Even a little attention is better than nothing, I think, now that it has been established that this variant revolves around this mechanic. And if it does slow down the Earth Bet plot, that's not a negative, in my opinion. In fact, the Naruto perk could probably have been fleshed out a bit more and be better for it.
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Add exalted martial arts and melee charms to the list. Even the perfect defenses have 'flaws of invulnerability', so for example a specially compassionate martial artist would only be able to activate a perfect defense in response to a attack on others, or a valorous one be forced to be defending the most powerful threat and ignore the lesser for their perfect defense.
Things like that, that just don't make the no sell technique no sell narrative combat...
Of course, the actual suggested flaws of invulnerability in the games are sometimes full of storyteller system jargon that doesn't apply, so it's better you choose some flaw that would apply to one of the major virtues of Taylor (I suggest Conviction for Taylor, since she's super stubborn and thinks she has all of morality figured out), and invent some condition that doesnt allow activation all the time ( for instance, since Taylor will totally beat up villains at the drop of a hat if she could, and has a rose tinted view of heroes, maybe she cant activate the perfect defense against heroes, unless and until she convinces herself theyre 'unworthy' or mastered ).
Things like that, that just don't make the no sell technique no sell narrative combat...
Of course, the actual suggested flaws of invulnerability in the games are sometimes full of storyteller system jargon that doesn't apply, so it's better you choose some flaw that would apply to one of the major virtues of Taylor (I suggest Conviction for Taylor, since she's super stubborn and thinks she has all of morality figured out), and invent some condition that doesnt allow activation all the time ( for instance, since Taylor will totally beat up villains at the drop of a hat if she could, and has a rose tinted view of heroes, maybe she cant activate the perfect defense against heroes, unless and until she convinces herself theyre 'unworthy' or mastered ).
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Nimodes
Weary Worldwalker
- Location
- Arizona
I've heard that, and I've heard the opposite - that examining a scene from two different PoV allows the reader more insight into what actually is going on or that there are different ways of reacting to the same thing.
I've got chapter 4 pretty much written while I try to find out why my application for a new apartment was turned down (which is also responsible for rushing things as I prep) and there's a few PoVs in there (mainly Taylor and Sophia) so you're forewarned.
Taylor casts Charcoal March of Spiders
It's super effective
Leviathan is now a duck.
Edit: fixed it, it's Charcoal March of Spiders
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- Location
- U.S.
taylor then proceeds to duck over another endbringer with another mother ducking duckbringer
For Taylor, as far as exalted MA go, charcoal march of spiders style is where it's at, for obvious reasons. It also can turn people to animals. Or objects. Or nothing. Or just vampirically drain them of any resource at all. Or make them forget who beat them up.
This is the charm set \ martial art that is the base of the (joking, satirical of the rules) Creation Slaying Oblivion Kick Technique which is the 'kill (almost) everything, everywhere with a high place and some absurd charms interactions' thought experiment¹.
If you're wondering why the poem exists: [Exalted] A couple of questions about Sutras. | Tabletop Roleplaying Open
¹ In short, CMOS can utterly destroy anything with its second to final technique, if a roll +2 over essence of the target after the attack succeeds happens, creation has the peculiarity of being flat with its highest mountain in the middle, CMOS final technique triggers a faux shadowclone at a distance of 'anything the user can see, they can target, regardless of distance, at the same time with a single strike', there is a kooky mix of charms in the first edition that gives infinite range to awareness checks in a 360 degree angle... result, kill everything not behind something opaque with a surprise attack from thousands of kilometers away... with a single kick. Repeat at will because you also destroyed castles, homes, and have more people to kill, if your QM is weird enough to allow this stupidity.
Then you get murdered by the Unconquered Sun (even if he was in creation, he's essence 10 ... and impossibly swole and perceptive) and the paranoid running surprise negator charms with perfect defenses inherit Creation. Or people behind smaller mountains or underground I guess. It's a silly idea, even taken seriously.
This is the charm set \ martial art that is the base of the (joking, satirical of the rules) Creation Slaying Oblivion Kick Technique which is the 'kill (almost) everything, everywhere with a high place and some absurd charms interactions' thought experiment¹.
If you're wondering why the poem exists: [Exalted] A couple of questions about Sutras. | Tabletop Roleplaying Open
¹ In short, CMOS can utterly destroy anything with its second to final technique, if a roll +2 over essence of the target after the attack succeeds happens, creation has the peculiarity of being flat with its highest mountain in the middle, CMOS final technique triggers a faux shadowclone at a distance of 'anything the user can see, they can target, regardless of distance, at the same time with a single strike', there is a kooky mix of charms in the first edition that gives infinite range to awareness checks in a 360 degree angle... result, kill everything not behind something opaque with a surprise attack from thousands of kilometers away... with a single kick. Repeat at will because you also destroyed castles, homes, and have more people to kill, if your QM is weird enough to allow this stupidity.
Then you get murdered by the Unconquered Sun (even if he was in creation, he's essence 10 ... and impossibly swole and perceptive) and the paranoid running surprise negator charms with perfect defenses inherit Creation. Or people behind smaller mountains or underground I guess. It's a silly idea, even taken seriously.
