Tokyo Devils [Urban Shadows IC]

[RCgothic]

Awww, no shopping spree, Akira? What good is being a powerful demon if you can't even have any fun while you're planning murder?

But okay, sure, the boring plan. You're in one of the most crowded sections of Tokyo, cabs are everywhere. So getting home is no trouble. Tell me about your place now that you're getting back to it? What does it look like? What's the first thing you notice every time you get back to it? Oh and would anyone else be home during the day?

It's pretty cool actually. It's a dual aspect apartment spread over the 6th and 7th floors of a complex in central Akihabara. From the 6th floor lobby you've got the standard genkan which then opens out onto a large open plan area which serves as kitchen, dining room and formal reception area. Off to one side are the public bathrooms and pantry and utility rooms by the kitchen. Double story windows line two of the walls and sliding doors open out onto a sizeable terrace area. On the other side from the kitchen stairs lead up to a smaller family snug overlooking the mezzanine. From there a small hallway leads to the four bedrooms, their en-suites, dad's study, and the emergency exit to the 7th floor lobby. It's all done up in a pretty modern style - lots of black and white, chrome fittings, not a shōji in sight.

Well Yoshie is always around. 6th floor living doesn't offer much in the way of exterior prospects for a cat. He always knows I'm coming too, waiting neatly on the step of the genkan for a fuss. So he's pretty much always the first thing I notice. He gets insulted if I ignore him!

As for the others...

Er, what day is it? It's... bad that I'm not entirely sure. If it's a weekend then pretty much anyone. Otherwise...

Dad and Suki-chan are guaranteed to be busy somewhere else. Dad's a national politician and has plenty of places to be, people to see. Suki-chan will be at some class or sports thing. Neither of them will be back before dinner.

Namiko-chan and Mum are harder to predict.

Mum gave up full time work when I got too sick to look after myself. Now that I'm no-longer an invalid she throws herself into various charity and community things, but the scheduling's erratic and last minute. She may be around, but I hope not. She's overprotective and I hate that. Our relationship is quite strained at the moment.

Namiko's embracing the whole struggling illustrator schtick. There's every chance she'll be working on her surface pro in the snug and if so there's half a chance her boyfriend Hiro will be there too. But she likes a frequent change of scenery, so who knows? If she is home she'll either be totally focused on a genius new idea, or bored and looking for an excuse to procrastinate. I have a sudden premonition...

[Raz_Fox]

"I would very much like to figure out what's going on myself," I say, attempting to get Akane to budge from that spot. Not that there was much of an escape route available: the cicadas were swarming! Which isn't usually a thing you get to say, come to think about it. Sure, there was that one film, the Jerusalem Strain or something like that, about mutant cockroaches that preyed upon people by disguising themselves as us- that actually was a stealth documentary, according to my sources, but I'm going astray, I really don't want to crush this cicada in my hand and I really want Akane to clear us a path, isn't that what you're good for? "Come on, get moving already! Try not to make a scene but also try not to die!"

[Anarion]

Namiko's embracing the whole struggling illustrator schtick. There's every chance she'll be working on her surface pro in the snug and if so there's half a chance her boyfriend Hiro will be there too. But she likes a frequent change of scenery, so who knows? If she is home she'll either be totally focused on a genius new idea, or bored and looking for an excuse to procrastinate. I have a sudden premonition...

I dunno, let's say it's Tuesday. Everyone likes Tuesday. And with a lead up like that, who am I to turn down an invitation? So you open the door. Yoshie, ever vigilant, comes out and curls himself around your legs, which is very pleasant, but makes it hard to walk. And right when you're starting to think, "mm, this is nice, time to get moving" Yoshie, traitorous feline that he is, gives a very loud meow and scampers off and next thing you know, Namiko's got you in a great big hug and is dragging you through the door. "Oh sis! What's up, I didn't expect you back until tonight? Thank goodness you're back, Hiro went out to pick up lunch and Mom's doing some jog for cancer thing to keep on raising money, and I finished my drawing and now I'm SO BORED. Here, come take a look!"

And then she drags you straight into the kitchen on the 6th floor. The large cooking table has been temporarily converted into a makeshift art studio, with pens, pencils, and some chalks all scattered over the big cooking table in a way that you're fairly certain is going to lead to you, personally, ingesting chalk dust later. And there on the table, she's got a rendering of a bat-winged anime girl holding a fireball in one hand like one of those pictures of Hindu gods or something, except the eyes are huge and super-cute, and her mouth is in this little tiny pout that makes you unsure if the fireball is for use or if she just likes conjuring magical fire in her hand while she thinks.

"What do you think sis? I drew it based off the news reports last week, you remember that crazy old grandpa ranting about the attack in upper Akihabara, and they put him on the news because a couple of other people had seen something weird and he was the only guy they could get? I'm calling her Oni-chan for now, and she's gonna be the troubled heroine of my new comic. What do you think, huh huh?"

"Ugh, bugs! NOISY bugs!" Akane tried to wave some off. "Where are they coming from? What's going on? Something wrong with your legs?"

