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Post by Ushima911 on May 23, 2020 1:38:22 GMT -5
Hikari Fujiwara, a teenage girl who has had her down times in her life, is trying to bounce back up. With her latest bust of a small Yakuza group, and protecting a hero establishment's receptionist, she was asked to file paperwork to submit an application for herself to the hero establishment. Unfortunately these things do take time, even for someone who did rescue somebody. So once her application was turned in, she would have to wait for some time to get a response. Staying low for the most part, Hikari did her waiting. Trying to avoid any more unwanted attention, she hid from her family, their watchmen, and any wandering Yakuza who may want to take her in. The action of waiting sucked, really sucked. Was it even worth it to wait? One could only contemplate. But with little to no other options at hand, waiting is all she had for the time being. Finally, the day came. A letter was delivered to the place she was staying at. Luckily the hero establishment's records were not public, so putting down a decent mailing location/box would be safe for the most part. Opening the letter, it states that the hero known as "Mirage" was accepted into the hero establishment located in Tokyo. The letter gave a time and address that Mirage would have to report to for orientation, and it was different than the hero establishment she saved. The building she saved was a recruitment building with information, a gift shop, and of course a light staff to maintain the building. The actual building she was stated to report to was The Tokyo Hero Ring, located a little outside of Shibuya in Shinjuku City. One small train ride, and she'd be at her new home where she'd be provided with room and board as she learned to become an official hero. The goal is to find a solid place to land for the time being, and hopefully rid herself of her family and the Yakuza. How that'd happen is unknown for now. She'd have to play by the organization's rules for the time being, but most definitely there was a way to accomplish that goal within the organization. Hikari would arrive at the hero establishment known as the Hero Ring. It was in the Shinjuku city, so it was bustling with business all around. All there was to do now was go inside and register herself with the organization. This is where her first steps as a hero-in-training will begin. "It was here at The Hero Ring where she was going to be." Hikari overheard someone nearby speaking. She had grown to watch her own back, so she was cautious enough to listen in to anything suspicious or potentially threatening. The man she happened to overhear while making her way through a crowd was a man on the phone with someone. "If she really did get accepted here, we'd run into her around the entrance. Cover the entrance and if you see her, give the signal." The man said. The man didn't look like a civilian, rather, very Yakuza-like. The man even carried himself like a Yakuza mid-boss. And from the telephone call he had just made, it sounded like he had some men under him. Now, the Yakuza usually had a lot of people on their list of people to look for, but Hikari knew she couldn't take any chances with them. It wasn't 100% clear that these men were looking for HER, but she could only assume that it wasn't a coincidence that after listening to that man's phone call some men were standing around The Hero Ring's entrance. The men around the entrance didn't look like Yakuza at all, as they didn't stand out. She only noticed them because after the phone call, three men stopped to loiter around The Hero Ring's entrance. Orientation would begin in thirty minutes or so, and that doesn't count for sign in time. It'd probably be best to not be late for orientation, especially on her first day, but due to the circumstances, it might have to happen that way. Unless Hikari, or Mirage, could get into the building somehow. --- OOC: Welcome to the game, Gris. As you can see in your first panel your "Deadly enemies" challenge has already activated, and the Yakuza are after you. Go ahead and be the hero you are, and accomplish your goals! Firstly, let's see you get to orientation.
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Post by Gris on May 23, 2020 5:18:30 GMT -5
Hikari was munching on a cheap plain onigiri in the rest area of a convenience shop, putting more effort than she'd want at that time of the day in looking like a tired office lady. It hadn't been long since she woke up in the random internet café she had picked to sleep that past night, but even considering how cheap those places were, what little money she had was on the verge of disappearing. She could always wander unseen into an empty apartment or house, take advantage of her powers to grab free food from any shop... but she wasn't desperate enough yet to fall that low. Hikari was in trouble because she didn't want to be like her family, because she wanted to be a hero, so she didn't want to resort to that kind of thing. Before it came to that she would hit a Yakuza joint and strip them of their ill earned money, even if the last thing she needed was more Yakuza heat on her tail.
