Menu
Iori Yagami | |
---|---|
The King of Fighters character | |
Iori Yagami in The King of Fighters XIV, illustrated by Ogura | |
First game | The King of Fighters '95 (1995) |
Portrayed by | Will Yun Lee (2010 film) |
Voiced by | Kunihiko Yasui[1] (KOF '95 - KOF XIII) Takanori Hoshino (KOF XIV onwards) Chisa Horii (SNKH: TTF)[2] Sho Sudo (Japanese dub of the King of Fighters movie) |
Information | |
Fighting style | Yagami-ryū Kenpo + Pure instinct |
Origin | Japan United States (2010 film) |
Nationality | Japanese Japanese-American(2010 film) |
Release Q4 2018. Select to Compare. The Balance of Nine Skies: Azure Dragon. Select to Compare. Kyo Kusanagi (King Of Fighters) 1/8. Release Q4 2018. Select to Compare. Iori Yagami (King Of Fighters) 1/8. Release Q4 2018. Select to Compare. 1 2 Showing 1 to 12 of 16 (2 Pages) Follow us! Pre-Order Genesis Collectibles - The King of Fighters (XIV) - Mai Shiranui (1/6. HMO studioKING OF FIGHTERS 98MAI SHIRANUI1:4 scale permium. KING OF FIGHTERS 98 MAI SHIRANUI 1:4 scale permium collectible statue PO.
Iori Yagami (Japanese: 八神 庵Hepburn: Yagami Iori) is a character from SNK's The King of Fightersvideo game series. The character first appeared in The King of Fighters '95 as the leader of the Rivals Team, as the initial enemy and later rival of Kyo Kusanagi. Iori is the heir of the Yagami clan, who use pyrokinetic powers and sealed the Orochi devil along with the Kusanagi and Yata clans. Iori suffers from a curse – 'The Riot of the Blood' (血の暴走Chi no Bōso) – under which he becomes faster, stronger and wilder, exhibiting a deadly tendency to indiscriminately attack everyone in close proximity. In this state, Iori is commonly called 'Wild Iori' or 'Orochi Iori' (月の夜大蛇の血に狂う庵Tsuki no Yoru Orochi no Chi ni Kuruu Iori, lit. Insane Iori with Blood of Orochi Under the Night of the Moon).[3] Aside from the main series, Iori appears in several other media series, including spin-offs, crossover video games, and comic adaptations of the series.
Iori was created as Kyo's rival; his name and abilities were designed to relate him with the legend of Yamata no Orochi. The designers ended up liking him so much they are careful of the character's development as the series expands. As a result, Iori sometimes helps Kyo to have the opportunity to fight him. Finding his design appealing, new outfits presented the SNK staff with difficulties as they devised new appearances for the character that would retain his popularity.
Video game journalists have praised Iori Yagami as one of the most powerful characters in the series. Reviewers have also cited Iori as one of the best characters from the games, labeling him as a veteran character and praising his appearance as one of SNK's best creations. 'Miss X', Iori's crossdressing form from SNK Gals' Fighters and the additional female one of SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, also received attention for its humor. A series of collectible items based on Iori's likeness, including key chains and figurines, have been manufactured.
- 1Conception and creation
- 2Appearances
- 2.1In video games
- 3Reception
Conception and creation[edit]
Iori's original appearance was so popular that designers were careful in designing another new ones to attract fans.
One of the planned objectives for The King of Fighters '95 was to properly introduce Iori as Kyo's rival. According to his creators, Iori's personality and other aspects of his character such as his phrases and unique moves 'broke the mold for characters in fighting games at that time'.[4] Like Kyo, several aspects of Iori, including his surname and abilities, were designed to relate him to the Japanese legend Yamata no Orochi, which was the inspiration for the plot.[4] After watching fan reactions at initial location testing for King of Fighters '95, several staff members predicted Iori would be popular.[5][6] One staff member was happy that at an event for The King of Fighters XIII on March 25, 2010, several fans reminded him that day is Iori's birthday according to his official profile.[7] The pixel art of Iori was made by Yuichiro Hiraki who, despite leaving SNK to work in another project a few years later, was asked by Capcom's Kaname Fujioka to once again work on the character's design for the crossover fighting game Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000.[8]
Iori was originally introduced in The King of Fighters '95 as the leader of a team composed of Billy Kane, Eiji Kisaragi and himself. Each member shares a rivalry with another character in the game. Although the staff members worked hard to impress their superiors at SNK, Iori's characterization caused them to discard the team in the next game in the series. In the rival team's ending, Iori betrays Billy and Eiji, generating anger from the Art of Fighting developers for what Iori did to their character.[9][10] Iori is a berserker due to the Orochi demon blood within him. This version of the character, officially named 'Orochi Iori', is hinted to have existed before his debut in The King of Fighters '97 as one of the game's mid-bosses. This form of Iori was designed to easily overpower other characters.[11] Series' flagship director Toyohisa Tanabe states that the staff were initially reluctant to add this version of Iori to the series' roster; they were worried about fans' reactions but did so to add more impact to the Orochi saga's climax. Tanabe was particularly pleased to see surprised reactions from female fans to this form during KOF '97's location testing. Another minor development of the character was his change of 'most valued possession/valued treasure' information. A girlfriend was also listed in The King of Fighters '95, The King of Fighters '99, and The King of Fighters 2000. Starting with The King of Fighters 2001 and every entry after that, however, the space is listed as 'None'. The SNK staff commented that it is curious that he does not have a girlfriend anymore.[12]
During the early development stages of The King of Fighters '99, SNK planned to exclude Iori and Kyo from the game because the company wanted to focus the story on the new protagonist, K'. They reversed this decision because of the characters' popularity.[13] The repeated appearance of Iori, Kyo, and other SNK regular characters in the series is at the insistence of the marketers and main planners, making it a challenge to decide the story for each title.[14] Because of his popularity among fans, some of the series' main designers have said Iori is 'difficult to draw for'. Illustrator Shinkiro said he thought Iori was one of the series' wildest characters because of his hairstyle; similar sentiments were expressed by Last Blade illustrator Tonko.[15]KOF: Maximum Impact producer Falcoon stated that attempting to change an 'untouchable' design such as Iori's put him under severe pressure. He stated that creating Iori's alternative design that appears in the Maximum Impact series almost felt 'unforgivable' because he felt unsure of fans' reaction to the change.[16]
For the Maximum Impact spin-off games, Iori's characteristic hairstyle was changed dramatically. Throughout the series, his normal costume consists of a short jacket and bondage pants; without changing his design and adjusting only his coloring, a diverse number of image variations can be brought about.[17]
In The King of Fighters XIII, Iori's gameplay mechanics were modified to become a close-range fighter. Despite losing his flaming techniques, he was given brutal moves using his nails to emphasize his ferociousness. Iori's strongest technique is 'Forbidden 1218 Shiki: Yatagarasu' (禁千弐百拾八式・八咫烏), a new move that focuses on violent combinations and serves as a reference to the character's ending from The King of Fighters '96, in which he murders his teammates. Iori's 10th color scheme in the game matches that of his classic outfit. During development of the game, details were added to increase the similarities.[18] This version, featuring his classic techniques, was designed to avoid surpassing the current Iori so players could choose the fighting style they prefer in the game.[19] This was further emphasized in the console version of The King of Fighters XIII, in which Iori had his moveset were adjusted for better balance by not using flaming techniques.[20]
During the making of The King of Fighters XIV, Nobuyuki Kuroki wanted Iori, except the character's hair, to be redesigned. Character designer Eisuke Ogura created a new outfit for Iori and asked the modeler to focus on his masculinity and to pay close attention to the way the design of the character's eyes.[21] This new design, alongside Kyo's, provoked controversy when it was revealed. KOF XIV director Yasuyuki Oda said the team wanted the characters to have new looks because the game is set in another story arc.[22] The commands for Iori's moves were also affected; one of his strongest attacks, the Ura 316 Shiki Saia (裏316裏参), would require high skill for regular players because SNK attempted to balance the characters.[23]
Attributes[edit]
Iori is a violent, sadistic person who suffers from trauma because of his clan's past. In ancient times, the Yagami clan was known as the Yasakani who, With the help of the Yata and Kusanagi clans, sealed the demon Orochi. As time passed, the Yasakani tired of living in the shadow of the Kusanagi and made a blood pact with Orochi that gave them greater powers but cursed them and their descendants forever. They renamed their clan the Yagami and set out to destroy the Kusanagi with their new powers. In response, the Kusanagi declared war on the Yagami, which led to the deaths of many clan members on both sides.[24]
As a side-effect of the Orochi's curse, the flames of the Yagami have a bluish tint.[24][25] The curse also causes each heir to die young and each mother to die in childbirth. Ior becomes obsessed with killing his heir Kyo, disregarding their clans' past. This sometimes results in Iori helping Kyo to defeat his enemies and to finish their battles.[26] To find Kyo, Iori sometimes enters the King of Fighters tournaments and uses his teammates as tools to reach him.[27]
In an interview with Iori's Japanese voice actor, Kunihiko Yasui comments that he feels responsible as a voice actor for his performances as Iori, taking care to sound different in each installment as a means of developing and protecting his character's humanity.[28] Yasui was replaced by Takanori Hoshino starting in The King of Fighters XIV; Hoshino said he was delighted to be the new voice actor of the character, thanking SNK.[29] Chisa Horii voices Iori's female incarnation in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.[2]
Appearances[edit]
In video games[edit]
In main The King of Fighters games[edit]
Iori Yagami first appeared in The King of Fighters '95, in which he enters an annual tournament as the leader of the Rival Team with Billy Kane and Eiji Kisaragi. Iori learns that the heir of the Kusanagi clan, Kyo, is expected to be there.[27] After the team fails to defeat Kyo's team, Iori betrays his teammates.[30] In the next video game, Iori teams up with two women, Vice and Mature, servants of the Orochi demon.[31][32][33] During the '96 competition, Iori meets Chizuru Kagura, the heir of the Yata clan who wants to gather Kyo and Iori on her team to seal Orochi. They defeat the Orochi follower Goenitz but neither Iori nor Kyo agree with the idea.[3] When Iori leaves with his teammates, he cannot control his surge of Orochi power, resulting in their deaths.[34] Iori continues to suffer from multiple outbreaks; during The King of Fighters '97 he attacks other team members and appears as a sub-boss character in the game, depending on the characters the player uses.[35] He later joins Chizuru and Kyo to confront and seal Orochi.[26][36]
In most version of The King of Fighters '99 Iori is a secret character that can be faced as a bonus fight at the end of the game if the player scores enough points. In the story, Iori discovers the creation of Kyo clones and enters the annual tournament, where he finds those responsible, an organization named NESTS.[37] Iori follows the battles in secret and fights against the NESTS' agents to continue his fight against Kyo.[38] An assistant version of his character named Striker also appears for Iori in The King of Fighters 2000 wearing an outfit based on illustrations in artbooks.[39] In The King of Fighters 2001, an agent named Seth invites Iori to join his team for the next King of Fighters tournament, assuming he would get his shot against Kyo.[40] While his regular form appears in KOF 2002, his Orochi form is also featured in the PlayStation 2 port of the game and the remake of KOF '98.[41][42] In The King of Fighters 2003, Chizuru appears to both Kyo and Iori, asking them to form a team and investigate suspicious activities concerning the Orochi seal.[43] During the investigation, the team is ambushed by the fighter Ash Crimson, who plans to get the power from the descendants of the clans who sealed Orochi and steals the ones from Chizuru.[44]
In the following video game, Iori and Kyo form a team with Kyo's student Shingo Yabuki to fill Chizuru's spot to stop Ash.[45] At the end of the tournament, the strengthening presence of Orochi causes Iori to enter the Riot of Blood state, in which he attacks his comrades. Ash appears afterward and defeats Iori, stealing his powers.[46][47] Iori is a playable character in The King of Fighters XII, in which he is featured with a different outfit and a new moveset that does not use purple flames. He does not have a team.[48] Iori's appearance in The King of Fighters XIII sees him teamed with Mature and Vice, his teammates from the 1996 tournament who return as spirits.[49] Following Ash's disappearance, Iori recovers his flames at the end and appears as downloadable content in this form.[50][51] He returns in The King of Fighters XIV, in which he tracks Orochi's weakened body in central Hungary after the tournament is over. He seals the weakened snake with the help of Kyo and Chizuru.[52] Lori wears a new costume in the game and his classic one appears as downloadable content.[53][54]
Other games[edit]
The three looks of Miss X from SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.
In The King of Fighters: Kyo, a role-playing video game set before the events of KOF '97, Iori appears as Kyo's antagonist in his journey around the world.[55][56] Both King of Fighters R-1 and King of Fighters R-2 feature the regular Iori and his berserker form as playable characters; the latter game features him as a teamless character.[57][58] Iori appears in the spin-off video games Maximum Impact series.[59] In the North American editions of Maximum Impact, Iori is voiced by Eric Summerer.[60] Iori appears as a sub-boss in The King of Fighters Ex: Neo Blood, which is set after his fight against Orochi. Although Iori enters the tournament to fight Kyo, Geese Howard, the organizer of the tournament, tries but fails to make him awaken his Riot of the Blood to absorb his powers. In The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood, Iori enters another tournament and is joined by two women who want to find a man controlled by the Orochi power.[61] The shooter game KOF: Sky Stage also features Iori as a boss, while Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting makes him playable.[62][63] He is also featured in KOF X Arena Masters,[64]Game of Dice[65]SNK ALLSTARS.[66] and the Korean fighting game The King of Cyphers.[67][68] SNK also released a pachinko based on the Orochi storyline.[69] as well as the otome gameKing of Fighters for Girls.[70]
Iori also appears in SNK's hand-held game, SNK Gals' Fighters, as a comical interpretation called Miss X (ミス XMisu Ekkusu). The character insists he is a female in order to participate in the game's Queen of Fighters tournament, though several female fighters easily see through his disguise.[71] He is also present in The Rhythm of Fighters.[72] Miss X reappears in the fighting game SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy as downloadable content, this time sharing both the original crossdresser and new true gender swapped form.[73] In the story, Miss X fights against multiple female fighters (including his fellow gender-swapped fighters Terry Bogard and the guest fighter Skullomania) to stop the host Kukri and his ending involves an embarrassing nightmare in which he and Kyo become friendly rivals. Miss X's true identity, Iori also made a cameo on certain characters' endings in Heroines, prior Miss X DLC debut.[74] In the crossover video games NeoGeo Battle Coliseum and SNK vs. Capcom series, Iori appears as a playable character; the latter includes his Riot of the Blood state.[75][76] His character is also a boss character (along with Geese) in the Game Boy version from Real Bout Fatal Fury Special.[77] He also appears in Square Enix's fighting game Million Arthur: Arcana Blood.[78] He is also available in The King Figthers X Fatal Fury mobile phone game.[79] He is also present in the Chinese mobile phone game named KOF: WORLD,[80] the visual novelDays of Memories,[81]Metal Slug Defense,[82]Lords of Vermillion,[83] and Lucent Heart.[84] The character's original look is also being used in action role-playingPhantasy Star Online 2.[85]
With the Moonton and SNK Collaboration[86], Iori Yagami is released as a skin for the fighter hero Chou in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.[87]
In other media[edit]
Aside from the King of Fighters series, the character is featured in an audio drama[88] and a character image album.[89] In the anime The King of Fighters: Another Day, Iori searches for Ash to regain his powers.[90] Iori appears in the spin-off manga story entitled The King of Fighters: Kyo, which is based on his adventure prior to The King of Fighters '96.[91] Ryo Takamisaki's manga The King of Fighters G shows an alternative retelling of KOF '96 in which Iori faces Kyo and Athena Asamiya.[92] The character appears in a manhua adaptation of The King of Fighters: Zillion created by Andy Seto that retells Iori's story of his fight against Orochi until he attacks NESTS to destroy Kyo's clones. He also stars in other manhua for the games, starting with The King of Fighters 2001 and ending with 2003 along with the Maximum Impact series.[15] In the manga The King of Fighters: A New Beginning, Vice and Mature force the Orochi power to make Iori lose his mind during his battle with Kyo. The battle ends in a draw with Iori's team losing due the other fighters' rounds.[93][94]
Iori is played by Will Yun Lee in the film The King of Fighters.[95] In the CGI series The King of Fighters: Destiny Iori makes a brief appearance in the first season's finale, in which he tries to play music but starts going berserk.[96] He is one of two protagonists alongside Kyo in online gag manga Part Time Stories: Kyo & Iori by Falcoon; the two title characters work together to promote SNK's merchandising.[97] He is also featured in the manga The King of Fighters: A New Beginning.[98] Iori is also present in novels based on the series.[99][100] He is also set to be the protagonist of the light novel series Iori Yagami's Isekai Mu'sou by Nobuhiko Tenkawa which depicts him in an alternate universe fighting goblins.[101]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
The character Iori Yagami was mostly well received by several video game publications and other media. IGN's A. E. Sparrow considered him one of the most useful of the games' characters and one of the best characters for 'veteran players'.[102] He is ranked in the top-ten fighting games from GameTrailers and has been called one of the series' innovative characters from his introduction in The King of Fighters '95 and during his development in the following games.[103] Some commentators found his recurring interactions with Kyo Kusanagi during fights to be appealing, adding depth to the games, despite English gamers not being able to understand them, and the lack of a storyline in some.[104]
Kevin S. from GameRevolution liked the interactions between Kyo and Iori in The King of Fighters XIV because it was one of the most famous parts from the series. The addition of a unique theme song to Iori's and Kyo's rival fight was also praised.[105][106] Meristation compared Kyo's and Iori's antagonistic rivalry to that of Goku and Vegeta from the Dragon Ball manga by Akira Toriyama.[107]The Daily Star noted Kyo's and Iori's popularity comes from the way Kyo and Iori start facing each other as enemies but still become allies for other games.[108] ThunderBoltGames stated that Iori stands out within the plot because of his rivalry with Kyo and because he is cursed with Orochi's power, which makes his heroic traits questionable yet well-written despite the series being from the fighting game genre.[109] The formation of the Three Sacred Treasures Team in The King of Fighters '96 had a major impact with fans because it was appealing because of the Orochi saga and because of its incorporation of Japanese mythology.[110] 4thletter enjoyed the KOF '97 of Kyo, Kagura and Iori, stating 'this [is how you write a climax to a four-year-long story]' at the ending of the Orochi story arc.[111] Lucke M. Albiges from Eurogamer praised Iori as having one of the most unpredictable appearances in the series, and considered him a veteran character.[112]
Across the franchise, Iori has been given new looks and techniques which have also resulted in different kind of responses. IGN's Jeremy Dunham praised Iori's appearance in KOF: Maximum Impact as one of the best designs from the game. However, Dunham complained about his lack of bloody scenes considering his actions in previous 2D games.[113] The character's new design from The King of Fighters XII has been well received by GameSpot writer Andrew Park who found such moves interesting.[114] On the other hand, 1UP.com writer Richard Li; Li complained about the lack of Iori's signature moves such as his fireballs, and while some of them remained, Li noted that they now require a different input from the ones they normally require.[115] The Orochi form from Iori was listed as the sixth best altered video game character alongside Leona's based on the impact both have on the storyline by Den of Geek.[116] Den of Geek same site also listed him as the fourth best King of Fighters characters based on his moves, rivalry with Kyo as well as apparent character arc based on how he retakes his lost powers in KOF XIII and used them in KOF XIV to once again seal Orochi.[117] The writer noted that while Iori started as 'anti-hero' due to his tendency to beat up his own teammates in his first two games, he would join forces Kyo for a greater good in upcoming titles which changed the way he was seen. However, the fact that Iori is defeated by Ash in KOF XI was noted to be the opposite due to how much it affected him to the point of creating a new fighting style that does not involve flames.[118]
Todd Ciolek from Anime News Network found Iori's appearance in KOF XIV dated.[119] Meanwhile, Iori's return to his classic techniques in KOF XIV mainly using flames were celebrated by Hobby Consolas because of their popularity with fans.[120] Atinux agreed, calling the character 'sadistic' because of the violence of his attacks, most notably seen in his strongest moves that reference his enhanced Orochi form from previous games.[121] Shoryuken said that while Iori and Vice showed appealing skills in their KOF XIV trailer, they were overshadowed by Mature's techniques.[122]
Journalists have also commented on Iori's appearances outside the KOF games. For the release of the tag game NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, IGN suggested using Kyo and Iori as partners due to the moves they could perform together.[123] Iori's crossdressing persona Miss X has been popular; SNK stated they received multiple requests to add him into the crossover game SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, an upcoming fighting game focused on female characters.[124]Destructoid stated he was shocked by Miss X's debut in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy because of Iori's obvious secret identity and because she has different incarnations with a different gender and outfit.[125] Atomix shared similar feelings but refrained from revealing the character's true identity.[126] Universo Nintendo originally thought the DLC character would be an alternative version of Ash Crimson and was surprised by the revelation. The website said Miss X's second form is possibly the most humiliating version because the character is wearing a t-shirt of his rival Kyo. Nevertheless, the character's movements were thought to be similar to those of the original Iori and thus long-time gamers would easily play as Miss X.[127] Den of Geek found the comic SVC Chaos ridiculous because as Iori commits suicide to follow the deceased Kyo to the Underworld.[128]
Popularity[edit]
Iori has been very popular with video gamers. In Gamest's 1996 Heroes Collection, Iori was ranked second in the poll Best Character from 1996.[129] In an issue from 1997, Iori was voted as the staff's favorite character, claiming first place over fifty other characters.[130] He received the same rank on Neo Geo Freak's website with 3,792 votes.[131] In a 2005 poll conducted by SNK-Playmore USA, he was voted the fans' eighth-favorite character with 145 votes.[132] Merchandising based on Iori, including figurines, key-chains and puzzles, has been released.[133][134] Two scale figures based on Iori's original form and his XIV look have also been released.[135] A replica of his KOF XIV coat was produced for merchandising.[136]
In the book Gaming Cultures and Place in Asia-Pacific, Iori was regarded as one of the most popular video game characters in Hong Kong from the mid 1990s onward alongside Kyo, Mai and others, to the point of overshadowing the Street Fighter characters, which were also well-known.[137] The developers of KOF noted that Kyo and Iori were very popular in Korea, which led to their immediate inclusion is The King of Fighters 2001 which was the first game in the series that was not developed by the original company.[138] In 2018, Iori was voted as the seventh-most-popular Neo Geo character.[139]
To choose the cover for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports of KOF XII, Ignition Entertainment started a survey on May 4, 2009, in which users of their forum could vote for one of two covers they wanted to see in the game. While both covers feature multiple characters, one uses Kyo in the center and the other Iori.[140][141] When the two surveys ended, Ignition started two new ones that asked people to vote between the previous winners and the Japanese covers from the game for both consoles.[142][143] In late 2018, Iori and other SNK characters appeared as part of collaborations with other companies in Harajuku, Japan, involving new merchandising. Iori's image was made by Falcoon.[144]
References[edit]
- ^SNK (July 25, 1995). The King of Fighters '95. Neo Geo. SNK. Level/area: Credits.
- ^ abSNKヒロインズ - DLCキャラクター「ミスX」. October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ abSNK (July 30, 1996). The King of Fighters '96. Neo Geo. SNK.
Mature: Are you shaking?/Vice: Yeah, he ain't normal. But, that guy... I mean... He's really tough./Iori: W, what? I can't see! Yaaah! Unnhhh! Gya... GWAAAAH!/Vice: Hey, Yagami, take it easy!/Mature: Oh, my God.../Iori: I, it's the... Riot of the Blood!/Vice: Gah. You mean there's nothing we can do?/Mature: Ooowaaaaah! Ya, Yagami!/Iori: GOOOWAAAAH!
- ^ ab'Iori Yagami Official Profile'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
When you think of Iori Yagami, his intense personality most likely comes to mind. His moves are unique, and his dives choice of hairstyle, wardrobe, and manner of speaking was certainly a personality that broke the mold of former characters in fighting games at that time. During the initial location tests to determine the popularity of the game, Iori was the character who stood out most. His hair and his lines to provoke his opponents ('You think I'm scary, do you?') excited his fans to no end.
- ^'Remembrances of KOF: An Interview with C.A.C Yamazaki'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ^'Remembrances of KOF: An Interview with Mr. Marito'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ^'早く遊んでほしい! 『KOF XIII』開発スタッフ2人が稼働直前の気持ちを告白!' (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. July 13, 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- ^Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphic Arts. Capcom, Udon Entertainment. 2015. p. 198. ISBN978-1927925485.
- ^'Billy Kane'. SNK. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'Eiji Kisaragi'. SNK. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'Orochi Iori Official Profile'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ^Akihiko Ureshino, ed. (2005). The King of Fighters Perfect Reader (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. p. 144. ISBN4-8222-1711-6.
- ^'Kyo Kusanagi-1 Official Profile'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ^Akihiko Ureshino, ed. (2005). The King of Fighters Perfect Reader (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. pp. 136~139. ISBN4-8222-1711-6.
- ^ ab'Remembrances of KOF: An Interview with Eiji'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
- ^'アナザーコスチュームのこと・・・(一回目)'. Falcoon official blog. Archived from the original on May 1, 2006. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
- ^The King of Fighters Maximum Impact Artbook (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. June 17, 2006. p. 50. ISBN978-4-7973-3543-9.
- ^'{title}' チーム紹介 八神チーム (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. June 24, 2011. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^'{title}' 炎を取り戻した庵について (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. October 6, 2011. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
- ^'{title}' 第2回:既存キャラの調整について (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. October 20, 2011. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ^The King of Fighters XIV artbook. Atlus. 2016. p. 45.
- ^'{title}' 小田泰之:对拳皇9OL满意. QQ. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.Invalid
|script-title=
: missing prefix (help) - ^'新生SNKのモノ作りはここから始まる。「餓狼MOW2」の話題も飛び出した,「THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV」開発陣インタビー' (in Japanese). 4Gamer. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ abSNK (July 28, 1997). The King of Fighters '97. Neo Geo. SNK.
Spirit represented by purple flame: All is from the Orochi blood! From our blood allegiance. With the Orochi clan!/Kyo: Our clan? Yagami? The Yasakani clan?/Spirit represented by purple flame: A 660 year old error... It can't be corrected!
- ^SNK (July 30, 1996). The King of Fighters '96. Neo Geo. SNK.
Chizuru: The crimson flame of Yagami came from a part of your long-repressed true essence./Iori: Nonsense! I don't by [sic] that Freudian garbage!/Chizuru: The blue flames you control come from the Orochi power flowing within you.
- ^ abSNK (July 28, 1997). The King of Fighters '97. Neo Geo. SNK.
Iori: Aaaaah!! /Orochi: Kill Kusanagi and Yata! Break the Shingi troica! Fight, my Orochi son! Listen, Yagami! /Iori:Ahhhhhhh!!!/Orochi: Ah?!
- ^ ab'Rival Team Official Story ~ KOF 95'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^Akihiko Ureshino, ed. (September 20, 2005). The King of Fighters Perfect Reader (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. p. 160. ISBN4-8222-1711-6.
- ^'八神庵の声を担当させていただける事になりました!様々な想いはあるかと思いますが、誠心誠意向き合いたいと思います!宜しくお願い致します!' (in Japanese). Twitter. August 12, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^SNK (July 25, 1995). The King of Fighters '95. Neo Geo. SNK.
Iori: What a fool! Such power can only by mine! Well, shall we wrap this up?/Eiji: What?/Billy: Hey! You're... you're Geese!/Iori: Just wait, Kyo. You're next for extermination. You and all Kusanagis! Yah, hah, hah
- ^'The King of Fighters '98'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
- ^'KOF 2002'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
- ^'The King of Fighters Neowave official website'. SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^SNK (July 30, 1996). The King of Fighters '96. Neo Geo. SNK.
Goenitz: I guess I understimated you. I never thought... but this isn't the end for you./Iori: Hah! 'ONE-FOR-THE-ROAD' BLAST!/Goenitz: AHHHHH!/Kyo: Hah! Eat this, pal! SERPENT WAVE!/Goenitz:GYAAAH! Why? Why is there no wind? GYAAAAAH!
- ^'Iori Team Official Story ~ KOF 97'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^SNK (July 28, 1997). The King of Fighters '97. Neo Geo. SNK.
Kyo: Finish it, Kagura! Can you do it? /Chizuru: As a mirror keeper... I must do it! /Orochi: Fools! A waste of time! If I release my remaining power.../Iori: Waahh!/Chizuru: His power... too strong! Kusanagi! Quickly... /Kyo: Heeaahhh! Woooohh!
- ^'Iori Team Official Story ~ KOF 99'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^SNK (July 26, 2000). The King of Fighters 2000. Neo Geo. SNK.
Kyo: Consider that payback for the way you used us!/Zero: 'Used' you? The strength of your Mushiki move... was used to power the Zero Cannon. It's the ultimate compliment!/Kyo: In your sick fantasies! You conceited freak!.../Zero: Chill out. I'll soon be dead. Instead of me, think... of the one who awaits you.../Kyo:...Someone awaits me?/Iori: Enough prattle..../Kyo: Don't you think? Here's 'someone'! Let's rumble, dude!
- ^'Another Striker' (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
- ^'Iori Team Official Story ~ KOF 2002'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^'The King of Fighters 2002 Hints & Cheats'. GameSpot. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
- ^'The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Hints & Cheats'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
- ^'Sacred Team Official Story ~ KOF 2003'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
- ^SNK Playmore (December 12, 2003). The King of Fighters 2003. PlayStation 2. SNK Playmore.
Ash: Where... is... it... now?/Chizuru: Ah.. ah.../Ash: Oh, oh, oh, here we are. With this my objective has come to fruition.
- ^'Kyo & Iori Team Official Story in KOF XI'. King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
- ^SNK Playmore (November 13, 2007). The King of Fighters XI. PlayStation 2. SNK Playmore.
Iori: Oooh... I'll kill you... Kyo.../Shingo: Damn, damn, my body... Must save... Gagh, Mr. K-Kusanagi... He's going to be killed.../Ash: Well, well, what's going on here? And without any protection, either?/Shingo: Uh, Ash... Yagami just went crazy all of a sudden./Ash: Well, well, well. You're in a tough spot, aren't you?/Shingo: W-watch out. H-he's not like he usually is./Iori: K... Kill.../Ash: (So that's the look... Now I see. If he's gotten this far, it can only mean...) Heh, heh. Talk about pressure!/Iori: Ga, ga, ga, gaaaaah...
- ^SNK Playmore (November 13, 2007). The King of Fighters XI. PlayStation 2. Igniton Entertainment.
Ash: Holy moley, you're scary as ever. But that's not how it'll work out. And why? It's because I... am not the same old Ash./Elizabeth: That color! Iori Yagami's? No, it can't be, can it? The Orochi?!
- ^'『ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズXII』稼動時期が決定!' (in Japanese). Official The King of Fighters XII Homepage. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
- ^'CHARACTER THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII' (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. April 22, 2010. Archived from the original on April 28, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ^SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters XIII. PlayStation 4. Atlus. Level/area: Team Yagami's ending.
- ^'The King of Fighters XIII Gets Two New DLC Characters: Nests Style Kyo and Mr. Karate' (Press release). Anime News Network. January 11, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
- ^'The X Button On With the Show'. Anime News Network. September 16, 2015. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^'DLC Costumes'. SNK. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^SNK. The King of Fighters XIV. PlayStation 4. Atlus. Level/area: Team Yagami's ending.
- ^'PSP家庭用ソフト:SNKプレイモア ゲーム情報総合サイト NEOGEO WORLD'. SNK Playmore Official Homepage (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2008.
- ^'{title}' ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ 京. Playstation.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2008.
- ^SNK (1998). King of Fighters R-1. Neo Geo Pocket. SNK. Level/area: Savior Team Ending.
- ^SNK (1998). King of Fighters R-2. Neo Geo Pocket. SNK. Level/area: Edit Team Ending.
- ^'The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 official website'. SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters 2006. PlayStation 2. SNK Playmore. Level/area: Credits.
- ^'The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood official website'. Atlus. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
- ^Ciolek, Todd (November 4, 2009). 'The X Button Strange Days'. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^'Characters'. SNK. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^'【プレスリリース】『Arena Masters(アリーナマスターズ)』が『THE KING OF FIGHTERS』とコラボ! 京・アテナ・庵がコラボヒーローとなって参戦!' (in Japanese). Nexon. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^'KOF '98 Characters Visiting Game of Dice!'. Kongbakpao. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^'八神庵の全シリーズ評価とスキル一覧' (in Japanese). Altima. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^'拳皇 AR 手機遊戲《拳皇大蛇篇 Go》已達最終開發階段 將展開體驗試玩活動'. 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^'KYO AND IORI SHOW UP IN NEW KOREAN FIGHTING GAME 'THE KING OF CYPHERS''. DreamCancel. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^'The King of Fighters'. SNK. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^'SNK, Victor Entertainment Reveal 'King of Fighters for Girls' Smartphone Game'. Anime News Network. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^Yumekobo (February 19, 2000). SNK Gals' Fighters. Neo Geo Pocket Color. SNK of America.
Yuki: It's wish time! This Talisman will turn you into Ms. X forever.../Miss X: Argh! You're a sneaky tart!/Yuki: Tart? You asked for it! O, Talisman.../Miss X: Ah! Wait! I take it back! Curses...
- ^'The Rhythm of Fighters review'. AndroidCentral. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^'MissX SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy Debut Will Occur On November 15, 2018'. Siliconera. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^SNK Playmore. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy. PlayStation 4. SNK.
- ^'Neo Geo Battle Coliseum official website'. SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on November 4, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^'Capcom VS. SNK official website'. Capcom. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^'Nettou Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special Hints & Cheats'. GameSpot. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
- ^'Million Arthur: Arcana Blood Arcade Game Gets PS4 Release on November 29'. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^'King of Fighters X Fatal Fury Heats Up At SNK Playmore'. Siliconera. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^'About'. KOF SDO. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^'Days of Memories' (in Japanese). SNK. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^'METAL SLUG DEFENSE - 'KOF Pack' Vol.1' (in Japanese). Steam. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^'ロードオブヴァーミリオン【LORD of VERMILION】'. Atwiki. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^'Update'. Lucent Heart. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^'Kyo, Iori, Athena, Mai, And Leona Join Phantasy Star Online 2 As New Costumes'. Siliconera. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^'King of Fighters And Mobile Legends Have An EPIC Collaboration!'.
- ^'Mobile Legends Adds King Of Fighters Skins'.
- ^SNK (1999). Iori Yagami Original Drama -Sun and Moon- ~ Prologue (Media notes). Pony Canyon Inc. PCCB-00380.
- ^SNK (1999). SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 11 ~ Iori Yagami (Media notes). Pony Canyon Inc. PCCB-00378.
- ^SNK Playmore (April 27, 2006). KOF Maximum Impact 2. PlayStation 2. SNK Playmore. Level/area: The King of Fighters: Another Day.
- ^Natsumoto, Masato (1996). The King of Fighters Kyo, volume 1. Kodansha. ISBN978-4-06-319759-4.
- ^Takamisaki, Ryo (1997). ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズG. 1. Shinsenga. ISBN978-4881993507.
- ^Asuma, Kyōtarō (2018). The King of Fighters: A New Beginning (in Japanese). 1. Kodansha.
- ^Asuma, Kyōtarō (2019). The King of Fighters: A New Beginning (in Japanese). 2. Kodansha. ISBN978-4757205970.
- ^Ashcraft, Brian (July 11, 2009). 'King of Fighters Movie Promotional Images'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^The King of Fighters: Destiny. iDRAGONS Creative Studio, SNK.
- ^'Part Time Stories: Kyo & Iori' (in Japanese). SNK. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^'格闘ゲーム「KOF」人気キャラ総出演のコミカライズがマガポケで始動' (in Japanese). Natalie. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- ^Ureshino, Akihiko (2001). ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ2000―STRIKERS STRIKE BACK (in Japanese). Enterbrain. ISBN978-4757703483.
- ^Ureshino, Aikhiko (1999). ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ’99―BEYOND THE'K' [The King of Fighters '99 ~BEYOND THE 'K'] (in Japanese). SNK. ISBN978-4757205970.
- ^'THE KING OF FANTASY 八神庵の異世界無双 月を見るたび思い出せ!'. Kadokawa Shoten (in Japanese). Retrieved May 24, 2019.
