- Location
- Wall Gazing
Cause if the war roles over those springs there ain't gonna be much left.
Cause if the war roles over those springs there ain't gonna be much left.
So what? He's already getting a cure, it just takes time. Who cares if this other cure which might not work gets destroyed, when the cure that he is working on is guaranteed to work and doesn't involve risking his life by traveling through a war zone.
- Location
- Queensland
Tofu
Water slide 78
Cherico
Machine
Water slide
I calmly drew some more circles, then I looked at my calculator.
"Hey."
"I'm going."
My Sensei didn't move.
"Well?"
I expected arguments fights, yelling.
"Do you need to do this?"
"Yes."
"Are you doing this for the right reasons?"
"Ranma."
"Don't use him as an excuse kid, why are you really going?"
I stopped.
"I need some time to think, to figure things out. If I get away from Japan for a bit, well maybe I can figure out what to do."
"And?"
"Well honestly, I like Ukyo, she's great, probably the best thing that ever happened, and living a life of luxury and respect has it's upside, but I also really hate it when people meddle in my life."
"I do it all the time."
"Without my permission sensei, you're pretty upfront about things well most of the time, but the japanese government..."
"Goes behind your back and keeps screeching about the greater good. Yeah I know, we talked about this."
He leaned against the wall.
"You want me to come along?"
I thought about it.
"No, this is something I have to do by myself."
He stared off into space.
"Don't engage with the locals."
"What?"
"Russian, Chinese it doesn't matter do not get involved in the war, get moving, stay moving. If possible don't even talk to them."
"Sensei why?"
"Becasue you're japanese, look you're bringing in a bunch of Ki users and yourself. If you get involved in a pissing contest over there it might bring Japan into this mess, which would bring the US and all their friends into it. We're talking about the lives of millions of people, do what you got to do but don't drag innocent people into your drama."
"Ok Sensei, you make a good point, I will keep us out of the war, we go in, we get out."
He flipped through a note book.
"Akane Tendo, Ryouga, Ranma, Kodachi, Uyko, Shampoo, yourself. 7 people, small enough to escape notice but with some serious firepower, of course none of you have the skills necessary to make it there."
"We're training in how to fight and-"
He sighed.
"You need to speak chinese, russian, how to read a map, forging documents, wilderness survivial and counter tracking, god you're learning how to make a port key."
"And that's?"
"A teleportation charm, it's dangerously stupid to use it to an area that isn't secure but once you get to your objective, well then it should be safe to use. Point is, this is an extration mission, you go in, get what you want and get the fuck out."
He looked at my circle.
"Look over that section over there."
I looked at it.
"Crap, it's smuged."
"Run the calculations again to account for that."
I did so.
"Going to have to completely redo the whole damned thing."
I sighed.
"It's ok kid, these things happen, you just have to take it one day at a time."
I looked at my circle and got up, I went to the sewing area.
"Taking a break?"
"Going to make another magic quilt, it's more soothing."
He nodded and watched as I spent the rest of the night sewing, my mind settled on the topic at hand.
I calmly drew some more circles, then I looked at my calculator.
"Hey."
"I'm going."
My Sensei didn't move.
"Well?"
I expected arguments fights, yelling.
"Do you need to do this?"
"Yes."
"Are you doing this for the right reasons?"
"Ranma."
"Don't use him as an excuse kid, why are you really going?"
I stopped.
"I need some time to think, to figure things out. If I get away from Japan for a bit, well maybe I can figure out what to do."
"And?"
"Well honestly, I like Ukyo, she's great, probably the best thing that ever happened, and living a life of luxury and respect has it's upside, but I also really hate it when people meddle in my life."
"I do it all the time."
"Without my permission sensei, you're pretty upfront about things well most of the time, but the japanese government..."
"Goes behind your back and keeps screeching about the greater good. Yeah I know, we talked about this."
He leaned against the wall.
"You want me to come along?"
I thought about it.
"No, this is something I have to do by myself."
He stared off into space.
"Don't engage with the locals."
"What?"
"Russian, Chinese it doesn't matter do not get involved in the war, get moving, stay moving. If possible don't even talk to them."