Expecting nothing but without losing hope, Hikari wandered into the mailing box she had nearby once she was done with her meager breakfast, always visiting it with a different look in case someone was watching the business. She managed to stifle an excited yelp when she not only had a letter, but it was the one she had been waiting for. Eagerly reading it twice she stashed it, knowing that she had to head towards the Hero Ring and she had to do it soon. More coins were lost to the metro ticket, as Hikari blended in with her disguise, and soon enough she was in Shinjuku. Bustling with activity, the place always had been an odd one. You could head one way and see verdant parks with towering government and business buildings aside, but you could also head the other way and see bright shops and cinemas, karaokes and bars... and if you went deep enough the seedy and often vile businesses of the Yakuza in the red light district.
Even if just Shinjuku was bigger than most cities, Hikari had to be alert those days, as tiring as it could be, even if she felt paranoid, she had to survive. Once she was closer to the area where the Hero Ring was she ducked in a corner, getting into a public bathroom if needed be, a place where she could shed her disguise. Hikari didn't know how it was for other people, using their powers and all that, but when it came to her invisibility it didn't require effort. It was in fact a relief, that she could drop the illusion and just be herself. Heading invisible towards the Hero Ring, always making sure she didn't freak out anyone by stumbling into them, Hikari overheard a small conversation.
It was true that he didn't say her name, but in her times with poor dead Saito and her revenge against the Yakuza she had learned to pick up the most notorious signs. Sometimes it was just the way a jacket bulged over a gun, others it was how tacky sunglasses seemed to get their favor, often how an ill fitting suit didn't manage to hide a hint of a tattoo peeking on the wrist or the neck. That man was a Yakuza, and if he was there looking for a woman he and his goons had to be after her, it couldn't be a coincidence. Hikari wasn't a stickler for rules, if she had been she wouldn't be in this mess to begin with, so she wasn't as concerned as she should probably be about arriving late, so she had some time to spare and teach that few goons a lesson about trying to tail her.
That said it was hardly a place to start a fight, even if she got rid of them some bystander could get injured, and she didn't exactly had time to lure them someplace else like she did in Shibuya a few days ago. Maybe the Hero Ring had some unknown security measures, but Hikari thought that the safest option was to enter the building unseen. It didn't had just the advantage of avoiding a fight, but if she was lucky could also make them think that she didn't go there to begin with, throwing them off her scent for a while. Hikari approached the entrance, taking a look at how it was and thinking that it would be easier to slip in at the same time as someone else did, using them to avoid any kind of strange door openings.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 15(+5)/15 Action: Acrobatics 4 to approach the entrance and slipping in without causing a ruckus. Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 11(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on May 25, 2020 22:11:34 GMT -5
Hikari was so close to her destination when the Yakuza decided to show up and look for, potentially, her. It was definitely not an ideal situation, but at this point in time complaining would yield no results. Instead Hikari knew she had to get around these guys without being caught. With the nature of her power, that should hopefully prove to be easy.
Moving around in a crowded city could prove to be both difficult and easy at the same time. She'd occasionally bump into someone, but it was the city so it was very common. Still, occasionally bumping into people and seeing them stare behind themselves to find nobody in their possible vicinity to have been doing the bumping was odd. Alas, Hikari got along just fine. Walking and bumping herself around the crowds, she made it successfully to the entrance of The Hero Ring.
Here at the entrance, Hikari decided to wait for someone to enter or exit so she could slide through the already opened door without raising any type of suspicion. The Hero Ring was definitely a busy building with people coming in and out at all hours, so it wouldn't take too long for someone to come in or out. She just needed to wait for her time to jump through.
While waiting at the entrance she saw the yakuza men still standing around being vigilant and looking around casually. Yakuza are persistent so who knows how long they'd wait around for. Some civilians also posted in front of the building. Two girls were taking selfies in front of the building. The Hero Ring was famous after all as it was Tokyo's hero establishment, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for people to visit it and post their travels on their social media accounts. The yakuza men posting in front of the building went to the girls to try and flirt with them, being scummy and a little physical. These guys were amateurs, most likely the newest recruits in their gang.