"I would very much like to figure out what's going on myself," I say, attempting to get Akane to budge from that spot. Not that there was much of an escape route available: the cicadas were swarming! Which isn't usually a thing you get to say, come to think about it. Sure, there was that one film, the Jerusalem Strain or something like that, about mutant cockroaches that preyed upon people by disguising themselves as us- that actually was a stealth documentary, according to my sources, but I'm going astray, I really don't want to crush this cicada in my hand and I really want Akane to clear us a path, isn't that what you're good for? "Come on, get moving already! Try not to make a scene but also try not to die!"

That sure is a lot of standing around and talking while swarms of bugs converge on you. Everyone knows that talking doesn't actually stop you from doing anything else, of course, so why don't you tell me what some of your other body parts are doing. Legs primarily, but I'm open to inventive answers here.

[Deadly]

"I would very much like to figure out what's going on myself," I say, attempting to get Akane to budge from that spot. Not that there was much of an escape route available: the cicadas were swarming! Which isn't usually a thing you get to say, come to think about it. Sure, there was that one film, the Jerusalem Strain or something like that, about mutant cockroaches that preyed upon people by disguising themselves as us- that actually was a stealth documentary, according to my sources, but I'm going astray, I really don't want to crush this cicada in my hand and I really want Akane to clear us a path, isn't that what you're good for? "Come on, get moving already! Try not to make a scene but also try not to die!"

That sure is a lot of standing around and talking while swarms of bugs converge on you. Everyone knows that talking doesn't actually stop you from doing anything else, of course, so why don't you tell me what some of your other body parts are doing. Legs primarily, but I'm open to inventive answers here.

"Fine," Akane said and began to move decisively away from the swarming bugs while dragging June along, trying to locate and follow the strongest scent of birds. When you had flying bugs, you called in the feathered ones and let them have a feast. Natural predators, that was something Akane understood. "But I'm not doing all the work to save your ass. Can't you pull some birds out of your hat or something wizardly like that?"

[Raz_Fox]

"Actually, you'd be surprised to find that, while the possibilities of will-working are vast and incredible, practical on-the-spot magic without ingredients and reagents, not to mention a lack of access to proper sigilry and signage," I say, running hurriedly along with Akane, probably looking like an uncoordinated idiot to anyone who might be happening to watch us running from what, to their limited perception, would seem to be absolutely nothing at all, "Is much more dependent on the resonances of the practitioner's soul and their own personal mythos, which, in my case, is connected very strongly to, well, I'm sure you already know that I consider myself to be a student of the mysteries of Áine, which are by and large not concerned with avian symbols or the summoning of one thing from a receptacle too small to contain it, which are what you would need for spontaneous summoning of birds from a hat or, for that matter, any particular- give me a sec- running, ow- any particular receptacle, which- bug bug bug on your shoulder right there get it off- means that unless I want to burn everything within a close radius, I don't particularly have many tricks available with which to deal with the sudden and unexpected attention of many- oh god there is one in my stocking help."

[What roll is called for to get away from the spontaneous swarm of cockroaches via running a lot? It seems like it would be escape, but I'm not sure we have an opening yet.]

[Anarion]

I would suggest that while you may not be able to summon birds per se, a let it out roll of wizardly magic of whatever flavor suits you would create the opening that Akane needs to roll escape. You could also try a more mundane distraction if you want, there is a crowd after all and if it's been good for anything so far, it's a panic.

[Deadly]

"Actually, you'd be surprised to find that, while the possibilities of will-working are vast and incredible, practical on-the-spot magic without ingredients and reagents, not to mention a lack of access to proper sigilry and signage," I say, running hurriedly along with Akane, probably looking like an uncoordinated idiot to anyone who might be happening to watch us running from what, to their limited perception, would seem to be absolutely nothing at all, "Is much more dependent on the resonances of the practitioner's soul and their own personal mythos, which, in my case, is connected very strongly to, well, I'm sure you already know that I consider myself to be a student of the mysteries of Áine, which are by and large not concerned with avian symbols or the summoning of one thing from a receptacle too small to contain it, which are what you would need for spontaneous summoning of birds from a hat or, for that matter, any particular- give me a sec- running, ow- any particular receptacle, which- bug bug bug on your shoulder right there get it off- means that unless I want to burn everything within a close radius, I don't particularly have many tricks available with which to deal with the sudden and unexpected attention of many- oh god there is one in my stocking help."

[What roll is called for to get away from the spontaneous swarm of cockroaches via running a lot? It seems like it would be escape, but I'm not sure we have an opening yet.]

The only word Akane heard in all that was "burn", which to her mind seemed like a sweet, sweet word of salvation. "What are you waiting for, then? Light the sky with fire! Burn the motherf*ers! Unleash the wrath of the sun upon them all!"

Best idea ever, amiright?

[RCgothic]

I dunno, let's say it's Tuesday. Everyone likes Tuesday. And with a lead up like that, who am I to turn down an invitation? So you open the door. Yoshie, ever vigilant, comes out and curls himself around your legs, which is very pleasant, but makes it hard to walk. And right when you're starting to think, "mm, this is nice, time to get moving" Yoshie, traitorous feline that he is, gives a very loud meow and scampers off and next thing you know, Namiko's got you in a great big hug and is dragging you through the door. "Oh sis! What's up, I didn't expect you back until tonight? Thank goodness you're back, Hiro went out to pick up lunch and Mom's doing some jog for cancer thing to keep on raising money, and I finished my drawing and now I'm SO BORED. Here, come take a look!"

