Yoioshi Gradation: Empires Fall (Story)
Chapter 1
Eirjiro
Narrator:Oh boy, we're almost finished with the prologue, just a little bit left. Let's finish this up by visiting one of the layers we have yet to, the outer layer, which holds all of the above ground farms, with various crops and mutated animals through various experiments with the cloning machines, attempting to get the most out of their animals. The viewpoint character this time is fairly unique, more than he may come off upon first glance, his hair darker than most and his eyes at more of a slant, his jacket rests on a fence post next to him as his body forces an excel when he grabs a heavy bucket of food for the animals from the bed of the pickup truck he has been using to get around the land. The sun slightly distorted through the ten foot thick dome which covers the layer, directly connecting itself to the classic modern situated in the main portion of the city.
Eirjiro's feet hurt from the rock hard ground he has spent all day working on, with the smell of sewage and pollution filling the air.
Eirjiro:He wiped his forehead, and muttered, "Uzai..." to himself, as he went to finish up on his tasks for the day, ready to get finished with
Narrator:The sun begins to set as the heat rises, with the hottest parts of the day being sunrise and sunset due to the way the dome reflects the rays, with Eirjiro finally finishing up just twenty minutes before it gets dark, closing the bed of the truck with a thud as some of the odd creatures he's become accustomed to during his year long stay here, journey over to the food he has been placing around the edges of the Hemstrim farm.
"It'll be about an hour drive back to the house in which he's been staying, however along that route is a rundown bar that has never really had too many visitors. Alternatively, Eirjiro can decide to cut about forty minutes off his drive by driving through the rough farm land which is very likely to cause a little damage to the truck, but nothing to major*
Eirjiro:He wipes his hands and looks around the area, "Let's see... bar or home..." He looks at the weird ass creatures, kind of numb to how strange they are now. After a moment, he says, "... Fuck it." Hopping in the truck, ready to cut through the farm land, sure Old Blue could take it
Narrator:Eirjiro feels a good sense of freedom and happiness with every bounce as the truck hits hole after hole, speeding across the dry rough land, the wind running through his hair as the music on the radio plays the only station this area seems to be able to pick up
"But, like always, the fun ends just too fast as Eirjiro pulls up in front of the house with smoke rolling out from under the hood with Eirjiro knowing that it's probably just the radiator which tends to give troubles anyways*
Eirjiro:He was just vibing out to the music, thinking about his generation, as he let Old Blue rest for the night. He grabbed his stuff and stretched a bit, before scratching his face and stepping out. Then, he went to see if anyone else was home
Narrator:Entering the home, he finds the owner of the farm and the man who has taken him under his wing, sitting at the table, food already prepared and waiting for Eirjiro sitting across the table as the house radio continues playing the only station this area picks up. The main lights in the house are various candles which have already been lit as Eirjiro gets the sense that something has happened
Eirjiro:He walks over and goes to take a seat. Picking up the feeling in the air, he kept himself calm and reserved, "Hey... today went pretty well... everything alright? Did something happen, Mr. Hemstrim?"
Kernell:Hemstrim takes a minute, moving a bit slower than usual but only takes a couple of seconds to look Eirjiro in the eyes before giving off his usual wide smile, saying in a soft, relaxed toned
"Happen? No, nothing, my boy. Not today anyways."
His words come out almost as slow as he did to initially look to the boy when he came in
The moment seems to drone on, with the feeling of awkwardness beginning to draw over the table, a feeling Kernell doesn't normally give off before picking up his glass and quickly downing the alcohol that was in it. Coming back to his usual self, Kernell looks to Eirjiro and questions
"So, you did all your chores?"
Eirjiro:He raises an eyebrow, still feeling off at the moment, but he tried to ignore it, grabbing his plate of food and bringing it closer. He nodded and said, "Yea, they're all done... it was pretty hot today, but that wasn't too big of an issue."
Kernell:The old man gives a nod, pouring himself some more, letting some more silence sit it
Eirjiro:He decides not to be the one to break the tension, beginning to eat his food, pretty hungry after a hard day of work
Kernell:"It's been almost a year. Just another three days."
Kernell says as he takes his first bite, having waited for Eirjiro to come in before starting as his custom
Eirjiro:He finishes his bite and swallows before continuing, making sure he was showing good manners, "That is has. Thank you for taking me into your home, again. This has been one of the best years of my life, actually."