With the distraction provided, and someone entering The Hero Ring, Hikari easily made her way on the inside of the building. As she got in, she wanted to be sure she wasn't spotted at all, and it seemed like the men were too busy flirting with the selfie girls to notice anything at all. The cherry on top was one of the men were slapped as their flirting attempts failed, and the girls got away. As amateur as these guys were, they wouldn't dare abandon their post to chase some civilian girls.
Now inside of the building, Hikari knew she would have to register at the front desk with the receptionist to check in. Looking around she spotted the receptionist sitting at her desk with nobody in line.
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Post by Gris on May 26, 2020 4:22:23 GMT -5
For a moment Hikari wanted to beat some Yakuza ass, seeing those amateurs act all tough with a couple girls, but she had to focus on the task at hand. The dangerous thing with newbies was that they could panic, and were pretty unpredictable, so unless Hikari could quickly take them all out any one still standing could harm the girls. Deciding, even if it annoyed her, that it was better if she didn't intervene, she finally managed to slip inside the Hero Ring. Hikari took in the surroundings, part admiration about the place, part taking a look so no more Yakuza were hanging around inside. As she glanced back outside, Hikari had to stifle a laugh when one of the thugs got slapped before the girls got away, even those stupid goons weren't silly enough to chase after, but Hikari lingered for a few seconds to make sure.
All it takes to face those bullies is a bit of courage, Hikari thought, but that was of course hardly applicable to the situation she had dug herself into. It would take more than just courage to navigate her world, a courage she wasn't entirely sure she had given how she easily resorted to the sneaky nature of her powers. With trouble left outside for the time being, she now just had to approach the reception to make sure the paperwork was all sorted out.
Then Hikari got a shiver, her paranoid self thinking about something. What if the letter was fake? Something that was sent out to lure her in? What if she wasn't accepted, because who would accept her after all, and it all was a trick to-
No. Breathing deep Hikari tried to cast aside her fears. Sure, such a thing could be within the scope of her family, wanting to play with her and make Hikari give up, but that didn't explain the Yakuza outside, and those would always prefer a more straightforward plan. She was just nervous about taking the step, making it official. Well, if she was going to make it official... It better do it in costume, even if in her case wasn't a real one.
Far from reception so she wouldn't scare the woman there, Hikari cast an illusion she had been perfecting for weeks, changing details about the form and color of her attire every time and how it fit and synced over her form. This one was definitive, as the tight layer gave it a comfortable feel while looking sporty and heroic, while the more outlandish asymmetric overcoat lend her a playful and somewhat roguish presence. The pink made it pop and it was fittingly girly and cute, though she would never admit that and instead would insist that it was to make foes underestimate her.
"Hello, I'm here for the orientation" she said, projecting a confidence that she wasn't so sure she felt. "I'm Mirage" Hikari introduced herself with her hero name, sounding proud and honest. "I've the letter I received here in case you need it for something" she said, showing it in her hand as she retrieved it from under the overcoat. The garment was an useful illusion, wide enough to make believable most things that she could pull from under there, even when they weren't real, although in this case it was.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 15(+5)/15 Action: Create Illusion 1, making herself "visible" with her hero garment (note to self: remember the 1 stone upkeep each panel).
Action: Social Skills 5 (Persuasion) trying to sound fittingly heroic and sure of herself to the receptionist.
Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 9(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on May 29, 2020 1:12:41 GMT -5
Hikari would walk up to the receptionist putting on a 'disguise' in the form of an illusion to project herself.
Looking up, the receptionist saw Hikari, or rather her projection, and smiled.
