One day at a time....That's what the social worker assigned to you keeps repeating. It is to help with the 'rehabilitation' process or some such bullshit. They shoved you into a group home, tell you to study hard to finish your education and force you to socialize with girls your age.That woman has to know it's useless. You are going to age out of the system and get tossed within the year. What is the point? Everything has no meaning, no duty, no chivalry...This is all the fault of the Pretty Star Warrior bitches and those Arkadian Kingdom bastards!Those supernatural assholes destroyed the Sumi gang with their war over humanity and magic. It's hard to know which one did more damage. Was it the Arkadian Kingdom taking over and tainting every gangsters' heart crystal? Or was it the Pretty Star Warriors handing over all the dirty secrets of the gang to the cops after purifying everyone?Every allied yakuza in the Greater Tokyo association was furious. They issued the zetsuenjo permanent expulsion, a literal death warrant for the Sumi gang. The godfather had to willingly offer up his life and disband the gang to let his underlings off the hook.You remember digging his grave on that remote mountain. You remember the coldness of the soil, how hard it was to dig with the shovel. Hands bled and blood trickled down the handle, but you didn't stop. The grave had to be deep; it had to be proper for a righteous man."Azami..." You remember how calm the godfather was when he arrived. How he and you exchanged cups and oaths beside that open grave. How he needed help after cutting off his fourth finger joint and still needed to cut two more off as 'penance'. How he jumped in and waited for the bullet without a complaint. How the 'older brothers' cried and cried as everyone piled the cold earth on his body. How it started from the feet up. How no one at the end could bring themselves to shovel the earth over the godfather's face but instead sprinkled it over him.One cold handful at a time for a true man of honor. "Hey Azami, listen. You're thinking about the past, I can tell from the look on your face," the soft voice of the girl to your right interrupts the anger boiling within. You snap out of it and remember you're with several teenage girls sitting in hard uncomfortable plastic chairs arranged in a circle. Ah, that's right. You forgot where you are and got sucked into the spiral of your memories. This is the group therapy session for 'victims of unknown circumstances'.
>>6356038What a fucking joke. They should say what they really mean. 'Hello there, this is the place where people talk about how supernatural bullshit fucked with your life.'You are Senjou Azami, 18 years old, and you are a...>Former todokiya bagwoman, you made many deliveries and collected protection money... >Former assistant kaikei, a glorified pseudo-accountant and paper pusher... >Former 'mechanic' at the command of the honbuchou quartermaster, logistics and vehicle maintenance everyday... >Former chinpira punk running with the younger 'brothers', lots of fighting and dirty work...>Former ane-san sister, you worked for the yakuza wives and girlfriends with their kids...>Former master of yubitsume, you had a knack for cutting off fingers...>Former 'employee' of the shinogi main business of the gang, construction work and land shark real estate... Come join a short quest of one girl trying to get revenge. Plan to post once every two or three days!
>>6356039>Former assistant kaikei, a glorified pseudo-accountant and paper pusher... Interesting.
>>6356039>Former chinpira punk running with the younger 'brothers', lots of fighting and dirty work...Let's be dynamic! I like the premise.
>>6356039>>Former ane-san sister, you worked for the yakuza wives and girlfriends with their kids...
>>6356039>Former ane-san sister, you worked for the yakuza wives and girlfriends with their kids...
>>6356039>>Former 'employee' of the shinogi main business of the gang, construction work and land shark real estate...
>>6356039>Former ane-san sister, you worked for the yakuza wives and girlfriends with their kids...Lets see where this goes?
I've been trying to call the vote but it seems the system thinks I'm just doing spamWe are going with being a 'sister'. Our character was pushed to a slightly more traditional role in the gang due to yakuza sexism
>>6356357Damn organized crime glass ceiling!
>>6356357I imagine a Yakuza nanny as some sort of additional bodyguard. She should be able to kick ass too.
You are an 'ane-san' of the Sumi gang.Ah, you still say it in the present tense. The gang is gone now, so you were a 'sister'.When the godfather picked twelve-year-old you up from the streets and extended an invitation to join the gang, you were happy. Truly and deeply happy to have some sort of purpose in life. You expected the low-level duties of an associate street punk. Beating the shit out of those disrespecting the gang, picking up cash from businesses paying protection, hunting down idiots fucking around and making sure they find out. You looked forward to it. To be someone and to be from somewhere. To be in the gang meant power, respect, and a 'family' who had your back.It didn't go as expected.The other gangsters took one good hard look at you and then called on the godmother to take responsibility over you.Instead of the usual minor punk work, you were more like a servant. Cleaning, cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, hosting parties for yakuza wives, managing 'businesses' and helping out with community outreach like festivals and street cleaning. No matter how many years of hard work and loyalty dedicated to these duties, the gang never deliberately assigned dangerous tasks. Maybe if you were older and had a proven track record for violence, things could have been different.That is not to say your work under the matriarch was completely safe and without violence. The lady is tough as nails and had balls bigger than most of the men in the gang; being involved in the money side of things made her a legitimate target. You learned that quickly when some punks wanted to have a talk with her while she went on 'inspection'.You got stabbed as a result. Or the matriarch claimed she saw you get stabbed. Strange to say, you don't remember getting stabbed at all. You were more worried about getting the godmother out of danger and shoved her behind a door to safety. Then those punks beat the shit out of you and left you in a pool of your own blood.No one thought you could recover from such a beating. Yet somehow, you did. The Sumi gang got revenge on your behalf. They sent some bulldozers to demolish the home of the rival gang capo responsible for the punks who put you in the hospital. They made sure that capo realized how vulnerable his wife and kids were if certain lines were crossed.Then you got gifted the amputated little fingers of those responsible.You don't have them anymore, even though they were one of your prized possessions. You had to get rid of them after the gang dissolved because getting caught by the police with pickled amputated fingers would make things worse for you.Fierce Loyalty - It is hard to go against your sense of loyalty. It is strong enough that the Arkadian Kingdom found it hard to corrupt your heart crystal and control you... But the Pretty Star Warriors had a hard time purifying your heart crystal too.
>>6357121Unnatural Toughness - You heal fast and are much tougher than a typical teenage girl, you make an excellent meat shield slash bodyguard. Wounds don't get infected, sickness doesn't touch you, and pain can be ignored. It is an unsettling supernatural ability; those who witness it in action find it unnerving.The gang might be gone, but the men, women, and children remain. Those who have lived a life of gokudo cannot forget what they used to be. They remain in the twilight zone between civilian and criminal worlds, unable to join one or the other. They only have each other to rely upon. The bonds and solidarity formed from the life they've chosen can't be broken so easily.You still pay your respects to the godmother and report your progress to her directly at her little bar. "Leave the liar alone, or else we'll hear a bunch of nonsense about the yakuza," someone mutters and slices right through the chatter of girls. You look up and glare at another teenage girl who also glares back at you. The first impulse that bubbles up is to punch the stupid bitch's face in, but time with the boss and his wife taught you some things. Keep calm since keeping control over emotions is both a shield and sword against enemies. "One rule of this group therapy is that no one goes around claiming another girl lies. After all, we've been through some pretty unbelievable events." The icy politeness dripping from your words is enough to shut up most girls."Come on, don't fight," the girl to your right squeaks out and tries to use her frantically waving arms to get between you and the other girl.You hate one girl and tolerate one girl in the therapy group.... Who are they!?Choose one girl to hate and then one girl you get along with.>'Police girl', a prim and law-abiding girl who went wild and injured people with her kendo skills when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Romance Nerd', an artist who drew extremely spicy pictures of boys she had crushes on and put them in awkward romance scenarios when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Queen Bee', a bubbly girl who could order her classmates to follow her every whim and orders to the point of self-harm when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Fantasy Lover', a depressed girl who believed the world was in danger from the Pretty Star Warriors and attacked them repeatedly with fire magic when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Sport Jock', an ultra competitive girl who harmed anyone she suspected could defeat her with telekinesis when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Mommy Issues', a quiet girl who did something to her strict emotionally distant mother but no one knows what when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Street Kid', a formerly homeless girl who hunted men with shadow abilities when her heart crystal got corrupted...>'Normie Teen', a teenage girl who never got her heart corrupted but kept on witnessing the supernatural through epic bad luck...
>>6357122>Hate Romance Nerdno passion>Friend Police Girlbuddy cop
>>6357122>>FRIEND: Sport Jock>> HATE: Queen Bee
>>6357125Support this.
>>6357122>Hate Queen Bee>Tolerate Fantasy LoverThe idea being we hate someone who would misuse and abuse the trust of those who would follow her. We are loyal, and thus hate betrayal. We tolerate Fantasy Lover because she attacked one of the two causes of the gang's downfall.
>>6357122>FRIEND: Sport JockThis is literally Kanbaru>Hate: Normie GirlNorfalfags get out
>>6357122SEX: Police girlHATE SEX: Queen Bee
>>6357122>HATE: Queen Bee>TOLERATE: Police Girl
We've got police girl Shinoda Takeo as someone we can tolerate and queen bee Morita Aoi who we hate.
There's nothing more attention grabbing for a group of bored teenagers than the possibility of drama erupting. The girls in the group therapy session chewed over the same stories of 'unknown circumstances' and their feelings on it until the savor of novelty turned into tasteless banality. The only girl who hasn't shared their story is you. Even the taciturn 'Mommy Issues' Shinohara Ren shared some details on what happened to her.If they expect you to spill your guts to them, they are dead wrong. Especially when there's someone like 'Queen Bee' Morita Aoi eagerly waiting to tear into the details and savor each morsel of information shared for personal enjoyment. The story of how her heart crystal got corrupted and the terrible aftermath of it instantly put you on guard. It doesn't help that she's incredibly sharp and willing to investigate the things that interest her personally. You still remember how she reacted when you first introduced yourself to the group. "I am honored to meet your acquaintance; my name is Senjou Azami, 18 years old. Presently residing in Takamichi Group Home under the supervision of Miss Takamichi," you crisply state while holding your gaze steady at the girls you are forced to interact with. "I am in your care," you finish, and then formally bow with militaristic precision long drilled into you by the gang. This proved to be a mistake and immediately set you apart from the therapy group members. The years of dealing with organizations and people who demanded strict forms of politeness and formality left their mark so strongly that it never occurred to you that relaxing and acting like a teen girl was the better choice. First impressions can't be undone."Ooooh, she's just like you, Takeo! No wait, not quite the same. Similar though. There's something weirdly off about it. So stiff and dutiful. Maybe she comes from a military family?" A girl with dyed blonde hair and cute clothing babbles with intense curiosity. The wide smile of the fashionista rubs you the wrong way. It is like a sharp spade, digging in to search for hidden secrets to relish.You twitch at the mention of police and look at the girls sitting in a circle more closely. You see only one girl sitting straight back and properly while all the other girls are leaning forward or slouching. She meets your gaze without flinching, puzzling over just what you really are.Then in an instant, the calm face of 'Police Girl' Shinoda Takeo changes as recognition registers. She sits up even straighter in her chair. The yakuza claim that the difference between cops and gangsters is paper thin, and each side recognizes the subtleties that divide them from mere civilians. It seems to be true, because you realize this girl is thoroughly the lawful type from just her body language. You outwardly keep a stoic face and find an empty chair to sit on.
>>6358710"Oooh, Takeo? What's gotten into you? Do you know her from somewhere? Not a very friendly reaction there, though. I'm guessing she's not from a family of police officers like you." The bubbly girl leans closer to the tense girl, trying to read the clues from the reaction."Aoi, that's enough. She'll share that information when she's ready and actually trusts us. Let us begin the session," the commanding tone and sharp look from Takeo cut off any further speculation from the prying girl. Shinoda never breathed a word though she knew what you were. She was respectful enough to keep silent and never treated you any differently from the other girls. If someone told you that the only person you can vaguely trust and minimally tolerate is someone like Shinoda Takeo, you would have wondered just how much meth they've taken beforehand.Never did you expect that the true thorn in your side would be someone like Morita Aoi. Your refusal to speak of what happened when the Arkadian Kingdom corrupted your heart crystal only drove her to investigate more thoroughly.All it took was one careless moment, one clue, to allow Aoi to know more about you. Once, out of irritation and constant badgering, you stated that you worked for the wife of a very important businessman named Sumi. That was enough for the nosy social engineer to investigate and discover your membership in the gang. Not that Aoi truly believed you were a made member. But telling a group of girls that you were a criminal changed the entire dynamic of the therapy group.They were more wary, more suspicious, and more scared. You hadn't done a single damn thing to any of them. You seethed with indignation and angrily punched the gossipy girl for that."Don't make me come over there; I don't appreciate being called a liar. Not from someone who admitted they enjoyed ordering a classmate to fight against overpowered magical girls he had no chance against during a power trip," you tremble with irritation, trying to keep your temper in check is a losing battle."Enjoyed? When my heart crystal was corrupted, every order I gave seemed right and wonderful. That's what was so scary. Did you know that classmate I ordered around told me that he forgave me, but he sure as hell is never going to forget? I don't blame him one bit on that part. Oh, I get it. You're type to enjoy being ordered around to do something dangerous. Feeling jealous 蓟?" Aoi jokes nastily as she flips her long dyed hair dramatically.You can't stop the surprise from showing up on your face upon hearing the Chinese. The rest of the group had seen your reaction; they wondered why 'Ji' with a descending tone of the 'i' would be so shocking. No one should know that you're not fully Japanese."It seems someone has been digging around to know more about me again," you say the words slowly and narrow your eyes at the smug girl sitting across from you. You rise up from the hard plastic chair with fury.
>>6358711"I could say the same about you, someone digging around about me. It's amazing what you can learn by just by asking, and I know—" the Queen Bee is primed and ready to spill more details but is interrupted by the loud clatter of a plastic chair falling backwards. Someone has had enough, and that someone is Takeo, who swiftly faces the gossipy Aoi."Tonight's session is done. Someone call the coordinator in, and we can all go. As for you, Aoi, shut up." The steel in her voice shuts down any further attempts by the other girl to get in another word. The stern girl has her hands firmly pressed down on the cowed Aoi's shoulders.You don't bother to wait and leave. There are more important things to do than sit on your ass. You ignore the voices of the others calling out to wait. Tonight you are going to see old lady Sumi at her bar and report your progress on finding out more details on the Arkadian Kingdom and Pretty Star Warriors. Where you are heading is far away; the train is full of commuters heading home or to the bright lights of main street full of restaurants and bars. Your destination is well away from these oblivious people and in the dark warren of alleyways of tiny pubs and bars in poorer parts. It is not the clean, neon-light-filled entertainment suited for normal everyday people. Snack bar 'Last Chance' looks like any other old dingy establishment lining the street. Drunks, drug-addled prostitutes, homeless teens, and wannabe yakuza are part and parcel of this locale. The bar is not there to make money; it's there to be a refuge and gathering place for the remnants of the Sumi gang. Mostly the women and their children, as the majority of men are serving time in Fuchu prison. Here they can seek help or share news or just take a break from the daily grind for a spell. The moment you open the door, there's the laughter of children crowding around a small TV and watching anime. Their tiny, child-sized portions of half-eaten food were carelessly placed on various tables. Several women at the bar are chatting and drinking tea while the matriarch of the Sumi gang dishes out food and conversation. The place can only seat about fifteen people, and tonight it is very full. "Good evening, my lady. I have returned to make my report," you loudly announce and formally bow at the threshold without stepping inside. Old habits die hard, and it just seems wrong not to pay respect to the godfather's wife. A chorus of greetings from children and women rises up to ask you to come in, but you aren't moving until you get permission from the right person. "Welcome back and come in. Head on upstairs and pay respects to the 'father' first. Then you can come downstairs and have a bite to eat." The commanding voice of the Sumi matriarch is clear from her position behind the bar counter.
>>6358713You straighten up and head towards the narrow stairs at the back of the bar, patting the children on their heads as you pass. The place has a small living space above the bar, and there is the Buddhist altar. The altar is lonely, for it does not contain the funerary picture of the boss nor a tablet. Officially speaking, Sumi Masatoshi is missing and not dead. To maintain that fiction, his wife can't even put up the usual offerings for the comfort of his soul. The police could use it as a pretext to investigate more deeply or cause trouble. So instead, well hidden within the altar is a small space. And in that small space is a glass bottle of high proof containing the severed pinky finger of the godfather. The boss of the Sumi gang felt he had no excuse for betraying the trust of his wife. It did not matter if supernatural forces caused him to act contrary to his wishes. It hurt her, and for a man who made a promise not to, that was unforgiveable. For her, he offered the first joint of his pinky and ordered it brought directly to her rather than to the powerful head of the yakuza confederation. When you come downstairs after paying respect, you see that the women and children are leaving. There's business to be done, and they don't need to be around. All that's left is for you and Lady Sumi to talk over today's group therapy session over some food. The godmother puts a cigarette to her mouth, and you light it for her. Then you start with what you heard from the stories of the other girls in the group therapy session. Tonight was a rehash of Shinoda Takeo's crystal heart corruption and the resulting fallout after breaking the legs of the son of a city councillor during it. It's a minor miracle that public opinion is firmly on Shinoda's side because luckily someone recorded video of the son trying to strip a ten-year-old girl naked when Takeo came in swinging like some samurai avenger. Unfortunately, evidence of prior assaults during her month-long stint with her heart crystal corrupted still got her tossed into juvenile correction for a while. Good behaviour and police influence got her out faster than usual but the repercussion was severe. Her older brother and father resigned from the police due to the scandal, and then her family disowned her. "That's a raw deal for such a good kid. If the gang was still up and running, she'd be a decent recruit. I still can't see the pattern or how those Arkadian Kingdom bastards decide on who or what to attack," the matriarch finally comments as she serves up another bowl of food to you.
>>6358713"Police girl!? Fuck no, she's still---. I mean, I humbly disagree. A life of gokudo doesn't suit her," you say as the brain catches up to your mouth in time and switch subjects. "Guess this group therapy crap is a waste of time. It's going to be a long year. I'm not allowed to avoid the sessions until I age out or spill my guts on what happened to me. That Morita girl can't wait to hear it. The longer I keep quiet, the more she digs. Just tonight she figured out I'm a half. I'm going to rack up a serious assault charge on my rap sheet if this keeps up.""You make it sound like having a Taiwanese mother is a curse. A girl who can't attack you on grounds of character but aims at something you can't change isn't worth shit. And it doesn't overly surprise me much from what you've told me before, sweetie. Try to keep your head down and get through the year. Also the story that Morita girl told about the powers she had while corrupted is too much like what happened to our gang. I sent someone to investigate her, just in case she was Lady Hathor of love and madness, running around disguised as a teen girl." You remember Aoi mentioning someone digging around her past."Ah, that might have made her extra motivated to piss me off. You shouldn't have bothered and saved the time and money, my lady. If I run into that woman, I will know instantly. Trust me, I will know," you say while vainly trying to use chopsticks to pick at the strange bowl of whitish grains. It's not going well, a spoon is a better choice for eating it. Your difficulties don't escape the notice of the other woman."I guess that one isn't ready to be added to the menu yet. Rice is so expensive these days, so I'm experimenting with some alternative dishes. You're eating something called couscous. I'll have to experiment a bit more on cooking it."You can almost hear the godfather lamenting how far Japan has fallen when a decent bowl of rice is too expensive to serve. Then again, he'd probably be more depressed to see how far his wife has fallen after the cops seized a majority of the gang's funds and assets. Whatever was leftover stolen by traitorous 'brothers' who fled, particularly by the saiko komon consigliere and kaikei accountant of the Sumi gang. May they die and reincarnate to terrible future lives.The godmother had only her own resources she kept on hand, and without men to maintain and protect the 'businesses'... Well, she had to sell out at cheap rate to the more ruthless gangs filling the void. Sumi territory is now the Toyo Group stomping ground. You look at the matriarch of the Sumi gang and see how tired she is, the grey hairs of age and wrinkles of stress around her eyes seem more plentiful than before. If she had decided to only focus whatever money she got on just on her daughter and son, she'd be sitting pretty.
>>6358717But she didn't abandon those left behind. She didn't abandon you."It's almost time for you to go back to your group home. Before you go, I've got some small jobs you can help out with. Don't say you'll do all of them! I've got others to help out too but I figure you want to do something.""Of course, my lady. Tell me about them."The godmother needs some assistance...>Help a lady and her kid escape to safety, her husband has gotten abusive and is presently locked up, so it's the perfect time to leave...>Visit a dying member of the gang at the hospital, he got out of jail just after the crisis and wants to know the truth on what ended the gang...>Help a kid clean up an apartment, her mom is too tired working night shift to help and it's gotten out of control...>Renovate a room at a private shelter with some other ladies, part of the poverty business run by the godmother...>Do some paperwork and help a lady apply for welfare, you'll need to dress well and make sure the documents are in order....>Take some money and go groceries shopping with an old widow, she's waiting for her delayed pension cheque and can't buy anything...
>>6358718>Visit a dying member of the gang at the hospital, he got out of jail just after the crisis and wants to know the truth on what ended the gang...
>>6358718>>Help a lady and her kid escape to safety, her husband has gotten abusive and is presently locked up, so it's the perfect time to leave...
>>6358718>Help a lady and her kid escape to safety, her husband has gotten abusive and is presently locked up, so it's the perfect time to leave...
