It happened one night about a month ago. Three shooting stars collided with each other right...
Stellar City Battle Records
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Character Generation Part 1
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
It happened one night about a month ago. Three shooting stars collided with each other right above this city, sending sparks of light raining down upon the city and the surrounding area. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event. It also marked the beginning of a battle that would encompass the city. In the coming weeks, young people – teenagers, children, and young adults – found themselves in possession of supernatural powers. And with these powers came conflict.
Before this tales of power from the stars and the conflict surrounding them can begin, first we need a protagonist.
Let's get down to business, shall we?
First and most importantly, what is your name?
[ ] Write in
Are you a boy or girl?
[ ] Boy
[ ] Girl
You're in high school, this in non-negotiable. What are you?
[ ] Freshman
[ ] Junior
[ ] Senior
You live in Yorizen City, a city that was once three small towns that merged to become one big settlement after a small short silly war. The city can be divided into three areas based around the towns that it was made out from – Yohana, Ryega and Zeno. Yorizen is surrounded by rolling hills, crops, riverbanks and woodlands. While the younger generation including yourself consider themselves see themselves as residences of Yorizen, the older generations tend to see themselves as still members of one of the towns that make up Yorizen. In any case, which area do you live in?
[ ] Yohana – The most rural area of the city. A fair amount of farmland makes up the area. While not the most exciting place, the Yohana area is considered the most relaxing and peaceful part of Yorizen. Most of the younger population finds it boring though. Yorizen River flows right through Yohana, making it also a prime fishing spot.
[ ] Ryega – The former University Town. Yorizen University along with many other smaller institutions are found here. Yorizen Public Library and Yorizen Municipal Hospital are also located here. Currently, there has been rising tension between the locals and the transient student population.
[ ] Zeno – Originally a hot spring town. Hot Spring inns, motels, restaurants, and speciality shops can be found in this area. It is also home to a large department store whose arrival has forced a number of independent family-owned businesses to go out of business.
Okay, tell me more about yourself. What's your current home life like?
[ ] You live with your parents, siblings and grandpa in a middle-class working family in a decent two story house. You are expected to go to school, help around the house, and generally stay out of trouble. It's a pretty normal home.
[ ] You live in a large traditional Japanese mansion as a member of your family clan. Born from a family of wealth, influence, and possibly nobility – you have certain expectations forced upon you. It's a pretty oppressive place depending on how you look at it.
[ ] You live in a small apartment with your mother. Shortly after you were born, your father died in an accident and due to various reasons your mother ended up raising you by herself. You had it rough while growing up but your mother did her very best to raise you well.
What's your social life like?
[ ] You're a loner with a few close friends. Outside of them, your existence is barely acknowledged.
[ ] You're got a circle of friends that you've known since childhood. They've got your back and you theirs.
[ ] You're one of the popular kids at school. Lots of friendly acquaintances but no-one that you're particularly close with.
AN: Right then, I've decided to write another quest. This is sort of a reboot of my previous quest, a typical high school life filled with supernatural battles, since I'll be reusing the premise and maybe characters. Things like the nature of the powers that our character will be different this time around. I may also possible be doing a crossover with other stuff later on but for now, let's make a protagonist.
Before this tales of power from the stars and the conflict surrounding them can begin, first we need a protagonist.
Let's get down to business, shall we?
First and most importantly, what is your name?
[ ] Write in
Are you a boy or girl?
[ ] Boy
[ ] Girl
You're in high school, this in non-negotiable. What are you?
[ ] Freshman
[ ] Junior
[ ] Senior
You live in Yorizen City, a city that was once three small towns that merged to become one big settlement after a small short silly war. The city can be divided into three areas based around the towns that it was made out from – Yohana, Ryega and Zeno. Yorizen is surrounded by rolling hills, crops, riverbanks and woodlands. While the younger generation including yourself consider themselves see themselves as residences of Yorizen, the older generations tend to see themselves as still members of one of the towns that make up Yorizen. In any case, which area do you live in?
[ ] Yohana – The most rural area of the city. A fair amount of farmland makes up the area. While not the most exciting place, the Yohana area is considered the most relaxing and peaceful part of Yorizen. Most of the younger population finds it boring though. Yorizen River flows right through Yohana, making it also a prime fishing spot.
[ ] Ryega – The former University Town. Yorizen University along with many other smaller institutions are found here. Yorizen Public Library and Yorizen Municipal Hospital are also located here. Currently, there has been rising tension between the locals and the transient student population.
[ ] Zeno – Originally a hot spring town. Hot Spring inns, motels, restaurants, and speciality shops can be found in this area. It is also home to a large department store whose arrival has forced a number of independent family-owned businesses to go out of business.
Okay, tell me more about yourself. What's your current home life like?
[ ] You live with your parents, siblings and grandpa in a middle-class working family in a decent two story house. You are expected to go to school, help around the house, and generally stay out of trouble. It's a pretty normal home.
[ ] You live in a large traditional Japanese mansion as a member of your family clan. Born from a family of wealth, influence, and possibly nobility – you have certain expectations forced upon you. It's a pretty oppressive place depending on how you look at it.
[ ] You live in a small apartment with your mother. Shortly after you were born, your father died in an accident and due to various reasons your mother ended up raising you by herself. You had it rough while growing up but your mother did her very best to raise you well.
What's your social life like?
[ ] You're a loner with a few close friends. Outside of them, your existence is barely acknowledged.
[ ] You're got a circle of friends that you've known since childhood. They've got your back and you theirs.
[ ] You're one of the popular kids at school. Lots of friendly acquaintances but no-one that you're particularly close with.
AN: Right then, I've decided to write another quest. This is sort of a reboot of my previous quest, a typical high school life filled with supernatural battles, since I'll be reusing the premise and maybe characters. Things like the nature of the powers that our character will be different this time around. I may also possible be doing a crossover with other stuff later on but for now, let's make a protagonist.
Character Generation part 2
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
[X] Plan: Kazuma Kiryu
-[X] Takagi Shinzo
-[X] Boy
-[X] Senior
-[X] Zeno
-[X] You live in a small apartment with your mother. Shortly after you were born, your father died in an accident and due to various reasons your mother ended up raising you by herself. You had it rough while growing up but your mother did her very best to raise you well.
-[X] You're one of the popular kids at school. Lots of friendly acquaintances but no-one that you're particularly close with.
Your name is Takagi Shinzo, a seventeen-year-old Japanese high schooler. Despite your intimidating appearance and stoic demeanour, you are a kind, loyal and gentle person as long as no-one gets on your bad side. Thanks to this, you are somewhat popular at school and have many acquaintances that you are friendly with.
You live with your mother in a small apartment in the Zeno area of Yorizen. The apartment, despite its size and age, is quite comfortable and has all of life's necessities, a testament to your mother's efforts. Thanks to the landlord being an old family friend, the rent is lower than it would normally be for a place like yours. Your mother is frugal with the household budget and has an eye for finding ways to cut down on household costs in order to save up enough money for your college funds.
That sounds about right. A couple more questions and we'll be done.
In Yorizen city, there are four high schools, one in the Yohana and Zeno areas and two in the Ryega area.
North Rizen Public High, located down in the Yohana area, is where around half of Yorizen City's high school student attend. It is considered a fairly average school academically but it does offer a wide range of extracurricular activities. It is most famous for its Kendo and Track clubs with both having reached the nationals in the past. Being the oldest of all the schools, it also has the largest student population of the schools in Yorizen so there are many interesting characters of all kinds found here.
In the Ryega area, there are two schools, Maxwell Academy and Kaido Academy. Maxwell academy was formerly an all-girls private school that became co-ed while Kaido was similarly an all-boys private school as well. However, they are both very different schools.Maxwell Academy was built for the sake of young ladies from rich and influential backgrounds while Kaido was an elite preparatory school with high academic standards. Even after they both became co-ed, Maxwell still remains as a prestigious school that the wealthy and influential population of Yorizen send their children while Kaido is known to be one of the top school with many successful students. Both school, due to being in the same area, have something of a rivalry with each other.
Over near the outskirts of the city in the Zeno area is Ichiyama High. This school is renown for accepting delinquent students, usually those expelled from the other schools. Thanks to this, it has become a school where might makes right. Fighting comes naturally to both the students and surprisingly the faculty who were chosen specifically so that they can deal with the violence the students dealt out. Due to the fact that the school building often gets damaged during a big fight between the various factions in the Ishiyama, it has a surprisingly robust carpentry and construction program to help repair any damage. A number of students that manage to graduate from Ichiyama tend to have fairly decent construction skills.
Now then, Takagi Shinzo, which school do you attend?
[ ] North Rizen Public High - It's a public school so your tuition fees aren't too bad plus most of the people you've known since elementary go there as well. It's not the best or the richest or the smartest school around but it's a decent place to learn in. Having a large student population, there are all kinds of interesting characters to be found here. Compared to the other schools, North Rizen seems pretty normal and that's okay with you. It is also the most peaceful school as well.
[ ] Maxwell Academy - Somehow, for one reason or another, you've managed to get a scholarship to this highly prestigious school for the rich and famous. While you initially had troubles due to your lower class family background, you've become something of a welcome breath of fresh air amongst the students of Maxwell. It helps that you demonstrated your abilities back when you were a freshman when some rich idiot tried to mess with you and your family.
[ ] Kaido Academy - It's tough being at Kaido Academy. It utilises a unique system in which the worst students in the school are placed in Class "E" and are forced to study in poor conditions compare to the rest of the students and are ridiculed and demeaned by both other students and faculty to serve as a driving motivation for every other student to strive for academic success. You're in class C but frankly, you're only here because your mother wants you to, in hopes that you'll enter a good university and be able to live a better life.
[ ] Ichiyama High - As a school full of violence and delinquency as well as teachers who aren't afraid to beat the shit out of any student stupid enough to go against them, Ichiyama is surprising a school where you fit right in. You've garnered something of a reputation here at Ichiyama as one of the top dogs though that has only resulted in other students trying to take you down to raise their own rep. Not to mention the constant recruitment attempts from the factions in the school. You hope that you can manage to at least do well academically here even if the teacher is more liable to go on a rampage rather than teach a class though.
And now last but possibly the most important part of this whole thing is what is it that gave you the powers that this story revolves around.
In recent weeks, strange rumours have been popping up all over the place. Monstrous figures have been sighted in the surrounding woodlands. People with supernatural powers have been seen helping people or abusing their abilities. Rumours of a vending machine that grants wishes near an old abandoned hotel if you had a special coin. All this and more is the result of the star crash that occurred that night one month ago.
And now you'll be discovering the truth behind these rumours.
What was it that lead to you obtaining power?
[ ] You found a yellow coin with a star symbol in the grass. It was warm to touch. Overhearing a rumour about a vending machine that would grant wishes in exchange for these coins, you decided to investigate. There you met someone that gave you a strange drink that they claimed would grant your desires in exchange for the coin. Gain the ability to transform into form based upon your desires. Mysterious power-granting drink in exchange for coins.
[ ] Something made some loud noises behind your apartment building and you went to check it out. All you found were pieces of broken clay surrounding a small glowing crystal shard in the middle. When you touched the crystal, there was a small flash and it disappeared, leaving your body feeling tingly for a little while before fading.
Gain a random power. Grows most powerful and versatile as more shards are acquired.
[ ] You found what looked like a black and blue pokeball stuck in the drainage pipe on the roof of your building. There was a blinking yellow button on it and when you pressed it out of curiosity, there was a flash and weird creature appeared floating before you. Somehow imprinting on you, it began following you around. Nobody seems to be able to see it though which is good since it likes eating stuff, both organic and inorganic. Gain the ability to fuse with your partner for power. Grows based on what is fed to your partner
-[X] Takagi Shinzo
-[X] Boy
-[X] Senior
-[X] Zeno
-[X] You live in a small apartment with your mother. Shortly after you were born, your father died in an accident and due to various reasons your mother ended up raising you by herself. You had it rough while growing up but your mother did her very best to raise you well.
-[X] You're one of the popular kids at school. Lots of friendly acquaintances but no-one that you're particularly close with.
Your name is Takagi Shinzo, a seventeen-year-old Japanese high schooler. Despite your intimidating appearance and stoic demeanour, you are a kind, loyal and gentle person as long as no-one gets on your bad side. Thanks to this, you are somewhat popular at school and have many acquaintances that you are friendly with.
You live with your mother in a small apartment in the Zeno area of Yorizen. The apartment, despite its size and age, is quite comfortable and has all of life's necessities, a testament to your mother's efforts. Thanks to the landlord being an old family friend, the rent is lower than it would normally be for a place like yours. Your mother is frugal with the household budget and has an eye for finding ways to cut down on household costs in order to save up enough money for your college funds.
That sounds about right. A couple more questions and we'll be done.
In Yorizen city, there are four high schools, one in the Yohana and Zeno areas and two in the Ryega area.
North Rizen Public High, located down in the Yohana area, is where around half of Yorizen City's high school student attend. It is considered a fairly average school academically but it does offer a wide range of extracurricular activities. It is most famous for its Kendo and Track clubs with both having reached the nationals in the past. Being the oldest of all the schools, it also has the largest student population of the schools in Yorizen so there are many interesting characters of all kinds found here.
In the Ryega area, there are two schools, Maxwell Academy and Kaido Academy. Maxwell academy was formerly an all-girls private school that became co-ed while Kaido was similarly an all-boys private school as well. However, they are both very different schools.Maxwell Academy was built for the sake of young ladies from rich and influential backgrounds while Kaido was an elite preparatory school with high academic standards. Even after they both became co-ed, Maxwell still remains as a prestigious school that the wealthy and influential population of Yorizen send their children while Kaido is known to be one of the top school with many successful students. Both school, due to being in the same area, have something of a rivalry with each other.
Over near the outskirts of the city in the Zeno area is Ichiyama High. This school is renown for accepting delinquent students, usually those expelled from the other schools. Thanks to this, it has become a school where might makes right. Fighting comes naturally to both the students and surprisingly the faculty who were chosen specifically so that they can deal with the violence the students dealt out. Due to the fact that the school building often gets damaged during a big fight between the various factions in the Ishiyama, it has a surprisingly robust carpentry and construction program to help repair any damage. A number of students that manage to graduate from Ichiyama tend to have fairly decent construction skills.
Now then, Takagi Shinzo, which school do you attend?
[ ] North Rizen Public High - It's a public school so your tuition fees aren't too bad plus most of the people you've known since elementary go there as well. It's not the best or the richest or the smartest school around but it's a decent place to learn in. Having a large student population, there are all kinds of interesting characters to be found here. Compared to the other schools, North Rizen seems pretty normal and that's okay with you. It is also the most peaceful school as well.
[ ] Maxwell Academy - Somehow, for one reason or another, you've managed to get a scholarship to this highly prestigious school for the rich and famous. While you initially had troubles due to your lower class family background, you've become something of a welcome breath of fresh air amongst the students of Maxwell. It helps that you demonstrated your abilities back when you were a freshman when some rich idiot tried to mess with you and your family.
[ ] Kaido Academy - It's tough being at Kaido Academy. It utilises a unique system in which the worst students in the school are placed in Class "E" and are forced to study in poor conditions compare to the rest of the students and are ridiculed and demeaned by both other students and faculty to serve as a driving motivation for every other student to strive for academic success. You're in class C but frankly, you're only here because your mother wants you to, in hopes that you'll enter a good university and be able to live a better life.
[ ] Ichiyama High - As a school full of violence and delinquency as well as teachers who aren't afraid to beat the shit out of any student stupid enough to go against them, Ichiyama is surprising a school where you fit right in. You've garnered something of a reputation here at Ichiyama as one of the top dogs though that has only resulted in other students trying to take you down to raise their own rep. Not to mention the constant recruitment attempts from the factions in the school. You hope that you can manage to at least do well academically here even if the teacher is more liable to go on a rampage rather than teach a class though.
And now last but possibly the most important part of this whole thing is what is it that gave you the powers that this story revolves around.
