that makes me 100% Jewish as our customs have it... depending who you ask."
Miyako nodded along with all that, embarrassed to admit that most of her knowledge of Judaism came from anime and gaming. That at least meant she knew what golems and a sephiroth were… roughly. Had you asked Miyako her own religion she would've just said 'oh, nothing really' or 'I pray at shrines every now and then', though she had heard about those new Hanazakari religious movements that'd sprung up after the Frost Decade.
Talk of religion though made her think of the question when it came to Hanazakari and faith, that of the Resurrection (and not the Biblical one) and whether Koyomi believed in it, and if she did how so specifically.
Article:
[ ] I just have to ask her about the Resurrection, it's one of the biggest questions you can ask a Hanazakari.
[ ] No, I can't. Arisugawa-sama's been really uncomfortable talking about Hanazakari stuff and I should respect that, and asking about the Resurrection would be uncomfortable squared.
[ ] Maybe I'll ask later, when she's in a better mood. If she's in a better mood.
[ ] I shouldn't ask her directly, but maybe I say something to hint at it.
[ ] Write-in.
She also got to thinking what she should be doing, now that she was at Koyomi's place even if only for a night or two.
Article:
[ ] "I should get my laptop set up, I've got job- and accommodation-hunting to do online."
[ ] "I'll look around town for jobs and a place to stay, since you said your Internet connection's got issues."
[ ] "Do you want me to help you clean the place up? Er, unless you like it this way?"
[ ] "I'll just rest up a bit." And see if I can find any memento of your Hanazakari years, she didn't say out loud.
[ ] Write-in
Scheduled vote count started by ArlequineLunaire on Jul 31, 2023 at 6:48 PM, finished with 15 posts and 12 votes.
[X] On one hand, a member of Hanazakari should increase restaurant customer flow, in spite of any accusations, so I'm not sure how her doing that is a bad thing. On the other hand, the fact that she still cares enough to investigate a random restaurant because she wants to protect the japanese people, is really heartwarming, so thank you for telling me!!
[X] Wait, how do I know this guy isn't making that up to slander her? I'm gonna be a journalist, so it's my duty to investigate claims like this first.
[X] Plan: I smell a scoop!
- [X] Wait, how do I know this guy isn't making that up to slander her? I'm gonna be a journalist, so it's my duty to investigate claims like this first.
- [X] I just have to ask her about the Resurrection, it's one of the biggest questions you can ask a Hanazakari.
- [X] "I'll just rest up a bit." And see if I can find any memento of your Hanazakari years, she didn't say out loud.
[X] No, I can't. Arisugawa-sama's been really uncomfortable talking about Hanazakari stuff and I should respect that, and asking about the Resurrection would be uncomfortable squared.
[X] On one hand, a member of the Hanazakari should increase restaurant customer flow, in spite of any accusations, so I'm not sure how her doing that is a bad thing. On the other hand, the fact that she still cares enough to investigate a random restaurant because she wants to protect the Japanese people is really heartwarming, so thank you for telling me!!
[X] Maybe I'll ask later, when she's in a better mood. If she's in a better mood.
[X] "Do you want me to help you clean the place up? Er, unless you like it this way?"
The Resurrection was a promise given by the Dandelionhearts, way back when they'd first appeared to those who'd become the Hanazakari. That any Hanazakari slain in battle would, upon the final defeat of the Frost Fair, be resurrected, the second of the Dandelionhearts' 'two gifts' after their powers of course. All this Miyako knew, as any self-respecting Hanazakari fangirl would… which meant she also knew that this Resurrection hadn't happened. Maybe it would've had the Dandelionhearts lived, maybe it was a lie of theirs all along, maybe it would still happen one day, but either way, it was a conversation best avoided around the dinner table.