"Oh! I've been waiting for you, actually!" The receptionist said very bubbly. "Yep, it's you." She said confirming with the letter. "I actually wanted to thank you personally." She said getting up to do a thankful bow. "I heard all about you rescuing the hero establishment nearby. The woman you saved was actually a relative of mine! My cousin, so I am very thankful for you saving her!" She said doing another thankful bow. "But enough of that! Let's get you started on your hero journey! I'm so excited for you." She said with a smile, typing away at her computer. "Alright, your hero name is Mirage. You are signing in now, and....." She said with her sentence drifting off. "Yes. ..Accept.." She said. "...Accept, yes..." she said tapping her keyboard, looking confused. "This letter does say for TODAY, right?" She said looking at the letter to confirm. "Yeah, so then why isn't it going through..?" She asked, again, confused.
Almost a minute passed by of this confused receptionist tapping away at her keyboard, mixed in with confused clicks of her mouse, and nothing was accomplished.
"Sarah, I'll take it from here." A man said stepped up to the desk. "Hikari here has been given special arrangements for her hero orientation." The man said.
"Oh, well okay then? Hikari this is my manager Mr. Takahara. I guess you'll be in his care now? Well, it was really nice to meet you, and I hope I get to see you again. Thanks again!" Sarah, the receptionist waved.
"Now, Hikari, would you please follow me? I've been waiting for you, as I have a message to deliver." He says walking away from the desk, and towards the exit of the building.
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Post by Gris on May 29, 2020 4:44:32 GMT -5
"Personally?" Hikari wondered. It turned out that the other receptionist was a cousin of this one, what a coincidence. It had to feel nice for your family members worry about you and your well being, but Hikari didn't know what was that. For her family was just restriction, suffocating guidance, toxic co-dependence. "Well, the trouble was there because of me to begin with, so it was the least I could do" she said, acting humble. The truth was that no, that wasn't the least she could have done. She could have turned invisible and fled, in fact the idea had went through her mind, but she didn't want to be that person. Not anymore.
Hikari just stood there, getting slightly impatient as some kind of technical issues were hindering progress. "Computers doing computer things I guess" Hikari tried to commiserate, but in reality she just wanted to get things done and move on. Luckily for her, it seemed that there was a reasonable explanation for her status and there was a superior there to clear things up. She didn't like how stern he looked compared to the woman's warm demeanor, but if that Takahara dude could get things done it was fine by her. "Thank you, I'm sure we'll see each other again" Hikari bowed, polite, before starting to follow the manager.
It didn't take long for Hikari to worry, getting alarmed again. There was something on the tone Takahara used when saying 'message' that seemed strange, but it was way more damning that he seemed to be escorting her out. "I can listen to the message here, Mr. Takahara" Hikari said, stopping but yet sounding respectful. "You probably can also explain why we are headed for the exit when I was summoned here" she was all restraint, her illusory facade showing none of the anger or turmoil that Hikari felt. If he didn't want to cause a scene he would probably talk, as long as Hikari kept her cool at least. It was her family, wasn't it? It wasn't enough for her to avoid the Yakuza outside, she also had to navigate whoever the Fujiwara had bribed or blackmailed into doing their will.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 14(+5)/15 Action: Create Illusion 1, upkeep. Action: Social Skills 5 (Acting) hiding how angry she is about this setback and sounding polite. Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 8(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on Jun 2, 2020 15:09:55 GMT -5
"My apologies, Ms Fujiwara. Very well, I shall tell you the message relayed to me here, then." He said as he stopped walking towards the exit. "You were accepted to join our facility here at the Hero Ring. That much is true. However, due to some outside influences, and I'm not quite sure who or what, you have been stationed elsewhere." He simply said. "It was my understanding that this outside influence did not want you to be enrolled as a hero at all. My superiors informed me that they were asked to withdraw your acceptance to this establishment, and any establishment for that matter." He explained. It had all the signs of her family written all over it.
"However, we here at the Hero Ring were very inclined to reject such a request. ...Unfortunately, though, it seems whoever does not want you to enroll has a large influence over the country. Whoever you have made enemies with, Ms Fujiwara, it's obviously showing how difficult things will be for you in your future." He raised an eyebrow to Hikari.