In recent weeks, strange rumours have been popping up all over the place. Monstrous figures have been sighted in the surrounding woodlands. People with supernatural powers have been seen helping people or abusing their abilities. Rumours of a vending machine that grants wishes near an old abandoned hotel if you had a special coin. All this and more is the result of the star crash that occurred that night one month ago.
And now you'll be discovering the truth behind these rumours.
What was it that lead to you obtaining power?
[ ] You found a yellow coin with a star symbol in the grass. It was warm to touch. Overhearing a rumour about a vending machine that would grant wishes in exchange for these coins, you decided to investigate. There you met someone that gave you a strange drink that they claimed would grant your desires in exchange for the coin. Gain the ability to transform into form based upon your desires. Mysterious power-granting drink in exchange for coins.
[ ] Something made some loud noises behind your apartment building and you went to check it out. All you found were pieces of broken clay surrounding a small glowing crystal shard in the middle. When you touched the crystal, there was a small flash and it disappeared, leaving your body feeling tingly for a little while before fading.
Gain a random power. Grows most powerful and versatile as more shards are acquired.
[ ] You found what looked like a black and blue pokeball stuck in the drainage pipe on the roof of your building. There was a blinking yellow button on it and when you pressed it out of curiosity, there was a flash and weird creature appeared floating before you. Somehow imprinting on you, it began following you around. Nobody seems to be able to see it though which is good since it likes eating stuff, both organic and inorganic. Gain the ability to fuse with your partner for power. Grows based on what is fed to your partner
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Prologue - Part 1
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
[X] Maxwell Academy - Somehow, for one reason or another, you've managed to get a scholarship to this highly prestigious school for the rich and famous. While you initially had troubles due to your lower-class family background, you've become something of a welcome breath of fresh air amongst the students of Maxwell. It helps that you demonstrated your abilities back when you were a freshman when some rich idiot tried to mess with you and your family.
[X] Something made some loud noises behind your apartment building and you went to check it out. All you found were pieces of broken clay surrounding a small glowing crystal shard in the middle. When you touched the crystal, there was a small flash and it disappeared, leaving your body feeling tingly for a little while before fading.
And so our story can now begin.
............
......
....
You awaken with a start and grunt as you sit up in bed. You feel like you just had a strange dream just now but any memory of it is fading fast. Seeing as there's nothing you can do about it, you get out from under your sheets and set off to face a new day.
Ever since you started high school, your morning routine has been the same. After waking up, you'd wash your face and brush your teeth. Once you've freshened up, you would head to your room and begin your exercise routine. You start with five-minute stretching routine then you move on to your muscle building exercises. One hundred hanging sit ups followed by one hundred one arm push-ups on each side.
After you're done, you proceed to go out and jog around the area for around an hour. During this time, you usually either zone out and focus solely on the run or if you're feeling particularly moody, you start reflecting on your life and everything that is a part of is.
Putting effort into maintaining and reinforcing your body is of great importance to you. After all, your body is the only thing that you truly own in this world.
Today, you find your mind wandering towards what had happened last night. You were in the middle of finishing up your homework when you heard something crash into the trashcans out behind the apartment building. Whatever it was, it continued to cause a racket before it suddenly died down. Curiosity getting the better of you, you went to investigate.
Something had smashed up the trash can, leaving them damaged and dented completely out of shape. Fortunately, they had been recently emptied so there was very little garbage around. However, a slow glow in the middle of the ruined garbage area caught your eye. Going in closer, you found what looked like the broken pieces of some clay statue surrounding this small crystal the size of a golf ball. When you picked it up, there had been a blinding flash and the crystal was gone with a strange tingle in your hand. With no answers forthcoming on what had happened, you went back home to finish your homework.
However, when you took a quick shower going to bed, you found a strange scar-like mark on the underside of your forearm shaped like a star. While it did concern you a little on where it had come from, you decided not to sweat the small stuff. It obviously had something to do with that glowing crystal but you were fully aware that there was no point in worry about it. You hadn't felt any changes to your body so you felt it was safe to ignore for the time being.
Now that it was the next morning, you couldn't help but wonder what the deal was with that star-shaped scar. However, not wanting to cause your beloved mother any worry, you decided to not say anything about it.
You finish your run of self-reflection around seven and after a quick shower and putting on your school uniform. you get started on food for both you and your mother. Your usual breakfast consists of a large serving of rice, several eggs, your mother's special chicken breast recipe, and other typical breakfast fare. It doesn't take you very long to finish your food and you use the leftovers to make lunch for yourself. By the time you're done, your mother finally wakes up.
"Fuwah~! Mooorning Taka-chan!"
You frown upon seeing your mother exit her bedroom. It looks like she was working late again judging by how dishevelled she looked, not to mention the make-up still on her face.
"Mother, you forgot to remove your make-up again before sleeping." You chide your mother.
"Ah, so~rry. I drank too much late night and I only got home a few hours ago," She explains cheerfully, still haven't quite fully woken up yet. Your mother works at a hostess club and is quite popular among the patrons. You just wish she didn't work so late at night.
"Go back to sleep then, mother. Your food is on the table and there's still last night's leftover still in the fridge."
"O~kay, Taka-chan." Your mother returns to her bedroom to get some more shuteye but not before calling out to you. "Take care at your school, Taka!"
Smiling slightly, you nod. "Will do."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It takes about half an hour to get to the closest bus stop to Maxwell Academy and ten minutes to walk the rest of the way there. Several students greet you when they see you passing by and you greet them back. However, as it is only a couple of weeks since the start of the school year, you feel the familiar stares and whispers from the freshmen students.
"Who is that big guy? He looks like a thug."
"I think that's Shinzo Takagi!"
"What? That Shinzo Takagi!? As in Devil Takagi!? He's actually a student here!?"
"I know, right? He's supposedly a scholarship student but I heard that he just showed up one day and started attending classes and no-one could force him out so they just let him continue out of fear of being destroyed by him."
"Really!?"
You let out a sigh and do your best to ignore the whispering of your juniors. With everyone else having long acclimated to your presence in the school, it is understandable that these new students would be intimidated by both your physical stature and stoic demeanour and begin spreading rumours about you. They usually die off about a month once they've gotten used to you but it's still somewhat depressing.
No matter what, you can't help but stand out in this school for the rich and famous. Still, you have some fond memories of this school and it's not like you're totally isolated from the rest of the student body. In any case, this was going to be your last year here and you were going to make the best of it.
There's just one thing that you have never gotten used to and that was coming up to the front gates of the Academy. The sheer size and opulence of the entire place is something that you'll probably ever feel comfortable with.
Still, you heard rumours of a new scholarship student in the freshman year that has caught everyone's interest. You hope that you might be able to get along with them.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It is lunchtime and you are hungry. You head over to one of the more secluded gardens that the school has and get ready to each your lunch. Morning classes went like usual and you made sure to write down notes. A strong body and mind are essential, especially with your status as a scholarship student.
Sitting on a bench beneath one of the cherry trees in this particular garden, you are about to dig into your meal when a familiar face appears.
"Hey Takagi-kun, I was looking all over for you." Greets a fellow senior with shoulder length red hair. Tetsuya Shindo is a friend though you admittedly don't know him all that well outside of school. He'd originally approach you because your names sounded similar and since then he had taken to hanging out with you during lunch break. It was actually quite surprising considering his pedigree but you've learnt to ignore that kind of stuff when you're with Shindo. "Have you heard?"
"Hmm?" Seeing as Shindo was carrying his own lunch with him, you figured that he was going about his rumour mongering again.
"Recently students have been disappearing from the schools in Yorizen, including Maxwell. Nobody knows where they are or whether they're alright and it's got the police in a fit over the whole thing."
"Huh, and why should I care about this?" While you do have some concerns, you know Shindo wouldn't come all this way just to tell you about some missing teenagers.
"The thing is, there have also been all these rumours about monsters being sighted in the woodlands surrounding the city. There's also this one story about a vending machine that grants wishes over by this abandoned motel close to where you live, Takagi-kun. And get this, someone said they spotted one of the missing students checking out this mystery vending machine."
"Is that so?"
"Dude, come on! Aren't you at least a bit curious about this whole business with monsters and wish-granting vending machines?"
"Not particularly." You're honestly more interested in what's the deal with the marking on your arm. "So anything else?"
"Lame. Never mind then. I'll leave you to your lunch then, Takagi-kun." With that Tetsuya got up from the bench and made to leave before saying one last thing. "If you're interested though, I'm gonna be checking out the story about the vending machine. Look me up if you wanna come with. See ya."
And like that, Tetsuya heads off to who knows where. Mulling over what Tetsuya just told you, you remembered that you didn't have much time left for lunch. Quickly devouring your food, you head off to your next class.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Classes for the day has finally finished. Nothing of particular interest occurred today save for your science teacher going on about the shooting stars that collided with each other about a month ago back during the holidays. You had been awake and outside when that happened and you could still remember seeing the night sky explode into a natural firework display before firing off a small meteor shower in all directions.
Your phone vibrates a few times and you find several messages waiting for an answer.
One was from an old friend from middle school, asking if you wanted to hang out and talk about the past.
Another was from the boss of your part-time job asking if you felt like coming into work today.
The third message was from your mother saying that she'll be going to be back home earlier than usual and that she was going to bring sushi back.
Since you didn't have anything to do today and you would do your homework after dinner, you had to decide what you were going to do with this free time.
What do you do?
[ ] Meet up with an old friend and see how they're doing.
- [ ] It's a girl that you can best describe as a childhood friend of yours. Her message sounded like she was having problems.
- [ ] It's your old sparring partner from middle school. He was the only one that could keep up with you. It's been a while since you had a sparring match with him.
[ ] Go to your part-time job. Every bit of money helps with paying the bills and allows your mother to take things a little easier with her own job.
- [ ] You've got work at MOGHRA, a popular game bar. Something about needing someone to watch the place for a little while.
- [ ] Someone couldn't make it to their shift at the florist near your home so they asked you to cover for them.
- [ ] One of the usual workers came down with a nasty cold so the local daycare centre needs your help.
[ ] You aren't in the mood to hang out or work today so you politely decline. Instead, you go do other stuff.
- [ ] You feel like fishing. There's a prime fishing spot over at Yohana River. Go fish and maybe catch something for dinner.
- [ ] You've heard that the arcade has a new fighting game. Time to see if your skills haven't gone rusty.
- [ ] You feel like studying. As a scholarship student, you need to keep your grades up at all times or else you'll be forced to leave the academy. Head to your favourite diner and study there.
- [ ] There's nowhere in particular you'd like to go, so you just end up wandering the city with no set course in mind.
[X] Something made some loud noises behind your apartment building and you went to check it out. All you found were pieces of broken clay surrounding a small glowing crystal shard in the middle. When you touched the crystal, there was a small flash and it disappeared, leaving your body feeling tingly for a little while before fading.
And so our story can now begin.
............
......
....
You awaken with a start and grunt as you sit up in bed. You feel like you just had a strange dream just now but any memory of it is fading fast. Seeing as there's nothing you can do about it, you get out from under your sheets and set off to face a new day.
Ever since you started high school, your morning routine has been the same. After waking up, you'd wash your face and brush your teeth. Once you've freshened up, you would head to your room and begin your exercise routine. You start with five-minute stretching routine then you move on to your muscle building exercises. One hundred hanging sit ups followed by one hundred one arm push-ups on each side.
After you're done, you proceed to go out and jog around the area for around an hour. During this time, you usually either zone out and focus solely on the run or if you're feeling particularly moody, you start reflecting on your life and everything that is a part of is.
Putting effort into maintaining and reinforcing your body is of great importance to you. After all, your body is the only thing that you truly own in this world.
Today, you find your mind wandering towards what had happened last night. You were in the middle of finishing up your homework when you heard something crash into the trashcans out behind the apartment building. Whatever it was, it continued to cause a racket before it suddenly died down. Curiosity getting the better of you, you went to investigate.
Something had smashed up the trash can, leaving them damaged and dented completely out of shape. Fortunately, they had been recently emptied so there was very little garbage around. However, a slow glow in the middle of the ruined garbage area caught your eye. Going in closer, you found what looked like the broken pieces of some clay statue surrounding this small crystal the size of a golf ball. When you picked it up, there had been a blinding flash and the crystal was gone with a strange tingle in your hand. With no answers forthcoming on what had happened, you went back home to finish your homework.
However, when you took a quick shower going to bed, you found a strange scar-like mark on the underside of your forearm shaped like a star. While it did concern you a little on where it had come from, you decided not to sweat the small stuff. It obviously had something to do with that glowing crystal but you were fully aware that there was no point in worry about it. You hadn't felt any changes to your body so you felt it was safe to ignore for the time being.
Now that it was the next morning, you couldn't help but wonder what the deal was with that star-shaped scar. However, not wanting to cause your beloved mother any worry, you decided to not say anything about it.
You finish your run of self-reflection around seven and after a quick shower and putting on your school uniform. you get started on food for both you and your mother. Your usual breakfast consists of a large serving of rice, several eggs, your mother's special chicken breast recipe, and other typical breakfast fare. It doesn't take you very long to finish your food and you use the leftovers to make lunch for yourself. By the time you're done, your mother finally wakes up.
"Fuwah~! Mooorning Taka-chan!"
You frown upon seeing your mother exit her bedroom. It looks like she was working late again judging by how dishevelled she looked, not to mention the make-up still on her face.
"Mother, you forgot to remove your make-up again before sleeping." You chide your mother.
"Ah, so~rry. I drank too much late night and I only got home a few hours ago," She explains cheerfully, still haven't quite fully woken up yet. Your mother works at a hostess club and is quite popular among the patrons. You just wish she didn't work so late at night.
"Go back to sleep then, mother. Your food is on the table and there's still last night's leftover still in the fridge."
"O~kay, Taka-chan." Your mother returns to her bedroom to get some more shuteye but not before calling out to you. "Take care at your school, Taka!"
Smiling slightly, you nod. "Will do."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It takes about half an hour to get to the closest bus stop to Maxwell Academy and ten minutes to walk the rest of the way there. Several students greet you when they see you passing by and you greet them back. However, as it is only a couple of weeks since the start of the school year, you feel the familiar stares and whispers from the freshmen students.
"Who is that big guy? He looks like a thug."
"I think that's Shinzo Takagi!"
"What? That Shinzo Takagi!? As in Devil Takagi!? He's actually a student here!?"
"I know, right? He's supposedly a scholarship student but I heard that he just showed up one day and started attending classes and no-one could force him out so they just let him continue out of fear of being destroyed by him."
"Really!?"
You let out a sigh and do your best to ignore the whispering of your juniors. With everyone else having long acclimated to your presence in the school, it is understandable that these new students would be intimidated by both your physical stature and stoic demeanour and begin spreading rumours about you. They usually die off about a month once they've gotten used to you but it's still somewhat depressing.
No matter what, you can't help but stand out in this school for the rich and famous. Still, you have some fond memories of this school and it's not like you're totally isolated from the rest of the student body. In any case, this was going to be your last year here and you were going to make the best of it.
There's just one thing that you have never gotten used to and that was coming up to the front gates of the Academy. The sheer size and opulence of the entire place is something that you'll probably ever feel comfortable with.
Still, you heard rumours of a new scholarship student in the freshman year that has caught everyone's interest. You hope that you might be able to get along with them.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It is lunchtime and you are hungry. You head over to one of the more secluded gardens that the school has and get ready to each your lunch. Morning classes went like usual and you made sure to write down notes. A strong body and mind are essential, especially with your status as a scholarship student.
Sitting on a bench beneath one of the cherry trees in this particular garden, you are about to dig into your meal when a familiar face appears.
"Hey Takagi-kun, I was looking all over for you." Greets a fellow senior with shoulder length red hair. Tetsuya Shindo is a friend though you admittedly don't know him all that well outside of school. He'd originally approach you because your names sounded similar and since then he had taken to hanging out with you during lunch break. It was actually quite surprising considering his pedigree but you've learnt to ignore that kind of stuff when you're with Shindo. "Have you heard?"
"Hmm?" Seeing as Shindo was carrying his own lunch with him, you figured that he was going about his rumour mongering again.
