@Dark Lord Potato It's cool. No worries.
Sector I – Recruit Hikaru, Support Sector V (Destress)
You put Maya to work running Sector V's staff through Dr. Sessyoin's workplace stress reduction program while you have a chat with Falter Silk. Between your lecture and his archives finally arriving, the wizard seems mollified.
Meanwhile, you figure out how to best approach Hikaru Asahi. That seems like a weekend sort of thing.
(Sector V Status is now Active)
)( EXTRA EVENT! – RECRUITING HIKARU ASAHI )(
Sector II – Produce – 6, 5 = 11 (PURE SUCCESS)
Nailo spends his time in the medical bay to good use. Seems that some of the machinery that fell on him during the accident can be repurposed to refine materials received. Once he gets back to work, he should have the materials needed to build something excellent.
(Resources +1)
Sector III – Research (Random) – 4, 4, -1 = 7 (FLAWED SUCCESS)
Everyone may be a bit on edge, but that's no excuse to not work. Geta-Pi-Theta puts some of his material engineers to work and, shockingly, they come up with something! It seems like an enhancement for body armor; silicon carbide discs in a ceramic matrix layered between a compounded laminate similar to Kevlar. Super-light, but extremely puncture resistant. Great for field and hazard work. Of course, putting more stress on people doesn't help their mental states.
(Design Added – Enhanced Body Armor I)
(Stress Penalty Increased to -2)
Sector IV – Scan – 6, 3 = 9 (FLAWED SUCCESS)
Michelle is still distracted by her algorithm refinement, but her subordinates are more than happy to provide you with the results of their most recent scan.
REPORT 1: (Roll 6) Someone has been punching monsters and tearing up the streets in the Ōta ward. It seems that an armor-wearing, gun-wielding, motorcycle-driving 'vigilante' has been behind a series of destructive brawls and assaults that bear the marks of monster attacks. By monitoring traffic camera footage and analyzing the locations of the fights and disturbances for clues, Sector IV has the individual behind these fights pegged as one TOUMA ITAGAKI, a local motorcycle enthusiast and former delinquent.
(Touma Itagaki added to the Recruit action)
Sector V – Research (Random) – 1, 6 = 7 (FLAWED SUCCESS)
Falter Silk finally has everything squared away and has gotten down to business. And luckily enough, he actually has a productive week. He's put his skills as a high wizard to good use and prototyped a magical reinforcement array designed to enhance mundane hand-to-hand weaponry. Just the sort of thing that would be useful in the field! Unfortunately, while the prototyping was successful, the designing cost a significant amount of rare ingredients to stabilize properly. Those are going to be pricey to replace…
(Design Added - Magic Weapons I)
(Resources -1)
Sector VI – Heal (Nailo Alhambra)
Thankfully, elves tend to heal quickly. Doubly so when they're in a state-of-the-art medical facility. A week or so of bed rest and therapy got Nailo back on his feet in no time, minus the bruising.
Sector VII – Train (Subaru Shirai) – 4,3 = 7 (FLAWED SUCCESS)
Odessa puts Subaru through her paces to see how she handles hand-to-hand combat against a physically superior foe. Subaru is a dancer and gymnast, not a martial artist, so she ends up getting thrown around the mat quite a bit. Still, it never hurts to practice.
(Subaru Shirai: +1 EXP)
* * *
TURN 3 – DRAMA PHASE
EXTRA EVENT!
Hikaru's apartment complex is a three-story affair built out of gray brick. It's an unassuming place; the sort you'd see college kids and bachelors living in on television. His apartment is on the third floor, and you quickly make your way up the stairwell to his apartment. As you do, you pass by a delivery man walking away from your destination.
The door rattles a bit after you knock on it, then opens. "I didn't think I'd get another pack-" the person says, then quickly falls silent as he sees you.
"Hikaru Asahi?" You ask the younger man standing just inside the apartment.
Hikaru gapes a little, then nods dumbly. He's around nineteen years old and a few inches shorter than you, with messy brown hair, large glasses, and a plump build. The best analogy you can use for him is 'capybara-like,' since he has that same kind of unthreatening roundness. He clearly wasn't expecting company; he's dressed in a pair of burgundy sweatpants and a wrinkled-looking shirt with anime artwork on the front. He's holding a package in both hands.
(He looks non-threatening, but there's something… odd about it. It's like he just radiates 'friend-shaped.')