- ^Sparrow, A. E. (December 11, 2003). 'King of Fighters 2000/2001 Review'. IGN. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^'Top 10 Fighting Games'. GameTrailers. April 6, 2009. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
- ^Feit, Daniel (November 10, 2010). 'Review: King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match Delivers Knockout Action'. Wired.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^S., Kevin (August 23, 2016). 'The King of Fighters XIV Review'. GameRevolution. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^'Review: King of Fighters XIV (KOF XIV)'. RoyalFlush Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^'The King of Fighters XIV, Impresiones E3'. Meristation. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^'King of Fighters XIV'. The Daily Star. March 16, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^'The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga'. ThunderBoltGames. December 6, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'FEATURE – THE KING OF FIGHTERS 96 (RETRO REVIEW)' (in Spanish). Atomix. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^'The Top 200 Fighting Game Endings: Part Ten'. 4thletter. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^Albiges, Lucke M. (July 14, 2007). 'King Of Fighters XI Review'. Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ^Dunham, Jeremy (October 14, 2004). 'King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review'. IGN. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^Park, Andrew (July 31, 2009). 'The King of Fighters XII is the latest chapter in 15 years of fighting game history. It's also a disappointment'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^Li, Richard (May 20, 2009). '1UP.com: The King of Fighters XII (PS3)'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
- ^'The 20 Best Altered Fighting Game Characters'. Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^'King of Fighters: Ranking All the Characters'. Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^'King of Fighters XIV: Team Yagami Trailer'. Den of Geek. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^Ciolek, Todd (December 12, 2015). 'The X Button Expert Ease'. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^'The King Of Fighters XIV - Análisis'. Hobby Consolas. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^'EL BUEN IORI (LOCO) Y SU EQUIPO SE PRESENTAN EN THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV'. Atomix. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'Team Yagami: Mature Revealed Alongside Iori and Vice in Latest King of Fighters XIV Trailer'. Shoryuken. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^'NeoGeo Battle Coliseum review'. IGN. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^'Interview: SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy's Yasuyuki Oda, Kaito Soranaka, and NIS America staff'. Gematsu. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^'Miss X sizzles in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy'. Destructoid. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'LA TERCERA PELEADORA DLC DE SNK HEROINES: TAG TEAM FRENZY ES… ¡IORI YAGAMI!'. Atomix. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'Iori Yagami… Perdón, Miss X Llegará A SNK Heroines Para Nintendo Switch'. Universo Nintendo. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^'The Strange History of Street Fighter Comics'. Den of Geek. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
- ^Gamest, ed. (1996). Gamest Game Hero Collection 1996; (in Japanese). Shinseisha. p. 2.
- ^Gamest, ed. (1997). Gamest Game Hero Collection 1997; issue 208 (in Japanese). Shinseisha. p. 1.
- ^'Character polls'. Official Neo Geo Freak website (archived version). Archived from the original on June 19, 2000. Retrieved January 26, 2009.
- ^ウレユサ日記03. Akihiko Ureshino official web site (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^'Capcom vs SNK2 - Action Figures Series 1: Iori' (in Japanese). Amazon.com. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
- ^'Capcom vs Snk : King of Fighters Iori 3D 2'-3' Action Figure Key Chain'. Amazon.com. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
- ^'The King Of Fighters Gantaku Scale Figures Shown Off At Taipei's 2018 Comic Exhibition'. Siliconera. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^'King of Fighters XIV Iori Yagami Coat'. Celebsmoviejackets. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^Hjorth, Larissa; Chan, Dean (2009). 'Consuming and Localizing Japanese Combat Games in Hong Kong'. Gaming Cultures and Place in Asia-Pacific. Routledge. p. 87. ISBN978-0415996273.
- ^'KOF2001 'Dream Match Revival'(tentative title) to be released-'. MMCafe. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^'NEOGEO mini(ネオジオミニ)発売記念 好きなキャラクター人気投票&NEOGEO mini入ってほしかったゲームのアンケート結果を中間発表! 1位はコイツで'オーケー!'' (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^'Rock the Box: Vote for your favorite King of Fighters XII Xbox 360 box art!'. Ignition Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- ^'Rock the Box: Vote for your favorite King of Fighters XII PlayStation 3 box art!'. Ignition Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- ^'Rock the Box Round 2: Vote for your favorite King of Fighters XII Xbox 360 box art!'. Ignition Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^'Rock the Box Round 2: Vote for your favorite King of Fighters XII PS3 box art!'. Ignition Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^'11月23日(金・祝)からキデイランド原宿店にて『SNK×キデイランド原宿~Kawaii Holiday♪~』を開催決定!' (in Japanese). Pr Times. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Iori Yagami |
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iori_Yagami&oldid=916539661'
- written by That Damn Weasel (31 posts, 24 omitted posts)
- >Previous Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/338441/
- >MC's Character Info & Moveset: http://pastebin.com/WyzgB2Dt
- >Introduction:
- 'Pain reaches the heart with electrical speed, but truth moves to the heart as slowly as a glacier.' ~ Barbara Kingsolverl
- You are... Well, to be honest, you don't really know anymore. You're mind is full of enough conflicting information and contradicting ideas that frankly, you can't say 'Hello, I'm XYZ. Nice to meet you' to someone with any kind of confidence. What's real in your mind is that for the last week, you've been licking your wounds in a warehouse that doubles as an illicit hospital for the criminal elements of South Town (Or anybody that can't afford an HMO). How you got your injuries you can't tell (Which is ironic, because you can recall most of everything that happened leading up to the hospital visit itself), but your recovery's been better than any of the doctors expected.
- First the IV came out of your arm. Then the smaller bandages. Within 3 days, you were up walking around a little bit though your balance wasn't 100%. Then the biggest bandages were replaced and yesterday, you were almost back to where you were and felt far stronger than you had before.
- Today though... Today, you finally get to go home. Now if only you could remember where that is. Or your name, now that you think about it... That must've been a nasty concussion or something, because all you can think of when you try to recall your true identity (You had no ID or photos in your wallet, just lots of cash) are hazy visions of some caped, masked man running down the side of a building, or the same figure beating up some Ninjas in back alleyway shouting something about roses, or yet again the same dashing young man partying with some 'Karate Hobos' around a campfire in an abandoned housing complex...
- 'Wait, what's a 'Karate Hobo' again?' you think as you sign through a few forms disavowing your knowledge of this place, then privately change into a set of clothes somebody who knows more about your personality than you left in your care a few days ago (80's-inspired Calvin Kline Bra & Panties set, T-Shirt, Jeans, socks and some Boots) and head out into the sunlight and fresh air for the first time in almost a working week... And it almost makes you want to vomit. 'Goddamn, it fucking smells out'ere...'
- >A. You're... Katja? No wait, was it Katherine? Something with a 'K' at least.
- >B. It doesn't matter who you are. What's most important is the here and now of being alive with a good bill of health.
- >C.Eh, it'll all come back to you in time. You're more concerned about your stomach growling back at you.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 to try and get a better recollection of what all of those visions meant, or represent. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>512840
- In time.
- >>512838
- You lean up against a clean side of the warehouse and take a look up at the blue sky for a moment. Your mind might be a mess right now, but you know deep down you'll find yourself again and it'll all come back to you in time... 'I'm just worried I won't like what I find...'
- You do a couple of quick stretches to allay any suspicions of loitering when you see a cop on patrol drive by, then start walking down the street in a northern-ish direction, the faint smell of food and the sound of your stomach egging you on (Plus the general feeling that the neighborhood you're currently in isn't exactly 'Safe'). Whatever it is, it smells pretty good and probably would be a good change of pace from all of the Chinese take-out you've had. 'Seriously, they need to make that place a legit hospital, because goddamn it kicks any HMO's ass to the curb.'{/i] you think as your nose leads you to arrive at a garishly-decorated diner, the sign out front making you do a double-take.
- 'Kyokugen... BBQ? I gotta see this' you think as you head inside. Though the place is a pastiche of cliched 1950's memorabilia hanging around, there are several old photos of Takuma Sakazaki and other Kyokugenryu fighters in their prime hanging on the walls. You could swear that you recognize the one photo of a mountain of a man in the Orange Gi in one of them, but get
- 'I can help whoever's next in line' a booming voice asks as you turn around and again have to stop yourself from staring too much.
- 'What the fuck? Is that... No, it couldn't be...' You take a moment to register how surreal this is: Marco Rodriguez, one of the best new fighters in Kyokugenryuu's heirarchy, dressed up like a tacky bellhop taking orders and Takuma Sakazaki in the back shouting orders at the cooks in Japanese.
- You order some Chicken Wings, a side-salad and a soda and grab a table to think things out, the only other people in the place a mountain of a man with a beard to match having a date with some browned-skinned beauty that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Brazilian Faevela.
- >A. Look up the Kyokugen Dojo you might've trained at and head back to them for your physical rehabilitation.
- >B. Check out that Chinese Acupuncture guy's place. It might cost a lot, but the guy apparently cured Hemorrhoids so...?
- >C. Work on your own for physical training & rehabilitation. You're not up to having somebody bark orders at you about 'Proper Form' yet.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Try to find out more about the weird old guy with the braided ponytail you can recall from your memories and see if he's interested in helping you.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>512960
- OK, that worked.
- >>512964
- California. I have nothing but condolences to what happened in Italy, especially when my extended family are technically from there. (Sicily's a part of Italy, but at the same time it's always been it's own 'thang.)
- >>512889
- As much as going to the supposed 'Miracle Worker' in China Town sounds, you need to be more responsible with your cash and who knows, maybe it's just a scam to fleece poor unsuspecting schmucks out of their hard-earned cash? Like Kale Water? On the other hand, something about going back to the Kyokugen Dojo for your physical rehabilitation just seems... 'Off' to you.
- Maybe it's the fact that the founder himself is hawking the image & mystique of his art to sell people on a 3rd-rate Barbecue Joint, but it just doesn't seem like the right idea to go back... 'Well, not yet at least. I gotta crawl before I run 10Km with the instructor yelling at me from a car that's chasing us.'
- You shake your head as you look around, endlessly chewing on a piece of your chicken while overhearing a little bit of the mountain man makes some moves on his date. 'God, how depressing is this? Never thought I'd see the day Kyokugenryuu turned into a literal McDojo, with Takuma Bloody Sakazaki playing the role of Harland Sanders... Are they really that hard up? And what does it say about the style of fighting as a whole? 'If you work harder than you thought was humanly possible, you too can get a Black Belt & work for minimum wage!' '
- You take a nibble of your salad as a 'Break' from your main course and stifle a chuckle when you hear a voice you guess was your Sensei's say that last part back... Then sigh at how real it is. 'Yeah, nah, been there done that and got the bloody T-Shirt' you mumble under your breath as you attack your second piece of chicken. It'snot nearly as bad of a workout as eating endless bowls of buckwheat Soba (Which, honestly, wouldn't be terrible if they seasoned it properly), but after a week of eating Chinese Take-out that left you always wanting more you feel stuffed after a few more bites.
- 'I guess I really do need to be on my own for a while...' You quietly head up to the counter and ask Marco for a to-go bag, then take a long look at the two hobnobbing at the only other occupied table in the place. 'And damn it, why can't I find somebody to treat me like that?'
- You leave on that thought and quietly walk out, then hail a cab and clamber into the backseat.
- >A. Ask him how far away the Beach is and see what he says.
- >B. Give the cabby the directions to your gym. You're starting your rehab early.
- >C. Tell him you want to hit up the mall in East Side Park.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 and try to recall where your home is and pay whatever it might take to get there. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>513016
- It's why I always put the PST starting time first.
- >>513003
- 'Where to?' the cabby asks in a thick, Easter-European accent (The kind you recall somebody you once knew saying 'Hey cousin! You want to go bowling?' to you).
- You take a moment to think it over, then reply 'Home, I guess.'
- 'And where's that lady?'
- You close your eyes, furrowing your brow as memories try to flicker into your mind of what your 'Home' looks like. 'Snazzy apartment fit for a drug kingpin? ... No... Run-down project building in the ghetto? ... God no... Oh, wait, hang on I think it's...'
- You open your eyes and plainly tell the cabie '29067 Birchwood Ct.'
- 'The hell is that? Sounds like country cabin.' he replies.
- 'Well, it is' you tell him, then flash a $50 bill in his face.
- He looks at it, looks back at the traffic that's starting to already form, then takes it and says 'OK, OK, just this once. I'm no good out in the country; Get lost all of the time.'
- You nod and stretch out in the back seat, oddly not the sticky smelly mess you'd expect a South Town cab to be and almost feel yourself falling asleep... However, a vision of a white mask jars you back to consciousness as you feel the cab swerve to avoid an accident-in-the-making. you hear the cabbie yell something in a slavic language that's kind of understandable to your ear? You don't try to make any heads or tails of it and stay a little bit more upright.
- 'Where are you from?'
- 'South Town mate. Been'ere for... A long time now.'
- 'No, where did you come from?' he asks you again.
- 'Oh... Australia. I lived underground until I was 15, then went to Adelaide for school' you recall.
- 'Australia?! Really?'
- 'Yeah, why?'
- 'You remind of Russian woman I saw once. When I was chauffer in the old country.'
- You aren't quite sure what to say about that, but you mention where to take a left turn onto the backroad that leads to your house and soon enough, you can see the cabin in your mind's eye pop into view.
- 'I was gonna say 'Keep the change, but i'll bet that paid for the whole trip huh?'
- 'Just about' the cabbie replies as you step out and take a look around, smelling the fresh air, feeling the breeze on your body... It really is home. Which is when you notice that a crew of people are apparently working on it by ripping the walls apart piece-by-piece.
- 'Well that's great...' Just as you turn around to try and ask the cabbie if you could get a ride back into at least the farther edges of South Town's outskirts, he drives off kicking up gravel and dust. 'Just bloody peachy... Maybe the Rurosexual thing just ain't workin' out after all?'
- >A. Finish up the rest of your food and take a walk on your property.
- >B. Shrug and ask somebody to see what's going on with 'Your' place.
- >C. Roll 1d20 and see if that old motorcycle you stashed away in the Garage will start. (Only the first three rolls will be counted).
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>513100
- You shrug at the guys working hard on fixing your house ('Looks like it's an electrical thing... Hope I had enough to cover it because it looks pretty pricey t'me.'), then head out to the small shack you call a 'Garage' and dig around for a fold-out 'Captain's chair'. When you finally find it, you take a seat and start to eat out of your to-go bag in a spot out of everybody's way.
- 'Look at that view! Of course I'd pick a place like this to get my Ruro on.' By the time the guys are on break, you're done with the rest of your meal and feel just a touch fuller than when you were in the cab, your metabolism feeling like it's kicking into overdrive over eating some solid protein... Which, strangely, gets you wondering about whether or not that old motorcycle you had found and half-restored is still in good enough condition to be ridden, because your car is nowhere nearby.
- 'Let's see... Here we are' You look around in the shed until you find something covered under a sheet and move around some ridiculously-heavy boxes to find what you were looking for. '1975 Norton Commando 850 cc Mk3... Only god knows how the fuck that Villiers engine doesn't shake the whole bike apart.'
- You wheel it out and take the cover off of it, then grab a small can of gasoline you had stored from when you would street race up in these mountains (And smirk at the memories of blowing off would-be 'Initial R' heroes in the riced-out old Toyota Corollas & Nissan 240SXs). A careful pour of the fuel into the tank, a quick grab of a spar helmet you had for this thing and a kick-start into life...
- And another kick-start into life.
- Yet another.
- Still more.
- By now you overhear some of the crew on break are making bets on how long it'll take you to get this thing started, a few even wondering out loud if you'll even manage to get this old rust-bucket parts-bin special to even go.
- 'OK, one more try...'
- >New Thread Theme:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxP1tyngq9o
- You somehow manage to keep the thing lit and hunker down onto the frame, then give a wave before riding down your driveway and off into
- >A. Head north to that Donut Shop/Burger Joint you never get a chance to visit.
- >B. Head south back into South Town, stopping for gas to get directions and feel where you might want to go.
- >C. Just ride and let the road take you wherever you might end up.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Go far north to the creepy mansion that Asian Bond villain told you about. You want to scope that place out.
- -------------------------
- >>513203
- Even though you've got enough fuel on board your 'bike to make it into South Town itself, you stop in at a remote gas station to take a short rest and figure out where you want to go. Besides, riding your rusting old steed of a 'bike is proving to be harder work than you expected. 'Bloody hell, it still feels like my legs are vibrating. Damn Shaker twins, what can you do?' You take a quick leak, look around for something to munch on (You settle on a bottle of Water) before getting enough gas to top up the ole' Norton, though not before you notice that there's some guy that looks like a cheesy 80's Pro-Wrestler trying to be a real-estate agent up on the small television the guy behind the counter has.
- 'Yeah, I can't believe it either... A new King of Fighters' he says with a sense of beaming awe, along with some kind of 'Aw Shucks' kind of lilt in his voice.
- 'Yeah? Neat' you reply, then walk out and take a big sip of your water bottle before gassing up your bike. 'Where to go on my roll... Where to let the long roll take me...' you hear yourself say as you finish up refueling your ill-handling beast of a motorcycle, then take a dog's age getting it restarted. 'Probably has too much play in the frame whuch is why the handling's all kinds of fucked up' you think as you finally head back out onto the open highway.
- >A. China Town. You want to check out that Hemorrhoids curing guy's shop, or at least blast for a few carefree hours at an arcade.
- >B. Hit the Beach. The calming waves sooth your soul and you need an excuse to show yourself off on such a hot day.
- >C. Head towards one of the more known fight spots around South Town and see what people in the 'Fight Game' are doing on a... Sunday afternoon?
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Head towards Karuta AKA 'Howard Arena'. Maybe you'll run into that guy who's supposed to hold all of your secrets there? Or at least spectate a fight or something.
- Going on a lunch break after this. I'll be back ASAP.
- -------------------------
- OK, that took far, FAR longer than I thought it would... Nothing but apologies Anons.
- >>513311
- 'Sup Sleepy?
- >>513327
- >>513295
- OK, it's >T-T-T-TIE BREAKER Time!
- Link back to this post ASAP with your vote. The option with the highest number of new votes will take it.
- >Pic Unrelated
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>513525
- Also, I got a touch impatient with that vote. I promise to not let a coinflip happen again.
- >>513596
- >>513327
- Whil going to Sound Beach and just watching the waves crash down on the sand sounds like a good enough time, you decide to stop in at another part of East Island first: The old Howard Arena, now known as 'Karuta'. The place always had a kind of foreboding air to it and the architecture & foliage made you seem as though you were in Hong Kog, or Taiwan, or even on the set of a cheesy Fei-Long movie that turned out to be real... So, you recall that you were never really were interested in going there just to visit. On the other hand, you heard from that Asian Bond Villain guy that the man who probably knows more about you than you do at this point drops by there sometimes and it IS a South Town fighter's hang-out, so at the very least you could probably scope out some action if you wanted to...
- You park your bike next to a long, low, black sportscar with a widebody kit that seems oddly familiar to you. 'More like a Wangan Sunset job than an Initial R one... Not too bad at all' you think as you take a quick glance at it while taking off your helmet, then walk inside. Thunderclouds seem to be forming above you, but it only makes the air feel dense and 'Muggy' as you faintly hear a couple of people fighting far off into the distance. Curious, you let your ears guide to the trademark pond 'Karuta' is know for and lean up against a intricately-detailed gazebo railing to try and get a better look at a couple of fighters going at it across the pond.
- '... Huh, thought I could read lips' you think as you see them both breathing heavily and talking. On the right is the Frank Zappa-looking motherfucker from that photo Asian Bond Villian showed you, though he's got a big, black coat that looked like could've been ripped out of a JRPG character designer's scrapbook. On the left though is somebody new your eye: An older woman with tan skin and the kind of air that suggests that she knows her way around a Dojo, or an wrestling mat... Or she even could be a Sumo, considering her size and body shape.
- >A. Spectate from the gazebo railing.
- >B. Roll 1d20 to try and get closer to the fight across the pond without tipping either of them off. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- >C. Focus on your own training for now and do some stretches in the small grassy knoll behind you.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Play out the fight as either Andrew Draco or The New Challenger.
- -------------------------
- >>513645
- >>513667
- After a few minutes of watching them talk, you sigh and think 'Eh, nah... I'll probably see them around again' and head over to the grassy knoll behind you to do some stretches. From how they were jaw-jabbing at each other, you probably could've eavesdropped on them and watched the fight up close without any trouble, but you came here to find your own self and train. 'Besides, I could probably sneak into one of the Pao Pao Cafes tonight and keep my head down low in case somebody tries ti fight me...' you mutter as you feel yourself out.
- Soon, you start to do some stretches your brain doesn't seem to remember, but your body does without any problems. 'That's... Odd...' you think, but shake it off as you move on to some more advanced stretches that your brain seems to think 'What? I can't do that?!' but your body does, though not without a few creaks & groans. The sounds of those two fighting echo throughout Karuta, though within half an hour they die down and the clouds start to break. It gives everything a kind of orange glow. 'Well I'll be, that almost looks like a rainbow trying to form there... Nice' you think as you finish up the more advanced parts of your stretches, confusing you more and more as to how you're doing them.
- 'Got to get on that sooner or later' you mutter, but take a deep breath and smile at how you feel. At least it's nice to be back in the game a little bit, even though there's that oddly hollow feeling of not understanding how you achieved your fighting skills... 'I'm like the founder of Aikido' you darkly think, then smirk as you feel your body swell with energy from in your core, the clouds starting to form up again and your hair standing up on end just a little bit...
- >A. Keep going and start doing special move katas to keep the blood pumping.
- >B. Do a few cool-down stretches and head out to somewhere else.
- >C. Check in on that fight and see if they're still going or whatever. Who knows, you might get sparring match with the winner or something.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 & GO HAM. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- >>513752
- Part of you wants to spend all of that energy building up in your body by using it to pull of a Kata you've only thought you've seen, finishing off with a projectile attack you've never really gotten a handle on... But, as much as you want to at least try, you're not sure enough of yourself or your abilities that you might hurt yourself in the process.
- So, you try to hold that energy in with a focus on your Ki you've again only 'Seen' with your mind's eye, then take the short walk around the back half of Karuta's park-like area towards the pond, where those two from earlier are both sprawled out in a heap and overhear them talking for a moment.
- 'You're not bad for a young buck' the older woman says in between short breaths.
- 'And you're pretty good for an old lady' the Frank Zappa lookalike replies before groaning himself up back up to his feet. 'you wannna do this again next week?'
- 'I'll think about it' the woman says with a big breath. 'Gah, I wish I was younger! I missed my calling doing this shit!'
- That gets a chuckle out of 'Zappa', who replies 'Hey, I'm no spring chicken either. i'm pushin' 30, after all.'
- The woman laughs out a 'Fuck you' that sounds oddly familiar to your ear, though you can't quite place where you might've heard it before... Suddenly, you spot 'Zappa' look around like his life was in danger and you come out from near a bush that was off to the right of the 'Stage' they fought at.
- 'Sorry about that guy' you say with your hands, up and 'Zappa' relaxes a little, though he crosses his arms and tries to lean his back up against a lamp post off to the left of Karuta's designated area for fighting.
- 'You watch us go?' He asks, slipping on a pair of sunglasses before you can see what his eyes look like.
- 'Nah... I wasn't in the mood' you admit.
- 'Well, that's a bummer because you missed out girlie' the woman says as she sits up off the ground. You half-turn and see she's dressed in Jeans, boots and a jacket over a singlet most Olympians would use for Wrestling or The Shot-Put/Hammer Throw/Weight-Lifting.
- 'Yeah... I haven't had a fight like that in a while' 'Zappa' says, but checks his watch. 'Ah man, I got to get going... Catch you later, Hurricane.'
- With that, the wannabe walks off and you shrug. 'I'll try to get his number one of these days' you think, then turn around and squat down to see 'Hurricane' eye-to-eye.
- 'Need any help?'
- She huffs at you like she wanted to say 'No Shit', so you grab her arm and apologize by saying 'Sorry, I should've known better.'
- 'Nah, it's OK. I might've pulled something, so y'should've asked' 'Hurricane' replies as she gets back on her feet.
- 'You need a shoulder, or?-'
- 'Nah, I'm fine' 'Hurricane' says, then does a couple of stretches to try and test herself out. 'I gotta say though, you don't match your description.'
- '... Uh-Oh' you think, though you try to keep it cool.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>513901
- 'And what description would that be?' you ask in Japanese.
- 'Hurricane' looks at you funny, probably because you're a 'Foreigner' that knows the language well enough to reply, but simply states:
- 'Well, 'I'm 'Hurricane' Hatsune Horikawa. You broke my daughter's arm and if I didn't just get through three rounds with that Blood Aikido guy, I'd feel like beatin' your ass. How's it goin'?'
- >A. Offer to get her a beer at the Pao Pao Cafe and apologize in the most Japanese/Formal way you know how.
- >B. Scratch your head and tell her where you'll be staying for the next few days; You'll be waiting for her.
- >C. Roll 1d20 to GTFO of there NOW. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'You know what? Fuck you and your hamplanet of a daughter. You wanna fight? Then bring it bitch!'
- >Pause Updates
- Sorry y'all, but that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow at the same time as today's session and promise to move things along in a more timely manner; I always felt that for a series set in a world of fighting, there never was enough in my stories...
- >Player Question:
- Are the enough fights to keep these 'Downtime' sessions interesting? Or conversely, do you enjoy the more 'Comfy' parts of this quest?
- >Bonus Question:
- Do you want to see the MC carve out her own legend with a different name? Or keep living as 'Another Katja'? (Trick question, I know.)
- -------------------------
- >>513951
- >>515080
- >Updates Resume
- >You're still 'You'
- You're eyes widen at Hatsune's accusations, mainly because you only vaguely recall what happened and the implication of the kind of person... You still are? The person you used to be? Regardless, it's pretty troubling to you. From the steely resolve in Hatsune's eyes, you kind of get the vibe that bullshit or sunshine blowing out your ass isn't going to impress her, or that lying or simply saying 'Sorry' won't cut it either...
- 'Time to be the bigger girl.' You scratch the back of your head and let out a sigh. 'Well, I can't really run forever from what I did, can I? And I'm thinkin' it would've been plenty rude of me to try and sway y'to change your mind by buying you a round of drinks or whatever...'
- Hatsune silently nods, crossing her arms under her chest like her daughter probably would've. Reccolections on what 'Tsunami Tsuyako' looks like are hazy at best (Shit, you only just remembered her name), but by just being around Hatsune for a few minutes you can sense that her daughter's 'Tough outlaw schoolgirl' wrestling persona is just a pale imitation of her mother's natural demeanor.
- [i['Makes me think of... Well, the stories I've heard about Takuma Sakazaki.' 'So... How about this: When you feel like you're ready, you come find me and we'll settle it the old fashioned way.'
- Another nod from 'Hurricane' Horikawa. 'Alright, that sounds fair...'
- She lingers on that last sentence like she's expecting you to tell her where you'll be and it's an awkward silence between the two of you before your brain clicks into gear and realizes that. 'I live at 29067 Birchwood Ct.' you finally tell her.
- 'That's way up in the mountains, isn't it?'
- 'I live on a 20-Acre parcel, yeah.'
- 'How's the view?'
- 'Spectacular' you tell her with a smug grin.
- Hatsune nods, again in the way you vaguely remember her daughter doing and asks 'I'm looking forward to it' with an outstretched hand.
- You shake hers with enough grip to show you won't back down and she grins a little. 'Now, how about you buy me that round at the bar, eh? That Blood Aikido guy was kind of my ride over here...'
- >A. Accept.
- >B. Refuse.
- >C. Tell her you'll drop her off at the Pao Pao Cafe, but you're not in the mood for drinking today.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>515298
- No prob Sleepy. Also goddamn this update took forever. Sorry for the wait y'all!
- >>515305
- >>515228
- 'Ah, what the hell, she could be fun after a few beers in her...' You shrug and say 'Sure. I need an excuse to celebrate getting out of the hospital today anyway.'
- Hatsune grins at that. 'Heh, just like I used to do...'
- 'You'll just have to hold on ad keep your head down, because I don't have another helmet and the cops 'round here are just looking for an excuse to harass you most of the time' you explain as you lead her on the foot path back to the small parking lot where you left your 'bike.
- 'Huh, and you ride too?'
- 'Just for today. My car's gone walkabout and god knows where my cellphone is' you admit.
- Hatsune looks at you funny, but doesn't say anything as you find that black sportscar's gone.
- 'Oh god, one of these things...'
- 'Yeah, I know it looks a bit dodgy, but I just got it out of storage today.'
- 'Nah, I was thinking more about a guy I knew back in the day that thought he was hot shit for going to the trouble to import a Norton Commando like yours. Then he wrapped it around a fucking tree when he tried to get it to go around a corner' Hatsune explains as she bends over to try and stretch out her legs.
- 'He get hurt?' you ask as the two of you hop on your 'bike.
- 'Nah, fucker got lucky and just bruised his legs a little because he didn't fall right.'
- 'Yeah, she's going to fun to hang with tonight.' 'So where to?'
- 'Where else? Pao Pao Cafe.'
- With that, you kick-start your Norton into life on the first try ('Right, NOW you start acting a touch civilized...') and ride off into the not-quite sunset, the clouds from earlier lifting again and shining random strands of light down like god was calling out a prophet in a cheesy biblical epic.
- Soon, the two of you arrive at The Pao Pao Cafe, the place a touch more crowded than usual as it seems like some slutty-looking girl with a Toucan flying around her & Bobby Wilson are putting on a Capoiera performance... Or, well, it could be a fight. You don't know and honestly don't care; You need a drink.
- 'Whatchu drinkin'?'
- 'I usually hit up with some Stella, maybe neat gin if I'm on date' you admit.
- 'Sounds good. I'll order while you get us a table close to the stage' Hatsune tells you.
- 'She kind of reminds of Tatsuya a little too...' You catch yourself in an odd feeling of deja-vu over that last thought, mostly because the name that popped up in your head sounded familiar to your mind but you can't place where it might've been heard... You brush it off and get a decent-enough table as Hatsune bullies her way through the crowd to take a seat with you.
- >A. 'So, what have you been up to lately?'
- >B. Let her talk.
- >C. Just sit quietly and watch the 'Show' for a little bit.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>515362
- You take a moment watch some of the 'Show' just off to your left, the crowd Oohing & Aahing at Bobby Wilson and the Toucan chick either really fighting or just making flashy dance moves. 'With Capoeira, you can never tell...'
- Hatsune watches along with you for a little bit too in the noisy kind of silence that The Cafe can get. Eventually, she turns back to you lays out why she wanted you to have a drink with her, albiet with an awkward tone of voice: 'OK, so before we get all lovey-dovey or whatever... I want to know what happened with you and Tsuyako.'
- 'And here we go...' 'Haven't you gotten enough of an ear-full from her on that?'
- 'Yeah, but as much as I love my daughter I'm not going to go after somebody, or fight somebody without hearing both sides of an argument.'
- 'Sound enough logic.' You nod. 'Well... That might be a touch difficult for me.'
- 'Why?'
- 'Because i had a pretty nasty blow to the head and my memory of the last... Week? has been pretty spotty at best.'
- 'You broke my daughter's arm a week and a half ago' Hatsune corrects you. 'So please, for me, try to remember what happened.'
- before you could interject, your drinks arrive and get placed down on the table. 'No cheers, I take it?' you ask, not even trying to hide how nervous this is making you.
- 'Nah, not yet.'
- 'Well shit, so much for that...'
- >Roll 1d20 to try and recall what happened. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>515455
- You close your eyes, slowly droning out the sound of all of the chaos of The Pao Pao Cafe around you and try to dig deep into your mind back to a day that sounds like what you had done to 'Tsunami Tsuyako'... And see nothing. Just black emptiness broken up every now and then broken up only by the flash of one of the Cafe's stage lights.
- 'Sorry mate, but I really can't picture it' you admit with a sigh.
- Hatsune gives you that narrow-eyed look again, but relents when you again give off an intangible aura of sincerity. 'Jeez, how hard was that hit to your head eh?'
- 'I... I think I was wearing a mask at the time that felt like it was indestructible; I couldn't break it with my bate hands or drive over it... And the blast I took broke it in half.'
- Hatsune quizzically stares at you again, but takes a second to glance back at the 'Show' going on over your shoulders. 'I'm sorry for your loss.'
- 'Loss of what?'
- 'Memory. Concussions and early onset Alzheimer's really screwed over my wrestling sensei.'
- She let's those words linger like she's looking for sympathy, but you don't catch it and figure that it's time for a toast. 'Wanna raise a glass to how hard you're gonna kick my ass?' you ask.
- 'Why not?' is all she says as the two of you clink glasses and take a couple of swigs of beer... And immediately, it feels like you broke the ice a little bit and the weight in the air from talking with seems to have lifted just a little...
- >A. Ask her abut what she's up to, where she's from etc. etc.
- >B. Let her lead the conversation for now. You'very got questions about yourself you want answered too.
- >C. Share a comfy, noisy little 'Silence' watching the Toucan Girl & Bobby wrap up their 'Show'.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- Computer'software acting weird. Sorry for the delay Anons.
- >>515535
- You take another small sip, savoring the flavor of your liquid amber while Hatsune pounds hers down like you'be seen somebody in your past do. 'If only I could put the name and face together...' you think, but get your thoughts broken up by Hatsune.
- 'So... What got you here?'
- You shrug. 'I don't know anymore... A paycheck? Bills to pay off? The rush?'
- 'Their all good reasons, but what made you pick Judo?'
- You feel a little uncomfortable at first when you try to think about what style of fighting you started in, but quickly 'See' yourself in a Gi doing some wicked take-downs in your mind. 'My parents signed me up for it when I was young to help out my self-esteem. Turns out I had a good knack for it.'
- 'Yeah?'
- You nod. 'I kind of lost the spark to keep going in college though. Ithe just... It felt lIke I was always a step back and everything I was doing wasn't enough to keep up.:
- 'It's the real acid test, yeah... I can remember that when I was young, I had to change my game up a lot just to feel like I was keeping up with expectations when I got admitted to Tokai.'
- 'You went there too?'
- 'You kidding? I own their record boom for Womens Judo' Hatsune boasts.
- 'Well, pardon me for saying, but I always thought Japan's schooling system was rough and put a lot of undue pressure on people' you offer. 'And I guess it kind of fried my nerves a little bit.'
- 'Oh yeah, it really was hard on Tsuyako at first too... The pressure to fit in, to be nail that's flush with everybody else instead of sticking up...' Hatsune takes a swig to finish her glass off in style while holding that thought. 'I never cared for it either. I just wanted to prove to myself that I was the best. Didn't matter if it was Judo, or Wrestling, or whatever. I wanted to be the best in the world.'
- You nod and take a small sip of your beer. She's got that same fire in her eyes, same as her daughter... Why can't you be burning on the inside like that anymore? 'I guess I'm just a lazy bum, because I never was like that. I always was running up to awall and wondering why I couldn't scale it on the first try.'
- 'That's the difference between a natural and a Judoka. The natural can go far, but the Judoka can't keep themselves at a high level of competition without drive or commitment' Hatsune states.
- 'Yeah...'
- >A. Ask her about her Judo & Wrestling exploits. That fire in your eyes has you curious about how extensive her experience really is.
- >B. Offer to ask about her personal life. She seems like the kind of woman that would've been right at home in a gang, or as the captain of... Something, you guess.
- >C. Open up about your youth a little bit more. It's good therapy and you'll need an excuse for the next round of drinks that's coming up.
- >D. Write-in Vote.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>515692
- Alright, that's got'er fixed. Now I just need to figure out why my stove isn't working and pack boxes upon boxes upon boxes...
- >>515630
- You spot the Toucan Girl ('Zarina', her name was) & Bobby Wilson take a bow and blend into the background as the crowd starts to slowly thin out a little.
- 'I hate to sound like a clueless git, but
- 'You went to Tokai and hadn't heard of me?' Hatsune asks as she motions for another beer.
- You nod. 'I was pretty self-centered back then and none of the coaches ever mentioned you...'
- 'That's too bad...' is how it all starts, but you spend about an hour listening to Hatsune Horikawa's life story, laughing & crying all of the way: How her parents were practically slaves to the Mitsubishi Corporation living & working on Hashima Island and had nothing by the time she was born when the Island's coal reserves were depleted to next-to-nothing and all of the residents were evicted from their homes; How she grew up as a street urchin in Okinawa and learned how to deep-sea pearl diving from her mother to eke out a living at 13 and became known as a 'Boss among Bosses' in highschool thanks to Karate lessons from her father; The countless matches and wins & losses from wrestling guys because of a lack of female competition, the gradual switch to Judo to keep faith with her coaches in College at Tokai U...
- All of which was interesting, for sure, but the big thing that stood out to you was while you had given up on your Olympic dreams, Hatsune Horikawa actually almost got to achieve hers.
- 'Oh man... That's a sore spot for me' she says before taking the second swig of, what is it, her 4th beer? While you're only on your second?
- 'Why?'
- 'Because just about everybody except me was doing some kind of doping and nobody on the official's side cared' She replies with a matter-of-fact tone. 'I think it was during the semi-finals, right before I went off against Meignan... But I realized I wasn't fighting people anymore; I was fighting monsters, beasts, inhuman beings... And that everything was rigged top-to-bottom.'
- 'Really? Because I've read a few articles that went in length on how Japan's whole Judo team got hosed in Barcelona that year, but...'
- 'Oh yeah. I mean hell I had some guy come up to me and say, to my face, that 'France must win' with a briefcase full of cash as an incentive' Hatsune says, really spitting out the word 'Incentive' like something rotten was in her mouth. 'I batted the fucking thing right out of his hands.'
- >A. Tell her to keep going; This is riveting shit.
- >B. Let her off easy; You can tell this is a sore spot for Hatsune.
- >C. Take a look at who's fighting on the main stage; You can hear a good struggle going on.
- >D. Write-in Vote.
- Roll 1d20 and give it one more try to recall how you broke Tsuyako's arm. (Only the first three rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>515887
- >Dat wasted Nat 20
- >>515891
- Sorry to hear that Sleepy. And yes,my copy of KOF XIV's on the way. Unfortunately, I wasn't early enough to get the Nightmare Geese or Classic Kyo DLC... But SNK's website gave me the 'Kyokugen BBQ' idea, so it's all good.
- >>515882
- 'Fuck mate, that's just awful...' is all you can muster to say before taking a drink of your Amber Liquid.