And then she drags you straight into the kitchen on the 6th floor. The large cooking table has been temporarily converted into a makeshift art studio, with pens, pencils, and some chalks all scattered over the big cooking table in a way that you're fairly certain is going to lead to you, personally, ingesting chalk dust later. And there on the table, she's got a rendering of a bat-winged anime girl holding a fireball in one hand like one of those pictures of Hindu gods or something, except the eyes are huge and super-cute, and her mouth is in this little tiny pout that makes you unsure if the fireball is for use or if she just likes conjuring magical fire in her hand while she thinks.

"What do you think sis? I drew it based off the news reports last week, you remember that crazy old grandpa ranting about the attack in upper Akihabara, and they put him on the news because a couple of other people had seen something weird and he was the only guy they could get? I'm calling her Oni-chan for now, and she's gonna be the troubled heroine of my new comic. What do you think, huh huh?"

"Yoshie! No.. don't...!" Akira tries to quiet the treacherous feline, but before she knows it she's enfolded in a warm hug. She closes her eyes and lets the stress drain out; back into sister mode; Amatsu Mikaboshi can wait. She just manages to kick off her shoes in the genkan before being dragged through to the kitchen with a laugh. Typical Nami!

What she sees there leaves her stunned.

"Oh, Namiko!" she exclaims, reaching out almost to touch the picture before realising that physical media can be fragile and withdrawing her hand.
"She's amazing!" Akira breathes. "But... a demon...? Have you thought up her backstory yet?"

Meanwhile she's thinking back to whether she had any involvement in that attack last week.

[Raz_Fox]

All right, so, under the circumstances, I feel that it's probably for the best interests of everyone involved here if there's some distraction, conjured up from wizardliness, particularly if the crowd gets involved, so here's what I do: I reflect. Every bit of glass in the area (which, this being Tokyo, there's glass) reflects the light that I am calling down, a brilliant solar flashbang courtesy of my control of the Mysteries.

[Let It Out: (2d6+2)[4]]

So why don't you tell me how badly this backfires on me, huh?

[Anarion]

"Yoshie! No.. don't...!" Akira tries to quiet the treacherous feline, but before she knows it she's enfolded in a warm hug. She closes her eyes and lets the stress drain out; back into sister mode; Amatsu Mikaboshi can wait. She just manages to kick off her shoes in the genkan before being dragged through to the kitchen with a laugh. Typical Nami!

What she sees there leaves her stunned.

"Oh, Namiko!" she exclaims, reaching out almost to touch the picture before realising that physical media can be fragile and withdrawing her hand.
"She's amazing!" Akira breathes. "But... a demon...? Have you thought up her backstory yet?"

Meanwhile she's thinking back to whether she had any involvement in that attack last week.

You know what, this is your show. You tell me. I thought it was you, but maybe I'm wrong, maybe you're not the only game in town. Were you there last week committing a crime that someone might describe as an "attack?" Think about your answer here because it's going to determine a lot about what sort of story we're telling.

So why don't you tell me how badly this backfires on me, huh?

You? No, no you're fine. You even scare off the cicadas that are in the immediate vicinity thanks to the blinding beams of light converging from every direction. They're still there, but you have a little space to move and breath now.

No, the problem is your dear friend Akane who's been pulling you along. I know she asked for your help, but you really ought to give some warning before you pull out the old DBZ Solar Flare technique. Your aim is great though, the point of convergence for the entire spell is smack dab into Akane's eyes.

Akane, you're blind until further notice (also this comes with searing horrible pain in the back of your eyes and you're totally sure it's June's fault), and you're still pulling June along wherever you may care to take her. You'll need to roll to keep your cool if you want to do something physically difficult for a newly blind person, though you're a wolf so if you want to pull some tricks with scent (especially after transforming) you've got some options to work around it.

[RCgothic]

You know what, this is your show. You tell me. I thought it was you, but maybe I'm wrong, maybe you're not the only game in town. Were you there last week committing a crime that someone might describe as an "attack?" Think about your answer here because it's going to determine a lot about what sort of story we're telling.

Not for the first time today Akira feels a sudden upwelling of shame. Her hesitation hadn't been about whether she'd perpetrated an attack, it had been about which attack. In this instance she'd been tasked with bringing one of her master's more reluctant followers back to heal. Demon form resplendent, she'd beaten the guy to a bloody pulp in his own stairwell. She hadn't realised she'd had an audience. Thankfully hardly anyone had paid the old kook any notice.

[Anarion]

Not for the first time today Akira feels a sudden upwelling of shame. Her hesitation hadn't been about whether she'd perpetrated an attack, it had been about which attack. In this instance she'd been tasked with bringing one of her master's more reluctant followers back to heal. Demon form resplendent, she'd beaten the guy to a bloody pulp in his own stairwell. She hadn't realised she'd had an audience. Thankfully hardly anyone had paid the old kook any notice.