"When told of this information, representatives from the World Super Hero League immediately came to Japan to defend your rights to still be a hero. We here at the Hero Ring would have been fine with you staying here in our facility. However, after much deliberation, your fate was unfortunately decided.." He sighed with regret. "If you wish to become a hero, you will have to be enrolled into the hero establishment in Karuizawa. ..Like I said, we would have liked to have you here, but making enemies is not what the Hero Ring is trying to do these days. This way, everyone can get what they want, in a sense.." He said with regret. "I'm sorry to have to be the one to inform you of this." He again sighed.
"I understand whatever frustrations you may have. However, in order to pursue your goals of becoming a hero, and any other goals you may have in the long run, attending the hero establishment in Karuizawa would be your best option.. He lowered his head. "If you desire to at all go, your trip has already been paid for, and we will have someone escort you to the station."
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Post by Gris on Jun 3, 2020 4:10:11 GMT -5
Hikari knew well the identity of that outside influence Takahara talked about, there was no mystery to it. Sure, she didn't know what specific member of her family made the call, but that didn't matter since besides Hikari's exception to the iron clad rule, the Fujiwara acted as one. "Being a hero isn't about picking the easy route I guess..." she offered politely as Takahara talked about how difficult her enemies will make everything. For a moment Hikari had hope, surprised by the fact that representatives of the WSHL had come in defense of her case... but all they had achieved seemed to be compromise.
"Karuizawa... Karuizawa..." Hikari mumbled, as the name sounded familiar. Wasn't that a place she had seen in some tourism ad aimed at those who looked for a calm retreat in the mountains? Maybe a snow resort or was she confused? Wasn't that like in Nagano in the middle of nowhere? "No offense to the people living what probably is an idyllic life there, but what use is a hero in such a place?" she asked, managing to keep her composure, even if her voice sounded a tad strained. It seemed that everything was already set up, including an escort to the station and traveling expenses. She was a Tokyo girl, born and raised, and Hikari was sure that her family had that well in mind. That they thought that scaring her with an exile into a small town, away of the city life she cherished so much would make her give up. Would make her come back.
Fuck them. If she had to serve in Karuizawa she would do so to the best of her abilities. After all, if there was an establishment there it was for a reason. At least she wouldn't have to worry about the Yakuza there. If that was her only option... or was it?
"Wait" Hikari said. "You didn't say that attending Karuizawa was my only option to become a hero" she continued, scrutinizing Takahara's face. "You said it was my best one" she planted herself firm. "What are the worse ones? If I'm not getting the easy road I can as well know what's on the menu before picking" she asked, awaiting to see what chances she had.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 13(+5)/15 Action: Create Illusion 1, upkeep. Action: Social Skills 5, pressuring Takahara into being honest and laying out what options does she have. Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 7(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on Jun 3, 2020 18:12:58 GMT -5
"A very heroic statement indeed." Takahara nodded.
"Hmm..." He nervously pondered. "That...one I am not sure.." He admitted. "Honestly speaking, we do not hear much from that branch at all. We can only assume it's because they do not seem to be very busy in heroic works..." He sighed. "As I said, though, it's your best option.."
"Ermg..." Takahara got physically uncomfortable. "It...was a figure of speech, my apologies.." he lowered his head. "Your best bet is to get recognized by an agency and be taken away from Japan altogether. However, agencies tend to very much look down on vigilantes, and only recruit from hero establishments. So the vigilante route would not be an option for you, unless you were planning on going rogue, but then we at the Hero Ring may be asked to stop your activities. We...wouldn't want that..not to mention the outside forces against you would be able to take you out more easily, as you wouldn't have the support of anyone to assist you." He said gaining his composure. "In either case, your best and really only option is to attend the hero facility in Karuizawa. That is, if you wanted to be a hero. We cannot give any other options at this time.."
