It has been twenty years since the Yokai made themselves known on the Eve of Blood and the world is in chaos. Though humanity clings on, they have been fragmented and the Monsters drive humanity ever closer to oblivion. But not all is lost. Creatures known as Companions bond with and gift certain humans miraculous power that allows them to fight the Monsters on equal footing. Such people could only be described as Miracles.
And you are one of these Miracles, recently bonded to a Companion. How this story ends is up to both skill and chance. Good luck and keep ahold to your humanity, lest you drown in despair like those who came before you.
They made themselves known on the Eve of Blood. When twisted parodies of nature and humanity first made themselves known as the world celebrated the dawn of the twenty-first century. They slaughtered without regard to whom their victims were. Corpses piled as high as the skyscrapers of New York, blood flowed down from the streets of Cairo and into the river Nile, and the Cherry Blossoms of Tokyo were dyed red.
Militaries across Earth struck back, but the suddenness and brutality of the slaughter left them woefully unprepared. Soldiers were driven into madness by the eldritch chants of robe-clad undead. Tanks were crushed under foot by salivating and armored giants. Battleships were ripped in two by shadows lurking under the water. It would have taken a miracle for anyone to survive until the break of day as the entities ran rampant.
And a miracle did come in the form of the Companions. Seemingly normal animals or toys that gifted otherworldly powers to those whom they bonded too. No one knows why they appeared at the height of the Eve of Blood, but regardless of their reasons, they and their bonded humans pushed the monsters back. Hordes of the walking dead were flash-freezed. Bonded soldiers pressed the attack as their wounds healed in mere seconds. Mere children wrestled towering beasts to the ground. Such people could only be described as Miracles.
It has been twenty years since the Eve of Blood. The creatures have gone by many names. Monsters, demons, jinn, yokai, but no matter their naming, they have waged an unceasing war against humanity. Regions already on the brink have been pushed into complete chaos, where warlords carve nations for themselves and the people left to fend for themselves. Democracies across the world have seen their populace exchange liberty for security and the all-enveloping reach of militaries. Above it all, the Miracles stand as a pillar of hope and a line of defense against the Monsters.
You are one of these Miracles, recently bonded to a Companion. You find yourself with incredible powers at your fingertips. Yet you also stand in a world where desperation consumes the hearts of men and eldritch monsters utilize every tool at their disposal to carry out their unknown aims. How this story ends is up to both skill and chance. Good luck and keep ahold to your humanity, lest you drown in despair like those who came before you.
Character Creation Part One
Country of Origin: Each country has responded differently to the emergence of the Miracles and the Companions. Many have integrated them into their respective militaries. Some countries revere Miracles as celebrities and heroes to aspire to. Others, however, clench their teeth and tolerate them as they are useful, but otherwise seethe at their existence. Your country of origin will determine how the local populace responds to your presence, determines what opportunities present themselves, and permit unique advantages and disadvantages.
[ ] The United States
Joint-Combined Arms: The United States has become increasingly militaristic in response to the Monsters. As such, the military-majority government has leveraged the U.S. decades of experience and military-industrial complex to integrate the Miracles into the military. Miracles are often accompanied by squads of battle-hardened soldiers and call fire support to rain death upon the Monsters. Americans react to Miracles much like how they react to any soldier, perhaps even more so.
You'll never have to worry about food or shelter and you receive a paycheck twice a month to spend as you please. You'll also have your own squad of fellow Miracles to assist you on missions and fight alongside other branches of the U.S. armed forces during operations. Americans will treat you like a war hero just by virtue of being a Miracle, allowing for discounts at your favorite fast food joint, cutting in line at games, and receiving care packages when you're deployed.
But such benefits come at a cost. Your life is strictly regimented and you are expected to follow the chain of command. And many dissident factions will detest you for your part in the military. Yes, you can always desert or defect, but such an action will have consequences.
[ ] Japan
Celebrity: Japan was hard hit in the years following the Eve of Blood as a result of its nature as an island nation. Despite the hardship, they have endured thanks to their cooperative culture and their hard-working Miracles. Thus many Miracles have found themselves in the spotlight as two decades of media and propaganda have centered around them to drum up support.
You'll find yourself shooting straight up on the social ladder by virtue of your nature as a Miracle. You will find connections across the upper crust of Japan and the populace will recognize you as your face becomes ever-more known, allowing for certain allowances otherwise not permitted in Japanese culture. You can also capitalize on your popularity to sell merchandise like many other Miracles to ensure a more steady income.
Unfortunately, popularity has its downsides. You're expected to uphold the image of a stalwart defender no matter what you're feeling and breaking this image will have negative consequences. Furthermore, your fellow Miracles will be harder to befriend as a result of fierce competition and a social ladder.
[ ] Egypt
Detested: Egypt was especially hard-hit in the years following the Eve of Blood. The already unstable region collapsed into chaos and many took their frustration out on the Miracles because of their supposed connection to the Monsters. Yet such hatred would lessen when the Egyptian Caliphate would rise to power. The Caliphate cracked down on anti-Miracle sentiment and spread pro-Miracle propaganda, though were unable to integrate them due to the instability in the new government.
Yet even after a decade, many Egyptians remain skeptical of Miracles. Many will not be kind should your identity as a Miracle become known. People will be less inclined to interact with you, storekeepers will price-gouge their products, and certain groups will use you for their own benefit at your expense or outright attempt to kill you.
But such distaste is not without its benefits. You'll find it easier to befriend your fellow Miracles as a result of social isolation. Many have formed tight-knit groups and it's not unusual for such groups to receive jobs as a result of the instability in the country. But perhaps the most prized advantage is that Miracles have greater freedom in Egypt than most other surviving countries due to the chaos still engulfing the region.
How did You Bond with Your Companion?: Companions bond with people regardless of circumstance. For some, it happens when they're at their lowest or on the edge of death. For others, it's simply a normal day when their Companion hops on their shoulder and willingly bond with them. Regardless though, there are two common factors across all Bonds. The person must be willing to accept the powers when the Companion appears and the other is that the Miracle is a good person, as nebulous as such a thing is. So, how and why did you bond with yours?
[ ]Edge of Death: There was never a choice for you. After all, that Monster left you for dead. Were it not for your Companion appearing, then you would've just been another statistic in a Monster attack.
[ ]The Strength of Will: All the death and misery around you was suffocating. You wanted to help, to heal those suffering. So when your Companion hopped on your shoulder and you felt a questioning nudge, you simply nodded. And that was that.
[ ]Rescued: Not everyone views the Companions positively. You came across a group of people kicking and beating a Companion and with a little trickery, got those people away. But it left the Companion bleeding on the ground. You nursed it back to health and, well, you got attached. Before long, it bonded to you with all the perks of being a Miracle.
[ ]Vengeance: A Monster attack killed someone you loved and left you with a burning hatred for the creatures. So when your Companion appeared before you, you accepted without a second thought.
[ ]To Protect: You love your family, but you lacked the strength to protect them with the danger all around you until your Companion bonded with you. And now you have the strength to protect your family. To protect everyone you love from any danger.
[ ]Write-in: Got another idea or want to modify the presented options? Write it in! Do note I will veto any scenario I deem unfit.
Your Power: Companions are unusual creatures, whose origins and purposes are unknown. Yet when they bond with a human, that person is gifted with incredible power. All became faster, stronger, smarter, better, but each one has a magical ability. When you first bonded with yours, how did your magical power manifest?