Nami notices the flush in your cheeks and your frown. "Oh, sis, you hate it, don't you? That stuff about it being amazing was just you trying to be nice, but you really hate it. Oh, oh, I knew it, I'm just no good at this. I'm going to have to start over from scratch." She reaches towards you to try and take the drawing, and from the way her hand is clenched, you can guess that she's going to crush it up and throw it away.

[RCgothic]

Nami notices the flush in your cheeks and your frown. "Oh, sis, you hate it, don't you? That stuff about it being amazing was just you trying to be nice, but you really hate it. Oh, oh, I knew it, I'm just no good at this. I'm going to have to start over from scratch." She reaches towards you to try and take the drawing, and from the way her hand is clenched, you can guess that she's going to crush it up and throw it away.

"No! Nami, no!" Akira makes a grab for Namiko's hand before she can do any damage. "You can't! She's perfect! Oni-chan's perfect. Don't."

As a further measure Akira pulls her little sister into an enfolding bear hug. "Sorry sis, just intrusive work thoughts. I'm under a lot of pressure right now. I love her, I really do!"

[Deadly]

You? No, no you're fine. You even scare off the cicadas that are in the immediate vicinity thanks to the blinding beams of light converging from every direction. They're still there, but you have a little space to move and breath now.

No, the problem is your dear friend Akane who's been pulling you along. I know she asked for your help, but you really ought to give some warning before you pull out the old DBZ Solar Flare technique. Your aim is great though, the point of convergence for the entire spell is smack dab into Akane's eyes.

Akane, you're blind until further notice (also this comes with searing horrible pain in the back of your eyes and you're totally sure it's June's fault), and you're still pulling June along wherever you may care to take her. You'll need to roll to keep your cool if you want to do something physically difficult for a newly blind person, though you're a wolf so if you want to pull some tricks with scent (especially after transforming) you've got some options to work around it.

Akane stumbled, screamed and grasped uselessly at her eyes. "You #%¤)/%&!" she growled, unable to get a coherent string of expletives out. The searing pain filled her with anger, with rage, with a desire to take it out on the source of the pain right there and then, take it out on June, that useless, bumbling idiot who couldn't save herself, couldn't do anything useful or right.

Another impulse, more rational sadistic, pushed her to get the hell out so she could make sure the wizard knew just how much she bloody owed her for this, how much she was going to pay for this.

Keeping Cool, doing my damnedest best not to maul June for being a no-good, useless, more-trouble-than-she's-worth wizard and instead get the hell out of there: 6+2+1 = 9

[Anarion]

"No! Nami, no!" Akira makes a grab for Namiko's hand before she can do any damage. "You can't! She's perfect! Oni-chan's perfect. Don't."

As a further measure Akira pulls her little sister into an enfolding bear hug. "Sorry sis, just intrusive work thoughts. I'm under a lot of pressure right now. I love her, I really do!"

Namiko pouts, but you can see a little smile working it's way through her eyes and heading downward to the cheeks and then the teeth. That was a pretty big exclamation that somebody wouldn't have made if they didn't really like what she was doing.

It's in this position, Nami embraced in a hug and just about accepting it, that Hiro finds when he comes in with his hands full of shopping bags to leave in the kitchen. "Should I get you two a room?" He asks, after coughing pointedly.

Keeping Cool, doing my damnedest best not to maul June for being a no-good, useless, more-trouble-than-she's-worth wizard and instead get the hell out of there: 6+2+1 = 9

Well, at the very least, I'm sure that June will owe you for this, big time. Right, June-chan?

But, back to the point at hand. You haven't quite escaped the horde of cicadas, but you've got a break. The problem here is that with your eyes shot, you need to go by smell, and the only thing you can really smell consistently is the crowd because, well, humans stink, we all knew that one. So, you've got the opportunity, make a mad dash successfully right now and you'll get out of the cicada bubble, but you'll pull that bubble into the crowd and who knows what will happen then? I mean, not to you or anyone you care about, you can avoid the schoolgirls if you want, so maybe that doesn't matter, but you'll definitely be drawing a magical phenomena into a group of normals.

If that's not to your taste, well, you're mobile and not dead, so you can try something else instead. You could ask June for more help, too. What else could possibly go wrong?

[RCgothic]

Namiko pouts, but you can see a little smile working it's way through her eyes and heading downward to the cheeks and then the teeth. That was a pretty big exclamation that somebody wouldn't have made if they didn't really like what she was doing.

It's in this position, Nami embraced in a hug and just about accepting it, that Hiro finds when he comes in with his hands full of shopping bags to leave in the kitchen. "Should I get you two a room?" He asks, after coughing pointedly.

Akira sticks her tongue out at Hiro, whilst continuing to enjoy the hug with her little sister for a few moments more.

She reluctantly breaks the embrace. "I've got to get back to work; this was just a pit stop. I should be back for dinner. You keep working on her, okay? I want to know how the story goes!"