>>6358718>>Renovate a room at a private shelter with some other ladies, part of the poverty business run by the godmother...
>>6358718>>Visit a dying member of the gang at the hospital, he got out of jail just after the crisis and wants to know the truth on what ended the gang...
Seems we have a majority on moving someone out of danger to safety.With some sprinkling interest of personally telling a dying gangster the truth because he can't stand not knowing.
The godmother lays out the jobs she needs help with while you take dirty dishes and bowls to wash in the small kitchen of the bar. While working with hot water and soap, you ponder the jobs. When the details about a request from an elder brother at the hospital showed up, you almost immediately volunteered without hearing the rest. It takes some effort to remain silent until you've heard them all out. None of the jobs has the scent of danger that would require your skills and unique ability except for one. "Help Chie-chan and her little boy, Asato, escape to safety? What the hell is wrong with 'aniki' Hisato? He managed to dodge getting thrown in the clink, and this is how an elder brother acts after getting lucky?" You say while drying the last glass and passing it to Lady Sumi to store on a shelf. The godmother sighs and pulls out another cigarette from her nearly empty pack. Part of you goes, 'oh shit', it has to be pretty bad for your old lady to indulge in two cigarettes back-to-back. You bring out the lighter once more and light it for the other woman. She takes a long, slow drag to gather her thoughts. "Stupid bastard got hooked on shabu again. Chie can't bring herself to go through the entire process of helping him get clean for a second time, not when they have a little son thrown in the mix. Worse, she thinks he's selling magu meth tablets on the side too. All on Toyo Group territory without permission too, and hopefully without them noticing. Don't know when it happened, but I found out he got picked up by the cops for questioning; he should be in custody until the full 23 days are up. I've asked Emi to bring her truck around tomorrow morning for the move." You absorb the news in silence. You weren't close to the elder brother in question; you know his wife much better. Chie worked in one of the Sumi gang's most profitable bars as a pianist and hostess, so you often saw her while on 'inspection' with the godmother. Heck, even took care of the son on occasion so she could go out on a date with her husband. "Why not make the move tonight? You said you don't even know when he got collared, and there's no guarantee that he'll get the full 23 days of detention," you point out a possible flaw in the timeline of the job. "Sweetie, I'm lucky I can pull in the help on such short notice. Everyone is busy and working to put food on the table for their kids. It was like pulling out hen's teeth to get one of the ladies to take in Asato for tonight only. Chie needed time to make up her mind and hesitated on reaching out for help until yesterday. Also, she works the night shift at a Toyo Group bar, and they aren't willing to give one of their girls a night off just because she has problems at home." Lady Sumi pauses to take one long drag all the way to the butt before tossing it into an ashtray overflowing with spent cigarettes.
>>6359801"All right, I'm on it. Tell me the address of the place, and I'll head on over after roll call tomorrow at the group home. If I get the job done quickly, I can join that visit to the elder brother at the hospital with you. He'll prefer the whole deal from someone who was there when it happened." "Don't worry if you don't have the time. If a 'kobun' won't believe me, then you've got no chance. He won't trust some 'ane-san' he's never met."After that, the godmother shoos you away from 'Last Chance'. It's time to go back. Through the dirty side streets and alleys, you return to the brightness of the city. The starkness of the contrast is like exiting a world of darkness into one of light. The train is full of clean, respectable people with glazed eyes glued to the screens of their smartphones. You can't afford to be so oblivious keep scanning for danger until something catches your eye when getting close to home. It's 'Queen Bee' Morita Aoi and some guy arguing just around the corner from the group home and standing in the middle of the street. You pause to survey the area while listening in to the very loud argument. The guy looks to be in his early thirties and has a greasy look, suggesting he's mostly unwashed. The black backpack he carries is bulging with camera equipment. "I don't give a fuck, you pervert. I'll call the fucking cops," Aoi snarls with surprising ferocity and brandishes her cheap smartphone. Her face is stormy and black; it is intimidating. They're like the eyes of a killer staring at a soft-bellied pig, and it sends actual shivers down your back. The greasy-looking man is taken aback too, as though he can't quite fathom such a cute girl could look so ferocious. "Why the hell would the cops care about some stupid bitch? Besides, it's not as if I'm taking pictures without permission. I've already paid to rent the room, and I'm going to pay her after, so I damn well will get my money's worth!" He shouts back with indignation and more than a bit of fear. You know this type. The type of man who likes to hang around because they know there are vulnerable girls they can victimize. Takamichi Group Home always has problems with these sorts and tries to enforce curfew on the girls to make sure they're back before a certain time, but that doesn't stop men from hanging around. They are the reason why blackout curtains are on every window in the building and for the daily checks inside searching for hidden cameras. The security guard is at the door of the group home, but that is the limit of their range of protection.Which is why these sorts hang around just out of sight and around corners surrounding your temporary home.
>>6359802He's also right about the cops not caring about a bunch of troubled teen girls. They won't do anything, not even when presented with video evidence from the security cameras surrounding the area showing these men skulking about. It's not against the law to hang around in the area, and video isn't sufficient evidence to prove that a girl is coerced or deceived into leaving with strange men. Not even pointing out that those men aren't relatives or that they look old enough to be their father can get the cops to react. In their eyes, a girl 'willingly' left in the company of such men, so there's nothing they can do.Hm, what to do? >Leave it up to Morita to deal with this, if she wants to act like a hero then she better step up... (Callous, Hate Feels Good)>Kick the guy in the balls repeatedly until he falls unconscious or runs away. Violence works wonders and you've trained for it... (Self-Defense Training, Fighting Fit)>Intimidate the guy into leaving, you have the calm aura of a gangster and some old Sumi Brotherly Association business cards in your pocket... (Threatening Aura, Deception)>Tell Morita to get the guy on video and post his face online, the threat of embarrassment and shaming should drive him away... (Quick Thinking, Non Violent Solution)>Act all friendly like, and wrap your arm over the guy's shoulder. That way you can 'guide' him away and then kindly tell him to fuck off... (Beneath Suspicion, One Hiragana Character Difference)
>>6359803>Leave it up to Morita to deal with this, if she wants to act like a hero then she better step up... (Callous, Hate Feels Good)focus on Chie-chan.
>>6359803>Intimidate the guy into leaving, you have the calm aura of a gangster and some old Sumi Brotherly Association business cards in your pocket... (Threatening Aura, Deception)We have to stay around the group home too, so better to keep the place clear of annoyances
>>6359803>Leave it up to Morita to deal with this, if she wants to act like a hero then she better step up... (Callous, Hate Feels Good)We can't pick up after everyone, and if things devolve there's always next time. Or if they get serious there's the guard too.She should already have this in hand, and if not; it's just one more reason why Morita's not worth trusting.
>>6359803>Intimidate the guy into leaving, you have the calm aura of a gangster and some old Sumi Brotherly Association business cards in your pocket... (Threatening Aura, Deception)
>>6359803>Act all friendly like, and wrap your arm over the guy's shoulder. That way you can 'guide' him away and then kindly tell him to fuck off... (Beneath Suspicion, One Hiragana Character Difference)I'd rather not let animals shit in our pen, or risk letting others handle it. That being said, I also don't want to ostentatiously give Morita fuel for her bullshit, or leave evidence in the hands of the creep we are trying to get rid of, or in the eyes of witnesses generally. Morita is probably gonna use that phone to plaster his face everywhere to anyone who will listen without our help anyways, not that she'd listen to us.Ignoring the context of the situation and leaving our hatred of Morita aside for a moment though, I think if this is a trait pick, Fighting Fit is probably the best fit for our supernatural toughness. Fight well, and can take hits and get back up after a beating. Kinda pigeonholes us though.
Paranoia, but what are the chances that Morita just shows up near where ane-san works? Has she been stalking her?
>>6359835>but what are the chances that Morita just shows up near where ane-san works?Somewhat high, it's not like we're making overt OPSEC considerations and taking overly circuitous routes or checking for tails. But conversely what exactly is she going to do if she finds out the truth?Besides it not like we don't have "pull", or would be unable to find out where she lives should we need to.Worst comes to worst, we invite her to the bar to meet the godmother and she never leaves the establishment.
>>6359803Hm. Okay, thinking carefully... Option 1 means he may still be around here with camera equipment when we need to move our charge. That could be bad, if images get out online and her husband or his creditors in the underworld find out where she's at or who she left with.Option 2 could catch us a charge. If the cops think this guy is doing nothing wrong, we have no legal basis to assault him.Option 3, as another anon pointed out, leaves this guy (and Morita) with evidence of our continued criminal involvement.Option 5 will certainly result in Morita spreading rumors that we're some sort of ho at group therapy.So I vote... >Tell Morita to get the guy on video and post his face online, the threat of embarrassment and shaming should drive him away... (Quick Thinking, Non Violent Solution)
>>6359803>>Intimidate the guy into leaving, you have the calm aura of a gangster and some old Sumi Brotherly Association business cards in your pocket... (Threatening Aura, Deception)
>>6359803>Kick the guy in the balls repeatedly until he falls unconscious or runs away. Violence works wonders and you've trained for it... (Self-Defense Training, Fighting Fit)Gorilla anesan. If you can't beat some retard, the supernatural stuff is out of your reach.
>>6359803>>Act all friendly like, and wrap your arm over the guy's shoulder. That way you can 'guide' him away and then kindly tell him to fuck off... (Beneath Suspicion, One Hiragana Character Difference)
seems we're going for threatening aura and deception
Does ane-san's toughness also extend to her endurance? Tarn! Tarn! Tarn!
>>6360583It does but she's never pushed it to the absolute limit, so she does not realize how far she can go.
Slight delay, I've been requested to read this book as soon as possible and return it.It's a short read but I don't think I'll be able to post tonight.
>>6361320Is it good so far?
>>6361323It's definitely a very different take on Magical girls than I'm used to. Being a fan of 90s style japanese magical girls, it is hard for me to jive with the hyper capitalistic Korean take on magical girls.Or the notion of a union to protect the rights and wages of magical girls with classes and symposiums on climate change.Or how the main character's transformation device is a credit card and that she's drowning in credit card debt so it might have influenced the creation of said magical girl transformation trinket.The big thing is that many magical girls are actually in a wide range of age. So we have teens to grannies and that some become magical girls late in life because they never realized they had magic.
>>6361332>granniesMagical Sumi matriarch quest when?>she's drowning in credit card debtDefinitely South Korea
In your pocket is a stainless steel business card holder with some old Sumi Brotherly Association business cards. They're relics of the past, useful for the situation at hand when combined with your experience and intimidating aura. It's like the bad old times. Other types prey upon the vulnerable teen girls too. One particular type is the yakuza. They have recruiters and procuresses who entice girls with jobs at various entertainment 'water trades'. It could be something like a hostess pouring drinks and flirting with men or doing pornography or just straight-up prostitution. In the past, the best procuress of the Sumi gang requested you to accompany her on recruitment runs as a bodyguard. Too many horny men kept on bothering her during recruitment, spoiling many potential contracts or even trying something with her. An intimidating male gangster would make things harder for recruiting girls. But another girl around the same age as the 'birds' she's seeking to catch? You didn't just protect her; you made things much easier by just hanging around that woman. It put potential girls at ease and fooled many of them into thinking that maybe the job offer wasn't so bad. That woman even tried to convince you to try out being a hostess. Perhaps she thought there was a big bonus if she succeeded. You've been told you have a pretty face, but each attempt to train you in the soft art of seduction failed. It turns out becoming a bodyguard to ward off perverts and men looking for an easy lay had completely spoiled any potential in you for playing with the feelings of men. Intimidation starts with speaking with the eyes, making them cold and sharp. Seduction also starts with speaking with the eyes, making them warm and welcoming.The two are polar opposites. Then there's the fact that men who go to hostess bars want someone to honor them, to appreciate them, and to basically make them feel admired. If there's something great about someone, you can wholeheartedly praise them and forthrightly celebrate their achievements. But the stroking of someone's ego over nonexistent qualities is beyond your abilities. That procuress gave up trying to teach those soft skills and sarcastically commented that in Japanese, the only difference between a yakuza gangster and a yakusha actor is one hiragana character. All yakuza have to be actors to survive.You are not much of an actor. You can only play one role very well, and that role is yourself. Speak with the eyes, calmly assess the situation, have an attitude of 'if you're fine, then I'm fine,' but be prepared if things aren't fine, and remember that competence and confidence are the best things to ward off the weak and bullies.
>>6361768You walk towards the arguing pair, making sure that your footsteps are loud and clear. It catches their attention; the screaming match peters out as they turn their eyes upon you. Morita's lips are tightly pressed into a thin line of disapproval as she warily watches as you slowly walk closer. The greasy pervert, on the other hand, is less cautious and still keyed up from the argument he had been in with Morita. When you get within a few feet, he spits out belligerence. "Who the fuck are you?" Threatening Aura, when necessary the threat of violence and retribution hangs in the air and intimidates an opponent. +4 on rolls when turning up the pressure...Deception, sleights of hand, and distracting someone come naturally. +4 on rolls involving legerdemain skills.. There's no need to answer right away. Instead, in silence, you stop and turn a calm look upon the sweaty man and gaze upon him for a few seconds to judge his character. Then crisply bow to the man, catching him off guard with eerie formality. The distraction allows a closer inspection of what is on his person. Wallet in right-hand pocket, cellphone in breast pocket, no weapons and a waist pouch. "My apologies. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Senjou of the Sumi Brotherly Association. Here is my card," with practiced ease, you smoothly take out a business card and present it with both hands as though meeting a regular businessman. Stunned, the pervert takes the card and quickly reads over the kanji characters of your name. Then he sees the crest of the Sumi gang. While he's distracted, your hands reach out...Three anons, roll 2d20+4! Best of three...
Rolled 9, 8 + 4 = 21 (2d20 + 4)>>6361771
Rolled 11, 2 + 4 = 17 (2d20 + 4)>>6361771
Rolled 3, 11 + 4 = 18 (2d20 + 4)>>6361771
>>6361776>>6361782>>6361783Aw shit, we're rusty.
Rolled 12, 15 + 1 = 28 (2d20 + 1)Well then, let's see how it goes
>>636178813, 12 is the best of the rolls.You intimidate but fail to pickpocket.
'When takin' somethin' that don't belong to you, always make sure that the mark is distracted.' It's a lesson that the master bakuto pounded into your head. You wanted to expand your range of skills and knowledge, all for getting a promotion to jobs that are more profitable in the gang. A glorified servant doesn't exactly win respect or money in a gang. Well, glorified servant bodyguard. You learned the traditional gambling games and all the tricks and plays, how to catch cheaters, and how to manipulate the cards and dice to give wins and losses. Gambling is entertainment where the players aim to lose money for fun. Sometimes you need to interfere to make it fun and keep players in the game by letting them occasionally win, especially if they suffer a bad losing streak. Who knew that manipulating cards and dice translates well to other sleight of hand skills like pickpocketing, misdirection, and receiving 'hot' items to hide on your person. You used those skills before for a bad situation, taking and hiding a bloodied knife in your jacket while walking away from the scene of a crime. So straight up taking something out of a pocket of a distracted guy should be easy. Your hands reach out and... "Huh, what are you doing?!" Morita suddenly speaks out just as your hand slips forward to grab the wallet in man's right-hand pocket. Shit. Corollary lesson: when there are multiple people, you need to distract all of them or make sure they're not paying attention. If the master were around to see this screw-up, he'd smack you for forgetting. Why couldn't Morita just keep her mouth shut!? You redirect the trajectory of your hand from the pocket to the lapels of the greasy pervert's shirt. Dear god, the cloth is soaked with his disgusting sweat and skin oil. It takes effort, but you keep the face calm and neutral as you twist the seized shirt lapel and slam the man into the cinder block wall he's standing right beside. There's a sound of camera equipment crunching from impact. He yelps painfully as his body wetly smacks against the wall. He shivers with fear from the suddenness of the violence, not noticing your failed attempt to pickpocket his wallet. Your intent was to learn his name from opening up the wallet and seeing his ID. You screwed up and need to discard that plan. Violence is always an option; it's just not the optimal solution to everything. "This is a public street; having two people arguing so loudly and so close to Takamichi Group Home makes things difficult for my associates," you say without skipping a beat from your mistake. Morita luckily shuts her mouth and watches without comment."Look, I-I-I don't want any trouble. I-I-I can just go," the stuttering man says as he raises open hands in a placating manner. You aren't sure if he's really going though, some idiots have more balls than brains. So you take out your phone and quickly take a picture. The bright flash blinds the man.
>>6363277"Excellent, a wise choice. I'll just send this photo to my associates to make sure they know your face. I don't suppose you have a business card yourself? It's only good manners, after all, you have mine."It takes only a few seconds to reduce the man to a frightened mess. The business card, the sudden eruption of violence, the picture taken, and the lies about 'associates' combine to send him running. You even got the business card back. You watch as he disappears towards the train station. This only leaves Morita to deal with. "Aoi, I got that girl to safety! She's back at the----," the happy voice dies down to a squeak as "Normie Teen" appears around a corner. Your brain draws a blank when trying to remember the girl's name. You've been going to the group therapy session often enough you should remember her name. Is it because she's so unremarkable? An average teen with black hair and glasses, too quiet and too pliant against stronger personalities surrounding her and meekly obeys them. She is the natural follower, unable to resist or make a stand for her principles. Girls like her piss you off. You probably decided not to remember her name because she stands for nothing; she simply floats through life and goes wherever it takes her. "Good, well then, it's time to go," Aoi announces with forced cheer and makes a move to get away."That's not how things work!" You shout in anger and dash towards "Normie Teen" to grab her. There's no point in intimidating Queen Bee; she's too tough of a nut to crack, but the other girl can barely keep her composure. You grab the white t-shirt of the panicking Normie and move to shove her against the concrete wall.Luck of the LucklessIt should have been a solid wall. It should have been a repeat of what you did to that greasy pervert. A solid smack on concrete blocks and a sharp yelp of pain followed by some blubbering from the victim mixed in too. Yet the concrete wall that looked so solid and real turned out to be an illusion. Normie Teen's body goes right through, and the momentum carries you through too. It's a hard crash turned tumble onto the ground with your victim. You are in the tiny garden of a suburban house close to the group home. Neglected plants crowd the small area with verdant greenery of the dark and still residence. "Oh, so that's where it is. You know, Mari, this wouldn't have happened if you remembered where the entrance was earlier," an unimpressed and irritated Aoi says as she suddenly appears in the garden by walking straight through the concrete wall. Your eyes have to be deceiving you. There is nothing but the uninterrupted concrete wall behind Morita; there is no doorway or entranceway to the street allowing passage. Yet Queen Bee just popped out of the wall. "Why is everyone so mean to me?" Mari wails in despair.
>>6363278This house is just around the corner from Takamichi Group Home. You observe that the second floor of the house is dark and quiet, but it is the perfect vantage point to observe the building. Hell, you think it's able to see the very window where your dorm room is. "Just what the hell is going on!? You two aren't leaving until I get an explanation," you snarl while gripping the terrified Mari's shirt ever more tightly. A torrent of panicked babble erupts from the weak-willed girl. "Please don't hurt me; I didn't mean to notice. Oh my god. I saw Pretty Star Warrior Seer while heading home one night, and then she disappeared into a wall. I live in this neighborhood, and I knew that you were somewhere around here too. I wasn't stalking you or anything; we ride the same train line, and you never seem to notice me. It's not my fault I'm so forgettable that you didn't recognize me. Oh, why do I have such bad luck! The girls at the therapy session are so curious because you still have your whole Heart Crystal. Everyone else at least has half their Heart taken. Well, everyone except me and you. Oh, Miss Morita is different though. The Pretty Star Warriors borrowed her entire Heart and...""SHUT UP MARI!" Aoi shouts while trying one of the doors of the quiet house. The sliding door facing the small garden is unlocked. It opens smoothly and silently."And what do you plan on doing?" You join the other girl at the open door. It seems for all of Queen Bee's bravado, she's reluctant to enter the dark house alone."Ugh, what do you think? To investigate this place and see if those Pretty Star Warriors left something behind. You weren't supposed to be outside at this hour. Why the hell are you still out?" Here Aoi stops to glare at the crawling retreating figure of "Normie Teen" Mari. "Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?! You're coming with me and helping!""Come on, I did enough. Why do I have to help, ask the gangbanger for help!" Mari whines but a stern look from the Queen Bee is enough to put a stop to it. With great reluctance, she joins everyone at the open door. "First of all, I am not a mere gangbanger. I am an actual oath-sworn. Second, keep on disrespecting me, and you'll quickly find out the difference," you mutter threateningly to the spineless girl. Then you remember her name at last, it's Nagato Mari. Whatever, this girl is always going to be 'Normie' to you.No one makes a move to enter the silent dark house. You thought the Queen Bee would take the lead but she's surprisingly skittish. Her eyes scanning the dark house as though searching for traps despite the place looking completely empty. There's no furnishing at all in the place, and it's unusually clean. You grab 'Normie' and shove her through the door. She screams and falls into the house, nothing happens."OW! Why did you throw me in here?!" Mari sputters as scrambles to stand up.