[ ]Dancing Flame: Your power is fire, all-consuming yet purifying. You can summon great balls of fire, surround yourself in a wreath of protective flame, or cleanse yourself and allies of aliments.
[ ]Anarchy Rainbow: Your power is color, chaotic yet conforming. You can manipulate the colors and hues of the world, confusing enemies with a whirlwind of hues and stripping the color out of illusions.
[ ]Mended Bonds: Your power is to restore the broken, discarded things. You can summon phantoms of the past to serve as allies in combat, mend items once broken without need of parts, and speak with ghosts willing to have their souls restored for a time.
[ ]Fluid Flesh: Your power is flesh, weak yet fluid. You can manipulate your own biology or those of (un)willing to improve or degrade their functions or breathe new vigor into the weak.
[ ]Emotional Equation: Your power is emotion, rational yet irrational. You can control your own emotions and different emotional states will confer different bonuses and maluses such as anger empowering your strikes while making you more prone to missing your target.
Your Companion: Your Companion is your source of power. Its death would see you stripped of your powers so take care to ensure its survival. Yet it can also be a useful ally to take on your adventures as each Companion has their own minor power. What is your Companion's power? Pick one.
[ ]Plain: For whatever reason, they seem to be ignored by most people and even the Monsters, allowing for them to hide in plain sight in most circumstances.
[ ]Danger-sense: They seem to have a knack for detecting danger, alerting you to any hidden foes or hazards.
[ ]Sin-Eater: They can take on debuffs and maluses afflicted upon you, though not to the point of severe injury or death.
[ ]Lucky Charm: They seem to bring good luck wherever they are, allowing for better outcomes of certain actions.
[ ]Loot Finder: They have an uncanny ability to find useful items in the most unlikely of places.
Hey, hey people. Welcome to Critic Ham's first ever Quest. Wanted to do one for a while now, but I had several ideas and eventually landed on 'dark magical hero' and went from there. It took a while, but eventually I got it and the idea was refined with help from the fine folk on the Sufficient Velocity Discord quest channel. Now I can post this with only moderate stage fright!
But first things first. This is intended to be mature with dark themes about humanity fighting off creatures that seem to want nothing more than to slaughter them all. Yes, there's Magical Girl/Superhero themes, but things aren't looking bright. People are going to do awful stuff, governments have become increasingly tyrannical, and extremism is on the rise all over. And I'm not going to shy away from the effects of such things like drug abuse. The more sensitive stuff I will, however, keep it on the down low, mostly because I believe I can't handle it appropriately at this time.
So bear such things in mind. If, for whatever reason, you feel as though I am not handling the mature themes with the appropriate care then let me know and I'll review things. Now I might not come to the same conclusion, but I nonetheless appreciate such things.
A 1d100 will be rolled against a certain check. For example, the DC is 25/50 and in order for a successful outcome to occur then the 25 must be passed and for a critical success then it must pass the 50. Modifiers such as Proficiencies and the condition of your character can affect the DC. For example, being knowledgeable in medicine will reduce a DC of 50 by a certain amount while having a grievous wound will increase the DC.
Stress and Death
Stress is the measure of how well-mentally a person is. The more of it there is and the longer it stays, the more issues will begin to manifest. At low levels, it's manageable with irritability and increased tiredness. However, more issues will begin to appear the higher it becomes which can result in a mood break if left unattended for too long.
A mood break is a devastating condition where the PC will not follow the Players' plans at all. The PC may go on a rampage, attacking those they perceive to be threats or become catatonic for a period of time.
Thus it is necessary to maintain a healthy coping mechanism in dealing with stress. A number of things can reduce stress, be it simple rest or taking up a musical instrument. Stress can also decay naturally over time so long as the PC is in an environment considered safe. I.E. not in a war zone or constantly worrying for their health. The PC can also build a tolerance to stress, allowing them to better handle it and reducing the amount gained. Though be warned, certain things such as dying will always be stressful.
Dying need not be the end as your Companion will revive you as many times as needed. However, this is not without consequence. Revival is an inefficient process with non-fatal wounds and aliments persisting after being revived on top of the stress of dying. Your Companion also uses up a portion of their magic to revive you which leaves you weaker and each revival will take longer with more wounds and aliments piling on. Die enough times and you may find that years have passed since your last death. However, your Companion will replenish their magic over time so you can stay in the fight even after death, just with a few dozen wounds to bear.
Just keep in mind that your Companion is vulnerable while reviving you. Ensure you have a safe place or allies to safeguard it lest it is captured or killed.
Stress will not be displayed as a meter, but instead through a character status which will let players know of how the PC is currently feeling.
Combat
Participants in combat will roll opposing 1d100 against one another. The one who rolled higher will successfully execute their action with varying levels of effect depending on how great the difference between the rolls are. Certain traits and modifiers can modify the DC against an opponent, but such information may not always be available and must be learned through observation, learning, and/or doing a certain action.
Proficiencies
A proficiency represents a character's overall skill and knowledge pertaining to a certain topic or ability to do a certain action. It reduces the overall DC so the higher in rank a proficiency is, the lower the DC becomes. There are several ways of increasing proficiency rank, from training and learning to more dubious ways that could have adverse effects.
Winning Vote- Long Live Idol Stars!
-[X] Japan
-[X] To Protect
-[X] Emotional Equation
-[X] Lucky Charm
Japan, Land of the Setting Sun
Japan almost collapsed like many of its neighbors in the years following the Eve of Blood. Its status as an island nation made acquiring resources difficult and the crippling of trade by sea-borne Yokai further starved Japan. Pirates, warlords, and those with a grudge did not make life any easier for the Japanese. Raids and massacres along the coasts became distressingly common as suicide rates skyrocketed to the point where people became accustomed to see the occasional corpse on the street.
And yet Japan did not fall. Not when Kyushu fell to the hordes of Yokai. Not when Ainu insurgents expelled the Japanese out of Hokkaido. And certainly not when the Yokai launched a strike into Honshu, only to be stopped by the Miracles. But Japan still falters. To this day, Kyushu remains infested with Yokai. The Ainu maintains a strong defense against Japanese attempts to reclaim Hokkaido.
Tensions brew, despair claws at the hearts of people, and challenges continue to mount. So it isn't any wonder why the government has placed the Miracles on a pedestal. They boast about the heroic deeds of Miracles, of how their stalwart defenders always bested the enemies of Japan. Of how the Miracles never lose hope, and why the people of Japan must never lose hope.
Character Creation Part 2
[ ]Miracle Alias:
[ ]Name:
[ ]Gender:
[ ] Boy
[ ] Girl
[ ] Kid
Advantages: Pick 3
[ ]Social Butterfly: People are attracted to you for your cuteness, good-manners, and confidence. You'll have an easier time in all social situations and can reroll one failed social roll.
[ ]Loving Family: Your family will love and support you, no matter what you go through. They'll stand by your side should society turn against you, shelter a friend in trouble, and so much more.
[ ]Miracle Sibling: One of your siblings is a Miracle! She's been doing this for years now and will gladly teach you all her tricks. She'll also help you deal with the popularity of being a Miracle, especially on how to deal with certain people.
[ ]Lover of Magic: You've had a fascination with the magic powers of Miracles and their Companions ever since you could remember. You've devoured every piece of literature on magic you could grab, followed blogs of Miracles, and wrote your own thoughts in a journal. As such, you have greater knowledge of all things Miracle, Companion, and Magic related, reducing all DC related to them. Understanding not included.