Hell, I'm already lucky Arisugawa-sama even let me into her house, this is not the time to be pushing that luck, Miyako thought. Now if I was Starknight Four Leaf Clover in Full Bloom, maybe…
"So ah, do you want me to help you clean the place up?" she asked instead, before it occurred to her, "Er, unless you like it this way?"
"Well, it'd be nice not having to deal with all the dust sending me into coughing fits," Koyomi said. She took a brush and pan from the alcove and said after she tossed them to Miyako, "You carried all that firewood here and now you're volunteering at cleaning duty. I suppose that's good, our country does like a busy little worker bee, doesn't it?"
Miyako twitched at those words. Being Japanese herself she felt she hardly needed to be told that, so to her it kinda came off as Koyomi just looking for a chance to be negative. Though said grumpy gloominess reminded her, "Hey, Arisugawa-sama, I noticed a lot of heavy-going books on your shelves, do you ever, y'know, read stuff for fun?" she asked.
"Do I ever come into your house and rummage through your taste in literature?" Koyomi asked back. Probably rhetorically, since the two had only met today, though Koyomi's bitter tone made Miyako feel she actually would, given the chance.
Koyomi then sighed, went over to a bookcase of hers, and pulled out Goethe's Faust Parts I & II of all things. "See, I know how to have fun."
Faust being used as an example of fun didn't compute for Miyako. "Really? I mean yeah, I haven't read it, but er… how is something as dark as Faust fun?" she asked, scratching her chin.
"Read the book then, it's hilarious," Koyomi told her, not that she said that at all mirthfully. "Most of it's what we'd now call a buddy comedy, a lot of the humour courtesy of Mephistopheles. Young Werther's the dark one, and it became old shame for Goethe, I can relate," she muttered. "Of course, you signed up for cleaning first. Faust later."
That did little to clarify for Miyako whether Koyomi was just pulling some prank on her or not. Still, it got the girl thinking, Goethe's version has Faust being saved at the end, right? She'd admit that was the only Goethe-specific thing she knew about Faust. So maybe that's a secret clue Arisugawa-sama really does believe in the Resurrection! She just didn't straight up tell me because, er, because… her train of thought screeched to a halt, she was worried I'd be sensitive about it too, I guess?
After Miyako was done sweeping the bookshelves, she then got to work on the floor before she more gently swept the writing desk, not knowing how Koyomi would react if she made the slightest mess of it. That did almost happen when she knocked an ink bottle over the edge, with Miyako barely catching it before it spilt all over the floor. She felt she'd earned a long sigh of relief.
Then it was up to the attic, the emptiest room in the house. Had Miyako gone through with snooping around for any Hanazakari mementos behind Koyomi's back, her disappointment on reaching this room would've crushed her. As it was, she took it this'd be her room for the night, with the light living Koyomi (books aside) clearly not having anything else going on here. And surely a magical girl wouldn't force me to sleep on the couch… would she? Miyako gulped.
Her nostrils then picked up the hint of smoke from below. Miyako had to hold back her instinct to scream Fire, given she'd only been in a firewood-heated house before on museum trips. And sure enough, on walking downstairs she saw it was just Koyomi setting the firewood alight, which made Miyako wince as she remembered all the wood she'd dropped just outside the house.
"Feels nice," Miyako smiled at Koyomi, as she got to bask in the warmth of the firewood. "Ooh, did your Hanazakari powers have something to do with fire?"
Koyomi side-eyed her at first, then smirked, "I wish. Would've made fighting the Frost Fair a whole lot easier for me." But her tone softened as she said, "Though when your enemy was the Frost Fair, you learn to hold onto any warmth you can. Even all these years later…"
The Frost Fair being brought up made Miyako say, "Oh yeah, you're still trying to protect people from the Frost Fair, even to this day! Just like I knew a Hanazakari would."
That comment made Koyomi go all stiff. "…Explain," she stated at Miyako.
"Well, I was told back in town that a new restaurant opened, so you investigated to make sure it wasn't a Frost Fair plot to steal emotions," Miyako said, "So you're still there to defend Japan!"