>>6363279"I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything weird inside. As a mere underling, you were the natural choice to toss in. I've got business with Morita after this, she clearly knows more than you.""And why do you think I'll talk? If you think beating the shit out of me is going squeeze the info, you're dead fucking wrong."This is a waste of time."Excuse me for the rudeness, I am coming in," you call out just in case someone is residing inside and boldly step inside the house with your shoes on. 3 anons, roll 1d20
Rolled 3 (1d20)>>6363280heartache
Rolled 1 (1d20)>>6363280
Rolled 10, 18, 3 = 31 (3d20)>>6363293Ah, that's quick. Good thing you have Normie with you.Luck of the Luckless activates.
>Normie and Yakuza have full heart crystalsNeat. full magic.
>>6363296W-wait, we still have one more roll, right?? Someone could save us with a nat 20!
>>6363346You do, I'm waiting for roll 3...
Rolled 12 (1d20)>>6363349I'll help!
>>6363374Thanks for trying, anon.
A deep gut instinct tells you that something is off. The abandoned house is far too clean. There is no dust anywhere; it is evident no one has been living in the place for a while. The wildly overgrown plants in the garden prove it. You search for a light switch and flick it on. Brightness floods the room, revealing the empty perfection. Pristine walls with no evidence of marks from furniture or accidental scuffs and a floor polished to a mirror finish. You stand in the living room with your dirty shoes and start opening the doors in the first floor. It's a fairly modern layout and equipped with various household goods like a stove, fridge, and washing machine. By the time you examining the living room, you realize the other two are wasting their time actually taking off their shoes like polite guests. You scowl at them. "What are you doing? We're busting in to find the enemy, and you're acting like we're visiting friends. You should keep your shoes on, just in case." You give the two girls unsolicited advice while heading to the kitchen and opening the fridge. It's not empty. A single slice of ham sits lonely on a paper plate... It looks ominous for some reason.But it also looks delicious... You should eat it...The stupidity of randomly eating food left in the fridge of a seemingly empty house offends your intelligence. Moreover, it's a place where the Pretty Star Warriors are apparently using it too. You still blithely and happily grab the slice of ham and start chowing down. "What the fuck!? Why are you randomly eating shit in the fridge?!" Aoi runs to stop you from eating, but it's too late. The piece of deli meat disappears down your throat.Unnatural Toughness - Did you really eat that? Seriously? Good thing you have this trait, you're fine for now...You have a stomachache. Your insides gurgle and roil in pain from eating the piece of ham. If it wasn't for your unnatural toughness, you'd be running out of here and back to your dorm room. Your head swims; the idea of getting of here is very tempting. "Uh, I found a bottle. Wow, I'm thirsty." Mari had been opening up various closet doors and discovered a green water bottle; she struggles to open the cap. "What the fuck?! Stop drinking and eating random shit! Are you both stupid?" Aoi charges to stop the other girl. Luckily, Mari is very uncoordinated and drops the bottle as soon as she gets the cap off. Strange white liquid splashes over the floor and makes a wet puddle. The search gets worse. You discover a cookie on the floor in the hallway and stoop down to eat it. The idea of eating something off the floor fills you with disgust, but you couldn't resist. The crumbly butter cookie tastes awfully delicious, to the point you scramble to pick up the crumbs off the floor to devour.Unnatural Toughness - Uh, wait. What? Why? You're putting your body through some unnecessary weird shit...You feel really sick...
>>6364187Somewhere behind you, Aoi is smacking Mari like an errant kitten trying to eat something it shouldn't. Normie has the good luck of having a forceful personality like Queen Bee to keep her out of trouble and in line. Unfortunately, you don't have someone to stop you from discovering and eating random food items hidden away. Like the piece of chocolate in the kitchen sink or the rice cracker hidden in the closet or that...Unnatural Toughness - You won't die, you will simply wish you did.Mild poison - Suffer a -2 to rolls tonight and tomorrow..."For fuck's sake, you two sit down and let me clear out the poisoned snacks!" Aoi pushes you back to the empty living room and forces you to sit down by Mari. It takes all your strength not to roll around on the floor in intense pain and leave the empty house. You watch as Queen Bee picks up various snacks and drink bottles hidden around the first floor and tosses them into the washroom. "Why the hell aren't you affected? The moment I laid eyes on any of those things, I wanted to eat them," you groaned out the question burning in your mind. Morita ignores it, and after finishing her hunt for hidden poisoned snacks, she disposes of them in the toilet. Then she heads up to the second floor. Ugh. Damn it, you can't just stay down here while she scopes out the place. She's so damn uncooperative that she won't share any of her discoveries with you. "Hey, we should probably let Miss Morita go ahead and clear out the snack traps. She doesn't have her Heart Crystal, so I think magic compelling us to eat those snacks doesn't affect her," Mari states as she holds your hand to keep you from leaving. You pull your hand away and glare at Normie, who wilts. "So a nice bonus for not having her Heart anymore, huh? What else should I know about her? Or about everyone in our therapy group?""Um, well, Miss Shinoda wanted to wait until you were ready to tell your story before we told you anything more. Um, it's hard to trust someone who won't share anything about themselves. There was a girl who joined the group therapy session before you... She turned out to be a Pretty Star Warrior in disguise." You try to muster up energy to be surprised. Somehow, you aren't. In the first place, someone arranged the group therapy session for 'victims of unknown circumstances' and gathered known female victims of the Arkadian Kingdom. You have never met this organizer of the group therapy. Secondly, it's clear the government bureaucrats and social workers don't believe in nine girls claiming that supernatural forces compelled them to commit crimes. They would never have created this therapy group in the first place. "GIVE ME BACK MY HEART!!!" A primal scream from Aoi from the second floor above interrupts your thoughts.
>>6364188Soon you hear the sounds of violent kicking at the walls. The house shakes from the force of it and then shakes at angry feet charging down the stairs. Queen Bee Morita Aoi crackles with anger as she stomps back to where you and Mari sit. "Waste of fucking time. We're leaving, Mari," Aoi imperiously orders and puts her shoes back on. "Um, what should we do about Miss Senjou?" Mari looks at you worriedly; she had seen you eat a number of poisoned snacks. "I'm fine; nothing I can't handle. I don't need your pity or help," you growl and start crawling towards the stairs. You have more questions for them, but that'll have to wait. There could be something the Queen Bee missed during her search upstairs; it would be good to search the place on your own. "You heard her; she's not going to die. Come on, we've been out way too late. I have to go to school tomorrow." With her shoes now on, Aoi drags the reluctant Mari out of the house. They really left you alone in this house.The Sumi gang had a construction company, so you're able to determine the quality of a build. This is a good new build, and all the household appliances are brand new. If it's really a recent construction, you can contact Lady Sumi to investigate who owns the property deed and what company constructed the house. It's a long shot, but perhaps there's something to lead you back to the Pretty Star Warriors. Staggering up the stairs, you explore the various bedrooms. They are as empty and clean as downstairs; if Morita found something, then she took it with her. One bedroom catches your attention; it has a balcony attached. When you go out to look, you can see that the balcony is directly across from the second floor of the group home you are staying in. You can see a window with blackout curtains that belongs to the room you share with another girl. If Pretty Star Warrior Seer is here monitoring you, then this house disguised by illusions is the perfect observation post. You don't recall looking out the window of your dorm room and seeing this house from it. Damn, magic is great. If you had this type of power for the gang, then it would have taken over all of Japan. Your 'oyaji' boss would have been the true patriotic ruler of the land of a thousand autumns. But now?Now all this magic and the potential it represents are worthless. Nostalgia and crying over what-ifs just serve to piss you off even more. You open various closet doors to confirm they're empty. All that's left is the bathroom, and when you open the door, you realize you had made a horrible mistake. On the floor is a pile of delicious (poisonous) and delectable (horrible) snacks. You realize too late that if Morita found the poisonous snacks, she would have to find a place to dispose of them or hide them. That place is this bathroom.Unnatural Toughness - Good thing you can heal...Poisoned - Suffer a -4 to rolls tonight and tomorrow...
>>6364189You carefully mark the hidden entrance of the house with a thistle flower you found in the garden, then stagger back to Takamichi Group Home in a haze of pain.Morning arrives and you are still in great pain.Anons, choose two options...>Send a message to godmother to ask for a copy of the investigative report on Queen Bee Morita Aoi and tell her to investigate the hidden house...>Have a talk with Mrs. Takamichi, make sure she received her 'gift'....>Dress carefully and nicely today, you are on a job...>Stagger to the pharmacy and get something to kill the stomach pain...>Ask around and find out who Normie Girl Nagato Mari helped last night, it was a girl from this group home...>Arm yourself with a 'dosu' knife, just in case. Hopefully you won't get caught with the weapon...>Try to finish some of your schoolwork, the correspondence school is waiting for your first submission...>write in
>>6364190Oh god, we're going to be so sick, and so bloated. Eurgh.>>6364190>Stagger to the pharmacy and get something to kill the stomach pain...>Dress carefully and nicely today, you are on a job...The rest can wait. The Pretty Star Warriors are the past. We have responsibilities now.
>>6364200+1
>>6364190This >>6364200
>>6364190>Send a message to godmother to ask for a copy of the investigative report on Queen Bee Morita Aoi and tell her to investigate the hidden house...>Stagger to the pharmacy and get something to kill the stomach pain...
>>6364190>Dress carefully and nicely today, you are on a job...>Ask around and find out who Normie Girl Nagato Mari helped last night, it was a girl from this group home...
It seems we're dressing nicely and stagger to get meds
In your locked safe is the first and only formal bit of clothing you possess. The girls at the group home jokingly call it the 'Chainsaw Man' cosplay suit, but they are wrong. It is a high-quality black suit tailored to your proportions. You even have custom bespoke leather shoes to match with it. One of the many gifts bestowed upon you by Lady Hathor of love and madness. This is one of the rare few from her you've kept. It is hard to rationalize the reasoning behind keeping a gift from an enemy. Was it because she acknowledged the unfairness of not having a proper suit despite working for the Sumi gang for years? You really wanted one. Everyone in the gang kept on saying you didn't need one and should just dress in 'samue' work clothes to differentiate yourself from real gangsters. You groan with pain as you do up the last button of your suit. Refined Looks - Clothes makes the woman. The 'katagi' civilians are more inclined to trust such a well-dressed, respectful-looking young woman. You sometimes even get mistaken for a young elite of some sort.You look in the mirror and admire the transformation from a mere teen punk to a proper 'young woman'. The expensive cosmetics you have are running out; this is one of the last few times you'll look so good. There's no way you can afford to buy more. Another gift you've kept from the time you were with Lady Hathor. Memories come unbidden when you think about her again. It was raining the first day you met her.…Ack!Unnatural Toughness - Your body is still trying to heal itself...Poisoned - Suffer a -4 to rolls tonight and tomorrow...Right, no time for reminisces. You barely slept because of the pain. You need to find a pharmacy to get some stomach medicine. Each step down the stairs to the meeting hall jostles the stomach and adds to the agony of your body. The other girls in the hallway whisper to each other and stare in wonder seeing you so well dressed. There's a reason why you have a locked personal safe. It's to keep the other girls from taking these clothes and cosmetics. They'd sell it to a fence or ruin it out of spite if they got their hands on it. It took quite a bit of convincing to have permission to keep such high-end items here. You told Ms. Takamichi that it would help for 'job interviews' or some such nonsense but the older woman rolled her eyes in disbelief.She simply stated that if it went missing or got destroyed, it was your fault for keeping something so valuable at the group home. She's paid to allow you some leeway and privileges at the group home but that doesn't mean she'll guard your valuables if you get careless.You stagger out from the group home and head to the nearest pharmacy store. It's a small mom and pop place, not a very clean nor prosperous looking business so customers are rare. The sort of place that would pay protection money to a gang if they knew what was good for them.
>>6365370You down the liquid medication you purchased in one gulp.Unnatural Toughness - Every little bit helps!Mild Poison - Suffer a -2 to rolls today...Ah, well, it'll get better eventually. You toss the empty bottle into the garbage and notice something. The garbage can is mostly empty, so you can see it right away. Black shattered crystals mingle with your empty medicine bottle. The strange crystals seem to be weakly sucking in light. It's a shattered Arkadian Black Thorn, and it's been recently destroyed. You turn to find the storeowner of the pharmacy. "Hey Granny. I was wondering if anyone came by the store yesterday or this morning? Did they toss something in the garbage?" You ask a very old woman puttering about the store. She must be hard of hearing; she doesn't respond. "Hey Granny! Did anyone come by the store today or yesterday?!" You raise your voice to the nearly deaf old woman. Refined Looks—You ask some odd questions, but it must be for a reason. "Eh, what? Well, only you this morning so far. Yesterday? Hm, hm, hm. Oh, a tall boy and his very pretty girlfriend yesterday evening. They were such a charming couple. Are they friends of yours?" You hesitate but plow on with a lie. "I think so. Was the girl about this tall, and did she smell like flowers?" You raise your hand to the approximate height of Lady Hathor. "Oh yes, and I know my flowers. She smelled like a lily of the valley in the rain." You freeze and remember the scent of rain. The ever-changing and ever-present scent of flowers lingering over her skin. Your Heart longs to---- Wait. 'Girlfriend'. She was with a guy? Who the hell is the guy!? "That's her all right. I guess we missed each other yesterday. I don't know about the boyfriend, though; can you describe him to me?" You smile pleasantly at the old woman while struggling to contain your darker feelings to yourself. "Hm, he's taller than you, dear. I must say he's quite the muscular young man and very handsome. They seemed quite close. I wish more customers were like them," the old woman prattles on. A deluge of gossipy tidbits comes in on everything from their clothing to the intimacy they displayed to how polite they were when purchasing some water. So it seems that Lady Hathor of love and madness has found another handsome knight to guard her. Not that you care; what you care about is that they were hanging around here near the group home. Two factions, Arkadian Kingdom and Pretty Star Warriors are uncomfortably close by. Why you? Is it because your Heart Crystal is still whole and intact despite everything that has happened? You ponder while taking the train to Chie's address. You blend in exceptionally well in the sea of office workers in suits and soon arrive in the neighbourhood. It's a quiet suburb of apartment buildings and condos.
>>6365372You send a quick text on your phone to the godmother that you've arrived. You don't expect a response back any time soon and quickly arrive at the address. You ring the doorbell and note the camera on it, so Chie should be able to see you. There's no response from inside. You are about to send a text message to the woman and tell her of your arrival but stop. Something is off. You circle around the apartment building and note the balcony door for the apartment is wide open for some reason. You climb up on a low wall and look to see utter chaos within. Smashed furniture, shattered plates and bowls, an upended fridge with food and drink spilling out, and other evidence of violence visible through the open glass balcony doors. It is a good thing that the young son, Asato, didn't stay overnight at home. What to do...>Knock on a neighbour's door and see if anyone in, perhaps they can tell you something...>Jump on to the balcony and enter the apartment, you need to investigate...>Contact the godmother and Emi with the moving truck about the situation...>Leave the apartment building and head directly to the hostess bar where Chie works, it's a Toyo Group bar...>Try to enter through the door, maybe it's open and you can investigate....>write in
>>6365375>Contact the godmother and Emi with the moving truck about the situation...In case anything happens to us, they need to know what's going on.
>>6365375>Contact the godmother and Emi with the moving truck about the situation...I don't want to enter and leave evidence that could incriminate us, at least not before we exhaust other local avenues of investigation and inform the godmother of what is going on. Crashing the bar right away, and in our state, is reckless.
>>6365375>Contact the godmother and Emi with the moving truck about the situation...
>>6365375>Knock on a neighbour's door and see if anyone in, perhaps they can tell you something...We're wearing our nice suit so they'll talk to us
>>6365457+1play into intimidation and professionalism
>>6365375>>Knock on a neighbour's door and see if anyone in, perhaps they can tell you something...
But what I wanna know is where's Kingdom Hearts?
Hm, we're even between the two choices.I'll give it more time. The choices will make an impact after all.
>>6365856I'll switch to...>Knock on a neighbour's door and see if anyone in, perhaps they can tell you something......since it makes sense to be proactive and find more information before informing the godmother of what is going on. Plus anon is right about the nice suit.I'm >>6365388 fyi, just in case my ID switched (the power to my room cut very suddenly owing to my heater causing an electrical fire and blowing out an outlet).
>>6365901Sure, I'll switch to this as well, to keep things moving.
got home late, okay, we're knocking on doors.
>>6366186Huh? Door knocking, as in to gather up support for an election, or are you drunk?Also, I'm >>6365901 just so anons know there's no funny business going on.
>>6366192QM is saying it's locked for>Knock on a neighbour's door and see if anyone in, perhaps they can tell you something...
>>6366194Oh, derp. Maybe I'm the one who is drunk.
Sorry for the delay, I sprained my fingers. Typing with only the left hand is unique. Hopefully post tonight
>>6367867Oh damn. Get better soon, QM!
>>6367867>QM Curse bullying the QM yet again
You're tempted to immediately inform the godmother.Except she's asleep. Working the night at 'Last Chance' means she is not up until the afternoon. The old woman needs her sleep. It's not like the good old days when she had a staffed office with a secretary and a full slate of associates to assist. Back then you only had to call and inform someone there of whatever problem you had on the job, and an 'operations chief' would help solve the issue. The only people on this job are yourself and the godmother. Oh, and Emi. You almost call her but stop yourself in time. Is Emi the type to forge on with a job when there is a possibility of danger? Just because she's volunteering doesn't mean she has the innate chivalry and humanity to tough out a dangerous situation for someone in need. You fiddle with your cellphone indecisively for a few seconds. The clock is ticking; there's an hour before Emi arrives with the truck. You need more information. Given the state of the apartment from what you've seen, whoever did it made a lot of noise. The neighbors definitely overheard whatever happened and might provide information on the situation. The apartment building is a low two-storey concrete building. It is the typical abode of working-class families of this area. The people who live here are not the type to call the cops or intervene. You know from bitter personal experience that people are reluctant to get involved in something they think is family related. Yet there might be someone in that's willing to talk at least. It's a good thing that you decided to dress extra well today; the suit will lend well to the illusion of being with the authorities. Oh damn. Maybe you are turning into a 'yakusha' actor like that squalid procuress wanted you to become. It is a most displeasing thought. You begin with the next-door neighbour to the right of Chie's apartment. The door bell rings, and you can hear the sound of someone inside the apartment. You straighten your back and square your shoulders to present the picture of professionalism and confidence. You sense someone approaching the door; they're peering through the peephole to see who it is. Odd, the doorbell to this apartment is old-fashioned and has no camera. "Please excuse my intrusion. My name is Senjou Azami. May I be permitted to ask a few questions regarding your neighbor Mrs. Kiyotaka Chie?" You speak with the most respectful honorific form of Japanese and hope for the best. Refined Looks - Sophisticated attire, proper formal speech, works like a charm on older Japanese.The door opens a crack, and the aged face of a woman peeks through. "May I first ask what you intend to do if I answer your questions?" The senior asks quietly and watches your reaction carefully.
>>6368562"Find Mrs. Kiyotaka and help her move. My associates are aware of her.... personal situation," you say this quite smoothly. It's not even a lie; it's technically the truth. The door opens a bit wider, and the old woman hits you with a deluge of complaints and details. "Good, because I can't take another sleepless night! Young people these days. Why in my day---" Crap, she's a cranky senior citizen with a beef with her neighbor. It's impossible to derail or redirect the hag to relevant information. You hear about the downfall of the Japanese family because of poor morals, the details of the many fights next door, and the strange men coming by the apartment last night to trash the apartment even though no one was home. Useful information is intermixed with useless complaints. At 2 a.m., three men entered the apartment and tore it apart.Chie wasn't with the men who trashed the apartment.The neighbor downstairs confronted the three men and chased them off.It seems no one called the police.The landlord is coming in the afternoon to serve an eviction notice. This goddamn lady won't shut up; it's been 10 minutes. Time to put an end to this! You slam an open palm onto the doorframe with a bang; the walls shake a little from the force. That immediately shuts up the old woman. Silence stretches for a few seconds; you deliberately let the dead air continue. Then you finally break it with Yakuza-style intimidation. "I thank you most kindly for your solicitous attention to the Kiyotaka family. Please be assured that my associates and I intend to deliver Mrs. Kiyotaka and her son to safety as soon as possible. Ah, and naturally, the faster we can get that done, the faster you can start enjoying a life of peace and quiet. So please, restrain yourself elder to the relevant details that may save these unfortunates and restore tranquility to your life." Threatening Aura - A little pressure to shut off the fire hose. A nervous laugh bubbles out of the old woman. Shaken, she wants to end the conversation now that she realizes exactly what you are. But you still have questions. This only ends when you let it. "Did you overhear anything those men said while they were in the apartment?" The senior answers your question more concisely. They said something about 'not getting paid unless they find it.'During a pause in the destruction next door, they said, 'This job sucks, now we have to find one of them.' When the downstairs neighbor confronted the men, they said, 'We'd fuck you up, but there ain't no money in it.'
