Every tale worth telling has a final chapter. A satisfying conclusion, the end credits, a closing curtain—whatever you want to call it. But what happens when life stubbornly refuses to fit into the neat boxes we create for it? That's the question Hinamori Amu finds herself wrestling with.
Her friends say she saved the city. A twelve-year-old psionic wonderkid defeated a malevolent organization, pulling children back from the abyss of despair and showing them the light. End of story, roll the credits. Get Hikaru into school, hug her sister, find some time to shop for clothing. Touch up her long neglected dye job. Ask her best friend Utau why she's calling her 'psionic'.
Except the world didn't get the memo. Physics is unraveling like a poorly knitted scarf, yanked apart by the collective psychic weight of eight billion souls. Guardian Charas—those mystical entities seemingly meant to be humanity's fail-safe—are starting to fray at the seams. Even Amu's baby sister is bending the laws of reality like they're mere suggestions.
So, Amu can either sit back and try to be a 'normal' girl, watching as the fabric of existence comes undone, or she can accept that the final chapter was never really the end.
Or she could go hiking with her parents, because the couch is apparently going to eat her if she doesn't.
Warning, ahead of time: This story contains occasional heavy themes, including but not limited to implied child abuse, self-destructive actions, and the end of the world. They are not the point of the story, but not everyone is okay. If you go on reading, you may have a shot at fixing this.
Prologue: In Which There Are No Such Things as Ghosts
August 23, 2009
"Summer vacation. A time for lazy afternoons, unending skies, and the sweet freedom from alarm clocks," Amu narrated.The sky above was a brilliant azure, interrupted only by a few fluffy clouds. Below her was a rocky hillside, with tufts of grass peeking out here and there. The ground was a bit too steep and rocky for her liking, but not so bad that it made climbing impossible. "Not a time for hiking, but a time for lying on the couch reading manga, or hanging out with my friends, or eating popsicles." She paused to wipe her forehead, grimacing at the sweat clinging to her bangs.
Her mother turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"It's supposed to be summer vacation, Mom," she said, trying to sound pitiful and not like she was whining. "And it's like, thirty degrees out."
Her father, trudging along a few feet ahead with a camera around his neck, gave her a sympathetic look. He was wearing a bright red and yellow Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts, not stylish even in the slightest, but comfortable for hiking. His blond hair was slicked back with sweat.
"Come on, Amu-chan," he said, giving her a tired smile. "You used to enjoy the outdoors. Do it for us. Look at Ami, she isn't complaining."
Her baby sister, a few feet away, was sitting on her mother's shoulders, staring blankly ahead. She was wearing a straw hat with a wide brim to protect her pale skin from the sun, and a green sundress. Her mind was distant.
"She's dazed by the heat, Dad," she said, frowning. "Also, she's a kid. Of course she likes the outdoors."
Amu looked up at the sky. The sun was almost directly above them, a giant burning orb. Amu could almost feel her skin sizzling from the rays. It was probably a good thing she was lightly dressed, but she was still hot.
"Look, I'm not going to melt just because we're walking," she said, sighing. "It's just, it's the last week of summer. And it's Saturday, and I could have spent the day chatting with Utau. Or sleeping. You're both making me hike in the middle of the summer."
"We're all suffering," her father said, patting her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we're almost at the top."
Amu gave only a minor grumble. Her parents had a point. The fresh air was doing wonders to clear her mind, and it was fun complaining a little. She looked up the slope, and saw the clearing they had been aiming for, a flat plateau part way up the mountain.
"You see," her father said, smiling. "It'll be worth it, I promise. Now, come on, you're not going to let your father and sister get there before you?"
"I'm coming," she said, and took a step forward, following the path her father had tread.
She adored such days. The fresh air, the cool wind, and the sense of adventure as they climbed up the hill, the thrill of exploring. Her parents leading the way, their smiles and her sister's giggles, the smell of flowers and grass, it all made the trip worthwhile. No complicated thoughts, no worries, just the four of them and the beauty of nature.
The climb was relatively easy. The path was worn, and not crowded. They'd hiked this route a few times in the past, and knew where the best places were.
It was nice.
In the distance, she could see the silhouette of Tokyo Tower, standing tall amid the cityscape, its red and white framework distinctly recognizable even from afar. Further away, the more modern—recently completed—Tokyo Skytree pierced the sky, contrasting yet complementing the older landmark. Shinjuku's cluster of skyscrapers seemed like a miniature city of its own, bathed in sunlight and bustling with unseen life.
But what caught her eye most was the quiet shimmer of the Sumida River, snaking its way through the metropolis like a silvery thread. It seemed to capture the essence of Tokyo—ever-flowing, ever-changing, yet enduringly constant.
She felt the weight of her responsibilities momentarily lift off her shoulders, replaced by a quiet sense of awe and wonder. The city she'd so recently saved was indeed beautiful, and for a fleeting moment, everything felt absolutely perfect.
"Hey, are we still doing that tonight?" her mother asked, looking at her over her shoulder. Ami was still perched on her mother's shoulders, the straw hat covering half her face.
Amu smiled. "Utau said yes. She's really excited. You wouldn't think it's just a family dinner."
"I'm surprised you didn't bring her," her father said, his gaze still fixed on the scenery in front.
"She's busy..." Amu said. Her face fell slightly. "Something about a new single."
Her mother laughed. "You mean, her caretaker's making her practice. Utau is the most driven and hard-working teenager I've ever known."
"I guess," she said, smiling again. "Still, I wish I could do something to help."
Her mother reached out and gently touched her head, ruffling her hair. "You do more than enough, Amu-chan. We're proud of you."
Her smile widened, and for a good minute she simply basked in her parents' words, and their company. Every child loved their parents, of course, and every parent would have said they were proud. But to Amu, it was an extra special thing, something precious. Her parents weren't lying. Their emotions—she could feel them, like the warmth of the sun on her back. It wasn't exactly telepathy, but it was close.
Amu was an empath, a person with the ability to read and sometimes even manipulate the emotions of other people. Truth be told, that was the least of what she was. She'd never told her parents—hadn't quite realised it herself, until Utau had brought it up—but she was what people in some of her manga called a psionic, a telekinetic, a precog... it might be harder to name the things she wasn't, rather than what she was. She'd thought her charas made her special, but when they'd fallen asleep, it was like she was all of them, all of the time.
Amu didn't know what to make of the situation. All she could do was smile, and pretend that she was normal. That was the reason she was here, after all, and a little part of why she was going for a nice summer walk, instead of lazing on the couch.
She wasn't the only one. Utau, her best friend, was an empath like her. Tadase, her first crush, was a... whatever you called someone who could defend against anything, but never attack. Kukai, her buddy, was blatantly telekinetic. Ami was a mystery, and had excitedly shown her a sea shell she'd pulled out of a dream, just a few weeks ago. That same 'sea shell' was now encased in Ami's treasure box, safely hidden under her bed.
It wasn't the only one. Her bag, resting by her hip, had another. A box in her wardrobe had a gemstone with an eye painted on it, a gift from Hikaru, who'd claimed it was a ward against evil. The locket hanging around her neck contained a tiny fragment of a dream, a key that gave her... something. Well, maybe not a key—Utau had the key, Amu had the keyhole.
Amu was special, but not that special. She wasn't a superhero. She didn't fly around and save people. Usually.
Amu was normal, and had a normal life, and did normal things.
She was trying to insist on that.
It wasn't going very well.
===
"That was great," her father said, stretching his arms. "Just what I needed."
They had reached their destination. A wide clearing,where the ground was covered with lush grass. A few trees offered some shade, and a small stream burbled in the distance. Ami, having recovered from her stupor, was running around, giggling happily.
Her father pulled out a small picnic blanket, and laid it on the grass. The Hinamori family was ready for their picnic.
"This is nice," Amu said, pulling a can of orange juice out of her bag. She opened the tab and took a sip.
"Yeah," her father said. He had a grin on his face, following Ami's every move. Her mother, lying down next to him, was also smiling.
"We should do this more often," her mother said.
Amu smiled. She didn't say a thing.
She didn't need to.
It was a nice picnic. They had a simple lunch, with sandwiches, rice balls, and drinks. They didn't talk about anything much, just about their days and about what they'd been doing. Amu told a wide-eyed Ami about middle school. Ami, in turn, talked about her dolls, and about how the garden had grown, and the funny things that her classmates did—all of whom, apparently, loved her.
Eventually, it was time to go home. It wasn't an unpleasant walk back, and she got to pick a souvenir. A small doll made of twigs, shaped like a cat. She held it in her hands, smiling, and thinking about Ikuto.