- Hatsune offers up a solemn nod, letting her story of failed Olympic dreams fade away as you take a look at a couple of Muay-Thai fighters throwing out elbows & knees at each other on The Pao Pao Cafe's 'Stage'. You think you recognize the guy off on the right that seems to be one of the trainers, but you're not sure where he might've been seen before... 'It'll come in time. He's kind of cute too...'
- 'Well, then I got Silver when I should've won Gold, got a hero's welcoming home back in Japan, graduated from Tokai and was so fed up with life I became a pro-wrestler' Hatsune continues, again in that matter-of-fact tone.
- 'hat's why Tsuyako's in it now, huh?'
- 'Yeah... Well, it's that and Women's Wrestling - Shit, Greco & Freestyle Wrestling in general - is in a weird place right now with the Olympics and all of that' Hatsune explains.
- 'I've read about it a little bit, but what was doing the pro-wrestling gig in Japan back then like?'
- Hatsune lets out a laugh that you figure is supposed to come off as being bitter, but is just a little bit too jolly to your ears. 'Well, the first three years were great. I was booked to be the only 'Normal'-ish person in the division, so I wrestled under my real name, I got to stick to my ground-style while everybody else was flipping off of tables, chairs and turnbuckles, I got a couple of title runs out of it...'
- She trails off a little, watching the two Muay-Thai guys go at it. 'But oh man, I was fucking terrible when I was Sock's age. I mean yeah sure, when I was starting to climb up the card in SNKPW, I was all business on a show night, but otherwise... I'd break every rule in the book. Drinking, drugs, I'd dress like some kind of tomboy stripper just to have an excuse to beat people up, I was fucking cute pieces of ass just to try and feel something... Emotionally I was just a wreck, all over the goddamned place.'
- 'Well this is fucking awkward, ain't it? I almost feel bad having to fight this chick...' you think as you nervously ask for a 3rd bottle of Stella Artois.
- 'Looking back on it, I was trying to fill the hole in my chest that the Olympics ripped out of me. I gave up competitive grappling where I thought talent and skill are everything for cheesy-as-shit soap operas set in a ring to try and please marks almost out of spite...' Hatsune admits.
- >A. 'And?'
- >B. Roll 1d20 and ask 'I don't want to pry, but what was Tsuyako's dad like?'
- >C. 'Who's that picture in your wallet of?'
- >D. Write-in Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>516113
- And the dice gods are fickle indeed... So is my computer, because it just ate the update I had slaved over.
- >>516135
- 'Gaaah, listen to me being a sad-sack of shit tonight!' Hatsune groans in frustration. 'I feel like one of those old ladies that would tell you their whole life story while getting their or nails done to some poor mark that couldn't get away if they wanted to...'
- 'No no, it's fine' you say with a reassuring tone. 'I was a lot like you when you were young & wrestling. Shit mate, I still feel like that when I look back on why I got into street fighting in the first place.'
- You motion at a passing waiter for that third bottle of Stella Artois, then sheepishly grab it from the other guy right behind him and pour it right into your glass. 'And well, I've been having a good enough time.'
- 'Really? You're a strange one...'
- 'Well, I'm at a crossroads in my life and i've never felt at home anywhere, or had anyone come close to talking about the experiences I've had outside of you' you admit.
- 'Heh-heh... Yeah, it's hard finding people like us anymore.'
- 'Tell me about it. How would you feel if the grandmaster of your art sold his soul for a fucking fast-food restaurant?'
- Hatsune's eyes widen a little at that remark, then starts to crack up. 'Holy shit, you do Kyokugen?!'
- 'I know right?'
- 'Goddamn, I feel bad for you. My sensei probably would've killed himself if he had to make that kind of choice' Hatsune admits with a snicker.
- 'Speaking of father figures, what was Tsuyako's dad like? I don't want to pry or anything, but...'
- 'No, I already told you about everything else in my life. Might as well get this last part over with...' She says, making your stomach sink.
- 'Fuck me, this chick's got more personal landmines than Bret Hart.'
- 'Well, I first met Makoto in the summer of '92 in Barcelona. The Olympics were in full swing, he had a cousin that was on the Judo team and he was in Spain anyway fighting in some underground tournament.'
- 'A Karate Hobo then?'
- 'Yeah, might as well have been. I mean, there was a lot in common: He was a Banchou contemplating retirement, I was a Sukeban that was walking away when I got back to Japan, he learned Karate from his dad, who in-turned trained my dad... We hit it off.'
- 'So what happened?'
- Hatsune takes a moment to think it over, getting a kind of fidgeting head tilt you've seen someone else in your past do. 'I guess the biggest thing was that he couldn't change. Like, if you're a Bosozoku and you're already 20 years old, you're either thinking about quitting and looking at getting a normal career started or you go all-in and be a full-on Yakuza... But, he wouldn't move on from what he was. He Couldn't move on from what he was, and it took me too long to realize it because I was so busy working all of the time.'
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>516356
- Something about those words strike a chord in you, and you almost don't notice that you're starting to cry until you catch a glimpse of a tear roll down your cheek and into your glass of liquid bread. 'What the...?'
- 'The thing was, I never wished him any ill will or anything and part of me still loves him but... Like I said, he couldn't change and I had to stop beating myself over the head dealing with him' Hatsune concludes.
- 'That's... T-That's just..' you mumble, more tears starting to roll down your face. Which is when Hatsune fishes around her jacket and tosses you a pair of sunglasses.
- 'Put 'em on. You don't look so good cryin' ' is her rough way of trying to help you. Somehow, it gets through your scrambled brain and you instantly feel better hiding your eyes behind them like they were another 'Face' or something...
- 'Sorry, it just hit me hard.'
- 'Like you said, you're in a crossroads. You hit a rut and wouldn't want to make the effort to leave it.'
- 'Yeah...' 'God, and I thought I was ready to get on with my life...'
- >A. Thank Hatsune for her time and take your leave. Any more beer and you probably wouldn't be able to ride you motorcycle back home.
- >B. Tell her that you think you saw 'Makoto' around South Town about a week ago on a 'Friday Night Real Bout' poster.
- >C. Excuse yourself and have a good cry in the lady's room.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 and excuse yourself from the table; You thought you just saw a ghost...
- Sorry for the early day today once again Anons, but I have chores around the house to do tonight. So, I'll cut this off today and will return for one more session tomorrow at the usual 10 AM PST/ 1 PM EST/ 5 PM GMT a starting time.
- >Player Question:
- If you could choose any fighting style in all of SNK lore, what would be the one that would be the most unique/interesting to have our MC learn?
- >Bonus Question:
- But that's just Sylvie sleepyanon. Funny that you mention knives, because I was watching an old OVA and it featured some crazy knife-wielding Russian Assassin in it and my first thought was 'That could be like a Nameless'd Katja'.
- Nothing official, just a thought.
- >>516444
- Amelia'so good, but it's not a definite 'This is the MC's name for the rest of the quest FOREVER' kind don't of deals.
- -------------------------
- >>518282
- I'll have a vote on it in down the line.Not in this thread though.
- Also, updates will resume in about an hour and i'm tempted to do another Combine vote to speed things up.
- >Pic Semi-Related: What a 'Nameless'd' could look like
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>518467
- Whatever was wrong before fixed itself when I went for a straight Shutdown and restart. I feel like I worked in the office of that one screengrab about somebody lucking into being tech support.
- I'm also going with an Option B & Option C combination to get this damn thread going today if there aren't any objections.
- -------------------------
- >>518483
- >>516442
- >Updates Resume
- You're still 'You'... Maybe you should think about getting a/trying to remember your name in the future? Amelia? Reah? Something else entirely?
- For as many wild stories as you've heard 'Hurricane' Hatsune Horikawa tell you while knocking them back tonight at The Pao Pao Cafe, that last one about her ex (Who you're certain is noted Karate Hobo Makoto Mizoguchi) has got you crying uncontrollably... And strangely enough, you can't figure out why. Maybe it's the whole 'He couldn't change' part and the parallels of being stuck living in the past yourself? Or maybe it's just another side-effect of seeing the dojo you poured yourself into, seeing the man that your sensei would talk about as an Idol... Just be a broken-down old man who couldn't let go of his glory days?
- 'Probably, probably... But OK yeah, these shades aren't working. I gotta have a sook in private' you ponder as more tears slowly fall into your drink. You take a breath, then try and make a crack about 'Y'know, I think I saw him on a poster that was up around town' You squeak out, then ask 'Pardon me' and get up from your table.
- You catch a glance at Hatsune having kind of worried look on her face before making a beeline for the lady's room.
- 'Lucky... No one else is in here'you think as you take a look around, then take the sunglasses off and really let it all out. By the time it feels like you're forcing tears to come out, your slight mascara has run down your eyes and gives you you a 'Goth Girl/Heroin Chic' look, your nose is runny and your face has a red tinge to it... But god, that felt good to let it all out.
- You wipe yourself down, clean up and apply a small amount of mascara back on and add some lipstick from a small make-up bag you had in the back-pocket of your jeans, then head back out to see Hatsune talking with a tall, muscly Red-Head that looks like she knows how to fight and then some. Judging from how fast their lips are moving, they're probably speaking Japanese... Rude Japanese at that (From the crash-course you remember, there aren't really any cure words in that language, but the speaker can get the same effect by changing the pitch & tone of their voce or by using less-common versions on certain words).
- >A. Quickly but in to thank Hatsune for her time, then take your leave.
- >B. Ask the red-head what the trouble is.
- >C. Give a wave to Hatsune, then head back outside and wait for her out in the parking lot; You're not getting in on the conversation between the two of them.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Fight the Red-Head. She looks tough.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>518563
- 'Better just say goodbye and stay away from these two. The red-head looks like she's mad enough to wipe the floor with both of us' you think as you stay a little back from Hatsune & the musclegirl arguing(?). 'Right... OK, just a quick goodbye & thanks' you mumble.
- ' 'I don't want to get back in the squared circle unless you're fighting for real'? Look at you! You think you could last against Kyo Kusanagi? Or Yagami? Hell, if Goro Daimon got you he'd break you in half for real' you overhear the red-head yell to Hatsune as you walk around her right side to .
- 'Hey, I've been looking for you' the red-head says with a scowl on her face and a .
- 'You're not the first' you reply without turning to speak face-to-face with her, your mind trying to keep yourself from making a sprint to the door.
- 'Then why have you been ducking me, huh? Scared you'll pull something and look like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest?'
- You stop at that remark and make a slow turn around, the expression on your face giving it a look as though it were carved out stone. 'If you have to know, I've been in the hospital for the last week.'
- 'Which one?'
- 'Goddamn, this chick is almost an elder god-tier bitch' you think as that stony look lasts on your face. 'None of your business' you reply.
- 'Oh, well ain't hat something huh? You do something sthupid, you just say it's not your business. You break my best friend's arm, it's none of your business. You cost the company I work a million bhucks, it's none of your business. You force me to come back witha still-bum ankle and-'
- 'I signed an agreement to disavow any knowledge of where I was treated. I'm keeping to that, thank you very much' you explain, cutting the red-head off mid-tirade. 'Listen... I'd fight you right now if I could-'
- 'But you're too much of a chicken-shit to try, aren't you?' the red-head grins, her breath smelling like she's had a few and some weird inflection going on in her accent.
- >A. Roll 1d20 and tell her that you're recovering from a nasty concussion and that honestly, you don't remember who she is. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >B. Just walk away without a word. This isn't worth it.
- >C. Tell her 'Fuck it. You want to go? then let's get warmed up and go on the stage over there.'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Ask her for a phone, call up Kazahaya and sick his 'Dogs' on the Red-Head. You're sick of her complaining about shit you don't remember doing.
- -------------------------
- >>518649
- Yes.
- >>518667
- You feel your blood pressure starting to rise as this obnoxious... Eastern-European? Scandinavian? Whatever, this bitch is trying to goad you to fight even though she's obviously intoxicated and, in her words, has a bum ankle. 'Nah... Fuck off cunt' is what you wish you said before walking up the steps that lead out of The Pao Pao Cafe, but you merely shook your head and turned back around.
- 'Not worth it. Not now... Especially not now' you think as you straddle your Norton Commando's saddle and fire it up with ease... But find that the headlight isn't exactly working. 'Well then Lucas, prince of darkness, nice to see you're still alive & kicking' you mutter under your breath while grabbing the front fairing out of frustration.
- Curiously, that got headlight back to working with a fair amount of brightness and you shrug your shoulders with a sigh. 'Ah, just like an Italian sportscar from the same era: they all have personalities of their own and this particular Norton was just trying to remind me who's taking whom for a ride' you hear yourself think out loud as you slip on your helmet & ride off into the night without a care in the world.
- 'Wonder how much money I've got left on me? I don't want to carry on like a pork chop' you ponder while you're at a stoplight in a seedier part of South Town. Just as you're about to ride off when the light turns green, you spot a group of guys (And girls?) in suits dancing down the street with the kind of choreographed grace you'd usually only see in Music Videos or old movies.
- >A. Roll 1d20 to try and tail the group. Who knows, it could be connected to that Asian Bond villain guy. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >B. Continue to ride off into the night and see where the road and your bike take you. (Location suggestions OK with this vote)
- >C. Stop at the corner store across the street and see how much money you've got left; You're probably going to have to hole yourself up in a hotel tonight.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 and yell at the group dancing down the street 'Hey! Can I join you guys tonight?' (Only the first 3 votes will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>518752
- >>518816
- '... Fuck it, I want in on what those guys are doing' you think as you look over to the side of the street again, nobody behind you as the light's green. With courage and pride, you slip off your helmet and shout 'Hey! Can I join you guys tonight?'
- From how the group reacted to you, it was almost like you had just insulted all of their mothers at once because , a platoon of Asian 'Agent Smiths' staring back you through different designer shades. 'Fuck me....' you mutter as you slip you sheepishly helmet back on and gun it to try and hide around the corner a block up, but the suits are chasing after you en masse and some of them are damn-fast runners.
- You don't check behind you as you try to navigate the uneven pavement of the back-alleys you're trying to ride down, eventually coming to a dead-end after one wrong turn and stop to see a couple of the faster runners have already caught up to you...
- 'God damn it, I'm not ready for this...' you mutter under your breath as you calmly turn off your bike's engine and stand it up against a wall. Then you slip off your helmet and try to compose yourself as a couple of the faster runners have already caught up to you.
- 'What the fuck mate? I was trying to-' you start to say, but one of the 'Asian Smiths' starts throwing punches at you. They're wild haymakers though, so you duck under them fairly easily and counter his volley with a horse-like kick. It knocks him clear into a group of other 'Suits' trying to round the corner, but that's only a trickle compared to the flood of people that start to crowd the back-alley space you're in...
- >A. Try to hold your ground for as long as you can by picking guys off one at a time.
- >B. Be spontaneous and try to use the crowd of thugs out to get you to your advantage.
- >C. Look around for some weapons and go HAM on these clowns for as long as they last.
- >D. Charge up your Ki and try to channel that feeling you felt at Howard Arena earlier today. It might be your only shot to make it out of this relatively unscathed.
- >(Rolls will be done AFTER voting has concluded)
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>519049
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-tvJcTPxHc
- You close your eyes and try to channel that feeling you had earlier in the day, when the skies were darkening at 'Karuta' and you were contemplating trying out some of the more 'Special' moves in your arsenal. 'God, I hope this works' you hear your mind say as everything seems to slow down and your sense of hearing heightens, some punk running towards you with his footsteps sounding like distant thunder in your mind.
- You take the brunt of his tackle attempt full-on, but don't get knocked down. Instead, you counter-hit him out of it with a Left Hook punch that leads into a bunch of standing, wild-looking jabs that make you want to yell 'ORAORAORA' over and over again. The pain stings a little and you don't feel that energy hit you again, but you do feel the motive to start moving and shuck-and-jiving these guys (None of whom seem to be carrying guns... Yet...) a little. 'Fuck! That hurt' you think as you wordlessly take a kick to the shoulder to deal damage with a rising uppercut that twists you into the air, though you stumble a little on the landing and a swarm of suited guys try to tackle you to the ground like they were kids diving into a swimming pool on a hot summer's day.
- 'Fuck OFF!' you roar, Electricity forming in your hands with a projectile that has an oddly-purplish hue to it. It knocks a couple people back, but just as you think things are getting easy 5 more suited thugs come out of the shadows wielding stuff that looks like they found on the ground: Steel Pipes, Bent Aluminium Baseball Bats, Broken Beer Bottles and a Golfclub(?)...
- 'OK, take it slow now' your mind tells you as your body's on auto-pilot, blocking the first hit of the baseball bat guy like a champ and gritting your teeth from the pain to kick him back with that Horse-like kick you have. That opens you up to a hit to the shins from the Steel Pipe Girl(?) which you hop around like crazy to try and rub out...
- But that lets your body go for Judo-like throw that lets you lock in an Armbar to the Beer Bottle guy, giving it a nice 'SNAP' for good measure before the others start kicking you in the head from being on the ground for too long...
- 'Yeah, my body's not up for this shit yet' you think as you quickly hop back from a swing from the Pipe chick, then grab the pipe when she lunges it into your mid-section to use as a pivot to smash her into a wall shoulder-first. 'PUT THAT UP YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT BI-'
- And just like that, you get cocky and forget your surroundings to get a knock on the head from the golf-club guy... And oddly feel like it might've knocked some loose wires in your noggin back into the right places.
- >Roll 1d20. First 3 votes will be counted
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>519147
- You slowly turn around, your Ki finally starting to flow through your body and an aura of static electricity surrounding your body. The guy that had the golfclub (Which broke in half on your head) backs away in horror and you can hear somebody hell 'Horry Fuck! It's an Ashura!' as you gather electricity and throw it at them with an out-stretched palm. It hits the guy with the beer bottle whose arm you gave a good 'Snap' and bowls him over into the golfclub guy.
- 'Oh... OK... I get it now' you hear yourself think as you get into the now-familar stance that Tatsuya-Sens-Er, Tatsuya drilled into you and smile, some of the other guys looking too scared to move. Then you hear one of the rougher-looking suits yell 'The fuck is wrong with you faggots?! You're gonna let some Saiyan-Loking cunt make you shit your pants?!' in Japanese before charging up a punch.
- 'Phantom Breaker? No, Galactica Phantom rip-off' you think as brace for the chance of a lifetime. The guy that screamed at his 'Troops' (Bald-headed and no sunglasses, oddly enough) and charges forward... Right into your outstretched foot and into your 'Stun-Gun Stinger', a charge of electricity making his body shake like he had just gotten tasered.
- 'Oh, what a night... What a lovely NIGHT!' you snarl as you crack your knuckles and slowly start to walk forward, a couple of the stragglers from the group running for their lives and the power of something amazing, something out of this world courses through your veins.
- 'Goddamn, it's good to be back. It's good to feel this again' you
- 'I'll say... That was a pretty impressive way of getting back into the swing of things, eh Kat?' you hear a familiar voice ask.
- You turn and see Kazunori Kazahaya helping some of his guys up off of the ground, half-scolding them for trying to fight a 'Friend' like you and half-worried that you did too much damage to a lot of the 'Strong' ones.
- You chuckle and cross your arms, your rage & power slowly subsiding but still on-guard in case he'll try anything stupid (As you know he sometimes does). 'Who are you talkin' about? Katja's dead and gone mate. I'm just me'.
- And that it's for this thread! I thank y'all for sticking with this quest throughout all of my computer issues and going through moving out of my current residence; I know that I strive to get into that 'Updates every 20-30 Minutes' kind of mode when QM'ing and I'm sorry for not hitting it this time...
- However! I plan to run Thread #11 this weekend at the usual 10 AM PST/ 1 PM EST/5 PM GMT time. As always, if that plan falls through I'll announce it in /qtg/ and on my Twitter feed.
- >Player Question:
- Are cliff-hangers too played out as a literary device?
- >Bonus Question:
- What do you make of KOF XIV's more... 'Interesting' story reveals? (IE The Final Boss)
- -------------------------
- >>519247
- Team Mexico's was my favorite 'Funny' ending.
- Team China's was my favorite 'Serious' ending.
- Kukri is 4chan personified and I wished I knew how to play him. Hein is probably the most 'Meh' newcomer to me. Then again, I should've thought of making Jean-Claude Gabriel Geese's new bodyguard to try and overthrow/buy-out The Howard Connection from the inside or whatever...
- -------------------------
- Quick and friendly announcement that this thread's archived on sup/tg/ and I'll be around tomorrow to answer question/queries about whatever. And yes, I have trouble sleeping at night. It helps with getting ideas typed up to be refined later though.
- Archive Link: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/512825/
- END THREAD
- The King of Fighters Quest: Reborn #11
- written by That Damn Weasel (53 posts, 18 omitted posts)
- >Previous Thread: >>512825 or http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/512825/
- >MC's Character Info & Moveset: http://pastebin.com/WyzgB2Dt
- >Introduction:
- 'Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.' ~ George Bernard Shaw
- You... Are just you for now. And in spite of the beers you put away at 'The Pao Pao Cafe' just over half an hour ago, you're feeling fired up with a tremendous amount of energy coursing through your body on an overcast, somewhat cool evening in a back-alleyway of South Town. You wipe the blood off of your knuckles and stretch out your hands a little as one of the city's preminant gangsters (Whom you know as a friend) applauds you for beating up a small portion of a gang that's affiliated with his syndicate... Not exactly a typical response; Then again, Kazunori Kazahya has a reputation for not being a typical mob boss.
- 'What is it about beatin' fuckers half t'death that makes me feel so alive?'
- 'I have no clue what the hell these guys were thinking, tryig to go after you like that when I told them straight-up that you're a 'Friendly' ' Kazahaya says as he's squatting down like a slavic ne'er-do-well.
- 'I'dunno either mate... But were they lookin' after you, or?'
- 'Yeah, I had to stop in at a liquor store to drain my lizard; Next thing I knew, they were gone out chasing you down the streets like they had pitchforks & torches.'
- ]'Typical Kaz, never lets the reason why he does shit come up unless you prod him half to death... Ah fuck it, let's poke the bear.' 'Why did you let me fight them then?' you dutifully ask as you bounce on the balls of your feet a bit, trying to keep your energy up.
- 'Eh... Well, you know you always said you never wanted to fight me...' Kazahaya mentions as he gets up from his squat, shaking out his legs a little bit.
- 'And you always said that you didn't want to go down in history as being the guy that ruined my face.'
- 'That's right... But I don't know, maybe I was kind of curious if you've really lost your hunger to fight or not?' he admits while getting himself a little 'Loose' with a few cricks & creaks coming from the body underneath that pressed Italian suit of his.
- '... Well fuck me silly, he really wants to fight for a change.' 'What, the 'Best in the Underworld' actually WANTS to get his hands dirty for once in his life?'
- 'Maybe, maybe...' is all he says with a sly grin before he pushes up his sunglasses and starts to glow with a faint, golden/orange aura. Then he dashes towards you with the grace of an actor in some period Chinese 'Wire-Fu' epic.
- >Roll 1d20 to try and match/overpower Kazahaya's strikes! (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>537203
- It did, it did. Finally just got it done with the help of my roommates, a 2x4 and some plywood to use as a guide and also to keep from damaging the floors.
- Sorry for the delayed update Y'all.
- >>537150
- 'Damn it, I'm not going down like this... Not like this.' You feel that energy rise up and reach a crescendo in your extremities, charged electricity in the air and almost 'Sparking' around your body as you silently rise up off the ground. 'He's chatting away on a cellphone? Perfect.'
- You take a breath and charge forward, catching him in the middle of turning around to block your surprise attack and hit him with the tried and true 'Ryuuko Rambuu', your arms and legs unloading on him like they were spring-loaded before landing an uppercut that launches the two of you skyward.
- 'How about that Wind!?' you yell as you land to your feet and hear Kazahaya crash down into some boxes full of junk that ring through the alleyway.
- He takes his time to sit up, gather his thoughts, dust himself off and stand up. The look on Kazahaya's face suggests that he's not going to let that one slide anytime soon. Also, goddamn his eyes are fucking creepy as shit; No wonder that rumors started to circulate that he could kill somebody with a stare... He slowly starts to unbutton his suit jacket, then loosens his tie, undoes his cuff-links and finally takes off the pair of sunglasses he was wearing (That you broke), an unusually dark aura surrounding him as he gets 'Loose' again, but without the same hint of playfulness from just a few minutes earlier.
- This is the Kazahaya you've only heard of. The one you wouldn't want to owe a dime to, the one you've never had the displeasure of dealing with on account of doing so well as his 'Ace in the Hole' for all of those the underground fight clubs... You take up a stance and put on a game face, but deep down you've got only one thought running through your mind:
- 'I've made a huge mistake.'
- >Roll 3d20 For Options A through C.
- >A. Attack him while's angry and unfocused(?); Get your damage in while you can.
- >B. Let him unload on you and try to counter-hit him; From what you recall of seeing him fight a few times, he's got gaps i his style.
- >C. Stay mobile and try to match or move with Kazahaya's 'Flow' of fighting.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 to run like hell.
- -------------------------
- >>537316
- You take the initiative right out of the gate and run-in swinging with a left hook. Kazahaya doesn't react in time to try to dodge it, but doesn't flinch from it either as he uses the momentum of getting hit to try and dodge your follow-up right straight. Again, while he doesn't dodge it, he blocks it easily and does some kind of whirlwind punches to counter and smacks you in the face with the back of his hand.
- It's not enough to floor you, but it does open up a gap between the two of you as Kazahaya wordlessly gets 'Loose' some more, his body language suggesting he's getting ready to attend a funeral... 'Probably mine if I keep this up...'
- You run towards him again, but this time jump into the air with your foot outstretched to try and hit him in the side of the head, or the neck. Kaz easily blocks it, but his follow-up back-turned Elbow thrust isn't fast enough or has enough range to hit you, so you blast him with a quick Ko'uoken.
- He flings himself forward, but lands back on his feet with a cartwheel and tries to hit you in the chest again with that closed-fist thrust that hurt like a motherfucker from before. You quickly dodeg and lock-in your favorite Judo hold (The Ude-Hishigi-Juji-Gatame) and drag Kazahaya to the ground. You can really feel the pressure on his arm as you try to break it, or at least enough to snap him out of the mood he's in... But, he won't budge and quickly slips out of his suit jacket to break the hold and kicks Ki-enfused sand into your face.
- You roll around to try and clear it out of your eyes, but Kazahaya hits you in the stomach with an Axe Kick that nearly makes a dent in the pavement, that stony silence and killer glare in his eyes as you try to wiggle free.
- 'How much weight can he push down? He's skinny as a rail.' Gritting your teeth, you go to kick him in his shins and get enough of a smash him in the face with a 'Strayacut', though he hops back to his feet and launches forward like a rocket with some kind of 'Dragon Kick'. A brick wall stops your momentum, but Kazahaya doesn't let up and tries to hit that closed-fist thrust again, nearly blowing a hole through the wall as you roll back and away from him.
- 'Yeah, this was not a great idea... But running now doesn't seem right either...'
- >Roll 3d20 For Options A through C.
- >A. Keep going on the offense. He seems hesitant to strike first.
- >B. Lay back and let Kazahaya come to you. You need to gauge just how much damage he's done anyway.
- >C. Run like hell. You can't do this to yourself.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'OK, OK, you made your point. I fucked up and I'm sorry.'
- -------------------------
- >>537490
- From how he has fought so far, Kazahaya doesn't seem to be all that interested in trying to go on offense against you, so you decide to hang back and put up as strong of a defense as you can muster. 'And of course, now he moves in for the kill... Juuuuuuuust great.'
- Kaz goes to try and hit you with three successive punches, but you block them all without sweating it. However, your attempt to try and counter his recovery with a Super Kick gets blocked as well... Yet, Kazahaya simply rolls away to the other side of you and hits you in the ribs with a spinning, low-to-mid hitting side kick. You hear yourself let out a gasp of pain and almost see cracks in Kazahaya's granite facial expression, but not enough to get any sympathy.
- 'Come on steel trap, open up for me.' He goes for some kind of back-somersault kick, but again you block it with ease... And again you can't seem to easily counter it like you would've with practically anybody else.
- 'How's he fucking 'Safe' after that shit anyway? Fuck it, just got to keep on fishing.' You shake your head and try to land a Hien Shippu Kyaku when he lands and though it connects, again he doesn't flinch and grabs you by the collar of your nearly-ripped T-Shirt, then throws you across his shoulder with a twist of both of his hands. You quickly roll back up to your feet when he tries to do that ground-hitting Axe Kick and go for a flurry of punches (Your 'Zanretsuken') .
- 'Why isn't he flinching? He can't be THAT strong... Could he?' Once again, Kazunori Kazahaya doesn't get bowled over by your 'ORAORAORA' impression and doesn't lose his footing either, instead disappearing from your vision for a second too long and feel a hand trying to grab the back of your head. You quickly turn around to kick him in the stomach with your'Super Kick' and this time you finally knock him down... But something doesn't feel right about this at all.
- 'I keep feeling like he's pulling his punches... Or that he doesn't want to hurt me; Just prove a point in fighting me.'
- >Roll 3d20 For Options A through C.
- >A. Go for another 'Ryuuko Rambuu' the first chance you can take; You can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
- >B. Wait for the right moment, then give Kazahaya the old 'Stun-Gun Stinger' to try and end this.
- >C. Hold off on anything flashy for the moment and try to add in some offense to you impeccable reactions & defense.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Throw up your hands and admit defeat.
- -------------------------
- >>537585
- While trying to finish Kazahaya off with something flashy like another Rambuu or your Stun-Gun Stinger seems tempting, you get a sinking suspicion that those attacks would only piss him off more right now, so you stick with the 'Solid defense is a great offense' school of thought and try to pick your spots as Kazahaya tries to hit you with some crazy upside-down arcing kick that only just misses your head.
- You try and land a standing uppercut while he's in mid-air, but he simply does that Axe kick-thing again and the two of you 'Trade' the hit. You shake out your hand as you get up off the floor and only barely block Kaz's side kick to the head and feel your guard almost break when he tries to hit those three consecutive punches again.
- 'Just a little more...' You jump up and go for another 'Ude-Hishigi-Juji-Gatame' (This time to his right arm) and almost get to drag him down to the ground, but he doesn't lose his footing and starts slapping you in the head with his free hand and it's enough to force you to let go of him. Kazahaya seems to hesitate for a touch too long and you use that to sweep him off his feet, but he does another handspring cartwheel back to his feet and runs towards you, stopping in place to try and hit you with the Somersault kick again.
- You roll past him though and throw out the strongest Ko'uoken you can, your arms starting to feel heavy while doing the motion Tatsuya taught you. Kazahaya seems to be kind of 'Floaty' in air and he can't recover in time to block your projectile. He lets out a groan of pain for the first time for the whole fight and it takes him longer to get up off the ground, givig you time to get two hits of your Hien Shippu Kyaku off before he 'Breaks' it with that Backwards Elbow strike.
- 'Gyah, why is nothing fucking working against this tosser?' The elbow strike staggers you back a little and it takes all of your energy to try and defend against the same wall of punches he used to start this fight, your guard breaking only at the very end with that last hit... Rather than going in for the kill, Kazahaya seems content to breath hard with you while you try to keep yourself up on one knee again.
- 'I think I've made my point' he finally says, that kind of mischievous look in his eye returning a little bit.
- >A. 'What, you feelin' a little rusty or somethin'?'
- >B. Give him the Stun-Gun Stinger; He's just close enough to try and land it... (Roll 3d20)
- >C. Keel over and tell him you need to check back into a hospital.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Egg him on to keep fighting; You aren't done yet.
- -------------------------
- >>537686
- You take a moment to catch your breath, your head killing you and all of the beer you drank catching up to you. 'What, you feelin' a little rusty or somethin'?' you wheeze.
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QXwNk7TOKg
- You see Kazahaya smirk, a vision of a human-sized python 'Smiling' back at you for the blink of an eye as asks 'I don't know, do you?' with a shrug.
- '... Yes' you finally admit as you give in and fall over yourself on to your back, Kazahaya casually strutting over to grab your hand.
- 'We got to get you to my guys down in China Town. I might've done some internal damage back there...' he says as you grab it without a second thought.
- 'I thought you fought with like, cards or some shit?'
- 'What, Karnoffel? Yeah, I did that for a little bit, but it got boring to me after a while' he explains as you let him shoulder you up and let him drag you back through the alleyways. 'No freedom in it anyway... And it's practically duels to the death all of the time and that's not my style.'
- 'Yeah, yeah...'
- 'I'm serious. I'm not the kind of guy to be against killing people, but I don't do it without a reason like my sister does.'
- 'Your boys spot her anywhere nearby since we last talked?' you ask, your body and Kaz's probably not up to dealing with her if she shows up out of the shadows (Which you've seen her do time and again).
- 'Nah... No luck on my Sifu either, not that I want to see him.'
- You get a flash back to that grey-haired Kung-Fu Hobo you hazily recall partying with, but don't say anything as a couple of uninjured suits start asking Kazahaya what's the situation in Chinese (Cantonese? Mandarin? Fuck knows, it all sounds the same to you right now). You then close your eyes and feel yourself get picked up in a 'Fireman's Carry' for what feels like forever, then carefully get placed in the back of a limousine that was just around the corner from where you turned around on your motorcycle.
- Kazahaya says something in Chinese to his driver and the two of you are off.
- >A. Ask 'Kazy' if you could get a drink or something; The interior of this thing suggests that there might be a bar or something inside.
- >B. Reflect on all of your bad choices in silence & tranquility.
- >C. Ask Kazahaya why he hasn't killed you yet for all of the stupid shit you've done.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Fall asleep and let 'DreamTime' take over.
- -------------------------
- >>537826
- 'Man, I need a stiff drink after that' you hear yourself groggily think out loud.
- 'Yeah... I don't think I've stocked the bar on this bad boy in a couple of days, so you're out of luck.'
- 'Aw...'
- 'No need to cry over spilled milk. I'll treat you to drinks sometime' Kazahaya mentions as he flips out his phone and starts browsing.
- You share a comfortable silence with him, trying to keep yourself awake in case you got another concussion so soon after the last one... Then get a wild hair and ask him something that's been on your mind for a while now: 'Kaz... Why haven't you killed me yet?'
- He takes a while to answer that, taking long enough that you thought he didn't hear you at first. Then he gets glib and retorts 'What, you want me to pull over so I can put two .22s in the back of your head or what?'
- 'Nah mate... I was just wonderin' how I'm still alive for all of the stupid shit I've done while I was workin' for you...'
- Another pause as you spot Kaz texting somebody. Then he explains 'Well... Shit, I mean you made us the money we needed to get the gang off of the ground floor... You helped drive out most of the wannabes and a couple of the 'Gangs' South Town had at the time...'
- 'And I never squealed either.'
- Kazahaya nods and concludes 'So killing you never felt right to me. Not even after the whole undercover Water Margin blow-up happened, I never thought about it.'
- 'That's good to know...' 'OK...'
- >A. Ask Kazahaya why he doesn't fight like he had earlier on in your battle anymore.
- >B. Ride out the rest of this trip to wherever in silence.
- >C. Ask Kazahaya if he knows anything about the new King of Fighters Tournament going on; You haven't had a chance to read up on it yet.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Fall asleep and let 'DreamTime' take over.
- -------------------------
- >>537897
- As much as you want to ask Kazahaya why he doesn't normally fight with the steely intensity he showed you tonight, visions of those 'Blank' eyes staring back at you stop you in your tracks. Instead, you ask him about something that's been pressing in your mind for a little bit: 'Hey Kazy, have you read anything about the new King of Fighters that's supposed to be running?'
- Kazahaya snaps to attention and sticks his nose up from out of his phone to take a look at you. 'You haven't heard much about it, have you?'
- 'Nah mate, stuck in the hospital.'
- He nods knowingly, then puts up the privacy divider before talking to you about it. 'It's being run by some crazy Russian guy named Antonov. '
- 'Arms dealer? Mad scientist? Or just a high-rolling mobster?'
- 'None of the above, actually... He's a businessman that's been a big fan of the KOF tournaments and bought the media rights to host one himself using money from his companies' Kazahaya quickly clarifies.
- 'Nothing crazy or evil about the sponsor of a KOF?'
- 'I know, it's weird... Really weird. About the only thing about him that's gotten the old-timers in a huff is that he made this tacky-ass belt as the trophy and declared himself 'The First KOF Champion'.'
- 'Huh... I bet that's gonna get some of the older Fatal Fury guys out of retirement...' you ponder out loud, thinking back to the days of the Fatal Fury tournaments and how they always had the tagline 'The King of Fighters'... then ask 'Has he given out invitations?'
- 'Probably... But I haven't seen one myself.'
- 'Really? Because I would think that a guy as good as you would be a lock to be in a new KOF.'
- 'Well, I'm friends with some of Antonov's biggest business rivals; I don't think he'd want me winning his tournament...' Kazahaya explains, adding 'And I'm not exactly new to KOF's either.'
- 'When were you ever in one?'
- 'It's... Complicated' is all Kazahaya says about that before changing tack. 'Word on the street is Antonov's group is running a bunch of mini-tournaments around the world to create new teams, like back in the day.'
- 'Are they open-invites?'
- 'Just one... I'm not too sure when it's going to happen, but my sources tell me that it's going to happen in either Amsterdam or St. Petersburg at an underground fight spot.'
- 'Why not in South Town? There's a bunch of different places he could hold it without anybody noticing.'
- 'Nah, he's not looking for old-timers and no-hopers. Besides, Team Fatal Fury are a lock to get in, so he's got that demo covered' Kazahaya says with a grin. 'He wants to scout for new blood to be made part of an 'Official Invitation' team is what I heard.'