"Are you mocking me?" Koyomi stood straight up and hissed at the girl.
Miyako could've frozen, no matter the firewood. "No, not at all! I was saying it's great you did that, it helped me see you really are a Hanazakari."
"Nozawa," Koyomi stated, staring right into the girl's soul, "I am not here to play out your, or anyone else's, fantasy of some paragon. I've got my own life now."
All Miyako could now say in return was, "I-I'm sorry," as her eyes started to well up.
There was no sound but the crackling of the fire, till Koyomi's intensity faded and she said, "I knew there was no Frost Fair at that restaurant, logically anyway. But irrationally there was, how do I describe it, just this one part of my mind that kept going 'This is a Frost Fair plot! This is a Frost Fair plot!' Nothing would shut that thought up. I couldn't keep myself from accosting the Head Chef, I only saw him as a secret Frostfarer. But no, he was human after all," she sighed out.
"Nozawa, there was nothing heroic about what I did."
"You-" Miyako tried to say, "you still meant well."
"Yeah, and what's that road to Hell paved with again?" Koyomi said.
Till now, Miyako had thought Koyomi's 'one night only' condition was just because she was a stranger. But maybe Arisugawa-sama's worried… worried she'll lash out and hurt someone?
Article:
Miyako had no idea how to make this better, but felt as Koyomi's guest, she still had to try:
[ ] "We'll go clear things up with the restaurant, show them it was a misunderstanding, and good luck to be visited by a Hanazakari on opening day. And if that doesn't work, we'll go to another restaurant, prove to them there's nothing to fear from you."
[ ] I'll track down that restaurant and clear Arisugawa-sama's name myself. I can't put her in the spotlight like that, but I have to make people know that she is a good person.
[ ] Hope she won't think I'm belittling her by asking this. "Do you know anyone who can help you? Friends, associates… family? No Hanazakari can truly be all on their own."
[ ] Maybe best to change the topic. "So, novelist huh? Is there anything you're writing right now, or got any good reviews lately?"
[ ] Write-in.
[X] Hope she won't think I'm belittling her by asking this. "Do you know anyone who can help you? Friends, associates… family? No Hanazakari can truly be all on their own."
[X] Maybe best to change the topic. "So, novelist huh? Is there anything you're writing right now, or got any good reviews lately?"
"Now you're interested in my novels?" Koyomi asked while side-eyeing Miyako.
The girl twitched, thinking that Koyomi had figured out she was only trying to change the topic, but Koyomi then relented and said, "I'm not really writing anything at the moment, I've got ideas but right now they're just that, ideas."
"Ooh, what sorts of ideas?" Miyako chimed in like a cheerleader.
Koyomi shrugged. "None I'd bet you'd be interested in," she said. "Not one of them involves any Hanazakari for starters, except me obviously. I had thoughts about writing a Historical this time, but couldn't decide on the era, so I thought to pull a Vonnegut and have the protagonist disassociate between eras. All in her head, no time machine."
Miyako seemed into that idea, but then seriously asked, "Wait, what's a Vonnegut?" The only answer Koyomi gave to that was a long glare.
Afterwards, Koyomi lightened up a little, if with not at all a light topic. "I've also thought writing from the viewpoint of a serial killer," she smirked, "A female serial killer specifically, to comment on how the public treats them differently from male serial killers. But then I stomached a ton of shit true crime podcasts as research and lost interest altogether."
"Oh, don't worry, I've never been the sort of girl who's into true crime," Miyako smiled as she said.
"…Right, and I'm sure you think you're so much better because of that," Koyomi chuckled at her, despite her own previous comment about true crime.
Miyako twitched again. "Yeah, sorry about that. Didn't realise that was how I sounded," she said. "Guess true crime's just too… real for me. I mean, Hanazakari and the Frost Decade are obviously real too, but they're the 'wow, superheroes and aliens really exist' kind of real, while we've known murder has existed since forever." Not that Hanazakari and true crime never intersected, given certain 'affiliations' some had, something Miyako knew but chose to keep quiet on.