"Sensei why?"
"Becasue you're japanese, look you're bringing in a bunch of Ki users and yourself. If you get involved in a pissing contest over there it might bring Japan into this mess, which would bring the US and all their friends into it. We're talking about the lives of millions of people, do what you got to do but don't drag innocent people into your drama."
"Ok Sensei, you make a good point, I will keep us out of the war, we go in, we get out."
He flipped through a note book.
"Akane Tendo, Ryouga, Ranma, Kodachi, Uyko, Shampoo, yourself. 7 people, small enough to escape notice but with some serious firepower, of course none of you have the skills necessary to make it there."
"We're training in how to fight and-"
He sighed.
"You need to speak chinese, russian, how to read a map, forging documents, wilderness survivial and counter tracking, god you're learning how to make a port key."
"And that's?"
"A teleportation charm, it's dangerously stupid to use it to an area that isn't secure but once you get to your objective, well then it should be safe to use. Point is, this is an extration mission, you go in, get what you want and get the fuck out."
He looked at my circle.
"Look over that section over there."
I looked at it.
"Crap, it's smuged."
"Run the calculations again to account for that."
I did so.
"Going to have to completely redo the whole damned thing."
I sighed.
"It's ok kid, these things happen, you just have to take it one day at a time."
I looked at my circle and got up, I went to the sewing area.
"Taking a break?"
"Going to make another magic quilt, it's more soothing."
He nodded and watched as I spent the rest of the night sewing, my mind settled on the topic at hand.
Water slide 79
Cherico
Machine
Water slide
Sensei looked at the photo.
"Won't work, you misspelled words here, here and here and used Kanji here."
"But."
"This is supposed to be a russian passport and papers."
I sighed.
"Maybe I should just cure Ranma here."
"And how has the cure been going?"
"Slow, so unbelievably slow, it's really powerful stuff, an epic pain in the ass, I mean there's just so many curses recent, long lasting and I have to get through all of them to get to the one he bitches about the most."
"Yeah, Genma pissed off a lot of people in the community."
"Do you know what the worse one was? One that would make him lose his hair, all of his hair if he took this thing off. God that one was such a pain in the ass."
"So this is easier."
I shrugged and redid the forgery, I looked outside my friends were training together and...
"Kodachi and Shampoo are fighting again."
"You're not going to break it up."
"But-"
"No, you want to do this then you're going to have to handle all the noncombatant stuff your group needs to pull this off. You need to study all of the little linguistic tics of the area involved, need to know how to fool a obstructive buracrat just long enough to get through."
I looked at the pile.
"And how much of a bribe is necessary."
"That's a lot of vodca."
"And whisky, wine, I'm also sending feminine hygine products."
"For the girls?"
"Well that and it's a very successful bribe."
I blinked.
"Really?"
"It works, money's nice but bartered goods work too, your friends are badass, but that is not what you need 90% of the time, what you need, really god damned need is to be able to talk things out."
He looked over my port key.
"Good, nice solid design, but it's to obviously valueable try again."
"But it's-"
"It's a gold pocket watch, a pick pocket will grab it with in seconds, a corrupt patrol will take it even sooner. You want to stay under the radar, that means advoiding anything valuable."
"So what should I use?"
"A rock, not a big one, but a rock, something that looks worthless. This is a good practice piece but it's not good enough for a warzone."
He looked at the outfits.
"No."
"What's wrong now?"
"The colour isn't faded enough it pops, and thats bad, it draws attention you want to stay low key."
"Maybe I should bleach it?"
"did you already sew the runes into it?"
I shook my head.
"It might be worth trying, ok here's a map off all the major roads to the springs."
I smiled.
"Stay the hell away from them."
"But."
"This is not peace time, the rules are simple advoid people whenever you can, bullshit the ones you do find and always stay moving, fight only if you have to and to escape rather then win."
"And stay below the radar."
"And?"
"Because Anti aircraft guns are a thing."
"Good."
The rest of the team came in, Ukyo gave me a kiss and Sensei brought out some milk and cookies. The phone rang and Sensei waved us off to have fun. He listened in and then frowned and deflated.