- Just as you were about to ask when the tournament itself was going to start, the Limo stops suddenly and kind of jolts the two of you upright. Kazahaya drops the privacy divider to shout at the driver in Chinese, but stops mid-rant when he looks at the traffic backed up in front of them.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>537971
- 'Looks like an accident up ahead blocked traffic... If a cop knocks on the window try to act cool, OK?' Kazahaya explains to you.
- >A. 'Oh come on Kazy, you know how good I am at faking being nice to officers right?'
- >B. Nod and take a silent rest back into your seat.
- >C. Ask 'Kazy' how far we are from where we're going; You feel like if it were close enough, you could hop out and head the rest of the way on foot.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Tell him 'OK' and fall asleep, letting 'DreamTime' take over.
- -------------------------
- Apologies for the slow updates today Anons. I've had to help tear my house apart in between writing and I lose track of time.
- >>537992
- You nod and silently take a rest back into your seat as Kazahaya takes a call on his phone.
- 'Hope you don't mind if I take this, it's from The Dow Jones' he asks.
- 'W... What the fuck?' 'What was his name?'
- 'It's my accountant... Some kid from Berkley that had Hippies for parents' Kazahaya explains before starting up his conversation with 'Hey, whatup TJ?'
- 'OK then...' You stifle a yawn as you idly wonder if this land yacht is bulletproof or not, then rest back into your seat and try to take a quick nap... But, something inside of you won't fall into a deep sleep and you feel yourself waking up just before the Limo began to move again. 'Wonder how bad the accident was? Can't really see with these tinted windows...'
- You glance at Kaz wearing some big headphones and blasting some tunes on a sick-looking device and let out a sigh, then turn around in your seat and try to stretch out a little bit in the back of this glorious rolling monument to capitalist excess... 'fuck me, where'd that come from?'
- Soon enough the driver pulls to a stop, Kazahaya putting away his audiophile-centric headphones and music player once he notices the limo's stopped again.
- 'We're here' He says while tapping your shoulder, then he opens up the door and gives you a look at your destination: Some dingy-looking place in the middle of China Town called 'Lee's Medicine Shop' that looks like it's seen better days.
- 'Hey Kaz, is this the guy that found the cure to hemorrhoids's place?'
- 'Yep! Since I've been going to him I haven't hada cold in like 5 years' you hear him reply as you get out of the driver's side back seat and take a good minute to stretch yourself out, casually noticing Kazahaya knocking on the door of a shop that looks like it's about to close up for the night.
- He eventually shouts something in Chinese, which leads to an awkward pause before some weird guy with white hair and dressed up like a Beijing Opera performer, complete with a mask that has the look of a Monkey's face. That leads to more back-and-forth in Chinese, then the guy in the mask finally relents and lets you inside. 'Here goes nothing... But really, five years without a cold?' You follow the two of them through the back of the shop, everything creaking and groaning from the ancient wooden floors and up two flights of stairs to a huge, lavishly decorated room with a killer view of China Town's main street.
- Some more animated Chinese, then Kazahaya tells you that 'Lee here wants you to strip down to your birthday suit for this.'
- 'Why...?'
- 'He needs to wrap up your body in herbal bandages and do a full acupuncture check on you, like a'Master Reset' to get a baseline on how your Ki flows' he explains.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>538115
- >A. Roll 1d20 & Accept 'The terms of Service'.
- >B. Decline and tell Kazahaya that you're going down to the Arcade to pass the time.
- >C. Tell Kazahaya to tell 'Lee'(?) that he should work on him first; It'll give you time to think about whether to do this or not.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>538125
- You take about 10 seconds to mull it over in your head, then nod and tell Kaz 'OK' and wait for him to translate it back to who you assume is 'Lee'. That triggers a pretty funny pantomime of 'Lee' chasing Kazahaya out of the room while screaming something in Chinese, then waits for a little bit after slamming the door on him to motion to you to starting taking off your clothes.
- 'Yecch... I need a shower BAD.' You strip down to your bare essentials and feel like a prized stock of beef, or a cattle going up to auction as 'Lee' ('Oh god I hope it's Lee, because I'm really gonna kill Kaz if he set me up') goes over your body and examines it, that mask hiding a mean(?) glare(?) in his eyes. After what feels like forever, he finally says something to you in Chinese that you don't understand, but get that it's time to get up onto the old-timey bed/table.
- You lay down and let your face be cupped by the indent in the table, then nearly gag at the smell of 'Lee' cooking up some ancient herbal remedies & medicines. It feels like it takes a while, but soon Lee motions you to hold still as he starts drawing something on your body with his finger. Then the first needle gets shoved in and goddamn does it hurt, even with 'Lee' taking his sweet time and
- 'Mate, just jam'em in there quick. The pain's the same' you groan in between getting spasms from the 'Blockages' he's opening up in your chakras. You hear him mutter something, then takes your advice and starts shooting them in like he was flying high up and around the ceiling. It takes about half an hour and you feel each and every needle go into you, but you can't deny that your body feels... Better? 'I'll feel better when the pain finally subsides...'
- Then you feel the needles slowly start to come out and somehow feel worse pain than when they were getting shoved into your skin. The effect is temporary though and he helps you sit-up on the table while going over your body gain, something in the back of your mind making you feel like he really is going to try and hit a nerve in your neck that'll knock you out cold and then send you off to get-
- 'C'mon girl, Kaz ain't that bloody heartless.' You get a whack to the back of your head and a dressing-down in Chinese (Cantonese? Mandarin? You wish you know the difference) and you try to relax your body. Finally, he tosses you your clothes and gives you about five minutes before kicking your toned ass out and dragging Kazahaya back in.
- 'Well that was... Something...'
- >A. Do some stretches to pass the time.
- >B. Make your way back down the stairs to check out the rest of 'Lee's Medicine Shop'.
- >C. Skip out and head to the Arcade that's not that far from here; From how 'Lee' sounded, he was happy to be rid of you.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 to try and eavesdrop on them through the door.
- -------------------------
- >>538239
- Considering the 'Whumpf!' sound the door to Lee's private room made, you figure it would be a lost cause trying to eavesdrop on what Kazahaya & him are talking about (Also, you know, the fact you can't understand either of China's two main languages would be a deterrent). So you head down a flight of stairs to a relatively open spot and start to do your stretches, your body finally no longer feeling as stiff or mechanical as it had been earlier in the day or even before you were admitted to the hospital... However, you have to stop when you feel like the energy inside of you is starting to burn your arms & legs.
- 'What the fuck man? That ain't good.' You take some time to go over your fine motor-skills: Closing your fists again and again, wiggling your toes... Generally doing just enough to get your Ki to try and spark up, but not enough to get it to feel like you really were burning on the inside. 'Goddamnit Kaz, what the fuck did your guy do to me?' So absorbed you were into studying your reactions that Kazahaya comes looking drained, pale green bandages peeking fro out under his clothes.
- 'You look like hell, mate.'
- 'Yeah, the damage you did to me really came out this time...'
- Kazahaya takes the breath and looks like you wanted him to during the last parts of your fight, but then drops a bombshell: 'Lee wants you to stay overnight for observation.'
- '... Why...?'
- 'Well... I could sugar-coat it for you, but it's not something you'd want to hear anyway...'
- 'Just tell me what's going on Kaz. I tried t'stretch a little earlier and it was like I was-'
- 'Ah shit, you tried to do anything physical?'
- 'Well yeah, I was bored so...?'
- 'Fuuuck... Well, I better tell him you did that because he's convinced that your Ki flow is fucked beyond all belief' he explains.
- 'Thought so... Is that why he kicked me out without the bandages?'
- 'Yeah...' Kazahaya silently asks you to come close with his hand, then he quietly adds 'You kind of freaked him out too. There were so many things he felt were 'Wrong' with your body that he felt like you were a reanimated corpse, or a zombie or something.'
- 'Goddamn, I knew I was feelin' off when I was at the old dojo taking classes...' you think out loud, something about Kazahaya's words making your stomach turn and a far-off voice faintly ring in your ears.
- 'So... You want to do it?' I'll pay you and get you lined up with some 'Work' if you want...' he says, looking oddly pensive about it.
- >A. Accept Lee's medical advice and bunk in here for the night.
- >B. Tell Kaz that this whole deal is weird and that you're going to get a second opinion.
- >C. Ask Kaz if Lee can send you home today so you can get wrapped-up tomorrow.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>538348
- >Pause Updates
- That's it for today Y'all! Thank you for dealing with my relatively sporadic updates today; I plan to stick to a tighter schedule tomorrow. As always, check my Twitter at the top of the page for any scheduling changes, but I plan to continue running this tomorrow at the usual 10 AM PST/ 1 PM EST/ 5 PM GMT time (If my house doesn't get caught on fire or something else catastrophic happens, of course!).
- >Player Question
- Would anyone be interested in participating in a set of one-shot prequels involving side characters?
- >Bonus Question:
- >>539263
- >Updates Resume
- You still feel the slightly numbing, burning pain from when you were stretching a few minutes ago, then start to look at your hands clasping & opening. 'Might as well stay in for the night. Don't want to end up exploding because my body couldn't handle the energy trying to flow through it...' You look up at Kazunori Kazahaya and tell him 'Yeah, I'll stay here for the night.'
- 'Well, it might not be just the night, but I'll go tell him' Kaz mentions before heading back upstairs to Lee's Private/'High-Roller' (?) work room. You don't try to listen to the two of them trade barbs in Chinese; You're feeling immediate tiredness all of a sudden and can barely keep your eyes open when you hear Kaz walk back down the stairs.
- 'He's waiting for you... Hey, earth to space cadet! You fall asleep standing up?'
- 'Maybe? I'm getting tired all of a sudden...'
- 'Keep it up and I'll have to start calling you Phill' Kaz jokes with a smirk.
- 'Phyllis? ... Nah, not for me. Makes me sound old.' 'Yeah, yeah... I'll see you around.'
- 'For sure...'
- 'Kaz?'
- 'What?'
- 'I'm sorry for bein' such a pain in the ass all of the time' you tell him with a weary, drowsy lilt.
- 'You're not that bad in the grand scheme of things' he says, then grabs a small case and slips on a pair of sunglasses, the 'Mask' of Kazahaya's face restored as he bounces down the stairs to his waiting bodyguards.
- 'Probably going to go out clubbing...' You crick your neck back and for a little, a worrying grinding sound making you stop before heading back up the stairs and into Lee's place of work. The door closes behind you and makes you do a 'Jump-Take', but you notice Lee's busy off to one side cooking up something that smells foul and looks like it could've doubled for primordial ooze.
- '5-to-1 odds that he's going to try and rub that shit all over my body...' You casually strip down to your skivvies and patiently wait for Lee to be done cooking whatever the hell that shit could be and notice you, fighting to stay awake and idly wondering what time it is before you feel a slap to the back of the head. It doesn't really hurt that much, but it does knock you back to attention and gets a groan out of your mouth as Lee shakes his head, muttering something. 'Probably thinks I don't have any reactions in me...'
- You fling off your bra & panties again and stand up in front of Lee, who starts to wrap you up in the same light-green bandages Kazahaya was covered in, eventually having your whole body wrapped up like you were in a cocoon while on his table. It's... An oddly calming experience at first. Then Lee sticks a needle into your back from up under the table and all hell breaks loose.
- >Roll 1d20 to fight the burning pain! (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>539476
- Sore from all of the work from yesterday, but happy that I got it done. Also feels like I need to see my chiropractor and he's out on vacation until next week.
- >>539467
- >>539488
- At first, the pain is indescribable and it makes you want to scream bloody rape at the top of your lungs and try and break out of your bandages, but Lee tied your body down to the table with leather straps on top of the lack of movement from the 'Bandage Cocoon' anyway, so the best you could do is try to tough it out and vibrate the table.
- Lee then smacks you in the head from up under the table and probably says the Chinese equivalent of 'butch up, buttercup!' before sliding back underneath you and pinning in another needle. This one hurts and has you breathing hard and heavy while breaking out into a cold sweat, but then Lee starts to do the 'High-Speed' needle acupuncture from before and your body finally relaxes...
- 'Fucking weird how I'm getting numb all of a sudden... Didn't feel that before.' You silently let Lee finish up his work, then he looks over you and runs a finger from you forehead down to your fanny while thinking out loud in one of China's accepted languages, then lets out a sigh and closes the door behind him, shutting off the lights. It's a strange feeling, your body being completely motionless while your mind feels like it's kicking into high-gear watching the glowing neon of China Town's main street flashing around the room...
- Then again, you start humming a tune and slowly drift off to sleep... Before waking up when you sense a malevolent presence nearby and get the classic 'Stiff with fear' thoughts about how awful it would be for somebody intending to do bodily harm to you...
- >A. Shake it off and try to get back to sleep. It's late and you're paranoid.
- >B. Stay awake for a little longer and see if you can actually see whatever the hell this presence might be.
- >C. Yeah, Nah fuck this. Roll 1d20 to try and bust out of your bandages. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>539509
- >>539517
- While the easy thing to do would be to brush it off and go back to sleep, you've been around and involved in enough freaky shit in the last few weeks to know by now that's not going to happen... So, you try to move your head and see if you can divine where this presence of energy is coming from.
- 'Come on neck, move! Move goddamn it!' Even though you couldn't feel your body just a few minutes ago, your neck seems flexible enough to wiggle around for a little bit and you flop your head over like a rag-doll to get a better look of the right-side of the room... And immediately wish you had let your curiosity go, because you can clearly see what it is:
- It's a face.
- A face that you know. A face that you've seen... Fuck you've worn it yourself: It's G-Mantle's 'Face'.
- You start get the cold sweats again as you spot those pair of red eyes glowing back at you, cutting through the neon-lit darkness. 'Please be a dream please be a dream please be a dream oh god WHY CAN'T I FUCKING MOVE!?!'
- The footsteps you hear are faint, but more than enough to make you break into a sheer bloody panic. The kind that would've had a younger you running around like a headless chicken before getting cold water, or a smack on the head or worse from your parents to snap out of it... Then this ghost like figure finally looks down at you just as you move your head back up at the ceiling, eyes that look like shutter-shades into Dante's Inferno piercing through you.
- >A. 'Why do you keep tormenting me?!'
- >B. 'What do you want?'
- >C. 'Why are you here?'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Close your eyes and wait it out.
- -------------------------
- 4chan is wigging out on my laptop, so I'm posting this particular update via phone until I can get to the bottom of the problem.
- >>539550
- Part of you wants to just shut your eyes and let this... Thing, this apparition do whatever it wants to you. But deep down you know in your heart that would be the wrong thing to to do, so you lock eyes with G-Mantle for a good clear minute, not even blinking in case it tries to pull a fast one on you.
- 'Why are you here?' you ask in a calm, clear voice.
- Though it's just a mask, your mind tricks you into thinking that you saw G-Mantle's 'Face' change expressions when you asked that and it takes him (/Her? It?) a little bit to ponder why you haven't pissed yourself in fear.
- Finally, G-Mantle clears its throat and whispers seven little words into your ear, the voice sounding distorted not just from the mask, but as though the vocal chords were causing a disruption in time and space itself:
- 'I came here to laugh at you.'
- And in the blink of an eye, a bright flash blinded your sight and forced you to shut your eyelids as tight as they could get, only opening them when you hear Lee Pai Long's voice talking to you in some sing-song Chinese and smacks you on the head.
- 'What in the...?' you think as you see that it's morning outside and the sun is back-lighting China Town below you. Lee says something while going under the eagle to take out the needles he stuck into you, each one restoring feeling to certain parts of your body and the circulation in you joints hits you like a raging river.
- >A. Laugh like a mad woman at your luck.
- >B. Let out a sigh and try to follow what Lee wants to do next.
- >C. Ask him if he knows how to speak Japanese; Not being able to talk with the old geezer is making you feel uncomfortable.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>539673
- I always have bad luck when I run sessions. I feel like I'm the 'QM Curse' personified sometimes because I never feel like I have enough time.
- Case-In-Point: My phone has 'Burped' on me enough that I had to rewrite this update like 5 times.
- >>539680
- 'I wonder if he speaks Japanese? Because not communicating is making this creepier than it should be' you think while holding back he urge to laugh like a crazy old bag lady. Then you feel your body again as Lee finishes up removing the big needles from your cocoon of bandages.
- 'Hey, old man. Do you speak Japanese?' You ask as he pops up from under the table and starts undoing the leather straps that kept you from vibrating your body off of the table.
- 'I don't speak to dolls' is the curt reply as he grabs your body and stands you up on your feet like a coffin or a sarcophagus, then leaves you be while he heads to a small roomy tucked away in the left-hand corner of the room.
- His words were disconcerting enough, but it takes everything you've got to keep from flipping out when Lee Paint Long emerges Brandishing a pair of 'Cat's Claws' that are polished to a shiny gleam.
- 'Hold still now' he says before launching at you like Kazahaya would and slices at you for a full five seconds. Right as he lands from the assault, the cocoon of bandages breaking and reveal your birthday suit underneath.
- 'There you go. Now get out' he again says with a curt attitude while fling your clothes at you.
- 'Fuckin arsehole' you think while you wordlessly put them on and walk out of Lee's shop.
- >A. Get some grub. You'really hungry.
- >B. Head out to the beach. You need space to think.
- >C. Hit the arcade near here. They're usually open early.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- This is probably going to be my last update for a little bit. By talking about the 'QM Curse', I suddenly started having a monster of a headache, got sick to my stomach and made bright lights irritating to my eyesight...
- >>539923
- As soon as you step foot outside of Lee's Medicine Shop, you feel like your brain was about to explode out of your head and your body almost fell over yourself and stumble around like you were drunk.
- 'Christ, I'll fuckin' kill that old bugger if he did this to me on purpose, claw-hands or not' you think as you clutch your head and lean up against a wall. Eventually, your stomach rumbles and the pieces fall into place. 'Probably feeling the beers I had with Hatsune yesterday too.' you think while you take a few breaths to clear your head a little.
- 'Fuck... Where can I find food in China Town this early in the morning?' you ponder while walking around for somewhere to stuff your face and hopefully clear your head, traffic already starting to form and your mind tricking you into thinking that you're cruising the streets of Hong Kong or Taiwan. After about three agonizing blocks, you luck out and find a donut shop that doubles as a Chinese place in the afternoon.
- 'God, they all look good' you think while looking over the glass display. You finally go 'Fuck it' and order a pink box filled with around a Baker's Dozen inside and help yourself to a couple in a small booth in the back... Then your eyes widen when you see a couple of familiar faces walk in. 'Fuck me, not now...' you mumble as you clearly see Tatsuya-Sensei, his daughter Ellie (The motherfucking Mayor of South Town) and a couple of guys in tracksuits wearing earpieces and sunglasses.
- >A. Duck your head down low. You're not in the mood to try talking with the Kyokugen guys & girls you used to be friends with.
- >B. See if you can order your food to go and get out of here. You don't want to explain what has been going on in your life to Tatsuya & Ellie, not yet.
- >C.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >Pause Updates (For Now)
- As stated, I'm going to take a break and see if I can run in a little bit after a nap. Vote's still open and if I can't continue running today, I'll resume at the usual time tomorrow (10 AM PST/1 PM EST/ 5 P GMT).
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- OK, I took a quick nap, felt a lot better at first, started typing up this update... Then started blasting up what I had for lunch like it was 'The Exorcist'. So, THIS is going to be my last update for today.
- >>540213
- Been a dog's age since I've seen you G.
- >>540130
- You kind of panic and try to hide in the booth while overhearing Tatsuya talking up how good this place is to his daughter, who's as stone-faced as ever with the two guards not even trying to hide the possibility of somebody making an attempt on either of their lives at, what, 8 in the morning?
- 'Not today... Got to try and get out of here without them noticing' you think while quietly munching the two donuts you asked to have out of the box... Then kick yourself when you realized that you got a fucking box with everything you needed and you don't have to have an excuse to stick around any longer. 'Alright go-sticks, don't fail me now!' you mumble while slowly getting up, then make a mad dash out of there with only the dudes in track-suits noticing you.
- You keep running full-chat down the street until you get to a crowded intersection, one of those crazy Hong Kong railed tram buses passing by you as you take a breath. As much respect as you have for Tatsuya & Ellie, you can't face them right now... That, and they'll probably flay you alive if they find out what's been going on for the last couple of weeks, or how you've been still friendly with known criminal figures like Kazunori Kazahaya when you're not training. Besides that, you don't know how to break it off with them anyway because Tatsuya never mentioned anything about giving your Black Belt in Kyokugenryuu Karate and Ellie might make you a marked woman if you try to split out on her.
- 'That's just my luck, getting caught in doing stupid shit when I shouldn't' you think while waiting for the cross-walk to go green. When it does, you briskly get across it (China Town has more hit-and-run drivers than anywhere else in South Town) and try to put as much distance between yourself and your old sensei.
- >A. Get a cab and get some time in at the gym. It's also a nice, free way to get a shower.
- >B. Get a cab and take it to Sound Beach. You feel like doing some Sand Shenanigans today.
- >C. Wander the streets of China Town, working your way up to 'Central Park'.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Use that hand-scribbled note in your wallet to good use and call up Jean-Claude Gabriel; You've got a lot of questions that need answered.
- >Officially Pausing Updates
- See y'all tomorrow at the usual time (10 AM PST/ 1 PM EST/ 5 PM GMT). I'm going to try and sleep whatever's wrong with me off.
- >Player Question:
- Out of all of the teams currently in KOF XIV, where would the MC of this quest fit in and why?
- >Bonus Question:
- Do you think 'The QM Curse' is real, and if so how would you go about preventing it?
- -------------------------
- Feeling pretty good today, so I'm down for running this. I had to take care of a few things beforehand, so apologies for the delayed start.
- >>540769
- You duck into a side alley and take out your wallet, staring at a hand-scribbled note with a phone number written on it in perfect cursive: Jean-Claude Gabriel's cellphone. From what Kazunori Kazahaya told you, he has the information that you need to answer some of the darker questions you've caught yourself asking... 'Maybe I'll get the nerve and make that appointment today... But not this early though; He probably sleeps in' you think as you quietly stuff the note back into your wallet and make your way through the parts of China Town that aren't exactly featured in the tourist guides.
- 'Come on, where are the damn taxis?' you ponder while popping out of the alleyways and onto a deserted side-street. You take a second to readjust your position and start to amble in the general direction of East Island, visions of a sandy beach dancing in the back of your head... But then start to panic when you see one of the tracksuit guys that were around Ellie tailing you.
- 'God damn it...' you mumble, then do a trick you put to good use after countless fight nights in seedy, unfriendly places: You duck into yet another maze-like alleyway, then do a jump off of the wall to grab onto a fire escape ladder and quietly duck inside an abandoned building, the tracksuit fucker from before freaking out over losing sight of you well beneath you. After about ten minutes he gives up searching, so you gently head down the way you came and continue walking down the street like nothing had happened.
- 'Finally... Yo! Taxi!' you yell when you finally catch one stopped at a 4-way intersection. The driver pus on his blinkers and pulls over to your left and you hop in, throwing money at him and stating that you'd like to go to Sound Beach. A quick ride later, you're there and find the place is practically deserted today.
- 'Perfect' you think as you make your way out to a particular spot you like to hang around in and take a moment to smell the smells, feel the brisk wind cut across your body... And...?
- >A. Roll 2d20 and test out how your body feels by doing some Katas on the beach. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >B. Soak up the smell of the ocean and start working on the most epic sand castle your brain can dream up.
- >C. Strip down to your undies and try not to act too inconspicuous about it; You need to work on your tan.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Call up Jean-Claude Gabriel and set up a meeting with him. You're ready for whatever it might bring.
- -------------------------
- >>542604
- >>542609
- You try to put fighting out of your mind for now, letting the smell of the ocean seep into your pores and get an idea... With a zealous grin, you head over to a spot near the shore and wet your hands with the receding tide, then start to make a sand castle form from your imagination. Eventually, you start to finely detail a base that's almost as tall as you are, time passing by in bunches as you lock your mind on making a hunk of wet sand into a castle a tyrant of some Eastern-European backwater would be proud to ransack.
- Something about working with your hands like this... You can't really describe it, but it fills you with a sense of calm and peace that being up on the mountain brings. Plus, it was a pastime you always did when your parents would drag you along on holiday and those fond memories are nice to look back upon every now and then. 'Maybe I should look into making pottery? Pushing clay was something my dad always did to unlock his 'Artistic' side...' you think, but an all-too-familiar voice snaps you back into the present.
- 'Wow... Not bad for doing it all by hand.'
- 'Ah no...' you think while holding back a grimace and turning around to see Ellie with a stern look on her face, arms crossed and the top-half of her 'Skullgirl' motorcycle leathers undone.
- >A. 'Well, you should know by now that I'm just a grown-ass kid at heart, Ellie.'
- >B. Roll 1d20 and give her the meanest, coldest glare you can muster. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >C. 'Hey... How have you been? Haven't seen you in forever.'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>542661
- Yeah, it shows up as a deleted post on my browser.
- >>542660
- 'Well, you should know by now that I'm just a grown-ass kid at heart, Ellie' you crack while getting up from your crouch and start flinging away wet sand from your hands.
- Ellie doesn't move from her spot in the sand even though some globs from your hands almost hit her in the face. 'Where the hell have you been?'
- 'Oh... Around' you try to say with an awkward chuckle, then sigh and admit 'I was in the hospital for about a week.'
- 'Oh? Which one? Because my dad checked in with all of them and couldn't find you...'
- 'Er... Well, it was one of those kind of places that you kind of got to know about.'
- Ellie's face, which was already steely as-is (Not saying that much though; She ALWAYS looks like she hates your guts) somehow gets a 'Darker' look than before while she shakes her head. 'What happened Kat?'
- 'Oh fuck her for using my Slave Name' you think as you try to hold back biting your lip, then scratch your head while feigning to recall what got you into that warehouse-come-hospital. 'I'm... Not that sure really. I suffered a pretty big knock to my head and don't really remember all that much of what was going on before then...' you tell her.
- 'A friend of my dad's said that he saw you dressed up in some mask hanging around in one of the Karate Hobo housing projects I'm trying write legislation for' Ellie replies.
- >A. 'Really? Well, that's more than I would know...'
- >B. Roll 1d20 and shrug your shoulders in apathy. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >C. 'How's your dad been? I haven't seen him in ages either...'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>542715
- i'l freely admit that Midnight Bliss Iori/Ms. X as DLC for KOF XIV would be pretty sick. Of course, so would 'Classic Costumes' for half of the cast and stage music to go along with them would be nice too... But goddamn, Nak's bird is like Petshop from Jojo's.
- >>542695
- 'Fu~uck, she's going out swinging today... Better try and switch over this conversation before it gets too sticky' you think as you blurt out 'How's your dad been? I haven't seen him in ages either...'
- 'He's fine. I was out getting donuts for everybody back at the office with him just this morning...'
- 'Yeah? Cool. I know there's this one place north of my house, but I never seem to get a chance to go there...'
- Ellie does a pout at your response, then shakes her head and yells (Well, for her) 'You know what? Fine. Keep lying to me and my dad.'
- 'Ellie, I ain't lying alright!? I really don't know what got my there in the-'
- 'Then tell me what you do know.'
- 'Yeah, she's pissed... And I'm in no real shape to fight her, not like I'd win anyway' you think while taking a pause, really playing up just how little you know about what happened to you. Then you explain to Ellie how you were walking down the street and some drunk sailor picked a fight with you, then there was an explosion and then some big Australian 'biker in leathers like hers helped you out.
- Ellie listens and seems intent on hearing you say all of that. Then she lays down the law hard: 'OK, then I'll tell you why that's bullshit.'
- >A. 'I'm all ears mate.'
- >B. Shrug your shoulders and put up 'The Richard Pryor Defense' (Deny, Deny, Deny some more)
- >C. 'Ellie, I know what I saw OK? And if you don't trust me, then...'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll 3d20 and fight the current Mayor of South Town; You're tired of being somebody you're not. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>542725
- 'Well shit... I don't want to fight her right here and now...' you think while staring at Ellie with a face that's completely without guile; Another trick you've learned over time from dealing with the less-than-savory types that make up South Town's still-seedy underbelly. 'I'm all ears mate.'
- Ellie gives you a look, then rolls her eyes and starts giving you a refresher on what you think you already know: 'Well, you made a thread on FightChan. About what to do with a mask you found.'
- 'Uh-Huh?'
- 'You said that if somebody got five repeating digits at the end of their post, you'd do whatever they specified...'
- 'Really?'
- Ellie nods. 'Then somebody posted 'Put it on' while getting those 'Quints'... And then you posted a Webm that almost crashed FightChan.'
- 'Cor... Bloody hell, I didn't strip or do anything like that right?'
- 'No, but everybody though that you had set everything up beforehand because it looked like your masked latched onto your face, some red lasers start shooting out of the eye sockets and the lights went out...'
- 'Holy shit...'
- 'Yeah...' is all Ellie says for a little bit. Then she brings up something that would make most uncomfortable: 'Then I got a police report across my desk that somebody in that Mask attacked Andy Bogard & Mai Shiranui.'
- You catch your eyes widening at that, Mai's name evoking images of an absolutely incredible-looking woman giving in to some carnal urges... But, your face doesn't show anything and you nod, hoping against hope that the old axiom of 'Eyes being windows into your soul' isn't true...
- 'I've been on FightChan enough to read about some guy in that mask going around mugging people, but...'
- 'It's you' Ellie coldly states, catching you totally off-guard.
- >A. 'Beg your pardon?'
- >B. Roll 1d20 and give Ellie a stare-down for the ages, then tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >C. 'Come the fuck on mate, you can't be serious now can you?'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll 3d20 and hit your 'Stun-Gun Stinger' on the current Mayor of South Town; You need to get out of here NOW. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- Had a lunch break. Sorry for the delay.
- >>542770
- >>542778
- You stare Ellie down, some southern drawl yelling 'ICE-CHILLED! ICE-CHILLED! ICE-CHILLED!' over and over in your head, your energy spiking and an wild hair to hit her with your 'Stun-Gun Stinger'... But instead, you simply say 'I have no idea what you're talking about' in a cold voice.
- Ellie backs up from you a little and seems kind of freaked out that you 'Went there'. 'OK, OK, I get it. Fine.'
- You nod and start walking away from Ellie, hearing her yell 'Where are you going?'
- You spin around and shrug your shoulders for a second, then continue walking towards the northern edge of the beach, near the sidewalk & concrete park benches, the sound of Ellie kicking in your sand castle behind you.
- 'OK, keep moving... Keep moving, got to try and look like I've got somewhere to go...' you repeat in your mind over and over, some tears starting well up at how much of a coward you feel like right now over Ellie calling you out on your bullshit. You let yourself wander past the boutique stores and shops that dot the East Island beachside, nothing open early enough for you to duck in and calm down... Until you spot an electronic's shop blaring something about Kyokugen Karate from a TV display in the window that makes you stop in your tracks. 'Wonder how low the Sakazakis have sunk now?' you think as you make your way over and take a look.
- It turns out to be an advert for their 'New & Improved' Kyokugen classes and by the end of it, you can't tell if it's the greatest thing you ever saw or the worst...
- >A. Laugh your ass off at it and make the vow to quit Kyokugen's way to find your own path.
- >B. Smile a forlorn smile, then make your rounds towards Kazunori Kazahaya's penthouse near the 'Bay Area' district.
- >C. Think 'Eh, needed more Cocaine-dealing biker Ninjas' and make your way through East Island on foot, being careful to avoid THe Pao Pao Cafe in case Ellie's there waiting for you or something...
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Call up Jean-Claude Gabriel and set up a meeting with him. It's time.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>542844
- 'I mean, it's so ridiculous its almost funny' you think as you wipe a tear from your eye, then straight up start laughing your ass off at how absurd he whole video was... When you're done, you clear your eyes and watch it it again just to analyze just how bad/good it might be:
- +++
- For a start, it looked like the whole thing was shot on an old camcorder and all the lines that aren't from Ryo or Takuma Sakazaki were done in really bad, or flat delivery. For another, it featured Yuri Sakazaki dressed in a poodle skirt going 'Hey Butt, are you going to the local sock hop to watch the big sports game?'
- Smash-cut to 'Khushnood Butt' (Marco Rodriguez in a leterman's jacket, blue jeans and wearing a large fake afro over his actual afro) going 'Sorry, Yuri, I can't make it, I just started learning this newfangled martial art that lets me shoot fire out of my hand, but now I can't control the raging murderous beast that consumes my soul.'
- Cue Ryo's voice asking the viewer if this has ever happened to them before a puff of smoke and some shitty camera effects to hide him walking into the frame, which leads to Yuri & 'Butt' saying 'Wow, Ryo Sakazaki! Former King of Fighters champion and Kyokugen Master!' in the most deadpan voices you've ever heard.
- To his credit, Ryo doesn't break character and asks 'Are you tired of fighting styles that devour your soul and turn you into a mindless killing machine? Try EXTREME karate, at the Kyokugen dojo!' with all of the flair you'd expect a salesman to have.
- The rest of the commercial is Takuma going on about the benefits of Kyokugen versus Ansatsuken and other Martial arts and well as 'Success' story testimonials from Robert, Mr. Karate, Tatsuya dressed in a shitty duplicate of the Mr. Karate mask, Ellie in a 'Female' version of the Tengu Mask and a few other KoF staples that look like they would want to be anywhere but talking to the camera... But it's the ending, with Takuma and company urging the audience to call now while a ridiculous disclaimer about the dangers of Kyokugen training runs over the final shot that makes you crack up again and really puts it all into perspective.
- +++
- 'Seeing that and the Barbecue place opening up almost makes me want to quit' you hear yourself think out loud, but you hold that thought and look around for some payphones; There's somebody you want to call. You walk into the more suburban parts of East Island and finally spot a bank of pay phones. You quickly drop a couple of quarters into a phone, dial up Jean-Claude Gabriel's number and take some deep breaths before getting an answer on the other end.
- 'Hello?'
- 'Yeah, this is Jean-Claude Gabriel right?'
- 'Yes... What is it?'
- 'Hey... It's Kat.'
- 'Oh? How have you been?'
- 'Not as good as I should be...' you say, letting your voice trail off before dropping the big question. 'When can I get an meeting with you?'
- >Cont.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>542942
- And once again, the old 'Hard shut-down into reboot' trick works...
- >Updates Resume
- >>542895
- 'About what?' Jean asks, sounding peeved that you've taken this long to get to the meat of why you called him up.
- 'Me...'
- There's a long pause on the other line, long enough that you thought he hung up on you. You put one last quarter into the phone just in case and Jean's voice finally asks 'Are you being tailed?'
- 'Bloody hell, he IS a mover'n'shaker in South Town...' 'Nah, I don't think so.'
- 'Are you certain of that?'
- You take a couple of quick glances, not noticing anybody hiding in odd places or out in the open and tell him 'Yeah, I don't have a tail.'
- 'And this is a secured line?' Jean asks without missing a beat.
- 'Yeah mate, I'm calling on a public payphone.'
- There's another pause, though it's much shorter than the last one. Jean's voice finally kicks in just as you were starting to move your back to the wall of phones. 'I have an opening for later today... Are you interested?'
- >A. Accept.
- >B. Decline and see if he can talk to you in on another day.
- >C. 'I'dunno, can you get somebody to fetch me?'
- -------------------------
- >>543018
- Link back to this post ASAP with your vote. The option with the highest number of new votes will take it. Combining the votes is perfectly fine as well.
- >Pic Semi-Related: I forgot to post the 'Younger Gabriel Rough Design' before my computer had issues.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>543018
- >>543042
- 'Yes, of course' you state, but quickly add 'But my car has been stolen, so could you get somebody to come fetch me?'
- 'Where are you right now?'
- 'East Island, just a little ways from Sound Beach' you truthfully tell him.
- 'I'm actually in that area right now... Or, will be after my meetings are done. I'll see you at around near this little rest stop area just before driving onto South Town Bridge.'
- 'South Town Bridge?' That's miles from here... Fuck it, I need to hoof it anyway to get my fitness back up.' 'I know where that is. I'll see you then' you tell him, then hang up and start doing some stretches... Then feel like a complete 'Wally' when you realize that you smell and that your clothes are pretty beat up from fighting last night and playing in the sand on Sound Beach this morning.
- 'Ah well, I've got time & Money to shop... No luck on the shower though.' You make a jogging sprint to the east, generally following the direction of where South Town Bridge is and flash upon an idea after almost half an hour of jogging: 'Hang on, I could get some cheap clothes and perfume at the mall in East Side Park...'
- You stop to take a breather at the what looks like the very edge of the beach, sitting down on one of those concrete 'Benches' sweating hard and breathing heavy. 'Fuck me, I should've hit the gym so I could shower...' You look around and see another guy running towards you and then stopping at the next park bench up from yours.
- 'Funky-looking fella... What's with the futuristic prosthetic arm and the scars?' 'Hey, you wouldn't happen to have the time would you?' you ask him in Osaka-dialect Japanese... Then kick yourself when he looks up at you and reveals that he's clearly from South America underneath that died red hair of his.
- He smiles, the stud under his lower lip shine for a second before he takes a look at the stop-watch taped to his prosthetic arm. '10:39.'
- 'I must've been down here earlier than I thought... And I'm making good time too.' You give him a quick thanks, then get up and start doing stretches, memories of bad cramps flaring up while doing 10 Km runs with Tatsuya driving behind you and the rest of your Kyokugenryuu classmates flaring up... Then you
- >A. Hold off on getting any clothes or perfumes and keep jogging to that rest-stop. After all, you're not going out on a date with him or anything.