"I'm Makoto Hongo. May I come in?"
"Uh… um…" He glances over his shoulder before looking back at you. "I, um, I wasn't ex… expecting anyone to… you know… I mean, my place really isn't clean enough for… could you just give me a few minutes?"
"Sure, I can-" the door quickly shuts in your face, "-wait."
You rock slightly back and forth on your heels as you listen to the various sounds coming from behind the door; paper and plastic rustling, stuff being scooted around on bare wood floors, the hiss of an aerosol can before the door opens again. You catch the distinct smell of air freshener in the air as Hikaru coughs. "Please, uh, come in, Hongo-sama."
You walk in. Like most apartments, the place is small; a short hallway, a bathroom and a single room. It's cramped as well, with two of the walls taken up by a computer desk, a small filing cabinet and what appears to be a large bookshelf with a sheet thrown over it. A large trash bag has been shoved into one corner, and you can smell undercurrents of cheap ramen and bento under the lingering air freshener. The windows have been opened wide to let air in.
(You're not sure what's under the sheet, but you can take a few guesses.)
"Um, would you, uh, like something to drink?" Hikaru is puttering about nervously, crouching by the computer desk and opening a mini-fridge. "I don't have coffee or anything, but I do have some sodas…"
"I'll pass, thank you." You lean against the wall as he climbs back to his feet. You quirk an eyebrow as he stares at you, mouth slightly agape. "Are… you okay?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry." He shakes his head and lets out a nervous chuckle. "I… um… don't take this the wrong way, but, uh…"
"Hmm?"
"Um… one second…" he quickly opens the filing cabinet, ruffles through it a bit, then pulls out a green folder and extends it to you. "Could… may I get your autograph, Sleepwalker-sama?"
You blink and slowly take the folder from his hands. "That's a first," you admit as you open it and blink at the contents. It's all newspaper clippings from when you were active as Sleepwalker Deka; a lot of your old cases that got reported, neatly preserved and laminated. You're… not entirely sure how to feel about this.
"I'm sorry if that's, uh, a bit forward of me," he says nervously, his shoulders hunched slightly as he rubs his index fingers together. "You see, I'm, uh, a bit of a, er, collector of these sorts of things…"
(And if you were any more anxious you'd be a shut-in,) your instincts reply, though you wisely don't say that out loud. You shrug, pull out a pen from your pocket and quickly sign the folder.
Hikaru holds the folder reverently as you hand it back staring at it like it's an ancient treasure. "T-thank you… wow… I… um… actually…"
"Breathe, Asahi-san," you chide gently, breaking him out of his spellbound state. "Though I'm not here for an autograph session. I'm actually here about you."
That definitely breaks him out of his nervous state. "I… I don't know what you mean," he quickly turns around and opens the file cabinet, returning the folder to its proper place.
"Oh, I think you do," you counter as you produce your smartphone, thumbing through the images. "I can guess why you went outside the city to practice. You did pick some good spots where people weren't likely to observe you… though the blog posts? Really? It wasn't hard to figure it out. Plus, your alter-ego isn't exactly what I'd call 'stealthy.'"
You see him visibly deflate. He plops down into his computer chair and shifts uncomfortably.
"When did all this happen?"
"Last summer," he says, not looking at you. "I visited my grandmother in Nagano. She… um… I'm her… successor? Is that the right word?"
You blink. "Wait, your grandmother?"
"Apparently it, uh, skipped a generation? I… I'm honestly not sure how it all works." He blushes brightly, looking like he'd prefer to vanish. "I mean, I'm super-versed in, uh, the actual practical side of things. I didn't even get a mascot or… much else, really."
"And was she… you know…" you make a general hourglass gesture with your hands, which only seems to make him blush even more.
"N-no… that… I'm pretty sure that's just me." He covers his face. "Oh god, this is so… so embarrassing."
"Hey," you walk over and crouch down to get on his level. "Asahi-san? Look at me. There's no judgment here, alright?" You gently pull his hands away. "You've just got… extra-ordinary circumstances to deal with. That's all."
"You don't think it's… weird?"
You roll your eyes. "Kid, you don't break the top ten on the list of weird shit I've seen."
"Oh." His expression is equal parts relieved and concerned.
"So,' you say as you stand back up, "Hikaru Asahi, do you want to-"
"More than anything in the world," he interrupts, then blanches under your quirked eyebrow. "Sorry."