When they finally got home, the sky was dark.
It was time for dinner.
Amu didn't notice the figure watching her, the shadows shifting just a fraction out of place.
***
The doorbell rang.
Amu got up from the sofa and quickly smoothed out her clothes, a black tank top and shorts, then took a quick look at the mirror. Perfect.
She smiled.
"Coming!" she called, and skipped down the hall, opening the door.
Amu's eyes met Utau's, who stood in the doorway wearing her signature confident smile. Her platinum blonde hair framed her face perfectly, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Dressed in a casual yet chic ensemble, Utau looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine—albeit a slightly edgier one.
"Hey," Utau greeted, her voice melodic even in a simple greeting.
"Hey yourself," Amu grinned, stepping aside to let her best friend in, then giving her a quick hug. "You made it!"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Utau said, stepping inside and kicking off her shoes.
As she walked into the living room, Amu's parents greeted her warmly. Ami, having caught a second wind of energy, bounded up to Utau and gave her a big hug, nearly knocking her off balance.
"Utau-chan!" Ami squealed, clearly delighted.
"Hey, little one," Utau laughed, picking Ami up and twirling her around before setting her back on the ground. "You've grown!"
Utau had an air of sophistication, but around Amu's family she let her guard down, revealing the sincere and down-to-earth person she truly was. And like Amu, she was so much more than what she appeared to be—a singer and an empath, yes. Amu's best friend? Also yes. Many other things as well.
'Have you heard anything from Ikuto?' Utau asked Amu telepathically. She shook her head—as did Ami, who looked on guilelessly as they both narrowed their eyes at her.
'Nothing,' Amu replied, walking over to the kitchen to prepare a pitcher of lemonade. She frowned, wondering when she'd be able to see her whatever-it-was once again. 'He's still busy with whatever he thinks he's doing.'
'He'll be fine,' Utau reassured her, as she sat down on the couch and started chatting with Ami. "He can take care of himself."
"He'd better," Amu muttered, pouring the drink into the glasses. "Because otherwise I'll have to kick his ass."
Ami's eyes ping-ponged between the two of them, clearly curious, but not saying anything.
'Well, at least he's not running around getting himself kidnapped anymore,' Utau remarked.
'Your brother has his moments.' Amu sighed.
'What about your precognition?' Utau asked, tilting her head to the side. 'Nothing? No sign of him?'
'You know as well as I do that that doesn't work.' Amu sighed again, 'And he's a ghost.'
It was true. When she'd first met Ikuto she'd been a little bit psychic, but nothing compared to now. When she'd first met him, she hadn't even known what to call this. She'd thought of herself a bit like a magical girl, at the same time as she'd insisted she wasn't. Well, she'd been right about that, but she still wasn't sure what she was. Not much of a precognitive, that was for sure. She could guess tomorrow's weather, but what was the chance she wasn't pulling that from some random kid who'd watched the weather report?
'...you're the one he said he'd come back for,' Utau reminded her, grinning. There was a hint of jealousy, well hidden. 'That makes him, what, your boyfriend or something?'
'Or something,' Amu thought, and Utau relaxed. 'I still can't see past next spring.'
Ikuto wasn't a boyfriend. He wasn't a rival, or a best friend, or a brother, or any of the things you usually put into the relationship boxes. Ikuto was...
Well, Amu had a box, and the label said 'magical catboy', which wasn't a useful category for the relationship form.
He'd left on a journey, he'd said, because there was something he had to find. Something more important than his sister or Amu, apparently. She didn't know if she wanted to hug him or punch him, but the idea that he was in danger was a bit too much to bear.
At least Utau had gotten better.
'I can hear that, you know,' Utau said, then ruffled her hair. "Stop being maudlin, and let's get to the eatin'. I'm starved."
"You're always starved," said Amu out loud.
Utau smiled.
As they sat down to eat, the room filled with the comforting sounds of clinking dishes and laughter, making it easy to forget, if only for a moment, the immense responsibilities that weighed on Amu and Utau's young shoulders.
And in that moment, as Amu looked around at her family and her best friend, the girl who knew all her secrets and shared her extraordinary life, she felt a wave of gratitude. Gratitude for this simple yet extraordinary evening, for the food on the table, and most of all, for the people surrounding her.
It was in times like this that Amu was reminded—though the future might be uncertain, filled with psychic complexities and a reality threatening to unravel, these moments of simple, human connection made everything worthwhile.
Amu took a deep breath, letting the warm atmosphere settle around her like a comforting embrace. She picked up her fork, looked Utau in the eyes, and smiled.
For tonight, at least, everything was perfect.
———
The start of a new adventure is fraught with choices. The choice of protagonist is not one of them. You'll be playing as Hinamori Amu, a twelve year old, moderately normal middle-schooler going to an about equally normal middle school in a quiet corner of Tokyo.
You have one year. After that time the main plot will hit, and whatever preparations you may have made will be put to the test. Preparations for what, you may ask? Currently, you aren't expected to know—Amu has no idea either—though some of my readers may already have an idea, and I don't mind if you say.
In the meantime you'll see an escalating series of… events. It's going to be mostly up to you which ones you get involved in, though Amu will have her own opinion, and gets the casting vote in case of a tie. Write-ins are generally accepted, but will be vetoed if it's something Amu definitely wouldn't try. I'd categorise your plot options in groups of social, growth, and exploration—with significant overlap—and if you want a tip, I'd suggest balance. But that's really up to you.
In post #2 you can find a loose character sheet, which might be some guidance while you're picking through this. I'm also always open to answering questions.
For now you have two elements to vote on: A boon, and a bane. Amu's current motivation is to have a normal life, for once, so it will be up to other people to bring her out of that.
Your 'bane' will be her wake-up call. Many of these plots go off regardless, but only one will be aimed at Amu.
Your 'boon' is simply that: A thing she's better at than end-of-manga Amu was, whether that's because of practice, or talent, or simple coincidence. You'll note she's already better at telepathy than the manga suggested; this is due to having had months of quiet to sit down and talk with Utau.
Write-ins are accepted for both. I would not necessarily recommend you tailor your boon to help with your bane, but if you're unsure, go right ahead.
Also remember the golden rule: Choose whatever sounds like an interesting story, not what maximises Amu's power.
[ ][Bane] A mysterious stalker
Someone, or something, has taken an unhealthy interest in Amu. It shadows her movements, possibly setting up traps, possibly testing her. Even though Amu may wish her life would be normal, the reality is anything but.
This is the most directly dangerous of the options, and partially dice-controlled. You won't receive an enemy that Amu can't deal with, but neither will it be something trivially easy.
[ ][Bane] A prophecy
Amu becomes aware of a seriously disturbing prophecy.
Yes, technically you can get in-character knowledge of the upcoming Doom straight away, but this isn't a good way to find a solution. Choose this if you want her to flail, likely ineffectively.
[ ][Bane] A group of delinquents
Some might say Amu would fit straight in, but her fashion sense is neither here nor there.
We're literally talking about a group of middle-schoolers. We are not talking about regular delinquents. Think ITEM, not school-weary teens.
The exact mechanism by which Amu comes into contact will depend on your dice, but she won't be able to ignore them.
[Bane] A Family Secret Uncovered
While digging through old family photos and journals, Amu stumbles upon a troubling family secret that dates back generations. Could this hidden past be tied to her current abilities?
There is a corresponding boon. This is the less happy version. You could pick both, but shouldn't.
[Bane] Reality Glitches
Strange occurrences start happening around Amu. Objects spontaneously move, time briefly loops, or people around her act out of character for moments at a time. It seems as if reality itself is tearing at the seams around her.
This one would be harsh. You'll get your fill of it later.
[Bane] Forced Publicity
Amu's abilities get unwanted attention from the media, putting her and her friends in the limelight and making it difficult for her to live a 'normal' life as she wishes.
On the bright side, you can stop hiding from your parents.
Why are you even doing that, you nutty teen?
=======
[ ][Boon] A sister released
Ran, Miki, Dia and Su were temporary. Training wheels, to be discarded as she matured. Amu, who saw them as friends, never accepted this. In the normal course of events they're largely gone, capable of resurfacing only for short periods of time at the cost of tiring Amu; a problem she may only resolve over years.
If you pick this boon, you pick one of the four to be independent enough that she's permanently active. In case your choice is Dia, note that her esoteric abilities are still generally unavailable.
Amu likes this idea the best.
So does Ami, who will try to monopolise the 'shugoi chara'.