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Ok so she has Kurama's chakra mixed in... Why? And why did that give her the ears and tails.
I am going to take a guess and say it's because "Fox girl omg so cute much kawaii" oh and the power boost from having Kurama's chakra but mainly the fluffy.
Having red hair just cause of the uzumaki bloodline should be something that taylor should be upset about because her hair is no longer like her moms.
I am going to take a guess and say it's because "Fox girl omg so cute much kawaii" oh and the power boost from having Kurama's chakra but mainly the fluffy.
Having red hair just cause of the uzumaki bloodline should be something that taylor should be upset about because her hair is no longer like her moms.
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That part did seem a little iffy. Though with henge, it's not as much of a disaster as it could have been.
- Location
- USA
Huh, neat!
Hope this style of "Celestial Dojo" creates a bunch of fics like it! It's good to see a mixup from Celestial Forge (tech) or Celestial Grimoire (magic).
I'm surprised Sophia and Emma didn't get in trouble almost killing a student though. No suspensions?!
Hope this style of "Celestial Dojo" creates a bunch of fics like it! It's good to see a mixup from Celestial Forge (tech) or Celestial Grimoire (magic).
I'm surprised Sophia and Emma didn't get in trouble almost killing a student though. No suspensions?!
Brightstone
Feral Goblin
Sophia: "She's weak, right?"
Taylor: *flex*
Sophia: "Can I have your workout routine and your number, not necessarily in that order."
Not sure I like the implications of the last roll. When other people get the benefit from Taylor's power, and the implication here being at the cost of the points Taylor accrued for herself, it cheapens it. It's one of my biggest problem with another fic where Taylor is exploring her powerset and within like... six chapters, 6 other people have gained her same powerset.
Taylor: *flex*
Sophia: "Can I have your workout routine and your number, not necessarily in that order."
Not sure I like the implications of the last roll. When other people get the benefit from Taylor's power, and the implication here being at the cost of the points Taylor accrued for herself, it cheapens it. It's one of my biggest problem with another fic where Taylor is exploring her powerset and within like... six chapters, 6 other people have gained her same powerset.
I don't mind her being able to teach others her knowledge at a normal pace for more mundane abilities or those that are reasonable to share as that takes time and generally the methods of initiation if present have a special and important quality to them and there is only so much you can do without chakra or Qi even with the likes of total concentration breathing (Demon Slayer) and aura (RWBY).
I do however agree that being able to share the rapid learning ability itself and all the energies including Chakra so easily and automatically without at least a risky implant process for a given energy or extensive preparation or ceremony cheapens it unreasonably.
That being said I do like how she actually has to experience the perks once they are impactful enough and go through the training at the source or close to it instead of it simply being dumped into her head and body from her perspective and that the process and what happens during it and on the source side has a real impact. It adds some additional meaning and importance to the skills she learns and abilities she gains.
This is something similar to some of what we see in Brockton's Celestial Forge and to potentially similar positive effect.
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Ok sure just henge and no one can tell... But her baseline is now a vivid uzumaki red headed fox girl with 2 tails, most likely to end with 9... But yes just henge and Taylor never has to deal with the personal issues of her transformation.
But most likely in this story her issues are non existent.
Until something crazy enough happens to break the henge before she has something better or a backup option.
Maybe the henge is not as comfortable for her as her new natural form and we will be able to read about that?
Maybe we can be given some extra scenes from the earlier training addressing her long term grief and her self-image?
Mayhaps @Nimodes ?
Every writer has their fun, and this is obviously doylistic, not watsonian, but I'd also like to say that suddenly kitsune makes little sense even in the Naruto universe. Sure, Naruto has 'whiskers'... but Naruto was exposed as a embryo. And they're not really whiskers, just scars. Kurama doesn't have genetics to mix with the uzumaki of Mito.
It also makes very little sense that a basic ninja package ends up with a 'genin' able to use shadow clone too. Too far, too fast. A basic 'elite' genin (someone that is trained by a jonin), that never had ninja family help is someone like Haruno Sakura, Tenten or the hypothetical genin Iruka. Or if you want someone of a clan, think of Kiba, someone that has solid physical training but low mastery of their 'one trick' and 'average' to 'low' chakra capacity for a child.
Very talented in their own fields, but with much time to grow, but without specialized techniques until later, and critically, without sufficient chakra to perform A and B rank expensive ninjutsu (Sakura 99% chakra control to allow her to use mystical palm doesn't count, that is a natural critical in genetics) or perform at much more than peak human for long sustained effort. In contrast, you gave Taylor high genin capabilities, a tending to high chunnin if not low-mid jonin chakra capacity, chakra chains (a uzumaki bloodline obviously) and a strange genetic\mythic race transformation in the ninja base entry package.
Sometimes less is more, you just gave a solid all-round brute\trump\stranger\mover\striker\blaster power and instead of limiting yourself to say, rank 1 or 2, you decided to step on the gas and give out a training and spying multiplier and a bloodline with jonin level chakra and chains that can hold and drain kaijus. From here I'm thinking chapter 3 to 5 ends Lung and predictability -in a supposedly random story too- is a bit unfun.