[ ]Friendly Monster: When you were young, you lost your way wandering a forest and came across a woman covered in… worms. Despite her appearance, she was friendly and guided you out of the forest. Since then, she has claimed the forest as her own and seems to have taken a liking to you. She'll help you out from time to time and give unusual, but helpful gifts. And for some reason, the Yokai stay as far away from her forest as possible, allowing you a place of solace and peace from them.
[ ]Yakuza Family: Your family are high-ranking members in a Yakuza syndicate that arose in the years following the Eve of Blood. You'll have underworld connections and the local populace will hold you in regard alongside other benefits. You are still expected to uphold a certain code even in this day and age, but you're a Miracle, people who have good hearts. Being a Yakuza won't conflict with that, right?
-Mutually exclusive with: Yakuza Debt
[ ]Indie Singer: You are a hobbyist singer in your spare time and you attracted a small following. Your established popularity, small as it is, will get your foot in the door and you can incorporate your singing into your Miracle identity, not to mention the potential profits of being a Miracle Idol! Of course, you'll still have to deal with the downsides of being an Idol, but at least you're not like those poor corp Idols.
-Mutually exclusive with: Corporate Idol
[ ]Official: One or both of your parents hold a high-ranking position in the government. You can take advantage of this by asking them to direct certain resources to you to help with your Popularity and smooth over any wrinkles that might appear. Alongside other advantages of having parents in the government.
[ ]A Second Companion: You bonded with another Companion, an incredibly rare occurrence. As such you gain a secondary power and your second Companion will have its own minor power alongside a secondary power boost. But know this, the Yokai will identify you as a threat that must be eliminated and jealousy from your fellow Miracles will make your life ever harder. Not to mention all of the scientists ready to swarm you with questions.
-[ ] Write in your secondary power and second Companion's ability.
[ ]Something That Should Not Be, Yet Is(Allied): You found someone who was, well, lost and confused. They seem to have no idea that the world is under attack by otherworldly creatures and possess technology you've never seen before.(Seriously, you didn't know that phones could have screens that responded to touch!) But you helped them in their time of need and they're ever grateful for the help.
-Note: This option dislodges a character from an established media and opens up unique content pertaining to that media. This character is randomly chosen.
Disadvantages: Pick at least three. For each additional disadvantage you pick, you may pick another advantage.
[ ]Delinquent: You fell into the 'wrong' crowd and found yourself engaged in brawls and disturbing the peace. Nothing like the Yakuza, but your rebellious nature will be frowned upon and you'll find it difficult to befriend your more conforming Miracles.
[ ]Exploitive Family: For one reason or another, your parents have exploited your talents for the gain of the family. They will exploit your nature as a Miracle to further the power of your family, even if it comes at your own expense.
[ ]Foreign Parents: Your parents came to Japan in search of a better life and had you shortly after. But despite being born in Japan, many Japanese still discriminate against you and your fellow Miracles are likely to do the same. Though it may be possible to play into your 'foreignness' to climb the Ratings.
[ ]Sickly: Most diseases are cured when a person becomes a Miracle. But not yours. Not even lessened. And though it hasn't been getting worse, it still persists and causes problems, making your life more difficult than it should be.
[ ]Rival: You have a rivalry with another kid so intense that any attempts at resolving it have utterly failed. And now your rival is a Miracle too. They'll no doubt try to show you up at every turn, train hard to be better than you, and gloat at your failures. And should you prove to be the better one over them for a period of time, they're bound to do something dangerously stupid.
[ ]Yakuza Debt: Your family owes a debt to the Yakuza and there will be severe consequences should the deadline pass without the debt being paid. And your status as a Miracle will certainly be of interest to them.
-Mutually exclusive with: Yakuza Family
[ ]Corporate Idol: Corporations are rare these days, but they still exist and several employ Idols as a part of the government's entertainment campaign. You're one of these Idols. Though you'll certainly have the perks of being an Idol, your freedom will be greatly restricted, you're a slave to PR, and your status as a Miracle will be exploited for all of its worth.
-Mutually exclusive with: Indle Idol
[ ]Limited Reserves: Most Miracles have an endless amount of magic to call upon for their powers. Not you though. You have a limit on how much magic you can draw upon before you are forcibly reverted back to your normal form, leaving you powerless and must wait while your reverses recover. It may be possible to increase the limit, but a cure seems unreachable.
-Note: Your reserves do not increase if taken with the Second Companion advantage
[ ]Hunted: A dangerous Yokai has taken an interest in you. It will appear at inconvenient times, learn your tactics at an accelerated rate, and actively hunt you down regardless of where you go. And you have a feeling It isn't seeking to kill you either…
[ ]Something That Should Not Be, Yet Is(Thrall): Shortly after you became a Miracle, you saw someone standing still save for the occasional twitch. You couldn't see their face because they wore a mask… that looked like it was nailed into their skull. They fled before you could get closer, but you get the feeling you're going to see them a lot more in the future…
-Note: This option dislodges a character from an established media and opens up unique content pertaining to that media. This character is randomly chosen, but said character is no longer in control and saving them will be difficult. If picked alongside the Allied option, then this character will originate from the same media.
So, uh, I had time to review this since things have happened and I think it's good enough.
You have 48 hours to vote. Plenty of time to plan and discuss. If anything isn't clear or you have questions/comments then please post them. I'll be around, just lurking about.
Itsuki ran through the corpse-filled streets of Tokyo. His heart beated so fast Itsuki was sure it was trying to break free of his chest in a vain attempt to escape. But escape to where? The dying screams of people all around him as they were devoured, crushed underfoot, and shredded. No matter where he escaped too, his own screams would join them. All he could do was just run.
Still, his brain went into overdrive trying to figure a way out of this mess. Itsuki couldn't run forever. Already his legs seized up from the burning hurt of his fear-fuelled scramble. But what way was there? Wait for the military to show up? The police tried shooting a robe-clad thing with a cross nailed to its face. It shrugged off the bullets like it was made of iron before it chanted and… what chance did the military have against something like that?
Maybe he could hide in an alleyway or cafe and wait till the monsters move on? Those fiery hounds melted their way through concrete and gorged themselves on whoever was inside that Mcdonalds. And those things could probably smell him from a kilometer away!
Fuck, he didn't believe in a higher power, but he'd follow whatever if it meant he got out of this alive and well. It didn't matter if it was evil incarnate, Itsuki just wanted to live through the New Year! All he could do was hop-
Howls tore through the air.
Itsuki's heart slammed against his chest, beating harder and harder as hungry panting drew ever closer. His frenzied instincts overrode all else, even his own mind. Itsuki spurred into a mad dash through the streets. He jumped and leaped over crashed vehicles, stumbled over corpses half-eaten or crushed into bloodied pulps, and blinded himself to incapacitated survivors reaching out to him for help. Itsuki never spared a glance to see the fate of such survivors. Their screams and the tearing of flesh were enough to tell him their end. But it brought him a few precious meters. He will survive this, he'll live no matter what!
Survival of self, above all else!
Karma disagreed.
Itsuki's foot caught on a piece of rubble. His own momentum sent him spiraling onto the asphalt. The pain ripped through him and knocked out his instincts. Itsuki laid dazed and stunned. He squeezed his eyes as they throbbed and his head felt like it was about to split open. His thoughts were scrambled from the pain. Not even the pitter-patter of paws drew him out of his stupor. Not until teeth dug into his legs and searing heat boiled his calves like hot water on flesh.