[ ][Boon] A key piece of insight
Amu spent years acting as a not-so-magical girl. Reviving the dreams and hopes of children, fighting mad scientists, eventually defeating the big bad. Well, the big bad was a six year old boy who is now one of Ami's friends, but… the point is, she grew more powerful while she did it. Some of that was age. Some of it was skill. Some wasn't.
This gives you an 'easy' way to grow stronger, should you need it, but the insight into how you work is honestly a great deal more important.
[ ][Boon] A lock piece of insight
The Humpty Lock is a psionic artifact created by Ikuto and Utau's father, and… that's about all she knows about it. It's a massive boon already, enhancing Amu's psionics by one dot in every skill when it's active. What more can it do?
This boon means she's spent time exploring it, possibly with Utau's help. It doesn't mean she has any answers, but she's one step closer to understanding.
[ ][Boon] A connection to the past
Amu and Ami are both talented psionics. Is it simply coincidence they're siblings?
No; no, it is not. Psionics is genetic, but while it grows stronger with passing generations, if you pick this boon then Amu and Ami's generation of the Hinamoris isn't the first to have noticed something a little off.
You shouldn't expect something mechanically powerful. That's not what this is about.
[ ][Boon] A sister unleashed
While Amu is capable in the waking world, Ami is a true dreamwalker. With dreams being congruent to the collective unconscious, that talent has a great deal of use, and Ami is less than a month from being seven. She's old enough to have her own hopes, her own dreams, and her own…
She's still seven, and a little flighty. If you choose this boon, then Amu has spent time with Ami to imprint some basic safety skills. In the process she's both learned more about dreams, and allowed Ami to learn… a great deal more about dreams.
[Boon] Symbiotic Bond
Amu and Utau, building on past experience, have created a psychic bond that lets them share their abilities temporarily when in close proximity. Their telepathic range is also vastly increased.
This is more or less a straight-up mechanical boost, except Utau is rarely available.
[Boon] Retrocognitive Flashes
Amu sometimes gets glimpses of past events that can provide clues or insights into current challenges.
This can happen regardless. Choosing this boon doubles your dice pool.
Our protagonist. Hinamori Amu thought she had finished her story, and could finally live a regular life, like a regular girl. Nobody, not even Amu herself, is quite sure why she thought that.
Willpower: 6
Attributes
Strength
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Charisma
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Perception
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Dexterity
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Manipulation
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Intelligence
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Stamina
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Appearance
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Wits
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Abilities
Firearms
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Integrity
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Craft
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Martial Arts
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Performance
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Investigation
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Melee
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Presence
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Lore
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Thrown
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Resistance
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Medicine
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War
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Survival
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Occult
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Athletics
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Bureaucracy
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Awareness
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Linguistics
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Dodge
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Driving
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Larceny
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Piloting
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Stealth
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Socialize
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Overgrowth
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Psionic skill
Telekinesis
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Empathy
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Astral proj.
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Thermokinesis
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Mental range
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Clairvoyance
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Teleportation
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Mind control
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Dreamwalking
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Biokinesis
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Illusion
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Precognition
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Special: The Humpty Lock, when active, raises all nonzero skills by one dot each. This is Amu's not-so-magical-girl mode, and tires her out.
The 'psionics' category is not the XP hog it looks like. Rules are still being written, but you can expect single XP points to raise multiple skills; they all overlap. This character sheet is largely descriptive, not prescriptive.
Some of these are self-explanatory. Most are not.
Telekinesis: Raw power, really.
Biokinesis: This covers healing, as well as creating anything that's meant to be edible. Amu can make cookies from nothing—it's a frivolous use of her powers, but they're hers, and the cookies are edible. Her mother bakes better ones.
Empathy: Receptive and projective, along with defences against it, though the latter falls mostly under Integrity or Resistance.
Mental range: Dots here affect mostly range. Esoteric uses are covered by the other categories. However, even a single dot already lets you 'talk' mind-to-mind.
It adds range to every action for which range is a concern. While I could potentially use dice if you're pushing it in some scenario, that would require a highly specific scenario in which I'm tracking the exact physical location of things. At 0 dots it's 3-4 metres; every dot beyond that multiplies her range by approximately 5.
You can push to twice that range, at the cost of taking sixty times longer to do whatever you were doing.
Mind control: Despite the name, this includes healing. If you want to cure someone's trauma, you can be their friend and talk to them for months… or you can use this. This is also the skill for undoing mind-control.
Illusion: Somewhat of a misnomer. At one dot that's what it is; at higher levels, it overwrites reality. This then covers changes that go away when you stop pushing.
Astral projection: Covers specifically projection inside reality, or at least what Amu thinks of as reality. If you can see normal buildings, without personally being there, it goes in here. Yes, the overlap with clairvoyance is significant.
Clairvoyance: Any form of ESP that doesn't fall in the other categories, including the simpler forms of post-cognition. If you're taking in someone else's field of view, that's telepathy. If you're seeing it yourself, then it's either astral projection or clairvoyance. Maybe both.
Dreamwalking: The Dreamlands describe the largest part of humanity's collective subconscious. This skill covers both projection and physically walking the dreamlands; most of it is navigation. Other skills are needed in order to physically enter it, however.
Precognition: But no postcognition? Actually, post-cog falls under clairvoyance, mind-control or dreamwalking, depending on method. Precognition is different.
Hinamori Ami, adorable dreamwalker
Motivation: Doing everything that Amu does
Age: Seven
Willpower: 4
It would be false to claim that Ami's a clone of Amu. Their talents are different, their personalities are different, and they were born six years apart. But they do share a birthday, and the capacity for psionics, and they do look very alike—if you account for Amu dying her hair. Ami looks up to Amu.
Ami looks up to Amu a great deal.
Attributes
Strength
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Charisma
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Perception
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Dexterity
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Manipulation
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Intelligence
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Stamina
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Appearance
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Wits
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Abilities
Firearms
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Integrity
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Craft
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Martial Arts
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Performance
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Investigation
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Melee
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Presence
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Lore
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Thrown
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Resistance
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Medicine
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War
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Survival
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Occult
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Athletics
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Bureaucracy
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Awareness
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Linguistics
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Dodge
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Driving
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Larceny
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Piloting
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Stealth
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Socialize
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Overgrowth
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Psionic skill
Telekinesis
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Empathy
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Astral proj.
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Thermokinesis
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Mental range
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Clairvoyance
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Teleportation
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Mind control
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Dreamwalking
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Dreamwalking (Navigation)
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Biokinesis
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Illusion
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Precognition
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Hinamori Miki, teenage sloth*
Motivation: She hasn't a clue
Age: Thirteen (four)
Amu's more artistically inclined chara, except not anymore. Miki is reinventing herself, in a literal sense; she pushed past a barrier, then tumbled down a slope. Charas are supposed to be dreams, not have them.
Willpower: 5
Attributes
Strength
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Charisma
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Perception
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Dexterity
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Manipulation
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Intelligence
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Stamina
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Appearance
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Wits
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Abilities
Firearms
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Integrity
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Craft (Handwork)
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Martial Arts
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Performance
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Investigation
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Melee
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Presence
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Lore
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Thrown
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Resistance
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Medicine
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War
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Survival
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Occult
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Athletics
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Bureaucracy
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Athletics (Music)
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Awareness
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Linguistics
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Dodge
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Driving
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Larceny
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Piloting
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Stealth
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Socialize
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Overgrowth
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Psionic skill
Telekinesis
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Empathy
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Astral proj.
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Thermokinesis
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Mental range
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Clairvoyance
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Teleportation
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Mind control
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Dreamwalking
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Biokinesis
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Illusion
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Precognition
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Nikaidou family
Nikaidou Utau, ordinary everyday high-schooler
Motivation: To determine her own motivation
Age: Sixteen
Willpower: 8
Utau used to be an idol. She was one of Easter's foremost stars, a teenage songstress who could go on stage and make the entire stadium forget reality existed. She was, with little exaggeration, known to every child in Tokyo.
It's a pity they were using her. The idol industry may be a terrible place, but very few idols ever have to face up to being a weapon deliberately aimed towards their own fans, pushed to drive them towards depression and—perhaps—insanity. Easter used Utau to create X-eggs, which they could then use as a medium for Utau's songs, which produced more X-eggs... while she was a ward of their president, forced to go along on pain of not being allowed to meet her brother.
Those events are how Utau associates that industry, and while she still enjoys singing—outdoors, for a crowd, even—she would not like to make it a career. She tried that, once, after leaving Easter. She enjoys the singing...
She did not enjoy much else, which a certain twelve-year-old pinkette pointed out after a while.