Imagining a lower power start, and if you wanted to give out shadowclone since you'd not be sure if it'd be rolled otherwise, she could be taught the signs and the method but warned not to use it until much later once her chakra capacity was X number of equivalent low rank jutsu (for instance, 30 substitutions in a row without fainting or feeling sick), because otherwise she would die. Then for drama, and since Taylor makes great decisions, a small coma would be in the future of the fanfic when shadowclone was 'necessary' (it probably wouldn't be).
It also makes very little sense that a basic ninja package ends up with a 'genin' able to use shadow clone too. Too far, too fast. A basic 'elite' genin (someone that is trained by a jonin), that never had ninja family help is someone like Haruno Sakura, Tenten or the hypothetical genin Iruka. Or if you want someone of a clan, think of Kiba, someone that has solid physical training but low mastery of their 'one trick' and 'average' to 'low' chakra capacity for a child.
Very talented in their own fields, but with much time to grow, but without specialized techniques until later, and critically, without sufficient chakra to perform A and B rank expensive ninjutsu (Sakura 99% chakra control to allow her to use mystical palm doesn't count, that is a natural critical in genetics) or perform at much more than peak human for long sustained effort. In contrast, you gave Taylor high genin capabilities, a tending to high chunnin if not low-mid jonin chakra capacity, chakra chains (a uzumaki bloodline obviously) and a strange genetic\mythic race transformation in the ninja base entry package.
Sometimes less is more, you just gave a solid all-round brute\trump\stranger\mover\striker\blaster power and instead of limiting yourself to say, rank 1 or 2, you decided to step on the gas and give out a training and spying multiplier and a bloodline with jonin level chakra and chains that can hold and drain kaijus. From here I'm thinking chapter 3 to 5 ends Lung and predictability -in a supposedly random story too- is a bit unfun.
Imagining a lower power start, and if you wanted to give out shadowclone since you'd not be sure if it'd be rolled otherwise, she could be taught the signs and the method but warned not to use it until much later once her chakra capacity was X number of equivalent low rank jutsu (for instance, 30 substitutions in a row without fainting or feeling sick), because otherwise she would die. Then for drama, and since Taylor makes great decisions, a small coma would be in the future of the fanfic when shadowclone was 'necessary' (it probably wouldn't be).
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Dancing In The Moonlight
Nimodes
Weary Worldwalker
- Location
- Arizona
* Sep 9, 2009, 1935 hours *
* Roof of the Peterson Building, Roosevelt and 7th Avenue, Brockton Bay *
She was the darkness, she was the night, she was justice and she was vengeance. She stalked this urban jungle, seeking the prey she so deserved.
"Wooohooo!"
Shadow Stalker jumped a little as a redhaired foxgirl ran across the rooftop, jumped and landed on another roof a good forty feet away, and was quickly lost in the distance.
Sophia Hess/Shadow Stalker summed it up in her usual fashion. "What the actual fuck?!"
Shadow Stalker narrowed her eyes and took off in pursuit. This was HER hunting ground. She was not inclined to share it with the sort of girl who ran across rooftops yelling "woohoo" at all.
* Zenko *
There had been a flash of hostile intent from the dark shape on the rooftop, but she left her behind very quickly.
Crossbow carrying dark shape skulking about on a rooftop? Obviously either a sniper or someone way too emo.
She had enough teen drama and crap at school, so yeah - leave edgy emo gal way way behind.
Oooh! A mugging!
Just what she needed. First though, preparations were important. "shadow clone," she whispered.
* Sophia *
She was good and she knew it. She typically did the mid-range track events, not the long-distance stuff. So going after the faster girl had winded her a bit.
The sounds of fighting stopped and she slowly edged out over the lip of the roof to look down and see what the tailed girl had been up to.
There were four thugs, splayed out on the ground. One woman with a torn dress huddled up against a wall. Between the thugs and the woman was the redheaded tailed girl.
"That was it? That wasn't even a good workout," complained the fox-tailed cape. "Okay, lady. You got a phone you can call this in? Tell 'em Zenko was here... hang on."
The foxtailed girl spun around and casually broke the arm of the thug who had been in the process of drawing a gun. "Dude. Rude."
"You broke my arm! Police brutality! I know my rights!"
"Yeah yeah. And you were about to shoot me in the back. Should I take your gun and shoot YOU in the back to make it even?"
"You're crazy!"
"If I'm crazy and you're arguing with me, what does that make you?" asked the redhead.
Shadow Stalker retreated just enough as she thought about what she'd just seen and heard. Maybe this was actually someone she could team up with? Foxes were predators after all, right?
* Zenko PoV *
Just letting my shadow clone run up a wall and dismiss herself while I remained hidden worked pretty darn well.
Emo Girl just sat there in the shadows for a few moments, not seeing me at all.
Which was as it should be. If I'm going to be a ninja, and I was, I was going to be the trickster ninja archtype. Emma had been my best friend up until she wasn't, and she seemed to be crazier than a bug on a hot frypan, so I needed new friends. Friends I could rely on. Emo Girl didn't strike me as particularly stable or good friend material.