Ah, you got a clear idea of the men who came to the apartment. They're 'hangure', the new generation of criminals stalking the streets. The criminals who rejected joining the Yakuza because the code of honor is too strict and because the anti-gang laws ravaging the Yakuza are too much. They're hired guns with no loyalty and get hired through the dark net for jobs. A proper Yakuza member would never whine about a job not being profitable. They might complain about how difficult it is out of hearing of law-abiding citizens, but indulging in such a thing is unmanly and insulting to your superiors. Who hired them is hard to figure out. It could be an actual Yakuza gang or another hangure group wanting to take out a rival dealer of 'shabu'. Someone has clearly figured out Hisato is dealing. Whatever they were looking for, they didn't find it in the apartment. Either because it's not there or it's too well hidden during the search. They never mentioned what they were looking for. If you have to guess, it's the meth tablets that Hisato is selling. Or it could be the money he earned from selling. You thank the older woman with courtesy and formality before moving on to the neighbor to the left. No one is home. So down you go to each door, knocking to see if someone is home and ask questions. The only person home at this hour in the morning is the neighbor who dared confront the hired criminals and chased them off. He's a tall Brazilian-Japanese man, built like a boxer, and has cauliflower ears. Ah, that might explain why those punks decided not to mess with him. Heck, you don't want to mess with him. He's not very impressed by your suit nor by the formal Japanese you're using. In fact, you have to stop using it because he can't really follow what you're saying. Instead of intimidating or impressing the man, it turns into a strange game of trying to convince him that you mean to help Chie and her son. Refined Looks and Intimidating Aura - Sometimes it just doesn't work, particularly if they're foreigners. "I want no trouble." Even this level of Japanese is clearly a struggle for the man. He smiles genially, knowing that you can't really force him to do anything. "No trouble, amigo. I want to know about the men who came last night." "Want no trouble but asks about trouble. Me thinks that thou are just more trouble." Huh? Did this guy just use TV samurai dialogue? Well, not that you can say much. You learned a bit of Korean by watching K-dramas after all."I'm here to help, and---"The Brazilian simply shuts the door in your face. It takes a few seconds to control your temper and not kick down the door in anger. You needed some other type of skill to coax out the information but that's fine. You got a general idea of the situation even though you don't know what these three hangure punks look like.
>>6368571Emi arrives with her truck right on time. It's time to redirect and delay. You jump into the passenger side of the truck, catching the other woman off guard."Hey, what's going on? Aren't we supposed to transport a bunch of furniture today?" Emi asks curiously."Change of plans, Chie isn't in. Take the truck to the parking near 'Last Chance'. Lady Sumi still owns it, so you don't have to pay. Your job is take care of little Asato for the day. Go watch a movie, play at a park, or whatever. At dinnertime, go to the bar and talk with the godmother. I'll be in with Chie and you can take them back to her parents place in Hokkaido."Emi narrows her eyes with suspicion and wants to ask more questions but you are simply too intimidating. You don't offer any more information, but a bit reassurance."Even if they have to move with nothing but the clothing on their back, they'll still be safe away from Tokyo. I'm doing the legwork to make it happen. Come on, drive. I need you to drop me off at a place I know."Luckily, there's no more questions. Emi drops you off at a particular part of town where you used to work the rounds with the godmother. You still have contacts here and know a few places where Chie might find a place to hide.>Ask an old associate to check on some hangure job postings...>Have a talk with a friendly cafe owner, he might have heard from Chie...>Go bother someone you know staying at a dosshouse, you used to be friendly with them... >Ask the corrupt cop you know about Hisato and his business...>Text Chie, maybe she'll respond back? That is, if she has her cellphone...>Check out love hotel 'Dean', you know the owner there...
>>6368564Toyo group thugs, here for Hisato's meth.>>6368571Nevermind.>>6368573>Have a talk with a friendly cafe owner, he might have heard from Chie...Chie comes first, before all the other threads of the tapestry being woven. Texting her would be straightfoward, but with how fast things are moving, I'm not sure who would be on the other end.
>>6368564>Worse, she thinks he's selling magu meth tablets on the side too. All on Toyo Group territory without permission too, and hopefully without them noticing. Don't know when it happened, but I found out he got picked up by the cops for questioning; he should be in custody until the full 23 days are up>They said something about 'not getting paid unless they find it.'>During a pause in the destruction next door, they said, 'This job sucks, now we have to find one of them.'>When the downstairs neighbor confronted the men, they said, 'We'd fuck you up, but there ain't no money in it.'Did the Toyo Group hire these hangure bastards to trash the apartment to loot the meth tablets while the guy is away in police custody? Find "it", find "one of them"? They wouldn't be using "it" most likely if they were after Chie or Asato. It can't be the drug money because "one of them" doesn't fit along the lines of dirty cash. It might be the meth tablets then. Why do they need just one if they were hired to try to find all of them? Perhaps they were hired on to be paid per tablet recovered and not one lump sum for the whole thing? It sounds like the most plausible thing to hook these mercenary dogs on a jobIf we text Chie about what happened to her place and if Toyo Group gets wind of it while she's on the job, she and her son are screwed. I don't think texting her is a valid option here, and if it is then it is extremely high risk. I don't trust the love hotel and do not want our girl Senjou to get anywhere near it. How would the cafe owner hear about Chie if she's at her bar job overnight and it's early morning at this point? I don't know, that "used to be friendly with them" doesn't bode well for the dosshouse contact. Hangure job postings might take too long.My vote>Ask the corrupt cop you know about Hisato and his business...If we can learn locations where Hisato might have been dealing or storing the goods that weren't in his fucking apartment, then we have our next targets to go check before the hangure thugs and who knows who else gets to them first.>>6368577>Chie needed time to make up her mind and hesitated on reaching out for help until yesterday. Also, she works the night shift at a Toyo Group bar, and they aren't willing to give one of their girls a night off just because she has problems at home.Also an option here >>6365375>Leave the apartment building and head directly to the hostess bar where Chie works, it's a Toyo Group bar...I do NOT trust the Toyo Group men at all. I want to avoid them as much as possible on this task
>>6368577>>6368578Hang on, why would Toyo Group hire hangure to do this when they have their own men? And couldn't they just put pressure on Chie to spill the beans on her husband's locations? I doubt she'd know, but if they were trying offscreen then she might be in danger... but what can we do about "what if" that and "might be" that? I think that's overreaching.
>>6368579Because of the anti-gang laws of Japan now operate, it is safer for Yakuza gangs to hire non associated muscle. Jail sentences for doing crime while being in a gang is far higher than freelance criminals doing crimes.In fact, I expect Yakuza to become 'extinct' or morph into 'hangure' like gangs.
>>6368578"One of them" could be an awkward way of saying 'either the drugs or the money', but yeah, more likely it sounds like they are now after either Hisato or Chie, since they didn't find the items they were looking for.>reminderRight, right, I knew I was forgetting something like that. My mind has been slipping a lot recently.>>6368579Maybe they suffered losses due to recent crackdowns, or are experimenting with outsourcing work, as an adaptation to the times? You have a point about Chie. At this point I think that we can discount these hangure working for the Toyo group for now, with this in mind.>>6368573I'll switch to>Ask the corrupt cop you know about Hisato and his business...
>>6368573>Ask the corrupt cop you know about Hisato and his business...
>>6368573>Ask an old associate to check on some hangure job postings...Let's figure out who we're up against and what they're actually after. We could be operating on flawed assumptions.
Seems that we're going to ask a corrupt cop.Unless we have a burst of votes before 1 a.m.I'll be asleep then.
A bit of writer's block. I'll make the post long to make up for it.
>>6370256Looking forward to it, QM!
The punks who rifled through the apartment bother you. Something about it is off. If it was the Toyo Group, they could just put pressure on Chie for information on her husband's business. No need to send a bunch of amateur criminals to break in; they could just have her to open the door and hand over whatever they were looking for. Drugs or money. It has to be one of those two; what else could there be? But the neighbor overheard them say, 'this job sucks; now we have to find one of them.' What does that mean? One of them? As in people or as in items? Chie is missing. Her shift ended at 3 a.m. You expected her to be at the apartment to pack up essential items and some furnishings to take up north to her parents' place in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. The bar she works at would have cleaned up and shut down for the day at around 6 or 7 in the morning. It won't open up again until the evening; there's no one there right now. It's pointless to go and see if you can ask questions. Those punks came at 2 a.m. while she was at work. Unless she wasn't at work. Did she skip out on her shift? If so.... Damn it, you're no 'deka' detective. Hell, this is probably something Queen Bee Morita or Police Girl Shinoda would do real well with. One is super nosy and relentless, and the other still has connections with the police. Police... That's right. Hisato is right now in the hands of the police. One thing is certain: the guy can't be dealing drugs all on his lonesome. At a minimum, he needs a supplier, a place to stash the drugs, and a way to move the money to pay for them. Being a former 'elder brother' with a reputation and street cred, he could easily find the people he needs to start up. Maybe learning more about what he's been up to will illuminate the situation and let you figure out what is going on and help find Chie. You happen to know a cop with some flexible morals and a friendly attitude toward yakuza. He has his ear to the ground and knows the area very well. Back when the Sumi gang ran this 'shima' territory, he would know within days or even within hours if something happened. The man is the premier information broker and got regular payments to share his intel or just keep his mouth shut. Unnatural Toughness - You ate supernatural poisonous snacks last night, your body is still processing it. Mild Poison - Suffer a -2 to rolls today... You really hope your stomach settles down soon! Officer Kanda Reo should be at his post. It's a quick walk through what used to be your routine 'inspection' route. You pass by so many familiar streets and businesses. The tobacco shop where you picked up cigarettes for the Sumi gang members, the restaurant where you used pick up take out, the hairdresser where you shepherded children for a trim, everything about this territory reminds you of the past. And the past clearly remembers you.
>>6370903Some of the shop owners politely bow good morning and address you by name. It is startling, but you return their greetings with politeness. It is a surprise they are treating you with such deference, but then you realize the suit stands out. You look like a proper member of a chivalrous organization. Given that they remember you used to work with the godmother, they must think you've joined a new gang and got made.This is bad. This is Toyo Group territory now, and they don't like intruders. Best to get in and out of here as soon as possible. Soon you arrive at a familiar squat concrete building. An ugly cookie-cutter structure found throughout the country by the thousands. Hot in summer and freezing in winter, it is the dowdy, unglamorous workplace of the Japanese police. The local 'koban' police box. Standing just outside it are two people you never expected to see. 'Police Girl' Shinoda Takeo and 'Romance Nerd' Shibusawa Yuki by the police bulletin board and engrossed in conversation with each other. They don't realize you're close. "I'm telling you that this is a crooked cop. I don't want anything to do with him," Shinoda sternly states with a glare at Romance Nerd. "Look, all I need is time and an art reference. This guy might allow us to make a breakthrough, so introduce me to him. Then I can make a sketch," Shibusawa says as she flourishes her sketchbook like a badge as though it is enough to convince anyone to let her have her way. You scorn the idea of hiding or letting them continue talking unaware of your presence. Whatever plots they have spinning, it has nothing to do with you. There's no time to waste talking; you have a woman to find and get out of Tokyo. You knock on the door of the police box and enter, ignoring the two girls. There's a sudden squeak of dismay as the two realize your sudden arrival. Inside the depressingly bare concrete box is a police officer busily watching some sort of video on his cellphone at his desk. He didn't glance up to look and see who entered after hearing the knock. "Greetings Officer Kanda, it's been a while." Your voice is enough to cause him to suddenly put down his cellphone and look at you. He takes a few long seconds to look up and down slowly. "Well, look what we have here," a wide smile appears as he drawls out the words. "God, I love a woman in a sharp suit. Makes my imagination run wild about taking it off her." "And I see that you remain nasty as ever," you reply mildly to his provocation. He laughs and for a moment straightens up to look like a model police officer, the sort that gets put on recruitment posters. Tall and attractive and probably gay. Actually, scratch that. He's definitely a homo. Despite his comments on taking off your suit, you've seen him ogling men far too often to believe he'd ever show genuine interest in women. "Part of the new order around here?" Curiosity colors his voice as he carefully notes your reaction.
>>6370904Ah, the old game. It's not as if you have money to pay for the info he has. You have to keep him entertained with the answers you give for the answers you want."I shouldn't have come into old Sumi territory in a fancy suit. So do me a favor and answer my questions quick." The corrupt police officer carelessly lays out a blank piece of paper and pen on his bare desk. A scrupulous, hardworking man for the things he cares about, he is poised and ready to write. "Baby, Toyo Group ain't gonna care about some washed up 'ane-san' sister wandering about in a nice suit. You ain't worth nothing more than a second glance. The only reason they'd look at ya for a third time is to see if you'd be interested in delivering 'health services' to clients. Speaking of which, ya interested? You could easily clear a few million yen with that pretty face of yours. I'll only take a 30 percent cut of the profits." Damn this cop; he really knows how to piss you off. "Trying to make a side hustle as a cop? Sounds like the Toyo Group isn't interested in your skills and services. Otherwise, you'd be off skipping work and playing pachinko." Outside, you can hear Shinoda and Shibusawa trying to eavesdrop on your conversation. A sharp glance from Officer Kanda shows he's aware of the teen girls. He frowns and stands up from his desk. "Gotta clear out some loiterers. Give me a few seconds." Ah, he sounds ready to slap Shinoda and Shibusawa around to chase them off. While you don't care much for Romance Nerd, Shinoda Takeo is a different matter. "I know them. They're part of my group therapy, and one of the girl's outside is the daughter of a police family. Also, they know you're not on the straight and narrow. They're here to ask for a favor, I overheard them.""Ah, well, sad to say, I don't do business with strangers. Are you vouching for them?"Ah, that's an incredibly important question. You weigh if doing a favor for Police Girl is a good thing or not. The weight comes down in favor for Shinoda. If Normie and Queen Bee has some sort of special ability like your regeneration ability, then likely Shinoda and Shibusawa do too."I can vouch for Shinoda Takeo. She's the girl from the cop family."The cop stops mid scribble. He looks ready to laugh like a maniac."Shinoda... Wait, the daughter of that hoity-toity Shinoda of the National Police Agency? The one who resigned last year? Seriously!? AHAHAHAHA!! Sure, I'll listen to what they have to say. So what do ya wanna know today?""I need to know about Kiyotaka Hisato and any info on him recently. He was arrested."Eight days ago, police took in Kiyotaka Hisato over suspicions of drug dealing and other related offenses. There's some sort of group flooding the streets with pills, etomidate zombie tobacco, and shabu.
>>6370905Through a stroke of luck, a detective found out Kiyotaka Hisato is hooked on shabu and was seen by a fellow junkie dropping pills by accident. Yet when they arrested him, they were surprised to discover he didn't have any goods on him and his cellphone was clean. They had expected to find at least something, but since they failed, they decided to hold him and grill him. He's a man of gokudo; he knows not to talk. Police don't have enough proof to get a warrant to search his apartment nor have a reason to talk to his wife. They know he's still associated with some former gangsters and petty criminals. Except somehow, these associates kept their identity hidden and dodged surveillance with startling ease. "Ya wouldn't happen to know who he might work with?" Officer Kanda interrupts his dry review of the arrest of Hisato and looks at you to judge your reaction. "I only learned yesterday he fell off the wagon and got hooked on shabu again. The godfather forbade drug dealing. Also, screw you for asking for names." You say this without much heat; already your brain is going down a rolodex of former Sumi gang members still running around free. It is a very short list. "How noble, your gang only dealt with prostitution, gambling, and violence. Oh, and construction. Much less criminal," Officer Kanda scoffs before continuing. His workplace is at a coin locker company. Detectives thought he might be hiding drugs in various coin lockers or leaving them inside for buyers and dealers. This is right now a dead end. His workplace is full of shady characters; they didn't allow the police to look without a warrant. As long as Hisato remains silent, there's no way to justify getting one. The digital detectives are monitoring some online dark markets and social networks; they know that someone is selling a lot of drugs. The question is how the goods get to the customer. Reviews left by anonymous buyers comment on how fast and discreet delivery is after paying. There's never any mention of seeing who delivered it. It just appears at their home or at a designated location. "Wait, you arrested him on the word of some junkie? What sort of bullshit is that? Where's the evidence he's even part of this group of dealers pushing drugs? Don't tell me you arrested him specifically because he's a former yakuza." You get annoyed; it's not unusual for cops to just arrest former criminals and see what shakes out. "No, it's because, like the group that they're trying to investigate... He is weirdly hard to follow and do surveillance on. Right up to disappearing in front of the eyes of his tail, or suddenly his cellphone can't be tracked. So imagine the surprise of the detectives when he's been visible and easy to find for a change. They nabbed him near San-San Chinese while eating with someone. No word on who he was sitting with, the guy up and disappeared when they went in to grab him."
>>6370906That sounds like magic. The hair at the back of your neck stand. It takes everything to keep your face neutral while Officer Kanda blathers on. "The detectives let him loose today. The man was bouncing off the walls because of withdrawal. They figure if they cut him loose and let him swim, he'll lead them straight to his partners or get a hit. Either way, it's a win." You know the situation better, and it seems like Magical Bullshit TM. "Thanks, Officer. I'll ask Lady Sumi to make those rice balls with honeyed umeboshi plums you like so much." "Ask her to make sure the plum pits ain't in them. Nearly cracked my tooth on one of them last time." You exit the claustrophobic police box and run straight into your fellow group therapy members standing at the door. They were clearly listening in on the conversation. Shinoda and Shibusawa are openly staring at you. They've never seen you dress up so fancy. Romance Nerd is digging into her bag for her cellphone. "Can you hold that pose for me, Senjou? You look really, really good. Wow, I could draw a doujin comic based on how you look. I just need a pic to act as an art reference," Romance Nerd says as she finally finds her cellphone. Threatening Aura - Fails miserably against the passion of an artist seeing something they like. "Don't do it, Yuki. She looks like she's going to kill you." Shinoda warns the overly enthusiastic artist to stay her hand. "If you need to talk with Officer Kanda, go in. I've cleared you but not Yaoi Girl, so you do most of the talking." You try to get past them, but Police Girl steps in your way. "Just what are you planning to do? It sounds dangerous," Shinoda starts, but you silence her. "I could ask the same to you, but you aren't going to answer, so why should I?" It's easy to shake them off. The two girls watch as you walk away. You aren't any closer to finding Chie, but you've learned more about Hisato's doings. He's right now running around trying to dodge the police and get a hit of shabu from somewhere. He won't try to find Chie and Asato yet; his addiction is driving him to find drugs before he can think of doing anything else. Hopefully, you won't run into him somewhere. You leave a message to the godmother updating her on the situation. It's almost lunchtime, so she'll be up soon, hopefully. Where did Chie go?>Go eat lunch at San-San Chinese and wait for a message from the godmother, you know the owner so you can ask about Hisato's arrest while waiting... >Find a Toyo Group member you know, he should be up and at a local thieves market. Maybe he knows if Chie went to work or not last night...>Have a talk with a friendly cafe owner, he might have heard from Chie and might know about some former Sumi gang members dealing in drugs...>Text Chie, maybe she'll respond back? That is, if she has her cellphone...>Eavesdrop on Police Girl and Romance Nerd, it's only fair! They listened in on you...
>>6370907>Have a talk with a friendly cafe owner, he might have heard from Chie and might know about some former Sumi gang members dealing in drugs...Two birds, one stone. This magical bullshit drug business stuff is pretty interesting, but unless they are holding Chie hostage or something, looking into them is secondary to finding Chie herself.Loved the update, officer Kanda is quite the character.
>>6370915+1Was the cop detour entirely a dead end? I get hints that it was in regards to this immediate short-term case, but we gained other info and interaction to help much later on
>>6370907>Have a talk with a friendly cafe owner, he might have heard from Chie and might know about some former Sumi gang members dealing in drugs...>>6370915I think they're chasing Chie, directly or indirectly, because she has whatever magical (?) thing they want. Also, yeah, Kanda is great
>>6370925I think this will help us later down the line. Even if it isn't immediately useful, it's a small world, we'll probably be running into whoever hired the hangure sooner or later. If I had to take a wild guess, the coin lockers is indeed what the detectives expect, sort of, but where the magical aspect comes into play is that each locker leads to the doorstep of each client, or perhaps you squeeze in and end up in some magical liminal space, where you can move in secrecy. Or something, I dunno.>>6370937Yeah, agreed, I think that's where this leads. Even if they're not after her directly, they only have so many leads to go off of. Which leads them to track her to find what they are after. Ultimately I think we'll get tied up in a deeper web, but for now our responsibility is just helping Chie and Asato escape to safety. Unless these other investigations help us find or protect her, we should narrow our focus to actually being in her presence. Can't protect her if we're not with her, after all.
Cafe owner wins
While your little talk with Officer Kanda cleared up a few details, you couldn't tip your hands about Chie's disappearance. The corrupt cop will sell information if the price is right. If the Toyo Group comes around to ask questions, he will happily provide.You mentally review the timeline. Hisato falls into addiction again or starts selling. Which occurred first is immaterial. What really matters is that he starts getting abusive against his wife and kid. You know from personal experience that domestic violence begins well before anyone outside the family notices or the wife finally admits there's a problem. Police noticed an uptick in drugs on the street and know there's a new group selling. They hone in on Hisato because someone saw him with drugs and turned over the info to the police. Except the cops can't seem to catch him out or lose track of him all the time. Whatever group he is with has magical bullshit helping out, meaning the Arkadian Kingdom is involved. Hisato loses that magical bullshit somehow, and the cops are finally able to keep him under watch. He was eating with someone who disappeared right when they finally arrested him eight days ago but found nothing on him. Chie realizes something is wrong when her husband doesn't return home. She takes a week to make a decision to leave with her kid. Calls the godmother, and here you are. So did Chie acquire the magical thingy? Finding someone mundane is possible through mundane methods, but once magic enters the equation, then it's going to take magic to solve. Assuming Chie took the magical thingy in the first place. Hisato lost the ability to remain hidden about two weeks ago, and he's a drug addict. Maybe he dropped the thingy while blitzed on drugs and now can't find it. Early this morning at 2 a.m., three hangure punks tear apart the Kiyotaka apartment, looking for something valuable and not finding it. They were hired by someone or some group. There's also another factor to consider. During that week with Hisato held in custody, what was the Toyo Group doing? They aren't morons. They already know a group is selling drugs on their territory. Did they not realize that the husband of one of their girls is involved? They must have. So why didn't they do anything to her? The answer is at the edge of your mind. This is getting too complicated. Either Chie is hiding, or she's being held against her will. You hope she's just hiding. A red building comes into view. Your next destination houses a particular cafe with an owner who shares the same hometown of Tomakomai, Hokkaido, with Chie. They graduated from the same high school and came to Tokyo together; they remain good friends to this day.