Instincts once more took control. He twisted and turned and thrashed to try and dislodge his legs from the biting grip of the hounds. His legs were shredded by the teeth. Strands of muscle and flesh plopped onto the ground, but any pain Itsuki felt was dulled by the rush of adrenaline through him. Itsuki continued to twist and turn and trash until his legs ripped themselves free from the hounds.
Itsuki tried to crawl away. Only to be stopped when a large, canine-like beast jumped in front of him. The asphalt sizzled underneath its paws and left prints in the street as it whirled around. Its hellish eyes glared down upon him, as to strike down any hope. The chest of the hound glowed a dark red with each deep breath it took, illuminating the blackened bones under its flayed skin. Its lips curled upward in a mockery of a smile. Blood-tinged saliva drooled down wicked fangs and its tongue licked its mouth clean in preparation of its next meal. All the while Itsuki could only face it with tears in his eyes.
So this was how he was going to die. Getting eaten by a pack of twisted dogs on the New Year's eve of all days. He closed his eyes and imagined himself in a place of peace before the end.
Yet the awaited death never came. Instead, a normal bark reached his ears. Not that deep, reverberating parody of a bark these hounds screamed upon sighting prey, but an actual bark from a real dog. Itsuki opened his eyes to see the beast in front of him was backpedaling away from an Australian Shepherd. The hounds behind him growled yet whimpered between each growl as if they were trying to muster the courage to face a creature greater than them.
B-but it was a normal Aussie. Yeah, the dog was sitting with a wide smile like nothing was wrong, but what did the hounds have to fear? The beasts could withstand bullets, shrug off hits from clubs and swords, and laughed at any attempts to set them on fire. So what made this dog frightening?
The Australian Shepard lifted a paw and took a swipe at the beast in front of Itsuki. And its head fell onto the ground. It took a moment for the beast's body to crumble down. The dog cocked its head to a side, still smiling. Then, it spoke with one word that commanded fear and respect.
"Bark."
Such a word sent the surviving hounds running.
Itsuki opened and shut his mouth several times. He tried to process what just happened. What appears to be a normal dog had just sliced off the head of a seemingly unkillable beast and sent the other hounds running. How? What was this thing? Was the dog another one of these beasts looking for an easy meal? Fuck, to die like this. At least he could take solace in the fact the hounds were killable.
The dog lifted itself off the ground and Itsuki was about to shut his eyes once more when it… plopped itself down before him. The Aussie looked at him with its big, adorable eyes as if begging for petting and attention. Once more, Itsuki was so utterly baffled and confused, he forgot about his burning ache in his legs. Itsuki and the dog looked at each other while the screams of the dying began to die down and the light of the morning broke through the dark skies.
It took a while for Itsuki to break himself out of his confusion and remembered the pain he was in earlier. The sheer heat must've burnt his nerves in his legs. The Aussie wasn't giving any signs of aggression so Itsuki gambled that it wouldn't do anything else while he rolled himself over to see how damaged his legs truly were. And the sight made him sick to his stomach.
They couldn't even be called legs anymore. Muscles were either torn into shreds, fused together, or both. His bones were cracked and splintered. Blood dripped and pooled around his thighs while only dark stains remained around the calves. Itsuki was supposed to be dead, he'd seen such injuries as a surgeon. People don't survive this for long given the blood loss. Was some higher power torturing him for fun or setting him up for a punchline?
"Bark." Barked the dog as it trotted over to his legs. It looked over the mess that was Itsuki's legs and his chest began to convulse. The dog's head went up and down as if it was trying to make itself throw up… no, wait, it seriously wasn't about to do that, right?!
The Aussie then proceeded to vomit on Itsuki's legs.
Itsuki's eyes twitched as he watched that damned dog plop itself back down on its stomach and gave him a smug look. It wasn't enough for monsters to appear and begin slaughtering people on New Year's eve, it wasn't enough that his legs were chewed up, but he had to be vomited upon by a dog. Just why.
Then Itsuki's legs began healing themselves as the supposed vomit evaporated till they looked as good as new.
Itsuki gave a chuckle. He chuckled before it devolved into a maddened laugh at the sheer absurdity of what was happening. The Aussie whined for attention and Itsuki scratched it behind the ear to which the dog happily smiled. Because frankly, what else was there for him to do? This whole thing was absurd as might as well do the logical thing and pet the Australian Shepherd.
So the dog was put down. It was agreed upon by the family that it was better to spare him the pain since his condition wasn't getting better. Whole situation is absurd given how empty the house feels without him. And, well, this story is my way of putting emotion on paper. I suppose I'll be writing more often now.
So goodbye you glorious bastard, may you chew on the bones of the Grim Reaper.
Adhoc vote count started by Critic Ham on Jan 16, 2023 at 11:37 AM, finished with 27 posts and 15 votes.
[X] Plan Lots o Friends, lots of problems
-[X]Miracle Alias: Lucky Charm
-[X]Name: Lila Luck
-[X]Gender:
--[X] Girl
-[X]Social Butterfly
-[X]Loving Family
-[X]Miracle Sibling:
-[X] Lover of Magic
-[X][Something That Should Not Be, Yet Is(Thrall)
-[X] Hunted:
-[X]Rival
-[X]Foreign Parents
[X]Plan: Wrong Side of the (Record) Tracks
-[X]Miracle Alias: Black Heart
-[X]Name: Tadamasa Fusae
-[X]Gender:
--[X] Girl
-[X]Loving Family
-[X]Yakuza Family
-[X]Indie Singer
-[X]Delinquent
-[X]Exploitative Family
-[X]Rival
[X] Plan: Diametrically Opposite Lives
-[X]Miracle Alias: Obsidian
-[X]Name: Gozen Kuro
-[X]Gender:
--[X] Girl
-[X]Loving Family
-[X]Yakuza Family
-[X]Something That Should Not Be, Yet Is(Allied)
-[X]Rival
-[X]Delinquent
-[X]Foreign Parents
Companion: Dark-colored feline with purple and sparking stars in its fur. You've noticed that more good things have been happening to you with them around. Each Companion has their own power so maybe theirs is good fortune or luck?
-???
Power: Emotional Equation allows you to consciously control your own emotion. You've discovered a few things about your power, but there's so much more to learn!
Your emotions can grant different bonuses on command, though you've yet to discover what each emotion grants aside from anger increasing your strength
Yang recommends numbing yourself during combat which will help you focus during battle, but you aren't aware of any weaknesses of this approach yet.
You can change your emotions, but it requires focus in order to maintain it and distractions can cause you to lose temporary control. Training your focus should hopefully resolve this. If not, maybe there's something out there that can help?
Traits
Social Butterfly: You handle everyday social interactions with confident grace. Adds a modifier for regular social rolls and will expand to include all social interactions as Social Proficiency ranks up, severe failure of failed checks are less likely, and one failed social check will be rerolled.
Emotional Control: Your control over your emotions relieves you of so much grief, but you still have to consciously control your emotions and such a feat might not always be possible. Lila will take an auto-action and roll a die against a DC determined by several factors to suspend her stress for a short time.
Lover of Magic: Magic is such a fascinating subject for you! All Proficiency gains related to magic are doubled and DC related to Magic, Miracles, and Companions is reduced by 10. Understanding not included.
Foreign Ethnicity: Your darker skin and accent marks you as 'non-Japanese' which marks you as an object of curiosity by those unfamiliar with people outside of Japan and a target by nationalists. You'll also have a harder time trying to bluff or sneak your way into nationalist factions, increasing the DC for gaining entry.
Yang's Combat Advice: +10 to certain combat rolls until end of School arc. Unlocked certain combat options.