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Post by Gris on Jun 4, 2020 4:11:11 GMT -5
Hikari had practice with her illusions, after all they were the only way for her to be seen for years, so certain autonomous things a person would do like blinking didn't require her an extra effort. It was still a conscious act, so when Takahara started acting awkwardly revealing her lack of chances even before he talked, Hikari's form didn't betray the disappointment and frustration she was feeling. She was just there in front of the flustered Takahara, seemingly taking it all in stride. She wanted to scream, to take all the wrong paths Takahara seemed to fear, but his stuttering speech gave Hikari time to compose herself and keep her act together. "I'm the one who's sorry, I was the one that read too much on what you said Mr. Takahara" Hikari bowed. "It's already embarrassing that I got you and the World Super Hero League into so much trouble, I'm sorry" she apologized calmly again, even if Hikari could feel the heat of her accumulated feelings in her face. "I'll do my best in Karuizawa and once more thank you for taking care of everything. Where should I meet that escort you talked about?" she sounded reasonable, perhaps a bit too cold in her act. Hikari was really blinking away tears of rage and impotence, but she wasn't going to cry even if she could do so without anyone noticing. That would be letting the Fujiwara win, and she wasn't going to give them even an inch she could take away from her family. The faster she got packed to the boonies, the sooner she could relax and abandon all pretense.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 12(+5)/15 Action: Create Illusion 1, upkeep. Action: Social Skills 5 (acting), hiding how she feels. Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 6(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on Jun 7, 2020 21:04:49 GMT -5
"N-no. It's fine. You should not be sorry, as you've done nothing wrong. ..Presumably. I am unsure of who this outside force is, but their not wanting you to become a hero does not reflect justice. Therefore, the WSHL stood up for your rights, albeit with conditions. For that, we are sorry." He bowed.
"That is the proper attitude to have in this situation. I apologize I just cannot do more. ...The person to escort you is outside waiting for you." He said taking Hikari outside.
Outside, Hikari instantly noticed the yakuza were gone, and nowhere in sight. There was now another man in a suit standing there looking to Hikari.
"Hello Fujiwara-san. We are ready to leave to the train station once you are ready." The man bowed. "If you have no further questions or concerns, we may leave now." he nodded.
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OOC: Larger update coming for you next panel on your way to Karuizawa.
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Post by Gris on Jun 8, 2020 5:11:55 GMT -5
Hikari was started to get tired in more sense than one. Exerting herself to be as polite and heroic as possible in front of Mr. Takahara that would surely have to report back to the WSHL and keeping up her illusion was slowly but surely tiring her, but another part of it was the pretense, having to keep face all the time and follow rules and etiquette. Hikari wished she could act like herself, but at the same time she was afraid that she would be then rejected, like her family did. Then again, how was she supposed to act? Wanting to make a scene over the situation was one thing, but knowing that it wouldn't do her any good...
"Oh no, you and the WSHL have done more than enough, Mr. Takahara" Hikari continued, another bow, another lie. "I wish my situation was different to cause less trouble to you and the organization, so I'm the one who's sorry" insisted. Fortunately the situation wasn't going to prolong any further, forcing her to act more and more, but her escort outside turned out to be another suit she'd have to deceive too. Then, and only then given that the frustrating plots of her family had occupied her mind, Hikari realized that the Yakuza were gone, so at least she wouldn't have to take care of that too. One could guess that the rookies got tired of that they were looking for her somewhere else.
"Hello Mr..." Hiraki bowed, waiting for that new suit to introduce himself. It irked her having to follow etiquette as best as she could when the adults around were more relaxed on it, but she couldn't let it show. "Not I can think of for now, since Mr. Takahara already explained the situation nicely and assured me that everything from transportation to lodging was already taken care of" she said. Hikari looked around, taking in the last few Tokyo views she was going to have in maybe a long while. Maybe being away from all that noise was what she needed to clear her head, as it had been a few hectic and horrible months, but she wasn't sure she wanted all that time to reflect on herself.