>>6373582That and he is a fence who resells high-value luxury items and dabbles in stolen goods. Chie often gets gifts from clients she can't really use. After all, she can't wear multiple expensive purses or use many bottles of high-end perfume. Many hostesses sell their excess luxury goods to him too. As for stolen items... well, he buys many things for resale. You met him often to purchase some of his high-end goods in person. Some gangsters want to buy something nice for the women in their life but discover they don't have the money to buy a completely new luxury brand. So they would send you out to buy something used and hide the truth that they cheaped out. The selection and quality offered by Ishida Kyou are top-notch and mostly offered through his online store. However, only select clients access the best stock. As a buyer and seller of many things, Ishida Kyou receives offers and requests for drugs. It is always a request made in vain; he doesn't touch those particular goods. "Welcome! Oh, Miss Senjou, it's been a long time since I last saw you. Here to purchase some fine quality goods? Got a Vacheron Constantin watch recently," Ishida says as he smiles pleasantly and waves you to come closer. Given how you're dressed, perhaps he thinks you're here to purchase luxury goods on behalf of a gangster. The cafe has customers sitting in booths and tables, sipping coffee and viewing his catalogue of goods. You come up to the cafe counter and lean closely to him so none of the customers can hear. "Something has happened to Chie." Ishida's eyes narrow, and he regards you coolly. He won't talk unless you can reassure him. Your fine suit, intimidating aura, and history with the Sumi gang are not going to be the key to convincing him. "I'm supposed to help her go back to Tomakomai, Lady Sumi's orders," you offer info he would only know about. Chie had called the godmother from this cafe after all. He nods and takes you to a private room to talk. It is small with simply a fine wooden table laid with various high-end goods and locked cabinets lining the wall. "Didn't think things would get moving so quickly; she made that call yesterday. Watching her hide out at the cafe with her son because of her asshole husband was tough. It got to a point I was about to tell her I wasn't going to help her anymore. Luckily, she didn't need to hit rock bottom to reach that point. Now what's this about Chie? What happened?" "Three hangure punks tore apart her apartment looking for something, and Chie's missing. Her son is okay and is with someone, but it's a mess. Hisato isn't just addicted; he's also dealing. I need to hear where Chie might be hiding out and get her to safety. Also, if you have any info on the drug-dealing group Hisato is involved with."
>>6373583"Damn. Everything seemed fine yesterday when she made the call to Lady Sumi. She hasn't messaged or called me after that. If she's hiding out, I would guess one of her co-workers would help. Let me make a few calls to some girls who work with her. Don't worry, they can be trusted, and they trust me." Those few calls return information that makes your blood run cold. They saw Chie walk out with a customer who insisted on having drinks together at another bar. The man just had to speak with the manager, and she was ordered to go. A picture secretly taken shows what the customer looks like. It is a tall young man with blonde hair in a flashy suit hugging a nervous Chie. You recognize his face. His name is Yamaguchi Hiro, and he used to be a 'recruit' of the Sumi gang, hoping to one day become oath sworn and exchange cups with the godfather. He was also a prick and tried to bully you, a coward who thought he could get away with it even though you were the same rank as he was. He abandoned the boss and crew immediately after learning the Pretty Star Warriors had leaked the secrets of the gang to the police. He was just a mere 'recruit' and hadn't done any major crimes worth getting arrested over yet, so it's no surprise he's still running around free. "Never seen this guy before. Chie told me that her husband hangs around Maeda and Kimura. If he's in business then it would be with them," Ishida comments after you give back his cellphone. You remember Maeda and Kimura as former 'younger brothers' of the old Sumi gang. Kiyotaka Hisato was the 'elder brother', he used to be their immediate superior. "No surprise you don't recognize him, I remember him back when he was a chinpira punk of no importance. Yamaguchi cut and ran when we had to take down our gang kanban signboard forever. What troubles me is that the manager didn't kick up a fuss when he demanded Chie. He's likely joined up with the Toyo Group." "The general behavior of the Toyo Group is weird. Some assholes are running around their territory selling drugs, they aren't reacting as they should. You would think they'd start grilling Chie about her husband's business."Ishida makes the same observation about Toyo Group you did. An answer starts to firm up in your mind and reveals itself. "Our drug-dealing group made a deal with the Toyo Group. It works out for both. Toyo Group gets to avoid the anti-gang laws and make money, while the drug dealers get access to the market and make money too. That leaves the question of who hired three hangure to mess up the apartment looking for something, but that's not really important right now. I need to track down this punk and get him to let go of Chie." "If this Yamaguchi is a Toyo Group member, then you're going against an entire gang to rescue Chie."
>>6373584"Yamaguchi is acting independently. Toyo Group didn't do anything to Chie for weeks; it's unlikely there's a reason for that to suddenly change. So what if Hisato got arrested. Why would they care? As long as the drug-dealing group keeps the money flowing and they don't bring down the cops on them, then there's no reason for them to nab her. But Yamaguchi is different. He was there when things went down at the Sumi gang and he knows the signs of magical bullshit as well as I do. He probably wants it for himself." You're ninety percent sure that the punk who grabbed Chie is doing it without permission and knowledge from the Toyo Group. Of course, you have a ten percent possibility of being wrong. Oh well, that's the criminal life for you. You can't play safe and hope for a guaranteed hundred percent outcome all the time. Yamaguchi is a cowardly asshole who definitely would go after a katagi civilian. Your phone rings. It's past noon; the godmother is up, and she heard your message. You pick up. "I got your message. New orders for you. If it involves the Toyo Group in any way, stay out of it," the order from the godmother is not what you expected at all. Your response is silence. "I don't hear an answer." The old lady's voice turns hard as steel when the silence stretches too long. "My lady, I know who has Chie; at least let me try to negotiate her return." "If it involves the Toyo Group in any way, stay out of it. If they have Chie, we wait and see if they'll let her go after they're done." Toyo Group probably won't harm Chie. The same cannot be assumed with Yamaguchi. You need to present another angle to the situation. "There's evidence that the Arkadian Kingdom is involved. This is a good opportunity to find out more and maybe 'allow us to pay our respects'." In yakuza speech, 'paying our respect' is the polite shorthand for 'exacting vengeance'. This is the first time in a year of searching that you've caught the scent of one of your enemies. It is a bitter thought that former 'brothers' decided to join hands with the Arkadian Kingdom willingly after everything that happened. You know that the godmother wouldn't want to lose this opportunity either. She's silent and thinking it over, weighing the odds and dangers. "I know, but I don't think you have what it takes to get this done without blood being spilled. You're too much of an Ashura, you'll lose your temper and start a fight." Fierce Loyalty - The godmother gave her orders; it is your duty to obey. Ishida is looking at you with despair. He caught on that the tide is turning on helping his childhood friend. He begins opening up some cabinets and pulls out some valuables. Luxury watches, ruby necklaces, diamond rings, fine gold bracelets, and wads of cash appear like magic.
>>6373587"Tell that old hag I've got cash and jewelry to bribe them into letting Chie go." He hisses with irritation. If the prize is magic, you don't know what good mundane stuff like money will do. What can you do...>Tell Lady Sumi that Ishida Kyou is willing to front bribe money to free Chie.... (roll 1d20-2)>Reassure the godmother, there will be absolutely no violence. You want to try to negotiate... (roll 1d20-2)>Explain that Yamaguchi Hiro is definitely holding Chie behind the backs of the Toyo Group for his own purposes; it will not be dangerous... (roll 1d20-2)>You know a few people who might help and not escalate situation. Even better, you won't be directly involved... (ask a favor from Police Girl and Romance Nerd, you'll owe them big.)>Obey orders and leave Chie be, the godmother will issue you a new mission...>write in...
>>6373589>Tell Lady Sumi that Ishida Kyou is willing to front bribe money to free Chie.... (roll 1d20-2)We can't really promise there will be no violence. Or we can, but we can't be sure of keeping that promise. I would like to explain that Yamaguchi is likely acting without the Toyo Group's backing regardless, but to say it won't be dangerous is also something we can't guarantee. Though really, as long as greater consequences from the Toyo group are avoided, what harm is there in a little personal danger, when we are so resilient? Telling the godmother what Ishida is offering up is simple and straightforwardly makes the negotiations easier if she accepts, and doesn't overpromise.Involving Shinoda would be a cool way to tie her into the ongoing plot and make her relevant, but it is a hell of an ask, and I'm not sure we'd reasonably get her involved. Still, I'd like to offer that up as a last resort rather than backing down, should we fail the roll. Narrative entanglements are fun and not to be avoided, I don't mind owing them.
>>6373589>If the prize is magic, you don't know what good mundane stuff like money will do.But isn't it still worth it? Greed is a corrupting force; those thugs and Yamaguchi could still be easily swayed by riches and wealth. And if we do find out that Yamaguchi was truly doing this behind Toyo Group's backs, then that gives us free rein to fuck him up, right?>>6373610+1If all goes well, Ishida Kyou might not even have to part with his valuables
>>6373589>Explain that Yamaguchi Hiro is definitely holding Chie behind the backs of the Toyo Group for his own purposes; it will not be dangerous... (roll 1d20-2)I'm confident!
>>6373589>Tell Lady Sumi that Ishida Kyou is willing to front bribe money to free Chie.... (roll 1d20-2)friendship
>>6373589>Explain that Yamaguchi Hiro is definitely holding Chie behind the backs of the Toyo Group for his own purposes; it will not be dangerous... (roll 1d20-2)
Money makes the world go round
Okay, 3 anons roll 1d20-2!
Rolled 18 - 2 (1d20 - 2)>>6374034I'm helping!
Rolled 1 - 2 (1d20 - 2)>>6374034Please do not be as cursed in rolls as MSV Quest was...
>>6374058
Rolled 9 - 2 (1d20 - 2)>>6374034Rollin'>>6374058I hate you...T_T
Oh, uh. Well, catastrophic failure. Too bad Normie Teen isn't here.
>>6374068Going back to never rolling in your quest OP. I ragequit back in MSV Quest, and it seems I am basically being told to go back to doing that here. Some things are simply not permitted to change
>>6374077Eh, at least vote for choices that are interesting, even if you don't want to roll...
You want to mention the bribe money but first you need to deal with something else. "Before we continue, Ishida, you need to apologize for insulting Lady Sumi." You won't tolerate disrespect to the godmother, but the look on Ishida's face is one of pure disbelief that transforms into anger. "Apologize to some hag who is literally abandoning the person asking for her help? And you're just going along with it? Where's that chivalry and honor that old hag always boasted of?" Ishida fires back with a clenched fist. "Now listen here, Lady Sumi doesn't give orders without thinking things through. For a guy who worried about facing down the entire Toyo Group earlier, you're quick to insult us when caution is suggested. Plans have gone sideways, but you can see we're still here trying to find a solution." "No, I can see clearly what the both of you are. An old lady running a rundown bar pretending she's still leading a gang with actual power, clinging to a past that is dead and gone. The other is some kid with delusions of being a tough mobster when her hands are clean and soft. I never should have encouraged Chie to reach out for help from you. It's clear I should have gone straight to the Toyo Group and paid them off rather than being an idiot. Not your fault; it's mine for thinking you'd be any help." This son of a bitch... Threatening Aura - You hate this blatant disrespect. "Says the man who didn't even realize his childhood friend was missing at all until I stepped through his door. Tell me, how long would it have taken you to notice she'd been nabbed? Or figure out who took her? Days, I imagine. By then, she'd be dumped in some alley after Yamaguchi is done with her. You're just a mere fence buying the dribs and drabs of people who don't respect you. And they shouldn't bother to respect you. You're barely able to keep up debt payments on your previous failed get-rich schemes. How many people do you still owe money to? Don't lecture me about having no power or importance, you punk. Have some respect, at least Lady Sumi still has the power to get things done and move people." Ishida argues back, and you argue back. Then come insults and threats. Voices are raised until the shouts get cut short by the weary sigh of a very old woman emitting from your cellphone. "I heard all that. Azami, sweetie, have lunch and cool your head before coming back to the bar. Now put me on speakerphone to talk to Ishida." The godmother's deceptively mild voice is exasperated since you just proved her right about your temper again. "My lady, I apologize. There's bribe---" You begin explaining, but she isn't having it. "Sweetie. Speakerphone. Now." You tap the icon and turn the phone towards Ishida. He folds his arms and glares, displeased and frustrated with how things are turning out. He encouraged Chie to reach out to Lady Sumi specifically, thinking she would help.
>>6375640"Listen well, Ishida, I heard you're ready to pay. Taking a bunch of cash and valuables to the Toyo Group to get what you want might work, but let me speak from personal experience before you run off to them. They will make you grovel and beg because you have no power and are desperate. After all that begging and groveling, they won't accept right away. They will put the squeeze on your business and force a monthly protection fee. Given your thin profit margins and debts, it might push you over the edge financially. After they set that up, then they might accept your bribe and free Chie. I suggest you go directly to the 'wakagashira' underboss; he's the man to deal with. I wish you luck if you go down that route. As for my girl and myself, we will take care of Asato and contact Chie's parents in Tomakomai about the situation. Our plan still is to transport her little boy directly to Hokkaido for safety."A disappointed ally - Ishida Kyou services won't be available until Kiyotaka Chie is rescued.This isn't how things are supposed to go. Ishida Kyou angrily banishes you from his cafe while he considers just how much he can sacrifice. You wonder just how close this friendship between Chie and him truly is and if there is any impropriety between the two. You don't think Chie has ever considered Ishida Kyou as anything more than a childhood friend. Is it the same for the fence towards Kiyotaka Chie? You don't know.New orders from the godmother is to return back to 'Last Chance' after lunch and get Asato ready for his ride up north. He needs a change of clothing and new shoes since going back to the Kiyotaka apartment is out of the question.Unnatural Toughness - You can't even stomach the thought of eatingMild Poison - Suffer a -2 to rolls today...You hate to leave this situation as is. A desperate thought occurs to you. You are forbidden from messing with anything Toyo Group related, the same cannot be said of others doing it on your behalf. 'Police Girl' and 'Romance Nerd' might be able to assist, and so you head back to the police box.The place is deserted. Officer Kanda is no longer sitting at his desk. As for the other two girls, they aren't around either. The artist Shibusawa wanted to make a sketch of the corrupt police officer for some reason, they must have gone off somewhere together. You don't have the contact information of any girls in the group therapy. Keeping yourself aloof from them has backfired.You spend a fruitless hour trying to seek them out and cannot find a trace of them anywhere. Officer Kanda is quite distinctive and there are two teen girls with him, people should have noticed where they've gone. Yet no one around the district can tell you anything.There's no more time... Unless...Do you really want to beg a favor from 'Queen Bee'?!>Yes... >No...
>>6375653>Yes... Only because it is interesting. I actually think this is a terrible idea, as Ishida is already working the angle of getting the Toyo group on Yamaguchi. We don't know how that will go, but the two girls could end up intervening in a way that makes things worse not better, screwing up negotiations or getting themselves in trouble from involvement. In other words, it sounds like fun!
>>6375653>Yes...Please let the Queen Bee eventually start to realize the depths she's out in and start developing character because of it.
>>6375653>Yes...Desperate times...
>>6375655>>6375747>>6375785I guess we'll ask Queen bee... but now I realize you honestly thought Shinoda and Shibusawa would actually go in and kick ass on your behalf to get Chie out. You haven't even started leveling up your social links folks...
>>6375853Social links? In a short quest? With our rolls? Not a chance.
You don't have the contact information of anyone from group therapy on your phone.But you know where to acquire it.The godmother commissioned an investigative report on 'Queen Bee' Morita Aoi. It contains a wide variety of information about the annoying girl. It will naturally contain things like Morita's social media handles, her phone number and much more. All you need to do is ask the godmother to send you a copy of the report. The old woman wouldn't bat an eye, you could just say you wanted to read it while on the train. There on page 2 of the report is the information you seek.Phone number.Multiple phone numbers.Morita owns two phones in regular use, one for normal life and another to talk with fellow group therapy members. Then there are burner phones, but the private investigators only discovered a few of them. She likely has many more.A strange sense of familiarity grows as you review the various secure messaging apps used by Queen Bee like Telegram. Then it hits you, Morita is like a 'deputy' overseeing the others. Deputies in the Sumi gang had a work phone and a 'family' phone; they never mixed those phones up. Of course, why Morita is acting like a 'deputy' for the members of the therapy group is a whole other question. You'll read the report later. Right now, you need to talk with Morita to acquire 'Police Girl' Shinoda's phone number.You send a text to the 'therapy group' phone.'This is Senjou, I need to ask for a favor.'You receive a text back instantly.'?? ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!''Use actual words. Please.''gawd u r so serious wdyw?''Shinoda's phone number.''wut? Not happening''I need her help. It's important.''call this number in three minutes then explain then i might help'You grit your teeth and wait three minutes then call. Morita Aoi answers immediately."I don't know how you got this number but just know that it won't be in use after this. So do your best to convince me."Morita sounds like she's walking in a hallway. The background noise of happy students fading away until silence reigns. How do you convince this girl to help?Last night, she was willing to help one of the girls from Takamichi Group Home for no other reason than charity despite being in over her head. "I am looking for a Kiyotaka Chie being held captive by Yamaguchi Hiro, a low-level yakuza associate. I want Shinoda's help to find her. That and figure out if the gangster is doing this on orders from his 'elder brothers' or 'uncles'. That's a stretch goal though, the important thing is I need to find Mrs. Kiyotaka. Shinoda only needs to do that. I can handle the rest, my job is to help Kiyotaka escape with her kid."
>>6376973The silence from Morita stretches as she ponders your request before responding."And why do you think Takeo is going to be able to help with that?" Morita asks wearily. The danger of the request is small, but it still involved a criminal associated with a bigger organization. That is enough to stymie most people, but the fact that Morita hasn't outright refused is a good sign."Because she has some sort of sixth sense of who is a criminal and who is not. I don't know what her special ability is called, but I saw her with Shibusawa today at a police box. She knew the officer inside was crooked as hell somehow. Shinoda also knew I was a 'sister' just by looking at me back when I first joined the therapy group. Her ability will help find Ms. Kiyotaka. You also have some sort of special ability and so does that luckless Nagato. I am guessing that everyone in our little misbegotten group has some kind of magical ability. Instead of calling us 'victims of unknown circumstances', we might as well call ourselves magical girls.""Don't ever say that to Akira, she'll lose her fucking mind."Ah, 'Fantasy Lover' Ito Akira. She wanted to be a 'magical girl', it was an idle fantasy that soured after the Arkadian Kingdom corrupted her Heart Crystal. She ended up fighting the Pretty Star Warriors ferociously with fire magic due to a paranoid belief they were a danger to the world. You wonder how powerful that ability remains for 'Fantasy Lover'."I also have a reason why you should let me have Shinoda's number. There's a group of drug dealers here on Toyo Group territory that is definitely using magic. Given Shinoda and Shibusawa's presence, I'm assuming they are here to investigate. I can help with that. This used to be Sumi gang territory. I still have contacts and resources here. It'll make things easier for them. If the Arkadian Kingdom is involved, the Pretty Star Warriors can't be far behind."This has to be enough to convince Morita. "What you're offering isn't enough to convince the others. Takeo and Yuki are more than able to investigate on their own without your help. Despite what you think, we're not helpless little girls without resources and abilities. We've been at this for a while, and we trust each other. Haven't you ever noticed that Takeo is the only girl in our group to willingly address you as 'Azami' sometimes?" You have noticed. You never address Shinoda by her first name because it feels rude and too intimate for an acquaintance. You might respect and appreciate her for showing courtesy and concern to you as a person, but that is not the same as friendship and trust.