Akira excuses herself from Namiko and Hiro and heads up to her room. Her balled up hoody goes into a trash bag, and the semiautomatic it was hiding goes into its hidden holster taped above the door frame in her closet. Then she pulls on a fresh plain hoody and heads out again. One quick detour to the building's dumpster later she hails a cab.

[Deadly]

Well, at the very least, I'm sure that June will owe you for this, big time. Right, June-chan?

But, back to the point at hand. You haven't quite escaped the horde of cicadas, but you've got a break. The problem here is that with your eyes shot, you need to go by smell, and the only thing you can really smell consistently is the crowd because, well, humans stink, we all knew that one. So, you've got the opportunity, make a mad dash successfully right now and you'll get out of the cicada bubble, but you'll pull that bubble into the crowd and who knows what will happen then? I mean, not to you or anyone you care about, you can avoid the schoolgirls if you want, so maybe that doesn't matter, but you'll definitely be drawing a magical phenomena into a group of normals.

If that's not to your taste, well, you're mobile and not dead, so you can try something else instead. You could ask June for more help, too. What else could possibly go wrong?

Dealing with magical phenomena? Babying crowds? Not Akane's job. Akane has a very simple job: to get herself and June out of there, and she intends to do her job. June is the wizard, she's the one responsible for dealing with magical phenomena, including protecting mortals from things they cannot see, not Akane. And the crowd ... well, sometimes people have to fend for themselves, and sometimes they have to learn that bad things happen in life. Not Akane's problem.

And really, if you think about it - which Akane probably doesn't, because she's busy running blind and being in pain - the best she can do for the crowds is to get June to where June needs to be to do her wizard thing ... which is as likely to make the bugs even bigger and give them lasers ... right, never mind.

So away she goes, steering clear of the schoolgirls - she owes them - but otherwise paying the crowds little heed.

Need to roll to Escape?

[Anarion]

Akira sticks her tongue out at Hiro, whilst continuing to enjoy the hug with her little sister for a few moments more.

She reluctantly breaks the embrace. "I've got to get back to work; this was just a pit stop. I should be back for dinner. You keep working on her, okay? I want to know how the story goes!"

Akira excuses herself from Namiko and Hiro and heads up to her room. Her balled up hoody goes into a trash bag, and the semiautomatic it was hiding goes into its hidden holster taped above the door frame in her closet. Then she pulls on a fresh plain hoody and heads out again. One quick detour to the building's dumpster later she hails a cab.

Can you give me a quick roll to keep your cool? That's a lot of stuff to be throwing about, some illegal, some bloody, and a very quick turnaround.

Dealing with magical phenomena? Babying crowds? Not Akane's job. Akane has a very simple job: to get herself and June out of there, and she intends to do her job. June is the wizard, she's the one responsible for dealing with magical phenomena, including protecting mortals from things they cannot see, not Akane. And the crowd ... well, sometimes people have to fend for themselves, and sometimes they have to learn that bad things happen in life. Not Akane's problem.

And really, if you think about it - which Akane probably doesn't, because she's busy running blind and being in pain - the best she can do for the crowds is to get June to where June needs to be to do her wizard thing ... which is as likely to make the bugs even bigger and give them lasers ... right, never mind.

So away she goes, steering clear of the schoolgirls - she owes them - but otherwise paying the crowds little heed.

Need to roll to Escape?

Alright, you're letting the crowd have it. Roll to escape, you've got an opening wide enough to drive a semi-truck through it. June can roll to assist as well based on her previous actions too.

[RCgothic]

Can you give me a quick roll to keep your cool? That's a lot of stuff to be throwing about, some illegal, some bloody, and a very quick turnaround.

Ouch. Okay.

Keep my cool:
Spirit: (2d6)[5]

[Anarion]

Ouch. Okay.

Keep my cool:
Spirit: [roll0]

I think we both know where this is going. You're running around your room frantically putting things away, when the door opens quietly. "Akira, Nami thought you might want some melon bread, so I brought some up to...HOLY HELL IS THAT A GUN?!!" Yep, that's Hiro. What a nosy guy, didn't anybody ever teach him to knock first, sheesh? So, what do you do?

[RCgothic]

I think we both know where this is going. You're running around your room frantically putting things away, when the door opens quietly. "Akira, Nami thought you might want some melon bread, so I brought some up to...HOLY HELL IS THAT A GUN?!!" Yep, that's Hiro. What a nosy guy, didn't anybody ever teach him to knock first, sheesh? So, what do you do?

Well ****.

"Yeah, and I'm freaking out about it! Keep your voice down!" I hiss as I push the door shut behind him, quickly deciding that lying is the best strategy.

"I met a contact who claimed he could hack Mizuho Bank's mobile app. Guy was a creep! Made me take it before he'd talk to me, thought it was funny or something!" I fake an involuntary shudder.

"Now I'm not sure what to do with it! I can't exactly go to the police! 'Where did you get this illegal weapon? Meeting a criminal? Oh! You're Hitomi-sensei's daughter!'" I wave the gun in an exasperated manner before tossing it onto the bed as though it disgusts me.

"Look, you can't tell anyone about this, I'm dealing with it! Mother already treats me as if I'm made of glass, can you imagine what she'd be like if she knew what some of my contacts are like? It would be impossible! If you tell anyone you'll owe me!"