- >B. Head towards the East Side Park and pic out a quick'n'cheap wardrobe and enough perfume to hide your body's foul odors.
- >C. Hail a cab and get to the Rest Stop quickly; You feel beat already.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Go skinny-dipping in the ocean to try and get your 'Stank' off of you. Nobody's nearby and this beach feels kind of private, so...?
- -------------------------
- >>543121
- >Then you ponder how to use your free time.
- Fixed.
- >>543126
- He eyes you up a little, but hops over the barricade separating the sidewalk from the beach front and slips into a boxer's stance, doing 'Shadow Boxing' drills in the sand.
- 'Huh... Where could he fight with that arm though?' You nearly gag as a cross-wind picks up and you get the chance to smell yourself while stretching your arms over your head. 'Yeah, nah, I need to change clothes before meeting him... And slather on some perfume to try and hide my nasty B.O. ' You loosen up your legs, then get down into a semi-crouch before your internal starter's pistol fires and you're off running/jogging again for around 15 minutes before spotting the sign for 'East Side Park'. Though you've been here before to look at the aquarium, you haven't had a chance to check out the shopping mall they have yet; Besides that, between this place, 'Happy Park', 'Delta Park', 'Natural Park' & Karuta' you have to wonder how the local South Town government keeps them all open...
- 'Whatever, let's get this over with.' One look inside and you feel like you've stepped into some faux-exotic locale, or some 'Back-to-Nature' spot in Canada or maybe Mexico: There's definitely a unique vibe to this place, though it's kind of smaller than you expected. 'Oh, now I remember. This was a spot that hosted an old Fatal Fury tournament.'
- You spot a couple of teeny-bopper places on the ground floor, a couple of 'Average' department stores on the second floor of this circular building and what might be a high-end luxury shop on the top floor... You check your wallet just to be sure you've got some spending money (Or that you've got your wallet at all; You've had to chase down plenty of clever muggers in the past) and take a sigh of relief.
- 'OK, $650... Where should I go?'
- >A. Actually shop for stuff you'd like to keep that's within your budget.
- >B. Look around and see if there's anything that strikes your fancy before committing to buying anything.
- >C. Get the cheapest crap you can find. You're not intending to keep any of it.
- -------------------------
- >>543231
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVixhBI0qNY
- You take the elevator to the top floor and take a look at the boutique shop you spotted from the ground level, but immediately balk at the sticker prices just on the window displays for 'Fashion' that looks like it were ripped straight out of a runway catwalk; Not too displeasing for the eye, but wholly impractical and probably impossible for a woman of your proportions to fit in. 'I'd probably get more nip-slips than Mai Shiranui if I wore that thing in the window.' You make the way around back to the elevator and head to the middle floor, noticing that the Faux Native American/Canadian Inuit/Aztec statue that dominates the foyer of this place has a clock in it's center and that it reads '11: 05.'
- 'Good to know I hauled ass over here... More time to pick out some clothes.' You check the first 'Middle of the row' store and find a backless Halter-Top that's in your size (No mean feat; You sometimes have to shop in 'Plus-Size' stores to get clothes that can accommodate your 'Sweater Puppies') and spot a skirt you love, but can't find one in a size that wouldn't either cut off circulation around your waist or barely cover your ass at all. 'No perfumes either... Oh well, three more stores to go for that.'
- From the first store on the middle floor, you head towards the second one that's right next to an escalator that heads down to the ground level and check inside, the fashion decidedly more 'Mature' than you'd like... But then again, the pants they've got aren't at all bad and show off your derriere quiet nicely. 'Again, goin' for the ' High Class Hooker' look to fuck with Gabe... I'dunno, with the halter-top these might work.'
- You leave the middle floor without getting any pants or perfumes and head to the first of the 'Teeny-Bopper' stores stuck between a Gamestop and... A massage parlor? 'I might have to check that out if I've got the time... Especially when they've got prices for 'By-the-minute' instead of the hour...' To contrast the previous place you were looking around, 'Forever 18' is decidedly trampy & trashy, right down to the cute cashier that looks like she could be Terry Bogard's illegitimate daughter.
- 'Welcome! Can I get you anything?' she chirps as you walk in.
- 'Yeah, do you have any perfumes?'
- 'To the right, near the back' she chirps again, the hat really selling the 'Long-lost daughter of Terry Bogard'/'Bogard Groupie'-look.
- You nod, then take a good amount of time trying on different smells and actually find one that isn't a completely 'Fake' scent... Then feel your eyes physically widen when you look at the clock just above the cashier's desk (Said cashier enjoying a Banana). 'Fuck me, I've got to get a move on...'
- 'Everything OK?' she asks as you
- 'Just a little behind is all.' 'GO GO GO GODDAMNIT!!!'
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>543358
- You smile at the cashier ('Alice', her name-tag says), then briskly walk up the escalator to buy those pants and then take a look at the big clock in the center of the mall, the glass dome giving everything a kind of 'Futuristic Atrium' look. 'Cool, I'm not THAT late after all... But I need to get a move on if I'm gonna get to that place near the bridge on time.'
- >A. Roll 1d20 to try and haul ass to that Rest-Stop just off of the exit of South Town Bridge Only the first 3 rolls will be counted).
- >B. Quickly get changed into your new clothes in one of the bathroom stalls and call a cab; You want to leave a good impression on Jean.
- >C. Call up Jean-Claude Gabriel and leave a message that you'll be late getting towards that rest-stop, but that you're on the way from the East Side Park Mall.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>543376
- As much f'Fun' (IE 'A challenge worth trying') as trying to full-on run to the place Jean-Claude Gabriel wants to meet you sounds, you think better of it and quickly head back down the escalator and duck into the floor-level restrooms, breathing a sigh of relief at how clean the lady's room is and 'Borrow' the extra-large 'Handicapped' stall to change into your new clothes. 'Still need a shower... But this stuff might work in a pinch.'
- If somebody was on-hand to video-tape your 'Transformation' from what you looked like before going into the bathroom and what you looked like the mirror after applying some quick make-up, you'd probably go viral and get an endorsement deal out of it or something... Alas, you don't really have any friends that would be into that sort of thing, so you simply head out of the East Side Park Mall with your dirty clothes in the bag your new ones came in and hail a taxi going east.
- 'The rest-stop near South Town Bridge please' you state with a huff, your body feeling a tad stiff from running all this way earlier.
- However, t cabbie takes one look at you and yells 'No curb-crawler!' in a thick Israeli(?) accent.
- You laugh and tell him 'I ain't no hookah mate.'
- 'I said no curb-crawler! Don't want cops banging on house again at 4 in Morning! OUT!'
- 'He looks like a bloody special forces commando... Nah, not going to deal with him today; Have to be 'Ladylike' and all of that.' You quickly get the message and get out, quick to grab your bag before he drives off in a hurry. 'OK, try again.'
- You walk about a average city block before somebody finally picks you up. A quick ride later and you arrive at the small rest-stop/weigh-station/tourist gift-shop at the foot of South Town Bridge, Jean-Claude Gabriel waiting for you sitting on top of the hood of a high-end sportscar.
- 'Knew this was the right look; He's got hunger in his eyes...'
- >A. Roll 1d20 and do that stupid 'I'm CIA' pose, telling him 'Jean-Claude Gabriel, I'm me.'
- >B. Greet him and tell him you'd like to see his mansion out in the woods; You've got serious questions to ask once the two of you get there.
- >C. 'This isn't too much, is it?'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- Last update for today is coming up. Make it count anons!
- -------------------------
- >>543436
- You hold off doing any real-life'Bane-Posting' shenanigans, but decide not to get directly to the point either; You figure the time would be right to put on the old sultry charm and try to flirt with him a little when you step out of the cab.
- 'This isn't too much, is it?' you ask him with a 'Cute' voice while showing off everything you had bought.
- You get Jean-Claude to pop out a 'Wow' that kind of looks like he said it to hide his jaw dropping at your presence, but then seen him pick himself up mentally and remark 'It's a bit more than I expected, but I'm not complaining.'
- 'Hope my girls aren't too noticeable... Or that I'm goin' commando under these rags.' 'I'dunno, I felt like getting a little dressed up...'
- 'This isn't exactly a date, you know....' you says while sliding off the hood of his car.
- 'Why couldn't it be?' you ask him with a wink, the back of your mind running with the implications of those words.
- He smirks a little and admits 'If I had a full day, I would make this a date.'
- 'Well, you're no fun at all... Wonder what made him change his mood?' 'What, you work long nights or something?'
- 'And days, weeks, months... I could count the number of vacations I've had in the last year on one hand' Jean explains as he undoes the electronic locks on his car.
- 'Nice ride though... A Mercedes?'
- 'An SLS AMG Black Edition, yes... I'm trying to find a buyer though.'
- 'Black Edition? Thing looks Silver to me...' 'What, not ostentatious enough for you?'
- 'Hardly... I'm too worried that some horse's ass with a laptop could hack this thing in real-time while I'm driving and turn it into a rolling coffin' he explains as a pair of 'Gullwing' doors and the hatch in the back open up.
- 'Yeah... I read a little about that too. Makes those self-driving car prototypes look pretty risky, huh?' you ask while throwing your tightly-packed bag of dirty clothes in the back before gingerly sliding into the front seat.
- Jean chuckles at that and retorts 'Don't even get me started on those damn things' as he fires the car up, a sonorous sound coming from the engine.
- 'Now THAT's some muscle right there...' you think out loud as Jean nods and waits for you to put your seat-belt before driving northward.
- 'We're going back up to your cabin in the woods, yeah? Because I'm getting a team of electricians to redo mine...'
- 'Oh? What happened?'
- 'Bluff-check don't fail me now.' 'Er... I guess a power-pole got shorted out or something, because it shorted out my whole house.'
- 'You don't live off-grid?' Jean asks as he smoothly changes lanes before stopping at an intersection.
- 'Well, I got a back-up generator that I keep up in the winter months, but I don't really use it all that much...'
- 'A friend of mine was covering the bill for somebody's house, so that's why I asked' Jean clarifies for you as the lights go green and you get a little bit pinned back into the seat.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>543546
- 'Perfectly understated, but demonically fast' ~ Jean-Claude Gabriel
- >>543530
- >A. Ask him why he doesn't look into a career as a racing car driver, because he drives fast but is smooth and in total control compared to you hooning around in your dad's old Porsche.
- >B. Share a silence between the two of you, then try to drop the flirty act and get to some of the questions that were on your mind.
- >C. Ask him exactly what that 'Blood Problem' he had is. It sounds kind of serious if he didn't have Scrooge McDuck-levels of cash.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >Pause Updates
- Thanks for sticking with this thread today everybody! I know it's no fun waiting up to an hour or two in between updates... I know I have to get my stuff together in the future and stick to my schedule better.
- Now, for good & bad news: The good news is that after tomorrow, I've got a good block of free time to continue running this thread (As /qst/ is eons slower than /tg/, so much so that my last KOF Quest: R thread was still alive while making this one). The bad news is that I'm completely booked tomorrow and will not be able to run at all...
- So, i plan to be out tomorrow and resume running one more session of this quest's chapter on Friday (9/9/16) at the usual starting time.
- >Player Question
- How ridiculous would the MC (Or even Katja Hartkern, the OG electrified 'strayan muscle-waifu) be if she were the star of one of those Hong Kong KOF comics?
- >Bonus Question:
- Y'all are fine taking a one-day break and coming back on the 9th of the month right? Because if not, I can easily make a new thread.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>543574
- >>547570
- >Updates Resume
- 'I'll be damned, this guy's probably a better driver than me... It's not he car either.' You let Jean-Claude Gabriel's words about how Kazahaya's picking up the tab for having that 11-year old fry the electrics in your cabin linger as the two of you zoom northward, towards Jean's 'Cabin' (Which Kazahaya said was a mansion) in the woods far removed from South Town's hustle & bustle
- 'Something wrong?' he asks, the mood seemingly getting a little too quiet for him.
- 'Nah, just thinking some about things.'
- 'You don't mind that I'm driving this fast, do you? Most of my passengers get sick after a while' he asks as he takes an exit onto some twisty, two-and-a-half lane highway that snakes through the
- 'Knock yourself out. I'm kind of impressed at how smooth you drive...'
- 'Thanks. And I'm taking a scenic route back, if you don't mind' Jean states, adding 'It's a waste to drive a car like this in a straight line.'
- 'Oh yeah... You ever thought about racing professionally? Because you seem t'have a good knack for being smooth and in control all the time.'
- Jean thinks that over as he negotiates a series of winding roads that take you out near the most under-developed parts of South Town County. Then he admits 'Before I was medically sidelined, I raced Go-Karts quite seriously and won a couple of world titles.'
- 'Really?'
- He nods. 'If it weren't for my dodgy genetics, I would probably be mulling over retirement while racing in Formula 1 right about now... But, I don't have any regrets over the cards fate have dealt me; Only on how I reacted trying to call their bluff...'
- 'Ooh, here's the deep guy I saw at that Ice Cream shop.' 'What was it like?'
- Jean pauses for a moment, his face making a kind of expression that one would have if they put their hand to their chin (Not that he does; He's driving too fast to let either of his hands off of the steering wheel). 'Well, it was quite an experience really. I was 14 and living in London, factory-backed by Birel and flying all over Europe racing... I really enjoyed it. It was a healthy way to sate my competitive urges outside of boxing or fencing.'
- 'You boxed too?'
- He nods again before casually stomping his foot on the brakes at a T-Shaped intersection. 'For a little bit. I was good enough that I flew back into the US to compete in the Junior Olympics... But I have to say, it was when I was living in Spain, after my racing license was suspended and I was at a loss for what to do with my life, that I really matured as a person.'
- >A. 'How so?'
- >B. Let the sounds of the road fill in the car, then get to why you're really here talking with Jean.
- >C. Ask Jean about this 'Medical Condition' he has. Your curiosity about how he was forced to quit all of his 'Dashing Playboy' hobbies has you curious.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>547675
- 'Time to peel the onion back on this guy... Well, before I try to start on mine anyway.' 'How so?' you ask.
- 'As I said, racing, boxing & fencing were my outlets for letting my ego run wild and my competitive urges flow. To have them taken away from me... It was difficult' Jean says after a pause before rocketing off towards some snow-capped mountains.
- 'How did you get to live in Spain though?'
- 'Well... I had heard from a source that had been close to my father that there was a man living there... A geneticist who might have been able to either correct my condition. As desolate as I was, I used my money to fly out there and tried to collect any information on him before playing Russain Roulette with my life. In the end it was all for nothing; He had died just short of two weeks before I had arrived... But...'
- 'But?'
- Jean takes a moment 'I happened to be in Madrid right during during San Isidro, the most distinguished bullfighting festival in the world. I bought a ticket and it ended up changing how I viewed my life.'
- '... What the shit mate. BULLFIGHTING?' You try not to burst out laughing at the absurdity of the build-up to Jean's answer, but blurt out 'Following the Hemingway school of thought eh?'
- 'Somewhat. I never got the appeal of mountaineering, but I was curious about Bull Fighting and figured that I had nothing to do, so why not stop and smell the bovine roses?'
- 'OK, OK, but how did it change your life?'
- Jean takes a moment to think up his response, the Mercedes the two of you are driving in pushing nearly 120 MPH on a flat, featureless stretch of road. Then he lays it on you thick: 'I came to understand that Bullfighting was never intended to be a sport. It was conceived as a preordained tragedy; A ballet of life and death blurring into one, the only props being a scarlet cape and sharp horns attached to 1,600 pounds of Raging Bull; Sunlight and dark shadows, blood and sand.'
- 'Here we go...' You were about to say something inane like 'Huh' or 'Oh wow', but Jean quickly cuts you off.
- 'Because you see, there is no sensible defense of bullfighting. There are no arguments. All the same, I can’t apologize for falling in love with it either. It only took witnessing the savage beauty of one fight to spoil every major American sport for me. It didn’t quite rob me of boxing, or fencing or even racing, but it forever changed how I experienced them.'
- >A. Let him ramble on. This sounds interesting.
- >B. Try to switch the conversation up a little before getting to the meat of your questions.
- >C. 'I never thought of it like that...'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>547736
- 'I never thought of it like that...' you think out loud, then add 'Well damn, you sound like The Most Interesting Man in The World right now Jean.'
- He smiles at that notion. 'I'm not charismatic enough for masked wrestlers to reveal their faces to me out respect' Jean jokes, but then quickly gets back to talking about his youth. 'So here I was, approaching the famed 'Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas' bullring with a ticket in hand, having no clue who any of the matadors were or what made one superior to another... So for guidance, I consulted a group of well-dressed, cigar-smoking bullfighting aficionados huddled in the shade outside the arena in my almost-broken Spanish.'
- You nod and Jean continues, his eloquent speech at-odds with how he's handling the increasingly-sharp turns of the mountain road you hope leads to his 'Cabin'. 'As Spaniards sometimes joke, on Sundays all men can wear the same suit for all three of the day’s traditional destinations: the Church, the whorehouse, and the bullfight.'
- That gets a giggle out of you, but you let Jean continue: This shit is fascinating. 'I was handed a brochure listing each headlining matador’s performances. As I clumsily pronounced the names, the old men spread their arms out for each, and, name after name, their hands closed in to within a foot or so with each name. I had no idea what this was meant to illuminate and found someone to translate the gesture.'
- 'I was informed that this is the clearance the matadors allow between the bull’s horns and the matador’s heart and that the more superior the matador, the more danger he must accept” Jean explains, another stop sign as the two of you roll into some hick mountain town you've only heard about pops into view.
- 'Hang on a tick, the better the matador the more people expect him to risk death? He’s less safe the more skilled he is?” you ask.
- Jean nods. 'I asked those exact same questions and the answer I got was unanimous: “Claro”... Though at the time, it wasn't exactly 'Claro' to me.
- The light turns green and Jean... Casually sticks to under 30 MPH? 'Oh yeah. School Zone signs bleedin' everywhere... I wonder if this place makes their money off of written bullshit speeding tickets, like in Ohio?' 'How did this all affect you experienced your old sports?' you ask.
- 'Along with fencing, I considered myself to be an amateur boxer and learned both required mitigating risk and danger, hitting and avoiding getting hit. Any asshole could turn a boxing match into a drunken barroom brawl and any idiot could slash wildly with a sword, but the masters of both trades who laid waste to bloodthirsty tomato cans were celebrated more for doing so with aplomb and surgical precision. About the time I started fighting, Bruce Leeroy, only 21, had already won a world championship and looked to be one of the rare geniuses to grace the sport. Everyone at my gym admired him, but he always scorned risk and danger...'
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>547784
- 'Yeah, I never cared much for him either.'
- 'When I was in Madrid, I remember wondering that if greatness was dependent on the exposure to danger, what kind of bullfighter Leeroy would make. Then I thought of Muhammad Ali and the enormous costs that come from blood feuds that transcend sport. I always felt that it was no accident Ali’s face became the most recognized on earth... But there was still one name left in the brochure, attached to the most expensive price tag to watch: 'Laurence Blood.'
- >A.'I've heard of him. He used to compete in Real Bout tournaments for a while.
- >B. Don't say anything and let Jean finish up his story while preparing your own questions.
- >C. 'Never heard of him.'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>547798
- >>547801
- 'I've heard of him. He used to compete in Real Bout tournaments for a while' you state as Jean drops the hammer less than a quarter of a mile out of the city limits of...? 'Huh... I didn't catch the name of that little old town.'
- 'When I asked about that name on that sunny day in Spain, The group of old men puffed on their cigars and shook their heads. They all knew' Jean says.
- He takes a pause for dramatic effect and you don't deny him the opportunity. Then he clues you in to to the whole point of the story:
- 'Laurence Blood... As much as I've heard of him being mocked for his unorthodox fighting style, at the height of his powers he was a man who allowed the bull’s horn so nightmarishly close to his heart that nobody in Spain could bear to peek through their hands and witness what lived there; Poetry in the flash of a cape... But that wasn’t all.'
- 'Where's he going with this?'
- 'One of the old men then explained why Blood was not yet “The Greatest” in Spain: He hadn’t been gored to the brink of death and returned to be even greater' Jean tells you. 'No matador could be a legend or even be taken seriously unless his legacy included this last essential act; The courting of death and the grace with which he defied it.'
- There's a long silence in the car as the mountains drop down and reveal a large, almost gothic-looking mansion cut around a densely-wooded forest.
- 'Right... Here goes nothin'.' 'As somebody who fights, I can understand that completely' you admit after taking a second to work out the kinks in Jean's logic.
- 'I thought you would... To me, with what I see in the world today, there really aren't any heroes anymore. Bruce Leeroy retiring undefeated and being lauded as the greatest boxer of our generation without having pushed himself in the ring is proof to that... That's why with racing, even as more and more people are turned off on the idea of cars as transportation, and tournaments like The King of Fighters even as fighting for the sake of it becomes more and more unfashionable, heroes can be born.'
- '... Well damn, he makes me want to jump his bones after all.' You let his words fade into the minimal road noise surrounding the two of you, then before you know it you're parked at the entrance of a huge mansion. 'Cabin in the woods my ass, this place looks like a fucking palace.' 'Jesus jones, this place is huge.'
- Jean nods as he pops up out of the driver's seat and you soon follow.
- 'So enough about me. What did you want to talk about?' he asks, a pleasant tone masking something dark in his voice.
- >A. 'Me.'
- >B. Shrug your shoulders and say 'Whatever you're willing to tell me.'
- >C. 'I want to be in private before I really get into it...'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'Oh you know, NESTS, Aliens, Ancient Conspiracy Theories, Ghosts... The usual.'
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- Had to move around the last few boxes left in my house. Sorry for the delay.
- >>547860
- >>547890
- 'OK, keep cool, play it all innocent like...' 'Me?' you ask in the best faux-cute voice you can articulate while shutting the gullwing door of Jean's car.
- Jean 'What's there to talk about? You have gorgeous Hazel eyes, a lovely face, bronzed skin, a body that can stop traffic... And you can fight.'
- 'Well I mean yeah, I've got all that... But I was thinking more about this' you again try to flirt, pointing a finger at your head. 'And I never told you about my parents, or where I came from...'
- 'Making plans to bring me home to dinner already?' Jean jokes before motioning to follow you inside what might be the back door of his sprawling home, though not before travelling up the side of one a staircase that encapsulates a small pool.
- 'Hell, I think i'd just bring them out here...' you think out loud as you step inside and feel like you stepped onto the set of a 'Drawing room Drama', stopping for a moment to admire the high ceilings and incredible detailing on just the walls before you hear Jean's feet stop clicking on the wooden floor.
- 'Marvelous, isn't it? I started to have this place done up about four years ago after I got blocked from tried to buy a similar-looking place in the South of France by a Saudi property developer' Jean explains.
- 'It's just incredible mate... Like, I remember seeing a movie or two set in around the time of The French Revolution and it's like I'm there.'
- 'Indeed... Except this place has all the modern creature comforts one could ask for.' Jean takes a moment, the asks 'Shall we step into my office? We can discuss whatever your heart desires in there.'
- >A. 'Can't you indulge me a little bit? It's not every day I see a house like this.'
- >B. 'OK, sure.'
- >C. 'Does it have to be in your office? It's nice out; We should talk in, like, your garden or something.'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll 1d20 and tell him very clearly that you are't going to walk into a trap so easily; You're here to talk about what you 'Saw' in your visions as 'G-Mantle Lady'. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- Lunch Break. Apologies for the slow reply speed.
- >>548054
- >>548020
- 'Got to be careful here... Kazahaya said that this guy was a tricky bastard.' 'Oh, I don't know, does it have to be in your office? It's nice out; We should talk in, like, your garden or something.'
- 'Well... I didn't have any concrete plans today outside of meeting you this afternoon, but I like to talk about important things in my office. Besides, I never can know if my plans could change' Jean replies, clearly haggling to keep you indoors.
- 'I knew he was planning something fishy...' 'Yeah? Come on, cut the shit mate.'
- 'Beg your pardon?'
- 'You think I was born yesterday? I ain't walkin' into some elaborate trap you set up in advance that damn easily.'
- New Thread Theme:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2QLMpffVZw
- You see Jean's mood change right before your eyes, the brooding darkness you thought you spotted before walking into this hedonistic monument of a Billionaire's Fairytale Chateau. 'Let's talk in my office.'
- You're taken back by how old his voice sounds saying those five little words and watch him turn on his heel and strut off towards what you assume is his office without waiting for you to reply. 'Might as well follow him. I don't want to get lost in this place if he decides that I'm not welcome...'
- You jog towards him to make up for lost ground, but tail him a little as a guy in a Suit & Tie pops out of a hallway and starts trying to keep up with Jean-Claude Gabriel.
- 'Mr. Gabriel, sir? Andrew called a little while ago about increasing the budget for-'
- 'Give it to him. It's just pocket change anyway' Jean barks, again sounding far older than his youthful body or face would suggest.
- 'Y-Yes... And what about the meeting at-'
- 'Cancel it and get my secretary to stop all calls from reaching my office.'
- 'But Mr. Gabriel-'
- 'I'm not in the mood today' is all Jean says as he leads the three of you into a small, though decadently-furnished hallway with a pair of large imposing doors a slight ways away from you.
- 'And this is it... No turning back now.' You say a silent prayer as Jean opens the doors up himself, revealing a MASSIVE office with red carpeted floors and Neo-Gothic Architecture crawling up the walls. The guy that was struggling to keep up with him keeps the door open for before slamming it shut behind you, though your eyes follow and zoom in on a large, oil canvas-painting of a decorated cavalry officer holding a Sabre outward, leading a squadron of what look to be Mercenaries into battle.
- 'One of them looks like she could've been my great-auntie with black hair.' After admiring the painting for a second to keep your mind off of anything TOO sinister Jean might have in store, you longer-than-expected stroll up to an oddly-familiar Mahogany Desk, Jean-Claude Gabriel sitting in a high-backed 'Swivel' chair with his back turned.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>548145
- >A. 'So... How long have I been living a lie?'
- >B. Take a moment to compose your thoughts, then ask him the first question that comes to mind. (Write-Ins encouraged)
- >C. 'Sorry for the cold shoulder shit mate; I heard that you had a bad reputation.'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. 'What am I, Jean? Kazahaya said you'd know better than anyone.'
- >Pic Semi-Related
- -------------------------
- >>548159
- >>548168
- 'Well, first of all sorry for the cold shoulder shit mate; I heard that you had a bad reputation from a friend.'
- 'None taken.'
- 'You're a big girl now, take that deep breath and just let it out. The echo in the room is quite impressive given the high ceilings, but you take a breath and ask simply 'What am I, Jean? Kazahaya said you'd know better than anyone.'
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4BlIQtsAy8
- 'What are you, what are you... That's a good question, actually.' Jean takes a pause to think it over, then spins around to face you while putting up his feet on the mahogany desk. 'You know what you are? A puppet without strings. An action figure. What kind of Australian Aboriginal Woman looks like you? You're a girl from Antarctica with a head full of sweet lies, that's what you are.'
- '... Oh fuck me, don't tell me...' 'But what am I, Jean?'
- 'You're a $500 Million cup of genetic soup that was put into cold storage and somebody at NESTS thought would be a good idea to try and reheat... And while one could make an immaculate soup taste beautifully when fresh, reheating it loses all of the flavor and leaves nothing more than a hollow feeling of what might have been. YOU are that 'What might have been' while god knows what happened to the list of ingredients.'
- '... No... NO!' Your hand trembles and you feel a tear start to roll down your cheek.
- 'What? You wanted me to cut the shit for you. Don't tell me you're changing your mind on me now' Jean says, arms crossed looking at you while that vision from when you tried to force off 'G-Mantle's Mask' all too clear for you right now.
- >A. 'Then what the fuck is going on with NESTS that they'd need me?'
- >B. 'I'm... A Kyo-Clone then? Or something else?'
- >C. 'You still haven't answered my question, Jean.'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll 1d20 and go 'Full Bogan', screaming 'WHAT'S MY NAME!?'
- -------------------------
- >>548285
- Maybe...
- >>548275
- Jean laughs at that, the 'Old Man' voice cracking through a little. 'Hardly. If anything, you're the reason NESTS gave up on trying to jam Kyo Kusanagi's DNA into every goddamn thing and went into creating it's own personnel instead of 'Kyo Clones, Kyo Clones everywhere!' like the 'Brain-Trust' wanted.'
- '... OK...' 'So then what the fuck is going on with NESTS that they'd need me?'
- Jean lets his legs drop from his desk and gets up out of his chair, again turning his back on you, looking out a window into his sprawling, immaculately-trimmed garden (Complete with a fountain). 'Because By the year 2030, the world that we know, understand, acknowledge and live in currently will cease to exist. Then your a rights as a human being, your sense of individuality, your sense of ownership and sense of self... Will also cease to exist.'
- 'Fuck me, he's a 'Save the Planet' type? ... Nah, better listen to his whole angle.' You quietly cross your arms under your heaving chest, your heart beating faster as something kicks over in subconscious that you've jeard these words before.
- 'Even with all of my vast wealth and riches there is very, very little I or anyone else can do about it. Global Warming has accelerated to a point where, if the global population isn't culled by 2/3rds and resources were equalized among what is left of humanity, the Earth's weather patterns would become so extreme that life and food and civilization itself would break under the pressure Mother Nature has put the whole world under as revenge for what humanity has done to it' Jean states, clearly having practiced this whole speech and recited several times.
- 'So what, you're saying NESTS is trying to make a comeback as an olive branch instead of a sword?'
- 'Maybe... No one wants to acknowledge it, no one in power who's thought about it wants to see it happen, but NESTS DOES have the minds, the technology and the forward-thinking big-picture planning to save this world... But those in power are so small-minded, so stuck in their past ways that they couldn't accept a world full of humans with evolved NESTS tech built into them, the same way that they can't accept different races & sexuality now.'
- You feel your ears perk up and your skin tingle as Jean adds 'And for the record: You are something that god wouldn't give your mother & father at first; No matter how hard they prayed, no matter what they did or took or tried, they couldn't conceive a child... But NESTS helped them find a way in exchange for making, oh... About 15 more of you.'
- >A. 'Where are they now? My 'Brothers' & 'Sisters'?'
- >B. 'I need a stiff drink and a good cry right now Jean.'
- >C. Let Jean's speech sink in and wait for him to say something.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 1d20 to DESTROY this lying psychopath. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>548348
- OK then.
- >>548379
- You close your eyes and let Jean's speech sink in, that huge painting above his desk looming large in your mind along with what he's said and how it's matching up with the visions you had while fighting to get that damn 'G-Mantle Mask' off of your face. Then you ask 'Where are they now? My 'Brothers' & 'Sisters'?'
- 'Well, you never had any real brothers to my knowledge, though there are a few... 'Cousins', I would say, that are unaccounted for. As for your sisters...' Jean pauses, thinking it over. 'I would say two at the most. The very first of the two that created all of you is still out there somewhere living on her own, which is amazing to me because I can't believe NESTS never bothered with trying to find her... And the very last 'Sister' that was born, but she's supposed to not even look like you, or the others even.'
- 'Why so few?'
- 'I believe it had to do with how your DNA was purposefully selected and cultivated instead of being randomly assembled and formed from an infinite combination of genetic hosts... It made replicating others impossible at times' Jean theorizes. 'But you're taking this all a lot better than I thought you would. Most of the Ex-NESTS operatives out there usually broke into tears crying right now' he adds.
- >A. 'I figure that you're either the big cheese behind all, or somebody that was part of NESTS.'
- >B. 'I never felt like I ever fit in my whole life. It makes sense I'm some bloody Frankenstein my parents made for a giggle while doin' whatever the fuck you did fer'a'[crying intensifies]
- >C. 'I know right?'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>548434
- It's all good Sleepy. I usually give about 10 minutes for more to reply before 'OK, going with this unless' posts.
- >>548438
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owSN5pvia_s
- 'I don't how to even anymore... Bah, my mind's fried.' 'I figure that you're either the big cheese behind all, or somebody that was part of NESTS' you blurt out.
- Jean smirks at you, then shrugs his shoulders and does that 'It can't be helped' pose you've seen Kazahaya do. 'You're quite perceptive.'
- '... Ah shit, hit a landmine. Bracing for impact in 3-2-1.'
- 'My family were one of the instrumental forces behind the creation of the 'New Era of Science, Technology & Space' program... And they've had to carry the burden of the sick joke it had mutated into for nearly fifty years.'
- 'So... wait, you're NOT part of them at all or anything?'
- 'Not even if they wished for me... I simply had people keep tabs on them when they went all-in on being an industrial-military complex hell-bent on world domination instead of being a world-uniting force in the waning days the Victorian Era. Then when they imploded in on themselves my family made a mint on selling all of the technology they had back to the masses...'
- There's something about the shit-eating grin Jean flashes at your after saying that seems a little off-putting, but by the by you're holding up pretty well finding out that everything you know is a fucking lie, right down to how you were born into this world... Who are you kidding; You need to sleep on all of this to have it really effect you. 'Those jokers went back that far? Holy shit.' 'Damn mate, you've got some next-level shit going on.'
- 'Yes... But, that's all in the past. Just like yours' he says, but something about Jean's tone of voice sets off alarm bells in your head.
- >A. 'Come again?'
- >B. Roll 1d20 to try and slowly back away from Jean and make a break for the to the door or the windows.
- >C. 'Really? Here we are all nice and chatty, and now you go and put it on me?'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Roll 3d20 to fight your way out. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>548481
- Link back to this post ASAP with your vote. The option with the highest number of new votes will take it. Combining votes is also acceptable.
- >Pic Unrelated
- -------------------------
- >>548481
- 'And here I wanted to jump his bones... Ah well, got to make an escape sharp-ish.' You let out a nervous-looking smile and slowly start to walk backwards, hoping against hope that Jean-Claude Gabriel doesn't catch on to how much you're panicking after hearing that tone of voice.
- 'What, you want to go home already?' he asks.
- 'Uh... Yeah? I mean, this place is bonkers and your answers have been really...' THINK OF SOMETHING GODDAMNIT! THINK!' 'Somethin', yeah...'
- Jean looks kind of disappointed at you, but doesn't say anything and walks over to you. Your body braces for some kind of attack, or a quick stab to your stomach... But, he merely grabs your arm, spins you around like you were ballroom dancing and does a 'Dip' before lifting you back up. 'Come on, I'll escort you out of here personally.'
- '? I just.... I can't get this guy at all.' You make that same nervous smile again, half of you expecting that he's just waiting for the right moment to bury a hatchet into your back while other half hopes that he'll just let bygones be bygones and wave to you walking out of here with a head full of conspiracy theories debunked... 'Yeah, keep dreaming. Maybe you'll find Mr. Right while you're at it.'
- 'Hey, Jean... Did you know my mom or dad all that well?' you ask, one last big wall of information/perception in your head ready to be knocked down.
- 'I never cared much for your father... Too loud & crazy for me to be around for too long. Your mother though... She was an incredible scientist and geneticist.'
- '? What? My dad was the globe-hopping scientist.' 'Really? I was always thought my dad was the more academically-inclined one in the family while my mom was the stay-at-home type.'
- Jean stops in the middle of a ringed design you didn't notice was in the carpet before. 'Is that right?'
- 'Oh fuck oh fuck please don't try to fucking kill me here.' 'Yeah... I mean, talking to you I'm pretty sure that my memories of them aren't real but...'
- 'They're ones they wanted you to have' Jean replies, then walks you to the double-doors and you hear a latch open, pressurized air hissing from somewhere.
- 'These things sound like bloody bank-vaults...' 'As much of a bother I've been today... Could I get a call back, or make another one of these soon?'
- 'Well, my schedule is pretty busy... But, I'll try to find the time for you.'
- Something about hearing that makes you kind of want to just bawl your eyes out, but you hold on and ask 'Jean?'
- 'Yeah?'
- '... Can I get a hug?'
- 'Why'd you ask?' he asks you in return before holding you tight and letting you kind of rest your head on his shoulder (He's not quite your height after all) and let the tears start coming out of you.
- -------------------------
- >>548582
- >End Updates...?
- That'll do it for this thread. Thanks for playing today Y'all! I'll try to be back next week, most likely next Thursday (9/15/16) at the usual time (10 AM PST/1 PM EST/5 PM GMT).
- >Player Question
- Do you want to continue the adventures of our MC? Or do a 'South Town Stories' prequel?
- >Bonus Question:
- Does anyone want to see the epilogue for this? Or wait until the next thread.
- -------------------------
- >>548604
- OK, the continuing adventures of our Main Character (Who's name will get decided upon soon) will continue next week and the 'Bonus Scene' I had written out will be held off until next time.
- >Pic Unrelated
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- END THREAD
- The King of Fighters Quest: Reborn #12
- written by That Damn Weasel (64 posts, 21 omitted posts)
- >Previous Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/537062/
- >Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=KoF:R%20Quest
- >MC's Character Info & Moveset: http://pastebin.com/WyzgB2Dt
- >Introduction:
- 'Sometimes you just have to turn around, give a smile, throw the match and burn that fucking bridge.' ~ Hatsune Horikawa
- There's a hole in your chest where your heart should be, but your whole body feels numb as you shuffle down a lavishly-decorated hallway. Even though one of the most fascinating men you've ever met is escorting you out of the craziest mansion you've ever dreamed of, every alarm-bell and warning sign in your body is going off all at once and about the only thing keeping yourself together (Or at least from crying again and ruining what's left of the make-up on your face) is the fact that you're focusing on the sound of your heels and the dress-shoes of one Jean-Claude Gabriel click-clacking in lock-step.