>>6376975Trust is the problem. A Pretty Star Warrior in disguise had infiltrated the therapy group once, and you happen to be the new girl who joined right after that. These girls have censored their stories and omitted details because of that mistrust. You've sat and listened in without offering anything in return on what 'unknown circumstances' forced you to join them for the last few weeks. This is like joining a gang. There are rituals, customs, and crimes committed before they allow anyone within the inner circle. "Next group therapy is this Thursday. I'll tell you some of my story regarding the Arkadian Kingdom and Pretty Star Warrior." "Now we're getting somewhere. Except that's in the future; you can easily go back on your word. So offer me a name or something we haven't heard during our group therapy. Then I'll send you Takeo's phone number and get some more girls to help.""Has anyone told you, you'd make a good extortionist?...Fine! Lady Hathor of love and madness.""Lady Hathor? Wait, were you the 'beloved knight of the Lady'?"You cringe. Other terms of endearment Lady Hathor used were 'dearest', 'darling' and 'sweetheart'. The idea someone knows of it is embarrassing. "We had a deal. I only have to offer one thing. I'm not dishing out a second tidbit to someone who isn't going to uphold her end of a deal."You don't like Morita and she doesn't like you, but a deal is a deal."Fine, I'll give you the phone number. Send any additional information or pictures regarding Kiyotaka Chie and Yamaguchi Hiro to me. I'll call up Rui, Sayaka and Ren to assist. Maybe Akira, but she's at school right now."Morita is calling in an army. 'Street Kid' Takeoka Rui, 'Sport Jock' Ichijou Sayaka and 'Mommy Issues' Shinohara Ren with maybe 'Fantasy Lover' Ito Akira is overkill."I'm not asking you to go in and rescue Chie. I am asking them to figure out where she is being held. Also, figure out if the guy holding her is doing it on orders from the Toyo Group.""Don't worry about that. It's more to keep Takeo from beating the shit out of the Yamaguchi guy if she finds him. She has a temper. Much like you actually."You receive a phone number from Morita. You put it on your contact list and send a message. Luckily, you have that picture of Yamaguchi hugging Chie to help with identification. You put in as much details as necessary to Shinoda and Morita about your request for help. There's no response or indication she's seen the text after a few minutes. 'Shinoda is not responding. This is her number right?''it is''So why isn't she responding?''don't know i'm calling yuki''Are they in trouble?''don't know''Are you going to tell me anything?'
>>6376976'I can when I have more information. Listen Senjou, I am doing what I am able to right now. You should focus on what you're able to do right now. That is what all we can do right now. I am upholding my end, I am not screwing you over. Trust goes both ways, we fuck this up and you'll never trust us again. Takeo will contact you when she's able to or I will if I find out more info.'The sudden use of complete sentences and proper grammar is a good sign that she's taking things seriously. You need to ride the train to 'Last Chance' and go shopping with Asato. You glance at your cellphone occasionally during the train ride, but the only thing that comes in is a single text from Morita.'Rui, Sayaka and Ren are looking for them. Rui is good at hunting people down, so I should hear back soon.'No surprise there, 'Street Kid' Takeoka Rui made it her specialty to hunt down people. More specifically, men who like targeting homeless kids. The moment she learned you were part of a yakuza gang, she never spoke to you again. The Sumi gang did specialize in recruiting girls for the 'water trade' and some of those girls were homeless. Even if the gang was a decent employer compared to others, it still dealt with prostitution and other related services. That is enough of a reason for Takeoka to dislike you. As for 'Sport Jock' Ichijou Sayaka, you have absolutely no idea how this girl is supposed to assist. Same with 'Mommy Issues' Shinohara Ren, what is she able to do to help? You can only guess at what sort of magical abilities these girls have and hope they're useful. You arrive at the street where the bar is located and knock on the door before opening. "Good afternoon, my lady. I have returned to take Asato shopping," you announce and formally bow at the threshold without stepping inside. "Big sis Azami! Where's mommy?!" An energetic four-year-old boy charges straight at you and launches himself for a big hug. You catch him just in time and hug him back. Shit, what are you going to say to the kid!?>Lie. "She's busy getting ready to leave, gotta tell her boss she's quitting....">Divert. "Good to see you too, excited to see grandma and grandpa?"...>Truth. "There's a spot of trouble, we're working on it...">Lie. "Your mama is at your apartment, needs to pick up a few things...">Divert. Do a tokusatsu pose "Neo-Featherman Black reporting for duty, we've got a mission to get new shoes first!"...>Truth. "She might not be able to get here in time for the big trip north, she'll have to join you later"...>write in...
>>6376978>Divert. Do a tokusatsu pose "Neo-Featherman Black reporting for duty, we've got a mission to get new shoes first!"...This is our criminal specialty: dealing with families and children.
>>6377067+1
>>6376978>Divert. Do a tokusatsu pose "Neo-Featherman Black reporting for duty, we've got a mission to get new shoes first!"...Gotta distract, he won't wanna leave without his mum if he thinks she's in trouble.
>>6377067+2
We're basically all voting for tokusatsu stuff. Just need to rewatch some gekiranger for the poses...
Oh hell, I didn't realize they fired the actress for the first female black ranger for underage drinking. She was literally what I had in mind when I put in the option. This is what I get for not paying attention to sentai new.
>>6377549kek, how serendipitous!
>>6377549It is as was ordained. Now you must follow through. Azami would NEVER drink unless the godmother ordered her to relax and have some sake on the house.This does still get me disappointed that MSVQ died before our girl Haruka had to deal with kidnapping a guy to be her bf just like a real woman villain would
Sorry for the delay. A cousin who I am not particularly fond of is in Dubai apparently and on behalf of my aunt I've been doing some work to translate and speak to the Canadian embassy. I think I'll be able to post tonight.
>>6379306All good. I hope your cousin makes it out okay. Maybe they'll think twice before choosing the douchiest place to party next time.
>>6379306>Your cousin can't figure out how to translate himselfJust leave him there.
Asato is far too young to be told of the troubles plaguing his mother and too smart to lie to in the long term. Time to take a third option."Clap your hands!" You dramatically announce and begin the sequence of transformation poses from the young boy's favorite super sentai show. The hardest part of this is keeping a straight face but it is worth the embarrassment. He smiles as recognition lights up his face and follows along by doing Neo-Featherman Red's transformation sequence.You clap your hands to the right, and then clap it to the left before dramatically spinning on the spot in a full circle. "Defender of Earth, bearer of the Phoenix Sword! Neo-Featherman Red ready for anything, mission start!" Asato announces."Defender of Earth, bearer of the Raven Bastion! Neo-Featherman Black reporting for duty, we've got a mission to get new shoes first!" You announce and take up what you hope is the correct ending pose. One hand with fingers dramatically splayed over your face leaving only the eyes visible while the other hand thrust away to the side. You wish the ending pose did cover the eyes because you can see the audience. Through the open door, Emi and Lady Sumi had watched the entire sequence in silence while smoking their cigarettes. You blush and reconsider if this embarrassment is actually worth it. Fortunately, you don't break the pose until Asato finishes with the Neo-Featherman motto."Soar for courage and justice!" Asato shouts and clenches his fist. Together with the boy, you dramatically punch right fists into the air. The women politely clap from their seats at the bar with cigarettes dangling from their lips. "Good job!" Emi says while trying not to laugh."Excellent coordination!" Lady Sumi warmly praises the both of you. If you knew there was someone watching, you would have gone for a different distraction to divert the kid's attention and awkward questions. Emi luckily doesn't say much more, she looks tired and needs to sleep for the upcoming drive up north. Asato must have put her through quite a bit with his rambunctious and energetic personality. She goes upstairs to sleep until it's time to start driving. The scheduled time of departure is around 9 p.m. and Chie will not be joining the trip. Not unless a miracle happens."Hey Asato, you better go and use the washroom before we get going. If you need help I---" You don't get to finish because the young boy immediately puffs his chest with offense."I'm a big boy now. I don't need some girl hanging around me when I take a pee!" He runs off and shuts the bathroom door."Stop standing outside like that and come sit down," the godmother says while putting away dirty bowls and dishes. Your stomach growls with hunger and pain as you take a seat; you haven't eaten anything all day.Unnatural Toughness - Hungry, but not yet starving... Besides you can't really endure food right now.Mild Poison - Suffer a -2 to rolls today...
>>6379457"Didn't I tell you to eat something before coming back here?" The godmother starts piling left over miso soup and sweet potatoes into a bowl. The hot soup smells good but you can't stand the thought of eating it."My stomach is bothering me. It's because of those goddamn snacks at that Pretty Star Warrior house," you say while pushing the bowl back. The godmother becomes unnaturally still. Her eyes shift to focus intently upon you. It is a chilling feeling. You fucked up and forgot to report to the old lady about your discovery last night. "Pretty Star Warrior... house? Are you telling me you found where one of them lives and didn't think to inform me?" Her voice is quiet and soft. That is a bad sign.Time to grovel. You immediately stand up from your seat and bow low in a perfect ninety-degree angle, hitting your forehead on the counter deliberately with a loud thwack. The blow strong enough to cause the dishes to clatter loudly. Your head rests on the counter and remains there to show sincerity."I apologize, my lady, it slipped my mind. I was intent on finishing this job first before reporting my discovery from last night. It is not the home of a Pretty Star Warrior but rather a stakeout house. Please forgive me for not saying anything earlier."The godmother remains silent for a few more seconds before giving permission to lift your head."I expect a full explanation after we send the boy up north. Come back here when you're done shopping. Some ladies are bringing spare clothing and will look after the bar and him for a little while. I'll be off to the hospital and won't be back until late.""The 'younger brothers' Maeda and Kimura appear to have partnered up with their 'elder brother' to do business. At least that is what Ishida told me."Lady Sumi thinks over the new information and sighs."It wouldn't hurt to go see one of them, maybe they can help pry our girl out of danger. I have Maeda's contact information."You have the address and phone number of Maeda's office."Even though they cut a deal with the Toyo Group, my lady? It's pretty clear they've been paying up. 'If it involves the Toyo Group in any way, stay out of it' was your order," you state while looking up the location of Maeda's office. This mild pushback is quite daring; it is not your habit to criticize orders, but you are sure there was no reason to back down. Yamaguchi must be acting without the backing and knowledge of his superiors. "Indulging in teenage rebelliousness, sweetie? I get it, you want to handle it and save her. But I still remember when you got angry and set fire to that mountain of cash to prove a point to a traitor. Or when you caught a gambler cheating in chohan dicing and smashed the tsubo cup into his face. Or punching a customer when he got too drunk and hassled that girl you were soft on."
>>6379458Sumi Kayo; wife, mother, and former yakuza godmother, clearly remembers your screw-ups. She's only listing the most troublesome ones that required her hand to clean up. "'Father' taught me to have principles." What else can you say in defense after hearing all that? The old lady is adamant; there's no moving someone that stubborn. You leave Last Chance with Asato and head to a small department store. It's a short train ride away. Asato keeps his focus on the mission to buy shoes and doesn't ask questions about the whereabouts of his mother. Well, he mostly keeps his focus on the mission. Toys keep attracting the young boy's eye, and he begs to spend a little time to linger and browse even if there's no money to buy them. You let him choose the pair of shoes he wants. He is particularly taken with a pair of green velcro sneakers. There's some time to talk a little with him.>Ask about his dad.... >Ask how he feels about moving to Hokkaido...>Ask about his mom...>Cheer him up and ask about the latest episode of Neo-Featherman...>Ask if anything odd or new in his life...>Ask if he saw anything strange lately...>Ask if he looks forward to kindergarten...
>>6379459>Ask how he feels about moving to Hokkaido...Hmm, I don't know how to handle kids. Only thing for sure is not to bring up parents, even if fishing for information would be useful. Maybe asking about odd things would be the most I'd push it. I do remember that as a kid I hated when adults wanted to ask about school like that was the only thing that mattered, so I guess that is right out.
>But I still remember when you got angry and set fire to that mountain of cash to prove a point to a traitor. Or when you caught a gambler cheating in chohan dicing and smashed the tsubo cup into his face. Or punching a customer when he got too drunk and hassled that girl you were soft on.I don't think our girl Azami can ever have a guy at this rate. I could be wrong but she's definitely the type the fujo girl would call "unintentional femcel" or some other cringe term like that>>6379459backing >>6379463
I'll be absent for a few days, won't really be able to write until Sunday. So extra long voting period.
>>6379459>Ask if he saw anything strange lately...Kids notice stuff
>>6379588+1>>6379459
>>6379459>Cheer him up and ask about the latest episode of Neo-Featherman...
I am back and I see that we have a tie between asking about hokkaido and seeing something oddone vote for neofeatherman.I can blend the two voted options. Hopefully I can post soon but I'm just stressed out.
>>6380758Did you steel your resolve and leave your pathetic cousin for dead in the streets of Dubai?
>>6380770Jesus...>>6380758Take your time, QM. We'll be here.
>>6380758Take care, qm. Your writing is enjoyable.
>>6380758{\--/}(°w')/>Be well meguca. The heartless need you.
>>6380770I have to repeat another anon's reaction on this particular comment "Jesus..."I dislike the guy because he shits on Canada constantly but is willing to take advantage of dual citizenship to use Canadian consular services due to being accidentally being born in the country.That is not to the point of leaving him for dead. Besides he's getting out soon.
"Put the shoes on and see how they feel on your feet. No point in getting them if they don't fit right," you tell Asato, who nods in agreement. "Okie-dokie. If I can't do a Phoenix Kick with them, then they aren't worth having!" He declares and reaches down to chuck off his old shoes. The old shoes are white, tattered synthetic leather; the dirt is rubbed into it so deeply that it looks almost brown. Tossed aside, you can also see the soles are about to come off. "Good thing you're getting new shoes. Now you'll be able to enjoy the great outdoors up in Hokkaido. Grandma and Grandpa must be happy. Looking forward to it?" The young boy only makes a neutral, noncommittal grunt. It is a response lacking in enthusiasm. "Not excited about the move?" You ask while watching him practice kicks with the new shoes. "It's boring. Summer is great, but mom says we're staying up there all year. Winter is too cold." Asato shivers in an exaggerated manner. "I've only been outside Tokyo once; I'd be stoked about going elsewhere. I guess you feel differently?" With a sigh, Asato begins a bone-weary explanation of Tomakomai and the surrounding area. It's funny to hear a little kid complain like an old man. You learn that the winters are brutal, the city is small and full of old people, and it is not as exciting as Tokyo. There's very little to do, and he barely knows anyone there. He continues with a woe-begotten voice about how the konbini are just not the same as in Tokyo. He notes that his grandpa likes taking him on fishing boats early in the morning for fun, and he gets seasick very easily. Clearly asking the question of how he feels about moving away was a bad move. "Big sis, I don't want to go to Tomakomai. Do you think if I ask my mom, we can stay in Tokyo?" The young boy sounds heartbroken and resentful. "It sucks when adults decide and you have to follow along. You don't have to like their decision, but you can't stay in the city. It's important that you leave. I hope one day, your mom can explain why," you say and note that this is awkward. Children aren't going to have the necessary experience or wisdom to consider the reasons behind such life changing circumstances.Not once has Asato mentioned his father during this conversation. A man has truly fucked up in life if his own son doesn't bother to list him as a reason to stay. Time to change subjects. "You'll learn new things to enjoy, find new people to know, and explore new places that you'll end up loving. I won't lie and say it's easy, but you've already been through a lot. Strange things are afoot, and it's touched your life in weird ways. Want to talk about it?" Asato looks down and kicks his feet. Unsure to continue or not, that is what you sense."Can you keep a secret, big sis?"You kneel down to look him in the eye.
>>6382494"Yubikiri pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to cut it off," you promise solemnly. A pinky swear decidedly has a much heavier connotation for someone connected with gangsters. Still, the young boy looks around suspiciously first, making sure no one is close by to listen in. Satisfied that there's no one around, he leans in conspiratorially to you. "Dad and the 'uncles' are magic." He whispers and knows that you will understand. "Magic in what way?" you whisper back. "Don't know, they're magic. Dad never talks about it, but he used magic on mom sometimes when they get into fights. Mom always changes when he uses it and forgets what they're fighting about. I don't like it." That is a chilling discovery. You give the young boy a gentle hug. "You're right to hate it. No one should do something like that to someone they love," you declare wholeheartedly. You feel the arms of the little boy hug back."I flushed a bunch of magic down the toilet when Dad wasn't home and even burned some outside." This kid is going to be all right no matter where he goes, in your humble opinion. Yet screwing around with magic is unpredictable. "And nothing weird happened to you?" You ask without hiding the worry in your voice. "Nah, I'm fine. Oh, except maybe that weird black rock thingy. Dad came home early, so I put it in my mouth to hide it. When I went outside to spit it out, it just disappeared." Scratch that earlier thought; perhaps the kid isn't going to be all right. "Did you swallow it?" You try not to freak out, but it's clear that Asato picks up on the panic in your voice. "No way, I'm not dumb. It just disappeared." That is not a good sign. The kid probably absorbed some weird black magic rock thing. You try to remember the various magical devices of the Arkadian Kingdom and draw a blank. Lady Hathor tended to use her magical flowers and Arkadian Black Thorns. Sick at heart, you pay for the shoes and buy the kid a small ice cream as a treat. Sitting on a bench outside with a drink, you try to figure out what to do. Asato is completely oblivious and carefree to the implications of what has happened with that black magic rock. In the opinion of the boy, there is nothing to worry about because nothing bad happened in the last two weeks.You don't share that optimism. And then things get worse. You sense someone observing the two of you. It is a sensation that makes the skin crawl. Even as you scan the area for likely suspects. You see no one, but it is best to move somewhere else. "Well, I'll be damned, found him!" A voice out of nowhere causes you to jump from your seat. You can't tell the location of the voice. Asato points forward while tightly holding on to his melting ice cream, mouth wide open with surprise. You train your gaze to where he points, and the hazy silhouette of two men appear. They are hard to perceive, but people walk around them without stopping or noticing.
>>6382497"Why the hell did you have to say anything? She knows we're here." Another voice growls with annoyance at his companion."I can see you, gentlemen, and what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance?" You quickly put yourself between Asato and the near-invisible men."We don't want things to get too troublesome. Just hand over the kid and go on with your day, little girl," the man sneers and takes a step forward. Or you think he steps forward. He has something in his hands, you think it's a knife.Damn it, are these those hangure punks? Oddly, they don't have an aura of violence or criminality. Rather, they feel like overworked, side hustle peons trying to finish a job. You're more worried about the location of the third hangure. Is he blending in somewhere waiting for his opportunity?There's no way that the third punk quit. These wannabe criminals have to hand over identifiers to their employer to prove their willingness to go through with a job and not quit midway. If they quit, the employer knows exactly who they are and will punish them.What do you do?>Grab Asato and run, no need to fight but can you outrun them with a kid?...>Push Asato through a random door and bar it, they shall not pass but you won't have a lot of room to maneuver...>Try to keep Asato behind you and defend him, more room to fight but they might get past you or that third punk might grab him...>Start punching and tell Asato to run to safety, if you can distract all then the young kid can get away...>Let one of them stab you and then break his wrist, show off your unnatural regeneration abilities and intimidate them to back off...>Toss a random passerby into the fray to distract and then sucker punch, not very chivalrous but if you can down one guy fast...>Spray the punks with your drink, maybe it'll make it easier to perceive them...>Try to find the third punk, he has to be close by but that means taking your eyes off the other two...
>>6382498>Push Asato through a random door and bar it, they shall not pass but you won't have a lot of room to maneuver...It guards Asato against the unseen adversary, and tight quarters is actually ideal when fighting blind. They have less room to dodge, flank, or get around us.
>>6382508Oh, woops. >>6382510 is meant for this.Good to have you back by the way, QM. I hope your cousin is okay.
>>6382514My cousin is okay. He ended up getting on a flight out. I still don't understand why he was in that part of the world in the first place.
>>6382508>Let one of them stab you and then break his wrist, show off your unnatural regeneration abilities and intimidate them to back off...Specced into intimidate and regen after all. Might be best to tell Asato to cover his eyes to avoid trauma. Azami is a jobber with dice so far and still poisoned…
>>6382498>Let one of them stab you and then break his wrist, show off your unnatural regeneration abilities and intimidate them to back off...This is an extremely disadvantageous situation and I don't like our chances of actually winning this fight. Or for that matter, preventing the third from sneak attacking us or getting by us to Asato. Hence I think we ought to take a risk and play to our strengths and try to avoid a full fight. We're good at intimidation, and if we fail, then hey, a broken wrist is a broken wrist, not a bad start.Otherwise I'd say spraying them or sucker punching one may be our best bet. Would make the fight easier and the latter may count as a legerdemain roll, respectively.
Whoops, didn't refresh. Vote is still the same though, only addition is noting the knife one guy has.I wouldn't mind combining pushing Asato through a door with the wrist break though.>>6382518Glad to hear it. I imagine he thought himself a mini Andrew Tate or bargain bin Sneako (lmao).