Maybe she wouldn't like what she found.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 11(+5)/15 Action: Create Illusion 1, upkeep. Action: Social Skills 5 (acting), keeping up the etiquette, hiding her frustration. Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 5(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on Jun 9, 2020 9:41:50 GMT -5
"Hmm. If you indeed are just trying to become a hero to better the world, then you have nothing to apologize about. Just do your best, and everything should go well for you." Mr. Takahara nodded. After speaking with him, Hikari directed her attention to the next gentleman to greet her. "Understood, then I shall take you to the train station now. Here is your ticket, and directions for when you get there." The man politely gave the ticket and information to her. The man took Hikari to the train station as directed. While at the train station, Hikari constantly watched her back to check if she was being followed by Yakuza, and luckily nobody seemed suspicious around her. For the most part, she was safe on this train. Maybe going out of a major city and into a more quiet one would get rid of the Yakuza for the time being..maybe.. The train ride would take a couple of hours. Watching the city turn into country side was different, but it would need to be something she'd get used to. No big city life where she was going. Karuizawa was a resort town, so the small city wouldn't take too long to get used to. But any information looked up about the town by internet or pamphlets would show a some tourism activity in the town. Tourism would usually mean hotels were needed. And hotels were plenty. And who owned a third, maybe even half of the hotels in that town but her family? She might be able to escape the Yakuza in this small town, potentially, but she would not be able to escape her family. At least the business anyways.. Arriving to Karuizawa, Hikari could take in the beauty of the town in strides. Perhaps she wasn't in the mood to enjoy the sights, but they were still beautiful. Maybe on better circumstances she'd enjoy them a lot more. But for the time being, she was given directions on how to get to the hero establishment from the train station after she got there. She was to report directly there so she could start her orientation.. Getting to the hero establishment was easy enough, but it wasn't a large and lavish building like The Hero Ring in Tokyo. It was just a small building in the middle of their city. What was also disheartening was this hero establishment didn't even have a name. It was just "Hero Establishment #467." Well, Hero Establishment #467 would be where Hikari would need to start her hero career.. Opening the door, Hikari could see the small building from the inside, and it was just as unimpressive as it was on the outside. "Hello there. Welcome to the Karuizawa hero establishment...I'm sorry to inform you but we do not have a gift shop available at this location, and all pictures are prohibited from being taken inside the building. ...if you have a request for a hero please sign the form there, and if it is an emergency please contact the local authorities first.." A woman reading a magazine at the front counter said her opening greeting to Hikari, believing her to be a customer. The energy and life of this woman completely zapped, as she might as well have mumbled the greeting. Not taking her eyes off of her magazine, she did not acknowledge Hikari at all..
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Post by Gris on Jun 9, 2020 13:03:32 GMT -5
With the formalities finally out of the way, Hikari boarded her train with resignation. There wasn't really anything else she could do, not at that time, so she'd have to be patient. Yakuza weren't sighed along the way or in the station, so maybe she was free of them as long as her exile into the boonies lasted. Maybe. Along the way Hikari changed her outer appearance, no reason to be looking the heroic self when she was just dragging her feet towards her fate, no reason to get unwanted attention, even if her suit wasn't all that much depending on what part of Tokyo she was. Casual clothes that could gave her the look of a tourist but without any unnecessary trappings that definitely marked her so like a camera, Hikari wanted to lay low to the point of making her hair look a particularly dull and boring shade of black. Now she was just a young woman with a backpack heading to the countryside, perhaps a tourist, perhaps a family visit, any bystander could judge and make her whatever they saw fit. She really was carrying a backpack, although didn't have many things, just stuff like toiletries and a few clean clothes besides her phone and charger.