- Honestly, how could this day get any worse? You had a nightmare about some masked motherfucker trying to jump your bones while completely incapacitated in a mess of bandages & needles sticking out of you, hid from your old Sensei at a donut shop out of having to answer questions about where the hell you've been, got into it with his daughter over the 'G-Mantle Lady Incident' and felt so disgusted at how the founder of the Martial Art you've been taking classes for is pimping out his legacy for awful Fast Food and a downright ridiculous 'Kyokugen style' promotional video that you resolved to quit.
- And now... Now every perception you had about yourself, from your early life in Australia, to your parents, to why you even exist on this earth, has been shattered into a million pieces in less than an hour's worth of questioning. Hell, the name on your Driver's License might read 'Katja Hartkern', but as far as you're concerned you're a fucking nameless golem right now and it feels like the cherry on top of sundae made of shit that life is shoveling in front of you... And yet, there's a bizarrely calming effect coming to terms with how royally screwed your life is right now. If anything, you're just waiting on the other shoe to drop as you and Jean walk out into the afternoon light.
- 'My regular driver is waiting for you' Jean says in almost absent-minded tone as the two of you walk down a big set of marble steps. 'He'll take you anywhere you want to go.'
- >A. 'But I have nowhere to go...'
- >B. Silently nod and let some more tears out. You need to have another sook before you can get on with the rest of the day.
- >C. 'No thanks, I think I'll just walk.'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll 1d20 and ask 'You're going to total a car just to get rid of a nobody like lil' ole' me?' (Only the best of 3 rolls will count)
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- Updates feel like they're slow-going for me today. Sorry Anons.
- >>693671
- 'No thanks, I think I'll just walk.'
- Jean looks at you with a face that suggests that you insulted him by saying that, but doesn't say anything.
- 'What? I brought my extra set of clothes with me so these won't get trashed... and I always feel good being out in the wilderness like this' you explain with a shrug of your shoulders.
- Jean nods, then lets his hand rest on your shoulder. 'If you need me, just give me a call alright?'
- You nod, Jean's Blue eyes oddly piercing & welcoming at the same time before he turns on his heels and walks back up the steps, a small army of PAs probably feeding him information about what the rest of his gargantuan business empire is doing.
- 'Well shit, guess I better get a move on. It'll be dark in a few hours.' You start following a long, brick-laden driveway that leads to an imposing set of gates, the security guards opening them up with a loud, thundering mechanical sound 'Fuck me, they sound like the gates of hell.' You give a quick nod to each of them, then start to head due South, tears streaming down your cheeks. You flip on a pair of cheap sunglasses you bought at the mall in East Side Park and just... Well, not exactly think, but let the weight that was on your shoulders from all of the hazy parts of your past re-adjust to sit squarely on your head with each passing step, Jean's words about how your memories are 'The ones your parents wanted you to have' haunting you.
- 'Well, I'm 25 now... Or at least I think I am.' You pause at that thought and nearly stop in your tracks as that idea runs wild in your mind. 'Goddamn it, what's fucking real in my life and what's fake? Did I just wake up some day with all of this shit built in and... Fuck, that's right, I did.'
- You find a wooded area to change your clothes in and in record time are out of the stuff you bought at the mall and into your rank-as-all-hell jeans, T-Shirt & boots, your bag being clutched hard next to your hip almost like a newborn baby's basket... Then take off your sunglasses to wipe your eyes clean and are taken back by the sounds you hear of nature all around you. How odd that a 'Girl from Antarctica' like yourself is so attached to nature when you are anything but of god's green earth... 'Well, I fucking hated where my life was going anyway... And I feel like I'm getting too old for the shit I put up with.'
- There's a good thought in there somewhere in your mind, so you hold it and feel the tears start to dry up. But there's something missing; Like the revelation isn't grand enough for your ego to accept...
- >A. 'I need to be friendlier, more open... No, actually be the open person I pretend to be.'
- >B. 'I need... I need to be in the shadows, alone...'
- >C. Check out what that sound is from just a little ways away; Sounds like a fight or something...
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>693737
- 'Just According to Keikaku' ~ Anonymous
- >>693733
- 'I want that bitch tracked & followed immediately. If she so much as takes a bowel movement in the woods, I want a report on it.'
- Just as you were about to have a life-changing moment of clarity, you hear what sounds like a gunshot out in the distance... Until it gets louder and louder, reminding you of something from far-off in your mind and making you wonder if it's some kind of tree-clearing bulldozer or truck or something, then stop when you realize what it is. 'Hang on... That's the sound Ki rippling through the ground.'
- You roll off to one side expecting a ground-skimming projectile to fly past you, but none arrives, though you hear the birds chattering and see some small animals running away from whatever it was that caused the commotion. 'From the east? OK.'
- You follow the retreating critters and find yourself near the cause of all of the commotion, the sound of somebody doing training drills/Katas. 'I think I'll wait for a sec before I head out and great the poor bastard.' You get your body loose with a little bit of your stretches, Ki unlike anything you've ever felt before starting to flow through you before you hear the guy(?) on the other side of the brush stop and start to breathe heavily. You close your eyes and take a bracing breath of your own, thoughts of betrayal and imagery of your burning all of your fake mementos and things reminding your of your 'Not-Parents', then emerge from the other side of a Blackberry bush into a clearing to find that your opponent is...?
- >A. An Undefeated Kung-Fu Master in a Qipao.
- >B. Some smelly-looking old bum in a stained & ripped Karate Gi, flies surrounding him.
- >C. Some dude that looked like he stepped off the set of 'Crazy Carl 2: Legend of Lighting Colosseum'.
- >D. A Kickboxer with goofy hair & too-short shorts whaling on a heavybag dressed up like an Aikido grand master.
- >E. Roll 1d100 and suggest an opponent (Pictures preferable). Highest roll wins.
- -------------------------
- >>693778
- I fucked that up hard, goddamn it.
- >Meanwhile...
- Jean-Claude Gabriel sat in his office, cool as a cucumber to the untrained eye. On the inside, however, he was seething. 'A tough nut to crack, that one... Just like her mother. Ah well, can't win them all... But it's a good start'
- Jean hit the intercom link on his desk and the vision of his long-suffering butler appeared before him. 'Yes, sir?'
- 'I want that bitch tracked & followed immediately. If she so much as takes a bowel movement in the woods, I want a report on it' Jean thundered, rage beyond his years in his voice.
- 'Very good sir.'
- >Elsewhere...
- Fixed.
- -------------------------
- >TFW I literally had to input 20 captchas to post this.
- >>693805
- >>693832
- Link back to this post ASAP with your vote. The option with the highest number of new votes will take it.
- >Pic Unrelated
- -------------------------
- >>693866
- 'A Kickboxer with goofy hair & too-short shorts? OK then.' You spot a heavy-bag dressed up like an Aikido grandmaster hanging from a sturdy branch of a huge Redwood Tree off to your right and take a good look at the guy in front of you; Kind of lean, but definitely strong and capable of being something like The King of Fighters... Also, his shorts don't leave much to the imagination and it makes you briefly ponder why nobody gets down on guys wearing next-to-nothing in fighting tournaments.
- 'Huh, and what's this? A cute girl to give me some company?' the guy asks, the leer he has just a touch uncomfortable to your eye. 'Want an autograph? I happen to always carry some 8x10s in my bag...'
- 'Try anything and I'll break yer'bloody face, mate.' 'Maybe...'
- 'You got some muscle on you though... You fight?' The short-shorts guy asks.
- 'A little... Why, you wanna go?'
- 'Aw come on, do I really look like the kind of guy that hits girls for fun? Besides, no one alive can top me!' he roars before dropping to his knees and shouting 'I'm the best damn kickboxing champion in the world!'
- 'And here I thought I was gonna meet somebody cool...' You drop your bag off to the side and start cracking your neck and shoulders, the Kickboxer giving you a funny look as he gets back up.
- 'You're not gonna take no for an answer, huh? Just like that one chick that keeps following Terry around...'
- >A. 'What can I say? I want to be in the next KOF and you look like a good little warm-up...'
- >B. Roll 1d20 to eye him up and put the fear of your power in him; He doesn't seem to notice the Ki building up in you yet...(Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- [green>C. 'A friendly sparring match would be nice... Feels like I've only gone up against Judokas & Karatekas lately.'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'The name's Katherine Hart and I'm here t'kick yer arse mate.'
- -------------------------
- >>693960
- >>693997
- 'I'dunno, A friendly sparring match would be nice... Feels like I've only gone up against Judokas & Karatekas lately' you fib while getting into a relaxed version of your 'Old' stance.
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3irPAEYbbHw
- The kickboxer grins, then focused his full attention on you. You do the same and take a kind of experimental step to his right and noted that 'Joe' (Or at least that's what you think the name on his shorts reads) did the same, the two of you circling each other, keeping the same distance between one another before 'Joe' seemingly gets impatient.
- He slammed one fist into the palm of his hand and then pointed at you while saying 'Sakusaku ikuzei' ('Let's do this quickly!').
- You couldn't help but snort at him for that remark. Frankly, you don't care one way or the other if this was over quickly or not; You chose to fight 'Joe' because you've got a lot of internal baggage to clean out and his fighting style is unfamiliar to you. Your goal is improvement and advancement in more ways than one; Time is immaterial at this junction.
- You don't respond to his little taunt right away, and it's good that you didn't because Joe rushes in with his knee out in a fast kick that you don't quite manage to avoid, the blow grazing you across the side of your pelvic bone. 'Fuck, that might've hit right in the fanny if I wasn't more careful...'[/i[] You spin around and deal a backhanded smack to the side of Joe's head, startling the kick-boxer enough to get in a second punch before hopping backwards to chuck out a quick 'Ko'ouken'.
- Joe easily blocks it though and jumps in over your second one with a jumping heel kick, though you easily break his follow-up attempt at a grab and hit him with a quick 'Right Straight/Left Hook/Strayacut' combination that knocks him on his ass, that dark feeling from 'Karuta' rising up from within again.
- 'Not bad! Didn't take you for a Kyokugen chick... Ok, try this!' Joe yells before he seemed to deal an upper-cut punch to the air in front of him, but no sooner were you confused by this action than your confusion turned to horror when you realized that a miniature tornado was now heading straight for you.
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote)
- >A. Roll past Joe's 'Hurrican Upper' and get back on the offense; You want to rush him down with everything you've got and then some.
- >B. Stand your ground and defend against Joe's rapid-fire attacks to bait him to come closer so you can pick apart piece by piece.
- >C. Try to spam the crap out of your projectiles and keep Joe from getting close to you. That tornado thing doesn't look like it can travel too far.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Give in to the urges you're starting to feel and take this fuckhead down quickly & ruthlessly.
- -------------------------
- >>694147
- 'Holy shit!' You quickly throw your arms up to attempt to block the on-coming natural disaster, but fake the block and try roll past the incoming tornado. Unfortunately, it clips you right as you get up out of the roll and knocks you backwards against the Berry Bushes, a brief thought of possibly being crushed under the air pressure flashing through your mind. But no sooner had this occurred to you than the domestic tornado was gone in an instant, like dust in the wind.
- 'Hurricane my ass, that was nothing.' You gaze across the clearing back at Joe, who's posturing like a peacock at you.
- 'You like that?' The Thai boxer shouted, probably thinking that you were going to give up after seeing that display of power.
- 'Yeah. Now let me show you somethin'.'
- You steady yourself, then run in on Joe and hit him with the Hien Shippu Kyaku, Joe rolling back to his feet only to get clipped by a stronger 'Strayacut', a bright bolt of electricity trailing your fists and a 'Buzzing' sensation in your arms.
- 'Whoa... Feels totally different now.' You stop to admire the sensation of the electricity-infused Ki in your arms, only to nearly get hit by Joe's get-up rising knee. You easily block it though and chuck him into the ground with a Ippon Seoinage. Joe quickly gets back yo his feet and blocked your short-range 'Ko'uoken' and countered by landing a repeating combination of punches not unlike your take on Kyokugenryuu's 'Zanretsuken', though you're able to back away when he pauses and tries to do some kind of overhead elbow and land your Ude-Hishigi-Juji-Gatame on him easily.
- 'Had enough?' you grunt as you wriggle around with him on the ground, kicking up dust.
- 'What, are you kiddin'? I could go all night!' he yells as he breaks out of your hold and rolled forward. You quickly got up to your feet and initially thought he was gonna go for an upper cut but the kick-boxer stopped short and instead of dealing a punch, lashed out with another kick, the heal of his foot catching you in the shoulder. It staggered you back long enough that he looked to land another throw, but once more you break out of it and hit him with a 'Super Kick'.
- 'Heh... You're pretty good' He said while getting back up and wiping a bit of blood from the side of his mouth. 'I just might get my full work out today!'
- 'He must have bit the inside of his cheek... Or he's really all bark & no bite, because what the hell, he can't be that hurt this quickly...?'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote)
- >A. Go full-on and try to KO this clown with a 'Desperation Move' (Please Specify from the movelist at the top of the page).
- >B. Go on the defensive and let 'Joe' come to you; You're fast enough to counter-hit him... right?
- >C. Ask him again if he wants to keep going, then try to mix up offense & defense to keep 'Joe' guessing.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- Had an early dinner. Sorry for the delay Anons.
- >>694319
- >>694405
- You take a moment to readjust yourself and find that 'Joe' has done a number on you; In fact, you have to stop yourself from shrieking out in pain when you feel a little 'Off' trying to hit Joe with your own 'Zanretsuken' punches, quickly missing a few hits before Joe finally grabbed and started landing knee shots up close to your stomach & chest. The last hit had enough force to knock you flat on your back and you scrambled to roll a few inches away from him before regaining your footing. Curiously, it was only after you were standing again that the Muay-Thai boxer continued his onslaught.
- 'So, he's a real sportsman after all huh? How nice of him.' One thing's for sure, this 'Joe Higashi' guy is wicked fast and strong to boot and though you're able to block the majority of the kick-boxer's punches, some were still getting through to your face, shoulders or collar-bone and the ones that didn't still hurt your forearms like no other when he blocked them. In your haste to get back up and look for the opening you need to end this fight, you allowed yourself to be backed into a corner (Specifically, the tree where Joe's heavybag was hanging) and now you had to get out of it.
- 'Fu~uck, where's the opening? ...THERE!' You drop to your knees and get out of the immediate line of punches, hearing a pleasing sound of Joe Higashi's fist colliding hard with the trunk of the tree followed by a tirade of cursing in Japanese. You rolled forward and pass between the kick-boxer's legs and come up behind him with a tap on the shoulder.
- 'Need a hand?' you ask before kicking him and landing 'The Stun-Gun Stinger', Joe nearly knocking himself back into the tree.
- You feel the sting of the pain in your body, the slight swelling on your knuckles & feet, the Ki rebbing & flowing within you... And yet, mentally, you still don't feel anything and fighting this guy could frankly be construed as a waste of time... Until you hear Joe wake up from his little 'Nap'.
- 'Oh damn... All the years I've been coming here to train and you're the first to give me a real challenge' he says, his voice sounding clearer as he uses the tree to get up.
- 'Yeah?' you reply, not really sounding all that interested.
- Joe nods, looking like you did't do any damage to him at all as he heads towards you. 'Now back in Thailand… Back there people know how to fight! I'd almost given-up on finding decent opponents out here in America outside of Terry & Andy.'
- 'He's friends with the Bogard Brothers? ... Oh shit, he's THAT Joe Higashi? Holy crap.'
- >A. 'Thanks... But, I got to get goin'.'
- >B. Shrug and start walking back to town. It's going to get dark soon.
- >C. 'You want me to buy you a drink or something back in South Town?'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>694610
- '... Nah, not my type.' You turn around and simply say 'Thanks... But, I got to get goin' before you head back through the woods.
- 'What, no names? No phone numbers?' Joe asks incredulously.
- 'I'm not ready to bring anybody on the path I'm walking' you reply without even turning around before making your way past the clearing and head through the underbrush of the expansive forest that makes up a lot of South Town's Northern areas. 'I just hope I don't stumble on some hick's backwoods weed farm or meth lab or whatever the fuck normal people do out in the boonies...'
- Fortunately for you, the walk through the trees is largely uneventful, though the aches & pains that your adrenaline masked during your fight with Joe are burning with pain by the time you stop in at a gas station on a lonely, lonesome highway.
- You quietly slip into the unisex bathroom and change back into your clean clothes, the clerk at the counter barely noticing you walk by and ring the service bell. You buy a stick of gum to try and not look like a transient or something and catch yourself doing a double-take at how much money you've spent today. 'Well shit... I've got to get my finances in order when I get back to the house.'
- You head back outside, the sun starting to set and giving everything an eerie, dusty glow as you check your phone for any messages. Curiously, no one's tried to call you, but your phone's almost dead and god knows how much money a cab could ring up getting you back home... Plus, who knows if your motorcycle is still in that back-alley in South Town and you still haven't gotten any word where your Porsche is...
- >A. Grab some more stuff from the mini-mart at the gas station, then head back out onto the open road and hitch-hike home.
- >B. Roll 1d20 to try and hide out in the second bathroom for the night. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >C. Call somebody up in your rolodex and see if they pick up?
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>694734
- >>694935
- You unlock your phone's touch screen and take a look at the time, then begin to scroll through your contact list with one eye on your ever-decreasing battery and the other checking off the least-likely to drive out into the middle of bum-fuck nowhere to help you.
- 'I've relied too much on Kazahaya already and he's got connections to that Gabriel guy he's trying to hide... Ellie probably already told her dad about me ad what I might've done... Only other real numbers I have are from a job I haven't been working at in over a week or are a bunch of 'Do Nothing Bitches' that never cared for me to begin with...' After going through all of your conceivable options, you go for the 'Hail Mary' play and decide to call up Tatsuya; He always would have your back in class...
- After too many busy tone rings for your liking, somebody finally picks up, but you're pretty sure it's not your soon-to-be-former Sensei. 'Hello?'
- 'Yeah, is this Tatsuya's place?'
- 'Yeah, who's this?'
- 'Kat.'
- There's a pause on the other end of the line, then a reply that makes your heart sink. 'Tatsuya's not in right now.'
- 'Then who the bloody hell am I talkin' to?'
- 'Adam.'
- You bite your tongue and hold back the urge to yell out in frustration at your bad luck. Of course Ellie's beau and Tatsuya's greatest student would be in town or watching over his place while the big ole' lug is out of town... But, Adam seems to pick up that something's not right and asks 'What's up?'
- 'I don't know anymore... I'm fuckin' lost out in the middle of bloody nowhere, I've got no ride back into town, my car's been missing for almost two whole weeks, god knows where my 'bike is, I'm almost out of money-'
- 'OK, OK, cool it! Jeesh...'
- 'Come on, you're a fucking adul... No, actually, I'm probably not...' You hem and haw over the phone for just a touch too long, Adam on the other end getting a little impatient with you. 'Listen, I would help you out but Ellie's at some charity gig tonight and I'm sick and stuck back at the house. Sorry.'
- You manage to get in a quick 'Hope you get better' before he hangs up, then use the last amount of battery life your phone has left to call up Kazahaya. '
- 'Candy Man. How can I fill your fix for sweets today?'
- 'Kock off the cute shit Wind, it's me.'
- There's a pause on the other end, Kazahaya clearing out his throat before replying 'Oh shit, sorry for that; I was expecting somebody else...'
- 'Yeah, sure you would...' 'Listen, I'm stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no way to at least get back to my house Wind. You got to help me out.'
- 'Well shit, how far are you out of town?'
- 'I'm stuck at this... Roadside cafe?' you start to explain, then stop and see there's a 24-Hour 'Greasy Spoon' of a Diner off to the side of the fairly-large shop you were in.
- 'Ah fuck me, you're stuck out by Navajoland?'
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>694986
- 'Yeah, that's what the sign for the next exit says.' you reply, desperate for something to get going quickly as the sun continues to set and some big-rigs start to roll in.
- 'No can do sweetie. I'm running my 'Kazahaya Underground' tourney tonight at the club' 'The Wind' replies.
- >A. 'OK, what do I have to do to make worth your while?'
- >B. Roll 1d20 to Hang up on him and try to text Ellie that you 'Need to talk ASAP'. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >C. 'Can't you just send that Luchadriver you used last time? He was nice.'
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Blow Kazahaya off and think things over in the diner They probably have a payphone you can use.
- Last update of the night. Make it count!
- -------------------------
- >>695019
- 'Of all of the people I have to deal with...' You let out a sigh, mostly about your day has gone more than talking to Kazahaya, then ask 'OK, what do I have to do to make worth your while?'
- 'Rough day, huh?'
- 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.'
- There's a pause and some kind of chuckling on Kazahaya's end, but you cut it short by stating 'Come on mate, make it snappy! My phone's almost dead... Oh yeah, and nothing sexaul alt=right? I'm not in the fucking mood.'
- 'Just like my last three girlfriends' Kazahaya quips, then gets down to what he wants you to do. 'There's a tournament happening in a couple of weeks. A real biggie in an anonymous location somewhere...'
- 'And?'
- 'And allegedly, the new crazy Russian guy that's sponsoring the new King of Fighters is supposed to be scouting for his 'Official Invitation' team from fighters in the tournament.'
- '... OK... Where do I come in?'
- 'Well, a friend of mine got an invite but had to turn it down on account of some other stuff he's got going on and since I was in the last KOF and the new guy isn't exactly cool on people from the tournaments he doesn't hold the rights to showing up...'
- '... You want me to take your friend's place?'
- 'A little bit, yeah...'
- 'What's the catch?' you ask, your phone givig you the 'BATTERY CRITICAL' message.
- 'The catch is that you're going to have to use a disguise to get in and that there's betting going on at this thing...'
- 'You want my to take a dive?'
- 'Maybe... It's a Round-Robin Tournament, so you have a margin of error to fuck up, but I've got people interested in getting in on the action and would like to get some odds for their money' Kazahaya intones, that silky-smooth lilt he gets when talking about money inflecting his voice.
- >A. Accept.
- >B. Refuse Kazahaya's offer and think over what you're going to do in the diner over a hot meal.
- >C. Roll 1d20 and Tell him you'll call him back after you get some food in you; 'You know how I hate making big decisions on an empty stomach Kaz.' (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >Pause Updates
- That's it for today y'all! Thanks for sticking it out between the long-ish wait times for updates. I'll be back tomorrow at the usual time (10 AM PST/1 PM EST/5 PM GMT) to continue running this right from the get-go and the current vote is now open.
- >Player Question:
- A name for our new MC? Or at least an alias used for fight clubs & tournaments.
- >Bonus Question:
- I royally screwed up and forgot to fully post the 3rd-person epilogue to all of 'Not!Katja' & Jean's talk... Forgive me? Or demand to see it now?
- -------------------------
- >>695171
- 'I'll have to think about it... Can I call you back in like an hour or something? I haven't had much to eat today and you know how I hate making big decisions on an empty stomach Kaz' you reply, the smells from that diner starting to make your mind drift off and cloud your mind.
- 'Yeah, it's cool. My main tournament ain't gonna start until like 9 or so, so try to get on it before then OK?'
- Kazahaya hangs up on you before you can get in a 'Take care' or something like that, so you turn off your phone to conserve what's left of its battery and make your way inside the diner attached to the back of the Gas Station you were just in... And immediately feel like you found a wormhole that sent you back in time to the 1950's, or at the very least wandered on the set of some new Hollywood blockbuster set in that period. Looking around the place, you're struck by the attention to detail; The waiters and waitresses were outfitted in 1950’s-correct outfits, the booth you take a seat in feeling comfier than just about anything, high tables, a long bar... And the menu? Shit, you're drooling just looking over the names of what this place has (No photos of the food either; Places that usually do that are either low-rent or run by dumbasses). You ultimately get a Classic bacon cheeseburger with some Onion Rings and a Malt (Because why the fuck not?), then get the creeping feeling of helplessness and dread from earlier as you lay back in the booth.
- '... So... NESTS artificially shoved their moral code, experiences, thoughts and values into my brain... Should I still be bound to them? Am I free? Was I always free to do as I please? ... Or should I start submitting others like I did with 'Tsunami Tsuyako', make them my henchmen and create my own gang to make this city right?'
- It's an unsettling thought. As much as you enjoy fighting, you never really considered yourself a career criminal; The few times you helped Kazahaya's 'Waifus' out made you feel uneasy afterwards and you were having second thoughts all throughout the night you went all-in and started to bust up local dojos for Kazahaya's higher-ups... Your food arrives before you can really explore it more and you munch on it in quiet, the people that were there when you had arrived starting to leave.
- '... Fuck, what about all of the stuff I'm hanging on to that's supposed to remind me of my parents? How fake is all of that shit? ... Fuck it, I'll have time to sort it out. I got to call back Kazahaya before he gets caught up in something else and forgets about me...'
- >A. Call up Kazahaya and Accept his offer to compete in that Underground Fighting Tournament.
- >B. Call up Kazahaya and Decline his offer to compete in that Underground Fighting Tournament thing.
- >C. Roll 1d20 and Text Ellie that you 'Need to talk ASAP' before calling back Kazahaya. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>696683
- You feel like you're inhaling your food for a second, but calm down and ask the waitress if they have a phone you can use. You get lead to the back wall (Near a collection of framed snapshots of 1950's movie stars & starlets) and call up 'The Wind'.
- 'That was quick... How was your meal?' he asks, the club he owns sounding like it's really 'Jumping' tonight on the other-end.
- 'Not the worst I've ever had...' you start to say, then take a pause to take a breath. 'I'm in.'
- 'Yeah?'
- 'Hell yeah motherfucker.'
- 'Bitchin. I'll send one of my guys over to collect you' he says before hanging up.
- 'OK then... I'll chalk this up as my last night of eating whatever, because tomorrow I've got to start training again.'
- You thank the waitress for your time, tell her that you'll be staying for a few until your ride gets here and watch the sun finally set in the window next to your booth, fitfully making your malt (Which, on second taste, isn't as good as you thought it was) last. Just at dusk a snazzy black sportscar with pop-up headlights drives up, part of you feeling like you've seen that car at Dave's garage up on jacks near South Town's 'Bay Area'.
- 'Right in the nick of time too... The guy behind the counter was giving me the 'You can leave now' look.' You grab your bag with your dirty clothes inside and leave a generous tip behind before your walk out to great your driver... Who, surprisingly, is the same guy in the wrestling mask from when you needed a lift over down at Duck King's place in Port Downtown.
- 'Nice car' you hear yourself say as you hop in and your driver silent does up a 'Five-Point Harnesses' you've seen real race cars have. 'Is it yours?'
- The Lucha-driver shakes his head as he slinks into his seat and does up his belts before casually putting it in gear and sending the two of you off. Once again the feeling of calm and serenity from when you let this guy drive you around in your Porsche, though judging from the fact he's in his full-on wrestling gear he's probably got to be in that 'Kazahaya Underground' thing going on tonight. 'Why's the rear-view mirror broken though?'
- 'Because all it does... Is show the past' your 'Lucha-Driver' says in an odd, kind of dark voice, almost like he's trying to hide his real one.
- 'Yeah right... And I bet his age is '36... Caliber!' Before you can make a quip about his reply, the 'Lucha-Driver' opens the car up and shifts up a gear, the slumbering dragon of an engine that feels like is right behind your head roaring into life.
- >A. Ask him to slow down a little; He's starting to scare you.
- >B. Let the guy go and do his thing; You trust his judgement, even with that mask on.
- >C. 'I thought it was because you don't have to worry about what's behind you?'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Ask the driver if Kazahaya said anything about you fighting in his tournament tonight; You've got a bad feeling about this...
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>696757
- >>696733
- 'I thought it was because you don't have to worry about what's behind you?' you ask, part of you wondering if it really is the same guy underneath the mask driving you.
- '... Well, that's a good reason too' he again says with that faux-gruff voice.
- 'Where have I heard him before...?' you think, but settle in as the sound of some high-revving, multiple-cylinder engine screams right behind your ears; Not exactly a bad sound to listen too on a night like this, but not what you were expecting as you try not to look at how the speedometer continues to climb. 'You're pretty chatty tonight too...'
- The 'Lucha-Driver' pauses, then admits 'Well, I only talk to people I like' before finally slowing down to stop in time for a stoplight at a 4-way intersection.
- 'Yeah, it's not the same guy at all' your mind concludes as you watch a lone bicyclist pass by like a cartoonish tumbleweed. 'He's a lot slimmer & lankier too...' you think as the light turns green and he punches the throttle again, the sound of tires screeching and the smell of smoke faintly entering the cabin.
- >A. Ask the driver if Kazahaya said anything about you fighting in his club's tournament tonight; Something smells fishy about how fast he's been driving...
- >B. Try to ask the driver about his powers & moves; Even though he's not the same guy as before, you feel like wanting to respect 'Kayfabe' in his presence.
- >C. Roll 1d20 and try flirting with your driver a little bit; You kind of want to hear what his 'Real' voice sounds like. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>696886
- >>696928
- 'What the hell, let's have some fun with this guy then...' you think as the bucket seat holds you in place and starts to contour to your backside as the 'Lucha-Driver' next to you drives like a total hooligan. 'Been working out, huh?' you ask aloud, hoping that the engine sounds aren't drowning you out.
- You get a silent nod and press on a little. 'You're a lot slimmer and leaner than I remember...'
- 'Well... I have been cutting lately' he admits, the gruff voice starting to fade into something more natural-sounding as the lights of South Town's far-Northern suburbs start to come into view and 'Lucha-Driver' finally starting to slow down.
- 'It shows.'
- There's a silence that's not quite harsh, but not quite welcoming either as he makes a left onto the main highway you use to go to China Town, a sinking feeling in your gut rising up to your throat. You almost ask him to pull over so you can throw up, but it subsides when you hear him clear his throat and admit 'I never liked wearing this thing' in the same voice you heard giving Dave shit at his garage.
- 'I knew it' you think, then ask 'Hey, it's you... Andrew, was it?'
- 'Lucha-Driver' reluctantly nods as the South Town proper pops up into view, an oddly welcoming sight after being out in the wilderness and endless desert for most of the day. 'Yeah... I usually have somebody else speak for me, like a manager or something.'
- 'Mind if you take off the mask?'
- 'Well... We're getting a little too close to China Town for that, but we can just talk I guess' he says, oddly sounding a little nervous being around you.
- 'Too bad... So, you're friends with Dave?'
- 'I've known him for a while.'
- 'What's with the big shop that's off-limits next to his garage?' you ask, genuinely curious as the architecture of China Town slowly starts to be visible in between a million stop-and-go traffic lights & intersections.
- 'Oh, that's just my race shop.'
- 'What do you run?'
- Andrew thinks about it for a second, then explains 'A lot of stuff, actually... We're an officially-supported customer of TrackMagic Go-Karts at all levels aside from 250cc shifters, there's the Indycar program for the Month of May, some crazy Austrian guy is paying us to run him in some sprint-based sportscar series...'
- 'You don't drive?'
- 'Well, I'd like to, but my license is up in the air right now...' he says with a sigh, then admits 'And I'm not getting any younger, so sooner or later I'm going to have to focus on the business side of things.'
- You nod, then feel that sinking sensation again as Andrew drives up to the back of the parking lot of Kazahaya's club, 'The Wind' himself out to greet the two of you. 'Gotta get back into character' 'Lucha-Driver' tells you, that 'Trying to be Batman'-voice returning once again.
- 'About time you got here' you hear Kazahaya say, then add 'Is she ready to go?'
- >A. 'The fuck is this shit Kaz? You didn't say anything about fighting TONIGHT.'
- >B.
- >C.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>696995
- Disregard the voting options; I should've put them here:
- >A. Undo your belts, get out and yell at Kazahaya: 'The fuck is this shit Kaz?! You didn't say anything about fighting TONIGHT!'
- >B. Stay in the car until Kazahaya knocks on the door, then explain to him why you're not ready to do this tonight.
- >C. Roll 1d20 to shake your head at how you got played again and mentally prepare to fight tonight. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Steal Andrew's car and drive back up to your cabin; Fuck these assholes for loading your 'Favor' like this.
- -------------------------
- >>697023
- Not quite, but it'll do.
- >>697013
- 'Motherfuckers exploiting Posthumans like me like the scared human cis scum they are' you think in the kind of mocking voice you'd expect a 'Social Justice Warrior' to use, then sigh and almost feel like crying at how true that might be. You close your eyes and try to find your spirit's still point and then delve into yourself to find the place where your Ki gathered. Over the years training in solitude and in the time you spent with Tatsuya, you had learned to do this much faster and with much greater control than most so it only took a few moments to clear your mind and get ready to throw down with a bunch of make-weights, no-hopers and never-will-be's.
- 'You played me again Kaz' you growl as you undo your belts and hop up out of Andrew's car (Which is so heavily modified you have no clue what it could be).
- 'Come on girl, you wrecked half of the guys I use for security for these things only a few days ago; Why else would I need you for tonight?' he asks, motioning you to follow him down into the area of his club he nicknamed 'The Temple'.
- 'Wait... You want me to be a bouncer tonight?'
- 'No, not really... I mean, you could if you really wanted to but I'm short a fighter tonight' he explains, the elevator doors opening and the three of you ambling inside.
- 'I got my shit rocked by a Kickboxer earlier today and I'm having a fucking identity crisis right now mate; I'm in no shape to be fighting.'
- 'I'll sweeten the pot for y... Identity crisis?' Kazahaya starts to say, then asks about the last line you said as the elevator doors close.
- 'Looooong fuckin' story. I'm in no mood t'tell you' you admit, then add 'But I'm pretty sore from fightin' this 'Joe' guy out in the woods.'
- 'Joe Higashi?' Andrew asks in his normal voice, Kazahaya turning around and giving him a look before Andrew clears his throat a little and gets back into the lower octave he used earlier.
- 'Yeah... He wasn't fightin' with his best stuff, but I dropped him after he fucked up and got distracted by punching a tree.'
- 'Nice...' Kazahaya says to hide his sigh at how beat-up you really are. 'We'll hook you up with some suction-cup therapy to get blood flow back to your tight areas and give you a full massage because you're the last fight on the left bracket... What do you say?'
- >A. 'Sounds good. What are my costume choices, Kazzy?'
- >B. 'Yeah... Nah, I can't do this tonight mate. That gig in two weeks though? I'll be ready for it.'
- >C. 'You were saying something about sweetening the pot for me, Kaz?'
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>697126
- >>697135
- 'The massages sound nice... But let's play hard-ball' you think as the elevator keeps going down, part of you idly wondering how deep this new area is compared to the old one you're used to. 'You were saying something about sweetening the pot for me, Kaz?'
- 'Oh? Yeah, I was... OK, just spit-ballin' here, but how about a bonus for each round you win? Like, a 50% increase if you make it to 'The Final 4' or...?'
- 'Try a little harder, mate.'
- Kazahaya gives you a smile you've seen only when trying to explain why he's been caught with another woman to one of his (Many) girlfriends, then explains 'OK, OK, how about if you win tonight, you can keep your stuff back at my old penthouse and move in full-time as part of your training for the next two weeks?'
- 'That sounds better...' you think as the elevator finally stops, the doors opening to an eerie room with odd, almost hieroglyphic-like designs on the walls. 'What's with this place? ... I feel like I've been here before...' your mind asks yourself as you follow Kazahaya & Andrew out into a long hallway.
- 'You like the place? I just got it remodeled for Christmas' Kazahaya asks as the crop of fighters signing up and the group of low-lifes that bet on this shit begin to pop into view. 'Go take Kat to the locker rooms, eh? I can't blow her cover' he tells Andrew and the masked guy silently nods, then grabs your shoulder.
- 'You'll be back with the terms right?' you ask Kazahaya before getting escorted away from him, Kaz giving you an 'OK' sign with his hands without looking at you as he begins to play the part of the guy in charge of this kind of seedy thing South Town became famous for.
- 'Right... Back to the old days' you think as you unhand yourself from Andrew in a natural kind of way, memories of when you fought a little bit up in a sweaty, rusty steel cage coming back to you as you follow Andrew to the 'Locker rooms' Kazahaya's new place has. Ultra Fighters is, despite what most would tell you, bare-fisted boxing in your eyes. Competitors wear a little bit of padding to protect against most fatal injuries but overall are relatively unprotected. UF is televised and can usually be found on cable. It is perfectly legal, regulated and as safe as any blood sport can be.
- What this is, clearly, was not Ultra Fighters. It was bare-fisted fighting but that was where the similarities stopped. Most fighters did not wear any from of protective padding of any sort, it was not televised, there were no regulations and it most certainly was not legal; An underground operation where everyone present wants to stay off the radar. No one named any names or stared to long at faces and everyone called everyone else by a codename of sorts. Kazahaya was 'The Wind'; You were nicknamed 'Girl-Kuma' (Mosty because of not wanting to associate yourself with a near-mythical Street Fighter), Andrew probably has one...
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>697222
- 'Here we are'Andrew says with that gruff voice again, opening the door to reveal a surprisingly-clean and well-lit room with benches, lockers and even a shower to wash off all of the blood that might get on you... He nods and then heads off to the next room over to leave you to yourself, some old posters of fighters and tournaments from all around the world lining the walls.
- 'OK then...' you think as you shrug your shoulders and start to do some stretches out of sheer boredom, a knock on the door interrupting you right when you're just about to finish up.
- 'Come in' you say and see Kazahaya with his two girls ('Fuujin' & 'Raijin', you think their names are) coming in behind you with suitcases. 'This'll be good' you think as 'The Wind' sits down on the edge of a bench.