Yang's Rival Advice: +10 to certain interactions with Uyemura until end of School arc.
High Spirits: +15 to certain rolls. This is a temporary bonus that will decay over time or disappear entirely should Lila suffer a crippling blow to her self-esteem.
Proficiencies
Social Proficiency F: +5 to Social Rolls
Magic Proficiency E: +10 to Magic Rolls
Relationships:
Luck Yang: Your bubbly, energetic, and older sister who's also a Miracle! The both of you may get on each other's nerves constantly, but you know the both of you love each other unconditionally.
Hyeong and Stephan Luck: Your hardworking, loving mother and father. Much as you hate it to admit it, you do love it when they smother you with attention. If only they were at home more…
Uyemura Maiko: Your arrogant, self-absorbed rival who keeps trying to prove herself superior to you for whatever reason… ok, you did make herself look like a fool that one time, but she deserved it!
Lila imagined herself chewing on the heads of those jerks instead of her pencil eraser as she did her homework. It was always the same with them. They'd find something to make fun of, be it her accented voice or darker-than-normal skin and then hurl thinly-veiled insults. She had to strangle her urge to punch them, otherwise she would get in trouble with the school staff and had to sit through another one of their lectures about not punching fellow students. So Lila simply plastered a smile on her face and maneuvered around their insults about being foreign-born dispute being born in Japan.
It hurts, being made fun of because your skin is darker than theirs. Being not considered 'Japanese' enough by some made-up standard. Ugh, it's tiring having to wrangle in her temper each time. Lila wanted it to-
Oh hey wait, she could control her emotions now.
And so Lila focused on the abstract feeling of happiness, of joy, of contentment. Her anger was drowned by a current of cheer. A toothy grin spread across Lila's face. Man, if only Emotional Equation always defaulted to happiness no matter what she was feeling. Why it had to be consciously controlled was beyond her, even with all of her knowledge about Miracles, Companions, and Magic.
Lila glanced over to the prone form of a feline licking itself on her bed. Purple, sparkling stars glided across its dark fur. When it finally noticed Lila's stare, it gave a deep meow like a guy giving a deadpan no to a stupid question. Lila pouted and returned her attention to her homework.
It was only last night since she bonded with her Companion, but already it annoyed her to no end. It kept knocking down her figurine collection of Miracles, both well-known and of little fame. Or the feline would plop itself down on her lap and meow for attention. It had already done that no less than five times in a twenty-four hour timespan, stopping only when she had to walk to school. And did it again with a vengeance when she finally returned to an empty house at day's end.
Lila sighed at the thought of yet another day without her family. As much as she loved her family, they were so busy. Mom and dad had to tend to the store to make ends meet and Yang was patrolling her section of Nagoya. But why be sad when she could be happy? After all, she was a freaking Miracle now! With her own magical superpower and an adorable Companion at her side, she could take on any Yokai! Y-yeah, the Yokai were scary, being responsible for the Eve of Blood and throwing the world into chaos, but they could be beaten like at the Miracle of Yamaguchi.
Now how should she go about telling her family she was a Miracle now? Surprise them at dinner? Yea, she could do that. Dinner had yet to be decided and she could gather the ingredients for something. Maybe add spice to it since it was a special occasion? Or she could go nab a dessert from her parents' store. Regardless, if she wanted something special for her announcement, Lila had to go out and buy it. And maybe she could practice being a Miracle while she was out as well.
By your estimate, you have about three hours to make something special before your family returns home. Hopefully Yang-Nee-San doesn't get her arm torn off by a Skin-Taker and makes a bad pun again before your announcement.
You have 7,000 Yen to spend.
[ ] Go to your parents' store
-1 hour travel time
What will you do there?
-[ ] Buy Ingredients for a special curry
-Costs 15000 Yen, but you're sure you can sweet talk your parents into lowering the price!
-Takes an hour to make
-[ ] Buy Desserts
-Costs 5138 Yen
-No preparation time
-[ ] Tell your parents you have something special to announce at dinner. They're sure to help you out!
[ ] Call Yang
-30 minutes
-[ ] Tell her you're a Miracle now to get the inevitable teasing out of the way.
[ ] Practice at being a Miracle
-[ ] Practice with your power
-30 minutes
-[ ] Practice your transformation
-30 minutes
-[ ] Try summoning your weapon, something you haven't gotten the chance yet
-10 minutes
-[ ] Your Companion keeps rejecting the names you come up with for it, but you have the perfect one this time!
-10 minutes
-Chance of Companion rejecting your perfect name for it
-[ ] Go out on a quick patrol. Sure, you're new, but Nagoya is safe aside from thugs and the occasional Skin-Taker. Besides, it's a good experience for when you go out on an actual patrol!
-1 hour
-Chance of encountering something interesting
-Chance of entering combat
-[Hunted] Chance of being observed and tracked. Combat unlikely.
-[Rival] Chance of encountering Uyemura Maiko, a stuck-up jerk.
[ ] Finish your homework…
-1 hour
-You don't have to worry about it later
This past week has been a dark time for me since I've recently received news that a member of my family overseas has died. I found myself becoming increasingly soured on this Quest, but I still do want to continue it. So rather than put this Quest on hold, I'll be taking it slow with this Quest while my focus shifts to another project to try and get my mind off of things. Updates will be slow for the foreseeable future.
Scheduled vote count started by Critic Ham on Jan 21, 2023 at 9:46 AM, finished with 9 posts and 7 votes.
[X]Plan: Practice before you Preach
-[X] Call Yang
--[X] Tell her you're a Miracle now to get the inevitable teasing out of the way.
-[X] Practice at being a Miracle
--[X] Practice with your power
--[X] Practice your transformation
--[X] Try summoning your weapon, something you haven't gotten the chance yet
-[X] Finish your homework…
[X] Plan: Special Occasion
-[X] Go to your parents' store
--[X] Buy Ingredients for a special curry
--[X] Tell your parents you have something special to announce at dinner. They're sure to help you out!
-[X] Practice at being a Miracle
--[X] Practice with your power
--[X] Practice your transformation
[X]Plan: Practice before you Preach
-[X] Call Yang
--[X] Tell her you're a Miracle now to get the inevitable teasing out of the way.
-[X] Practice at being a Miracle
--[X] Practice with your power
--[X] Practice your transformation
--[X] Try summoning your weapon, something you haven't gotten the chance yet
-[X] Finish your homework…
Lila debated on what she should do as she continued to chew on the eraser of her pencil. As much as she wanted to make something special, Lila also wanted to learn about her own respective power. She knew the basics, that she could change her emotions if she consciously focused, but what else was there? It couldn't just be 'change her emotions on a whim', even if it was useful, but each magical power was more complex than just that. She could try asking her Companion for guidance, but that meant engaging in a game of charades. Which was unfortunately common, given that any normal human couldn't understand what was said between Companion and Miracl-
Lila smacked her forehead as the realization dawned upon her. She was a Miracle now, she could understand what her Companion would say. Finally, she could stop pulling out her hair while trying to figure out the language. She had scoured every interview and went as far as to interrogate her own sister. All she got was vague answers like how it was hard to explain or that it was simply 'instinct'. Always something along those lines.
She turned and asked her Companion for guidance or information on her powers. The feline looked at her dead in the eyes and gave a deep meow before proceeding to groom itself. Lila puffed out her cheeks when she thought she caught a ghost of a smirk on the feline's muzzle. Out of all the Companions she could've bonded with, she had to bond with the cat.