Utau is at loose ends, but for the last year she's allowed herself to simply be a girl. A teenager who doesn't need to be well-known, who can have ordinary friends and ordinary hobbies, even if one of those hobbies is still singing for her friends. She might return to that career, once she has her feet solidly underneath her. She might not.
Oh, and also she might be the most powerful projective empath in existence.
Attributes
Strength
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Charisma
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Perception
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Dexterity
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Manipulation
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Intelligence
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Stamina
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Appearance
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Wits
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Abilities
Firearms
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Integrity
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Craft
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Martial Arts
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Performance
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Investigation
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Melee
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Presence
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Lore
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Thrown
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Resistance
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Medicine
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War
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Survival
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Occult
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Athletics
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Bureaucracy
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Awareness
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Linguistics
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Dodge
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Driving
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Larceny
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Piloting
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Stealth
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Socialize
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Overgrowth
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Psionic skill
Telekinesis
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Empathy
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Lightsmithing
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Mental range
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Ragged Crossroads
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Auroral contemplations
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Mind control
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Dreamwalking
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Strings & Songs
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Illusion
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Pyroglyphics
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Ragged Crossroads: Every regret is a threshold; and every threshold can be crossed in both directions. A skolekosophist knows that no threshold need remain inviolate.
Ragged Crossroads, at its simplest, allows Utau to connect through an emotionally charged 'anchor' to an event in the past. She can then peek at alternate outcomes distinct from what actually happened, but her point of view is limited to what her other psionic skills would ordinarily allow her, plus a gestalt impression of the events that led to the anchor's creation. It allows her to see some of the more probable timelines, but not a full overview.
The number of viewable timelines appears to depend on how inevitable the events leading up to the anchor's creation were. Used on an anchor whose creation was a true fluke, Utau is likely to get nothing; there are no alternate outcomes, as it exists in only a single timeline.
The base difficulty is 1, but increases if the anchor wasn't ended at a precise time, or if the anchor isn't an unchanging object, or if demons existed in the immediate past of its creation, or at increasing range from the anchor—temporal or spatial—or if affected parties are or were protected from the effect.
Pyroglyphics: One script that all the world must read, even the blind, and it is written in flames.' Matters of fireworks and their kin - lights, colours, infernal detonations.
Utau has a two-way empathic sense. She can read your feelings, and you will feel hers; but she isn't telepathically capable, and can only achieve true mind-speech with Amu, Ami or Miki, who do most of the work. She is, however, adept at holding up her side of the conversation with emotional projections; which has become nearly a language.
Pyroglyphics represents Utau's realisation that the 'nearly' can be lost. Done in the right way—with the right props, reading the reactions of her audience and giving a show that is like nothing in the world, Utau can project not just her emotions, but also her thoughts. Maybe this is not a language. Maybe it is the deepest, most fundamental language of all. Maybe Utau's stage show can defeat even a demon's insanity, if it's taken far enough.
It also could be useful to overwhelm and confuse, as the average target will not realise their emotions and thoughts aren't their own.
Lightsmithing: Break a window. What have you made? A way? A new light? A weapon?
A paradox of Illumination: light reveals, light blinds.
Utau has made herself a lighthouse. This skill does not permit her to make physical light, but mental. Her mind can reach out, showing anyone the way to what they seek—or on the flip side, fill the air with so much din and sparks that none but the most capable psionics can see anything at all. In some cases, simply being able to see is enough to find paths that would not otherwise exist.
Concretely, this skill can add to any information-seeking psionic roll for anyone Utau seeks to help, including herself, with effectiveness depending on physical distance from Utau. It cannot normally assist with precog or postcog, but can cancel penalties in some cases. She can also place herself in opposition, using it to dazzle and blind; this is effective against any enemy that depends on any form of psychic senses. Lastly, it can be used in conjunction with Investigation in cognitive spaces.
Using this skill also broadcasts Utau's emotional state.
Strings & Songs: The harmonies of the lower skies are here reproduced.
Song is the second language of humanity, and music is the first. This is an esoteric skill. It can be added to a Performance roll based on music, and will reveal the music inherent to reality itself—subject to Utau's will, always in a fitting way for her performance—but its primary use is to reduce or eliminate disharmony resulting from the use of magic. In practice, when Utau is allowed, this subtracts from the external penalty caused by using magic in K-physics spaces. It does not normally apply to psionics, which already has mechanisms for this.
As Utau herself is unaware of this use case, primarily she uses it to amuse herself.
Auroral contemplations: 'To know what will pass in what has passed.' To see endings and beginnings, passages and transitions, in the same mode as dawn and sunset.
The flip side of Ragged Crossroads, and in many ways the same skill. Auroral Contemplations allows Utau to recognise when she is writing out a story that was already written. Less poetically, it gives her deja vu—it's an unreliable form of precog which in rare circumstances gives her glimpses of the potential outcomes from an action she is about to take, but which at all times lets her know if that action is an important point of divergence.
At one dot, however, the chance of this triggering is only 50%. You cannot invoke this skill; I'll roll the dice behind the scenes, as even telling you when it's checked is itself a source of information.
Shokuhou family
Shokuhou Misaki, brain-o-kinetic at large
Motivation: Exploring every last secret in Seiyo Academy
Age: Seven
Willpower: 6
Shokuhou Misaki, 'Micchan', is one of Ami's closest friends and an inveterate tomboy. She's a nice girl, don't misunderstand, she just appears to be the sort of nice girl who has the energy of four elephants, the confidence of someone twice her age, and the wisdom of a particularly unwise cat. This is much to the dismay of her two older brothers and older sister, all of whom get shanghaied into sitting on her on a distressingly regular basis.
Misaki looks up to Ami, but also tends to drag her into her shenanigans. So far this has largely been confined to Ami's classroom, although Miki has some hilarious stories if you ask her about it.
Her expy ability is limited, as this version of Misaki grew up under very different circumstances than the standard.
Attributes
Strength
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Charisma
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Perception
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Dexterity
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Manipulation
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Intelligence
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Stamina
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Appearance
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Wits
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Abilities
Firearms
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Integrity
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Craft
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Martial Arts
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Performance
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Investigation
○○○○○
Melee
○○○○○
Presence
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Lore
○○○○○
Thrown
○○○○○
Resistance
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Medicine
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War
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Survival
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Occult
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Athletics
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Bureaucracy
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Awareness
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Linguistics
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Dodge
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Driving
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Larceny
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Piloting
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Stealth
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Socialize
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Psionic skill
Telekinesis
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Empathy
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Astral proj.
○○○○○
Hydrokinesis
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Mental range
○○○○○
Mental scan*
●○○
Mind control
○○○○○
Illusion
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*: A form of mind-reading limited to providing statistics. She can ask herself "How many people in this classroom know the answer to the teacher's question" and she'll get an answer, but she isn't able to directly read their thoughts.
Makoto, unamused older sister
Motivation: Keeping her family and classmates safe
Age: Thirteen
Willpower: 6
Makoto has two older brothers and a younger sister, but the younger sister is too young to be interesting. As a result Makoto has spent a distressing amount of time being treated like the uninteresting little sister, while the littlest didn't even bear mention. This is the case, regardless of precisely who said sister is.
She likes her siblings, even when they try to arm-wrestle her over who does the dishes. This is especially the case recently, as she started winning those fights—much to her brothers' confusion. She is not, however, particularly girly—and this is a sore spot with her, especially when her parents decide that surely, as a rather short and slight teenage girl, she cannot possibly be all that athletic.
Makoto is determined to prove them wrong.
More recently she lost a friend to a demon attack on Seiyo Academy. This has warped her motivation, which is now focused strictly on making sure that won't ever happen again.
Attributes
Strength
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Charisma
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Perception
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Dexterity
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Manipulation
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Intelligence
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Stamina
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Appearance
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Wits
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Abilities
Firearms
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Integrity
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Craft
○○○○○
Martial Arts
●○○○○
Performance
○○○○○
Investigation
○○○○○
Melee
●○○○○
Presence
●○○○○
Lore
○○○○○
Thrown
○○○○○
Resistance
●○○○○
Medicine
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War
○○○○○
Survival
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Occult
○○○○○
Athletics
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Bureaucracy
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Awareness
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Linguistics
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Dodge
○○○○○
Driving
○○○○○
Larceny
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Piloting
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Stealth
○○○○○
Socialize
○○○○○
Psionic skill
Empathy
○○○○○
Electrokinesis
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Bioelectrics*
●●○
Mental range
●○○○○
Dreamwalking
○○○○○
*: Primarily, Makoto can apply electrokinesis to enhance her own biology; regeneration, strength or dexterity, adding up to <electrokinesis + bioelectrics> dice to a roll on those attributes. It is nowhere near as fast a form of healing as Biokinesis. Bioelectrics at higher ranks is not as limited.