"Akane... it's for you."
She smiled and waved to us as she grabbed the phone, everything about her collapsed.
"Oh...is..."
Tears ran down her face and she ran out, Ryoga ran after her and we just kind of blinked.
"What happened?"
"Soun Tendo is dead... sucide whatever you guys have planned, put it off ok?"
We got out of our seats and walked to where she was crying into Ryoga's chest. We said we were there for her, relayed our sympathies, but honestly what could you do? Akane's life had essentally fallen apart and honestly a good part of that was my fault. As it got dark Akane walked home, we joined her and looked at Genma who had a look of dazed horror on his face.
Police officers were wheeling a dead body on a strecher and the mood grew cold, an old man was balled into a small ball crying...Happosai? It wasn't dignafied or honorable just a pure experession of grief. Genma looked at me in a daze.
"I have to go talk to my wife."
He kind of stumbled along aimlessly like a zombie, I felt a sense of detachment I didn't really know the Tendos that well. Akane was alone now, I didn't know what the future would mean for her, or the dojo but the future seemed uncertain. I just sat down and watched as the officers talked to her, the voices draining into garbaled madness as I dealt with the shock.
Sensei looked at the photo.
"Won't work, you misspelled words here, here and here and used Kanji here."
"But."
"This is supposed to be a russian passport and papers."
I sighed.
"Maybe I should just cure Ranma here."
"And how has the cure been going?"
"Slow, so unbelievably slow, it's really powerful stuff, an epic pain in the ass, I mean there's just so many curses recent, long lasting and I have to get through all of them to get to the one he bitches about the most."
"Yeah, Genma pissed off a lot of people in the community."
"Do you know what the worse one was? One that would make him lose his hair, all of his hair if he took this thing off. God that one was such a pain in the ass."
"So this is easier."
I shrugged and redid the forgery, I looked outside my friends were training together and...
"Kodachi and Shampoo are fighting again."
"You're not going to break it up."
"But-"
"No, you want to do this then you're going to have to handle all the noncombatant stuff your group needs to pull this off. You need to study all of the little linguistic tics of the area involved, need to know how to fool a obstructive buracrat just long enough to get through."
I looked at the pile.
"And how much of a bribe is necessary."
"That's a lot of vodca."
"And whisky, wine, I'm also sending feminine hygine products."
"For the girls?"
"Well that and it's a very successful bribe."
I blinked.
"Really?"
"It works, money's nice but bartered goods work too, your friends are badass, but that is not what you need 90% of the time, what you need, really god damned need is to be able to talk things out."
He looked over my port key.
"Good, nice solid design, but it's to obviously valueable try again."
"But it's-"
"It's a gold pocket watch, a pick pocket will grab it with in seconds, a corrupt patrol will take it even sooner. You want to stay under the radar, that means advoiding anything valuable."
"So what should I use?"
"A rock, not a big one, but a rock, something that looks worthless. This is a good practice piece but it's not good enough for a warzone."
He looked at the outfits.
"No."
"What's wrong now?"
"The colour isn't faded enough it pops, and thats bad, it draws attention you want to stay low key."
"Maybe I should bleach it?"
"did you already sew the runes into it?"
I shook my head.
"It might be worth trying, ok here's a map off all the major roads to the springs."
I smiled.
"Stay the hell away from them."
"But."
"This is not peace time, the rules are simple advoid people whenever you can, bullshit the ones you do find and always stay moving, fight only if you have to and to escape rather then win."
"And stay below the radar."
"And?"
"Because Anti aircraft guns are a thing."
"Good."
The rest of the team came in, Ukyo gave me a kiss and Sensei brought out some milk and cookies. The phone rang and Sensei waved us off to have fun. He listened in and then frowned and deflated.
"Akane... it's for you."
She smiled and waved to us as she grabbed the phone, everything about her collapsed.
"Oh...is..."
Tears ran down her face and she ran out, Ryoga ran after her and we just kind of blinked.
"What happened?"
"Soun Tendo is dead... sucide whatever you guys have planned, put it off ok?"