Friends that weren't going to dump me for some new girl. Unlike Emma. We could have stayed friends and she could just date her squeeze.
Enough dwelling on that, I'm out to test myself and have fun.
Taking those four down as fast as I had kind of pointed to one of two things. Either they were really really pathetic, or a beginning chunin from Konoha was just way overpowered for street thugs.
The tik-tak-tik noise of some roulette wheel began sounding, so I found an empty rooftop and ducked in between a couple of air conditioning units.
The scenery shifted to become the village I'd seen back when training with Iruka Umino.
I didn't recognize the guy, but I bowed and introduced myself but kept my eyes on the guy all the time. "Taylor Hebert."
"Shisui Uchiha," said the guy.
"What am I supposed to learn here?" I asked, just a little eager to have something new to show off.
Though Iruka had always said to have one or two surprises back in case you ran into someone who'd actually read up on your capabilities and prepared for them.
"My signature technique," said Shisui. "It is called 'Shunshin' or 'Body Flicker' - it is a high speed movement technique."
"Okay," said Taylor, watching as Shisui slowly went through the hand-signs. Except there was apparently just one: Tiger. "Wait, that's it?"
"It is a refinement of the Body Replacement Technique or 'Kawarimi no Jutsu' in my own language," said Shisui. "How well practiced are you at that?"
"Pretty good, I've got it down to... one seal," said Taylor, realization clicking into place. "You're substituting yourself with air?"
"Mostly air," answered Shisui, sounding slightly pleased. "Each village has slight variations based on the materials normally at hand. Leaves for Konoha, sand for Suna, and so on. Chakra constructs that fade after a few moments. Creating those at a distance is the actual difficulty and is why Shunshin isn't taught at the Academy even though it is considered a D-Rank technique."
"Huh, so my Adorable Fox Clone technique might be suitable for use with it?" asked Taylor.
Shisui was silent for a few moments. "First - the name for that technique somehow fills me with dread. Two - I would have to see the technique. Which, as I said, I have this feeling I do not want to see it."
"Oh, it combines Shadow Clone, Disguise, and -" Taylor whipped through a set of hand-signs, ending and holding it in the cross-handed one used for Shadow Clone. "Adorable Fox Clones!" (poof!)
Shisui blinked as there were now a half-dozen pure white and extremely fluffy-looking foxes surrounding Taylor. "And the use for this?"
"Well, Iruka-sensei told me always have something as backup," said Taylor. "So I was thinking Shadow Clone by itself could be part of that. But if I disguise my ability as just being able to create these fox-clones it would serve multiple purposes."
"Churr!" churred one of the foxes.
"By using smaller clones I can make more of them," explained Taylor. "I can send them off to scout an area and as long as I don't drop more than a couple at a time they won't give me a migraine. Then there's my world's problem with images and such. If I use the Fox Clones, they look cute and mostly harmless - which makes me seem less threatening to the authorities."
"I see," said Shisui, thinking that was very different from the usual image problems of ninja in his own world but understandable. "If people dismiss them as just cute projections, they will underestimate you and give you an advantage when you need it. That might only work once though."
"Yeah, but that's true with anything I keep as a secret technique," admitted Taylor.
"I will demonstrate the technique and then help you master it," decided Shisui. "Experiment. Find out what works best for you."
* Roof *
Zenko checked her watch, an old-fashioned pocket watch she could tuck into an armored pocket since she didn't think a wristwatch would last long in a fight. Two seconds here for the two years she'd been brushing up on techniques and getting further training in.
If you had the time, make use of it.
She was right on the edge of making it to Tokubetsu Jonin, which meant she'd no longer be restricted to Ninja skills on the pulls if she got there. All those pretty constellations just waiting for her.
Now though? Now she needed to get her name out. She knew from PHO and TV that branding and reputation were BIG things in the cape world. She was going to be a hero and help people and having people know about her would help her help them.
"Adorable Fox Swarm!" (poof!)
The foxes scattered across the rooftops, running up walls and leaping across the street-wide gaps.
How better to find where she was needed?
Zenko sat back, waiting, until one found something and dispelled. She looked up with a smile. Proof of concept.
Shunshin to a rooftop near the burning building, then use my newest technique.
After all, why NOT practice everything else while practicing evading stuff through Body Flicker. Shisui had even approved of the concept.
"Water Release: Archerfish!"
Just taking existing water and adding some pressure and direction was the easy part. Keeping the pressure constant and controlling it was the hard part. Most ninja techniques were combat-oriented after all, meant to damage and kill. Training techniques, by their own nature were designed to minimize such things, so she'd gotten trained in training techniques for that purpose. That these were exactly the sort of thing she needed to keep a reputation as a helpful fox-girl hero made mastering those techniques all the better.
The firemen looked all surprised at Taylor's appearance, and downright dumbfounded at the next thing she did.
"You guys had it all in hand, but I figured I could lend a paw! Independent hero Zenko, at your service! Can I help with anything else?" She tried not to sound too eager.
"Uh, yeah, can you check for anyone needing help? Just in case we missed anyone?" asked one of the firefighters.
"No, already did that, you got everyone," said Zenko cheerfully. "Good job, guys!"
