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