This sounds a lot like Persuade an NPC, right?

[Deadly]

Alright, you're letting the crowd have it. Roll to escape, you've got an opening wide enough to drive a semi-truck through it. June can roll to assist as well based on her previous actions too.

Escape: 2+3+2 = 7

It seems to me that Akane is giving in to her base nature (she sure knows how to get that corruption), and ... let's say she owes someone a Debt for her escape. I don't think that can be June, obviously

[Raz_Fox]

"I'm sorry! Excuse us! I'm so sorry! Coming through! Very important! I'm sorry! Those shoes look wonderful, sorry! Excuse us! Gangway, coming through!"

I have wrapped my limbs around Akane, like a spider, except I'm not sure whether spiders curl their limbs around anything other than themselves, when they die, which is what I'm trying to avoid. One small woman is piggy-backing on another small woman, I am becoming very well acquainted with the smell of Akane's shampoo (seriously, that's wonderful, I want some) and I am doing my best to apologize to everyone who is being inconvenienced by our heedless flight while also digging my heels into Akane's sides and wishing that I was slightly more respectable than I am right at this moment.

[Anarion]

Well ****.

"Yeah, and I'm freaking out about it! Keep your voice down!" I hiss as I push the door shut behind him, quickly deciding that lying is the best strategy.

"I met a contact who claimed he could hack Mizuho Bank's mobile app. Guy was a creep! Made me take it before he'd talk to me, thought it was funny or something!" I fake an involuntary shudder.

"Now I'm not sure what to do with it! I can't exactly go to the police! 'Where did you get this illegal weapon? Meeting a criminal? Oh! You're Hitomi-sensei's daughter!'" I wave the gun in an exasperated manner before tossing it onto the bed as though it disgusts me.

"Look, you can't tell anyone about this, I'm dealing with it! Mother already treats me as if I'm made of glass, can you imagine what she'd be like if she knew what some of my contacts are like? It would be impossible! If you tell anyone you'll owe me!"

This sounds a lot like Persuade an NPC, right?

Before we get into this little madness, let me give you some good news. Nami's been working with a publisher, his name's Tom, he's a white guy, works with a big international company, though he speaks passable and only slightly rude Japanese. And he's been interested in her art too, to really spread it around. You know, somehow, that he's very grateful for you salvaging the piece there and that Nami will speak so well of you and blab the whole story to Tom the next time she sees him, so he'll know he owes you, not Nami, for her work. Tom, the publisher, owes you a debt.

Now, back to what we were saying. "I'll owe you? I don't think so. You owe me, Hitomi-san. I'll keep whatever scheme you're into quiet, and when push comes to shove, I expect that you'll be with me to return the favor." Hiro sniffs, lording over you the fact that he knows he's got you in a bind, and using your formal name to demonstrate the formality of the situation. He means it, you can tell, he won't tell anyone about the gun, but you do owe him a debt for it. He reaches into his bag, ruffles around in it for a second, the crinkling of the paper covering up the sound while you finish getting your gun wrapped up and put away. He then produces a piece of melon bread and puts on a nice warm smile as he walks over and places it on your desk ever so gently. "Enjoy, Akira-chan, it's delicious." Smile smile smile, closes the door and he's out.

So that's the deal there, I'll give you a moment to catch your breath, see if that changes any plans, and if not, let me know and we can cut to your cab ride. Though, to be honest, I'm a little curious how you're planning to commit a murder without your gun. I hear guns help with murder, but that's just me. Is it going to be magical demon fire? I hope it's demon fire.

Escape: 2+3+2 = 7

It seems to me that Akane is giving in to her base nature (she sure knows how to get that corruption), and ... let's say she owes someone a Debt for her escape. I don't think that can be June, obviously

"I'm sorry! Excuse us! I'm so sorry! Coming through! Very important! I'm sorry! Those shoes look wonderful, sorry! Excuse us! Gangway, coming through!"

I have wrapped my limbs around Akane, like a spider, except I'm not sure whether spiders curl their limbs around anything other than themselves, when they die, which is what I'm trying to avoid. One small woman is piggy-backing on another small woman, I am becoming very well acquainted with the smell of Akane's shampoo (seriously, that's wonderful, I want some) and I am doing my best to apologize to everyone who is being inconvenienced by our heedless flight while also digging my heels into Akane's sides and wishing that I was slightly more respectable than I am right at this moment.

Oh boy. Okay, you know that feeling when you're standing on the top of a diving board, really high one, and you walk up right to the edge and take a look over? That moment of vertigo, even for the most experienced diver out there, where they know this is the moment of truth, they know what they're doing, but there's still that tiny risk that you slip and knock your head on the board and the lifeguard has to jump in and haul you out of the water before you drown. That feeling. That's the feeling you both have Akane and June, as the Cicada swarm catches up, and a blind wolf hauls a little blond spider girl hurtling into the mob of people.