- 'So, you think it over?' he asks, 'Fuujin' (The one on the left) opening up the suitcase that has the kit for the 'Chinese Suction-Cup' therapy & 'Raijin' (The one on the right, both wearing White & Black cheongsam dresses) opening up the suitcase filled with... Body lotions?
- >A. Go with the Performance Incentive.
- >B. Tell him you'll take the extended stay at his old 'Scarface' Penthouse.
- >C. Ask him what else he's got in mind for you; Neither of those are floating your boat.
- >D. Tell him you're just not feeling it tonight and take him up on that bouncer gig or something; Hell, you're good to even walk home right now.
- >E. Write-In Vote
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>697326
- >>697357
- 'Yeah, a little... I'll go for the extended stay at your pad until that super-secret tournament' you tell him.
- 'Splendid... I'll let the girls get you ready and you can take whatever costumes are lying around' Kazahaya tells you, then adds 'I got to get back to the waiting masses anyway. The first round's almost about to begin.'
- You wait for him to leave, then ask the girls 'Either of you speak English?' as you start to strip down to your skivvies, then ask 'How abut Japanese?' in your Osaka-ben dialect.
- You get a couple of nods back on that last one as 'Raijin' lays out a towel on one of the benches and motions you to lay down on it. You comply and she starts by oiling your back up while 'Fuujin' gets out a miniature space-heater(?) to start warming up the cups she'll use on you soon.
- 'I could get used to this' you let yourself think as 'Raijin' goes to work on you, bunches and bunches of different muscle groups you never thought felt tight reveal themselves to the both of you. 'Probably why I never get massages on a regular basis' your mind ads as she finishes up with a loud 'Smack' to your back, 'Fuujin' motioning you to sit up on the bench. You comply and feel odd sensations all over your back as the cups go on, a few of them feeling a touch tight but most of them not even registering to you that they're even on.
- 'A little looser on the really big ones on my back OK?' you ask, 'Fuujin' nodding and releasing the cups in question with a loud hissing noise before a couple of pumps to re-attach it. Soon, 'Raijin' heads out of the locker room as the sound of more hissing and pumping goes around, then she finishes up and starts to clean the cups off.
- 'Thanks... That really felt like it helped' you tell her as you get your clothes back on. She doesn't say anything and instead, opens up three lockers directly in front of you after packing up her equipment. 'Kaz keeps weird fucking company, goddamn...' you think as you eye the costumes up.
- >A. Go for the Sexy Tigress Costume on the right; You have fond memories of watching that anime and know exactly how to play it up.
- >B. Try out the crazy 'Sugar Skull/Day of the Dead' costume on the left; You love the mask design and it kind of reminds you of that one guy that helped wreck dojos with you that one time...
- >C. Do the 'Biker Girl' Leathersuit & Helmet in the center. No frills, no fuss; Just pure ass-kicking tonight... And you like the sponsors all over it; Reminds you of the kind of outfits from that one arcade racer that your eyes can barely keep up with.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll 1d20 and quickly see if there are any back-up costumes in one of the lockers; You're here to fight, not to show off your sexuality to a mob of drunken rich assholes.(Picture suggestions encouraged with this vote; Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>697529
- You go for the 'Tigress Mask' look straight away, copious amounts of double-sided tape needed to keep your 'Katjas'(?) from spilling out. 'Yes... This'll do' you hear yourself say as you look yourself over in a mirror near the door leading out of the locker room, the red-sh spots on your back the only remnant of your 'Cupping' session. You tighten up your gloves and re-tie your boots before you head out, a group battered & bruised fighters of all shapes & sizes greeting you with lusful stares.
- 'Yeah, keep ogling you damn ingrates' you think as you bounce past, the cute little half-mask with the cat-ears flopping around with each step (Among other things; The cut on your but made you ponder if your ass really is getting that 'Chunky') and head through to the main room, the crowd looking over to the 8-sided ring as somebody cleans up a little bit of the blood from the last fight and 'The Wind' with his 'Twins' greeting you with a slap on your shoulder.
- 'Yeah, I thought you might like that one' he says, then asks 'Got a name for the marks kid?'
- You close your eyes, then think of something that sounds exotic, yet fake enough to be a codename. 'Fortuna. Fortuna Mistral.'
- Kazahaya puts a hand to his chin, then admits 'If you were going to say something like that, the 'Biker get-up might've fit better...'
- 'I ain't changin' it, mate.'
- You cross your arms under your chest to highlight the point and Kazahaya lets out a pouty sigh. 'OK, OK 'Fortuna'. Get in the left hand corner; You're up next.'
- You nod and try to carry yourself with the stride of a vicious heel; The kind that would attack somebody and start a fight before the bell would've even rung to 'Get into Character' and prep yourself for whoever you're up against.
- 'OK... Been a while doin' this, but it's just like ridin' a bike' you think as you do a couple of last-second stretches before the lights dim to an oddly-purple shade for introductions.
- >'In the red corner, from Parts Unknown... The Savage! The Amazon! Ms. FORTUUUNNNAAAAAAA MISTRAL!!!'
- Part of you wishes you had a cape fluttering behind you as you strut up to the ring, then dip just under the top rope and do some stoic poses for the crowd, some of them booing at your lack of sexual presence and others hooting & hollering like it was feeding time at the local zoo over how your body fills out your outfit.
- >'Aaaaaaaaaand her Opponent...'
- >Roll 1d100 and Suggest an Opponent (Picture references highly encouraged)! Highest roll wins.
- I'm going on a dinner break Anons. I'll be back ASAP.
- -------------------------
- >>697837
- As cool as those ideas are, the dice roll of 2 in >>697764 sadly scuttled it... For now.
- >>697866
- Looks like Wéixiào, the fun-loving monk is going to take this vote. Also, I'm not feeling too well after having my dinner. I'll post the fight introductions and a general branching paths of strategy before calling it for today quickly.
- -------------------------
- >>698004
- >>697741
- >'From the farthest reaches of Tibet... The Hunk of a Monk with a whole lot of Spunk! Give it up for Wéixiào!'
- A super-buff Buddhist monk with what look like his two sons(?) following him walks barefoot to the ring, his two little supporters hanging on the ring's ropes and sitting on a couple of turnbuckles as the lights go back up to the more normal green-ish hue, a huge steel cage slowly descending and locking the four of you in until the fight is over. He says something in a language you can't recognize, but you can see from his face that he's probably hitting on you, or at least trying to flirt with you.
- 'Don't get close to this kitty!' you yell in Japanese, half-sexy & half semi-menacing as the referee looks both of you over before backing you up for the start of the fight.
- 'Ready…?' The announcer began, while backing to the cage's only exit. 'Fight!'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote)
- >A. Go in on this guy, focusing on physical strikes and grapples.
- >B. Feel this Wéixiào guy out a little bit and see what he does, focusing on defense & counter-hits.
- >C. Be ready for whatever and try to mix it up; This guy looks pretty tough foe this level of competition.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. Go full Heel Mode and unlock the brawling roots of 'Tigress Mask' against him; It's what the crowd expects.
- >Pause Updates
- Thanks for playing today y'all! I'll see how I feel in the morning and decide whether to take a day off from running to work on my neck & back. If I'm up for it or not, I'll post back here to update everybody.
- >Player Question:
- Moveset ideas for the future? (Scrap it completely/Keep some good stuff/Look for replacements to keep her functionally intact etc. etc.)
- >Bonus Question:
- Side-Character Bios and KOF XIV-style short synopses. Yay or Nay?
- -------------------------
- >>698188
- >Hoping for more grabbing moves, though.
- 'Not!Katja' might have to either make peace with Fiona & Tsuyako, buddy up to Tsuysako's mom, join the 'Blood Aikido' dojo and stick with it long enough to learn how to do Geese's 'Katate Nage', or...? [INSERT IDEAS HERE]
- >Yes
- Killer. I'll type up a couple off of the top of my head.
- >>698210
- I have been meaning to do more OC bios & movesets to update the pasetbins, but I just haven't had the time to knuckle down and do it.
- -------------------------
- Starting the Bio Train with Not!Katja's former Sensei.
- Full Name: Tatsuya Kirashima
- Height: 6'7'
- Blood type: A
- Birthplace: Unknown (Rumoured to be Honolulu, Hawaii)
- Occupation: Martial Arts Instructor
- Dislikes: Fixed fights
- Favorite Food: Beer
- Favorite Music: Country & Western
- Most Unpleasant: Wolverines
- Personal Treasures: 'Pumpkin' (Pet name for his daughter), a picture of his wife
- Fighting Style: Kyokugenryuu Karate
- >Idolizing and patterning himself after Ryo Sakazaki, Tatsuya was once one of the most prominent students of Kyokugenryuu Karate and popularized the art in the Metro City area through street fighting and breaking up local gangs under Mayor 'Macho Mike' Haggar's 'Vigilante Justice' act. His incredible savagery in a fight and refusal to acknowledge the limits of his own body were thought to be his greatest weapons, but he famously dropped out of a round-robin tournament that would've made him The United States' leading World Warrior representative to be by his ailing, pregnant wife's side.
- >Tatsuya ultimately retired from active fighting and after his wife sadly died following complications from childbirth (Which may or may-not have been a plot to assassinate her by the Kisaragi Ninja Clan), he raised his only daughter Ellie and founded his own officially-endorsed Kyokguen Dojo in South Town. When she was old enough, Tatsuya began to pass on his personal teachings to her and ultimately helped cultivate her fighting skills.
- >Though quite large for a Kyokugen Master, Tatsuya is faster than he looks and still has more than enough power to flatten most garden-variety hoodlums & street punks. However, as he readily admits, he's 'A Family Man' nowadays and doesn't really have the stamina or drive to prolong serious fights.
- -------------------------
- >>698343
- I imagined him to be like the Sagat of Kyokugenryuu; Slower than most, but packs a huge wallop.
- >>698334
- And now his daughter because why not?
- Full Name: Ellie Kirashima
- Height: 5'6'
- Blood type: O
- Family/Relatives: Tatsuya (Father)
- Likes: Days off
- Hobbies: Riding & Fixing up her motorcycle, browsing FightChan
- Forte in Sports: Softball
- Measurements: 'Why should I tell you?'
- Most Unpleasant: Dealing with Untrustworthy people on a regular basis
- Personal Treasures: A picture of her Mother, Her Motorcycle Leathers & Helmet
- Fighting Style: Personally-Modified Kyokugenryuu Karate
- >The only daughter of a known practitioner of Kyokugenryuu Karate, Elllie spent most of her youth bouncing between the crime-riddled streets of South Town & Metro City USA and didn't have much initial interest in fighting. As she grew into adolescence, however, her rebellious nature lead her joining a motorcycle club and learning some basic hand-to-hand skills from the 'Boss', who just happened to be an accomplished Aikido practitioner. Noticing this, Tatsuya (Her father) began to teach her some of the basics of Kyokugenryuu Karate, though only for Self-Defense.
- >In time, Ellie started to secretly don her highly-customized motorcycle leathers & helmet and began competing in underground fight clubs & tournaments as 'The Skull Girl' (To Tatsuya's blind eye). Her reign of local terror ended when she was a mere 17 and it prompted her father to expand her Kyokugen repertoire and help her blossom as a fighter. Following her public unmasking during the infamous '13th World Warrior' tournament (In which it was revealed that there was match-fixing on behalf of the organizers & sponsors) and after several attempts to break past The King of Fighters Tournament's undercard with her friends Belle & Moriya, Ellie semi-retired to live back in relative peace in South Town.
- >Ellie's methodical style is a fluid mix of her earlier Aikido tips, her father's Kyokugenryuu teachings and various moves she's picked up in around her friends and the local fighting circuits. As such, her fighting style lacks any true weaknesses on a technical level; Her biggest flaws are her lack of pure power, a lack of a 'True' projectile attack and her overall rustiness as a fighter after taking public office (Which is a story unto itself).
- -------------------------
- Now for a villain before I fall asleep.
- Full Name: Kazunori Kazahaya AKA 'The Wind'
- Height: 6'2'
- Blood type: A
- Family/Relatives: Unknown
- Likes: Tailored Clothes, Dancing with his crew
- Dislikes: 'Player-Haters', Pre-made DJ Set-lists, going to Japan
- Favorite Food: Kimchee
- Favorite Music: 'Everything'
- Most Unpleasant: Nothing
- Weapons: None
- >Most bits of major personal information regarding the true identity and past of Kazunori 'The Wind' Kazahaya is either hearsay, rumor, speculation or in classified documents currently being held by The South Town Police Department. What is known is that Kazahaya is thought to be the largest single property owner in South Town's 'China Town' district and owns several prominent businesses. He is also rumored to be involved with major local Drug-Smuggling, Gun-Running and Racketeering outfits as well as being the head of several small & mid-sized gangs, most notably 'The Waifus' who are sometimes seen as his private security detail.
- >How he hasn't been arrested is anyone's guess, but some leaked information suggest that 'The Wind' (A play on the meaning of his last name) may in fact be a front for a larger organization that's bribing the local police force for his protection. Beacuse of this, Kazahaya carries a care-free attitude and has become a bit of a local bon-vivant & playboy; He's been repeatedly seen around town going to-and-from several expensive apartment buildings with a crew of suited men & women.
- >Though he rarely fights, Kazahaya has an energetic and almost untrained-looking style of fighting that mixes several schools of Chinese Martial Arts together along with subtle influences from break-dancing & into a hyper-kinetic style that preys on the cautious by tricking opponents into expecting the wrong thing. However, though he fashions himself as a master of mind-games, rumour has it that this is dependent on his mood and sometimes Kazahaya attacks with more direct form of Jeet Kun Doe in more 'Serious' fights.
- -------------------------
- Sorry Anons, but I am not feeling all too well today. I'm going to take the day off from running this, rest up and take every last vitamin & herbal supplement my body can take before coming back tomorrow at the usual 10 AM PST/1 PM EST/ 5 PM GMT time to continue QM'ing. (Turns out my neck feeling stiff and my shoulders being tight last night after my dinner was just a precursor to something worse...)
- Have some cheesecake on me; I'm going to go lie down.
- -------------------------
- >>699904
- I'm feeling better than yesterday that's for sure... I wanted to post a couple more bios for some of my side-characters, but time constraints precluded that this early in the day.
- >>698172
- >>698210
- >Updates Resume
- 'At least the announcer doesn't yell 'KILL!' at the top of his lungs anymore...' You get into a more relaxed stance and Wéixiào eyes you up a little as his stance has him ducking low, lower than you'd think a guy that buff could conceivably go, but launches forward with a flying kick that has such ferocity that it seemed his lower body was shot out of a cannon or something.
- You easily dodge it and land your 'Zanretsuken' punches, backing Wéixiào near the ropes already. He seems a tad surprised at how easily you're overwhelming him, but he bursts through your attacks with a forearm and stomps the ground, the tremor loosening your footing as he gets in and lands a couple of kicks to your stomach chest. You're able to roll back to your feet with ease and manage to land just past Wéixiào's follow-up strike; A leg drop that sounds like an avalanche hitting the ground.
- 'An upper body like that and he only uses his feet?' You quickly chuck him over to the edge of the ring with a Uchimata that gets a couple of hoots & hollers from the crowd (Again, you're outfit isn't that far removed from some of the more 'Slutty' stuff you've seen Mai Shiranui, Jenet Bonne and a couple of other KOF girls wear) and quickly land a 'Left Hook/Right Straight/Super Kick' combination, Wéixiào landing on his back with a rolling thud.
- 'He might have the bod, but he's easy pickin's for me... What the fuck is that crawling up my?' You feel a sting in your knees and spot one of Wéixiào's 'Helpers' running in to kick you in the shins, another one trying to trip you up as he gets back to his feet. This time he gets a running start and goes for something close to Kyo Kusanagi's old 'R.E.D. Kick' and though you manage to block it, dealing with his little kids(?) knocks you off balance and you scramble to get back up and counter his standing side-kick with a short 'Strayacut'.
- 'He's not bad... Uses the little munchkins too much, but he's still hitting me hard...'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote)
- >A. Keep doing what you're doing; Those little helpers aside, you're dealing some damage to him and might have a chance to end this fight quickly.
- >B. Lay off a little and let him come to you; He's fast for his size, but you're sure you're quicker and can counter-hit Wéixiào with ease.
- >C. Try to mix it up a little and maybe do some of the less Kyokugen-y parts of your moveset as well as using proper spacing to frustrate Wéixiào into making more mistakes.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll1d20 and slip out of the ring to check if their are any 'Foreign Objects' planted underneath it; You're going 'Full Rudo' on this guy. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>704813
- OK, now we're back online. Got stuck in fucking traffic because it's raining and idiots misjudge the grip in their tires and crash.
- >>704759
- >>704515
- 'Pretty ingenuous actually; He can gauge what kind of person he's fighting depending on how they react to those two little kids coming in to help him' you think as you land and try to gently brush them off of you, Wéixiào slowly getting up off of the floor. 'They're annoying little brats though...'
- You gentle lift one up and cuddle it near your chest, then slowly walk over to the ring ropes and slide out and place him down on the other side of the canvass, the other one struggling to try and trip you up and looking as cute as a button.
- 'You... You're not bad girl huh?' Wéixiào asks in broken Japanese as You do the same to his other kid.
- 'Sometimes... But you shouldn't bring babies to an adult's fight!' you yell as you charge back towards him, your speed more than enough to overwhelm him with a barrage of punches and a few 'Feral'-looking kicks. Unfortunately, Wéixiào seems to have caught his second wind and again powers through your last kick with that stomping forearm-thing and lands a short-but-sweet combination of his own, the damage dealt to you really adding up by the end of it.
- 'Fuck... Can't play around with this crowd' you think as you fake-struggle to get back up to your feet, the referee (Who's outside of the cage and has his hand glued to the house microphone) even starting to count you out before you force yourself to stand and try to block a 3-hit combination that could probably pass for Wéixiào's 'Desperation Move'. 'Come on, come on... NOW!' you think as you time the last punch to easily hit him with your big command throw, the 'Ude-Hishigi-Juji-Gatame'. You get a few 'Pops' from the crowd as you really lay-in on the arm bar, sweat starting form on Wéixiào's face and almost see him tap-out, but let his two sons break up the submission and try to act like a cat by rolling around with the two of them and making faux-cute cat noises as their dad gets up and tries to stretch out his arm.
- He says something in that odd language again, then the kids stop horsing around and dodge that leg-drop thing he does. 'OK, still in this... Just need one last shot to take him down' you ponder as you land a quick punch combination and hit a kick to his knees, Wéixiào down to one knee and breathing heavy, like he's almost about to pass out...
- >Roll 3d20 for Options A & B.
- >A. Give him 'The Stun-Gun Stinger'.
- >B. Hit him with the 'Ryuuko Rambuu'
- >C. Roll 1d20 and let his ass drop to the canvass; He's done... Right? (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>705312
- >>705184
- 'Sorry mate. Business is business' you think as you feel your Ki spike up and around you and lash out with a long string of punches & kicks, your 'Ryuuko Ranbuu' feeling just a tad 'Off' tonight and those aches & pains from fighting Joe Higashi earlier in the day really noticeable as you finish him off with straight hard punch to the jaw that bursts with electrified Ki. Wéixiào tries to shrug it off and almost tries to grab you as he struggles to stand, but falls over with a sickening sound.
- 'I hate this fucking part' you think as you cross your arms underneath your chest, the referee counting up to 10 before ringing the bell, the sight of Wéixiào's kids crying, running over to their daddy and trying to wake up is almost enough for you to break character... So, like the horrible person you have to be to want to take part in something like this, you turn around and do a cute little 'Sexy' dance to get the crowd to yell and scream, a couple of Chinese guys dressed up like medics heading into the ring as the cage slowly ascends.
- You follow them back to the left-side of the ring and head down the way to meet up with 'The Wind', his two nearly-identical girls by his side cavorting with a couple older guys in suits & ties. 'Good stuff Fortuna... Good stuff.'
- 'Yeah, it'll come back to me' you tell him. 'When's the next round Wind?'
- 'When Mr. Six here's done with the brackets and finishes rounding up the bets' 'The Wind' explains, pointing a thumb at a dorky-looking teen in a too-big suit sweating like a stuck pig counting out more cash than he's probably seen in his whole life.
- 'Bitchin', I'll be in the locker room' you tell him, then retrace your steps back through the weary-and-waiting room and see that Wéixiào guy sitting upright and sharing a big bowl of noodles with his sons while getting patched up. 'You're strong for a woman!' he yells at you
- 'And you're strong for a 'Family Man' ' you reply with a firm hand-shake (Pic Related for visual reference)[/spoiler, you take a seat in the lady's locker room, a girl in a... 'Wow, that bodysuit covers everything but doesn't leave much to the imagination' you think as she gives you a harsh glare.
- 'Something wrong?'
- The woman in the too-tight bodysuit ('Bodypaint?' you idly wonder) eyes you up and down, then simply warns 'You better pray you don't fight me tonight, Kyokugen Dog!' before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
- 'Well OK then, she's a bitch' you think out loud, then get some stretches going for about half an hour before another knock on the door, Kazahaya himself telling you that it's time for your next fight.
- 'What, you couldn't get that 'Mr. Six' kid to do this Wind?' you ask playfully, really getting into your ring persona as the two of you strut back out to the holding area.
- 'Nah, he's too busy counting receipts, notifying next-of-kin...' Kazahaya cracks.
- >Roll 1d100 and Suggest an Opponent (Picture references highly encouraged)! Highest roll wins.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>705562
- >>705588
- You tune out the crowd leering at you and your suit, the announcer botching your name and the lights kind of spazzing out a little as you head up to the ring again, the stain from Wéixiào's bloody mouth still on the canvass and creeping you out a little; Not the blood per say, but just the recollection of a couple of your early underground fight clubs popping into your psyche as the lights properly dim and your next opponent makes his way into view.
- >Aaaaaaaand her opponent... A South Town local, an accomplished Stock Broker & Day Trader, give it up for the One-Punch Machine-Gun! CAAAAAARRRRRTTTEEEERRRRRR KENDALL!'
- A guy that looks like he could be friends with Kazahaya and dressed in a stylish suit slowly shadow-boxes his way to the ring, a purple-haired piece of arm-candy following him and getting most of the crowd's attention. 'And here I thought I was going to fight some 8-foot tall, roided-out super giga nigga' you think as you dispense with any pleasantries and glare at him like the tigress you are, ready and waiting to strike.
- 'Damn, another crazy one...' you overhear Carter say to his 'Assistant' as the referee goes over him for any hidden weapons.
- 'Hey, it can't be as bad as that one 'Power Kat' chick that nearly broke your neck with her thighs' 'Joanna' tells him as she hands a stun-gun, a bottle of mace, a set of brass knuckles and a switchblade strapped the farthest upper part of her thigh to the referee to save herself the embarrassment of having to get 'Patted Down' in front of these clowns.
- 'She knows what's up' you think as you do a couple more stretches as the referee exits the area, 'Joanna' in tow and watch her nearly jump up a solid 2 feet off of the ground when the cage suddenly drops behind her, Carter getting into an orthodox 'South Paw' boxing stance.
- 'He'll either be a push over or own my ass in seconds... Well, let's find out' you think as you clasp your gloves together and hiss at him like scalded cat when he goes to touch gloves with you, the announcer yelling 'Fight' and the bell sounding off. Carter keeps his distance from you at first and you wonder if he's getting paid to be here; He had gamboled into the ring like he was coming down the stairs on Christmas morning.
- 'OK, let's open him up' you think as you go for a kick to the shins, but he backs away up to the corners of the ring posts. You brace for a punch to block, but he doesn't seem to care; Instead, he backs away, generally leading you to the shark-infested waters of the center of the ring... You take that bait and land three good hits, but he shrugs them off like you were some 'Do Nothing Bitch' throwing a hissy fit and clinches you like a consoling big brother.
- 'What the fuck is this guy doing?' you think as you break it up and go for a Ippon Seoinage, only for Carter to break out of it and clinch you again, landing a couple of love-tap shots before backing away.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>705920
- >(Roll 3d20 with Options A through D)
- >A. Go on the offense and try to drop this smart-ass boxer with grabs & kicks; As far as you know, there aren't any real judges in this and if it came down to a draw...?
- >B. Dance around the ring with Carter for a little bit and see if the crowd turns on the both of you or something; It might spur him into action.
- >C. Bust out the projectile attacks and try to snipe him with your kicks; If he wants to try and win this on a technicality by running from you, give a reason not to approach.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. Roll1d20 and slip out of the ring to check if their are any 'Foreign Objects' planted underneath it; You're going 'Full Rudo' on this guy. (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>706087
- OK then...
- >>705995
- 'Fuck it, let's see what kind of beat this clown's dancing to' you think as you hop up out of a crouch and circle Carter a little bit, the crowd already starting to get antsy and some of them drunk enough to start hollering obscenities at how 'Boring' this is. Carter eyes you up and down behind his guard, but not trying to really advance any kind of offense on you. 'Well shit, maybe he's just some rich arsehole playboy-type that likes to oggle girls like me while his 'Assistant' watches?' you think as it becomes clear the 'Music' the two of you are dancing to is elevator 'Muzak' from some long since torn-down casino on the Las Vegas strip, the only action being the occasional dropped tray of drinks in the crowd.
- You hear the boos start to rain down on the two of you, Joanna even yelling 'You gotta put it on her! Because I’m telling you, Kendall, believe me, I’m gonna tell you right now that these guys are gonna take this fight from you if you don't!' from the other side of the cage.
- 'Well, she's not wrong' you think as you drop the 'Dance' and instead try to give the crowd something to either cheer or boo for by doing a pretty risque little taunt/dance, Carter thinking that this is his shot to take and roaring nearly halfway across the ring. You don't block it completely (The punch just coming close to clipping your collar bone), but you do get an advantage to land your forbidden Judo technique to scattered applause.
- 'Come on you weak willed little shit, TAP!' you grunt in Japanese as you lock in the arm bar. Carter gradually works his way out of it, but he does land a couple of shots to your head that are a LOT harder than the 'Barely-even-felt-it' swipes he threw out while the two of you were in a clinch. From how he's grabbing his arm, you did some big damage to it and since it was his lead off hand... 'Now we work this crowd for everything they've got and take this dickhead to school' you think as you roll up to your feet and land a Hien Shippu Kyaku, Carter doing a guard cancel to back away from you and go for a neat little one-two that knocks you back further than you expected.
- 'One-Punch Machine-Gun? Please...' you say in Japanese with a mocking tone, trying to play off your injuries and hit him in the jaw with a quick 'Strayacut', knocking him back but not doing enough to really floor him as he brushes it off and again tries to get his guard up against you. You recognize the pattern he's trying to set: You come in off-balance so Carter can gracefully move away, rounding the corners of the ring and sliding around to lead you back to the center of the ring; No partner for the 'Dance', standing you up if you get within throw range...
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>706257
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Move in on Carter Kendall while he's still trying to get his flow back on; You're not going to get a draw in this fight, not now...
- >B. Keep the defense up and see if Carter will try to proactively challenge you; That 'Joanna' girl seems to have a hold on him and if she goads him into trying to take you on while hurt...
- >C. Start using projectile attacks and try to hit Carter within the maximum range of your kicks. You can still win this fight by playing it smart and looking for the right opportunities to KO this slippery piece of shit.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>706281
- >>706334
- >New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMeJEzyVBD0
- 'Well, fuck that shit!' you think as you move in him with another Hien Shippu Kyakku, clipping him in the knees just like you did with Wéixiào earlier. The big difference is Carter doesn't lose his balance and goes for a ducking underhand/overhand combination to try and keep you out of range, his punches smacking of desperation to your eyes as somebody in the crowd starts to chant your 'New' name. You stalk Carter, backing him down and driving him against the ropes. Though he pivots free and leans over with a jab, in the time it takes him to blink you unleash a counter 'Left Hook' against the lids of his eyes and watch Carter stumble back to the ropes as the crowd jumps to their feet, urging you to continue your violent pursuit.
- 'OK, come on' you think as it's unclear how much damage you did to him at first and fire off a 'Super Kick' to keep him on his toes. You can hear that Joanna chick calling out to him to try and fight back among the crowd and sure enough, Carter goes for a haymaker that probably would've hurt had it connected, but now the shoe's on the other foot as you raise the drawbridge of your defense and bury your face in your hands, watching carefully as the formerly-poised Carter Kendall blurs the air with his fists, first to the face and then to your body again and again and again, as if there may not be another chance.
- 'Got him' you think as you counter his last hit with an Uchimata and watch him struggle to get up off the floor. You think about doing a 'Show'Nuff!' pose to fuck with him and pump up the crowd, but he eventually gets back up to a standing 8-Count and get back into a sloppier-version of the stance he had at the start of the fight. 'OK, you've got guts after all!' you yell back at him before blocking a kind of Dempsey Roll-ish thing, a 'Strayacut' followed by a 'Right Straight' to see if he gets back on his feet after that...
- Though he does land on his feet, you can tell that Carter Kendall's knocked out on his feet and the bell rings, the referee quickly unlocking a gate to the ring that you didn't notice to check on him and announce:
- >'You're winner, by Technical Knockout with 1 minute & 30 seconds left in the fight... FOOOOORTUUUNNNAAAAAAA MISTRAL!'
- You take the arm raise and hop up on a ring post to celebrate, Joanna re-enacting the movie 'Rocky' with Carter as he comes back into consciousness and tries to take a swing in your general direction before being lead out of the ring through that gate.
- 'Fuck, I feel like I need another massage or something; I'm fucking beat after that' you think as you walk back to the lady's locker room. 'Wonder if I'll face that Knunoichi in the finals? And where did Andrew go?' you think out loud as you grab a water bottle from a vending machine.
- >Roll 1d100 and Suggest an Opponent! Highest roll wins; Picture references highly encouraged.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- Sorry for the delayed response Anons; The Wi-Fi spot I was at closed suddenly because of crazy fucking weather knocking down a power pole and cutting electricity, not to mention so much rain spots of my podunk town's main street were flooded and cops were directing traffic...
- I'm back home now though, so let's finish out this session yeah?
- >>706562
- The Big Russian Strong-Man I can't pronounce the name of takes this; Expect an Update ASAP.
- >Pic Semi-Realed; This is a good idea of how much rain is coming down right now at my house.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>707175
- No lightning yet (Thank god!)... But now the winds are picking up too.
- >>707066
- You hear the knock on the door and stop stretching, a full sweat on your body from the stretching and calisthenics routine you're doing to keep yourself from getting a cramp or something at the worst possible moment.
- 'Just a minute!' you yell, then quickly towel yourself off and re-apply some more of that 'Boob Glue' to keep yourself from giving the crowd more than they bargained for. 'OK, that'll do it...' You pass a guy built like a swimmer in spandex bicycling shorts and an average-looking red-head dressed up like a Nazi 'Brown Shirt' getting treated on the way to the main stage entrance, a couple of yells of 'For-Tue-Nah!' as you walk past. 'I'll never tire of this feeling... And shit, maybe I should become a wrestler or something to get my grab-game back to the fore.' You really try to hype up the crowd this time as you head back to the ring; Slapping hands, doing some more shameless flirting with the crowd... Theye ate it up amd
- >'And her opponent.... Another local favorite! By way of Sochi, Russia, VYAH-cheh-slav ee-VAHN-oh-vich! THE BONE COLLECTOR!'
- You stifle a laugh at how bad the announcer was at pronouncing your next opponent's real name, but stop smiling when you see a huge, bald muscled guy dressed like he got lost on the way to an Ultra Fighter's match card walk up to the ring. 'Well, it wouldn't be a tournament if there wasn't a pure grappler in the top-8...'
- From how he conducts himself coming into the ring to how he spreads his arms out during the 'Foreign Object' check, this 'Vyacheslav' guy is a hardened veteran of these things... Yet, you can tell that underneath the body built for fighting bears and the stoic demeanor he's got a real heart and genuineness to him that feels oddly out place here in this dank, musty and creepy underground.
- 'Don think that this will go easy, big girl' he says with barely a trace of an accent.
- 'Well, you know what they say; The bigger they are...'
- He chuckles at that, then explains 'I learned Commando-Sambo from Dyadya Ivan, I spar with Blue Mary on regular basis... I am ready for whatever you try' he says in a nice, matter-of-fact kind of tone before sticking out his hand.
- 'Well fuck me, I'm up shit creek without a paddle...'
- >A. Grasp his huge hand tight like an old friend, then break to get ready to figure out how to fight this guy.
- >B. Refuse to shake hands with him and turn on your heels to your corner of the ring.
- >C. Reluctantly shake his hand, then drop a 'Pipe Bomb' on him before the start of the fight. (Write-In dialogue encouraged with this vote)
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E Roll 3d20 and hit him with a 'Stun-Gun Stinger'; 'Tigress Mask' laughs at your concepts of 'Fair Play' & Sportsmanship'! (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>707399
- 'Fuck it, I'll let somebody else be 'Tigress of The Dark'. Besides, I ain't tough enough t'piss this mountain of a man off and feel good about myself.' You eye his hand suspiciously for a second, a good 'Heel' quip flashing through your mind before you grab hold of it like you were greeting an old friend you hadn't seen in ages. He does the same for you and gives you a friendly smack on the back before the referee/announcer breaks the two of you up and you head to your 'Corners' of the octagonal ring.
- 'OK, OK... He's a grappler and has a lot of strength, that's a given. The real question is how fast he is and how much range he has...' You glance behind you and take a quick peek at Vyacheslav Ivanovich's gait and note that he doesn't look like a particularly fast runner, nor do his arms & legs have that much of a reach advantage over yours to be particularly scared of. 'I'll keep myself from hitting the ground and see if I can get him roped into a stand-up fight, because if he takes control on the ground I don't know if I can really overpower him or make a comeback with my Judo moves... And on top of that he's not too fast either, so I might have a chance there.'
- You hold your arms out and rest them on the ropes behind you at the 'Corner' of the ring, trying to look sexy-like for the crowd and a little bit for yourself as you ponder the possibilities and Ivanovich gets ready to go to town on you.
- >'Ready…? FIGHT!'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Rush him down like you don't have a care in the world and use your speed to land combinations like no tomorrow.
- >B. Let him come to you and counter any grab attempts with your patented 'Fist & Boot-to-Face' therapy course.
- >C. Finally make liberal use of your projectiles and 'Play it Lame'; Most grapplers HATE that and it might give you the safe opening you need to score some damage.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >Pause Updates
- Thanks for coming back after the forced one-day break everybody; It means a lot to me and my confidence as a QM. Fortunately, my schedule is completely open for the next few days, so expect this thread to resume tomorrow at the same old 10 AM PST/1 PM EST/5 PM GMT starting time.
- >Player Question:
- Should the next thread be a Side-Story Prequel set in an earlier age of South Town? Or just keep everything in the present yime?
- >Bonus Question:
- Lewds. Yay, Nay or 'Make a Pastebin for that stuff' ?
- -------------------------
- >>707615
- I only asked about the lewds because I'm cool with not doing any, but if my players really, REALLY wanted some I would try to oblige. I would probably suck so bad I would become the laughingstock of /qtg/ if I tried, but whatever I'm cool with no lewds if the rest of y'all are.
- >Don't stretch yourself too thin coming up with all this content if you don't have to. The history of South Town is finicky as it is between AOF/FF and KOF.
- Doing the character bios has taught me that among the OCs or 'Legacy' characters (Tatsuya & Ellie) I have, only three of them have backstories that would be rich & detailed enough to do a side-thread about and only two of them might be actually interesting for me to QM through...
- I do plan on posting a couple more Bios before heading off to sleep but I'm going to take a break and bust out some dishes to clean.
- -------------------------
- >>707770
- ... Those are very good points Anon. I'll take /qtg/'s suggestions with a grain of salt from now on.
- >>707754
- OK then...
- Full Name: Tsuyako Horikawa AKA 'Tsunami Tsuyako'
- Height: 5' 9 & 1/2'
- Weight: Unknown (Billed at up to 230lbs during wrestling matches)
- Birthplace: Naha, Okinawa, Japan
- Family/Relatives: Unknown Biological Father, Hatsune (Mother)
- Likes: 'Long walks on the beach, Candle-lit baths... ;-)'
- Dislikes: Confined/Cramped spaces, Clothes that don't fit
- Favorite Food: Karaage Pufferfish
- Favorite Music: Enka
- Special Skill: Deep-Sea Pearl Diving
- Personal Treasures: Her Mother's Best Friend's Jacket, Her Father's Headband, Her Sparring Gloves
- Fighting Style: Freestyle Wrestling
- >The only daughter of an accomplished Olympian & Professional Wrestler 'Hurricane Hatsune' Horikawa), Tsuyako grew up with serious body issues and deep psychological trauma from being mercilessly teased about body type and weight while living and going to school in Okinawa. On the advice of a few of her mother's friends Tsuyako began to take up Judo & Wrestling to improve her self-esteem and, in time, became a feared amateur competitor.
- >Following a new set of tax laws that targeted comparatively heavy-set people(The so-called 'Metabo' law), Hatsune and Tsuyako relocated to The United States of America and at the age of 17, Tsuyako was admitted to college in Hawaii and some tapes of her wrestling reached the offices of the 'Wrestling Total Federation'. With encouragement from Hatsune, Tsuyako took the job and though the company died within a year of her hiring, she met and worked some matches with 'Ultima' and ended up joining her in the newly-revamped 'Southtown Wrestling Federation' despite them not having a dedicated Women's Division.