Kernell:The old man gives a smile, warmer than his usual as his eyes appear to become a bit irritated but he wipes it away, taking another bite before responding
"The feelings mutual Eirjiro. You've been a great help around. It's been my pleasure."
Eirjiro:He eats a little bit more, thinking on what to say next. After a moment, he sets his spoon down and says, "It makes me glad to hear that. I'm glad I could be of use around here. There's always a lot to do... maybe you should try to hire some more hands."
Kernell:"Actually.. Well, we'll get to that."
Kernell reposition himself as he appears to get choked up
"Today is a special day, my boy."
Eirjiro:He was about to get back to eating, before he looked back up and raised an eyebrow, "It is? How so?"
Kernell:"It's an anniversary."
"I.. I admit, I haven't been too open about certain things, and I apologize for that."
Eirjiro:he blinks, a bit confused, and now, concerned, "Anniversary? For what? What's going on, Mr. Hemstrim?"
Kernell:"Nothing you need to worry about, Eirjiro.. Sorry if I seem a bit.. Off today."
"You asked me once about my son, and I said he had went to the city, but.. There is a little more to the story. Seven years ago today.."
Kernell takes a final heavy breath
"Seven years ago today, my son went to the city with my sister and.. Well, needless to say, he didn't return."
"That was the last day I spoke to my sister.. But I hear she is still doing alright. Apparently she's working in one of those factories over in the base section."
"He'd be about your age."
Kernell:Kernell manages to keep his composure fairly well as he raises his hands to rest his head on
Eirjiro:He was going to take another bite, but stopped completely. He brings a hand over his mouth, in contemplation for a moment, listening to Mr. Hemstrin. He nods a bit, and takes a moment to think, before he says, "I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Hemstrim... do you know what happened to him, or did he just disappear?"
Kernell:"A mugger."
"Out of everything, some.. Wanna be thug.. Snatched my sister right into one of the alleys."
"He didn't see my son initially who was holding onto her hand."
He takes another drink before finishing what he's able to say
"My boy startled him and he swung... With a knife."
Eirjiro:He listens quietly, and nods along the whole time, "I see... was the mugger caught?"
Kernell:"Still at large."
"As they say."
Eirjiro:"Mmm... I see."
Kernell:"My wife, she.. Well, I handled it better. She.. Become obsessive... And quiet."
"She had a ritual, from when he was still an idea in our heads."
"Everyday she'd light seven candles and say a prayer for him. End with by placing what we could afford that week in a box."
Kernell gives off a bit of a smile
"That's the only damn ritual of hers I kept up with."
Eirjiro:"That's a nice ritual."
Kernell:He gives Eirjiro a nod before wiping away at his eyes
"Three years ago, today. I walked in from a long day of work.. Which admittedly, I took more of after our son. Left her alone."
"I came in to take a shower, and found her in the bathtub. She couldn't take another year."
Eirjiro:He sits there, in quiet observance for the moment. He nods along with the story, his hands clasped together, in front of his face. At this point, he's completely forgotten the food, and is focused entirely on Mr. Hemstrim
Kernell:Hemstrim goes to stand but fumbles a bit as he does, catching himself though, he stands and gives Eirjiro a wave
"Come here. I got something to show you."
Eirjiro:He stands, and walks over. He offers his arm out to help Mr. Hemstrim, if he needs it. Regardless though, he follows along
Kernell:Kernell takes his offer and leads Eirjiro outside where they head to the barn in front of Old Blue
It takes a couple of minutes to get to and past the doors, but finally Kernell lights the lantern in the barn, walking over to a bench on the wall, he says
"A couple of years ago, while out there, cleaning up some of the land, I came across something."
Moving a few tools, Kernell finally picks up a key that was beneath them and walks over to the middle of the barn, unlocking the trap door which Eirjiro had thought would never be opened
Grabbing the lantern, Kernell steps down into this basement and motions for Eirjiro to join as he says
"I'm an old man, my boy."
Kernell:"And we all have our secrets."
Eirjiro:He looks to him, and then down to the trap door, peering in for a moment. He following along, and says, "That's true... everyone does. Are you sure you want to reveal yours to me, Mr. Hemstrim?"