Now, the streets of Akihabara are pretty broad. Normally, you've got storefronts lining the huge buildings and decorative cobblestone paving making up the sidewalk and leading out to street with the walkways more than enough to accommodate 10 people walking shoulder to shoulder with a little elbow room to spare. But here, the whole train station was panicked and evacuated, so you've got a huge mass of people all packed together. And Akane, June, you both barrel into them and start running through them. And the ones that you touch, they're startled, and they look back at the direction you came from, and then they start screaming. Akane, you can't really glance back, but you can hear the crescendo of the swarm as they collect, and June, if you choose to glance back, you'll see the cicadas rising up as a mass and starting to crash over the people. Akane puts on a burst of speed, June you can feel her hands getting hairier, the wolf coming out even in the middle of the day, pulling you along hurtling through the crowd like a rocket faster than any human could ever go. She doesn't transform all the way, but faint hints of the wolf she is flash across her body, and to your sight she is alight with supernatural energy saving your little tiny wizard butt.

And then...then they start spreading out. As each panicked person bumps into others, the cicadas seem to find a new target, and the mass spreads and spreads. Some people collapse, covered with hundreds of the little bugs, each one extending a little proboscis to drink. But most of them are okay, batting and swatting and running this way and that. Little Cho and the schoolgirls are nowhere to be found. Seems like she sensed something was up and broke away from the crowd, pulling all the girls with her. They know Cho knows her stuff.

Akane, you're starting to smell things as the wolf. And you catch a particular and interesting scent. There's no time to stop, you hurtle foward and it directs your path. You go flying past the crowd without getting knocked down, the sea parting, and you follow that scent turning suddenly down a back alley. The Sho twins, or one of them. The dark one you think, he led you through the crowd to safety. But, as you careen into the alley, the scent suddenly disappears. That's not normal. But then, nothing about today classifies itself as normal. You're sure it was him though, the dark Sho, and if you see him again, you'll feel that you owe him a debt. Rub your eyes, you're dazzled and still can't see, though the partial transformation seems to have helped get rid of the pain.

June, you're standing with Akane in a back alley next to a shop that claims to sell every Nintendo game ever made. It's got paintings of Mario and Bowser on it, and Link trying to pull out his sword. You're holding a single live Cicada, undamaged, in your hand and there are no others to be seen, though the panic of the crowd still carries faintly in the distance.

So, here's my question to you both, I'm sure you know it's coming. What do you do now?

[RCgothic]

Before we get into this little madness, let me give you some good news. Nami's been working with a publisher, his name's Tom, he's a white guy, works with a big international company, though he speaks passable and only slightly rude Japanese. And he's been interested in her art too, to really spread it around. You know, somehow, that he's very grateful for you salvaging the piece there and that Nami will speak so well of you and blab the whole story to Tom the next time she sees him, so he'll know he owes you, not Nami, for her work. Tom, the publisher, owes you a debt.

Now, back to what we were saying. "I'll owe you? I don't think so. You owe me, Hitomi-san. I'll keep whatever scheme you're into quiet, and when push comes to shove, I expect that you'll be with me to return the favor." Hiro sniffs, lording over you the fact that he knows he's got you in a bind, and using your formal name to demonstrate the formality of the situation. He means it, you can tell, he won't tell anyone about the gun, but you do owe him a debt for it. He reaches into his bag, ruffles around in it for a second, the crinkling of the paper covering up the sound while you finish getting your gun wrapped up and put away. He then produces a piece of melon bread and puts on a nice warm smile as he walks over and places it on your desk ever so gently. "Enjoy, Akira-chan, it's delicious." Smile smile smile, closes the door and he's out.

So that's the deal there, I'll give you a moment to catch your breath, see if that changes any plans, and if not, let me know and we can cut to your cab ride. Though, to be honest, I'm a little curious how you're planning to commit a murder without your gun. I hear guns help with murder, but that's just me. Is it going to be magical demon fire? I hope it's demon fire.

Ok Hiro, you win this round. I hope getting yourself onto your girlfriend's beloved elder sister's **** list was worth it. Let's see how that works out for you.

Honestly, this doesn't really change much except for giving me some lunch plans that I was probably going to skip again. Onto the cab ride. And just because you asked: Yes, it's going to be magical demon fire.

[Deadly]

June, you're standing with Akane in a back alley next to a shop that claims to sell every Nintendo game ever made. It's got paintings of Mario and Bowser on it, and Link trying to pull out his sword. You're holding a single live Cicada, undamaged, in your hand and there are no others to be seen, though the panic of the crowd still carries faintly in the distance.

So, here's my question to you both, I'm sure you know it's coming. What do you do now?

"I hope you have a very good plan to fix this," Akane growled. "Maybe one that involves finding and mauling someone."

Do I have to roll to Keep my Cool, or is it not enough of a transformation for that?

[Raz_Fox]

"Do I have a plan? Well, not really yet, no, but the operative word there is yet, because now that I have one of these things, right here in the palm of my hand, unsquished and safely retrieved, I can do research to it. All the mauling in the world won't do me any good until I know how the mauling will fix things and who, precisely, requires the mauling."

My breathing is patchy, my heart racing, as if I'd been the one doing the running rather than a clinging spider on a wolf's back. Sun blind my eyes! Or her eyes, I suppose. I wave my hand in front of her face, and- yeah, those eyeballs aren't moving. Akane, I am very, very sorry for mystically blinding you. This goes on the big master list of Things I Very Muchly Regret In Life.