>>6382508>Push Asato through a random door and bar it, they shall not pass but you won't have a lot of room to maneuver...Mitigate the numbers advantage
>>6382535> spraying themNow I wonder how hard it’d be to get pepper spray in Japan. Though I know little about this chivalry business and what it entails
>>6380820>>6380877Geez you guys sure are weaklings. A potential movie premise as a joke and that's how you react.>>6382508>Let one of them stab you and then break his wrist, show off your unnatural regeneration abilities and intimidate them to back off...Surely we can do this much. A common thug will run when they see a regenerating "victim"
>>6382508Wait no nvm changing vote from >>6382608 to>Push Asato through a random door and bar it, they shall not pass but you won't have a lot of room to maneuver...We need to keep Asato safe, he's their target. I swear if the third hangure punk warps in and kidnaps him right behind the door we block him in, I'm going to be pissed>>6382494>Clearly asking the question of how he feels about moving away was a bad move.Well asking about dad and mom were also bad moves the way we anons saw it. Odd things would also push it. He'd hate us asking about school most likely. Asking anything strange would probably put him off, and in hindsight re: magic bullshit might have given Asato the wrong impression about Azami if we had asked it. Neo-Featherman ask might have been the right question then to maintain his mood, but I think even so us asking about Hokkaido and the misgivings he has about moving there might have got him in a better mindset to decide on telling Azami about the magic stuff
>>6382535As much as I wanted to do this option, I decided against it personally because look at the setting>You leave Last Chance with Asato and head to a small department store>Sitting on a bench outside>the hazy silhouette of two men appear. They are hard to perceive, but people walk around them without stopping or noticing.This is an attack on the open street. The option is "random door" so is it for the nearest store? Could it be Azami just putting Asato back into the shoe store they just walked out of? It could be just as likely that the third punk might not have a way in to where Asato is, or at least not without suffering something like having to break glass to get in wherever. And these punks warped in in plain view of Asato, and he saw them do it. And he also clearly heard the bad guys say they want to take him. Maybe the kid is resourceful enough that he could hide or pull some shenanigans if the third punk gets past us to try seizing him? He clearly also noticed that all the other people on this street have no notice or awareness of the punks that warped in. On the other hand, the regen intimidation might spook Asato too if he sees it, because he doesn't know Azami is also "magic". It might lose us our standing and rapport with him... though it's also just as likely he'll think it's something super cool like the darker sentai heroes might do. Azami is also still in her suit if that helps.
>>6382608>Oddly, they don't have an aura of violence or criminality. Rather, they feel like overworked, side hustle peons trying to finish a job. You're more worried about the location of the third hangure. Is he blending in somewhere waiting for his opportunity?>There's no way that the third punk quit. These wannabe criminals have to hand over identifiers to their employer to prove their willingness to go through with a job and not quit midway. If they quit, the employer knows exactly who they are and will punish them.They're desperate. Their time is running out and they know it. I was wrong to vote what I did initially under the assumption they were "common thugs". These teleporting sickos are no mere common thugs, or at least not quite like them anymore even if you ignore the magic power they probably borrowed to do this job. Whoever hired them has the guns to their heads and they all know it. Even if Azami's regen power move into wrist break option will spook them no matter what, I doubt it'll truly stop them with their pressing urgency. Sure one guy will have his wrist broken, but there's one other thug there (also armed) and they both know their third guy is waiting in the wings and they assume we don't know that. Maybe the option to put Asato behind a random door is the one that plays into their desperation the most, because of the psychological impact of having their long-sought target put out of view into who knows where when they're this close to getting him?Or perhaps I am overthinking this whole scenario
It seems we're leaning to putting Asato into a place and barring the door.I'll try to answer some question brought up in the responses.Pepper spray is illegal in Japan. I know people in parents' hokkaido use bear spray as an alternative if they need self protection but they need to be ready for the police to go through their lives with a fine tooth comb if used in self defense against a human being. Pepper spray and their equivalents is regarded as a weapon.Remember things are going through Azami's perspective, so she thinks she screwed up but she actually a choose well. She didn't depress the kid overly much with her question and tried to comfort him since it's a big change to go from the big city to Tomakomai. It is definitely a better choice than mom, dad and school. As for the random door, it's a place closest to her which I would describe later on in a post. This goes to show that place descriptors are important when players make a choice on environmental facts, so I should put more effort in that regard.
>>6382757>Pepper spray is illegal in Japan. I know people in parents' hokkaido use bear spray as an alternative if they need self protection but they need to be ready for the police to go through their lives with a fine tooth comb if used in self defense against a human being. Pepper spray and their equivalents is regarded as a weapon.What about some form of Kanzashi, or Hat-pin?
>>6382765brass knuckles Kanzashi
>>6382765I've actually never seen a kanzashi that can last the rigors of violence.The ones I've seen commonly are made tortoise shell, ivory or wood. They're extremely beautiful and fragile. 'Metal' ones are often wooden kanzashi gilded with gold or silver to give the illusion of being wholly metallic. Anyways, calling vote in as putting Asato in a safe place and barring the door.Same tactic she used to protect the godmother.
The two standing right in front are hard to perceive. It is impossible to tell what they look like. Old, young, strong, weak? They're like a sheet of glass in the shape of a human being wandering about the street. Not invisible but close enough, the light refracts and bends to blur the two men and make them almost translucent. If Asato hadn't pointed you in the right direction, you might not have noticed them at all. There are supposed to be three of them. One of them is missing, perhaps hanging back to sneak attack or grab the boy while you're distracted. The magic at the disposal of these men made them incredibly confident. So confident that they believe they can attack on a public street busy with pedestrians and get away with it. Odds are grim; you are one girl protecting a kid against three near-invisible opponents. Unnatural Toughness - You're getting better but not yet. Mild Poison - Suffer a -2 to rolls today... Made more grim with the lingering effects of the poisoned snacks from last night. A quick glance around the covered shotengai shopping street shows a variety of shops and restaurants, and most of them are open storefronts equipped with shutters. All except for one to the left; it has a proper door for customers to enter. Protecting your young charge from these men is your priority. If you can get Asato through that door and bar it, he'll be safe and out of reach. As long as you can hold and keep the enemy from getting through.This is a recreation of your first job protecting the godmother but this time the results will be better.You won't be in a pool of your own blood after getting the shit beaten out of you. You don't say a word and instantly grab Asato. Your opponents clearly didn't expect you to run towards a store because you hear them yelling that it is pointless to escape. "Big sis Azami, what are you doing!?" Asato shouts while being tossed through the open door of the store. "Don't worry kid. Lock the door and let me handle the situation. Don't open until I tell you to." There's a store owner inside, but you ignore her protests and shut the door. The young boy does as instructed. The familiar click of the lock reassures, but you don't have time to relax. You hear footsteps right behind you and turn to face the enemy. "You fuckin' bitch, stop making things harder for us!" A punk screams and attacks. Shit, is this the punk with knife!? You can't tell.
>>6383964On instinct, you kick out to ward off the attacker and get rewarded with the sound of a meaty smack. The opponent backs off, sputtering from the air exiting his lungs. The people in the shopping area stop and try to figure out what's going on. You then hear the sound of running steps and a lead pipe whistling in the wind. You block barely in time and wince at the pain radiating from your arm but your Unnatural Toughness quickly acts to lessen it. "Three to one is such unchivalrous conduct. I wish I had a 'dosu' to teach you all a lesson. You losers aren't getting through me, give up."Threatening Aura - These desperate punks must know you won't go down easily...Threatening Aura - They know but they can't give up. They have to go through with the job."You're going to regret this. Outta the way boys, I'm using it," a voice you don't recognize in the front calls out. This must be the third unknown punk, you turn your gaze to the direction of the voice and see him. Fully see him, a muscular bearded man had dropped his strange invisibility magic and is pointing a stone at you.3 anons, roll 1d20-2
Also interesting report, my cousin is very jumpy at loud bangs. I do believe he might have a mild form of PTSD.It's going to suck during summer when all the fireworks are going off for him...
Rolled 6 - 2 (1d20 - 2)>>6383965PAIN>>6383966Damn. Maybe get him some shooting range ear muffs or something
Rolled 20 + 2 (1d20 + 2)>>6383965oh no
>>6383970OP please count this properlythis might be the best roll we've had in your quests yet
Rolled 2 (1d20)>>6383965I'll try anyway...>>6383971A lot of anons don't know about the "dice+1d20+-2" thing, anyway. It's not intuitive.
>>6383970NeoFeathermanBlack.exeIt makes me laugh but every time I read what Unnatural Toughness or Threatening Aura is saying it reminds me of Disco Elysium
>>6383974Reminds me of how MANAGER HELP! and HELP WANTED! did the exact same Disco thing with the skills talking
>>6383976Maybe policegirl can be Du Bois or Kitsuragi. Though it’s such a disco moment for Azami to crit fail and eat poisonous snacks or authority crash out against the fence.
we have a crit success! Meaning you might be able to score one of the items.
>>6383979>>6383976>>6383974Incidentally, the only experience I have with Disco Elysium is watching about 20 minutes of a let's play and some clips.I liked what I saw and probably should play the game some day.
The stone is at the tip of a sun-yellow and seaweed-green wand. The green and yellow swirl up to the tip before splitting to form two prongs tightened around a pink stone in the shape of a heart. It is hideously garish and far too feminine in the hands of a man who looks like he could win the All Japan Bodybuilding Competition. It is definitely not a magical item from Lady Hathor. It must be the creation of a fellow Lord or Lady of Arkadia. No wait, the thing is far too hideously gaudy for any Lord or Lady of that dying magical kingdom to consider creating. Could it be from... The Fool? The brightness cast from the tip of the stone is powerful. Powerful to the point that it does something utterly unexpected and almost makes you laugh with joy. Long shadows cast upon the ground due to the light reveal the exact locations of your two invisible opponents. In fact, one is within arm's reach. He didn't move away far enough because of his overweening confidence in his magic invisibility and was unaware that the radiance inadvertently betrayed him. Then the light erupts from the stone and rushes towards you with a crackle of electricity. In an instant, you grab the invisible punk and bodily fling him into the path of the crackling lightning. The scent of burning hair and flesh fills the air. The scream of horror mixed with pain torn from the electrocuted enemy, combined with a bloodthirsty battle cry ripped from your throat, is enough to freeze the two men to hesitation. Innocent unaware shoppers also pause. In a few seconds, they'll start running away from the fight in terror. The sound of something shattering fills the air, and the invisibility hiding your meat shield breaks. The body slumps unconscious to the ground.One down, two to go. Threatening Aura - Ah, it's been so long since you've caused such fear. The wide eyes, slack jaws, and pale faces are a treat. They're all stunned; you can act. Taking advantage of this brief hesitation, you pick up a sandwich signboard close by and charge. The light revealed the second invisible enemy's location, and he is still unaware of the fact. He now knows when the hard plastic signboard slams straight down on top of his head and shatters into pieces. Blood pours down the opaque body, the redness following the contours of skin and soaking clothing. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" the injured man shouts and tries to attack. The broken signboard can still serve as an effective weapon with sharp plastic edges to lacerate the punk. Another hard swipe leaves one more bloody wound across the body. There will be no trouble knowing his exact location; his invisibility magic is rendered useless. He wails in pain, staggering backward blindly. All around is chaos as people start reacting and running away.
>>6386472Now you can turn your attention to the man with the magic weapon. He desperately tries to get the wand to shoot off another bolt, standing and shaking it in panic. You hurl what little remains of the signboard at him. He tries to dodge, but the projectile hits his hand, and the wand falls with a loud clatter on the ground. With the ranged attacker scrambling to pick up his dropped weapon, you refocus on the bleeding enemy and start punching. It's been a while since you administered a proper beatdown. Grabbing the flailing man, your fist drives into his face while he begs for forgiveness and mercy. You can't risk an enemy who can still fight. You punch and punch and punch and punch.Oh yeah.You forgot.You can't take things too far because the godmother can't clean up the aftermath anymore.You stop and let go. The unconscious enemy falls limply on the ground, he is a strange combination of visible blood and invisible body. Now it's one on one. You turn to face the last panicking punk trying to use his wand once more. The silly looking magic tool remains inert, mocking the desperation of its master. The last punk screams with rage and then snaps the wand in anger. You observe him, trying to see if he's wearing any magical items. You see it. There is a solid blue bracelet on his left wrist that looks out of place. "You're dead, bitch!!" He screams and reaches towards the bracelet. He never makes it because a beam of light fired from above transfixes him. Paralyzed, he stands rigidly in the light as a new voice booms above. "Bright stars above, shine down with love. Star Light Beam!"You know this voice. It's Polaris, the leader of the Pretty Star Warriors. She jumps down and starts dramatically monologuing at the last punk. Tall and elegant, the supernatural warrior is imposing. Her uniform is a wonderfully tailored white dress with blue stripes running down her arms. A burning hatred ignites your Heart. This girl decided after purifying the Sumi gang that handing over the secrets to the police was the right thing to do. She is the reason your 'family' is reduced to oblivion and scorned as traitorous gangsters by everyone. You are about to take a step forward to charge at her in blind anger, but Asato's voice brings you back. "Big sis Azami, are you all right?" Asato has disobeyed your orders and unlocked the door he was hiding behind. Fierce Loyalty - You have your orders. Protect the kid! But he absorbed an Arkadian Kingdom magical item of some sort, and the Pretty Star Warriors are the only ones who know how to 'purify' him. But they're the same people who destroyed the gang; you really don't want their help. You hate this situation. Deception - Hey, Master Kohaku taught you to never miss an opportunity! Isn't there something nice and invisible to steal? Come on, they're distracted! Ah, that's right.
>>6386475You quickly kneel by the bleeding punk and search for the magical bracelet. You find it and pull it off the unconscious body. Suddenly the invisibility magic hiding the body breaks and reveals a bloody teenage boy. There's not much time, you toss the bracelet in a garbage heap. If you're lucky, Magical Star Warrior Polaris won't be able to find it. "I told you to stay in the shop," you scold the young boy. Behind you, the magical girl finishes using her purification magic and shatters whatever remaining enchantment the man has. You turn around in time to see the last punk fall unconscious. "Don't worry, everything is under control," the red headed magical girl says while moving her magical light to shine over the two punks. That warm and welcoming light even heals the men a bit and sucks out a dark mist from them. Deception - Focus her attention on Asato. "Hey, Polaris. Get over here!" You can't keep the hostility out of your voice and feel annoyed as the magical girl looks rather surprised. Did she expect you to be friendly? "Oh hey, uh, wow. I haven't seen you for a while. Um, er, you're not still working for Lady Hathor, are you? I mean, you're wearing the suit again." Unsurprisingly, Polaris remembers you. You clashed with the Pretty Star Warriors over the course of a year. Lady Hathor discovered you constantly broke free from her control if she wasn't around physically. Her solution was to keep you perpetually by her side. She took you everywhere. Even on the rare occasion she went back to the Arkadian Kingdom. "Not funny. I need you to check over my charge. He's absorbed some weird Arkadian Kingdom magic stone after he put it in his mouth." That gets Polaris's attention, and she kneels down to eye level with the young boy. "Hey, my name is Pretty Star Warrior Polaris. My ability is called "Star Light," and it burns away the dark magic of the Arkadian Kingdom. If what Senjou is saying is right, we need to purify right away. It doesn't hurt. You'll just feel sleepy at the end." Asato hides behind you. He grips your pant legs and looks at the magical girl with suspicion. He knows that the Pretty Star Warriors are the ones responsible for the end of the Sumi gang and the subsequent hardship his parents have gone through. It sucks to be in this situation, but there's no choice. You don't know what will happen if the young boy doesn't get purified. The kid reluctantly agrees. A dark miasma smokes out of his mouth and dissipates in the magical light. Asato immediately gets sleepy. You cradle the child in your arms and let out a sigh of relief. Then Polaris turns her purifying light on you. It's warm and welcoming but otherwise doesn't do anything. "What the hell is your problem!?" You snap as the magical girl ceases her Star Light.
>>6386476"Just making sure. You were under the influence of the Arkadian Kingdom for a year after all. Anyways, got to go." With a flash of light, the magical girl disappears from your sight. Deception - SUCCESS! I AM AWESOME! You acquired the Fool's Bracer. Limited charges. Only 3 left. The sound of police sirens fills the air, and you do not want to deal with the cops. You slip on the magical item on your wrist and feel a surge of energy. 2 charges left The cops scour the area and begin questioning witnesses as you slip away. The trip back to the bar is uneventful.While in the train, you remember...>The sad grandeur of the Arkadian Kingdom, you saw it from the shoreline with her...>The Winter Ball held by the Queen, you danced with her...>The Great Hunt held by the Nobility, you worked with her...>Wandering through the streets of the Arkadian Kingdom, you talked with her...>The time you got severely injured fighting against the Pretty Star Warriors, she had to heal you...>Trying to find a book in the Grand Library, you can't read Arkadian but she insisted you come with her....
>>6386478>The sad grandeur of the Arkadian Kingdom, you saw it from the shoreline with
>>6386478>Wandering through the streets of the Arkadian Kingdom, you talked with her...A city past its prime, with the kingdom ruling it rotten and blighted
>>6386478Whew! Asato is safe! Worth the loss of all the other loot we could've gotten. Go back to your spaceship or whatever Nanoha!>The sad grandeur of the Arkadian Kingdom, you saw it from the shoreline with her...Still obsessed I see.
>>6386478>>The Winter Ball held by the Queen, you danced with her...
>>6386478>The Winter Ball held by the Queen, you danced with her...The most direct route (that anyone has has voted for so far) is this, and I want to see more of our backstory and our relationship to the witch.
Unfortunately, I can't combine the two options as they take place in different times.
>>6387090>The Winter Ball held by the Queen, you danced with her...tie breaker vote
Great, Winter Ball.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, and spring once more. Such words mean nothing for that dying magical kingdom. The time-eaten stones of Arkadia are in an eternal stasis of undying starless and moonless night that oppresses the living and dead alike. Yet the denizens still remember a time the city was under an open sky, when there was a sun and the turning of the days that summoned the miracle of a changing season. They cling to those fading memories of the seasons all the more fiercely and maintain traditions on their appointed days religiously. One such tradition is the annual Winter Ball hosted by the Queen. You received an invitation. At first, you thought it was a reward from your Lady---- From Lady Hathor. FROM LADY HATHOR! A reward from this lady of love and madness for suggesting an idea that flowered into the most successful harvest of mana dowered upon by the Arkadian Kingdom in years. You suggested that the Kingdom take a little mana from every person who attended the many summer matsuri festivals 'protected' by the gang. The Sumi gang has close relations with tekiya peddler groups who set up the stalls and works actively with various temples to organize festivals. However, the mikajimeryo protection money that results from this barely profitable endeavor decreases year by year. Indeed, the mismatch between stallholders who pay so little and the work done by the Sumi gang to ensure 'protection' grows wider each year. There had been talk of abandoning this line of business to others. Yet there was potential here to be exploited. Organizing festivals is an area of your expertise and community outreach is part of your duties. The festival organizing committees are full of yakuza wives, community members, and business owners acquainted with the godmother Lady Sumi. By sprinkling a few discrete 'elder brothers' and 'honorable gentlefolk of Arkadia' to work amongst the stalls, and planting a few Flowers around the borders encompassing every summer festival the Sumi gang involves itself in; the tiny currents and rivulets of harvested mana merged into a surging tide that flowed into the coffers of Arkadia. The small fee of mana extracted from each man, woman and child scarcely felt. The Pretty Star Warriors never realized what had happened until the fall season of matsuri festivals. Your invitation comes directly from the Queen of Arkadia.Arkadian Favor - The Queen knows of you, servant of Lady Hathor. You are always welcome to return to the Arkadian Kingdom. An honor, but it paled in comparison to the happiness of Lady Hathor. You bent every effort and thought to pleasing her, for such was her magical dominance over you.
>>6389284The Winter Ball of that year promised to be especially grand and resplendent. Your concern was how to dress for the occasion. At this, Lady Hathor is particularly helpful in her suggestions. The humble daughter of embroiderers ennobled to serve her kingdom has an eye for fashion. She suggested something white. That is a daring fashion choice for a kingdom of gloom and darkness. Naturally, you enthusiastically agree to wear the provocative outfit. "My thorny thistle, you look so beautiful. I'm glad you agreed to white," your enemy purrs with delight as she reaches up to place a mask upon your face. She's too close; the heady scent of flowers sends your head spinning as it grasps to control your unruly Heart. It is the perfume of pungent carnations, delicate roses, oily magnolias, and faint mint mingled with orange blossoms. You wondered if her ability to dominate people relies on this ever-evolving fragrance. Unconsciously, you lean closer to the shorter girl. Her long brown hair tipped with white and dark red eyes mark her as someone not of this world. "I trust your good taste, my Lady," you answer with perfect honesty. There is little you trust about this girl no older than you, but in this particular subject she is superior. "Good girl, but tell me this. What is your Heart saying?" The oppressive sense of control loosens just a smidge, and she rests her cheek on your chest to listen. Fierce Loyalty - WHEN I BREAK FREE AGAIN, I WILL DO EVERYTHING TO SAVE MY 'FAMILY'! This witch can hear the inward scream of your Heart. You've broken free every time she spent too long away from you; she stopped being careless for months now. The shorter girl pulls back with a smile, and her magical control sweeps over you like a wave breaking over the shore. Inwardly, you rage; outwardly, you smile with unfettered adoration. She barely comes up to your shoulder and looks as delicate as a doll. Not built for physical confrontation, she made you her bodyguard against all enemies. Supernatural and otherwise. "Ah, such a direct and sincere answer. As your reward, I'll say something honestly in the future." Her reward is crappy. It's not as if she lets you decide the moment she had to be honest. The way to Arkadia opens and you go once more. Once more, to that benighted dimension. Once more, an arrival on that lonely sandy strand. Once more, the galley sculls across the pitch-black water to convey you to that kingdom. Once more, through those streets with blazing torches and lanterns of mana guarding you. Once more, the crowds of shades and ghosts going about their predetermined paths and actions set by memories of the dead past.