Kernell:Placing the lantern on the piller holding up the floor of the barn, Eirjiro is able to see the walls covered in cobwebs and dust, but behind that, pictures, pictures that appear to be at least thirty years old, from an earlier time of the city, as Hemstrim walks over and leans against a bench, waving over to the wall next to him
"My wife is the only one who knew around here, but.. I was from the city."
As he looks, Eirjiro sees several pictures of a young, strong man in various situations, with the one common thing in all of them. He appears to be a hero.
"I was one of the first."
"Not first to use their eaftousia of course, but.. I was one of the first Yoioshi."
"Real life superheroes."
Kernell:"Like from before the war."
"Society was doing really good. We had finally built not just one, but two major cities on the outside... Which hell, even then it was still astonishing that we were finally out of the bunkers."
"Back on top of the land."
"... Then he showed."
His hand balls and punches the desk
"That.. Damn Throttle."
Kernell:"He seemed to beable to anything."
"Fly, teleport, punch harder than a truck, and could take an entire building on him."
"He was real rude, so it took him a minute, but eventually, people started to warm up."
"And with fame came the personality."
"And over time.. He took care of everything."
"There wasn't a single thing he couldn't do."
Kernell:"Damn near seemed like he could be in a hundred placed at once."
"It was thanks to him that the entire above layer was even built."
Kernell's fist begins to loosen as he says
"And when you have someone like that.. There isn't much use for the rest of us."
"Like most of the other second rate Yoioshi.. I was tossed aside."
"The money stopped coming in and eventually my wife and I had to get new jobs."
Kernell:"One day, a woman was being robbed as I was walking down the street."
"And my instincts kicked in. I rushed over and beat the mugger down in a matter of seconds.. Hehehe, hardly no one could stop me when I got to fighting back in the day."
His joy quickly fades however as he continues
"Yeah.. That is until the police came."
"Arrested me."
"Said that I should have waited for someone with the proper authority."
Kernell:"You see, new laws had been made since I had left."
"You now had to have an ID, couldn't just use your power when you had to."
"The courts were about as fair as you could ask though."
"Said that because I used to be a Hero, they wouldn't kill or exile me."
"But they basically did."
"Had Throttle strip me of my powers."
Kernell:"Something I wasn't even aware was possible."
"... And with no power, you can't hardly live in them cities."
"I used up the money I had left and spent my next twenty years out here."
"Got this farm and had my boy.."
His head lowers
He gives a clear to his throat and motions to something behind Eirjiro
Eirjiro:He goes to look behind him
Kernell:Eirjiro finds the Kernell's old suit, a bit torn and very dusty, a bit of mold growing on it, but there it rests, hung on the back wall.
"Look behind that old thing."
"Might got to give it a bit of a tug."
Eirjiro:He walks over, inspecting the suit a bit, before going to look behind it
Kernell:The suit was probably really nice back in it's day, but years of non-affection have left it useless. As Eirjiro grabs it it, he hears a bit of a rip as half of it falls down into his hands
Eirjiro:"That's a shame..." Is all he can bring himself to say, taking it all in
Kernell:"Ah, it's fine. Darn thing need to be taken down anyways."
Behind it is a small cubbyhole, and in it is a box
"Go ahead, get out."
Eirjiro:he nods, reaching in, grabbing the box, going to open it up and take a look inside
Kernell:As he looks inside, Eirjiro finds three things, a picture of a younger, healthier Kernell along with a particularly pretty, blonde haired woman, who holds a baby, normal in appearance although a bit chubby; The Hemstrim Family.
Beside this picture is a digi-trans chip, a small chip that can hold certain amounts of Bipjen, allowing it to be transferred through accounts or held as a personal bank
And finally, another box
"Take the chip."
Eirjiro:"Alright." He goes to take the chip
Kernell:Pushing himself off the bench, Kernell reaches his hand to Eirjiro
in it is a white envelope
Eirjiro:He looks over, and takes the envelope, and goes to open it
Kernell:"I know your young. And I know that you have your own life, and your own dreams."
As Eirjiro opens the envelope he finds, paper; The invention to join the newly opening Yukojiin, Chikara-koko.
"But if it doesn't get in the way of those, I would be honored to be your sponsor when you graduate."