Unlike Amu and Yaya's tactile telekinesis, Makoto faces consequences for overlocking her biology in this way: Each boost dot used in a roll has a 50% chance of applying one health level's worth of crippling damage. She can subsequently regenerate the damage, at one hour per health level—given sufficient biomass—or one day per health level, given sufficient food. Makoto's regeneration, unlike biokinesis used with illusion at rank two, cannot regenerate lost biomass without a suitable source of material.
[X] [Boon] Miki's consistent existence
[X] [Bane] Forced Publicity
[X] [Bane] Reality Glitches
[X] [Bane] A group of delinquents
August 30, 2009
Time passed, and summer vacation ended. Not with a bang, oh no; no mad scientists attacked, no alien spaceships hovered ominously over the city. Summer vacation ended with a doze.
It ended on the final Sunday, when Amu lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, contemplating her life. Miki sat on the pillow next to her, drawing, while Ran and Su played a card game. She'd been feeling great, and bringing out those two always cheered Miki up. Dia, of course, was-
Her. Dia was her. These days Amu always felt a little off, whenever Ran and Su were out and about. She didn't mind that the two occasionally wanted to exist, in fact she loved it, but the way it worked out...
She closed her eyes.
It wasn't like it was a bad feeling, though. More like... like her head was too empty. Reality felt too raw. Her eyes got a little yellower, which she could deal with, but the colours got brighter, and it got harder to talk to people, and it made her a little too aware of her own emotions.
It was, in short, uncomfortable, and Amu was pretty sure she didn't like it.
Not that there was anything wrong with Ran and Su. They were her, after all. It wasn't that they were somehow less her than she was, or that her personality was split or anything. It just wasn't the way the world was supposed to be.
She closed her eyes, and let herself fall into her own mind.
She'd done it a couple of times. She could sort of, almost, kind of feel herself in her mind, and she could feel her connection to the world, and to the people around her. And, if she concentrated hard enough, she could feel...
...something.
She'd thought of it like a giant ball, once, but that was wrong. It was more like a web, or maybe an endless, tangled mess, where she was just a part. Or a single string, a string that could be pulled by others, or used to pull them.
She rolled over, then glanced at Miki's sketch. She was drawing a cat, but the face was a little off, a bit too...
"Ikuto?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or is that Yoru?"
Miki blushed, and flipped the paper over. "Just doodling."
Amu smiled.
"Shouldn't you be playing cards with the others, not making fun of my art?" Miki asked, trying to sound haughty and failing.
"Shouldn't you?" Amu retorted, her voice playful.
"Touché," Miki said, grinning.
"Come on," Amu said, stretching. "Let's both join the game. I don't want you to be all alone."
Miki nodded, and jumped onto her shoulder. "Fine."
It was the last day of summer vacation, and the last time she'd see the two of them for quite a while. Amu couldn't bring them out a lot, because if she did, she wouldn't be herself. That really was the only way she could put it.
Also she'd get bushed and sleep fourteen hours a day, but that wasn't the important bit.
A few minutes later Ami burst through the door, wanting to play with—and Amu was sure she was exaggerating the lisp—the 'shugoi chara'.
Ran, Su, and Miki, of course, were more than happy to comply.
They spent the rest of the afternoon playing board games, until it was time for dinner. After that, she went to bed. Her dreams were filled with—Ami, who hadn't had enough chara time, and Ran and Su, and a whole bunch of other things.
She woke up feeling refreshed, and a bit tired.
It was the start of the new semester.
= = =
It wasn't until the classroom chatter and the smell of chalk had become routine again, and the maples outside her window had just barely started to hint at the oranges and reds of autumn, that Amu found her so-called 'normal life' disrupted. Three weeks had passed. She'd gotten reacquainted with her classmates, she'd had two more dinners with Utau, and she'd stopped feeling like her concrete home was sucking out her soul. Seiyou Academy's castle-like grade school this wasn't, though her new classmates made up for it in many ways.
So it was a Saturday, days before her thirteenth birthday, that Amu was accosted by a strange child on the street.
It had, up until that point, been a very nice Saturday. She had been wandering aimlessly, enjoying the early autumn sunshine and the feeling of freedom that came with not having homework that day. It was still warm; the last vestiges of summer clinging stubbornly to the city streets, and by 'last vestiges of summer', Amu meant 'thirty degrees, sticky and humid.'
She had decided to take a walk. The streets in her little suburb were quiet, only the occasional pedestrian wandering past, or bicycle riding by. It had been quiet mentally, too; Miki was at home, doing whatever Miki did when Amu wasn't around—manga, mostly—and Ami was playing with their mother.
She would have liked it to be a walk with Utau, but Utau was on tour. Though, 'tour' was maybe exaggerating it a bit. Sanjou-san had found her a gig singing at a hotel restaurant, and was using that to get her some exposure. Kukai, ditto, was there to cheer; he and Utau had grown apart a little, but they were still good friends, and it didn't seem like that would ever change.
The streets were, to say the least, uneventful, and the only thing worth mentioning was the faint breeze that kept Amu cool in the heat.
Amu had been thinking of nothing much, just the pleasant breeze and the nice weather, which meant she'd walked right past the young girl drawing a diagram with chalk on the ground. She'd only given her a short glance, and only then because of her clothes. The girl was dressed in a worn, punk outfit, just like the one Amu's mom had outfitted her with that day. Their eyes had met, and the girl had given her a grin and a thumbs-up.
That was weird, but whatever.
The next time Amu saw the girl, it was a couple of minutes later. She'd turned the corner, and the girl was sitting on a bench, staring intently at the sky. She hadn't seemed to have noticed Amu, and was instead muttering into a phone.
Amu was just about to move on when the girl spoke.
"Hey! You!"
Amu froze.
"Yes, you!" the girl called, her voice piercing the air. "You're like me, right? Telepathic, I mean." She grinned, placing a finger against her forehead. "I can tell. You could see me. Nobody else can when I don't want 'em to. But you, you could. That means you're like me."
Amu looked around, trying to figure out a way out.
"I'm not going to hurt you, and nobody else can hear," the girl said, rolling her eyes. "Trust me. C'mon, we're the same. How long have you been out here?"
"Um..."
"On the streets," she clarified, waving at Amu. "Though if you don't wanna tell, that's cool. Naomi says we've gotta be careful, but I think she worries too much. I can tell, right? And I bet you can too. You're a nice person, not like those people back at the labs. I just, like, want to know how long you've been out here, and—you wanna come with me? We've got snacks. Food. An entire house, actually! Betcha you haven't had a real bath in ages, and—"
Amu blinked, trying to process what was happening.
"Oh, sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?" the girl continued, speeding up. She sprang to her feet, the phone she'd been holding still in hand. "Naomi always says I do that when I'm nervous, and I guess I am. Nervous, I mean."
Amu stared, and the girl sighed. Amu took the chance to look at the girl—really look, instead of the quick glance she'd given her earlier. The girl was around Amu's age, tanned, with messy brown hair. Her eyes were a bright green, and they were staring intensely at her, the girl's expression earnest. Her clothes weren't 'punk'; they were simply worn, like she'd gotten them from a donation box, and the only thing she was wearing that seemed to belong was a pair of purple sunglasses.
"So, anyway, hi," the girl said, reaching out a hand. She paused. "My name's Akane, by the way. What's your name?"
Slightly deeper, Amu felt the edge of a heart that was worried, nervous—a little bit, just a little bit, desperate—but also filled with warmth, poorly hidden under fear. A desire to be liked.
And that was what decided it.
"Akane?" she said, taking her hand. "That's a pretty name. I'm-"
Akane's mind brushed against hers.
"Amu," Akane said, nodding. "You've got a pretty name, too." She frowned. "Oh, uh, you can call me Kana if you want. That's what Naomi and the others call me, and I almost forgot it isn't really my name, and... oh, you didn't actually say your name, did you? Um, well, you said it in your head, and—"
Amu blinked, suddenly feeling her face grow hot.
"—It was at the tip of your tongue!" Akane said, beaming. "And you're not angry, which is nice, 'cause Naomi is always yelling at me to not do that, and it's so annoying, but then she tells me it's important and that I can't do that to people and it's just, I'm sorry, I don't even mean to." She tilted her head. "And you're clean. Huh, that's odd. You're not with the scientists, are you? No, of course not. Look, just come back with me. Like I said, we've got food."