"Do you have a place you need to be, Akane? Because I owe you a big one, and though I know it won't come anywhere close to making up for the whole fiasco back there, I can provide some nice compresses and tea and a couch to lie down on while I figure out what's going on with this cicada. Care to join me at my place?"

[Deadly]

Akane growled something incomprehensible, but it wasn't like she had anywhere better to be, no. Except one could argue anywhere was better than a wizard's den, a wizard who had just blinded you and was now going to conduct experiments. Akane looked increasingly distrustful and wary as the seconds ticked by. "Actually, I'm good, really. No need to ... trouble yourself." Oh god, just imagining the mishaps that could result from June trying to apply a compress ... or making boiling hot tea. "Do you need me to go fetch something? A bug spray maybe? Some magical doodad? Anything?"

[Anarion]

Ok Hiro, you win this round. I hope getting yourself onto your girlfriend's beloved elder sister's **** list was worth it. Let's see how that works out for you.

Honestly, this doesn't really change much except for giving me some lunch plans that I was probably going to skip again. Onto the cab ride. And just because you asked: Yes, it's going to be magical demon fire.

I knew it, magical demon fire! That's something special. That's the thing about you, Akira, you're something special. Empowered by your dark patron, but inherently human. Ask yourself, why does Amatsu no Mikaboshi need you to carry out assassinations for him? (her? Them?) It's an interesting question, don't you think?

The Imperial palace is surrounded by a moat. Outside the moat, there's the modern city. Massive skyscrapers going up to a 100 stories. These imposing glass buildings, some all in black, some in white, house the greatest businessmen of Japan, all bowing and scraping to each other as they sign papers that move about hundreds of millions of dollars from one corporate entity to another. But if you follow the street, you'll reach a wall. It's an old wall. Old enough that the stones aren't cut perfectly. The stones of this wall aren't machined with modern tools and set in even lines with thin little layers of cement and mortar holding up the whole edifice. These stones are rough hewn, cut by hand, each one an imperfect square, stacked one atop another almost haphazardly. You could almost picture the old stories of ninja scaling the walls even of the Imperial Palace itself, gaining little handholds on stones piled haphazardly by masons who lacked the craft to do more. But where would the ninjas go? If you scale the wall, you'll simply stare into water, and another set of palace walls on the other side, more old, rough cut stones stacked one atop another almost randomly. Old walls. Powerful walls, that kept on standing when everything of the modern world says they ought to have been knocked down and replaced with glass and steel.

They're no trouble to you, Akira. You can go to the palace visitor entrance, it's a nice little bridge, wide enough for two lanes of traffic going in both directions and a pedestrian footpath. You can walk out past the walls and over the water, and then past the next walls and find yourself wandering the palace gardens. But you feel those walls and that moat. They're heavy, deep, thick with power. You've never met Amatsu no Mikaboshi inside the palace, you don't think you've ever seen them there in any guise.

Ameko is there though, just like he said. She's a gardener on the palace grounds, perhaps a volunteer in her free time? You see her wearing a simple white blouse and jeans, a wide straw sun bonnet on her head, and thick gloves on her hands as she bends over one tree planting among the palace's manicured grass. That manicured grass is everywhere, cut extensively to be perfect, like a military haircut for a lawn, each blade the same length and perfectly upright. Within that grass are small pine trees. Not bonsai small, but not much more than twice the height of a man, small for a pine, all arranged in perfect even rows, going left and right all around the grounds and deep easily several dozen trees. Ameko is working on one, using a trowel to dig out a place just so to place a new sapling in a blank spot within the line, her black hair lounging on her shoulders as she digs determinedly but not swiftly.

There are others around as well. The grounds are filled with tourists, the palace, away up the hill, has its road guarded by armed military, and the visitor center isn't too far from the bridge entrance, a small white building with a nice little teahouse and several patrons sitting at small iron-wrought tables drinking their cha and observing the meticulous beauty of the place.

So, you've got your run of the situation. Far as anybody knows, you're a young lady tourist just like the millions of other young lady tourists who've crossed these grounds. What's next?

Akane growled something incomprehensible, but it wasn't like she had anywhere better to be, no. Except one could argue anywhere was better than a wizard's den, a wizard who had just blinded you and was now going to conduct experiments. Akane looked increasingly distrustful and wary as the seconds ticked by. "Actually, I'm good, really. No need to ... trouble yourself." Oh god, just imagining the mishaps that could result from June trying to apply a compress ... or making boiling hot tea. "Do you need me to go fetch something? A bug spray maybe? Some magical doodad? Anything?"

I'll just let you two lovebirds chat. Don't mind me, but do let me know if you get bored.

[Anarion]

I'll just let you two lovebirds chat. Don't mind me, but do let me know if you get bored.

Actually, one little question. June, are you one of those wizards who likes to keep track of their friends and loved ones? The "it's not spying, I just want to make sure you're safe!" sort, who makes sure to get a little pang of danger sense if somebody they care about is ever in danger?