"Recently students have been disappearing from the schools in Yorizen, including Maxwell. Nobody knows where they are or whether they're alright and it's got the police in a fit over the whole thing."
"Huh, and why should I care about this?" While you do have some concerns, you know Shindo wouldn't come all this way just to tell you about some missing teenagers.
"The thing is, there have also been all these rumours about monsters being sighted in the woodlands surrounding the city. There's also this one story about a vending machine that grants wishes over by this abandoned motel close to where you live, Takagi-kun. And get this, someone said they spotted one of the missing students checking out this mystery vending machine."
"Is that so?"
"Dude, come on! Aren't you at least a bit curious about this whole business with monsters and wish-granting vending machines?"
"Not particularly." You're honestly more interested in what's the deal with the marking on your arm. "So anything else?"
"Lame. Never mind then. I'll leave you to your lunch then, Takagi-kun." With that Tetsuya got up from the bench and made to leave before saying one last thing. "If you're interested though, I'm gonna be checking out the story about the vending machine. Look me up if you wanna come with. See ya."
And like that, Tetsuya heads off to who knows where. Mulling over what Tetsuya just told you, you remembered that you didn't have much time left for lunch. Quickly devouring your food, you head off to your next class.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Classes for the day has finally finished. Nothing of particular interest occurred today save for your science teacher going on about the shooting stars that collided with each other about a month ago back during the holidays. You had been awake and outside when that happened and you could still remember seeing the night sky explode into a natural firework display before firing off a small meteor shower in all directions.
Your phone vibrates a few times and you find several messages waiting for an answer.
One was from an old friend from middle school, asking if you wanted to hang out and talk about the past.
Another was from the boss of your part-time job asking if you felt like coming into work today.
The third message was from your mother saying that she'll be going to be back home earlier than usual and that she was going to bring sushi back.
Since you didn't have anything to do today and you would do your homework after dinner, you had to decide what you were going to do with this free time.
What do you do?
[ ] Meet up with an old friend and see how they're doing.
- [ ] It's a girl that you can best describe as a childhood friend of yours. Her message sounded like she was having problems.
- [ ] It's your old sparring partner from middle school. He was the only one that could keep up with you. It's been a while since you had a sparring match with him.
[ ] Go to your part-time job. Every bit of money helps with paying the bills and allows your mother to take things a little easier with her own job.
- [ ] You've got work at MOGHRA, a popular game bar. Something about needing someone to watch the place for a little while.
- [ ] Someone couldn't make it to their shift at the florist near your home so they asked you to cover for them.
- [ ] One of the usual workers came down with a nasty cold so the local daycare centre needs your help.
[ ] You aren't in the mood to hang out or work today so you politely decline. Instead, you go do other stuff.
- [ ] You feel like fishing. There's a prime fishing spot over at Yohana River. Go fish and maybe catch something for dinner.
- [ ] You've heard that the arcade has a new fighting game. Time to see if your skills haven't gone rusty.
- [ ] You feel like studying. As a scholarship student, you need to keep your grades up at all times or else you'll be forced to leave the academy. Head to your favourite diner and study there.
- [ ] There's nowhere in particular you'd like to go, so you just end up wandering the city with no set course in mind.
Last edited:
Prologue - Part 2
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
[X] Meet up with an old friend and see how they're doing.
- [X] It's your old sparring partner from middle school. He was the only one that could keep up with you. It's been a while since you had a sparring match with him.
Domo Eatery was packed as always when you arrived. Despite being a simple special-of-the-day diner in the middle of Zeno where there were dozens of restaurants and fast-food outlets, it was in truth one of Yorizen's hidden gems. The owner was rumoured to have been some kind of super chef that used to travel all over the world, cooking in all kinds of high-class places, before settling down and setting up shop in Yorizen.
Regardless of whether that was true or not, the food here was delicious, filling, and wasn't anything crazy or fancy like the stuff they served in the cafeteria at Maxwell. Best of all, it was cheap. Most tourist usually ignored the place but for many locals, it was the go-to place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Your presence attracts a few curious looks from unfamiliar faces, no doubt due to you still wearing your high school uniform, while the regulars simply give you a glance before returning to their own meals and conversation. Maxwell was a prestigious school for the rich so the patrons at Domo Eatery probably never imagined a Maxwell student coming in here. Well except you that is.
Giving the dining area a quick scan, you spot a familiar head of hair at a booth and head over there.
"Yo Tora." At the sound of your voice, Hidetora Toujou, or just "Tora" to his friends, turns his head towards you. The last time you saw him was back in your last year of middle school. Appearance-wise, he has grown, putting his height at around six foot two, just slightly taller than yourself, and he had definitely put on some more muscles, making him an imposing sight just like yourself. He was wearing a polo shirt and some work jeans that has seen some heavy use.
"Hmm?" You frown deepens when your old friend stares at you in confusion for a few moments before his eyes widen in recognition and an easy going smile appeared on his face "Ah! Hey Taka! I almost didn't recognise ya there for a sec."
"And you've hardly changed, Tora." You answer back with a slight smile as you take a seat opposite to him. It has been a couple years since you last saw each other but he looked like the same old Hidetora that you knew back then, just bigger. "You look well."
"Heh, you look well too, Taka." Tora then points to your school uniform in confusion."You look totally different on the other hand. What's with the fancy digs? You going to some business meeting or something?"
"It's my school's uniform." The Maxwell uniform consisted of dark grey straight pants and a black white-trimmed blazer with the Maxwell emblem over the right breast under which a long-sleeved white shirt is worn, along with a black silk tie - all of which is made from top class material. You'd been getting yours for free after that incident back in your first year of school which you were grateful for, especially since the uniform usually costs around three hundred thousand yen and hand-tailored by a famous professional. "Didn't have time to change when you called."
"Eh, seriously? That your school's uniform? Man, it must be some pretty fancy place then if you have to wear that all day." Tora seemed impressed by your uniform judging by how he's looking at it. "What school did you go to again? I've forgotten."
"I go to Maxwell Private Academy."
"Maxwell? Is that some kind of swimming school" You grimace at Tora's misunderstanding. You'd forgotten that Tora was far from being the sharpest tool in the shed. "Does that mean you're really good at swimming now?"
"Maxwell Academy isn't a swimming school." You correct Tora. "It's one of the top ten most prestigious private schools in the country."
"Huh, really? Sounds expensive."
"I'm studying there on a scholarship." You explain, taking a menu so that you can decide what to order for dinner.
"Scholarship?"
"A Scholarship is when - "
"Hang on! I got this! A scholarship is when you go fishing with this smart guy who owns a fishing boat and you catch a fish so big that they have to let you go study at your school for free. That's how it is, right?"
"......." You resist the urge to hold your head down in sheer shock over the weird places that Tora's mind go to at times.
After ordering your food, you spend the next ten minutes explaining what a scholarship is and how you've been at the top of your class for the last two years in order to remain at Maxwell Academy.
"Wow man, I guess that you're really smart then, huh. Although that sounds like way too much effort, just so you can go to school." Tora admits looking thoughtful for a few moments before returning to his usual cheerful self. "You should have gone to Ichiyama! You just have to attend enough days there to graduate!"
"Tora, I don't go there because I want to. I go there because I need to." You and Tora had gone your separate paths when you both graduated from middle school, and you had known that he had gone to Ichiyama while you had succeeded in getting a scholarship to Maxwell. "Also are you seriously about the whole attendance graduation thing?"
"Uh-huh. I've missed a lot of days because of my part-time jobs but I'm still keeping up with stuff. Plus I haven't been held back just yet." Tora cheerfully replies.
As the two of you wait for your food, the topic moves from your respective schools to anything interesting that's been happening as of late. Hidetora has been busy with work so he hadn't had much free time. There is apparently this "promising" freshman that's been causing a stir back at Ichiyama but Tora doesn't feel like checking him out just yet.
You didn't really have much to say beyond what Tetsuya had told you during lunch. Tora seemed a little interested in the stuff about missing students but was other uncaring.You also mention that there was now another scholarship student among the first years as well.
By the time the food arrives, you and Tora have started talking about rumours that have been going around both your schools and area - rumours that had been around for awhile now.
"So I've also been hearing this rumour about this really strong guy from some fancy rich school called the Devil. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, Taka?"
Specifically about you.
"Hmm, what do the rumours say?"
"Well….let's see if I remember correctly…." Tora pauses as he tries to recall the rumours that were no doubt about you. After being silent for a bit Tora answers you.
What is chosen will form the foundation of your strength
[ ] "This guy took on an army of a hundred people armed with guns and rocket launchers and beat the crap out of every one of them without breaking a sweat." Monstrous Stamina
[ ] "Okay, get this. This devil guy went to the forest one day and killed this legendary demon bear with his bare hands because he was hungry." Monstrous Might
[ ] "So apparently the devil person was walking home one day when someone drives a bus into him. However, instead of dying, the Devil got back up and goes and beat up the driver." Monstrous Toughness
[ ] All of the above ??????
You listen to Tora, keeping your expression as neutral as possible. When he finishes talking, you inform him that the rumours were obviously exaggerated.
Tora gives you a look before smiling. "I suppose they do sound a bit crazy."
That's when you feel it. Hidetora's bloodlust aimed directly at you. As far as you can remember, Hidetora Toujou loved fighting. Despite his cheerful and gentle attitude and love for all things cute, when he heard of a strong opponent, he couldn't help but want to fight them.
"Then again. If it's you then they're not bullshit at all." While Hidetora was not the smartest person around, he was surprisingly perceptive at times. "Let's fight."
You narrow your eyes while the corner of your mouth twitches in anticipation. In the past, the two of you would often spar against each other for no other reason than you both could. You were friends but more than that, you were both born fighters. Even if you didn't want to cause your family trouble, there was a part of you that relishes the taste of combat. And the only one who could keep up with you was Hidetora Toujou.
You have no doubt that your own bloodlust was boiling over as well.
"Your orders are here, sir!" The bloodlust disappears as the waitress appears with your meals - a beef don for you and a tonkatsu don for Tora on a tray. "Please enjoy."
After thanking the young waitress, the two of you stare at each other for a few tense moments before Tora snorts and starts laughing. "That's the Taka I know. I was worried that you'd gotten soft at that rich people school but it looks like you've only gotten stronger."
"Hmph, as if I'll let my body waste away. It's the only thing that I truly have."
"Heh, that's true. So how about it? Want to fight?" Tora then picks up his chopsticks and picks up a piece of his pork cutlet. "After we've eaten of course."
What do you do?
[ ] You say fine. After dinner, the two of you will find some secluded spot and fight. It's been awhile since you had a proper fight so you'll take what you can get. Even if the two of you ends up pretty banged up afterwards, it's just a small price to pay to feed your battle lust.
[ ] Say that you can't tonight since coming to school with injuries would put your scholarship in jeopardy. However you're not averse to fighting on say...Friday night since you don't have classes on Saturday this week. You can use the weekend to heal up.
[ ] You've put fighting behind you. For the sake of your mother, you can't afford to get into trouble. Even if it's your old friend Hidetora, if word got out that you were in a fight again, you could get expelled from Maxwell. The worse thing that can happen is disappointing your beloved mother.
[ ] Write-in
- [X] It's your old sparring partner from middle school. He was the only one that could keep up with you. It's been a while since you had a sparring match with him.
Domo Eatery was packed as always when you arrived. Despite being a simple special-of-the-day diner in the middle of Zeno where there were dozens of restaurants and fast-food outlets, it was in truth one of Yorizen's hidden gems. The owner was rumoured to have been some kind of super chef that used to travel all over the world, cooking in all kinds of high-class places, before settling down and setting up shop in Yorizen.
Regardless of whether that was true or not, the food here was delicious, filling, and wasn't anything crazy or fancy like the stuff they served in the cafeteria at Maxwell. Best of all, it was cheap. Most tourist usually ignored the place but for many locals, it was the go-to place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Your presence attracts a few curious looks from unfamiliar faces, no doubt due to you still wearing your high school uniform, while the regulars simply give you a glance before returning to their own meals and conversation. Maxwell was a prestigious school for the rich so the patrons at Domo Eatery probably never imagined a Maxwell student coming in here. Well except you that is.
Giving the dining area a quick scan, you spot a familiar head of hair at a booth and head over there.
"Yo Tora." At the sound of your voice, Hidetora Toujou, or just "Tora" to his friends, turns his head towards you. The last time you saw him was back in your last year of middle school. Appearance-wise, he has grown, putting his height at around six foot two, just slightly taller than yourself, and he had definitely put on some more muscles, making him an imposing sight just like yourself. He was wearing a polo shirt and some work jeans that has seen some heavy use.
"Hmm?" You frown deepens when your old friend stares at you in confusion for a few moments before his eyes widen in recognition and an easy going smile appeared on his face "Ah! Hey Taka! I almost didn't recognise ya there for a sec."
"And you've hardly changed, Tora." You answer back with a slight smile as you take a seat opposite to him. It has been a couple years since you last saw each other but he looked like the same old Hidetora that you knew back then, just bigger. "You look well."
"Heh, you look well too, Taka." Tora then points to your school uniform in confusion."You look totally different on the other hand. What's with the fancy digs? You going to some business meeting or something?"
"It's my school's uniform." The Maxwell uniform consisted of dark grey straight pants and a black white-trimmed blazer with the Maxwell emblem over the right breast under which a long-sleeved white shirt is worn, along with a black silk tie - all of which is made from top class material. You'd been getting yours for free after that incident back in your first year of school which you were grateful for, especially since the uniform usually costs around three hundred thousand yen and hand-tailored by a famous professional. "Didn't have time to change when you called."
"Eh, seriously? That your school's uniform? Man, it must be some pretty fancy place then if you have to wear that all day." Tora seemed impressed by your uniform judging by how he's looking at it. "What school did you go to again? I've forgotten."
"I go to Maxwell Private Academy."
"Maxwell? Is that some kind of swimming school" You grimace at Tora's misunderstanding. You'd forgotten that Tora was far from being the sharpest tool in the shed. "Does that mean you're really good at swimming now?"
"Maxwell Academy isn't a swimming school." You correct Tora. "It's one of the top ten most prestigious private schools in the country."
"Huh, really? Sounds expensive."
"I'm studying there on a scholarship." You explain, taking a menu so that you can decide what to order for dinner.
"Scholarship?"
"A Scholarship is when - "
"Hang on! I got this! A scholarship is when you go fishing with this smart guy who owns a fishing boat and you catch a fish so big that they have to let you go study at your school for free. That's how it is, right?"
"......." You resist the urge to hold your head down in sheer shock over the weird places that Tora's mind go to at times.
After ordering your food, you spend the next ten minutes explaining what a scholarship is and how you've been at the top of your class for the last two years in order to remain at Maxwell Academy.
"Wow man, I guess that you're really smart then, huh. Although that sounds like way too much effort, just so you can go to school." Tora admits looking thoughtful for a few moments before returning to his usual cheerful self. "You should have gone to Ichiyama! You just have to attend enough days there to graduate!"
"Tora, I don't go there because I want to. I go there because I need to." You and Tora had gone your separate paths when you both graduated from middle school, and you had known that he had gone to Ichiyama while you had succeeded in getting a scholarship to Maxwell. "Also are you seriously about the whole attendance graduation thing?"
"Uh-huh. I've missed a lot of days because of my part-time jobs but I'm still keeping up with stuff. Plus I haven't been held back just yet." Tora cheerfully replies.
As the two of you wait for your food, the topic moves from your respective schools to anything interesting that's been happening as of late. Hidetora has been busy with work so he hadn't had much free time. There is apparently this "promising" freshman that's been causing a stir back at Ichiyama but Tora doesn't feel like checking him out just yet.
You didn't really have much to say beyond what Tetsuya had told you during lunch. Tora seemed a little interested in the stuff about missing students but was other uncaring.You also mention that there was now another scholarship student among the first years as well.
By the time the food arrives, you and Tora have started talking about rumours that have been going around both your schools and area - rumours that had been around for awhile now.
"So I've also been hearing this rumour about this really strong guy from some fancy rich school called the Devil. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, Taka?"