Akane looked expectantly at Amu.
"Um, I guess?" Amu replied, a little bit confused. Akane wasn't especially dirty either. "I mean, sure, but..."
She was getting pulled along.
———
A/N: Amu is good at getting pulled along. I'm not sure if that is a thing she ought to be good at, but she certainly is. Maybe this would be a good time to reevaluate the situation, now that Akane has stopped talking for two seconds.
[ ] Go along. Let Akane do the talking; she's good at it.
[ ] Clarify that you are not, in fact, escaping any scientists. Or homeless. Or… you're still putting your thoughts on Akane in order.
- [ ] And drag Akane back to your home, instead. She seems like the sort who'd go along.
- [ ] But go along anyway, to figure out what's happening.
[ ] You're not sure what this is, but you don't like having your thoughts read, and if Akane doesn't share your mother's sense of style then she's simply a delinquent. In other words, reject the invitation. - Vetoed by Amu's common sense. Maybe in a different timeline.
Scheduled vote count started by Baughn on Oct 24, 2023 at 10:42 PM, finished with 39 posts and 14 votes.
[X] Clarify that you are not, in fact, escaping any scientists. Or homeless. Or… you're still putting your thoughts on Akane in order. - [X] And drag Akane to a cafe, where you can get a better read on her without either of you being outnumbered or overwhelmed. - [X] Text or have Miki text Nikaidou-sensei to see if he's heard anything about this girl or any other names that are dropped, given his historic involvement in such affairs. - - [X] Hikaru as a backup if Nikaidou doesn't know, or isn't available.
[X] Clarify that you are not, in fact, escaping any scientists. Or homeless. Or… you're still putting your thoughts on Akane in order. - [X] But go along anyway, to figure out what's happening.
[X] Clarify that you are not, in fact, escaping any scientists. Or homeless. Or… you're still putting your thoughts on Akane in order.
- [X] And drag Akane to a cafe, where you can get a better read on her without either of you being outnumbered or overwhelmed.
- [X] Text or have Miki text Nikaidou-sensei to see if he's heard anything about this girl or any other names that are dropped, given his historic involvement in such affairs.
- - [X] Hikaru as a backup if Nikaidou doesn't know, or isn't available.
September 19, 2009
Scientists?
"Wait, wait," she said, stopping.
"What?" Akane asked, tilting her head. "Oh, don't worry. Naomi's the best. She's like, our big sister. She'll take care of you, and she doesn't force you to do anything and she'll help you hide. It'll be fine, okay? It's not that far."
Amu hesitated. That wasn't the problem.
"And you're..." Akane continued, frowning. "Not coming? Because you're..."
A telepath, as was Akane. "I just don't think it's smart," Amu said, knowing perfectly well Akane would know that wasn't quite right. She was scared—just a little.
It was a sputtering, foamy sort of feeling. As though their minds were trying to mix together, but couldn't quite. Heady, almost addictive. Amu could feel Akane's hope—her worry, and her trust, aimed at Naomi. Because Naomi-
"I'm not lying," Akane said, squeezing Amu's hand. "I know it's a little fast. But I mean, I've only met a few people like us, and some of them were real jerks, and I didn't like them, but Naomi's nice, and then there's Aoi, she's..."
Amu got a fleeting impression of someone else, and a sense of affection, and...
"Like your sister?" Amu suggested.
"She's my friend," Akane said, blushing slightly, and refusing to meet Amu's eyes. "But you can tell, right? That they're nice."
She could, definitely. Amu could see a bit of something—not a memory, not quite, just a sense. An impression of a girl named Aoi, with yellow eyes, twintails and an angular face that, if Amu were honest, looked a bit like her own.
"Or a crush?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She felt a bit red-faced herself.
"Sh-shut up," Akane replied, pouting.
They'd ended up stopping underneath a tree in the park, still holding hands, and it was a little bit awkward, and a bit funny, and Amu felt a bit light-headed. Akane's mind was overwhelming. Sure, Amu was 'a bit of a telepath'—and Utau, more so—but Amu didn't have the sheer raw power Akane did. It was... comfortable, though. Like being wrapped in a blanket. Kana wouldn't hurt her. Amu could, as Akane would say, tell.
'Tsundere', Amu accused, and Akane made a sound between a splutter and a whine, which only confirmed Amu's suspicions. It was for the best, really, that Akane could tell how amused she felt—because 'Kana had never once thought that maybe her crush would be the tiniest bit mutual, which more or less guaranteed that it wasn't, and now-
Amu's amusement faded a bit, and her spine tingled. She hadn't meant to, she hadn't been looking, but she'd caught a glimpse of just why Akane loved her 'big sister' so much. And now, while Kana was spluttering, she was deciphering it.
⁂
'The next patrol guy is taking a leak,' thought Aoi, clinically evaluating the situation. The thought came with an impression like a map; a picture of the building's interior, the patrolman's path, and their objective.
'The drugs are in the third cupboard from the left, from the door,' coming with a mental image of a lab full of vials. 'On the bottom shelf.'
Akane nodded. She looked around the garage, her eyes lingering on the camera. A camera she'd stuck an illusion in front of. A guard was sitting under it, dead; she'd stopped his mind, and then stabbed his heart.
She dutifully relayed the intel to Naomi, whining a little about how all the dust would dirty her clothes. It was a good thing Naomi had a good sense of direction, because Akane didn't know how she could possibly be able to see through the darkness. The guards all had night-vision gear, but she'd never learned how to use that. Maybe Naomi could teach her.
'Go now, then no-one else needs to die…' A mental sigh, of sorts. 'Kana, that means you. You couldn't have just wiped his mind?'
Well… well she could have, but then she'd seen into his thoughts, and he'd been looking forward to the next 'training session'!
'It's okay,' thought Aoi. 'Let's just grab the goods and get out.'
⁂
Amu felt her stomach lurch, and the world swayed a little, but Akane was too taken by her own emotions, and didn't notice.
"I'm not a tsundere," Akane said, crossing her arms and pouting.
"Of course not," Amu replied, stuffing the memory down hard. She tried not to throw up. The part of her that was Su was low-key panicking. The rest of her tried to pretend it hadn't happened. "You're just... lying to a telepath, and you know it, and frankly?" The way Kana's face lit up when she felt Amu's amusement. "You're a terrible liar."
"Shut up!" Kana replied, pouting, and Amu's smile got a bit more real. "Too bad you're not coming with me."
She was not, no.
"Can you at least tell me why?" Kana asked, trying and failing to look nonchalant.
Should she?
Kana had nothing like a chara. Amu was sure of that, because if she had, she would have noticed the double-think. Amu had never tried the 'hide a thought in Su's mind' trick before. It wasn't very effective, but it was good enough to fool Kana, apparently.
"Well," she said, and paused.
She'd thought, when she'd started this walk, that today would be a normal day. That had probably jinxed it, right?
"Because..." she said, and frowned. "I don't think you're bad. And I like you. But..."
Kana's face fell. Ami's face was in the forefront in Amu's mind.
"I have a family, you know," she said, looking away.
"...oh."
She really... didn't think Kana was bad. They'd been there to steal drugs, but not the bad sort of drugs; Amu had caught on to that. It was something Naomi needed. She wasn't sure if they'd been attacking yakuza, or... or those 'scientists' Kana kept trying not to think of, that seemed more likely. And it didn't escape her that she'd already latched on to the nickname, but she couldn't hate her. She just couldn't. Kana was like a puppy, all wide eyes and big dreams, and the dreams were all about being safe with her family, or hugging them. Or simply existing.
You couldn't dislike someone like that, not when her mind was all entangled with Amu's and Amu knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wasn't hiding who she was. What she did, yes, but not the 'who'. Not when the feeling of her was so... so warm. So full of trust, for Naomi and Aoi and all the others Amu didn't have names for.
She pushed that image of Ami into Kana's mind. 'She's just the cutest, right?'
Kana nodded.
'I love her a lot. I can't put her in danger.'
That made Kana look up sharply, staring at Amu, as she realised that Amu had seen through her, to... at least a little of what she'd been hiding.
'Sorry.'
'It's okay,' Amu replied, once again relying on telepathy to make sure Kana knew she meant it. 'I won't tell anyone. I promise. But do you want... do you want to go to a cafe together? We can talk. I've got a bit of money, and I guess I can give you my number? Just in case anything happens, you can call me if you ever need anything. And... I don't mind being with you. And we can...'
She trailed off. Those scientists. It hadn't been like that—nothing like that—but the first thing that came to mind, when she thought of 'scientists', was the two bumbling oafs from Easter.