>>6389285It is your fourth time visiting Arkadia. Oh, how different it looked that night of the Winter Ball. Light spilling extravagantly from every part of the palace, banishing the damning dark with stolen mana. Perhaps because the mana originated from a matsuri festival, the usual somber looks of Arkadians seem to have lightened also; an air of actual pleasure and jubilance stirs the stagnant environs. Here you join Lord Martel of agony and faith, Lady Gracia of sorrows and patience, and Lord Tieno of despair and courage in the parade with all their finery as the city stirs to bear witness to the procession. The silent city filled with rare cheers and shouts of the dead and living as you progress onward. One by one, the Lords and Ladies enter through the grand doors and into the palace where their Queen awaits. The palace is crowded; you've never seen so many Arkadians in one place. "Lady Hathor of love and madness and.... her 'escort'." The booming voice of a herald hesitates when announcing you specifically. You feel Lady Hathor's hand tighten around your arm with displeasure while the ballroom falls to silence and the assembly turns to look. "I forgive you, sir. You're usually not so forgetful. Here is the guest of honor." The girl sweetly smiles at the ghostly servant, her voice a polite promise of future punishment for the insult unless rectified. The herald pales and clears his throat. "Ahaha, how careless of me. Let me try once more," he begs pathetically and bows to both of you before turning to face the crowd."Lady Hathor of love and madness and her chevalier Senjou Azami."A murmur ripples through the throng. It occurs to you in that moment, you are the only human being in the ballroom. In fact, you're probably the only human being in the entirety of this kingdom. A sea of darkly clad and masked Arkadians gazes with subtle calculation and black displeasure. You are not one of them, yet here you are at the Winter Ball at the personal invitation of their monarch for services rendered. Fierce Loyalty - Service to a foreign nation to the detriment of the Sumi gang and to Japan. These foreign parasites sucking on the life of the country and victimizing innocents for their own profit need to be stopped.The Queen sits on her throne hidden behind a curtain of silk brocade. At some mysterious point, she gives silent orders for the music and dancing to begin. To your dismay, you must dance too. Even the skill of Lady Hathor can do little to hide how clumsy you are as Arkadian guests titter and sweep past elegantly. Then they become silent as an aura of menace radiates outward. The source is you.Threatening Aura - Do these soft hermits hiding away in safety and feeding on the hard work of others think they can---
>>6389286"Not tonight, sweetheart. Don't concern yourself with this envious lot, you have earned the favor of the Queen of Arkadia. That is something none of them can boast of," the elegant Lady of love and madness says as she subtly redirects your feelings of ire through her magic.She's right. Of course, she's right. She's always right.So you dance under the glow of stolen mana with her, revelling in a feeling of accomplishment and pride. "The Arkadian Kingdom shall surely one day enjoy true sunlight and true starlight," you comment.Your dance partner tilts her head in confusion and waits for you to continue."You've described Arkadia as a ship once. The other Lords and Ladies with you shall surely bring the ship of state to a safe port. I look forward to when that duty is done." "What are you saying?" your dark master asks, her smile radiant with pleasure at your attempts of flattery."Isn't it obvious? When this is all over and Arkadia saved, you noble folks will have to start something new. You can begin living for yourself, and I... I will---," you waver in speaking on when you see the look on the other girl's face. The calm teasing smile on her face is gone and replaced with solemnity. Lady Hathor stumbles and steps on your foot. Your dance stops in the middle of the ballroom as others twirl on oblivious.This isn't the place to hold a conversation. You lead her away, hand in hand like a gallant beau guiding a lover away to the sound of applause from onlookers. Retreating from the unnatural light of the grand ballroom, you enter a gloomy garden empty of ghosts and living things. Can it be called a garden if there are no flowers? Bare cold stone sculptures, no greenery anywhere just tamped down earth trodden until no dust rises with the passage of feet and a dry fountain from where no water trickled for years. How apt, a dead garden for a dead kingdom. The lanterns aflame with the mana of Hearts flicker and cast a circle of light to protect from the shadows. No stars or moon cast their rays through the black above to aid the accursed kingdom. Safety can only be found if you remain standing under the light of stolen mana. Each visit to Arkadia constantly reminds you, for outside the feeble protection of light there are things lurking and waiting. You can see them from the corner of your eye."I am sorry to offend you, my Lady Hathor. I know little of your homeland. I will make it up to you. I'll take you to the New Years celebration and dress you up in a kimono. New Years is the best and biggest celebration in Japan. We'll make rice cakes, go visit Meiji jingu and watch the first sunrise of the year---," you try to recover from your misstep from earlier.
>>6389287"Ah, I think it's time to reward you with a bit of honesty. My life began--- Our lives began and ended a long time ago, sweetheart, and no amount of water we bail will save this kingdom from the punctured hull. Everyone else has abandoned ship but us and we keep shoveling bucketful after bucketful of water over the edge, desperate and tired and uncaring of anything, any place... anyone, but we cannot stop now."A smile blooms once more on her face but it is tinged with desperate madness and obsession."Sunk cost, others will accuse. But it's more than that, we beg them to care. This ship is our life and the water is our death and the collision was predetermined years ago. A life vest floats by and a more sensible soul might jump overboard and float until they find another cause to cling to, but us? We just keep bailing, sweetheart. Our lives began and ended a long time ago, so we keep those bucketfuls coming because all we can do is delay the inevitable."Fierce Loyalty - She's rambling, trying to make you understand. You can feel the question. "By the time water reaches our chin, will we have been betrayed by our doomed cause? Was my Heart ever really set on this lonely path?" and you feel her answer. She will not, shall not, can not make her Heart turn half circle."It's too late now. It will end like this: we will drown under the waves, uncaring save for the flickering of our eyes left to right as we search frantically for anyone else who might have stayed until the end. Do you understand?"Fierce Loyalty - You do.*This is the Setagaya line, now stopping at---* Shit, you were so lost in memory that you almost missed your stop. "Hm, big sis Azami?" Asato sleepily stirs in your arms just before the door to 'Last Chance'."Wakey, wakey. We're here. The Aunties inside are going to fit you up and take care of you. Remember to listen to them and wait for tonight," you say and set the young boy down."Will you save mom? I'm not dumb, there's magic involved." The young boy has a million questions and you need to reassure him."I got a crew working on it kid. Now remember the Gokudo code and keep quiet about all of this except with the godmother. No one is giving up on your mom. Remember, pinky swear. I don't feel like losing my little finger."It's time to get back to work...>Go directly to Maeda's office and have a talk with him, those hangure punks were clearly hired by the drug running crew...>Try to figure out where Kimura is located, you already know where Maeda is...>Contact 'Queen Bee', get an update and give her an update on encountering Pretty Star Warrior Polaris...>Deal with the your Mild Poison through 100% effective Kampo Chinese Medicine and eat something first...>Go back to Toyo territory, you can look for Chie and for the girls working to find her...>write in....
>>6389288>Contact 'Queen Bee', get an update and give her an update on encountering Pretty Star Warrior Was Arkadia inspired by Alhambra from Princess: The Hopeful?Anyways, I think Azami should hit Hathor with a rock.
>>6389288>Deal with the your Mild Poison through 100% effective Kampo Chinese Medicine and eat something first...>Contact 'Queen Bee', get an update and give her an update on encountering Pretty Star Warrior Polaris...Call during our meal. We need to be at our best and, sadly, we likely need back-up.
>>6389291Inspired by Alhambra and by an old dark romance fantasy story I can't find again.I could probably make money if I churn out an actual dark romance fantasy novel.
>>6389295+1
>>6389284Wait hang on. How long was Azami brainwashed and captivated by Lady Hathor? I don't get the timeline. This update implies for a whole year if not longer?>The Pretty Star Warriors never realized what had happened until the fall season of matsuri festivals.And this was when the PSW attacked the AK and freed Azami and all those other girls at the therapy group?>Arkadian Favor - The Queen knows of you, servant of Lady Hathor. You are always welcome to return to the Arkadian Kingdom.What if we gather all the therapy girls and the PSW, then use Azami's in to go straight to the AK and commit mass magic kingdom genocide?>>6389285>You've broken free every time she spent too long away from you; she stopped being careless for months now.Like this here. Months of being held captive.>>6389286>It is your fourth time visiting ArkadiaWait so Hathor doesn't live in the Arkadian Kingdom? Then where did she stay and keep Azami?>>6389287>>6389288And for that matter, how did the AK even discover and infiltrate Japan? An entire nation of magic humanoids that are collapsing and they all know it, how are they even still alive? Okay the whole place is fucking dead, but you get the ideaI feel like this is simply part of your style by now QM. You had this sort of temporal scope uncertainty back in MSV too, this sense of vagueness of events where things either happened over a long time or they could have happened only yesterday. Perhaps that's the point? When dealing with actual magic, other world crossings, enduring vendetta, and things shrouded in myth, time is just a property of existence that is in constant flux. It certainly makes for a dreamlike modern quest where not even us readers know for sure
>>6389288>Contact 'Queen Bee', get an update and give her an update on encountering Pretty Star Warrior Polaris...>Arkadian Favor - The Queen knows of you, servant of Lady Hathor. You are always welcome to return to the Arkadian Kingdom.Evil route unlocked.Season finale: Pretty Start Warriors fight Lady Knight Senjou of oaths and vengeance>>6389451ctrl+f year, it was already established.Therapy girls are just FotW enemies completely unrelated to each other. It's unlikely they've ever been to Arkadia. Senjou is the reoccurring second in command that got taken down in the midseason.Timeline as I understand it: Gang gets compromised in december. Month or two passes and Senjou breaks free a couple of times, so Hathor now keeps her around 24\7. Sumi begins the festival scheme in spring. Festivals go on until sept\oct before PSW get wise to it. Winter Ball happens in december.tl;dr: timeline makes sense. She's been controlled for an year. She last broke control months ago.
>>6389288Arkadia is cool, despite its inevitable sad fate and miserable state. Makes me think of what Camelot could be had we fixed everything up and kidnapped loads of humans-turned-lost children to serve as retainers. Would be kino. Bring back MSV!>Contact 'Queen Bee', get an update and give her an update on encountering Pretty Star Warrior Polaris...>Deal with the your Mild Poison through 100% effective Kampo Chinese Medicine and eat something first...Ahem...anyways, we can fiddle with our phone while eating. The other options are more involved.
>>6389451>Magic kingdom genocideI don't think we'd collectively have the strength to pull something like that off, full stop. Not to mention the 'invitation' could be anything from 'hey, feel free to return anytime, you know where to find us' to a magical pass that only lets us through, or anything in between. Frankly I just don't think it is worth the effort even. Emotionally yes, we'd love to do it given their part in Sumi's downfall. Practically I think the godmother has moved on. If Arkadia is anything like Avalon, then the Arkadians are essentially just raiders, with the occasional more complex scheme like the one we helped pull off. Hardly worth throwing all our lives away to stop.Not to mention we hold the Pretty Star Warriors just as responsible for Sumi's downfall as the Arkadians. Hell in my mind they are MORE responsible. We don't exactly know what heart corruption entails, but turning over all of Sumi's dirt over to the cops pretty definitely destroyed us. We'd probably never work with them willingly if we could avoid it.>Where does Hathor stay?My guess is maybe with us? Since we were her bodyguard, and through us she has access to Sumi. Being charismatic she can pull all the levers she needs to to get the gang to serve her purposes.>Discover JapanIf it is like QMs other quest, then Arkadia is connected to Earth naturally. As in they have natural entrances to Earth, like the gates in Avalon.
>>6389754>Evil route unlocked.I don't think I want to go Evil Route unless Azami can hold her sanity again or be in such a prime position that the moment she breaks she can instantly impale the Queen through the Heart right in front of all the PSW>Senjou is the reoccurring second in command that got taken down in the midseason.Ouch>Timeline as I understand itThanks for explaining it. One whole year of being enslaved the way she was must have been hell, and she still didn't lose her Heart either>>6389808Don't fucking dare compare the Arkadian Kingdom to how cool Camelot would have been under Haruka>>6389812Yeah I know I'm just voicing the extreme sentiment Azami must have felt throughout all that and the aftermath thereof>PSWMagical girl downfall SOON
>>6389820>CamelotWasn't the guy that Haruka was interested in a Yakuza?
>>6390041I vaguely remember he was. Sadly her quest got dropped before she could get laid. Just another way Fate and the gods devised to cause her suffering
It seems we have Deal with the your Mild Poison in the lead.Unfortunate this isn't a situation where you can opt for both options fully. You'll be able to maybe share half your info as you eat because events will intervene.As for why this quest is so dreamy and time seems off. I try to keep in mind 90s Sailor Moon. The first season and the events that take place are not possible time wise. There's a timey wimey waffling feeling to it that I wanted to put into the writing.The various literature and shows, etc to sort of get that feel. Narnia, One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Leopard, Gormenghast, Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Puella Magica, Princess: The Hopeful.As for timeline wise. I'll outline one.End of March when the sakura flowers bloomed in Tokyo is the start of Azami's plunge into magical slavery. Like a proper magical girl show. Lady Hathor dominates the Sumi boss and gang, establishes an earthly residence.First two months, Pretty Star Warriors fight Azami and dominated gang members. Lady Hathor didn't realize that Azami was breaking free on her own. Then our girl wrecked a mission. First visit to Arkadia to explain mission failure. Brings Azami along. (this was the option of seeing the kingdom from the shoreline)Starts living with Lady Hathor as servant and bodyguard. Makes Azami come up with scheme to make up for loses. Lady Hathor starts helping out Sumi gang make money. Acquiesces to Azami's request to not fully corrupt the Hearts of gang members in exchange for experimenting on how she's able to resist full domination and work on getting mana. June Azami suggests festival plan and works to put it into action. Some minor missions to get mana and fights with PSW.July to September, various festivals, some fights and some visits to Arkadia. PSW wise up to scheme. Visit to Arkadia 2 (Great Hunt and library)October, injured severely by Pretty Star warriors. PSW start realizing the Sumi gang are dominated by Lady Hathor. Visit to Arkadia 3 (streets of Arkadia)November to December, Lady Hathor lays plans to infiltrate government and police through domination. Long stymied by conservative faction of Arkadia, can finally proceed under supervision of the Fool. Visit to Arkadia 4 (Winter Ball)January, new years celebration. The downfall of the Sumi gang and Lady Hathor begins in earnest as PSW and conservative faction of Arkadia work against her.March, anniversary is final confrontation and complete failure of plans. Secrets of the gang handed over to police and Azami freed from control. Expulsion of Sumi gang from yakuza brotherhood with death warrant.April, Sumi Masatoshi takes responsibility and commits suicide to lift death warrant. Buried in an unnamed grave in the mountains.Justice in Japan super swift. So unlike the USA, the arrests and jailing of the gang is within 6 months. Azami is sent to group therapy group in August but doesn't cooperate with the girls until beginning of September.
>>6390130Also yes, the girls in the therapy group were 'monsters of the week' and the length of their corruption is under one month. The shortest being three days. The other Lords and Ladies Azami and the Sumi gang are an extreme outlier because Lady Hathor is the youngest and newest noble of Arkadia for reasons. She's willing to try something new and doesn't instantly regard non-Arkadians as mere animals and tools. Her close association to non magical humans and ability to live outside of Arkadia for long stretches is a source of disdain and envy amongst Arkadians though.You may have noted her title is in the reverse usual order compared to her fellow Lords and Ladies. 'love and madness' should actually 'madness and love' to the traditional Arkadians.
>>6390137Sorry got cut off at one sentence.'The other Lords and Ladies are not the type to care about their tools.'
>>6390130Hm, I just realized I may have screwed up in the story about my timeline, I dashed this off at the start as a rough outline and never adjusted it to reflect the story facts.I put in 'a year' and not 'half a year' in the text regarding the aftermath. So in reality, after the April suicide, everyone scrambled for longer than 6 months. In reality, I should have noted that Azami joined the therapy group in February. Mid march is when these events happen.
>>6390130I'll switch to contacting Aoi then, as we seem to be managing just fine with the minus two. It is more important.
>>6390130Also, by my count contacting Aoi would be in the lead anyways>>6389291>>6389754Are votes exclusively for phoning Aoi.>>6389295>>6389315>>6389808 (my original vote)Are votes for both. If you read the plain text, then yes, it could be interpreted as prioritizing the meal over the phone call, though I don't read it that way since that isn't really specified. I'd see it more like five votes for the phone call to three split votes, rather than three split votes to two phone votes.>>6390041>>6390067Pretty sure it was implied he may have been gay anyways. Or at least one of his schoolmates thought so.
>>6390276>one of his schoolmatesI think that was the asshole schoolmate tho. Funny that the sociopath was stopped by diabetes. Though I think King Lot would've just been screaming/old man complaining if Haruka romanced anything.
>>6390130Okay changing vote from >>6389315 to simply>Deal with the your Mild Poison through 100% effective Kampo Chinese Medicine and eat something first...Because we literally just got done fighting for our lives and rescued Asato, please just let our girl take a chill pill now that she's here back at the godmother's
>>6390278Yeah, I think it was the NEET dude who wanted an RPG power fantasy isekaii and thought he could make gunpowder. As for King Lot, I'm actually pretty sure he would've caused trouble for us if we tried to romance a boy. I think he'd be okay if we went after a girl. Dunno how it would go if we went after another lost child though, since pretty much everyone had a opposite gender mythological persona.One thing I didn't like was the automatic increasing of our sync level with King Lot. Yeah, it increased our dice pool, but came at the cost of reduced autonomy. I wish that had been left entirely up to player choice, whether to pursue increased power or increased autonomy. There was an interesting dilemma there, had the option been left open for it. I even thought it was being played into a bit, since there was the example of edgelord Rodomonte, who iirc complained about and had trouble syncing, but made up for it massively by powergaming. I wish we had pursued that route instead, just without the edgelord shit. Relying on mana and stolen items from Earth I mean, that and the unique opportunities afforded to us by our charisma. I think QM went with the increased sync level because of the complaints about the dice and how weak we felt to some anons, but to me it just came off as annoying and unearned.I could go on about a lot of things I didn't have the time to say about MSV before, the interesting high level of player control over which event would pop up next per 'phase', the consequences of the big, high effort posts and folding fights into one, rarely two dice checks, why autopassing some tests that would otherwise be dice checks actually contributed to some anons feeling like we were being coddled, etc, but I'll leave it here for now. This was a bit unprompted, and perhaps a bit rude to discuss an old quest of QMs rather than the present one, so I don't want to go on.
>>6390302>This was a bit unprompted, and perhaps a bit rude to discuss an old quest of QMs rather than the present one, so I don't want to go on.I very much disagree. I think now is the best time
Ah, I must be getting tired. And we are approaching the final pages before this quest drops off.So we have the phone call then. We want to update Aoi on the situation.As for MSV, I doubt I can revive it. It's far more involving than this quest I'm running. And that is because of the incredibly high level of player control over events made things harder for me. Options that I thought might be for later like inviting people came in far earlier than I thought. Also my background rolls made things go wacky. Escanor the isolated and inexperience was supposed to die early and show how the sky falls with meteors (ie things landing in the world Avalon at random for you to pick up). Instead it's Vivian, the girl who is high sync and experienced that died....As for getting out of sync (not being 'in harmony with the spheres'), it's pretty simple. Just offend King Lot's sense of monogamy. In other words, build your harem of handsome boys and girls. Either gender will offend the man, since the stories I read have him seem to imply a high degree of fidelity to his wife.One story I read had him winning his witch wife by marrying her while she was disguised as an ugly old woman as part of quest. She reveals herself as beautiful at night and gives King Lot the option to have her beautiful at night or at day.He chooses night since he doesn't want anyone to see her but she argues it should be by day since she wants all to see her as beautiful and because it will hurt his standing as a king/political reasons.He accepts her reasoning and because she wants it.As a reward, she would be beautiful by night and day because he passed her test.I also wondered if Rodomonte was too much of an asshole but it turns out he's pretty tame when we have reality showing that individuals like him exist in real life. If he wanted autonomy, he could have done something minor to offend Rodomonte (by acting humble, and not being a glory seeker) but the guy and choose an ability that increased his abilities through infamy.Pissing off the Namesake who wanted renown and glory, not being known as a child killer and sneaky bastard.
>>6390625>One story I read had him winning his witch wife by marrying her while she was disguised as an ugly old woman as part of quest.Huh, interesting. I had read the same basic legend, but as the marriage of Sir Gawain and the fairy (?) Dame Ragnelle.
>>6390628It seems the legend was interchangeable between Gawain and King Lot. I thought it interesting, so I put as part of King Lot's legend.
>>6390625>Instead it's Vivian, the girl who is high sync and experienced that died....That’s incredibly funny> Ah, I must be getting tired. And we are approaching the final pages before this quest drops off.Rest well, QM. I always appreciate the research and effort you put into the quests.
>>6390625Thanks for still writing these QM. I too appreciate your autistic reaearch
>>6390628>>6390632>>6390681I'm glad it's well appreciated. It's nice to see that in the archives the first thread is +20 and regarded as epic.
>>6390687Yeah your stuff is pretty fucking epic all right
Ah, I need to put this thread in archives.What tags do you think I should put in?I have three:Collective Game, Magical Girl, Yakuza
>>6391208Your QM handle could be a good one. That's often the easiest and fastest way to find a QM's body of work.
>>6391208>tagsvillainess. All your other quests have that tag.
>>6391223Azami is a HERO, I say! A protector of children!
>>6391251>She protected children is what she did. She was a brave Japanese woman of honor. In this house, Azami is a HERO, end of story!
>>6391330kek