Specifically about you.
"Hmm, what do the rumours say?"
"Well….let's see if I remember correctly…." Tora pauses as he tries to recall the rumours that were no doubt about you. After being silent for a bit Tora answers you.
What is chosen will form the foundation of your strength
[ ] "This guy took on an army of a hundred people armed with guns and rocket launchers and beat the crap out of every one of them without breaking a sweat." Monstrous Stamina
[ ] "Okay, get this. This devil guy went to the forest one day and killed this legendary demon bear with his bare hands because he was hungry." Monstrous Might
[ ] "So apparently the devil person was walking home one day when someone drives a bus into him. However, instead of dying, the Devil got back up and goes and beat up the driver." Monstrous Toughness
[ ] All of the above ??????
You listen to Tora, keeping your expression as neutral as possible. When he finishes talking, you inform him that the rumours were obviously exaggerated.
Tora gives you a look before smiling. "I suppose they do sound a bit crazy."
That's when you feel it. Hidetora's bloodlust aimed directly at you. As far as you can remember, Hidetora Toujou loved fighting. Despite his cheerful and gentle attitude and love for all things cute, when he heard of a strong opponent, he couldn't help but want to fight them.
"Then again. If it's you then they're not bullshit at all." While Hidetora was not the smartest person around, he was surprisingly perceptive at times. "Let's fight."
You narrow your eyes while the corner of your mouth twitches in anticipation. In the past, the two of you would often spar against each other for no other reason than you both could. You were friends but more than that, you were both born fighters. Even if you didn't want to cause your family trouble, there was a part of you that relishes the taste of combat. And the only one who could keep up with you was Hidetora Toujou.
You have no doubt that your own bloodlust was boiling over as well.
"Your orders are here, sir!" The bloodlust disappears as the waitress appears with your meals - a beef don for you and a tonkatsu don for Tora on a tray. "Please enjoy."
After thanking the young waitress, the two of you stare at each other for a few tense moments before Tora snorts and starts laughing. "That's the Taka I know. I was worried that you'd gotten soft at that rich people school but it looks like you've only gotten stronger."
"Hmph, as if I'll let my body waste away. It's the only thing that I truly have."
"Heh, that's true. So how about it? Want to fight?" Tora then picks up his chopsticks and picks up a piece of his pork cutlet. "After we've eaten of course."
What do you do?
[ ] You say fine. After dinner, the two of you will find some secluded spot and fight. It's been awhile since you had a proper fight so you'll take what you can get. Even if the two of you ends up pretty banged up afterwards, it's just a small price to pay to feed your battle lust.
[ ] Say that you can't tonight since coming to school with injuries would put your scholarship in jeopardy. However you're not averse to fighting on say...Friday night since you don't have classes on Saturday this week. You can use the weekend to heal up.
[ ] You've put fighting behind you. For the sake of your mother, you can't afford to get into trouble. Even if it's your old friend Hidetora, if word got out that you were in a fight again, you could get expelled from Maxwell. The worse thing that can happen is disappointing your beloved mother.
[ ] Write-in
Prologue - Part 3
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
[X] All of the above
[X] Say that you can't tonight since coming to school with injuries would put your scholarship in jeopardy. However you're not averse to fighting on say...Friday night since you don't have classes on Saturday this week. You can use the weekend to heal up.
While you have always been aware of the rumours floating around that were about you and your exploits, you still felt embarrassed hearing them from an old friend. Worse, most of the rumours were exaggerated to the point of making you seem like some kind of monster. For example...
"This guy took on an army of a hundred people armed with guns and rocket launchers and beat the crap out of every one of them without breaking a sweat."
You remember that fight. It was during your first year at Maxwell that it happened. You'd pissed off the son of a Yakuza Boss and he'd cornered you in an empty lot, bringing with him with minions and a number of his father's own men. It had been a long and tiring fight. Most of the guys had been armed with metal bats, knives, hammers, and even wooden planks with nails in them. Only about half-a-dozen guys had any guns and it was only two guys who had brought the rocket launchers. They'd been so scared of you that when you glared at them for interrupting the fight, they had fired and missed you completely.
"Then this devil character went into the forest on day and killed this legendary demon bear with their own bare hands because he was hungry"
You'd gotten lost while looking for one of the neighbourhood kid's pet dog and encountered a bear while using the river to get back to the city. You'd knocked it out when it thought you were trying to steal its food and a bunch of campers saw you do it. After that, you manage to find the dog and return it safely to its owner.
"So apparently the devil person was walking home one day when someone drives a bus into him. However, instead of dying, the Devil got back up and goes and beat up the driver."
It hadn't been a bus. It had been a small car and the one driving it had been that Yakuza's son who you pretty much humiliated by beating up his underling. It had hurt when the car hit you but it was nothing too serious. You had been out of it though when that guy got out of the car to gloat and you'd punched him to shut him up since his voice was making your head hurt.
In retrospect, your first year at Maxwell had been quite eventful and thanks to those three incidents, you'd caught the eye of the Yakuza Boss who had been rather impressed with your prowess and skill. To make up for the trouble his son had given you, he offered a lot of things such as money, a new house, and other things. You and your mother had refused though. You had no intention of being indebted to the Yakuza. Fortunately, the man was quite honourable and respected your family's wishes. Instead, he declared you to be a friend of his family and paid for your uniforms and textbooks.
It was also thanks to that man that you had been able to continue studying at Maxwell despite being involved in gang violence, even if it was you against a hundred varied punks and thugs.
At any rate, a Maxwell student getting involved with fights outside of official match and school was unacceptable for the Academy and you made sure to keep such activities out of sight and to a minimum. Therefore, much to your regret, you must decline Toujou's request.
"Sorry, Tora. I must respectfully decline your offer of a fight."
"Aw, don't tell me studying at that fancy smancy school made you soft?" Of course not. However, coming to school looking like you've been in a brutal fight would have been a big no-no in both the schools and your books. However, before Toujou can say anything else, you inform him that you have no qualms about taking him on in a good old-fashioned fist fight on Friday night. "Oh? Why not now?"
You explain that it's because you've got a free Saturday coming up and that'll let you heal up over the weekend so that you won't look like a truck ran you over come next Monday. You know how strong Tora is and, unless either one of you have been slacking off their body maintenance, a fight between the two of you will result in more than a few bruises.
"Heh, yeah that's true." Tora has a profound expression on his face for a moment before he grins eagerly. "Alright! I'll keep my schedule open then!"
Relieved that Tora had accepted to postpone the fight, you get started on your meal. Compare to how much you usually eat, the large beef bowl only half fills you. Well, in any case your mother was bringing food back so that was fine. After the meal, you and Tora engage in small talk, chatting about meaningless stuff like the weather or old memories.
Eventually though, you have to go.
"It was great seeing you again, Taka. I'll be seeing you Friday. Good luck with your classes or something."
It had also been good to see Tora again after so long. You wave your old friend goodbye and begin making your way home.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
You're back home doing your homework, waiting for your mother to return home. Despite your early dinner, you're still peckish. However, your mother has promised to bring some food home so you wait for her patiently. What she usually brings back is pretty good thanks to her ability to manipulate men into buying her dinner. It would be boxed leftovers but it was high-class leftovers.
However, you hear something clang outside your apartment building. You're reminded of last night and the weird crystal that apparently went inside your arm. Some more clanging is heard coming from outside and your curiosity is getting the better of you. Giving in to your curiosity, you head outside to see what is it that's pushing over the trash-cans this time.
In the dim lights behind the building, you see it.
A clay statue. An animated clay statue is bumbling through the trash with its back turned towards you, searching for something. It's vaguely humanoid except it doesn't really have a head so much as it does a large lump on top of its torso. Its thick arms end in metal claws that move like fingers. It stands on two dog-like legs that also similarly ends in claws.
Your presence does not go unnoticed and it straightens its back before turning towards you.
It has an eye. A large bulbous single white eye at the tapered points near the top of its head.
The instant it sees you, killing intent washes over you. You ignore it as you feel the star-shaped scar somehow pulse and you somehow know that the clay being before you, standing in the trash, has a crystal just like the one you touched yesterday somewhere in its body.
Your body moves without thinking and you fist smashes into the eye of the clay thing. You feel pain as clay shards cut into your fingers but you ignore it as you pull it back so that your other fist can have a turn. Your fists fly at the clay entity, alternating and striking with almost machine-like precision. It tries to fight back but it cannot under the barrage of punches you are delivering it.
However, it is a hardy thing. Despite your efforts, your fists barely scratch its hard body. Your hands are starting to numb.
You need to be stronger. Your fists need to be tougher.
Something within you answers your thoughts.
You feel a strange heat spread throughout your body.
Your next fist digs right into the clay of the entity. Your fists start to regain feeling. Broken shards begin falling to the ground as your assault picks up again with renewed ferocity. Cracks spread through out the entity's body and with one powerful blow, your fist goes right through the clay being's body. With that, the clay stiffens as whatever unnatural force that was moving it dies. Pushing it off your arm with your foot, the now inanimate clay falls to the ground and shatters into dozens of pieces.
Enclosed in the fist that had gone through the thing is a crystal just like the one from last night. There is a small blinding flash and just like last night, the crystal disappears followed by a tingling sensation throughout your entire body. Pulling your sleeve up, you see the star-scar has changed shape, confirming your suspicions.
A new smaller star now floats next to the original star as though it had always been there.
You look at your bloodied knuckles and watch in fascination as the damage to your fists slowly but noticeably heals in front of your eyes.
You've studied biology so you know that something like this is most definitely not normal. People simply don't heal that fast.
You clench your fist, feeling that strange heat begin to fade from your body.
Just what is happening to you?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
In the midst of attacking some strange clay statue thing, Takagi Shinzo has awakened to his power. Because you chose the mystery option, Takagi's power follows the theme of versatility. While not quite as potent as one of the other three options would have given, it is still quite powerful.
Now choose what form this "Versatility" takes. (Note that all powers will begin at a weak level but will in time become much stronger).
[ ] Shift - Within Takagi is a pool of power and with a thought, he can shift this pool of power to one of his physical attributes - strength, toughness, speed, and regeneration. This allows Takagi to increase his physical abilities evenly or focus on one for greater effect. This pool of power is not endless, however, and is quickly used up though it restores itself after a period of rest. In extreme situations, Takagi can draw more power from his other attributes, weakening them in order to push a single one to extreme levels. In such cases, the downtime to restore the power poll will be much greater.
[ ] Focus - A vast ocean of power lies within Takagi's body. By moving this well of power into his limbs, Takagi can unleash blows of devastating force. However, despite his physical prowess and well-built body, this power can easily tear it apart if used it recklessly. Forcibly using 100% of his power will shatter the bones in his arm and rips the muscles to shred. It is only thanks to a slightly enhanced healing factor that keeps him from being crippled for life.
[ ] React - No matter who or what he faces, Takagi will gain the strength to overcome them. If the foe is too tough, Takagi will become stronger. If the enemy is too fast, then Takagi's reflexes will become faster. In response to a situation, Takagi gains enhancements in the form of increased attributes. These enhancements are physical only and last until the task that demanded them is over. This means that if a situation that involves multiple problems occurs, this power will only be able to focus on one at a time.
Also, can I get some suggestions for what Takagi looks like? Pictures please though a good description would be good as well although I'm thinking something along these lines.
[X] Say that you can't tonight since coming to school with injuries would put your scholarship in jeopardy. However you're not averse to fighting on say...Friday night since you don't have classes on Saturday this week. You can use the weekend to heal up.
While you have always been aware of the rumours floating around that were about you and your exploits, you still felt embarrassed hearing them from an old friend. Worse, most of the rumours were exaggerated to the point of making you seem like some kind of monster. For example...
"This guy took on an army of a hundred people armed with guns and rocket launchers and beat the crap out of every one of them without breaking a sweat."
You remember that fight. It was during your first year at Maxwell that it happened. You'd pissed off the son of a Yakuza Boss and he'd cornered you in an empty lot, bringing with him with minions and a number of his father's own men. It had been a long and tiring fight. Most of the guys had been armed with metal bats, knives, hammers, and even wooden planks with nails in them. Only about half-a-dozen guys had any guns and it was only two guys who had brought the rocket launchers. They'd been so scared of you that when you glared at them for interrupting the fight, they had fired and missed you completely.
"Then this devil character went into the forest on day and killed this legendary demon bear with their own bare hands because he was hungry"
You'd gotten lost while looking for one of the neighbourhood kid's pet dog and encountered a bear while using the river to get back to the city. You'd knocked it out when it thought you were trying to steal its food and a bunch of campers saw you do it. After that, you manage to find the dog and return it safely to its owner.
"So apparently the devil person was walking home one day when someone drives a bus into him. However, instead of dying, the Devil got back up and goes and beat up the driver."
It hadn't been a bus. It had been a small car and the one driving it had been that Yakuza's son who you pretty much humiliated by beating up his underling. It had hurt when the car hit you but it was nothing too serious. You had been out of it though when that guy got out of the car to gloat and you'd punched him to shut him up since his voice was making your head hurt.
In retrospect, your first year at Maxwell had been quite eventful and thanks to those three incidents, you'd caught the eye of the Yakuza Boss who had been rather impressed with your prowess and skill. To make up for the trouble his son had given you, he offered a lot of things such as money, a new house, and other things. You and your mother had refused though. You had no intention of being indebted to the Yakuza. Fortunately, the man was quite honourable and respected your family's wishes. Instead, he declared you to be a friend of his family and paid for your uniforms and textbooks.
It was also thanks to that man that you had been able to continue studying at Maxwell despite being involved in gang violence, even if it was you against a hundred varied punks and thugs.
At any rate, a Maxwell student getting involved with fights outside of official match and school was unacceptable for the Academy and you made sure to keep such activities out of sight and to a minimum. Therefore, much to your regret, you must decline Toujou's request.
"Sorry, Tora. I must respectfully decline your offer of a fight."
"Aw, don't tell me studying at that fancy smancy school made you soft?" Of course not. However, coming to school looking like you've been in a brutal fight would have been a big no-no in both the schools and your books. However, before Toujou can say anything else, you inform him that you have no qualms about taking him on in a good old-fashioned fist fight on Friday night. "Oh? Why not now?"
You explain that it's because you've got a free Saturday coming up and that'll let you heal up over the weekend so that you won't look like a truck ran you over come next Monday. You know how strong Tora is and, unless either one of you have been slacking off their body maintenance, a fight between the two of you will result in more than a few bruises.
"Heh, yeah that's true." Tora has a profound expression on his face for a moment before he grins eagerly. "Alright! I'll keep my schedule open then!"
Relieved that Tora had accepted to postpone the fight, you get started on your meal. Compare to how much you usually eat, the large beef bowl only half fills you. Well, in any case your mother was bringing food back so that was fine. After the meal, you and Tora engage in small talk, chatting about meaningless stuff like the weather or old memories.
Eventually though, you have to go.
"It was great seeing you again, Taka. I'll be seeing you Friday. Good luck with your classes or something."
It had also been good to see Tora again after so long. You wave your old friend goodbye and begin making your way home.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
You're back home doing your homework, waiting for your mother to return home. Despite your early dinner, you're still peckish. However, your mother has promised to bring some food home so you wait for her patiently. What she usually brings back is pretty good thanks to her ability to manipulate men into buying her dinner. It would be boxed leftovers but it was high-class leftovers.
However, you hear something clang outside your apartment building. You're reminded of last night and the weird crystal that apparently went inside your arm. Some more clanging is heard coming from outside and your curiosity is getting the better of you. Giving in to your curiosity, you head outside to see what is it that's pushing over the trash-cans this time.
In the dim lights behind the building, you see it.
A clay statue. An animated clay statue is bumbling through the trash with its back turned towards you, searching for something. It's vaguely humanoid except it doesn't really have a head so much as it does a large lump on top of its torso. Its thick arms end in metal claws that move like fingers. It stands on two dog-like legs that also similarly ends in claws.
Your presence does not go unnoticed and it straightens its back before turning towards you.
It has an eye. A large bulbous single white eye at the tapered points near the top of its head.