Two incompetents in lab coats, or that was how Utau would talk about them, who had nevertheless built a machine that smashed and pressed dreams into mind-controlling 'CDs'. Amu didn't know what they'd done after she'd gotten to Hikaru. She'd thought—she had hoped—that they'd returned to- doing- whatever adults did when they weren't kidnapping little kids or building evil devices, but...
This thought she didn't try to keep secret. The opposite, and she saw the exact moment when Akane realised what she was seeing.
The feeling was... complicated. Amu couldn't quite make out all of it, not without getting closer, and she didn't want to be that close, and-
She'd been ten. They'd taken part of her soul, wanting to crush it to power their machinery. That was—a lot nastier in retrospect.
'Oh no.' Akane's hand flew to her mouth, and that was the exact moment that her feelings went from the remnants of excitement, to fear—on behalf of Amu—to horror. 'Oh no, no no no, no no no.' She was staring, and the look on her face was... "Are you... okay?"
"Yeah," Amu said.
"That's a bit too.."
"I'm fine now. They're gone."
"I know those two," said Kana, her voice low and heavy. "They were... They were... I'm going to kill them."
But her thoughts were full of regret. Naomi had seen the pair, once—years ago—and let them go, because they'd been fired. That was before they'd ever started working for Easter.
⁂
They did, in fact, go to a cafe. There was a small one, near where Akane had accosted her, that always felt cozy. The sign out front had a kitten with a cup, and it looked like a cat had knocked the cup over, spilling its contents onto the ground.
More importantly, it had cake. They both needed cake.
It was narrow—barely wide enough to walk past each other—but the walls were decorated with cute pictures, and it had a counter by the entrance. Perfect for lazy afternoons, in other words. There was a ramen shop next door; Utau sometimes came there with Kukai, for another of their regularly scheduled eating contests. Amu sometimes came there with Utau, to watch her wolf down twice what Amu could eat.
Today the cafe was empty, and a bit lonely. Amu and Kana found a spot by the window.
Kana—with all the heavy stuff out of the way—had reverted to her bouncy, enthusiastic self, and was chattering at Amu about her 'big sister'.
She didn't seem to be able to help herself.
"Naomi's so nice," she gushed. "She's always making sure everyone is fed and clean, and she always helps everyone with their homework. And she's super pretty, too, even if she thinks her legs are weird, and Aoi agrees."
"You've got homework?" Amu replied, smiling.
"Do you think that's weird?"
"No, it's not, it's..." She paused. "I guess not."
"Naomi says it's important," Kana continued, taking a sip of her chocolate milk. "We can't get too far behind, she says, 'cause we're not gonna get very far if we don't learn anything."
"Sounds like a sensible person."
"She's the best."
There was a slight lull in the conversation, while Amu considered Kana. She'd been awfully accommodating, really. Knowing for a fact that Amu didn't mean any harm would have helped, quite a lot, but that didn't account for all of it. It was like she was used to this sort of meeting… on neutral ground? Was that the term?
Kana's wink suggested that yes, yes it was.
"So," Amu said, taking a sip of her cup. Regular tea, not chocolate, because she liked tea and not that. "How long have you known each other?"
That was a minefield, and both of them knew it. But Kana was a little bit drunk on Amu's attention, and a little bit drunk on the chocolate milk, and Amu had made her a promise.
"Years," Kana replied. "She's always been there for us. Naomi kept pretending she was on the doctors' side, and then... and then they hurt one of the others, and... I'm not going to say anything else. Sorry. I just don't think I should. Not without her permission."
That was, Amu had to admit, a good idea.
"You don't have to," she said. "But she's been protecting you your whole life, just about?" Like Utau, before the final fight with Hikaru. Well, maybe that was a little bit off.
"Yeah, she's a hero," Kana replied, grinning widely. "She's like an older sister to all of us. Like you and Ami. You love her a lot, right?"
"Yes, I do."
"Naomi does too," Kana replied. "Even if she's not always the best at saying it. She pretends she's all aloof sometimes, but I can see it. ...so. Utau, was it?"
"What?" Amu blinked. "Uh, yes."
"Is she your girlfriend?"
"I'm- uh. No, she's not," Amu replied, blushing. "Why do you ask?"
"Your thoughts keep wandering back to her." Kana grinned, and twirled a strand of hair. "And you think she's pretty, and nice, and I can tell you love her, one way or the other. Do you want her to be your girlfriend?"
"No," Amu said.
"That's a lie, and I can tell."
Amu stared.
"You're lying again, even to yourself," Kana continued, grinning. "I bet you do want her to be your girlfriend."
"No, I- I don't," Amu said, and the blush spread. "Really. I'm not- I mean-"
Kana took pity, and stopped. Her insufferable grin didn't go away. "How about your sister? What's Ami like?"
"Ami?" Amu smiled. "She's adorable. Just started school, and she's really enjoying it. It's just..." She shrugged. "She's a bit worrisome, sometimes. And I worry about her, because I know things she doesn't, and—"
"And she's a bit psychic, huh?"
"She pulled a seashell out of a dream and it became real." Amu laughed.
"We've got one like that, too," Kana said. "She's a bit... not here. Like, her brain's a bit messed up, so she's not very good at controlling it. Sometimes her nightmares come true, and sometimes they don't, and she doesn't always know what's real and what isn't. But she's good. She's the best little sister. I love her lots."
She meant it, too. Amu got glimpses of nightmares—of dark figures stalking the room around what looked like a ten-year-old, a little kid with a face covered by long, messy, brown hair. She was holding a teddy bear, sleeping in a pool of shadow—and Akane was fighting to get past them, and Naomi was there, with a burst of fire, and-
Kana frowned. "Don't look at that. Here-"
-and then it was replaced with the memory of the same young girl, hugging Kana.
"We're fine," she said. "Like I said. It's fine. It's not like you've not got problems, right?"
Fine? What part of that was fine? Amu looked at her, and Kana grinned.
"Yeah, I know," she said. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but... well, you're like me, right?" She got to her feet, pulling Amu up with her. "So you know I'm fine."
She did not. Kana gave her a rueful smile, and Amu knew that she knew that Amu knew. Not that Amu was trying to keep her feelings hidden. This wasn't fine. None of this was fine. She wasn't scared of 'Kana—she wasn't, despite the girl probably being the scariest thing she'd met in her life. The scariest thing she'd met without a white coat and a lab, at least. Because, like it or not-
Utau. Ikuto.
A hundred, hundred children.
-she knew what people were like, and she didn't think Kana was the exception. She was, Amu thought, probably more like the rule. Kukai was the only one of her friends who hadn't been somehow hurting, and she got Kana, on a deeper level than Amu was comfortable with.
But...
"You're still here," Kana said. She gave Amu's hand a quick squeeze, then released her.
"Why would I leave?"
"I dunno," she said, her voice nonchalant. "Some people run. Or yell. I mean, I'm a 'delinquent', right?" She giggled, and made air quotes around the word. "And Yui makes nightmares, plus there's... everything else."
"Well," Amu said, rolling her eyes. "I think that's my line, but, well, sure. You're a delinquent. You don't go to school. I'm pretty sure that's the, um, definition."
"Which is why Naomi teaches us at home," Kana said, shrugging. "So, technically I do go to school. It's not as hard as people make it seem, though. I mean, some of the others have trouble, and it's a bit boring, but, like, math's easy. So's science. We've got a library."
"A... library?" Amu asked.
"Well, the guy who used to own the place was a teacher, so," Kana shrugged again, and Amu got the feeling she didn't want to broach the subject. "So. You're not coming with me, clearly. And you'd be an idiot if you took me home, and I don't think you are, so-"
Amu said nothing. She just thought, very loudly, about the fact that the other girl had been instantly eager to bring Amu to her home.
Kana laughed, and poked her cheek.
"Hey," Kana said. "So, anyway. We should hang out, 'kay?"
Amu raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking the same."
"Tomorrow?" Akane raised another, mirroring Amu. "We'll meet up back here? The cakes are good, and I want to try that strawberry one that you're eating, if it's that good, and- oops."
"Cake sounds good," Amu agreed, grinning. It was a bit late for Kana to worry about her mind-reading. She'd been practically waist-deep in Amu for the last hour, and she knew it, too, she was reading this thought while Amu was thinking it and-
Wow, that was a cute blush.
"Sure," Kana mumbled, blushing even harder. "Oh, but..." She hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah, sounds like a plan. Here, at noon?"
"Good plan."
= = =
Your inventory now includes one (1) murderous preteen. I'd recommend care, but let's be honest, I know how SV works. At least be nice to her.