One of the firefighters in back turned to another one. "A cape who isn't a gloryhound. Am I dreaming?"
"She's a kid," fired back the other, "give her time. Oh."
He'd just gotten a look at how Zenko's tails and ears had drooped. Or how the captain was looking back at him.
"I didn't mean to say that very loud?" said the first of the two firefighters.
"Uh well, I'll let you get on with that," said Zenko, turning and running up the wall.
"Lawson?" asked the Captain.
"Yessir?"
"Do we have to schedule more 'interacting with capes' continuing education modules?"
"No, Captain. Won't happen again."
* Zenko *
It didn't really hurt that much. A little, yeah. The rest was just me acting it out.
Better to focus on that... hey there was Emo Girl again. And there went Emo Girl again. Slow wasn't she?
Land over here, jump across this street, and "Adorable Fox Swarm!"
Only be able to do that a bit more, but get at least one more heroic act done tonight. If possible.
Hey, it was either that or scroll some PHO and see what kind of reaction her new approach to Shadow Clone did.
Oh, hey, the Boardwalk was right over there. Maybe she could go through that and get some direct feedback if she let her little foxy sensors be seen?
* PRT *
PRT Internal Threat Assessment Report Initial - Security Clearance 4 Required
Date: Sep 11 2009
Name: Zenko, Status: Independent Hero
Protectorate ENE - Brockton Bay
Reporting Officer - Miss Militia
Note: Subject has been receptive to the idea of Ward membership and power testing but is reluctant to join, stating that some of the regulations and limitations would be difficult for her. Subject has requested time to fully discuss with her father.
Armsmaster Addendum: Analysis of various ratings come from reports from those who have interacted with Zenko in the past week and may be biased. Combined with this is analysis from security cameras, tinkertech overwatch drones being tested in the Boardwalk and West Side areas, and police and fire interactions.
Appearance: Zenko is a tall (5'9) girl of between 14-16 years. Statements by her place her age at 14 while her physical development is closer to what is expected of 16 years age. She possesses two fox tails, apparently real as they are quite mobile and register as a heat source. She has two fox ears atop her head that appear to be expressive. Slight point to the human ears, and elongated canine teeth visible when smiling. Hair is copper in coloration except at the tips of her tails where they are white.
Her costume is currently composed of off-the-rack components with the exception of a metal and cloth headband bearing a symbol which does not come up with a match on database search engines. Zenko states she is working on a more permanent costume.
Brute 1: Zenko shows shows signs of enhanced strength, being able to hit far harder than her frame/weight would allow normally. She does not show any signs of being bulletproof however.
Mover 3: Zenko has managed short bursts of speeds in excess of 45mph and is capable of leaps of over 100feet while running. In addition she can treat vertical surfaces as if they are horizontal.
Shaker/Blaster 2: Zenko has been shown to create small bursts of water and to manipulate existing water supplies in a crude form of hydrokinesis.
Thinker 2: Some evidence of enhanced senses: low light vision, exceptionally acute hearing and sense of smell. See also Master rating.
Changer 1: Zenko's "foxgirl" form acts and reacts as a biological organism and is sufficiently variant from normal human that she would be unable to have a secret identity if she had no way to change back.
Master 2: Zenko has demonstrated the ability to create projections of six normal-sized foxes, pure white in fur coloration, which have the same mover ability she does. These projections are fragile in that penetration by a knife wielded by an E88 member was able to dispel it, but was then immediately mobbed by the remaining foxes as they arrived in a swarm.
Profile: Zenko has presented herself as friendly and somewhat outgoing, though questions about making friends or associating with other her age has shown tells to indicate something wrong in that regard. Possible problems at school or private life. No such indications about family life other than a comment about "how her father is doing a lot better" since she gained powers.
The major aberration about Zenko other than the physical form is her insistence that her abilities are "ninjutsu" and require somatic movements and focus. Considering Myrrdin and several other capes, this is uncommon but not unheard of.
* Elsewhere *
Thomas Calvert sat back in his desk and pondered how best to handle this new asset.
Perhaps some aggressive recruitment aimed at her family? Perhaps it HAD been a grab-bag as that Empire cape Crusader did something with multiple projections?
As it was, where was the unifying theme? Powers usually hung from a single nail, the exception being the so-called grab-bag capes which pinged off of other capes in the vicinity. Yet there were no hydrokinetics in Brockton Bay that he knew of, nor a Mover with anything like a near-match there. Certainly no one with the ears and tail.
His first thought had been a Case 53, though very fortunate in that regard. Yet the point raised in the PRT report was a good one - if this was her natural form she'd have been spotted well before now. She was too practiced at some of this to be a fresh trigger.
Perhaps she would divulge those answers on the table. If she wasn't a Case 53 then her memories should be intact and he had the drugs and the tools to tease those answers out.
* Hebert Household *
Her chakra had been initially developed by Mito Uzumaki dwelling within her, including a charge of energy from the Kyubi. It had dwelled within her, warm and powerful.
It had also been essentially like the training wheels on the bicycle she'd had when she was six. Mito's work had been to develop those chakra coils and capacity, Kurama (the actual name for the Kyubi) had been the charge in that battery.