We got out of our seats and walked to where she was crying into Ryoga's chest. We said we were there for her, relayed our sympathies, but honestly what could you do? Akane's life had essentally fallen apart and honestly a good part of that was my fault. As it got dark Akane walked home, we joined her and looked at Genma who had a look of dazed horror on his face.
Police officers were wheeling a dead body on a strecher and the mood grew cold, an old man was balled into a small ball crying...Happosai? It wasn't dignafied or honorable just a pure experession of grief. Genma looked at me in a daze.
"I have to go talk to my wife."
He kind of stumbled along aimlessly like a zombie, I felt a sense of detachment I didn't really know the Tendos that well. Akane was alone now, I didn't know what the future would mean for her, or the dojo but the future seemed uncertain. I just sat down and watched as the officers talked to her, the voices draining into garbaled madness as I dealt with the shock.
Water slide 80
Cherico
Machine
Water slide
Soun tendo was creamated in the middle of May, his funeral was held on a saturday, his ashes putright next to his wife. The number of people who came was limited. I think there where maybe 20 people at most. Kasumi held her husband tight, a young baby boy in her lap slept soundly. Akane kind of just stared blankly at her fathers ashes as they were lowered down. Genma was openly weeping, his body sprawled along the ground. Meanwhile Ranma kind of looked sad.
I saw a couple people I knew, and a few I didn't. Soun had in his grief pushed away a lot of friends but a few had come, I watched as more people filtered in, it was still early, the official ceremony had not taken place quite yet and...wow more people.
"Mind if I sit here?"
I shook my head at the old lady, I watched as more and more people filtered into the shrine, we still had another ten minutes before.
"Sorry I'm late!"
The man weezed and looked around there were no remaining seat, he was fat bearded and looked around.
"I can stand."
More people came we crowded, in until it was standing room only the shinto preist took stage and the funeral began. Words were said about his kindness, his dedication to his family to his community. The packed room nodded, then when it was over we walked in formation to the grave yard. It was less a funeral procession and more an unruly mob. There, one by one we paid our respects. The ceremony that had started at noon ended somewhere around midnight. I walked next to Akane.
"You dont have to come."
She looked dazed.
"I will."
"But."
"I need to get out of here, I can't...I just need some space."
I looked away.
"I'm sorry."
She clenched her hands.
"No.. you're not, look I know your trying to help Hikaru-san but you didn't really know my father, and there had been so many attemps...we saw this coming."
"I'm so-"
"The worst part is that I'm relieved, you know? It's like it's finally over, and I'm a horrible person for thinking that. He was my dad, the man who raised me and now it's, I mean fuck."
Her face was red, her eyes puffy.
"Is this what I am? Am I that much of a bitch?"
"It's...I'm sorry I have nothing, I want to make everything better but I can't cure death."
She wiped away some tears.
"I know, I'm not asking you to, it's just everything's fucked up, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
She went to her door and sighed.
"Thanks for listening."
The door slamned in my face and I looked at the now empty streets, I walked into the growing fog my future uncertian, my friend ships in the air, and the road to danger ahead.
Soun tendo was creamated in the middle of May, his funeral was held on a saturday, his ashes putright next to his wife. The number of people who came was limited. I think there where maybe 20 people at most. Kasumi held her husband tight, a young baby boy in her lap slept soundly. Akane kind of just stared blankly at her fathers ashes as they were lowered down. Genma was openly weeping, his body sprawled along the ground. Meanwhile Ranma kind of looked sad.
I saw a couple people I knew, and a few I didn't. Soun had in his grief pushed away a lot of friends but a few had come, I watched as more people filtered in, it was still early, the official ceremony had not taken place quite yet and...wow more people.
"Mind if I sit here?"
I shook my head at the old lady, I watched as more and more people filtered into the shrine, we still had another ten minutes before.
"Sorry I'm late!"
The man weezed and looked around there were no remaining seat, he was fat bearded and looked around.
"I can stand."