There wasn't any choice now, was there? Oh well, Yang would've found out sooner or later anyways. Might as well call her sister now and get the teasing out of the way. At the very least she would get something out of it.
"Nee-san, I have something to tell you. I'm-"
"You finally got a boyfriend and want me to meet him?"
"No, not that! I'm a Miracle now!"
There was a pause, then a sharp inhalation of breath.
"That's… that's great! I'm happy for you, Lila-chan. You're bound to get all the boys now!"
Is something wrong? Social DC: 50/80
Rolling… 11 (+5)= 16
Rerolling… 62(+5)=67
Lila pouted. She may not care like mom and dad about whatever person Yang decided to hook up with for the month, but why was her sister so adamant about her getting a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend? Or partnering up with anyone? Lila didn't care for any of that romantic stuff. Oh, Yang would say she just hasn't met the right person yet and maybe that was true, but it wasn't true yet! B-but now that Yang mentioned it, being a Miracle was going to get all sorts of attention, especially from the boys.
Uuuugh.
She took a breath and focused on happiness. Slowly her frustration was displaced by contentment, at the joy of simply being a Miracle. Her mind was cleared of most thoughts, though one remained. Why did Yang sound worried? She knew being a Miracle wouldn't be easy. Her Nee-san often came home sporting bruises at best or dismembered limbs at the worst. But Yang wouldn't have to fight alone any longer. They would climb the Ratings together and they could secure a steady income for the whole family. They wouldn't need to pay off the gangs for their 'protection', they could simply move to a safer part of the city.
But Lila knew mentioning any of this to Yang would just cause her to make excuses or try to avoid confrontation. So Lila would simply keep quiet about it. For now, at least.
"I doubt I'll get any more attention than what I already get. If anything, it'll just get more intense."
"Well, you are cute, my imouto. You'll just get even cuter from here on out."
"Cuteness is unfortunately an important part of being a Miracle. Which is why I also called you because I have questions!"
"Thought you were the fangirl who knew everything there was to being a Miracle?"
"As dad says, there's a difference between knowing and understanding a thing."
"True. Ok, so what questions did you have then for your oh-so wise sister?"
"How do I, uh, talk with my Companion?"
"Tha-that's literally Miracle 101. You can talk to your Companion like a person and they'll,um, for lack of a better word 'speak' inside your head."
"Mine is a cat."
Lila didn't even need to see Yang doubling over from laughter.
"Neeeeee-saaaaaan!"
"Out of all them, you get the cat! And it acts like a cat! Is it lucky too?"
"I think?"
"HA! You should call yourself Luck-y Charm. The humor writes itself!"
"... I hate you."
"Love ya too. And just to show how much I love you, I'll tell you a tip on speaking with your Companion, free of charge!"
Lila rolled her eyes. Yeah, sure, free of charge. If anything, Yang received payment in the form of her suffering.
"Now, with you being the fangirl you are, I'm sure you heard of Hope's interview with that new Miracle… what was her name… um."
"Gallant Uno, I think. But how can I talk by just… thinking?"
"Normally your Companion will try first, but since yours is a cat, it falls to me to explain." Yang took a breath before launching into an explanation."So, talking with your Companion goes beyond simply thinking inside your head. You have to like, think of ideas and concepts. And you have to really focus on a particular thing to 'talk' to your Companion, otherwise they just give you a deadpan stare like you're an idiot or something. So for you, I recommend clearing your head aside from that one thing in order for your Companion to hear you. Does that, uh, make sense? If it doesn't, trust me, it'll start making sense when you start practicing."
Understanding: Magic DC: 30
Rolling… 42 (+10) = 52
It took a moment for Lila to work through the information Yang dumped on her. None of it was confusing, per say. She could akin the whole process to meditation in a way, where one clears their mind of all thoughts to focus on a particular thing. But Yang said it would be difficult to do that, not without practice at least. So maybe the process was more like trying to speak to someone over a crowd of talkative people. Was that it, then? Was speaking to her Companion difficult because her thoughts were like that? Adding a bunch of noise and thus making it hard for her Companion to 'hear' her?
But she also remembered seeing the feline give a smile when she tried speaking to it. And she followed researchers who studied Companions. The researchers often tried to speak with them, often devolving into a game of charades between the two, but eventually the Companion would understand what the researcher was trying to communicate. So her Companion should understand what she was trying to say yet it seemed like it was pretending it wasn't!
Again, why did she have to bond with a cat of all things? Regardless, she simply had to make do with what she was given.
"I get it. I'm gonna try it."
"You can do it!"
Lila took a breath and tried to focus on the word 'transformation'. She shifted about in her chair, her excitement about transforming would fuel the bouncing of her thoughts. The word was buried under the images of her getting a super cool outfit and awesome weapon. Of her rubbing it in the face of that jerk that she was a Miracle now! A grin began to spread across her face. Soon she would-
Sharp pain lacing up her left ankle brought her out of her self-grandiosity.
"Ow!" Lila brought up her leg and grasped the pained ankle. She glanced down to see her Companion staring up at her with a deadpan stare as though it was disappointed.
"You ok?"
"My Companion bit me!"
"Must've annoyed it then. I remember this one time I entertained thoughts about punching this reporter, but Fly flew into my ear and didn't stop buzzing until I left."
"Why are they like this?"
Companions never acted how they were portrayed in shows and movies, always helpful and kind. In reality, they acted more like petulant children, especially whenever their humans began to stray off whatever path they deemed 'good'. And if a Miracle ends up straying too far, Companions would sever their magic from their human. Granted, those Miracles were, um, bad for lack of a better word, but former Miracles tended to end up… not doing well.
"Dunno, but yeah, at least if you start thinking dirty thoughts, they'll be sure to stop that."
"Ineverthinkthosethoughts!" Lila spat out in a desperate attempt to deny that she did indeed think those thoughts.
"Hm, sure, I believe you. Anyways, try focusing again and don't get off track. Otherwise your cat might nip you again."
Ugh, why did her Companion have to be like this? If the feline was going to bite her whenever she had bad thoughts then she much preferred being a normal girl. But that also meant she wouldn't be a Miracle either so she would just have to get used to it. It wasn't like the bite was that painful anyways, being more like a whack from the paw of a cat. Startling and left a bit of an ache, but otherwise not harmful.
"Alright, I'm going to try it again. Hopefully my Companion doesn't bite me again." Lila said while she glared at the feline. The Companion just rolled its eyes.
Yang gave encouragement as Lila refocused once more. She cleared her mind the best she could and directed her mind towards thinking only of the word transformation. It still took a few tries, with resulting nips, but eventually Lila concentrated on thinking of transformation. Her breathing slowed, she closed her eyes, and even sounds became muffled as though someone shoved cotton into her ear. Lila wasn't sure how much time passed, but it did not matter as she felt, well, not anything magical, but she did enjoy a certain peace.
It was then that Lila felt something implant itself in her mind, like an idea or dream half-remembered. That something became more defined the more she focused on it. It began to spread throughout her body, coursing through blood vessels and interweaved itself into every cell, tissue, and organ of Lila. Cells were freed from the shackles of chemicals and hormones, allowing them to operate on will alone. Muscles were imbued with an alien energy that strengthened them beyond human limits. Senses found themselves sharpened as the energy settled itself into them. Every aspect of what made the human called Lila became superhuman.
"Whoa," Lila stumbled forward, her brain struggling to adjust to the sudden flood of information streaming into its neurons. Yet each neuron found itself with the ability to create connections on the fly and fire off impulses faster than they ever could before.