Taylor let out a deep breath and relaxed. Almost. Speculation from Umino-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei had been that once she'd gotten good enough with her chakra, she'd have two forms. When releasing the hold on her chakra she'd be Zenko, when she held it tight she'd return to her more normal appearance without tails or ears or red hair. She wouldn't have to maintain the henge (disguise) jutsu indefinitely.
Which was good, she had liked that her hair had resembled her mother's hair. That it was temporary until she mastered her ninjutsu was a constant bit of reassurance that her powers hadn't changed everything about her.
Though being awesome ninja foxgirl Zenko was cool, she certainly wasn't done being Taylor.
* Roof of the Peterson Building, Roosevelt and 7th Avenue, Brockton Bay *
She was the darkness, she was the night, she was justice and she was vengeance. She stalked this urban jungle, seeking the prey she so deserved.
"Wooohooo!"
Shadow Stalker jumped a little as a redhaired foxgirl ran across the rooftop, jumped and landed on another roof a good forty feet away, and was quickly lost in the distance.
Sophia Hess/Shadow Stalker summed it up in her usual fashion. "What the actual fuck?!"
Shadow Stalker narrowed her eyes and took off in pursuit. This was HER hunting ground. She was not inclined to share it with the sort of girl who ran across rooftops yelling "woohoo" at all.
* Zenko *
There had been a flash of hostile intent from the dark shape on the rooftop, but she left her behind very quickly.
Crossbow carrying dark shape skulking about on a rooftop? Obviously either a sniper or someone way too emo.
She had enough teen drama and crap at school, so yeah - leave edgy emo gal way way behind.
Oooh! A mugging!
Just what she needed. First though, preparations were important. "shadow clone," she whispered.
* Sophia *
She was good and she knew it. She typically did the mid-range track events, not the long-distance stuff. So going after the faster girl had winded her a bit.
The sounds of fighting stopped and she slowly edged out over the lip of the roof to look down and see what the tailed girl had been up to.
There were four thugs, splayed out on the ground. One woman with a torn dress huddled up against a wall. Between the thugs and the woman was the redheaded tailed girl.
"That was it? That wasn't even a good workout," complained the fox-tailed cape. "Okay, lady. You got a phone you can call this in? Tell 'em Zenko was here... hang on."
The foxtailed girl spun around and casually broke the arm of the thug who had been in the process of drawing a gun. "Dude. Rude."
"You broke my arm! Police brutality! I know my rights!"
"Yeah yeah. And you were about to shoot me in the back. Should I take your gun and shoot YOU in the back to make it even?"
"You're crazy!"
"If I'm crazy and you're arguing with me, what does that make you?" asked the redhead.
Shadow Stalker retreated just enough as she thought about what she'd just seen and heard. Maybe this was actually someone she could team up with? Foxes were predators after all, right?
* Zenko PoV *
Just letting my shadow clone run up a wall and dismiss herself while I remained hidden worked pretty darn well.
Emo Girl just sat there in the shadows for a few moments, not seeing me at all.
Which was as it should be. If I'm going to be a ninja, and I was, I was going to be the trickster ninja archtype. Emma had been my best friend up until she wasn't, and she seemed to be crazier than a bug on a hot frypan, so I needed new friends. Friends I could rely on. Emo Girl didn't strike me as particularly stable or good friend material.
Friends that weren't going to dump me for some new girl. Unlike Emma. We could have stayed friends and she could just date her squeeze.
Enough dwelling on that, I'm out to test myself and have fun.
Taking those four down as fast as I had kind of pointed to one of two things. Either they were really really pathetic, or a beginning chunin from Konoha was just way overpowered for street thugs.
The tik-tak-tik noise of some roulette wheel began sounding, so I found an empty rooftop and ducked in between a couple of air conditioning units.
The scenery shifted to become the village I'd seen back when training with Iruka Umino.
I didn't recognize the guy, but I bowed and introduced myself but kept my eyes on the guy all the time. "Taylor Hebert."
"Shisui Uchiha," said the guy.
"What am I supposed to learn here?" I asked, just a little eager to have something new to show off.
Though Iruka had always said to have one or two surprises back in case you ran into someone who'd actually read up on your capabilities and prepared for them.
"My signature technique," said Shisui. "It is called 'Shunshin' or 'Body Flicker' - it is a high speed movement technique."
"Okay," said Taylor, watching as Shisui slowly went through the hand-signs. Except there was apparently just one: Tiger. "Wait, that's it?"
"It is a refinement of the Body Replacement Technique or 'Kawarimi no Jutsu' in my own language," said Shisui. "How well practiced are you at that?"
"Pretty good, I've got it down to... one seal," said Taylor, realization clicking into place. "You're substituting yourself with air?"
"Mostly air," answered Shisui, sounding slightly pleased. "Each village has slight variations based on the materials normally at hand. Leaves for Konoha, sand for Suna, and so on. Chakra constructs that fade after a few moments. Creating those at a distance is the actual difficulty and is why Shunshin isn't taught at the Academy even though it is considered a D-Rank technique."
"Huh, so my Adorable Fox Clone technique might be suitable for use with it?" asked Taylor.