What little money she had got even less as she grabbed a simple bite for the train, mostly rice to keep hunger at bay and keep herself distracted as the train went on. She wasn't exactly aware how things worked in the WSHL, but at least she should have lodging and meals unless everything had gone to hell even further. "Saito..." she mumbled, resting her head against the window, seeing the city slowly fade. If he could see her now he'd probably laugh, the daring city girl looking as plain as she could and sent into the countryside. Pretty, stupid Saito. Hikari sighed, keeping her emotions at bay even if anyone that looked at her would only see what she wanted to present, but the last thing she wanted in that situation she had gotten herself into was to get overly emotional. The more she could learn about Karuizawa on the phone, the more boring it looked. Sure, it was a calm, nice place to live. Maybe after the mayhem her life had turned into those past weeks she could use some calm? Maybe she could center herself? That not only seemed boring, also bothersome.
At least it was quite the beautiful place, even if it was the opposite of what she was accustomed to. She couldn't idle though, more surprises could be in store for her at that place, so the sooner she knew what she was dealing with, the better. Hikari abandoned the quaint station and found her way into the city and it's Hero Establishment, wondering what kind of presence her family had there. In such a small place it couldn't be someone close to the main branch of the family, unless it was another black sheep like her. If the local Fujiwara were nobodies maybe she wouldn't have much trouble with her, but maybe she also was a way for them to make a name of their own in the family, so she'd have to be alert. Hikari thought for a moment about making herself pass for someone else, it wouldn't be that hard, but if her family had managed to make the WSHL send her there no doubt they would end up knowing where she was.
Finally reaching the Hero Establishment Hikari sure felt deflated, but it already was par for the course. What else should she expect from that place? "Excuse me..." she muttered walking in, only to be received in a way befitting the situation. Working hard to not start shouting, Hikari tried her best to leave a good impression. If that was the only employee there Hikari was going to depend on her, so the last thing she wanted was to get more hurdles set in her path. "Good morning, thanks for the information, but... I'm no visitor" she said, adding some doubt, some meek uncertainty to her words. "Mr Takahara from the Hero Ring sent me here, I'm a novice hero, Hikari" she introduced herself. "Or Mirage, if you prefer, I'm not sure about the protocol..." there, a nice dose of truth to go with her act. Hikari had no idea of how things worked within the WSHL, so it remained to be seen what perks and obligations would she have on those parts.
Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 15(+5)/15 Action: Create Illusion 1, upkeep. Action: Social Skills 5 (acting), being nice with a touch of lost girl out of place. Modifiers: Invisibility 3. Health: 3/3 ; Energy: 9(+5)/15
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Post by Ushima911 on Jun 16, 2020 0:52:36 GMT -5
"Hmm?" The woman finally looked up to see Hikari.
"Oh. You're that new transfer then. I thought they were joking.." The woman just stared at Hikari with a face that spelled misery and emptiness. "I'm just as surprised that you actually showed up.." The girl said getting up from her chair to approach Hikari. "Well Hikari. Welcome to the rest of your life I guess. We uhh, don't do much around these parts. I'm sure you've been made aware of that. The most action we get around here is tourist coming in wanting to take pictures of our heroes, but, well, we don't have much. The other one stationed here just stays home. He doesn't even bother coming in here anymore. Can't blame him.." She sighed, still dead-eyed.
"I'm the manager here, so I have to show up, otherwise I'd be at home in a bath right about now. My name is Rika, and I'll be the one giving you your 'missions' from here on out. Since you just came from, what was it, Tokyo? You'll be staying here unless you find another place to live. But, in order for that to happen you'd have to pick up another job to financially support yourself. The WSHL gives us enough money for room and board for just two people, but with you here I'm sure they'll kick up our allowance.." She said opening some shelves and grabbing some things.
--- OOC: Just so you know, USUALLY the WSHL doesn't have to send money to hero establishments. Hero establishments usually generate their own income by doing hero work in their city, and their city pays them for their jobs. The fact that the WSHL has to send this branch money can only mean that no hero jobs are happening, therefore no city funds are coming in for them. ---
"You were supposed to start orientation today, but we have nothing to do for you here. If you'd like, you can sit around and wait for the day to end, or make yourself at home I suppose. Walk the town, get to know the area better. You're sort of stuck here with us." She shrugged, going back to her magazine she was previously reading. "Uh, any questions or whatever?"
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