"No, no. I'm just surprised that you're so eager. You do realize that I'm asking you to fight the forces of evil and darkness, possibly putting yourself in harm's way, right?"
"Hongo-sama," he says as he adjusts his shirt. A pendant made out golden metal with a pentagonal gem slides out from under the collar of his shirt, "if I didn't already know that, I wouldn't have taken this pendant from my grandma."
"Alright then. Good to know." You produce a card and hand it to him. "Just so you know, we have on-site accommodations if you want to… you know… live there."
"I did say I wasn't expecting company…"
* * *
The world shifts into a shadowy stage. And then, suddenly, all is light. A sky full of cartoony yellow stars twinkles overhead as Hikaru steps forward, dressed in U.N.S.E.A.T. blue. He reaches under his shirt and produces a golden pendant shaped like a star with a pentagonal gem on its surface as the
music kicks in.
"Star of Hope, light up!" His voice is determined as he sweeps the pendant back with his left hand, his right arm extended towards the camera before he thrusts the star skyward.
"Let's! SHINE! ON!"
The sky shifts into a long-exposure-style swirl of golden light as three concentric golden rings ripple outwards from Hikaru's position. The rings pause as the innermost ring erupts into a pillar of golden light, swallowing Hikaru and hiding him completely. The outermost ring develops intricate lines of magical script interlinking with five-pointed stars. Motes of yellow stardust swirl upwards as the inner pillar explodes outwards, revealing a taller, silhouetted figure with distinctly feminine curves floating in an en pointe stance.
The stardust swirls inwards as the middle ring rises upwards, the stardust coalescing into clothing on the silhouette. High-heeled greave-clad boots made of white and gold metal. A wide, ruffled white skirt over an armored golden leotard. Fluffy shoulder-length gloves that feed into white and gold metal gauntlets. A star-decorated choker, golden lipstick and eyeshadow, a pair of dangling gold-star earrings and a star-shaped hair decoration. The figure's hair explodes outwards behind her into a cartoonishly huge mane of blonde hair, which quickly spirals into several puffy drills that flow down like a cloak.
The figure lands as the final ring shoots upwards, filling in the woman's skin. Her eyes open, revealing golden eyes with blue star-shaped pupils. She spins and punches the air, sending short bursts of stardust into the air before she turns to face the camera.
"Hopes, dreams, wishes, I'll save them all!" She claps her hands together, then strikes a pose. "Wishing Star Senshi, Shineon!"
\ HERO GET! HIKARU ASAHI – WISHING STAR SENSHI, SHINEON! /
= INVESTIGATION SUBJECT ADDED – OLDER MAGICAL GIRLS =
= MAGIC SOURCE RESEARCH ADDED – MAGICAL GIRLS =
>MECHANICAL CODEX UPDATED – SOURCE (MAGIC)<
* * *
EVENT!
You're doing paperwork one day when a knock comes at your door. You start to say something as Odessa steps through and closes the door behind her. She looks irritated.
"Something I can do for you, Odessa?" You set aside your pen and give her your attention.
"I just need to talk to someone," Odessa replies, taking a seat and crossing her legs. She's much more informal than, say, Yamakishi. "It's been, what, three or so weeks since we started this and there hasn't been a monster attack? I'm getting antsy. And that's making my men antsy. And that makes me antsy, and then… you get the picture, right?"
"That sounds like more of a Dr. Sessyoin problem than something I can fix."
"No offense, but I don't need a shrink. I just need something to relieve the stress," she replies. "Something to work off all this nervous energy. Stimulation. There's only so many times I can hit the gym or the sparring room before that doesn't hit the itch any longer. I figured since you're in charge…"
You hmm and think.
[ ] SEND HER ON PATROL – If she's getting stir-crazy, she can always take some of her men and go patrolling through Tokyo. A good run should do her some good.
[ ] HAVE HER RUN DRILLS – There's always a chance the Forces of Evil will attack soon. If she runs her men through some practical training drills, they and she can blow off some steam.
[ ] MAKE HER WORK WITH NAILO – Nailo probably has some gear or something that needs testing. Maybe that can distract her for a while.
[ ] TELL HER TO TALK TO DR. SESSYOIN – This sounds like something that'll keep causing problems in the future. Having her work with the doc will help curb these cravings?
VOTING ENDS IN 24 HOURS.