Eirjiro:"Eh? Chika-dojo?" He glances a bit closer, having trouble reading in the dark. After a moment, he looked up to Mr. Hemstrim, and smiled, taking a moment to say, "You can rest easy tonight, Mr. Hemstrim... I'm more than ready for that."
Kernell:He gives a wide smile
"I'm glad to hear it, Eirjiro."
"Let's go back inside. I'm sure our food has done grown cold."
Eirjiro:He nods, "Of course."
Kernell:Kernell lets Eirjiro lead the way as he stays a moment and gives a final look to all of his memories
Eirjiro:He lets Kernell take as long as he needs
(From Eirjiro): (19) (3)
(From Eirjiro): (592)
Narrator:"Oh-hohoh! That was a surely sad scene.. I wonder if we'll ever find out about that item old man Kernell was talking about that he found or if that was a slip in the writing... Well, anyways that about does it for the prologue, where we've met most of the major viewpoint characters, but don't you worry, there is three or four more who we have yet to see, which we will meet, in the first two chapters.. Speaking of which."
Fugazi
Narrator:"Oscar is able to eventually go to sleep, or rather passes out from the pain of whatever was injected into him. However I feel like we've given Oscar a little too much special attention, let's change the scene to a third viewpoint character. One that we find in a burger joint as he is finishing his food, sitting in one of the booths beside a window."
Fugazi:He's sipping on his soda loudly through a straw, staring out the window
Narrator:After a few minutes, Fugazi is tapped on the shoulder
Fugazi:He turns, slurping
Narrator:Upon turning, he finds his close friend, who he had came to the resturant with, and who had been waiting for to get back from the restroom before they left.
Fugazi:"Yo."
Eafri:"Let's go, man, they're about to be starting."
Eafri begins heading out, with their food already being finished and paid for
Fugazi:"What's starting?" He follows, slurping
Eafri:"The band! Missing-Trees! The whole reason I'm skipping work today!"
"C'mon, they're down here."
"You still got that ticket, right?"
Fugazi:He checks his pocket
Eafri:Eaftri guides Fugazi down the street, with their destination being just a few blocks away. In his pockets are the tickets.
Fugazi:"Yeah I got 'em."
Eafri:"Alright, good, darn things were expensive."
It doesn't take too long for them to arrive
"You ever seen a live show?"
Fugazi:He thinks "Not as far as I remember."
Eafri:"Same. Pretty sure aside from Missing-Trees, Mad-McDonald is also going to be play. Don't much care for them myself, but they aren't too bad."
Entering into the establishment, a small venue, not too much bigger than the burger joint they had just left, but far more expensive, with a stage on the opposite in the of the room, where the two see a group of people setting up some instruments. They're stopped just after entering however, and are asked for their tickets, Eafri hands his over before taking a few steps inside
Fugazi:He does the same
Eafri:"So, where do you wanna sit?"
Fugazi:He shrugs
Eafri:"I saw we get a seat in the middle of the room, not too close, not too far."
Fugazi:"Makes sense to me."
Eafri:Taking a seat, Fugazi gets an eerie feeling of the scene
"So you think anymore on joining that higher education place?"
Fugazi:"You mean the college?" He sits back looking around a little "Yeah, I've thought about it."
"My parents really want me to go...so...you know." He shrugs.
Eafri:"Yeah, that's fair. Well, I'll miss ya', man."
As they continue to talk, Mad-McDonald begins playing from the stage as the lights in the building dim
Fugazi:"Hey, I'll still keep in touch. No reason not too."
"Summer vacation exists, and my house is still here."
Eafri:"Yeah, but we won't be doing much together anymore. I mean the internet is a nice thing, but it's just not the same. Yeah, well, I suppose that's true."
"Got any plans for after you finish anyway?"
Fugazi:He shrugs
Eafri:"I'm thinking about going into the farms, down seg."
"Think it'll be nice getting to work with the animals down there."
Fugazi:He looks at him for a moment
"Yeah?"
Eafri:"Yeah. It'll be a good bit different then around here."
"More open space. And actual grass."
"Not the fake plants you find in all the buildings around here."
Fugazi:He nods in agreement
"Glad we got to do this before both of us split up, though."
Eafri:"Yeah.."