You now have two, interlinked choices to make.
What do you want to do for the next month-or-so, in your downtime? You may choose multiple options, and Amu will divide her time between them. Some have a heightened chance of interrupts; I will always stop the clock if anything important happens. No more than 3, maximum.
What will be your general stance towards the Scavengers, as opposed to Kana? …not that Akane told you the name of their group, but it'll surprise no-one, Kana included, that Amu picked up on it anyway.
It's difficult to write a list like this, so you should really be thinking in terms of write-ins, but here's a few ideas.
[ ][Amu] Get to know your classmates
You've been in middle school for half a year, and so far you've had more social contact with the second-graders than your own class. Mostly because Kukai is a second-grader, but still, it's a poor showing. Your relative isolation in grade-school was bad enough!
Would give you a general overview of your classmates, beyond what you get for loose acquaintances. Value… indeterminate, but at least it'll make Amu feel better. Maybe it means easier destressing?
[ ][Amu] Chat with Ami
True, Ami has always been cute, but she's gradually becoming a person. Talking to her is starting to be fun. Do normal, big-sisterly things, like complimenting her on her skill as a dreamwalker, or painting the sort-of-octopus statue she found there yesterday.
This is a sad reflection on Amu's chances of normality.
[ ][Amu] Hang out with Utau, and maybe Kukai if he'll come along?
As friends. Friends hang out in groups. Kana is nuts.
Bringing her up to date will happen regardless. This is Amu taking special care to spend more time with people.
[ ][Amu] Spend time with Ran, Miki and Su
Since this basically knocks you out for the day, it takes a slot all on its own.
There's no specific benefit expected, but maybe you can figure out how to better compartmentalise? Just in case of telepaths.
[ ][Amu] Invite Kana to your birthday
This doesn't take any extra time. The birthday will happen regardless. In five days.
Unlike the others, this is free in terms of time slots; you get 4 instead of 3.
I don't think there's a need to explain any further; you can already guess. Discussion feeds the author?
[ ][Amu] Catch up with old friends
Lulu Yamamoto, specifically.
She did give you her phone number, and you're not sure you've called more than twice. It's embarrassing. Granted, she's usually asleep when you're awake.
But there's apparently a lot of psychics here who don't even have charas, and never did, right here in your backyard. And Lulu does, but she's also…
Maybe she has another perspective?
Maybe you should just let her know you didn't totally forget her for a solid year.
[ ][Amu] Write-in
= = =
[ ][Scavengers] Friendly
There's no choice but to try to get along, is there? No reason to dig, digging seems contraindicated, but Amu doesn't mind getting to know them as people. She'll take Kana's next invitation, a week or so hence.
Pure social; Amu will steer away from any risky information.
[ ][Scavengers] Curious
It might be a little risky, especially as Kana already knows you're a telepath—and a weaker one than her—but not a single part of this sits well with you. The girls she described shouldn't be in a situation like this, and you can't help if you don't understand.
The biggest risk is being drawn in, but they'll get to know you, and it's unlikely they'll want to harm you. Especially with Kana there to advocate for you.
[ ][Scavengers] Investigatory
Discuss the situation, in detail, with Nikaidou. He's researched psionics from the scientific side before, and has a lot of information you've never bothered to ask about before.
Kana is almost certain to find out. Her reaction is unknown.
[ ][Scavengers] Neutral
Maybe staying away is the best choice. It's certainly the safest. You'll still have outings with Kana, but that's as far as you'll allow it to go.
Kana would be more distant, but understanding. There are other downsides.
[ ][Scavengers] Hostility in any form
Vetoed by Amu on the basis that it'd make her new friend sad.
Lulu is an unusual character, if seen in Shugo Chara terms. Anime-only, though her skillset and story arc were written by Peach-Pit, so I consider her an honorary manga character; but while everyone else (more or less; Amu, Ikuto and Utau all break that mold a little) is dependent on Charas to do much of anything, Lulu—right from the start—pretty much doesn't use hers.
She's got one. Nana exists, and acts as a friend and sounding board to Lulu, but Nana... remember, I've mentioned that Charas act like idealized, would-be selves?
Nana doesn't. She's a lot more like a shadow, in fact; she's a part of Lulu that definitely already exists, but which Lulu suppresses, and which popped out through the chara system somehow. More specifically, Nana is an 'unelegant', redheaded girl who speaks with a Kansai accent; all things that Lulu wants to pretend she isn't. What saves her is that Lulu doesn't genuinely reject her; she accepts the existence of those impulses, even while she suppresses them..
Lulu in a chara transformation with Nana is a sight to behold. 😅
Beyond that, as you might be able to guess from her name, Lulu is genuine nobility. For as much as that means in the modern day; her grandmother is a landed french noble (...to the degree of owning a mansion, at least), Lulu herself is just rich. This plays well with her hobby of setting gems, then giving them out as psionic amplifiers.
I'll expand on that.
= = =
Lulu is Amu's age. Slightly older, but in the same grade in school. She's introduced to the story as a new "employee" of Easter's, so part of the antagonist group; a colleague of Utau's, in a sense, and she did demonstrate a slight rivalry with her. Lulu wants to be liked, which in this case means she wants to be seen to do well in her 'job'.
But I'm using 'job' in scare quotes, because... Lulu's a child. Unlike Utau, she wasn't forced into the position. It's not clear why she has it in the first place, and I wouldn't say she does a good job at it. She doesn't really follow orders, she certainly doesn't need the money... my best guess is, she's there as a (very gently handled) lab rat, while simultaneously letting her do her own thing. And if she sort of accidentally manages to attract the Embryo a couple of times, that's got more to do with who she is than with any properly deliberate action.
She's an enchanter, pretty much. She takes those gems, somehow turning them into psionic amplifiers that take whatever their wearer's genuine dream is, and forcibly turns it into reality. In a broken way, most of the time—for example, someone who dreams of being a magician will absolutely get 'magical powers', but however it functions, it also erodes the user's sanity. They end up ignoring all else, up to and including elements such as "don't turn your audience into what appears to be chocolate statues".
It takes Amu a good few months to get across to her that no, maybe that's not actually a good way to actualize someone's dream. For most of that time Lulu genuinely believes she's doing them favours, and to be honest? Given that Amu has a habit of disabling her gemstones, that temporary burst of (often nonsensical as hell, but still) ability leaves traces that might actually be good for them. A number of Lulu's victims end up with a renewed belief in said dream.
...she's also half French, and Ikuto and Utau's father was French. This all looks a bit like a knock-off Chara system, accomplishing much the same goal, just in a much shorter timeframe, less patiently—and less safely, to be sure—which definitely makes you wonder.
Lulu is thirteen, by now. She's still a child. While it's possible to think she came up with all of this herself...
...anyway, unlike Amu, Utau and Ikuto, I never got the impression that Lulu really caught on to the meaningfulness of what she was doing. To her, none of her actions were something with possible consequences. She also never actually noticed Easter's darker actions, or the broken dreams that Amu had to heal (in any big way), or...
She's only seen the brighter side of psionics, and she's still very much the optimist, but that doesn't mean she isn't important.
[X][Amu] Spend some time checking in on people you purified/healed from X-Egged/X-Charaed/Mystery-Transformed status before. Pay specific attention and spend significant effort on those that developed psionic abilities it seems like they might have kept.
- [X] The wizard kid. (Takuya Nakagura. Chara: Zero) Someone like that is unlikely to have let their awareness of psionics lapse, and has a dream that will draw attention, both good and ill.
- [X] Saaya, your old 'rival'. She's an alarming high frequency target of psionic nonsense normally, a quick check if this latest 'issue' touched her life to round out the books.
[X][Scavengers] Write-in Helpful, There's no choice but to try to get along, is there? Still not all of this sits well with you and you probably can't really keep major secrets about her. She'll probably figure out the various people you know even if you don't say anything about it, and truthfully the problems Akane has bother you. Cautiously ask around if anything can help with their situation and that you might know a few people who could help a bit for certain matters, so long as it doesn't go to far.
[X][Amu] Spend time with Ran, Miki and Su
[X][Amu] Invite Kana to your birthday
[X][Amu] Catch up with old friends
[X][Amu] Get to know your classmates
[X][Scavengers] Helpful. There's no choice but to try to get along, is there? Still not all of this sits well with you and you probably can't really keep major secrets about her. She'll probably figure out the various people you know even if you don't say anything about it, and truthfully the problems Akane has bother you. Cautiously ask around if anything can help with their situation and that you might know a few people who could help a bit for certain matters, so long as it doesn't go too far.