Shisui was silent for a few moments. "First - the name for that technique somehow fills me with dread. Two - I would have to see the technique. Which, as I said, I have this feeling I do not want to see it."
"Oh, it combines Shadow Clone, Disguise, and -" Taylor whipped through a set of hand-signs, ending and holding it in the cross-handed one used for Shadow Clone. "Adorable Fox Clones!" (poof!)
Shisui blinked as there were now a half-dozen pure white and extremely fluffy-looking foxes surrounding Taylor. "And the use for this?"
"Well, Iruka-sensei told me always have something as backup," said Taylor. "So I was thinking Shadow Clone by itself could be part of that. But if I disguise my ability as just being able to create these fox-clones it would serve multiple purposes."
"Churr!" churred one of the foxes.
"By using smaller clones I can make more of them," explained Taylor. "I can send them off to scout an area and as long as I don't drop more than a couple at a time they won't give me a migraine. Then there's my world's problem with images and such. If I use the Fox Clones, they look cute and mostly harmless - which makes me seem less threatening to the authorities."
"I see," said Shisui, thinking that was very different from the usual image problems of ninja in his own world but understandable. "If people dismiss them as just cute projections, they will underestimate you and give you an advantage when you need it. That might only work once though."
"Yeah, but that's true with anything I keep as a secret technique," admitted Taylor.
"I will demonstrate the technique and then help you master it," decided Shisui. "Experiment. Find out what works best for you."
* Roof *
Zenko checked her watch, an old-fashioned pocket watch she could tuck into an armored pocket since she didn't think a wristwatch would last long in a fight. Two seconds here for the two years she'd been brushing up on techniques and getting further training in.
If you had the time, make use of it.
She was right on the edge of making it to Tokubetsu Jonin, which meant she'd no longer be restricted to Ninja skills on the pulls if she got there. All those pretty constellations just waiting for her.
Now though? Now she needed to get her name out. She knew from PHO and TV that branding and reputation were BIG things in the cape world. She was going to be a hero and help people and having people know about her would help her help them.
"Adorable Fox Swarm!" (poof!)
The foxes scattered across the rooftops, running up walls and leaping across the street-wide gaps.
How better to find where she was needed?
Zenko sat back, waiting, until one found something and dispelled. She looked up with a smile. Proof of concept.
Shunshin to a rooftop near the burning building, then use my newest technique.
After all, why NOT practice everything else while practicing evading stuff through Body Flicker. Shisui had even approved of the concept.
"Water Release: Archerfish!"
Just taking existing water and adding some pressure and direction was the easy part. Keeping the pressure constant and controlling it was the hard part. Most ninja techniques were combat-oriented after all, meant to damage and kill. Training techniques, by their own nature were designed to minimize such things, so she'd gotten trained in training techniques for that purpose. That these were exactly the sort of thing she needed to keep a reputation as a helpful fox-girl hero made mastering those techniques all the better.
The firemen looked all surprised at Taylor's appearance, and downright dumbfounded at the next thing she did.
"You guys had it all in hand, but I figured I could lend a paw! Independent hero Zenko, at your service! Can I help with anything else?" She tried not to sound too eager.
"Uh, yeah, can you check for anyone needing help? Just in case we missed anyone?" asked one of the firefighters.
"No, already did that, you got everyone," said Zenko cheerfully. "Good job, guys!"
One of the firefighters in back turned to another one. "A cape who isn't a gloryhound. Am I dreaming?"
"She's a kid," fired back the other, "give her time. Oh."
He'd just gotten a look at how Zenko's tails and ears had drooped. Or how the captain was looking back at him.
"I didn't mean to say that very loud?" said the first of the two firefighters.
"Uh well, I'll let you get on with that," said Zenko, turning and running up the wall.
"Lawson?" asked the Captain.
"Yessir?"
"Do we have to schedule more 'interacting with capes' continuing education modules?"
"No, Captain. Won't happen again."
* Zenko *
It didn't really hurt that much. A little, yeah. The rest was just me acting it out.
Better to focus on that... hey there was Emo Girl again. And there went Emo Girl again. Slow wasn't she?
Land over here, jump across this street, and "Adorable Fox Swarm!"
Only be able to do that a bit more, but get at least one more heroic act done tonight. If possible.
Hey, it was either that or scroll some PHO and see what kind of reaction her new approach to Shadow Clone did.
Oh, hey, the Boardwalk was right over there. Maybe she could go through that and get some direct feedback if she let her little foxy sensors be seen?
* PRT *
PRT Internal Threat Assessment Report Initial - Security Clearance 4 Required
Date: Sep 11 2009
Name: Zenko, Status: Independent Hero
Protectorate ENE - Brockton Bay
Reporting Officer - Miss Militia
Note: Subject has been receptive to the idea of Ward membership and power testing but is reluctant to join, stating that some of the regulations and limitations would be difficult for her. Subject has requested time to fully discuss with her father.
Armsmaster Addendum: Analysis of various ratings come from reports from those who have interacted with Zenko in the past week and may be biased. Combined with this is analysis from security cameras, tinkertech overwatch drones being tested in the Boardwalk and West Side areas, and police and fire interactions.