The instant it sees you, killing intent washes over you. You ignore it as you feel the star-shaped scar somehow pulse and you somehow know that the clay being before you, standing in the trash, has a crystal just like the one you touched yesterday somewhere in its body.
Your body moves without thinking and you fist smashes into the eye of the clay thing. You feel pain as clay shards cut into your fingers but you ignore it as you pull it back so that your other fist can have a turn. Your fists fly at the clay entity, alternating and striking with almost machine-like precision. It tries to fight back but it cannot under the barrage of punches you are delivering it.
However, it is a hardy thing. Despite your efforts, your fists barely scratch its hard body. Your hands are starting to numb.
You need to be stronger. Your fists need to be tougher.
Something within you answers your thoughts.
You feel a strange heat spread throughout your body.
Your next fist digs right into the clay of the entity. Your fists start to regain feeling. Broken shards begin falling to the ground as your assault picks up again with renewed ferocity. Cracks spread through out the entity's body and with one powerful blow, your fist goes right through the clay being's body. With that, the clay stiffens as whatever unnatural force that was moving it dies. Pushing it off your arm with your foot, the now inanimate clay falls to the ground and shatters into dozens of pieces.
Enclosed in the fist that had gone through the thing is a crystal just like the one from last night. There is a small blinding flash and just like last night, the crystal disappears followed by a tingling sensation throughout your entire body. Pulling your sleeve up, you see the star-scar has changed shape, confirming your suspicions.
A new smaller star now floats next to the original star as though it had always been there.
You look at your bloodied knuckles and watch in fascination as the damage to your fists slowly but noticeably heals in front of your eyes.
You've studied biology so you know that something like this is most definitely not normal. People simply don't heal that fast.
You clench your fist, feeling that strange heat begin to fade from your body.
Just what is happening to you?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
In the midst of attacking some strange clay statue thing, Takagi Shinzo has awakened to his power. Because you chose the mystery option, Takagi's power follows the theme of versatility. While not quite as potent as one of the other three options would have given, it is still quite powerful.
Now choose what form this "Versatility" takes. (Note that all powers will begin at a weak level but will in time become much stronger).
[ ] Shift - Within Takagi is a pool of power and with a thought, he can shift this pool of power to one of his physical attributes - strength, toughness, speed, and regeneration. This allows Takagi to increase his physical abilities evenly or focus on one for greater effect. This pool of power is not endless, however, and is quickly used up though it restores itself after a period of rest. In extreme situations, Takagi can draw more power from his other attributes, weakening them in order to push a single one to extreme levels. In such cases, the downtime to restore the power poll will be much greater.
[ ] Focus - A vast ocean of power lies within Takagi's body. By moving this well of power into his limbs, Takagi can unleash blows of devastating force. However, despite his physical prowess and well-built body, this power can easily tear it apart if used it recklessly. Forcibly using 100% of his power will shatter the bones in his arm and rips the muscles to shred. It is only thanks to a slightly enhanced healing factor that keeps him from being crippled for life.
[ ] React - No matter who or what he faces, Takagi will gain the strength to overcome them. If the foe is too tough, Takagi will become stronger. If the enemy is too fast, then Takagi's reflexes will become faster. In response to a situation, Takagi gains enhancements in the form of increased attributes. These enhancements are physical only and last until the task that demanded them is over. This means that if a situation that involves multiple problems occurs, this power will only be able to focus on one at a time.
Also, can I get some suggestions for what Takagi looks like? Pictures please though a good description would be good as well although I'm thinking something along these lines.
Last edited:
Character Sheet - as of Prologue End
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
Stellar City CS
CHARACTER SHEET
Name: Takagi Shinzo
Sex: Male
Age: 17
Affiliation: 3rd year student, Maxwell Private Academy
Appearance:
Traits
Peak Human: You are someone whose body has reached the utmost limits of human ability. Your strength, speed and durability are equal and perhaps greater than even Olympic-level athletes. It wouldn't be wrong to say that you were superhuman.
Intellectual: You're not an idiot, far from it in fact. As you honed your body, you have also sharpened your mind. Your intelligence is such that you have kept your position as the number one student in all your school's exams for the last several years.
Blood Knight: Despite what you say and do, deep down you are always yearning for a fight, and you will never back down from ever being challenged. If someone wants to fight, they'll get one eventually.
Face of a Thug: Regardless of what you wear, at best you look like a delinquent, and at worst a member of the yakuza. You are also frequently thought to be older than you really are.
Power
??? Shard - React (Rank 1): In response to an immediate threat, you will gain physical enhancements based on what you believe in needed to overcome said threat. These enhancements are temporary, lasting for either five minutes or until the threat is resolved, whichever comes first. If the five-minute limit is reached, react will not reactivate for the threat that activated it in the first place.
Time until integration of ??? shard: 24 hours
Next update still in progress
CHARACTER SHEET
Name: Takagi Shinzo
Sex: Male
Age: 17
Affiliation: 3rd year student, Maxwell Private Academy
Appearance:
Traits
Peak Human: You are someone whose body has reached the utmost limits of human ability. Your strength, speed and durability are equal and perhaps greater than even Olympic-level athletes. It wouldn't be wrong to say that you were superhuman.
Intellectual: You're not an idiot, far from it in fact. As you honed your body, you have also sharpened your mind. Your intelligence is such that you have kept your position as the number one student in all your school's exams for the last several years.
Blood Knight: Despite what you say and do, deep down you are always yearning for a fight, and you will never back down from ever being challenged. If someone wants to fight, they'll get one eventually.
Face of a Thug: Regardless of what you wear, at best you look like a delinquent, and at worst a member of the yakuza. You are also frequently thought to be older than you really are.
Power
??? Shard - React (Rank 1): In response to an immediate threat, you will gain physical enhancements based on what you believe in needed to overcome said threat. These enhancements are temporary, lasting for either five minutes or until the threat is resolved, whichever comes first. If the five-minute limit is reached, react will not reactivate for the threat that activated it in the first place.
Time until integration of ??? shard: 24 hours
Next update still in progress
1.1 - The Next Day
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
Your alarm clock wakes you up. A rarity since you usually awaken before the alarm goes off. However, last night's events kept you awake as you tried to figure out what was happening to you. What was that crystal? What was that entity? What was this power that you could still feel within you? Just what was happening to you?
No answer came forth and you slept uneasily. As usual, you perform your morning routine. When you return, you find your mother awake and preparing breakfast.
"Good morning Taka-chan!" Your mother greets you cheerfully as she skillfully chops up the ingredients for both breakfast and lunch. Before she got a job as a hostess, she used to work at a small eatery as the cook before the owner fell into debt from gambling and had to close down the place. "Breakfast will be ready in five minutes!"
Waiting at the table, your thoughts turned once more to the incident last night. It had seemed like a scene from one of those fantasy stories. However, this was reality and you really did meet some clay statue thing that wanted to kill you. Before coming back inside, you check the garbage area. There were no signs of the broken statue despite you leaving the pieces in a pile near the trash cans after you'd cleaned up the place.
You glance at your fist and clench, remember how you had broken the clay doll thing. It had been hard, far harder than you thought clay would be. If it weren't for this strange power within you giving you more strength and toughening your body, your fists would have broken long before you could have shattered the clay thing. However, you feel that this wasn't going to be the last time you'll face a clay statue monster thing.
Your phone vibrates and you check to find a message from Tetsuya. He's apparently found out where the mystery bending machine is but wants you to come with him because he doesn't want to go alone.
You reply that you'll think about and decide later. With the message sent, you put away your phone as your mother arrives with Breakfast.
"And breakfast is served!"
Breakfast is thankfully a more cheerful affair with your mother regaling you on interesting things that had occurred during her work. With a homemade lunch made with love, you leave for school with your mother's blessing.
On the bus, you receive yet another message on your phone. It's from Dana, your boss at the gamer bar MOHGRA. She has errands to run and she doesn't want to ruin her usual worker's day off so she wants you to come instead to watch the place and handle customers while she's gone.
Like with Tetsuya, you reply that you'll think about and decide later.
On the way to school, you find yourself walking side by side one of your more familiar acquaintances.
"Good morning Shinzo-kun!" Motoko Nagamori greets you when she saw you coming. "How are you today?"
Motoko was the daughter of the president of the Nagamori Toy Company. You've known her since first year - mostly because you were seated next to each other. The two of you didn't really get to know each other until about a fortnight later. While most had been afraid to even attempt to get near you, Motoko hadn't shown a hint of fear when she abruptly said that the alterations on your middle school gakuran were very well done. This was before you got a Maxwell Academy uniform.
From there, the two of you began to talk and learn a bit about each other - stuff like what were your favourite food, your favourite shows, when were your birthdays, and other bits o. You eventually learnt that Motoko's dream was to be a fashion designer and create her own line of brand name clothing. Unfortunately, her mother caught wind of your existence and had told Motoko not to associate with you as well as forced Motoko to switch to a different class. This was after the whole debacle with the Yakuza's son.
Still, Motoko still went out of her way to see you every now and then and you were kinda happy even if you were concerned that she might get in trouble with her mother for doing so.
As with all previous "chance" meetings, the two of you take the opportunity to catch up on what's been happening in your lives.
Motoko's grandmother recently had their sixtieth birthday and there was a huge formal party at some hotel. It had been pretty boring for Motoko since she was forced to greet all the guests and play nice with several young men that her mother not-so-subtly suggested would make a good husband. More importantly though, one of Motoko's outfits won some prize. She was one step closer to her dream, good job girl!
On your end, you talk about how your studies been going, how you were jumped by a couple of punks trying to make a name for themselves while heading home late one night, and your dinner with Hidetora yesterday.
As the two of you near the school's entrance, Motoko suddenly makes a request.
"Shinzo-kun. There's something I would like your help with." This is the first time that Motoko has ever asked for your help. You inquire to what it is that she needs help with. And she hesitantly answers you. "It's...something to do with my best friend and...Oh never mind. You don't have to do it. It's just that it would be nice to….er…have you around when I go see her this afternoon."
You immediately guess what Motoko wants. Something's up with her friend and she would like Devil Takagi to come provide some muscles off the records. She doesn't want to get her family involved and wants to keep this private. She also trusts you enough to let you in on whatever's going on. You've seen Motoko's best friend a number of times - one Sakura Avalon or something. You've never talked to each other before so you know nothing save for small meaningless tidbits that Motoko let slip during your talks.
Do you go and help Motoko out with her problem this afternoon?
[ ] Yes, you'll go help Motoko out with her problem. It shouldn't be too difficult if you're just there to be muscle. (Sprite Route)
[ ] No, Tetsuya asked you first so you're gonna go see what the deal is with this vending machine of his. (Coin Route)
[ ] No, you have some part-time work at MOHGRA today and you need the money. Plus Dana has been good to you and pays well.(Shard Route)
No answer came forth and you slept uneasily. As usual, you perform your morning routine. When you return, you find your mother awake and preparing breakfast.
"Good morning Taka-chan!" Your mother greets you cheerfully as she skillfully chops up the ingredients for both breakfast and lunch. Before she got a job as a hostess, she used to work at a small eatery as the cook before the owner fell into debt from gambling and had to close down the place. "Breakfast will be ready in five minutes!"
Waiting at the table, your thoughts turned once more to the incident last night. It had seemed like a scene from one of those fantasy stories. However, this was reality and you really did meet some clay statue thing that wanted to kill you. Before coming back inside, you check the garbage area. There were no signs of the broken statue despite you leaving the pieces in a pile near the trash cans after you'd cleaned up the place.
You glance at your fist and clench, remember how you had broken the clay doll thing. It had been hard, far harder than you thought clay would be. If it weren't for this strange power within you giving you more strength and toughening your body, your fists would have broken long before you could have shattered the clay thing. However, you feel that this wasn't going to be the last time you'll face a clay statue monster thing.
Your phone vibrates and you check to find a message from Tetsuya. He's apparently found out where the mystery bending machine is but wants you to come with him because he doesn't want to go alone.
You reply that you'll think about and decide later. With the message sent, you put away your phone as your mother arrives with Breakfast.
"And breakfast is served!"
Breakfast is thankfully a more cheerful affair with your mother regaling you on interesting things that had occurred during her work. With a homemade lunch made with love, you leave for school with your mother's blessing.
On the bus, you receive yet another message on your phone. It's from Dana, your boss at the gamer bar MOHGRA. She has errands to run and she doesn't want to ruin her usual worker's day off so she wants you to come instead to watch the place and handle customers while she's gone.
Like with Tetsuya, you reply that you'll think about and decide later.
On the way to school, you find yourself walking side by side one of your more familiar acquaintances.
"Good morning Shinzo-kun!" Motoko Nagamori greets you when she saw you coming. "How are you today?"
Motoko was the daughter of the president of the Nagamori Toy Company. You've known her since first year - mostly because you were seated next to each other. The two of you didn't really get to know each other until about a fortnight later. While most had been afraid to even attempt to get near you, Motoko hadn't shown a hint of fear when she abruptly said that the alterations on your middle school gakuran were very well done. This was before you got a Maxwell Academy uniform.
From there, the two of you began to talk and learn a bit about each other - stuff like what were your favourite food, your favourite shows, when were your birthdays, and other bits o. You eventually learnt that Motoko's dream was to be a fashion designer and create her own line of brand name clothing. Unfortunately, her mother caught wind of your existence and had told Motoko not to associate with you as well as forced Motoko to switch to a different class. This was after the whole debacle with the Yakuza's son.
Still, Motoko still went out of her way to see you every now and then and you were kinda happy even if you were concerned that she might get in trouble with her mother for doing so.
As with all previous "chance" meetings, the two of you take the opportunity to catch up on what's been happening in your lives.
Motoko's grandmother recently had their sixtieth birthday and there was a huge formal party at some hotel. It had been pretty boring for Motoko since she was forced to greet all the guests and play nice with several young men that her mother not-so-subtly suggested would make a good husband. More importantly though, one of Motoko's outfits won some prize. She was one step closer to her dream, good job girl!
On your end, you talk about how your studies been going, how you were jumped by a couple of punks trying to make a name for themselves while heading home late one night, and your dinner with Hidetora yesterday.
As the two of you near the school's entrance, Motoko suddenly makes a request.
"Shinzo-kun. There's something I would like your help with." This is the first time that Motoko has ever asked for your help. You inquire to what it is that she needs help with. And she hesitantly answers you. "It's...something to do with my best friend and...Oh never mind. You don't have to do it. It's just that it would be nice to….er…have you around when I go see her this afternoon."
You immediately guess what Motoko wants. Something's up with her friend and she would like Devil Takagi to come provide some muscles off the records. She doesn't want to get her family involved and wants to keep this private. She also trusts you enough to let you in on whatever's going on. You've seen Motoko's best friend a number of times - one Sakura Avalon or something. You've never talked to each other before so you know nothing save for small meaningless tidbits that Motoko let slip during your talks.
Do you go and help Motoko out with her problem this afternoon?
[ ] Yes, you'll go help Motoko out with her problem. It shouldn't be too difficult if you're just there to be muscle. (Sprite Route)
[ ] No, Tetsuya asked you first so you're gonna go see what the deal is with this vending machine of his. (Coin Route)
[ ] No, you have some part-time work at MOHGRA today and you need the money. Plus Dana has been good to you and pays well.(Shard Route)
1.2 - About A Girl
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
[X] Yes, you'll go help Motoko out with her problem. It shouldn't be too difficult if you're just there to be muscle. (Sprite Route)
The day passes by slowly. You put up with the inanity of the rich and famous, letting the meaningless gossip go through one ear and out the other. You're certain that a business-minded person might find what you overheard from your classmates useful but you couldn't care less.
Tetsuya doesn't show up at Lunch, having some sort of meeting with his clique. There are many cliques among the student population – they ranged from some particularly wealthy or famous student and their entourage to gatherings of people with the same interests that weren't part of any club. You'd been invited to many cliques during the latter half of your first year and your second year but you'd always decline them all.
You were too busy studying to have much of a social life.