"And you were spared having to live through the Frost Decade, so for you it's all a step removed," Koyomi said. She then slumped back in a chair and put her arms behind her head, "Besides, I've been in the novel business for years now, I should be entitled to take a break. Pity publishers and deadlines don't see it that way."
"So, you've been writing that long," Miyako said then asked, "And… you haven't written any fiction about being a Hanazakari? Ah, that's okay of course," she gulped, "You're the author, I'm not saying you have to write any one thing. It's just, y'know, you're a magical girl and a writer, not a combo you see every day."
Only slowly did Koyomi admit, "I have written a Hanazakari story. One, the first novel I ever got 'professionally' published. Not that I wanted to, the publisher just wouldn't accept anything else from someone like me." Recalling that made her nearly retch. "I was not going to be a Magical 'Idol', even as an author and not some singer.
Fortunately, I found a new publisher for my second novel, and while let's just say I have 'issues' with them, they've never made me write about Hanazakari. As they saw it, any more reminders of the Frost Decade were the last thing readers wanted."
Miyako thought for a little while before she figured, "Guess you wouldn't have gone by 'Kuramazov' yet on that first novel, huh?"
"Nope, not till my second," Koyomi said, "And it wasn't under 'Black Rose in Full Bloom' either, before you ask, or Elohim forbid my real name. That publisher at least had the courtesy to not make me do that," then she reconsidered and added, "Likely only because I was never one of the bigger Hanazakari. Yeesh, no way they wouldn't have pushed me into the spotlight had I made more of a name for myself back in the Frost Decade.
And I guess some critics would argue all my novels are about being a Hanazakari, but metaphorically of course."
"Yep, metaphorically, got it," Miyako said, keeping a lid on her disappointment. It was ever clearer to her that she really shouldn't ask any more about Koyomi's first novel, hard as it was for her not to. Though hey, an early Hanazakari novel with only one use of the author's pen name, shouldn't be hard to track it down. Might have owned it myself… oh no, that'd mean it's back at my parents' place, if they haven't thrown it out.
Then another thought came to her, Wait, what if the publisher just reused her pen name, all Carolyn Keene-like? That's the sort of thing they can do, isn't it? Okay, calm down, it still couldn't be that hard to find…
"Oh yeah, you asked about my reviews, didn't you?" Koyomi said, then shrugged again. "They're alright. Doubt I'll get awarded the Akutagawa Prize till I'm dead, but nothing to complain about. Oh, except there's this one guy who keeps praising my work, but given how he writes female characters in his own novels, I bet he's just trying to cover his tracks."
Suddenly, Miyako pulled out her phone, and found per Koyomi's warnings that the connection was laggier than usual here. "Since you brought up your reception, made me think to check your social media. Okay, I've got the page up now," she said, only for her eyes to widen. "Wait, this is you online? You seem," much nicer, happier, "different. Er, not that we aren't all different online, of course."
"The answer's simple, that isn't me online," Koyomi told her, as she narrowed her eyes at Miyako's phone, "It's my official account, sure, but my publisher gets someone else to run it. They kept insisting their authors be on social media, I kept telling them no, so we came to a compromise." She had to groan, "You need to have a particular personality to play the social media game, hell to be a public figure period, and you can already tell I do not. To their credit, were I to 'just be myself' online, all my sales would tank. I actually guested on a podcast once, and my publisher had to do massive damage control."
"…I see," Miyako muttered. She'd already said that people were rarely themselves online, but Koyomi's words had her now quivering over just how deep that rabbit hole went. Even offline, are the author's notes in manga all lies, and the mangaka's never like that at all? At least she had to pride herself on thinking just like a journalist. "So it's like, the online Kuramazov is herself a fictional character, you could say?" she settled on.