As Lila got used to her transformed state, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and saw-
Pick one. Keep in mind that a Miracle's outfit is an important part of their identity and will influence how they're viewed.
[ ] A bright and frilly outfit.
[ ] Shining armor with a dashing red cape draped over her shoulder.
[ ] A colorful sailor uniform, completed with a radiant gem centered on the collar.
[ ] Plain robes with an earthly hue.
[ ] Her normal clothes. Just her normal, plain clothes. Which meant she didn't get an actual outfit. Aw.
[ ] Write-in
"Nee-san, I-" Lila stopped mid-sentence when she crushed her flip phone with her normal grip. Or what she thought was her normal grip. It had to be right? But yet again she transformed which enhanced her strength so her regular grip might not be good for holding things… Lila facepalmed when she finished the thought. In hindsight, it was obvious and her foresight blindness had cost her flip phone. Freaking darn it. That cost over 50,000 yen for everything. W-well, her parents would forgive her, right? She was a Miracle now and was bound to make a lot of money!
And thankfully she had another older phone hidden away. She just needed to treat it like a, uh, baby.
Lila retrieved the older phone, gently pressing two fingers against its sides and another finger held against its bottom as she slowly lifted it over to her desk and placed it down. She tapped on the buttons to once again call her sister who picked up without creepily breathing into the phone again.
"Broke your phone, I see."
"...I am so grounded, aren't I?"
"Gonna be working till it's paid off, that's for sure."
"Ugh."
"Don't sweat it, Lila-chan. Try transforming back. You should be normal once again. Same method as before, just think of your given name."
"Ok." Lila said as she closed her eyes and thought of her name, of becoming normal again. She stood over her desk, still as a statue, as Lila focused on her name. Yet the seconds would tick by with her mind becoming cluttered by stray thoughts and mountain irritation. But Lila would clear her mind and refocus on her name.
A minute would pass before Lila felt that same 'something' implant itself in her mind once again. The magic flowing through her and infusing itself with her body withdrew. Lila felt,well, lessened would be the word she would describe deforming. When she was in her transformed state, she felt superior in comparison to her normal self. Like normal rules didn't apply to her anymore and that she could take on her homework without being subjected to a headache she would normally get when trying to solve a math problem. But it would subside as Lila readjusted and she gingerly picked up her phone, still weary that she might break it.
"Nee-san, I-I did it! I transformed and deformed!" It took the hissing of Yang for Lila to realize she practically shouted into the phone. All Lila could do was mutter a sorry.
"Ow. It's alright, just, uh, keep in mind Miracles do have sharpened senses. That unfortunately means greater sensitivity to some stuff."
"Heh." Lila rubbed the back of her neck.
"Anyways, seems like you're getting the hang of this pretty quickly. Took me at least a good hour to get the hang of it, but having an awesome nee-san like myself helps speed it up. Oh, and I guess being a fangirl also helps."
"Why must you tease me so?" Lila pouted.
"Cause a few hours ago I made the mistake of fighting a Skin-taker hand to hand and promptly got disarmed. But don't worry, I found my arm and Fly gave me a hand in rearming myself."
The light in Lila's eyes faded as Yang made more English puns so awful that even an Armored Yokai would die from the sheer cringe. And those things could eat anti-tank rockets.
"Why?"
"Teasing you is like a form of therapy for me, relieves stress ya know?"
"I prefer not being your stress ball."
"Then consider it payment for me for revealing the darkest secrets of being a Miracle!"
Lila's shoulders slumped over. Trying to argue with Yang over not being her stress ball was like trying to convince the Yokai not to kill humanity. That's not to say one couldn't attempt it, it's just the fact all those who tried failed. For Lila, it meant even more teasing. For those trying a diplomatic way of stopping the Yokai meant a grisly end or being dragged off to who knows where.
"So, uh, is weapon summoning the same way?"
"Pretty much. Just transform and think weapon this time around."
"Ok, ok. Here I go." Lila muttered as she sat her phone down and transformed. She lifted up her hand and outstretched it. Lila focused again, this time finding it easier to concrete on the word 'weapon' It still took a few tries to fully clear out her mind, but eventually only the word weapon would remain. Magic flowed through her body, but instead of weaving itself into her tissues and cells, it flowed into her hand. A soft and warm sensation spread throughout as a brilliant light danced and twirled in her palm. The light began to coalesce, taking the shape of a-
[ ]Wand
Soul-Burn: The Wand inflicts a burning malus against most forms of Yokai, reducing their overall combat effectiveness.
Purify: You can cures or reduce all maluses inflicted by the Yokai, but useless against those inflicted by non-Yokai sources.
Emotional Spells: The Wand can cast spells based upon your emotions, ranging from infusing your allies with anger to increase their attack power to confusing opponents.
[ ]Naginata
Versatile: The Naginata can be used for either offense or defense, creating breathing room while slicing, battering, and hooking opponents.
Defender: The blade of the Naginata becomes sharper when the your loved ones are in danger, eventually becoming capable of slicing through many types of defenses, both physical and magical.
Blade States: The blade of the Naginata can change based upon your emotions, becoming sharper in response to fear or setting itself alight with joy.
[ ]Pair of Pistols
Limitless Ammo: The Pistols are limitless and with no need to reload.
Pistol Dancer: Your movement is increased when you're wielding the Pistols, allowing for faster dodges and greater leaps.
Mood Bullets: The bullets of your Pistols inflict different maluses upon your foes based on your mood, from causing mind-numbing panic to making them dance with happiness.
Once Lila was done examining her weapon, she used the same process of desummoning it. The weapon disintegrated back into light and seeped into her palm. That soft and warm sensation from earlier once again appeared, traveling down her arm as the feeling faded the further down it went.
Lila flexed her arm as she thought about what she had accomplished. Transformation and summoning wasn't easy, but certainly not as difficult as she originally thought. In fact, it was similar to meditation, but the whole process was clunky. She had to take precious seconds to focus on a particular word with her mind absolutely cleared of all thoughts, otherwise it wouldn't work. But Lila wouldn't be able to do that if she wound up in a Yokai attack. The sheer chaos would distract her which would prevent her from transforming or summoning her weapon.
Yet Miracles did exactly that. They seemed able to transform even when they were about to be attacked. Why was that? Actually, now that she thought about it, she was able to use her power on command. It only needed conscious control, but her transformation and summoning requires this meditating method?
Maybe Yang knew something. She was the senior Miracle, after all.
"Hey, uh, do you know why we have to 'mediate'?"
"Huh? Oh, no. It's not quite like mediating? It's more like, um, trying to show someone a picture. A picture is worth a thousand words after all. But in this case you have a hundred pictures and you have to point to the correct one while trying to ride a unicycle, balancing another person on your shoulders, and juggling three balls."
"That's… descriptive."
"I may have taken inspiration from something I did in real life…"
"Wha? What did you get up to?" Lila knew Miracles would do some pretty inane things because they were basically superheroes and Yang wasn't any different, especially when bragging rights were involved. Still, she was curious as to what her nee-san got up to when she wasn't home or not on patrol.
"Haha, that's not relevant so moving on."
Lila just rolled her eyes.
"Fine. I did have another question, well, more like a request. Do you mind if I use your practice area for practicing everything? Like my powers. All I know is that I can change my emotions."
"Hm. I can do you one better. Meet me in the living room in… an hour and a-half."
"I know where this is going and I don't like it."
"Too bad. Prepare yourself, Lila-chan, for you shall face the Dancing Dragon this night!"