Now that you're a senior, backed by several years of intense studying and natural ability, you've been finding things to be far easier for you this year than it has been for the last several years. That's probably why you felt it was alright to forgo your usual studies and help Motoko with whatever problems she was having after school today.
After what felt like an eternity, classes are finally over for the day. As agreed on in the morning, you meet Motoko behind the school. You find the black-haired beauty waiting for you by a black van instead of the expensive car that usually drops Motoko off near the school's entrance. Next to Motoko is a tall woman in a black suit wearing black sunglasses. You recognise the woman as Miss Nanase, Motoko's most trusted family servant.
"You made it, Shinzo-kun!" Motoko looked relieved that you had shown up. Why wouldn't you show up? You made a promise after all. "I'm glad that you decided to come. It'll be a big help to me and Sakura."
"I always keep my promises, Nagamori-san. So what exactly is going on?" You ask.
"Well, it's kinda hard to explain here so why don't we all get inside the van and I'll explain when we get there," Motoko confesses, looking a tad sheepish. With a nod, Miss Nanase opens the van and gestures you and Motoko to come.
Nodding back, you squeeze through the van door and find yourself surprised by the luxurious interior of the van. There are only two back seats in the van but there was also a small fridge, a pull-out table, and what looked like a small dressing room that took up the back of the van. While it was a bit of small for you, it was quite spacious for a normal person such as Motoko.
"Welcome to my private outfitting van, Shinzo-kun!" Motoko explains as she buckles up. You have no idea what she meant by outfitting van. Buckling up as well, you sit patiently as Miss Nanase gets into the driver's seat and starts the engine.
Soon the van is out on the road, headed to wherever Motoko needs you to be. You spend the ride, eating snacks that Motoko had hidden away in the van for such occasions as well as passing the time with more small talk. Today, you learn that Motoko used to have a fiancé but was able to get the arrangement cancelled thanks to a combination of her digging up dirt on the man she was going to be married too and tricking the guy into humiliating himself at an important business dinner.
The van finally stops in front of someone's house. Motoko pulls out her phone and sends a message to someone before getting out of the van and a few minute later a girl with honey brown hair and green eyes pops her head out from one of the windows on the upper floor, holding her phone. Upon seeing Motoko, the girl disappears back into the house and about half a minute later comes running out of the house. The girl is Sakura Avalon, and she is Motoko's best friend.
"Motoko, what are you doing here? Don't you have club activities today?" Sakura asks. Thanks to where you are sitting as well as the tinted windows, she can't see you in the van.
"Silly. What else? You didn't come to school today so I came to see you." Motoko happily explains but you're certain there's more to this than just that.
"Gee, thanks for coming. Sorry I couldn't come to school today. Something important came up so I couldn't go today."
"That's alright. You needed to recover after fighting that monster last night." Wait what?
"Thanks for under – ", It takes a moment for Sakura to properly process what Motoko just said but when she does, "HOEEE?!"
"Sakura, is something wrong?" Motoko asks, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"W-What are you talking about? Why would I be fighting monsters? Monsters don't exist. Hahaha, that wasn't a very good joke, Motoko."
"I have video evidence," Motoko states bluntly, freezing her friend in her tracks. "Would you like to see?"
"Y-You saw whatever happened!?"
"Uh-huh. Let's go inside so I can show you."
"Hoeee….."
You watch as Motoko and Sakura head into the house, the latter slumping in defeat and the former looking over her shoulder and giving you a peace sign, leaving you alone in the van with Miss Nanase. An awkward silence descends and you start to feel slightly antsy. You decide to break the silence by asking Motoko's bodyguard slash servant slash watcher what all this was all about.
"That's information is on a need to know basis. And you don't need to know. Yet." The woman answers coldly. "Lady Motoko wishes to explain the situation to you herself so please be patient and wait."
Inwardly grumbling at the unhelpful bodyguard, you sink back into the leather seat of the van and wait. Around half an hour later, Motoko and Sakura exits the house, with Sakura looking resigned to whatever Motoko has in store for her. You notice that Sakura has changed into a tracksuit pant and jacket and was also carrying a backpack.
Opening the van door, Motoko and Sakura enter the van at which point Sakura becomes aware of your presence.
"EH?! Why is Shinzo-san here?!"
"Do not fear, Sakura-chan! Takagi-kun is here to help us fight Star Sprites!"
Wait what? You were not told that you'd be fighting against whatever these Star Sprites are. Not that you wouldn't since you did fight a clay monster last night so maybe this is related to that?
"HOLD THE PHONE HERE!" A voice suddenly cries out from Sakura's backpack. The backpack wriggles for a bit and what looks like a stuffed teddy bear with wings pops out and lands on Sakura's shoulder. "You can't go around dragging in other people into this! I'm already breaking a lot of rules here and bringing unrelated people into this mess is just going to make things worse!"
"Mulder!"
"..." There is silence as you stare at the talking teddy bear and it stares back.
"...And I just made it even worse by revealing myself, haven't I?"
You nod before turning to Motoko and Sakura, with the former smiling serenely and the latter having broken out into a cold sweat."...I would like an explanation on the situation if you please."
…….
Explanations take a little while since you have many questions but eventually you get the general gist of what's going on.
The three star collision that happened a month ago was, in fact, three spaceships crashing into each other. You have no words for how something like that could happen, especially when you're trying to wrap your mind around the fact that aliens are apparently real. Mulder is some kind of alien ghost that has taken to possess a teddy bear in order to move and interact with people. Apparently, he was in charge of moving a bunch of powerful creatures called Sprites to some place in another part of the galaxy so that they could be sealed away but thanks to the accident, they ended up getting released all over Yorizen.
These Sprites are in most cases sealed inside some kind of containment ball that resembles a pokeball. These sprites, when freed, bind themselves to whoever released them with some kind of contract and are able to give that person superpowers. However, several of these sprites have gotten out and have integrated with part of the environment. Without anyone to imprint on, these Sprites have gone out of control. Mulder, needing to get the Star Sprite back under control, recruited Sakura who had been fortunate enough to find a dormant Sprite and get it to imprint on her without issues.
After that, Sakura has been going around Yorizen trying to find and recapture these Sprites. So far, she's managed to find Sword and Shield. Unbeknownst to Sakura though, while she was capturing Shield, she was caught on tape by none other than Motoko. Thankfully, Motoko only wanted to help Sakura fight these Sprites and has dragged you along since you were the strongest person in Maxwell and she believed you could help.
All in all, it sounds like the plot of some magical girl show. There are still questions that you would like answered such as while was he transporting a whole bunch of these Sprites across the galaxy in the first place, and why do these Sprites exist in the first place. However, the bear was not forthcoming about anything at all and was doing its best to get you to leave.
"Alright then, Takagi-san. Forget about everything you just heard and vamoose." Needless to say, the teddy bear wasn't too enthused about you getting involved in all this. Well, even if this all sounded strange and suspicious, you made a promise to help so you weren't going to go anywhere.
"Now now, Mulder-kun. I'll have you know that Takagi-kun once took on a hundred gangsters all at the same time and won." Motoko informs Mulder in an attempt to convince him. Mulder pauses and gives you an examining look.
"I don't know...it's still dangerous business. I mean, look at last night. It's a miracle that Sakura got out of there without getting injured. I admit it was mostly due to us not knowing what the Sprite was capable of though so we should be able to defeat it this time and bind it to Sakura."
"Um, guys? Do I get a say in this?" Sakura pipes up, having been mostly silent for much of the conversation.
"Ah, right, Sakura. Sorry about that. So what do you think? Is Takagi-san in or out?"
"Well...I know that he's strong but these Sprites aren't like humans. They have incredible power and I don't know if Takagi can handle that kind of thing."
"I can." You simply declare. "I did so last night."
"Eh?"
You proceed to explain how you fought this man-sized clay doll thing and shattered it with your bare hands. Motoko and Sakura are impressed by your story while Mulder simply frowns.
"Mulder? Is there something wrong?"
"What? Oh no. I was just thinking about your story. I swear I heard about these clay dolls with crystals inside them from somewhere but where."
"Ahem. If I could have your attention, please. We have arrived at our destination." Miss Nanase interrupts. The van has stopped near the outskirts of the city, close to one of the forests around Yorizen.
"This is - " Sakura stares into the forest with a nervous look.
"Yeah, this is where we fought Wind." Mulder finishes. The alien-possessed Teddy bear turns towards you and crosses its arms. "Alright then, Takagi-san. I'm making you a substitute Catcher. I don't know anything about this whole crystal or clay monster thing but I do know Sprites. And right now, we really actually need help. So please help us defeat Wind!"
There is no need for Mulder to ask. You were going to help whether they asked you to or not.
"Oooohkay! Now that we've got Mulder's approval, we need to get Sakura ready." Motoko declares. Suddenly it dawns on you exactly what the van is for. "Sakura-chan! If you're gonna go capture a Sprite, then you're gonna need a battle outfit and I got just thing."
"....Battle outfit?" Sakura suddenly looks apprehensive, far more than she was before. "T-that's not necessary! I'm fine as I am right now!"
"....Miss Nanase, I require your assistance! Takagi and Mulder, please wait outside while I get Sakura ready."
"Hang on! Wait! Stop Motoko! Where are you touching!?"
"Fufufu, don't worry Sakura! We're both girls so it's fine."
You stand watch outside as you do your best to ignore the voices and sounds coming from inside the van. Besides you floats Mulder who turns to you and shrugs his shoulders. "No matter what species they are, you just can't understand girls, huh?"
You couldn't help but agree with that statement.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
POV switch! Choose your character!
[ ] Sakura Avalon - Novice Sprite Catcher
[ ] Motoko Nagamori - Fashion Designer and Cameragirl
[ ] ???????? - Observing Collector
[ ] ???????? - Monster Tracking Collector
[ ] Actually you know what, just stick with Takagi
The day passes by slowly. You put up with the inanity of the rich and famous, letting the meaningless gossip go through one ear and out the other. You're certain that a business-minded person might find what you overheard from your classmates useful but you couldn't care less.
Tetsuya doesn't show up at Lunch, having some sort of meeting with his clique. There are many cliques among the student population – they ranged from some particularly wealthy or famous student and their entourage to gatherings of people with the same interests that weren't part of any club. You'd been invited to many cliques during the latter half of your first year and your second year but you'd always decline them all.
You were too busy studying to have much of a social life.
Now that you're a senior, backed by several years of intense studying and natural ability, you've been finding things to be far easier for you this year than it has been for the last several years. That's probably why you felt it was alright to forgo your usual studies and help Motoko with whatever problems she was having after school today.
After what felt like an eternity, classes are finally over for the day. As agreed on in the morning, you meet Motoko behind the school. You find the black-haired beauty waiting for you by a black van instead of the expensive car that usually drops Motoko off near the school's entrance. Next to Motoko is a tall woman in a black suit wearing black sunglasses. You recognise the woman as Miss Nanase, Motoko's most trusted family servant.
"You made it, Shinzo-kun!" Motoko looked relieved that you had shown up. Why wouldn't you show up? You made a promise after all. "I'm glad that you decided to come. It'll be a big help to me and Sakura."
"I always keep my promises, Nagamori-san. So what exactly is going on?" You ask.
"Well, it's kinda hard to explain here so why don't we all get inside the van and I'll explain when we get there," Motoko confesses, looking a tad sheepish. With a nod, Miss Nanase opens the van and gestures you and Motoko to come.
Nodding back, you squeeze through the van door and find yourself surprised by the luxurious interior of the van. There are only two back seats in the van but there was also a small fridge, a pull-out table, and what looked like a small dressing room that took up the back of the van. While it was a bit of small for you, it was quite spacious for a normal person such as Motoko.
"Welcome to my private outfitting van, Shinzo-kun!" Motoko explains as she buckles up. You have no idea what she meant by outfitting van. Buckling up as well, you sit patiently as Miss Nanase gets into the driver's seat and starts the engine.
Soon the van is out on the road, headed to wherever Motoko needs you to be. You spend the ride, eating snacks that Motoko had hidden away in the van for such occasions as well as passing the time with more small talk. Today, you learn that Motoko used to have a fiancé but was able to get the arrangement cancelled thanks to a combination of her digging up dirt on the man she was going to be married too and tricking the guy into humiliating himself at an important business dinner.
The van finally stops in front of someone's house. Motoko pulls out her phone and sends a message to someone before getting out of the van and a few minute later a girl with honey brown hair and green eyes pops her head out from one of the windows on the upper floor, holding her phone. Upon seeing Motoko, the girl disappears back into the house and about half a minute later comes running out of the house. The girl is Sakura Avalon, and she is Motoko's best friend.
"Motoko, what are you doing here? Don't you have club activities today?" Sakura asks. Thanks to where you are sitting as well as the tinted windows, she can't see you in the van.
"Silly. What else? You didn't come to school today so I came to see you." Motoko happily explains but you're certain there's more to this than just that.
"Gee, thanks for coming. Sorry I couldn't come to school today. Something important came up so I couldn't go today."
"That's alright. You needed to recover after fighting that monster last night." Wait what?
"Thanks for under – ", It takes a moment for Sakura to properly process what Motoko just said but when she does, "HOEEE?!"
"Sakura, is something wrong?" Motoko asks, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"W-What are you talking about? Why would I be fighting monsters? Monsters don't exist. Hahaha, that wasn't a very good joke, Motoko."
"I have video evidence," Motoko states bluntly, freezing her friend in her tracks. "Would you like to see?"
"Y-You saw whatever happened!?"
"Uh-huh. Let's go inside so I can show you."
"Hoeee….."
You watch as Motoko and Sakura head into the house, the latter slumping in defeat and the former looking over her shoulder and giving you a peace sign, leaving you alone in the van with Miss Nanase. An awkward silence descends and you start to feel slightly antsy. You decide to break the silence by asking Motoko's bodyguard slash servant slash watcher what all this was all about.
"That's information is on a need to know basis. And you don't need to know. Yet." The woman answers coldly. "Lady Motoko wishes to explain the situation to you herself so please be patient and wait."
Inwardly grumbling at the unhelpful bodyguard, you sink back into the leather seat of the van and wait. Around half an hour later, Motoko and Sakura exits the house, with Sakura looking resigned to whatever Motoko has in store for her. You notice that Sakura has changed into a tracksuit pant and jacket and was also carrying a backpack.
Opening the van door, Motoko and Sakura enter the van at which point Sakura becomes aware of your presence.
"EH?! Why is Shinzo-san here?!"
"Do not fear, Sakura-chan! Takagi-kun is here to help us fight Star Sprites!"
Wait what? You were not told that you'd be fighting against whatever these Star Sprites are. Not that you wouldn't since you did fight a clay monster last night so maybe this is related to that?
"HOLD THE PHONE HERE!" A voice suddenly cries out from Sakura's backpack. The backpack wriggles for a bit and what looks like a stuffed teddy bear with wings pops out and lands on Sakura's shoulder. "You can't go around dragging in other people into this! I'm already breaking a lot of rules here and bringing unrelated people into this mess is just going to make things worse!"
"Mulder!"
"..." There is silence as you stare at the talking teddy bear and it stares back.
"...And I just made it even worse by revealing myself, haven't I?"
You nod before turning to Motoko and Sakura, with the former smiling serenely and the latter having broken out into a cold sweat."...I would like an explanation on the situation if you please."
…….
Explanations take a little while since you have many questions but eventually you get the general gist of what's going on.
The three star collision that happened a month ago was, in fact, three spaceships crashing into each other. You have no words for how something like that could happen, especially when you're trying to wrap your mind around the fact that aliens are apparently real. Mulder is some kind of alien ghost that has taken to possess a teddy bear in order to move and interact with people. Apparently, he was in charge of moving a bunch of powerful creatures called Sprites to some place in another part of the galaxy so that they could be sealed away but thanks to the accident, they ended up getting released all over Yorizen.
These Sprites are in most cases sealed inside some kind of containment ball that resembles a pokeball. These sprites, when freed, bind themselves to whoever released them with some kind of contract and are able to give that person superpowers. However, several of these sprites have gotten out and have integrated with part of the environment. Without anyone to imprint on, these Sprites have gone out of control. Mulder, needing to get the Star Sprite back under control, recruited Sakura who had been fortunate enough to find a dormant Sprite and get it to imprint on her without issues.