Appearance: Zenko is a tall (5'9) girl of between 14-16 years. Statements by her place her age at 14 while her physical development is closer to what is expected of 16 years age. She possesses two fox tails, apparently real as they are quite mobile and register as a heat source. She has two fox ears atop her head that appear to be expressive. Slight point to the human ears, and elongated canine teeth visible when smiling. Hair is copper in coloration except at the tips of her tails where they are white.
Her costume is currently composed of off-the-rack components with the exception of a metal and cloth headband bearing a symbol which does not come up with a match on database search engines. Zenko states she is working on a more permanent costume.
Brute 1: Zenko shows shows signs of enhanced strength, being able to hit far harder than her frame/weight would allow normally. She does not show any signs of being bulletproof however.
Mover 3: Zenko has managed short bursts of speeds in excess of 45mph and is capable of leaps of over 100feet while running. In addition she can treat vertical surfaces as if they are horizontal.
Shaker/Blaster 2: Zenko has been shown to create small bursts of water and to manipulate existing water supplies in a crude form of hydrokinesis.
Thinker 2: Some evidence of enhanced senses: low light vision, exceptionally acute hearing and sense of smell. See also Master rating.
Changer 1: Zenko's "foxgirl" form acts and reacts as a biological organism and is sufficiently variant from normal human that she would be unable to have a secret identity if she had no way to change back.
Master 2: Zenko has demonstrated the ability to create projections of six normal-sized foxes, pure white in fur coloration, which have the same mover ability she does. These projections are fragile in that penetration by a knife wielded by an E88 member was able to dispel it, but was then immediately mobbed by the remaining foxes as they arrived in a swarm.
Profile: Zenko has presented herself as friendly and somewhat outgoing, though questions about making friends or associating with other her age has shown tells to indicate something wrong in that regard. Possible problems at school or private life. No such indications about family life other than a comment about "how her father is doing a lot better" since she gained powers.
The major aberration about Zenko other than the physical form is her insistence that her abilities are "ninjutsu" and require somatic movements and focus. Considering Myrrdin and several other capes, this is uncommon but not unheard of.
* Elsewhere *
Thomas Calvert sat back in his desk and pondered how best to handle this new asset.
Perhaps some aggressive recruitment aimed at her family? Perhaps it HAD been a grab-bag as that Empire cape Crusader did something with multiple projections?
As it was, where was the unifying theme? Powers usually hung from a single nail, the exception being the so-called grab-bag capes which pinged off of other capes in the vicinity. Yet there were no hydrokinetics in Brockton Bay that he knew of, nor a Mover with anything like a near-match there. Certainly no one with the ears and tail.
His first thought had been a Case 53, though very fortunate in that regard. Yet the point raised in the PRT report was a good one - if this was her natural form she'd have been spotted well before now. She was too practiced at some of this to be a fresh trigger.
Perhaps she would divulge those answers on the table. If she wasn't a Case 53 then her memories should be intact and he had the drugs and the tools to tease those answers out.
* Hebert Household *
Her chakra had been initially developed by Mito Uzumaki dwelling within her, including a charge of energy from the Kyubi. It had dwelled within her, warm and powerful.
It had also been essentially like the training wheels on the bicycle she'd had when she was six. Mito's work had been to develop those chakra coils and capacity, Kurama (the actual name for the Kyubi) had been the charge in that battery.
Taylor let out a deep breath and relaxed. Almost. Speculation from Umino-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei had been that once she'd gotten good enough with her chakra, she'd have two forms. When releasing the hold on her chakra she'd be Zenko, when she held it tight she'd return to her more normal appearance without tails or ears or red hair. She wouldn't have to maintain the henge (disguise) jutsu indefinitely.
Which was good, she had liked that her hair had resembled her mother's hair. That it was temporary until she mastered her ninjutsu was a constant bit of reassurance that her powers hadn't changed everything about her.
Though being awesome ninja foxgirl Zenko was cool, she certainly wasn't done being Taylor.
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- Location
- USA
Huh, those are some awfully low ratings the PRT has for her.
Well, let's see how that changes when she has a fight under her, or gets another Roll!
Thanks for the chapter!
Well, let's see how that changes when she has a fight under her, or gets another Roll!
Thanks for the chapter!
Nimodes
Weary Worldwalker
- Location
- Arizona
Had a scene in chapter 4 addressing some of that. plan is for chapter 5 to be a PHO chapter dealing with public sentiment (definitely going to have some of the comments here and on Ao3 be referenced) and how she presents herself on that forum.
Was also planning a scene where she gets a roll for a non-ninja skillset and defers it, and Danny speaks up to take it. Would then be a chapter with Danny undergoing training in some other setting (I was leaning towards either Master Roshi, Oogway, or Toki from Hokuto no Ken being the sensei - probably Toki) for 12 years/seconds. Because I thought having Danny fighting WITH Taylor was something I haven't seen done and could be fun.
verycoolname
Not actually cool
I vote Oogway. I've got a soft spot for Kung Fu Panda.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'd say Taylor has grief issues but not so much self image. This is before the mess of the bullying which IIRC is what wrecked Taylors self image.