More people came we crowded, in until it was standing room only the shinto preist took stage and the funeral began. Words were said about his kindness, his dedication to his family to his community. The packed room nodded, then when it was over we walked in formation to the grave yard. It was less a funeral procession and more an unruly mob. There, one by one we paid our respects. The ceremony that had started at noon ended somewhere around midnight. I walked next to Akane.
"You dont have to come."
She looked dazed.
"I will."
"But."
"I need to get out of here, I can't...I just need some space."
I looked away.
"I'm sorry."
She clenched her hands.
"No.. you're not, look I know your trying to help Hikaru-san but you didn't really know my father, and there had been so many attemps...we saw this coming."
"I'm so-"
"The worst part is that I'm relieved, you know? It's like it's finally over, and I'm a horrible person for thinking that. He was my dad, the man who raised me and now it's, I mean fuck."
Her face was red, her eyes puffy.
"Is this what I am? Am I that much of a bitch?"
"It's...I'm sorry I have nothing, I want to make everything better but I can't cure death."
She wiped away some tears.
"I know, I'm not asking you to, it's just everything's fucked up, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
She went to her door and sighed.
"Thanks for listening."
The door slamned in my face and I looked at the now empty streets, I walked into the growing fog my future uncertian, my friend ships in the air, and the road to danger ahead.
[X] Genma
- Location
- Heaven
[X] Genma
- Location
- No Second Chances
Already said what I wanted
In russia interlude picks you
Cherico
Machine
Private Shasha
I felt cold, I always felt cold since the operation. My cybernetics were a mixure of magic and soviet science, robust, cheap and simple. I was one of Russia's many cyborg troopers, one of the elite and all it cost me was the ability to touch, taste and smell. I had given up my humanity for this, but my family would get more food, more bread. I hoped my mother was ok. Bullets pinged off of my armor. small arms fire, pistol rounds, I could take those, but I was not invincible. Explosions, armor piercing rounds, various magic could and did kill us.
My AK-47 shot out rounds as I ran into the frey, the sky was a dingy green, from the gas. We always gassed the cities. It even won us a few battles until the chinese adapted. That's what we were there for, urban combat. The yanks would intervene if we used nukes, but below that everything was on the table, and when your facing a population that numbers in the billions you use everything.
"They're still fighting."
My comrade, Aleksey.
"I know....Shasha, be thankful you're not one of the troops trying to hold down the north. The chinese keep attacking."
"But we have tanks,plans and-"
"You won't hear this from the brass but they found out about our first strike, the chinese airforce survived, sure the planes are all shit but they come out to play every now and then."
I heard a roar and cringed.
"Demons."
I aimed my weapon at it as it slaughtered our men, one by one, in some cases eating us whole. It took 20 of us to bring it down.
"5 dead, less then expected."
"Aleksey..."
"No really, this was good, I was in Ukraine we went up against Baba Yaga."
"The witch is still alive?"
"It's more of a title, but yes she is, hates our guts and every now and then entire forts just vanish or everyonein them dies."
"And?"
"There is only one of her and we can always get more conscripts, yes?"
I shot at some shadows.
"What's her problem?"
"Officially or unofficially?"
"Both."
I reloaded.
"Officially she's evil, unofficially she's a ukrainian nationalist who has been trying to kick us out of the area since the imperial era. A whole line of mad angry women who hate us russian barbarians."
I threw a grenade into a room and burst in after it went off. I shrugged, women, children and no guns, no bombs, no weapons. I wasted a perfectly good grenade. We continued on in the green fog.
"Why do they keep fighting, they have to know its useless."
I fired a couple rounds at a moving shadow, Aleksey shrugged.
"I don't pretend to understand them, we have a job yes? Orders, that's what matters, leave the moral questions to others, as for me I have some clothing, some vodka and music, that's enough."
The fighting continued until the green fog went away, I went back to our camp and got out my accordion. I played and let the others dance and have fun, it was important to do that, dance I mean. Aleksey drank some vodka, we couldn't taste it but we could get drunk and really, that's what mattered. When I was finished he sat next to me, I grabbed the offered bottle and took a swig.
"When do you think this war will end?"
"Dont know."
"When do you think it will all end?"
"Don't know."
"Why did it even start Aleksey?"
"It doesn't matter."