After that, Sakura has been going around Yorizen trying to find and recapture these Sprites. So far, she's managed to find Sword and Shield. Unbeknownst to Sakura though, while she was capturing Shield, she was caught on tape by none other than Motoko. Thankfully, Motoko only wanted to help Sakura fight these Sprites and has dragged you along since you were the strongest person in Maxwell and she believed you could help.
All in all, it sounds like the plot of some magical girl show. There are still questions that you would like answered such as while was he transporting a whole bunch of these Sprites across the galaxy in the first place, and why do these Sprites exist in the first place. However, the bear was not forthcoming about anything at all and was doing its best to get you to leave.
"Alright then, Takagi-san. Forget about everything you just heard and vamoose." Needless to say, the teddy bear wasn't too enthused about you getting involved in all this. Well, even if this all sounded strange and suspicious, you made a promise to help so you weren't going to go anywhere.
"Now now, Mulder-kun. I'll have you know that Takagi-kun once took on a hundred gangsters all at the same time and won." Motoko informs Mulder in an attempt to convince him. Mulder pauses and gives you an examining look.
"I don't know...it's still dangerous business. I mean, look at last night. It's a miracle that Sakura got out of there without getting injured. I admit it was mostly due to us not knowing what the Sprite was capable of though so we should be able to defeat it this time and bind it to Sakura."
"Um, guys? Do I get a say in this?" Sakura pipes up, having been mostly silent for much of the conversation.
"Ah, right, Sakura. Sorry about that. So what do you think? Is Takagi-san in or out?"
"Well...I know that he's strong but these Sprites aren't like humans. They have incredible power and I don't know if Takagi can handle that kind of thing."
"I can." You simply declare. "I did so last night."
"Eh?"
You proceed to explain how you fought this man-sized clay doll thing and shattered it with your bare hands. Motoko and Sakura are impressed by your story while Mulder simply frowns.
"Mulder? Is there something wrong?"
"What? Oh no. I was just thinking about your story. I swear I heard about these clay dolls with crystals inside them from somewhere but where."
"Ahem. If I could have your attention, please. We have arrived at our destination." Miss Nanase interrupts. The van has stopped near the outskirts of the city, close to one of the forests around Yorizen.
"This is - " Sakura stares into the forest with a nervous look.
"Yeah, this is where we fought Wind." Mulder finishes. The alien-possessed Teddy bear turns towards you and crosses its arms. "Alright then, Takagi-san. I'm making you a substitute Catcher. I don't know anything about this whole crystal or clay monster thing but I do know Sprites. And right now, we really actually need help. So please help us defeat Wind!"
There is no need for Mulder to ask. You were going to help whether they asked you to or not.
"Oooohkay! Now that we've got Mulder's approval, we need to get Sakura ready." Motoko declares. Suddenly it dawns on you exactly what the van is for. "Sakura-chan! If you're gonna go capture a Sprite, then you're gonna need a battle outfit and I got just thing."
"....Battle outfit?" Sakura suddenly looks apprehensive, far more than she was before. "T-that's not necessary! I'm fine as I am right now!"
"....Miss Nanase, I require your assistance! Takagi and Mulder, please wait outside while I get Sakura ready."
"Hang on! Wait! Stop Motoko! Where are you touching!?"
"Fufufu, don't worry Sakura! We're both girls so it's fine."
You stand watch outside as you do your best to ignore the voices and sounds coming from inside the van. Besides you floats Mulder who turns to you and shrugs his shoulders. "No matter what species they are, you just can't understand girls, huh?"
You couldn't help but agree with that statement.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
POV switch! Choose your character!
[ ] Sakura Avalon - Novice Sprite Catcher
[ ] Motoko Nagamori - Fashion Designer and Cameragirl
[ ] ???????? - Observing Collector
[ ] ???????? - Monster Tracking Collector
[ ] Actually you know what, just stick with Takagi
1.3 - Sprite-Catching Begin!
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
"Is this really necessary?" Sakura asked as she stared at herself in the dressing room's mirror.
"Of course, Sakura! You can't go fighting alien monsters without the right outfit!" Motoko claimed as she made minor adjustments to the outfit. Sakura inwardly sighed. As much as she loved Motoko, there were times where she just didn't understand her best friend and this was one of them. "And that should do it! What do you think?"
"Hrmm…." Sakura was now wearing a long dress with long sleeves which was split at the waist on the front of the outfit to show a pair of black shorts as well as her navel. The dress was light pink with black rims and small yellow flowers dotted the corners of the dress. Sakura also wore matching black gloves and a pair of thigh high boots along with a cylindrical hat with a black rim based on the same style as the costume. All in all, while it did look something out of an anime, Sakura felt strangely comfortable in it and it did make her feel a little more confident about the whole thing.
Then Motoko had to remind her that girls weren't the only ones around here. "Come on Sakura! Let's show the guys!"
"Wait! I'm not emotionally prepared for - !"
"Too late, Sakura!" While Motoko was usually gentle and kind, when it comes to clothes, particularly the ones that she designed herself, Sakura's longtime friend was impossible to refuse. Sakura quickly found herself outside the van, being given the once-over by both Mulder and Shinzo Takagi. "Well, what do you think guys?"
"Not bad, not bad at all. You know, the Sprite will definitely take you more seriously if you look like you mean business. This outfit has my seal of approval!" Mulder seemed to like it a lot. Shinzo, on the other hand, had a frown on his face.
"Mulder-san. If the Sprite is serious, wouldn't that mean that it would fight harder, making it more difficult to capture?" Shinzo pointed out.
"Hmm, I suppose the big guy has a good point. It might be better to catch the Sprite off guard rather than have it go all out at the very start."
"Oh? I was merely pointing out the flaw in what you said, Mulder-san. I honestly think that Sakura's clothing do not remotely look suitable for combat at all and I believe that the Sprite would think the same as well."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"...Alright then! Let's go kick that Sprite's butt!"
Leaving whether Sakura's outfit was suitable or not, two girls, a guy and a winged teddybear headed off into the woods. Sakura was nervous, recalling how her last encounter with the Sprite had ended. Motoko, for some reason, had a camera out and was filming everyone - Sakura in particular. Shinzo was constantly looking around, his body tense and alert for any danger that approached. And at the head of the small group was Mulder who was sniffing the air for the scent of the Sprite.
"....It's close." Mulder suddenly stopped in the air and pointed towards a clearing. Sakura could hear a slight breeze blowing through the air. There was no doubt about it, it was here. "Get ready, Sakura. This time, we're capturing it for sure!"
"Right!" As though a switch was flipped within her, all of her anxieties disappeared as Sakura steeled her resolve. "Come forth, Starshine!"
In order to fight against a Sprite, one needed to have power equal to one. In this case, another sprite was needed to fight a sprite. When Sakura had found her first Sprite, it was still dormant and when she accidentally activated it, the Sprite had imprinted on her and created a strange mental link with her before disappearing into something akin to a pocket dimension - at least that what it sounded like when Mulder had explained how being a Sprite-Catcher worked.
Through this link, Sakura was able to use the power of the Sprite. She could either summon it fully, making it manifest into the world as a separate independent entity that could fight on its own, requiring only orders from the one that owned it. However, using this method required a lot of energy from the owner and the energy requirements only increased the further the Sprite was from its owner.
In this case, however, Sakura was making use of the partial summon. On the top of her hands, two yellow stars that looked like badges appeared. With a partial summoning, the energy needs were greatly reduced and the power of the Sprite could be precisely controlled. The downside was that a partial summon required that the manifested form be attached to the Sprite's owner and needed a great deal of concentration to keep manifested.
Starshine, originally the Blast Sprite before Sakura renamed it, was the easiest and most cooperative of Sakura's Sprites. At the very least, Sakura was confident in making full use of its powers.
No sooner had Sakura summoned Starshine, the wind suddenly picked up. It knew that she was here. No point in keeping it waiting.
"Motoko! Shinzo! Stand back! It's coming!" Sakura ran forward and out into a large clearing. There, floating in the air, was the creature known as a Star Sprite. It had a sleek mechanical form, more curves than edges, and of silver, gold, and red. It had the appearance of a floating top half of a knight's armour, with thin arms and large claws, and its head was like that of a bird's beak. On its back were wings of metal, gleaming in the light of the setting sun. Upon noticing Sakura's presence, the Wind sprite clanged its claws together and let out a mechanical screech.
Sakura immediately began her attack. Concentrating power into the stars on her hands, she brought her arms together and aimed towards the Sprite. "STAR FIRE!"
With a large cry, energy erupted from the stars on top of Sakura's hand, spreading out in a cone shape and enveloping everything in front of her. Well, almost everything. The feral Sprite was fast, fast enough to escape Sakura's initial attack. It shot upwards into the air, barely avoiding the attack. Just as Sakura realised her target had vanished from her sight, the Sprite dove towards the Sprite-Catcher with its claw out to tear the girl apart.
Narrowing her eyes, Sakura shifted her aim up towards the diving Sprite. Before, when she had fought it previously, she had tried to hit it with dozens of energy bolts but that had failed. It had been too fast, too nimble, and too small to simply shoot at it and hope for a lucky shot. The wide-angled energy blast was Sakura's answer to defeating the Wind Sprite. This time, there was no avoiding her attack.
"SKREEEE!" WInd shrieked as it was engulfed by the blast. Sakura smirked and pushed more power into the blast. This time, she wasn't going to lose.
"Amazing Sakura!" Motoko could be heard over the sound of the energy blast, praising Sakura.
"That's it, Sakura! Keep it up!" Mulder was cheering her on while Shinzo simply watched and kept silent.
After half a minute of continuous fire, Sakura finally lets up as her pool of power ran dry. Collapsing to her knees, Sakura stared at the large trench that her power had dug up. A cloud of dust had been tossed up into the air by her attack, making it hard to see the defeated form of the WInd Sprite but after taking an attack like that, how could it possibly be able to move?
When the cloud settled however, Sakura paled as Motoko gasped in surprise and Mulder cried out in horror. At the far end of the trench, Wind laid on the ground, wrapped in a metal shell formed from its wings. With terrible slowness, Wind unfurled itself, revealing that it had indeed taken some damage from Sakura's attack but its winds had been strong enough to protect it from further harm.
Caught off-guard by Wind's ability to use its wings as a shield, Sakura could not react in time as Wind suddenly stretched its arms out and slashed the air in front of it. Like magic, a small tornado erupted from Wind, headed directly straight for Sakura.
"ARMAROLL! PROTECT!" Sakura screamed out as she summoned her one of her other Sprites, the stars on her hand disappearing. A large mechanical insect-like sprite appeared, wrapping its legs around her arm - its shell becoming a shield to defend against enemy attacks. It was, however, a last ditch defence as Sakura had already used up much of her strength earlier. There was no way she was getting out of this without getting cut up.
As the tornado blast nearly reached Sakura, she closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable blast that would leave far more than a few bruise and scratches.
The wind blew around her as it struck against her. The only thought in Sakura's mind was that she hoped that Motoko was making her escape. Seconds crawled by and Sakura quickly realised that something was wrong. Why hadn't Wind's attack torn her apart yet?
Opening her eyes, Sakura gaped in shock.
"SHINZO!?"
Standing in front of her, holding firm against the miniature tornado, was Takagi Shinzo. His clothes were ruined by the slashing nature of the feral Sprite's wind but his flesh was unmarked, untouched, and brimming with violence. Impossible. How could Shinzo withstand winds that were capable of tearing through trees and stone?
"Avalon." Shinzo suddenly said. Sakura couldn't see his face but there was something in his voice that made her pay attention."Fallback. I'll handle this!"
"H-Hai!" What could she do but say yes to that?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
You are Takagi Shinzo and right now you are using your body as a shield to protect Sakura Avalon, who has apparently used up her pool of power and was unable to defend herself properly. Your clothes are ruined so you're going to have to get Motoko to fixed them later.
However, the same heat that accompanied you as you crushed that clay doll from last night has returned. The heat permeates throughout your body and you know that it's what's keeping you alive against this whirlwind of destruction.
However, you can't stand here acting as a wind barrier the whole time. You must act. You are at one end of a forest clearing. In front of your is a Sprite (that had gone feral according to Mulder) that has no qualms about attacking you and others. Behind you is Sakura Avalon, the novice Sprite-Catcher who recently caught a well-known criminal. Nearby is Motoko who is recording everything on film, and Mulder who is an alien-possessed teddybear.
What do you do?
[ ] Charge!
[ ] Retreat!
[ ] You got this! (Write-in)
"Of course, Sakura! You can't go fighting alien monsters without the right outfit!" Motoko claimed as she made minor adjustments to the outfit. Sakura inwardly sighed. As much as she loved Motoko, there were times where she just didn't understand her best friend and this was one of them. "And that should do it! What do you think?"
"Hrmm…." Sakura was now wearing a long dress with long sleeves which was split at the waist on the front of the outfit to show a pair of black shorts as well as her navel. The dress was light pink with black rims and small yellow flowers dotted the corners of the dress. Sakura also wore matching black gloves and a pair of thigh high boots along with a cylindrical hat with a black rim based on the same style as the costume. All in all, while it did look something out of an anime, Sakura felt strangely comfortable in it and it did make her feel a little more confident about the whole thing.
Then Motoko had to remind her that girls weren't the only ones around here. "Come on Sakura! Let's show the guys!"
"Wait! I'm not emotionally prepared for - !"
"Too late, Sakura!" While Motoko was usually gentle and kind, when it comes to clothes, particularly the ones that she designed herself, Sakura's longtime friend was impossible to refuse. Sakura quickly found herself outside the van, being given the once-over by both Mulder and Shinzo Takagi. "Well, what do you think guys?"
"Not bad, not bad at all. You know, the Sprite will definitely take you more seriously if you look like you mean business. This outfit has my seal of approval!" Mulder seemed to like it a lot. Shinzo, on the other hand, had a frown on his face.
"Mulder-san. If the Sprite is serious, wouldn't that mean that it would fight harder, making it more difficult to capture?" Shinzo pointed out.
"Hmm, I suppose the big guy has a good point. It might be better to catch the Sprite off guard rather than have it go all out at the very start."
"Oh? I was merely pointing out the flaw in what you said, Mulder-san. I honestly think that Sakura's clothing do not remotely look suitable for combat at all and I believe that the Sprite would think the same as well."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"...Alright then! Let's go kick that Sprite's butt!"
Leaving whether Sakura's outfit was suitable or not, two girls, a guy and a winged teddybear headed off into the woods. Sakura was nervous, recalling how her last encounter with the Sprite had ended. Motoko, for some reason, had a camera out and was filming everyone - Sakura in particular. Shinzo was constantly looking around, his body tense and alert for any danger that approached. And at the head of the small group was Mulder who was sniffing the air for the scent of the Sprite.
"....It's close." Mulder suddenly stopped in the air and pointed towards a clearing. Sakura could hear a slight breeze blowing through the air. There was no doubt about it, it was here. "Get ready, Sakura. This time, we're capturing it for sure!"
"Right!" As though a switch was flipped within her, all of her anxieties disappeared as Sakura steeled her resolve. "Come forth, Starshine!"
In order to fight against a Sprite, one needed to have power equal to one. In this case, another sprite was needed to fight a sprite. When Sakura had found her first Sprite, it was still dormant and when she accidentally activated it, the Sprite had imprinted on her and created a strange mental link with her before disappearing into something akin to a pocket dimension - at least that what it sounded like when Mulder had explained how being a Sprite-Catcher worked.
Through this link, Sakura was able to use the power of the Sprite. She could either summon it fully, making it manifest into the world as a separate independent entity that could fight on its own, requiring only orders from the one that owned it. However, using this method required a lot of energy from the owner and the energy requirements only increased the further the Sprite was from its owner.