"Yang, there's a curfew. I can't be out."
"And Miracles are exempt from that. So prepare!"
"Nee-san, please-"
"Prepare!" Was all Yang said before Lila's phone started beeping.
Lila slumped into her chair, hands over her face. Already she imagined how one-sided the upcoming match would be. She was going to be put so far down in the ground, all anyone would see would be her feet! Lila would rather suffer through the painstaking task of solving every math problem in existence than be humiliated like that. Speaking of math problems…
She glanced over to her stack of unfinished homework. Ugh, she had an hour and a-half, might as well try to solve some of it.
An hour and Lila stared at the still unfinished homework with her head in her hands. She dug up long-buried memories of lectures, forced herself to read through her textbooks, and reviewed her scribbled notes she had amassed throughout the years. Yet few problems were solved despite the ache throbbing behind her eyes.
Lila slid her chair back and stood up on wobbly legs. Her stiff back popped in relief at finally being able to stretch. Thoughts congested by math equations and historic dates began to clear up bit by bit, being replaced by weary and frustrated thoughts.
"I just, don't get this." Lila glanced at her homework. Normally she would have gotten half way through it by now, but this particular round of homework covered topics that were just… hard. And she didn't even know why. It wasn't like there were any big and tough projects or exams anytime soon. Maybe she exhausted all of her energy on practicing? Probably, but it was worth it in the end. Besides, the school would let this slide. Probably… maybe…hopefully…
Oh, who was she kidding, the school was going to have her rear end for incomplete homework. And it was likely not going to get done tonight because of how cluttered her mind had become. Well, there was still half an hour left before Yang arrived so she could sneak in a little bit more practice. And now since she understood how to draw upon magic, she could try to expand on what were the limits of her power.
But first, let's head towards Yang's practice area so she didn't accidentally destroy her entire room.
Lila grabbed her phone in case either nee-san or her parents called for whatever reason. If her parents asked what happened to her phone then she would, um, tell them she lost it.
She stepped out of her room and walked down the hallway. Photos of family Lila had never met hung on the walls, the frames protecting the worn and slightly charred photos. Lila never knew who the grey-haired, short woman with a hunched back was, father only got a sad look whenever she asked. And she knew only the name and face of the smiling man with arms crossed. Her mother rarely spoke of her own father. But Lila never met them in person, not even her uncles and aunts so her extended family didn't matter to her? Well, she wanted to meet them, but it's been twenty years since the world grinded to a halt because of the Yokai and travel between countries was still dangerous.
Perhaps she'll meet them someday, but not today.
Lila found the door to Yang's practice area. She opened it, stepped onto the tatami which crinkled under her socked feet, and looked around the makeshift area
It wasn't fancy or anything, not like luxurious dojos that richer and more popular Miracles could afford. But it was serviceable and with Yang's own flare to it.
Old dummies stood at one end, their wooden surfaces pockmarked with charred gorges and arrowhead-shaped holes. Ash fluttered up when Lila stepped onto a darkened or shoddily patched section of the floor. Lila would narrow her eyes whenever she saw a tooth or smattering of dried blood. She noted them to be cleaned later in her mind, or to chew Yang out for being undisciplined when it came down to cleanliness.
But for now, she needed to work on her magic.
Power Practice: Magic DC: 25 Rolling… 15(+10) = 49
Lila drew upon her wealth of knowledge gleaned from years of following Miracles and devouring any media related to them. Each power, while not wholly unique, were reflective of their respective Miracle. Hers was emotional control. It was certainly useful keeping herself out of a slump, but not so fighting-wise. Thankfully, magical powers always had something more to it than a simple gimmick, from illusions actually stripping color from the world to fire purifying the dreaded Black Ichor.
Come to think of it, almost every power seemed to be oriented to fighting the Yokai in one way or another. Like the aforementioned Black Ichor that Yokai bleed. If it seeped through the skin of a non-Miracle, it began killing the victim as it spread. But her nee-san could purge it from the body with her flames.
So she could change her emotions on demand, but what else did her power have? Lila curled a finger under her chin as she compared her power to similar ones. But emotion-based powers were something of a rarity, at least from what Lila knew of. The few that existed often depended on the emotion. One Miracle in particular could summon minions created from emotion, from fiery, angry bunnies to leaping and joyful tigers. Some girl in former China if she remembered correctly.
With all that in mind, that meant changing her emotions in order to experiment on what they did. Or if she wanted to take full advantage of her power, that meant changing her emotions. Lila sighed at that. So she couldn't be happy all the time. Maybe much of the time, but not all the time.
Lila set her jaw straight. She was a Miracle now! A defender of Japan, of humanity and life itself against the Yokai and those with ill-intent. She couldn't, wouldn't let something minor like this dissuade her. But in order to use her power to its full extent, she needed to explore her power so Lila jotted down ideas on how to test her power on a note she hastily retrieved from her pocket and the last idea was written down after ten or so minutes. Lila looked over it, crossing out ideas that she knew wouldn't work. Once the list was completed and refined, she focused on transforming. It took a few tries, but eventually she managed to transform and began drawing upon memories that she buried deep in her mind.
Lila recalled all those times she had been made fun of. Of seeing Yang coming home beaten and bruised and struggling against the tidal wave of helplessness that flooded her mind each time. Of witnessing her family become worn and tired over the years as their store saw fewer and fewer customers. Of… of allowing Yang to make a stupid decision that nearly cost her nee-san her life, even if it did lead to Yang becoming a Miracle. She never should have let Yang make that decision, she knew better.
The memory of seeing the light in Yang's eyes fade made Lila angry at how helpless she was. Her joy was consumed in the fires of rage and its remains fueled the urge to break something, anything to assert control. That she was still in control.
Lila tried to remain in control of herself, but the urge was incessant. It tried to flood her mind-numbing rage, but Lila stood firm. It only made the urge rage against her in an attempt to sweep her away. Yet she remained steadfast against the flood and eventually the rage would settle, simmering, but still gnawing at her mind.
That feeling of rage, the urge to break the cause of your frustration was never a good feeling to wrestle with. But she remembered what Budda once said, you will never be punished for your anger, but you will be punished by your anger. But she was in control of her anger, not the reverse.
Now, time to test out her first idea.
It was straightforward, try summoning something. Lila raised her hands and coaxed her anger into doing what she wanted. She stood there with rage coiled yet unwilling to spring. A few minutes passed as Lila felt her eyebrows twitch. Another minute would pass before Lila sighed and lowered her hands.
Ok, that wasn't doing anything at the moment. So, uh, moving on!
Lila tried a few different ways, from thinking about setting her hands aflame to trying to form a palm-sized whirlwind of rage. Yet nothing happened. With each failure, her frustration mounted and the urge fed off it until, eventually, it once again tried to overwhelm her mind. She huffed as she tried to change her emotional state to starve the urge of anger, but not before Lila kicked the bottom of a training dummy… and sent it flying upward… right through the roof…
Her phone started ringing and Lila was quick to revert back to her normal phone. She gingerly picked up the phone to the voice of Yang.
"Lila-chan, can you explain why one of my dummies went through the roof of our house?"
"Ididn'tdoit!" Was all Lila could say.
Welp, this took longer than expected, but yeah, it's done. I don't think it's the best so any feedback would be appreciated so I can improve my writing. And you don't need to make a plan per say, though you certainly can.
There will also be some changes, from how modifiers are added to a trait rework since I had another idea for it. These changes are still being worked on and fine-tuned so I'll post a list of changes in the near future.