- >Tsuyako has a unique moveset that mixes all kinds of 'Flashy' & 'Hard-Hitting' wrestling techniques into a catch-all style, much like her mother's used to be. Her ability to fly through the air with a soaring grace despite her... 'Physical Presence' has made her a fan-favorite in the SWF, but her unique submissions and impressive ground-game are a real highlight. Her greatest weaknesses are the same as with most grapplers: A lack of range and the lack of a reliable way to get close to projectile-happy opponents.
- Note: No currently existing picture that's Blue-Board Safe can convey how T H I C C Tsuyako is compared to every other KOF female, but Pic Related is a good start on the hairstyle, hair color, skin color, face shape & eye color.
- -------------------------
- >>708137
- Yeah... When I still was crazy/stupid enough to try and salvage Bizuki Iijima as a character, I was in that mood. I have yet to really come close enough to that state again... I think it's helped me as a QM though.
- -------------------------
- Now for a villain, because why not?
- Full Name: Andrew Commodore Draco
- Height: 6'2'
- Blood type: AB
- Family/Relatives: Commodore (Father, Deceased), Tommy (Brother, Deceased), Ian (Uncle), Jessica (Mother)
- Likes: 'A lot of things'
- Hobbies: Photography, Writing, Bowling, Golf
- Forte in Sports: Baseball
- Favorite Music: 'Whatever my friends are blasting'
- Most Unpleasant: Nothing
- Personal Treasures: An antique Winchester Rifle, A helmet his father wore while in the USAF, his 'Baby Borg' trophy
- Fighting Style: 'Like I have one.'
- >Andrew Draco has seen too much shit in his life to properly talk about it in less than 1500 characters.
- >As part of physical therapy from a near-fatal accident, Andrew began to learn Martial Arts and lucked into getting in on the ground floor of what would later become known as 'Blood Aikido'. Uniquely, Andrew mastered both the Offense-oriented and Defense-oriented sides of the curriculum to help temper his wild, brawling tendencies. As such, Andrew seems to be a 'Jack of All Trades; Master of None' kind of fighter with attack counters, a pseudo-projectile, a true Anti-Air and even a command grab... However, he seems to have trouble fighting in front of large crowds of people and has had issues with dealing with his 'Survival Instincts' kicking in at the wrong time.
- -------------------------
- >>708259
- Well, my vision of her was as a parody of the kind of bullshit that Falcoon brought to the table with the Maximum Impact series of games as well as the Ash Crimson Saga's more ridiculous plot points. The problem was that I went in too deep and it stopped being a straight parody almost immediately... For which I apologize.
- -------------------------
- >>708334
- I guess I kind of wanted to do a sort of 'Ghosts of KOF Bosses Past, Present & Future' deal? With her being the dark future of the series if it followed trends like KOF XIII did? I'dunno, I over-complicated it and regret it to this day. Duke was damn fun and with May Lee's VA sadly gone from this world, Chae Lim could make a comeback... No idea how you could translate Lien into a 2D fighting game, because what the hell she had more emphasis on her dial-a-combos than her special moves & supers (Which functionally all sucked).
- >>708370
- Well yeah, that's because I liked how Street Fighting Man went and did his own lore and, in the end, the very best fighters in his quests were merely equal or slightly worse/specialized than the best oldschool Street Fighter characters.
- >(even those that try to outdo Katja at being 'UNIQUE')
- It's a forced uniqueness though. Kat is Kat because she's not trying to be anybody except herself; Fiona & Tsuyako are wrestlers working for a company that still believes in kayfabe and the pressure of wearing their 'Masks' in public all of the time are starting to change their 'Faces' (Which is pretty much why Mai couldn't stand being around them all of the time in the old KOF Quest; They reminded her too much of herself and how she acts trying to woo Andy Bogard).
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>708510
- Fiona & Tsuyako were hold-overs from a 'Fatal Fury in the NeoWave 80's' Quest that I thought about doing, but decided not to go ahead with for whatever reason.
- Anyway, I'm going to bed.
- -------------------------
- >>708727
- Would you say that it's like pottery?
- >>707615
- >>708087
- >Updates Resume
- The bell rings and you keep your distance from Ivanovich, watching him take his sweet time coming towards you. His guard isn't nearly as good as that Carter guy you last fought, but you know for a fact that this dude's going to really hurt you if you make a mistake... So, you do the motion of charging up to throw out a Ko'ouken, but fake Ivanovich out and sock him in the face with a Left Hook. Though it didn't seem to do any damage, it surprised the big guy long enough that you're able to hop away and stuff his standing jab with a Right Straight.
- Again, Ivanovich brushes it off but you can already tell that he wasn't expecting you to move so fast and slip out of his grab attempt with a Ko'ouken at point-blank range. That one seems to stagger him for just long enough for you to open up some distance and fire off another one, Ivanovich simply stopping in place to block it. 'He must not be used to projectiles... Interesting...'
- You do one more Ko'ouken and see him roll past it, but quickly hit him out of standing back up with your Zanretsuken punches. Though they don't seem to do much harm to him, they do more than enough to keep Ivanovich off-balance and allow you to get a quick 'Strayacut' in on the last hit. Curiously, the uppercut doesn't pop him up into the air like you expected it to and he quickly grabs your feet and tackles you to the ground. You put your hands up to guard any incoming punches, but instead he starts to do a 'Giant Swing' and throws you over to one of the far edges of the octagon. While the landing on your butt isn't what most would call 'Pleasant', it didn't do as much damage to you as you would've expected and you spring back to your feet and fire off another Ko'ouken, clipping Ivanovich as he charged at you.
- 'He's either holding back to make this a show or he really can't deal with the ranged game I'm using...'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Keep up your 'Annoying-but-Effective' long-range offense; Ivanovich isn't fast enough to catch you out and if you can just keep out of his range...
- >B. Let the big Russian galoot come to you and stuff his grab attempts with quick counter-hits as well as hit-and-run tactics.
- >C. Try to get in on him and do some rush-down combos to show Ivanovich you're not scared of taking this fight up close & personal.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- Note: Due to how hard it was for 4chan to even load an image for me last night, I'll refrain from posting updates with images until the connection improves.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>709894
- >>710108
- You pick a spot near the center of the ring and try to lead Ivanovich towards it, then land a 'Super Kick' to the guy's chin. It knocks him back a little, but not enough to completely stop him from driving you into canvass again and going for some punches to your head. You've done enough Judo and cross-trained with some BJJ guys in college to know what to do here and block most of his strikes while trying to land the 'Ude-Hishigi-Juji-Gatame'. 'Almost... THERE!' You manage to move out of the way of his last punch and use his confusion to try and lock in your perpendicular Arm Bar, the crowd starting to yell and sound like they were speaking in tongues to you, the fairly-large room this is all taking place in shrinking to your ears with every voice that bounces off the walls.
- Unfortunately for you, Ivanovich is no stranger to this kind of thing either and breaks out of the arm bar in one piece, then again tries to 'Mount' you while you roll around on the floor and stand back up. 'Stick with the plan, stick with the plan...' You hit him with another Ko'ouken, but it seems to do no damage at all as Ivanovich charges with an elbow to your face. It only barely manages to hit you and even then, it packed a real wallop as the room spins around for a second and put your guard up, hopping back to then try and get Ivanovich with Hien Shippu Kyaku. The first two hits of it connect, but he somehow manages to block that last one and does a leg-sweep into leg-lock, again sending the two of you to the mat.
- 'Fuck me, he's got it on tight.' The pressure Ivanovich is putting on your legs is impressive, but he didn't seem to lock in the submission as tight as either of you thought he did and quickly get out of it and throw out another Ko'ouken, this one finally knocking him over. You eye him up as he gets up off of his back and says something in Russian at you while smacking himself back into focus, another quick Ko'ouken to keep his guard up. 'About time he's starting to feel some of the hits I've given him... Ah shit, me too? Damn it.'
- You hit him out of his clumsy grab attempt with a Left Hook, then follow it up with a Right Straight but back away from Ivanovich before you let yourself get too greedy. You circle around him, your legs still sturdy and your speed still there as he seems to be at a loss of what to do, the sinking feeling that this fight's going to time popping up in your head.
- >A. Get more proactive against Ivanovich; Your attacks might actually hurt him now and he looks 'Gassed' to you.
- >B. Keep fishing for Counter-Hits and try to use some of your Judo throws; Projectiles don't seem to be working.
- >C. Look for the opening you need to land a 'Desperation Move' and end this fight quickly; You're not sure how much more of this you can take Please Specify from the movelist in the Pastebin at the top of the page).
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- >>710161
- 'Fuck it, let's keep throwing this stuff at the wall and see if it'll stick.' With the invisible clock ticking and Ivanovich looking tired, you keep up the strategy you had before and look to try and bait him into making mistakes that you can counter for big damage. You can hear him breathing hard as you dodge a good jab to your midsection and hit him with a kick to the shins, getting him off-balance enough that you're able to land an Uchimata (Because with how tired you're starting to feel and how big Ivanovich is, no way would an Ippon Seoinage work). He goes down with ease and you almost clip him in the head with a Hien Shippu Kyaku, but he blocks it and again gets you down on your back and tries to get into a 'Full Mount' position. Fortunately for you, Ivanovich's speed has dropped drastically since the start of the fight and you easily get back to your feet with no real harm done and hit him with a 'Super Kick' to the chest. It staggers him back towards the ropes and you fire off a Ko'ouken that he doesn't even try to block while getting his guard back up.
- 'Just a little more...' In the words of a certain commentator for The South Town Wrestling federation, you're smelling blood in the water right now and again break free of Ivanovich's lazy grab attempt to hit him with a short, standing uppercut that has him reeling, then follow up with your wild-looking 'Zanretsuken' to really lay on the hurt. 'Well, this guy is supposed to be Blue Mary's sparring partner; He's used to a hot chick kicking his ass.' You grin at him as you go in for the kill and stop to charge your momentarily charge your Ki, but Ivanovich stops you cold with a chokeslam SAMBO practitioners use as part of a Suplex. You feel the wind get knocked out of you as you land on the floor and struggle for breath as Ivanovich tries to land a couple of cheap shits to your body before you can get up, a few boos from the crowd over his tactics. 'That's a first for this kind of crowd, I'll reckon... Alright, no more games Vyacheslav.'
- You can see from the look on his face that Ivanovich's hurting badly from your last couple of strikes and part of you wants to go in and wreck his ass for trying to hit you while you were down, yet there's something in his eye that suggests that he's beside himself for letting his anger override his conscious... So, instead of going all-out on him, you do a bread-and-butter combination to open him up (A hopping Hard Kick into a couple of crouching Light Punches before that standing uppercut again) and use all of your might to lift him up over your shoulder with the 'Ippon Seoinage', the momentum of Ivanovich's weight sending you to floor along with him. You get back up to your feet by using the ring ropes, but Ivanovich's struggling to stand and the referee starts to count him out, the crowd joining on in the fun.
- 'C'mon mate, just stay down... I don't want to hurt ya' more than I have to.'
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>710458
- To your relief, Ivanovich doesn't get up in time and although he does get back to standing up under his own power, he chooses to rest on the nearest turnbuckle as you feel you arm getting raised in triumph. You quickly take it out of the referee's hands though and tell Ivanovich 'Great fight mate' with a hug before sliding out of the ring, the cage taking it's sweet-ass time to rise up enough for you to get out.
- 'One more fight... Goddamn, I might actually pull this off for once.' The walk back to the locker room was without any real incident, but Kazahaya was waiting for you in front of the door. 'Aw sheeit, what does he fuckin' want now?'
- 'Come on in babe, I want to talk with you' he says, a concerned tone in his voice.
- You sigh and nod, Kazahaya locking the door behind you as sit down on the nearest bench. 'If he's gonna bring up taking a dive now, I fucking swear...'
- 'You're really impressing a lot of people out there tonight, huh?'
- 'I guess' you say with a huff. 'But what's gon' on Kaz?'
- 'Nothing, nothing... I just wanted to wish you luck before you went back out there for the finals; You've got a lot riding on you, you know?'
- >A. 'Yeah yeah, just like old times and all of that right?'
- >B. Ask him if you can get another massage before the final match starts; You're feeling mighty sore right now.
- >C. Roll 1d20 and tell him 'Cut the bullshit Wind. what do you want?' (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- >E. 'I'm fighting Andrew in the Finals, aren't I?'
- -------------------------
- >>710529
- 'Yeah yeah, just like old times and all of that right?' 'You think I could squeeze in one more full-body before the final match? That Russian bear fucking tore me up...'
- 'Really? Shit, you're really are getting old huh?' Kazahaya asks.
- 'Maybe... I mean shit, I fought Joe Higashi, you a couple days ago... I need some time after this to rest and stretch and stuff.'
- 'Ah well, we all can't be grinders that go forever like Terry Bogard & Ryo Sakazaki... I'll see if we can stall it for you' Kazahaya says before taking his leave through a door hidden behind a pair of fake-looking lockers.
- 'At least he looks out for me...' You do a couple of stretches to pass the time, part of you wondering if that 'Fuugetsu' chick is somewhere in here perving on you, but feel quite stiff in your joints as well as your neck, so you stop earlier than you'd like and look yourself over in the mirror. All things considered, you still don't look too bad; There are a couple of welts on your shoulders from the first fight, a couple near your neck from fighting Ivanovich and a nasty little bruise near the center of your forehead that your mask thankfully covers... Not too bad for not doing this on a regular basis in over a year.
- 'Some make-up before the finals wouldn't hurt though...' You grab your bag of now rotten-smelling clothes and find the travel kit make-up bag you carry around in your purse, then applu some blush to the bruises that are visible on your face, some rouge to your eyelids, some mascara as a base... And instantly your whole look has changed, something Kazahaya notes on as 'Fuujin' follows him in.
- 'Hot damn, you're looking good.'
- 'Yeah, thought I should give myself a touch-up before the finals... Oh, and do you have any, like, places you could do my laundry?'
- 'Come on... Really?' Kazahaya asks as 'Fuujin' does a quiet little 'Ojou-san' laugh. 'OK, OK, they'll be done in a little bit... Now strip down and get on the bench; The crowd's going to be getting restless if you don't hustle.'
- With those words Kazahaya leaves and 'Fuujin' starts to prep a fold-out table that you didn't notice that she was carrying, then take off your mask and One-piece Swimsuit-like singlet and lay face down on it. 'Gah, I hope this doesn't fuck up my make-up...'
- >Roll 1d100 to regain health during the massage! (Only the first 3 rolls will be counted)
- -------------------------
- >>711090
- Had to take care of a few things around the house and lost track of time. Sorry for the delay Anons!
- >>710809
- You're amazed at how many creaks, cracks and groans 'Fuujin's' hands wring out of you in such a short time, energy like you had in that first fight with Wéixiào flowing through your body again. She cuts it shorter than last time though and actually helps you up off of the table as you go to put your costume back on.
- 'Thanks again, really' you tell her in Japanese as you do all of the little things that make your costume stay on and the 'Money Marks' in the crowd lust after you (As well as re-do your make-up; It did smudge up a little when you laid down in the table face-hole).
- She again says nothing before leaving through that 'Hidden' door in the lockers and you do one last little warm-up stretch before you head back out, your body feeling even more supple & lithe than when you fought Joe Higashi earlier in the day. The walk to the ring is short, but you use it drown out the sounds of the crowd and the announcer (Who FINALLY got your name sounding right) and focus on the prize ahead of you. When you finally get there, you put on the 'Cute/Sexy Cat-Girl' act from earlier in the night to some pops from the crowd, but again quickly get back to being serious as the lights dim and introductions for your opponent start.
- >'And the challenger... Another fresh face to these octagonal circles! From Japan, here is the mysterious... FUUUUUUUUGETSU!'
- There's a spotlight hovering on the other side of the ring where your opponent usually is revealed and starts to make their way down, but something feels... 'Off' about this right now. 'Aw fuck me, what the hell is all this now....?' Soon the lights shut off, the crowd being sent into a panic and some asshole near your corner yelling 'OH GOD IT'S A RAID ISN'T IT OH GOD!!!' before an explosion from the doors on that side of this underground arena kick the lights back on, revealing...
- 'Noooooooooo... I'll take Ninja Bitch over him.'
- >New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1GAPqI_WWM
- Yep, it's Andrew in that stupid 'Lucha-driver' suit all right... And he's clutching Fuugetsu by the collar of where her bodysuit ends with one hand while energy flows through the other.
- >'W-Well Ladies and Gentlemen! We seem to.. Errr... Have a change of plans! The New Challenger! From Parts Unknown! One of the most successful combatants we've ever had here on 'Kazahaya Underground', give it up for MISSSTTTEEEERRRRRRRRR X!'
- 'Mr. X' tosses Fuugetsu aside like how a young child would throw away a broken toy and walks to the ring, a dark aura surrounding his body yo can almost see as the lighting changes from the bright-ish green to a dark purple that feels... Almost familiar to you...?
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>711157
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Eye him suspiciously and get ready to land a 'Stun-Gun Stinger' on him when the fight starts; It might not KO him, but it'll send out a message.
- >B. Try to flirt with 'Mr. X' and see what kind of reaction he has; You can tell from his body language that he's either scared or mad he had to do that to Fuugetsu.
- >C. Walk away. You don't care if you never see any of the stuff you left at Kazahaya's again; You're not fighting 'Mr. X', not like this.
- >D. Write-In Vote.
- -------------------------
- >>711277
- Sounds good.
- >>711212
- You can tell from how he's walking that 'Mr. X' probably got goaded into doing that to... Well, you were going to say 'Sweet, poor ole' Fugetsu', but nobody calls you a dog and gets away with it. 'Let's lay on the old spic'n'span and see if he melts.'
- 'Mr. X' hops up to the ring and does some wild-looking over-the-top rope flip to reach the center of the octagon where you are as the referee timidly looks over him for any 'Illegal' weapons.
- 'Ah, what's the matter? You couldn't wait until after my fight, could you?' you ask in a mock-sexy tone, swaying your hips just enough to get some of the round, soft parts of your anatomy to wiggle around under your costume.
- '... Would it be wrong of me if I said 'Yes'?' 'Mr. X' asks in return, that 'Dark' voice from early much more noticeable now.
- 'You naughty little... Can't I have my fun with Fugestu too? You hogged her all to yourself!' you say with a pout, the crowd half-shocked, half laughing at how you're taking the piss out of a character that's supposed to be some stoic, over-powered ass-kicker of a 'Final Boss'. You can tell that it's affecting Andrew under that mask too as it takes him a minute to come up with a good reply, so much so you start to dance around him while the crowd eats it up.
- '... My appetite cannot be sated. Neither can my will to conquer all that dare oppose me... Even one such as beautiful as yourself.'
- 'Sounded like he broke 'Kayfabe' with that last part of his sentence... This fight's mine.' 'Aw... You're no fun at all!' you say with a smirk, then head back to your corner as you hear 'Mr. X' do the same. 'His heart's not in it tonight... I'll have to have a word with The Wind after this, because my reputation can't be takin' hits from being in fixed fights before that one...'
- A chilling thought occurs to you as the bell rings and Mr. X casually comes out to the center of the ring: 'Did Kaz set this all up to drive the hype of me being in that Underground tournament down so the odds could be favorable?'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Shake off that thought and rush down Mr. X; He's going to pay for what he did to get here!
- >B. Dwell on that idea as you feel Mr. X out and try to counter-hit him if he gets close enough to you and land some 'Safe' combinations.
- >C. Space 'Mr. X' out with projectiles & long-range kicks. You don't want him getting his hands on you this early in the fight...
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'Take to the Skies' by hopping on the Turnbuckles and do some diving moves; You always kind of wanted some in-air attacks to your arsenal. (Please specify what to try to do with this vote; Pictures/Gifs/Webms encouraged.)
- -omitted one small post.
- -------------------------
- Internet's getting screwy over how stormy it's getting outside. Sorry for the delay Anons.
- >>711621
- You circle Mr. X a little bit, slowly working in close to him to see if he'll try and take the bait. Sure enough, he does and tries to lash out at you with a pair of high kicks. You easily dodge them with a sliding sweep of your own that nearly knocks him over. Mr. X keeps his footing though and goes for a grab, aiming for your neck. You easily avoid it and smack him in the face with a Ko'ouken, a couple people in the crowd starting to do an 'Aaaay' chant when you start to do another one. Mr. X takes the brunt of that hit and tries to slide under what he assumed was going to be a third projectile but was, in fact, a 'Super Kick'.
- You hear some guy start yelling 'GOLD-BERG!' after that last shot to Mr. X's head, but also listen in to him getting bum-rushed by either security or other rowdy fans as Mr. X gets up and tries to rush you down with an odd, hunched-over run that has his hands down low. You fake another Ko'ouken and instead roll past his jumping spin kick, then chuck him into the ground with an Uchimata and back away, keeping your distance once more as you can plainly see Mr. X starting to get frustrated by your strategy.
- 'He's a busted flush that shouldn't have been out here... What the hell was Kazahaya thinking, letting him crash this party?' Any further thoughts of you easily coasting to a win get nullified as Mr. X jumps up off of the turnbuckle and hits you in the shoulder with a diving kick, then grabs you by the collar of your outfit. You struggle to break free as he lands a kick to your stomach that rockets you to nearly the other side of the ring. You land near one of the turnbuckles and use the ropes to get back up to your feet and get some air back into your lungs, but hear Mr. X running towards you and nearly take a Dropkick to the face.
- You do some kind of hand-slap-away thing you remember seeing some pro-wrestlers do to 'No Sell' how dangerous that kick was, then hit him with a Hien Shippu Kyaku that hits him into the turnbuckle. You briefly consider doing some more Wrasslin' moves to him while you can, but Mr. X rolls away and gets back to trying to hit you, his next few strikes reeking of desperation the same way that one boxer's did.
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Switch it up and get on the offense; Mr. X doesn't have the fight in him for this and you want to prove it in front of all of these people.
- >B. Let Mr. X come to you and try to counter-hit him with punches, kicks, throws, the works.
- >C. Keep up the ranged game and space Mr. X out; He's rusty and not doing enough damage to you to make you start to worry (Yet
- >E. 'Take to the Skies' by hopping on one of the Turnbuckles and attempt to perform Robert Garcia's 'Hien Ryuujin Kyaku' divelick.
- -------------------------
- >>712222
- Seeing Mr. X kind of back away from you after that last hit in the turnbuckle gives you a crazy idea, one that the crowd cheers as you run towards him and get in range to land a 'Left Hook/Right Straight/Strayacut' combination. Though Mr. X eats the first two punches, he blocks the uppercut and goes to throw you with that same kind of SAMBO-like Suplex Ivanovich used. You quickly get to your feet from it though and narrowly miss getting kicked in the side of your ribs, Mr. X losing his balance and opening himself up for you to land some Zanretsuken punches. 'ORAORAORAORA ORA!' you hear yourself yell as you continue your assault, but you get greedy and give Mr. X the opportunity to intercept your last punch, then grab and toss you over to the other side of him.
- 'Right, OK, he can still fight.' You find yourself in the center of the ring and nearly get hit by a cutting, blade-like attack coming out of Mr. X's upward-swinging arm. 'Fuckin'ell, that stings!' He doesn't recover as quickly as you would've thought and punish him with another quick 'Strayacut', part of you careful not to let too much of your naturally electrified Ki spill out of your fist in case some old-timer from when you did these kind of tournaments recognizes you. Mr. X rolls back to his feet though and tries to urgently corner you, his desperate flurries of punches & kicks starting to to resemble a man desperate to rub a genie out of a lamp. You block most of them without much trouble and the hits that do land aren't enough to make you worry as you trip him up with an Uchimata, some asshole in the crowd yelling 'Do Something Else!'
- 'Yeah, guess I'm a grappler at heart after all... Wonder if I can get somebody to help bring out what 'The Demon' taught me in college?'
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. Stick with the heavy rush-down; A few more combinations, some 'Hard Reads' and Mr. X will be finished.
- >B. Let Mr. X come to you and try to counter-hit him with punches, kicks, throws, the works... Hell, you might even set him up for a 'Ryuuko Ranbuu'.
- >C. Just end this farce now with a 'Powered-Up' 'Stun-Gun Stinger'; This crowd doesn't need to suffer through Mr. X trying to play 'Grab-your-ass'.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'Take to the Skies' by hopping on one of the Turnbuckles and attempt to perform Robert Garcia's 'Hien Ryuujin Kyaku' divekick.
- -------------------------
- Now the wind's picking up so much I'm expecting to hear Goenitz ask 'Koko desu ka?'
- >>712477
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFfybn_W8Ak
- Thoughts about what you're going to do after you win this fight come to a halt as you watch Mr. X get back up and set a tighter guard then before, easily blocking a few of your punches and grabs your kick to his shins, slamming you into the mat with a Half-Nelson Choke Suplex. The force of that nearly knocked the wind out of you and you were lucky that Mr. X's follow-up punch to your face only kind-of grazed your cheek.
- 'He must be warmed up now... Shit, and here I thought this was going to be easy.' You clutch the side of your face that hurts and glare at Mr. X, who's oddly gloating about how he missed with a silent pantomime to play to the crowd, who are starting to turn on you...? 'Nah, fuck that mate. You should've just ran a bloody race team!' You let out a roar of agonized frustration and try to land a couple of your wild-looking Zanretsuken punches on him, rage overcoming rational thought for just long enough for him to block and get you into that collar-grab from before. You can really feel him squeezing on you tight and for half a second you think you saw some kind of dark aura start to surround his lower body. He throws you over his shoulder with a Judo move you don't remember the name of (Different than your Ippon Seoinage), then feel that aura almost on top of you as you scurry to try and get away from him.
- 'NOW YOU'RE DEAD!' Mr. X roars as he raises an arm to the sky, then slams his fist down to make a red spire of energy come out of the ground. Though you're able to get back onto your feet and block it, the force and power behind the impressively 'Edgy' Desperation Move crushes your guard and that same feeling of stinging from his bladed wind arm-thing multiplied. It blasts you back into one of the turnbuckles again, Mr. X taking a second to try and wave out some of the excess energy from his wrist and giving you a breather to think up a plan to win this fight.
- >(Roll 3d20 with each vote.)
- >A. 'Powered-Up' 'Stun-Gun Stinger'. NOW.
- >B. Wait for a chance for Mr. X to fuck up, then go for the tried & true 'Ryuuko Ranbuu'.
- >C. Dig deep within yourself and try to continue to fight this without getting desperate; That's what almost got you KO'ed just a minute earlier..
- >D. Write-In Vote
- >E. 'Take to the Skies' by hopping on one of the Turnbuckles and attempt to perform Robert Garcia's 'Hien Ryuujin Kyaku' divekick... Or even a way to do your Ryuuko Ranbuu like Kaphwan Kim's 'HOOO SATCHIE' Super.
- -------------------------
- >>712795
- 'No more direct contact... I have to find a way to make him over-extend... And fuck, he's tougher than I though.' You take a moment to reset your vision and get back up into your stance from early in the night, Mr. X finally done trying to exorcise the dark energy(?) from his arm. You stick by the corners of the ring for a second, then get a crazy idea that completely nullifies what you thought of when your mind snapped into focus. 'Fuck it, I'll wait until AFTER I do this.'
- You take two steps up to the very top of one of the octagonal ring's turnbuckles, a vision of some muscled guy who 'Skipped Leg Day' writhing in agony over his calf snapping in two going through your head as you hop and fly through the air with your foot outstretched near Mr. X's neck and upper back. You manage to connect with the most awkward & basic version of Robert Garcia's 'Hien Ryuujin Kyaku' kick, but fall down to the floor with Mr. X and take a moment to get back up, the crowd starting to cheer as that feeling of 'This has gone on for too long' starts to creep back into your brain.
- Mr. X actually has to get back up slowly too and, being thrust in the role of 'Face' for this fight, you do a little taunt to get the crowd pumped back up as Mr. X again tries to hit you with that 'Wind Cutter' pseudo-projectile again. It hits you directly on one of the strap-like parts of your costume and nearly cuts it completely off as he fires off another one in succession. 'Damn it you bloody pervert, not fucking now...' You snarl at him for that and try to hold your halter-top up for a second as Mr. X goes to land that flying back kick again. Though you block it, the force of it nearly has you against the ropes and Mr. X tries to put you away with an uppercut that almost looks like the one you've seen Andy Bogard use in old Fatal Fury match videos online.
- 'A little closer... Just a touch more...' You block what felt like eight solid hits, your guard nearly breaking as you hop back and hear yourself yell out a primal scream before going into the 'Ryuuko Ranbuu'. The sound of your punches & kicks hitting him after how long this fight has gone is a truly incredible sensation that's one of the biggest reasons why you'll probably never stop fighting unless you were medically forced to quit, but you hear the sound of the bell ringing as your last 'Strayacut' launches Mr. X into the sky with a Electrified Ki that gets a couple of 'Oohs' & 'Ahhs' fromthe crowd.
- Time!' He shouted before unlocking and opening the cage door. Incredibly, Mr. X didn't seem to hear him as he got back up and charged towards you, so focused was he on continuing this fight. 'Time!'
- Not wanting to get sucker-punched after the bell had rung, you decided to oblige and the two of you just kept fighting. The Announcer sighed and walked back out of the ring only to walk back in again carrying a bucket of what appeared to be ice-cold water to throw on both of you.
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >>713145
- 'WHAT THE FUCK!?' Yes, yes it was indeed ice-cold water. The two of you disengaged long enough to gaze upon the Announcer in shock and shivers, some of the crowd giving you some whistles & cat-calls over how the water made your outfit a tad more revealing than it had been.
- 'What was that for?!' Mr. X demanded, taking the words right out of your mouth.
- 'I said 'Time'!' The Announcer/Referee explained testily. 'As in the time is up. This fight has expired. We gotta end the fight and get on with the night, because everyone wants to go home!'
- 'Well, who won?' you ask, crossing your arms under your chest.
- 'Well, which of you feel less hurt or less exhausted?' The referee asked, sounding like he was talking to a couple of toddlers as the crowd started to make sounds of discontent.
- 'I feel fine' Mr. X announced, his 'Kayabe' breaking again before he coughed and cleared his throat. 'I could go all night if I had to! For I... Am Mr.X.'
- 'Nice bluff asshole.' 'So can I.' you add, then glared at Mr. X.
- The Announcer sighed 'Then I guess it's a draw', then turned around to face the the crowd, holding up your arm alongside Mr. X's and shouted, 'Draw!' into the microphone.
- There was such a loud roaring of 'Boos' that part of you feared they might try to riot; Because the fight came out as a draw, no one got to collect any winnings on their bets... Though Mr. X had a more pressing matter to attend to.
- 'Wait one damn minute! Who gets the money?!'
- 'I'dunno.' The Announcer shrugged. 'I don't make the rules, ask The Wind.'
- 'Of all of the fucking...' The two of you did exactly that. 'The Wind' was already waiting for the both of you when you exited the cage that surrounded the ring, food and garbage getting rained down on both of you as the security struggled to keep the unruly mob in check. You silently noted that 'Fuujin' & Raijin' were flanking him and that he had a ledger that was tucked under one arm and a pen behind his ear, his free arm on his hip in the pose of an irritated parent.
- 'Hey, hey, hey! I can't be having draws at my fights' Kazahaya exclaimed before he shook his head. 'How do you expect me to make money with results like this?'
- 'You expect one of us to throw the fight?' Mr. X asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The action was meant to appear defiant, but Kazahaya only raised an eyebrow.
- 'I only require the people I'm paying to throw fights for me.' He answered. 'As it is now, neither of you are on my group's pay roll so all I can do is give you a slap on the wrists. But still... only one of you can truly be declared the winner. It seemed there's only one thing to be done.'
- 'Continue outside?'
- 'Jan, Ken, Pon.' Kazahaya smiled flippantly. 'Best two out of three.'
- >A. Shrug your shoulders and get it over with.
- >B. 'What the fuck Kaz? This isn't like you at all.'
- >C. Walk away in disgust.
- >D. Write-In Vote
- -------------------------
- >>713449
- 'What the fuck Kaz? This isn't like you at all' you ask, almost yelling at him for juvenile settling thousands upon thousands of dollars over a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors sounds... Then see a reason why he might want to settle this affair quickly & quietly: Fugetsu appearing in a cloud of smoke with a Kunai up near his neck.
- 'You... You cheated me out of my rightful victory against Kykoguenryuu!'
- 'She doesn't really do their classes anymore, right?' Kazahaya asks, 'Fuujin' & 'Raijin' carefully extracting themselves from the situation.
- 'I swear to christ Kaz...' 'I quit Kyokugenryuu a long time ago' you fib, adding a quick 'I hate them' to really try and sell it.
- '... Then why would you...?'
- 'Because I wanted to see if I still had some fight in me' Mr. X- No, Andrew admits. 'Tonight proved that I don't.'
- 'Well I'dunno, you kind of got goin' on me at the end there' you start to casually say, one eye on Fugetsu (Who looks a little like you did when you were... 12? 13? Puberty hit you like a mac truck) as she starts to slowly draw the knife ever-so-farther away from Kazahaya's jugular.
- 'I had to use dark forces I swore I would never touch just to keep up with you out there' Andrew admits, his masked gaze probably looking down at the hand he had to shake that excess energy out of. 'I'm not worthy to fight on this level anymore.'
- 'Kaz... Just give her the money.'
- 'What?' he asks before Fugetsu
- 'Fuck it, time to be the bigger girl.' 'She would've beaten me, alright? Because I'm not even a Kyokugen Black-Belt yet and Yuri Sakazaki would've kicked my ass out there had she been in the ring fighting me... Just like Fugetsu would've destroyed me'
- Hearing that seemed to calm Fugetsu as she finally withdrew her blade from Kazahaya's neck, but instead gently pokes him in the back while 'Whispering' a grave warning in his ear: 'If you ever so decide to insult me, or my master, or anyone of the dozens of Kisaragi Ninjutsu practitioners out there like this again? ... Your friends, your family, your riches and wealth will begone in a sea of fire.'
- Kazahaya croaks out a 'OK!' and Fugetsu disappears in a different cloud of smoke, a small wooden log with a not tied to it left behind.
- 'Just give me the keys to your place and enough for cab fare Kaz; I'm tired and need to sleep' you tell him, then nearly jump back when you see Hatsune Horikawa open the door to the locker room all of you were in.
- 'So, 'The Wind' is it?' she asked. 'I couldn't help but notice that the fight came to a draw...'
- Kazahaya sighed as she rubbed her hands together expectantly. 'That it did, Harikēn-san... Damn you, you've got the devil's luck. Come over to my office and we'll settle it.'
- Kazahaya left almost instantly after that, his two escorts following closely. Hatsune wnet to follow him but then paused, muttering 'There's a little bar down the street. Why don't you go have a drink or something?'
- >Cont.
- -------------------------
- >'What?' he asks before Fugetsu tightens her grip.
- Fixed.
- >>713948
- 'I don't... What the... Fuck it, I'm going home.' 'Nah, I need to get some sleep tonight. Big day of rest ahead of me tomorrow.'
- Hatsune smiles at you and says 'You did good Fortuna' before she left, Andrew asking 'A friend of yours?' as he finally takes off his mask.
- 'Hardly... I lost it and broke her daughter's arm in a sparring match. She's out to get her revenge on me sooner or later... But we've had a few beers together and I don't really hate her, so...?' you start to explain, then let a yawn out and rub your eyes. 'What time is it?'
- '... Midnight? I have no clue either.'
- 'Too late for this shit sounds more like it... I'm gonna take off.'
- 'You need money for cab fare, or?'
- 'Nah, I'll wait until Kaz settles with Harikēn-san. I want those keys' you elaborate as you sit back down on the bench and take off your mask, Andrew wincing at some of the cuts and bruises you got tonight.
- 'Fuck, I hope I didn't cause all of those...'
- 'Nah, not all of them. And it comes with the territory anyway; No fighter worth their salt has a pretty face after a while.'
- Andrew looks you over one more time, then says 'See you later... Or not' before heading through that fake locker door, that nervousness from the car ride present on his face and in his voice.
- '... Maybe... No... I'll sleep on it; The jury's still out on that nutter.' You quickly brush up your make-up, strip back down to your bare ass, put on the clothes you came into this place with (Fresh & Clean, just like the other set you had asked to be washed) and, for a lark, decide to follow Andrew through the fake door at the very end of T-shaped locker room you were in, a dark corridor and a flight of stairs leading you up to a dark corner of one of Kazahaya's many nightclubs he owns, some retro-80's synth-pop being played and trying to worm it's way through your ears.
- New Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkmXIIL8Caw
- You get a tap on your shoulder from a waiter, then turn around to see a blank check, a $100 bill and a set of keys on his plate. 'For me?' you half-yell.
- 'Yep! From the boss himself!'
- You give him a smile, grab the stuff, make your way through the club and out onto the very, very dark streets of South Town and hail a cab to take you to your new/old home-away-from-home, only waking back up when you arrive.
- >End Updates
- Thanks so much for sticking through to the end of this thread y'all! I'll get on with archiving it on sup/tg/ in a bit.
- I plan to start up Thread #13 by this weekend at the usual start time, but as always if stuff comes up check my Twitter Feed (https://twitter.com/WeaselThat) for updates.
- -------------------------
- >>714207
- Thank you for playing, Anon.
- >>714190
- And archived: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/693636/
- I also am going to try and get back to ending these sessions a tad earlier than this. Leave everybody satisfied because while I can go all night, I know my players cannot.
- END THREAD