In this case, however, Sakura was making use of the partial summon. On the top of her hands, two yellow stars that looked like badges appeared. With a partial summoning, the energy needs were greatly reduced and the power of the Sprite could be precisely controlled. The downside was that a partial summon required that the manifested form be attached to the Sprite's owner and needed a great deal of concentration to keep manifested.
Starshine, originally the Blast Sprite before Sakura renamed it, was the easiest and most cooperative of Sakura's Sprites. At the very least, Sakura was confident in making full use of its powers.
No sooner had Sakura summoned Starshine, the wind suddenly picked up. It knew that she was here. No point in keeping it waiting.
"Motoko! Shinzo! Stand back! It's coming!" Sakura ran forward and out into a large clearing. There, floating in the air, was the creature known as a Star Sprite. It had a sleek mechanical form, more curves than edges, and of silver, gold, and red. It had the appearance of a floating top half of a knight's armour, with thin arms and large claws, and its head was like that of a bird's beak. On its back were wings of metal, gleaming in the light of the setting sun. Upon noticing Sakura's presence, the Wind sprite clanged its claws together and let out a mechanical screech.
Sakura immediately began her attack. Concentrating power into the stars on her hands, she brought her arms together and aimed towards the Sprite. "STAR FIRE!"
With a large cry, energy erupted from the stars on top of Sakura's hand, spreading out in a cone shape and enveloping everything in front of her. Well, almost everything. The feral Sprite was fast, fast enough to escape Sakura's initial attack. It shot upwards into the air, barely avoiding the attack. Just as Sakura realised her target had vanished from her sight, the Sprite dove towards the Sprite-Catcher with its claw out to tear the girl apart.
Narrowing her eyes, Sakura shifted her aim up towards the diving Sprite. Before, when she had fought it previously, she had tried to hit it with dozens of energy bolts but that had failed. It had been too fast, too nimble, and too small to simply shoot at it and hope for a lucky shot. The wide-angled energy blast was Sakura's answer to defeating the Wind Sprite. This time, there was no avoiding her attack.
"SKREEEE!" WInd shrieked as it was engulfed by the blast. Sakura smirked and pushed more power into the blast. This time, she wasn't going to lose.
"Amazing Sakura!" Motoko could be heard over the sound of the energy blast, praising Sakura.
"That's it, Sakura! Keep it up!" Mulder was cheering her on while Shinzo simply watched and kept silent.
After half a minute of continuous fire, Sakura finally lets up as her pool of power ran dry. Collapsing to her knees, Sakura stared at the large trench that her power had dug up. A cloud of dust had been tossed up into the air by her attack, making it hard to see the defeated form of the WInd Sprite but after taking an attack like that, how could it possibly be able to move?
When the cloud settled however, Sakura paled as Motoko gasped in surprise and Mulder cried out in horror. At the far end of the trench, Wind laid on the ground, wrapped in a metal shell formed from its wings. With terrible slowness, Wind unfurled itself, revealing that it had indeed taken some damage from Sakura's attack but its winds had been strong enough to protect it from further harm.
Caught off-guard by Wind's ability to use its wings as a shield, Sakura could not react in time as Wind suddenly stretched its arms out and slashed the air in front of it. Like magic, a small tornado erupted from Wind, headed directly straight for Sakura.
"ARMAROLL! PROTECT!" Sakura screamed out as she summoned her one of her other Sprites, the stars on her hand disappearing. A large mechanical insect-like sprite appeared, wrapping its legs around her arm - its shell becoming a shield to defend against enemy attacks. It was, however, a last ditch defence as Sakura had already used up much of her strength earlier. There was no way she was getting out of this without getting cut up.
As the tornado blast nearly reached Sakura, she closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable blast that would leave far more than a few bruise and scratches.
The wind blew around her as it struck against her. The only thought in Sakura's mind was that she hoped that Motoko was making her escape. Seconds crawled by and Sakura quickly realised that something was wrong. Why hadn't Wind's attack torn her apart yet?
Opening her eyes, Sakura gaped in shock.
"SHINZO!?"
Standing in front of her, holding firm against the miniature tornado, was Takagi Shinzo. His clothes were ruined by the slashing nature of the feral Sprite's wind but his flesh was unmarked, untouched, and brimming with violence. Impossible. How could Shinzo withstand winds that were capable of tearing through trees and stone?
"Avalon." Shinzo suddenly said. Sakura couldn't see his face but there was something in his voice that made her pay attention."Fallback. I'll handle this!"
"H-Hai!" What could she do but say yes to that?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
You are Takagi Shinzo and right now you are using your body as a shield to protect Sakura Avalon, who has apparently used up her pool of power and was unable to defend herself properly. Your clothes are ruined so you're going to have to get Motoko to fixed them later.
However, the same heat that accompanied you as you crushed that clay doll from last night has returned. The heat permeates throughout your body and you know that it's what's keeping you alive against this whirlwind of destruction.
However, you can't stand here acting as a wind barrier the whole time. You must act. You are at one end of a forest clearing. In front of your is a Sprite (that had gone feral according to Mulder) that has no qualms about attacking you and others. Behind you is Sakura Avalon, the novice Sprite-Catcher who recently caught a well-known criminal. Nearby is Motoko who is recording everything on film, and Mulder who is an alien-possessed teddybear.
What do you do?
[ ] Charge!
[ ] Retreat!
[ ] You got this! (Write-in)
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1.4 - Sprite Defeated!
shibosho
The Face of Procrastination
- Location
- The Land of Oz
[X] You got this! This thing is fast, nimble, small, and able to use its wings as a shield. You just need to get close enough, to eliminate almost all of those advantages! Run forward, use one hand to hold its wings together, and the other pummel it into pieces.
The wind is howling.
Your clothes are but rags.
Yet your flesh remains unscathed by the roaring wind.
You know what you must do. And you have the power to do so.
With your powerful muscles, you kick off the ground, launching yourself forward toward the Sprite. It sees you coming and immediately flies to the side to avoid you. The moment you touch the ground, you realign yourself and charge at your enemy again. A blast of wind buffets you but you ignore it like a mountain ignores a hurricane. It moves again, avoiding your charge.
You won't be able catch it at this rate.
What you need is more speed.
The heat that permeates your body suddenly flares up and instinctively you know you have what you need. As you turn to position yourself for you next charge, you see the Sprite has turned its attention back on Avalon. It raises an arm towards her, whatever mind it has still focused on the elimination of the one that first attacked it.
Well, not this time, alien creature.
The air cracks as you shoot forward once more. Your clothes become nothing more than pieces of scraps flying behind you in the wind. The Sprite turns to aim it's a wind blast at you but it is far too late. Your hand grabs hold of one of its wings – the metal-like material it is made from warping under your crushing grip. The Sprite lets out an ear-splitting shriek of pain but a heat in your ears protects you.
You pull back your other arm and without further ado, you bring down your fist upon the alien monster. Your fist hammers into the body of the Sprite – each strike accompanied by a clang and a slowly weakening alien cry. Wind pushes against you from all direction but you do not stop. You let loose the inner rage and frustration that dwells within your body. You release the beast within and devour your prey.
It is only until it stops moving and becomes silent that you finally stop.
As the heat in your body fades, you suddenly feeling tired as though you had just ran a ten mile marathon at full speed without stopping.
Reluctantly you get to your feet and lift the crumpled form of your victim. You see holes and cracks all across its wrecked body. Instead of blood or any kind of bodily fluid, you see wisps of golden light pouring out from its wounds towards the ground. The clearing is silent. Even the ambient sounds of the forest have gone quiet.
The one to break the silence is none other than Mulder.
"…Damn dude! You have issues, man!"
You turn and take in the looks on everyone's faces. Sakura is both shocked and slightly nauseous at the ruined form of his target. Motoko's face shifts between disappointment and glee behind her camera. And Mulder just has a gobsmacked look on its small face.
"Okay, now what?" You ask as you shove the Sprite towards them.
"What? Oh! Right, of course! Sakura! Quick, assimilate it!" Mulder orders, snapping Sakura from her trance.
"Hoe? Ah! Um, er, here, hang on a second." Sakura shakily gets back onto her feet, no doubt because her legs having lost some feeling due to her sitting on them. Slowly, Sakura makes her way towards you. With a shaking hand, Sakura reaches out and touches the body of the Sprite. "Assimilate!"
A soft glow appears around Sakura's hand before spreading into the Sprite. In seconds, the glow covers the Sprite and starts to grow in brightness. The moment the brightness reaches its peak, the Sprite simply loses cohesion and dissolves into a burst of brightly glowing motes of light.
The small cloud of motes swirl around Sakura for a few seconds before them simply enter her body. Sakura lets out a gasp and slumps to the ground as the last mote disappears into her body. Worried, you go to her side and help her up.
"Avalon? Are you okay?" You ask as you gently shake the girl. Sakura nods and looks up at you with a tired smile.
"I'm fine thanks." Sakura mumbles. Her eyes glances down momentarily and suddenly her face turns red. "Shi-Shinzo-san! Your clothes!"
You look down to see the state of your clothes.
Or rather the lack of clothes.
"Oh my, Takagi-kun. You're rather well built, aren't you?" Motoko says approvingly as she slowly pans the camera up and down your body.
You blush and cover yourself up with a large leafy branch. Hopefully Motoko's van has something that you can wear with dignity.
= = = = = = = = = =
"Hahahahaha! What the heck are you wearing!? It's hilarious"
"Pfft…S-sorry Shinzo-san. It's just looks so…hehehe!"
"I think it looks wonderful, Takagi-kun!"
"…I will kill you all and desecrate the bodies with a large pointy object afterwards."
Turns out Motoko did have some outfits that you could wear. Unfortunately for you, most of them were either too…fetishy for you, too frilly, or just plain weird. You were forced to settle with the only one that you could wear without throwing away your dignity or looking like a male stripper.
A giant bunny mascot outfit.
After letting the others have a good laugh over your predicament, Motoko promised that she'd make you some replacement clothes later as part of her thanks for helping capture the Sprite. Mulder was still mixed about you being involved but he couldn't deny your ability to pummel unruly alien creatures into submission…or coma which was probably what happened to Wind, now named Karusu by Sakura.
With the Sprite defeated and assimilated, it was time to return to home.
Or at least that was the plan up until you heard what was unmistakably the snap of a phone's camera. You swiftly turn your head to where the sound came from and manage to catch tail of a shadowy figure bounding away, deeper into the forest.
With Sakura out of "energy", Motoko being human, and Mulder being a teddy bear, that leave you the only one that might be able to chase after this interloper. However, you're also tired from taking down the Sprite.
You are also wearing a giant bunny suit.
What do you do?
[ ] Chase after the mysterious interloper into the woods. Your power should be able to let you catch up to them quickly, barring any unexpected surprises.
[ ] Let them be for today. They obviously didn't take a photo during the fight since you'd heard them. At worse, they got a photo of you in a giant pink bunny suit with Motoko and Sakura.
[ ] Write-in
The wind is howling.
Your clothes are but rags.
Yet your flesh remains unscathed by the roaring wind.
You know what you must do. And you have the power to do so.
With your powerful muscles, you kick off the ground, launching yourself forward toward the Sprite. It sees you coming and immediately flies to the side to avoid you. The moment you touch the ground, you realign yourself and charge at your enemy again. A blast of wind buffets you but you ignore it like a mountain ignores a hurricane. It moves again, avoiding your charge.
You won't be able catch it at this rate.
What you need is more speed.
The heat that permeates your body suddenly flares up and instinctively you know you have what you need. As you turn to position yourself for you next charge, you see the Sprite has turned its attention back on Avalon. It raises an arm towards her, whatever mind it has still focused on the elimination of the one that first attacked it.
Well, not this time, alien creature.
The air cracks as you shoot forward once more. Your clothes become nothing more than pieces of scraps flying behind you in the wind. The Sprite turns to aim it's a wind blast at you but it is far too late. Your hand grabs hold of one of its wings – the metal-like material it is made from warping under your crushing grip. The Sprite lets out an ear-splitting shriek of pain but a heat in your ears protects you.
You pull back your other arm and without further ado, you bring down your fist upon the alien monster. Your fist hammers into the body of the Sprite – each strike accompanied by a clang and a slowly weakening alien cry. Wind pushes against you from all direction but you do not stop. You let loose the inner rage and frustration that dwells within your body. You release the beast within and devour your prey.
It is only until it stops moving and becomes silent that you finally stop.
As the heat in your body fades, you suddenly feeling tired as though you had just ran a ten mile marathon at full speed without stopping.
Reluctantly you get to your feet and lift the crumpled form of your victim. You see holes and cracks all across its wrecked body. Instead of blood or any kind of bodily fluid, you see wisps of golden light pouring out from its wounds towards the ground. The clearing is silent. Even the ambient sounds of the forest have gone quiet.
The one to break the silence is none other than Mulder.
"…Damn dude! You have issues, man!"
You turn and take in the looks on everyone's faces. Sakura is both shocked and slightly nauseous at the ruined form of his target. Motoko's face shifts between disappointment and glee behind her camera. And Mulder just has a gobsmacked look on its small face.
"Okay, now what?" You ask as you shove the Sprite towards them.
"What? Oh! Right, of course! Sakura! Quick, assimilate it!" Mulder orders, snapping Sakura from her trance.
"Hoe? Ah! Um, er, here, hang on a second." Sakura shakily gets back onto her feet, no doubt because her legs having lost some feeling due to her sitting on them. Slowly, Sakura makes her way towards you. With a shaking hand, Sakura reaches out and touches the body of the Sprite. "Assimilate!"
A soft glow appears around Sakura's hand before spreading into the Sprite. In seconds, the glow covers the Sprite and starts to grow in brightness. The moment the brightness reaches its peak, the Sprite simply loses cohesion and dissolves into a burst of brightly glowing motes of light.
The small cloud of motes swirl around Sakura for a few seconds before them simply enter her body. Sakura lets out a gasp and slumps to the ground as the last mote disappears into her body. Worried, you go to her side and help her up.
"Avalon? Are you okay?" You ask as you gently shake the girl. Sakura nods and looks up at you with a tired smile.
"I'm fine thanks." Sakura mumbles. Her eyes glances down momentarily and suddenly her face turns red. "Shi-Shinzo-san! Your clothes!"
You look down to see the state of your clothes.
Or rather the lack of clothes.
"Oh my, Takagi-kun. You're rather well built, aren't you?" Motoko says approvingly as she slowly pans the camera up and down your body.
You blush and cover yourself up with a large leafy branch. Hopefully Motoko's van has something that you can wear with dignity.
= = = = = = = = = =
"Hahahahaha! What the heck are you wearing!? It's hilarious"
"Pfft…S-sorry Shinzo-san. It's just looks so…hehehe!"
"I think it looks wonderful, Takagi-kun!"
"…I will kill you all and desecrate the bodies with a large pointy object afterwards."
Turns out Motoko did have some outfits that you could wear. Unfortunately for you, most of them were either too…fetishy for you, too frilly, or just plain weird. You were forced to settle with the only one that you could wear without throwing away your dignity or looking like a male stripper.
A giant bunny mascot outfit.
After letting the others have a good laugh over your predicament, Motoko promised that she'd make you some replacement clothes later as part of her thanks for helping capture the Sprite. Mulder was still mixed about you being involved but he couldn't deny your ability to pummel unruly alien creatures into submission…or coma which was probably what happened to Wind, now named Karusu by Sakura.
With the Sprite defeated and assimilated, it was time to return to home.
Or at least that was the plan up until you heard what was unmistakably the snap of a phone's camera. You swiftly turn your head to where the sound came from and manage to catch tail of a shadowy figure bounding away, deeper into the forest.
With Sakura out of "energy", Motoko being human, and Mulder being a teddy bear, that leave you the only one that might be able to chase after this interloper. However, you're also tired from taking down the Sprite.
You are also wearing a giant bunny suit.
What do you do?
[ ] Chase after the mysterious interloper into the woods. Your power should be able to let you catch up to them quickly, barring any unexpected surprises.
[ ] Let them be for today. They obviously didn't take a photo during the fight since you'd heard them. At worse, they got a photo of you in a giant pink bunny suit with Motoko and Sakura.
[ ] Write-in