"You're hopeless."
"I just want to get drunk Sasha, these questions, they are annoying yes? None of it matters, what matters is music, dancing and vodka. We fight and we get these things."
"I miss women."
"We all miss women, but sacrifices must be made and if I can't have a woman I will have a drink, it nags less, yes?"
A few others chuckled.
"But I want to know why I have to be here."
"Because the government told you to be here, is this not enough?"
"Then why do we fight?"
He took back the bottle and had another swig.
"To win the war."
I shrugged that was good enough for me.
I felt cold, I always felt cold since the operation. My cybernetics were a mixure of magic and soviet science, robust, cheap and simple. I was one of Russia's many cyborg troopers, one of the elite and all it cost me was the ability to touch, taste and smell. I had given up my humanity for this, but my family would get more food, more bread. I hoped my mother was ok. Bullets pinged off of my armor. small arms fire, pistol rounds, I could take those, but I was not invincible. Explosions, armor piercing rounds, various magic could and did kill us.
My AK-47 shot out rounds as I ran into the frey, the sky was a dingy green, from the gas. We always gassed the cities. It even won us a few battles until the chinese adapted. That's what we were there for, urban combat. The yanks would intervene if we used nukes, but below that everything was on the table, and when your facing a population that numbers in the billions you use everything.
"They're still fighting."
My comrade, Aleksey.
"I know....Shasha, be thankful you're not one of the troops trying to hold down the north. The chinese keep attacking."
"But we have tanks,plans and-"
"You won't hear this from the brass but they found out about our first strike, the chinese airforce survived, sure the planes are all shit but they come out to play every now and then."
I heard a roar and cringed.
"Demons."
I aimed my weapon at it as it slaughtered our men, one by one, in some cases eating us whole. It took 20 of us to bring it down.
"5 dead, less then expected."
"Aleksey..."
"No really, this was good, I was in Ukraine we went up against Baba Yaga."
"The witch is still alive?"
"It's more of a title, but yes she is, hates our guts and every now and then entire forts just vanish or everyonein them dies."
"And?"
"There is only one of her and we can always get more conscripts, yes?"
I shot at some shadows.
"What's her problem?"
"Officially or unofficially?"
"Both."
I reloaded.
"Officially she's evil, unofficially she's a ukrainian nationalist who has been trying to kick us out of the area since the imperial era. A whole line of mad angry women who hate us russian barbarians."
I threw a grenade into a room and burst in after it went off. I shrugged, women, children and no guns, no bombs, no weapons. I wasted a perfectly good grenade. We continued on in the green fog.
"Why do they keep fighting, they have to know its useless."
I fired a couple rounds at a moving shadow, Aleksey shrugged.
"I don't pretend to understand them, we have a job yes? Orders, that's what matters, leave the moral questions to others, as for me I have some clothing, some vodka and music, that's enough."
The fighting continued until the green fog went away, I went back to our camp and got out my accordion. I played and let the others dance and have fun, it was important to do that, dance I mean. Aleksey drank some vodka, we couldn't taste it but we could get drunk and really, that's what mattered. When I was finished he sat next to me, I grabbed the offered bottle and took a swig.
"When do you think this war will end?"
"Dont know."
"When do you think it will all end?"
"Don't know."
"Why did it even start Aleksey?"
"It doesn't matter."
"You're hopeless."
"I just want to get drunk Sasha, these questions, they are annoying yes? None of it matters, what matters is music, dancing and vodka. We fight and we get these things."
"I miss women."
"We all miss women, but sacrifices must be made and if I can't have a woman I will have a drink, it nags less, yes?"
A few others chuckled.
"But I want to know why I have to be here."
"Because the government told you to be here, is this not enough?"
"Then why do we fight?"
He took back the bottle and had another swig.
"To win the war."
I shrugged that was good enough for me.
Kind of reminds me of this comic: Gone with the Blastwave
Jackercracks
In a British accent
- Location
- England
Genma
Cherico
Machine
I already wrote the genma section, the contest Im talking about is the comments contest
Jackercracks
In a British accent
- Location
- England
What is a comments contest?