"Good observation," Koyomi said, showing she could give compliments, "Problem is how many people have picked that unreality up, and how they'll react when they realise that's the truth."
This lighter topic having only grown heavier, Miyako again played the 'change the subject' card by asking, "By the way, Arisugawa-sama, how long have you wanted to be a writer?"
Koyomi laughed. "What, that old question? Next you'll be asking where I get my ideas."
Article:
But she then answered, "Alright, to get it out of the way.
[ ] I've wanted to be a writer since, well, as long as I could remember. My parents have still held onto all my juvenilia, suppose they've got to have something to embarrass me with."
[ ] Would've been since middle school. Admittedly I wanted to be a mangaka at first, but I couldn't draw nor could anyone I knew, so novelist it was. And then the Frost Fair put everything on hold."
[ ] Wasn't till adulthood. I hadn't thought of writing before then, but the Frost Decade meant I had a lot to process and heard that writing could work as a step on the road to recovery."
[ ] Just prior to adulthood, as the Frost Decade approached it's end. Seeing the light at the end off the tunnel got me thinking about the future, and creation was cathartic. I had to wait of course, but my mind was made up by the end. (Randino Treviani write-in)
[ ] Write-in
Miyako took that all in. "Wow, you really do have a way with words, Arisugawa-sama. If anyone asked why I want to be a journalist, I think I'd just stutter a bunch and not give any one answer," she said.
"Hah, I'll spare you the ordeal then," Koyomi said.
Dinner wasn't long afterwards, though as Miyako had feared from the pungent smells from the kitchen, Koyomi's cooking… wasn't the most appetising, looking like lumps of indistinguishable vegetable matter.
"What? It's incredibly nutritious," Koyomi told her. Miyako took her word for that but made a mental note to eat out whenever possible.
As night fell, she was shown that empty attic was indeed her bedroom, the futon Koyomi had dragged out certainly a change from the bedding Miyako was used to. Koyomi then left the attic without even bidding her goodnight, but Miyako still had one last thing to do before bed.
Phone in hand again, she withstood the lag to log back on to the chatrooms (her username MorandoKyo), where she'd first learned about a Witch in Hinodeharu. She wouldn't give Koyomi's real name of course, but she still had to say something.
Article:
[ ] "Guys, I've really met a Hanazakari, and…" It's been one day, and she's let me stay the night, so I can't be too judgmental. "She's everything I hoped she would be!"
[ ] "I've met a Hanazakari, and… she's really not what I expected. But that's okay, Hanazakari are people too, I suppose."
[ ] Arisugawa-sama thought I was a stalker at first, maybe I can at least throw people off her tail, give her privacy. "Sorry, I don't think there's any Hanazakari in Hinodeharu."
[ ] I mean, do I really need to say anything?
[ ] Write-in
Our first Arc, Strange Kind of Spring, is now finished! This gives you 100xp total to distribute among Koyomi's and/or Miyako's stats (their current stats can be viewed here). Note that future Arcs will be longer but will gradually give more experience:
Scheduled vote count started by ArlequineLunaire on Aug 3, 2023 at 10:19 PM, finished with 20 posts and 13 votes.
[X] Arisugawa-sama thought I was a stalker at first, maybe I can at least throw people off her tail, give her privacy. "Sorry, I don't think there's any Hanazakari in Hinodeharu."
[X] Would've been since middle school. Admittedly I wanted to be a mangaka at first, but I couldn't draw nor could anyone I knew, so novelist it was. And then the Frost Fair put everything on hold."
[X] Wasn't till adulthood. I hadn't thought of writing before then, but the Frost Decade meant I had a lot to process and heard that writing could work as a step on the road to recovery."
[X] Just prior to adulthood, as the Frost Decade approached it's end. Seeing the light at the end off the tunnel got me thinking about the future, and creation was cathartic. I had to wait of course, but my mind was made up by the end.