He peers down for a moment before his ears perk back up as he turns and looks to the stage
"You know, we never did do that thing we promised each other."
Fugazi:"Yeah?"
Eafri:"All the way back when, that little science project.. Just randomly came to me."
He peers back to Fu just as a waiter walks up to the table, asking if they could get anything for the two
Fugazi:"I got no idea what the fuck you're talking about, my guy." He looks to the waiter "Uh, a water."
Eafri:"Got any poppy milk?
He questions, looking to the waiter who nods before asking if that'd be all
Fugazi:"Uh, yeah."
Eafri:Eafri gives a nod and the waiter leaves
"Don't even remember the project, that's sore, pal."
Fugazi:"Bro, I don't even remember what I did yesterday, so if it has something to do wit ha science experiment? I sure as hell don't remember it."
Eafri:He offers a smile and says
"Well, that's fair. We don't got the best of memories."
The night seems to go by fairly quickly, with the mood quickly shifting from the more negative tone Eafri seemed to be putting off to a lighter, more happy, positive one, especially when his favorite band; Missing Trees came on
Eventually, the two leave, with Eafri taking the lead as per usual
"Auhaaaa, man!"
"That was awesome!"
Eafri:He points to a passerbyer
"You don't even know!"
Fugazi:He's chuckling a bit himself "That was really cool."
Eafri:"Dude, just that guitar riff by Ad-nesner was great!"
Fugazi:"I mean, there were a lot of those, but I'm picking up what you're laying down."
Eafri:Night as already fallen, as curfew time is quickly on it's way, the two continue to make their way down the street, heading for the parking lot in which Eafri parked.
"Missing Trees is just the best! So glad they decided to play down here just before your tests started! Normally they only do it down in B.484."
Fugazi:"Really? I didn't even know that."
Eafri:"Yeah, that's where a lot of the entertainment stuff is made, all the movies and pretty much all the music that we listen to was recorded down there."
Fugazi:He nods, taking in the info
Eafri:He turns, pushing up his pair of glasses, walking backwards as they keep talking
"Speaking of movies, you seen that new It's Amazing Season 2 documentary?"
Fugazi:He shakes his head
Eafri:Soon enough, the two make it to Eafri's car as they keep talking, he goes on about how it's just the funniest thing he's ever seen, pretty much all the way home, telling Fugazi random tid bits of information regarding the film and music
Fugazi:He nods, listening to his friend, before hopping out of the car and waving goodbye. He walks up to the driveway of his parent's house to the front door, and immediately heads up to his room and goes to bed.
Narrator:"As Fitz finds a place to hide out, now is when we go back to dear old Fugazi, hehe, sorry about that, so to catch his, he and his dog friend Eafri had went out to a nearby club, similar to where we're leaving Fitz, but a lot.. Smaller in size, more indie if you will. Where they got to see three bands play before heading home to the Above section, where he had been dropped off before his friend flew off*
"Fugazi's home is much bigger than any of those he had ever seen in any of the layers below, as it was nearly 2000 ft. from wall to wall, with the walls being made of a hard reinforced plastic with shutters that can chop through just about anything they have to to close. Fugazi has his own small apartment which is close to his family's unnecessarily large home, situated on one of these extremely large plots of land which are floors of the several towers that make up the Above layer."
"Last we left off, Fugazi had entered his home and went to sleep, and now that we're returning, we see him on his radius, which if you don't know, is similar to a phone for these times."
"Mid day is just rolling around and one of the many cleaners that work for his family knocks on his front door, asking if it is okay for them to enter to begin cleaning."
Fugazi:He looks around, seeing that his apartment looks about as clean as one would expect Fugazi to keep it "...I'm good."
Cleaner: "Oki, just ring the bell if you need us."
Fugazi:He stands up, stretches, and opens his blinds, and just blinks at the horizon. He sighs, and goes to the living room, sinking down on his couch and plays some video games
Narrator:"It's not long before Fugazi hears another knock just before the door opens, not wanting for his response as his mother steps in*
Mom: "Have you taken that package to your dad yet?"
Fugazi:"...Hm?" He pauses his game
Mom: She notices the package still on the table in the kitchen and says as she stomps "Gawd! Fugazi, you're such a Impieel! Your father has to have that package within an hour! Now get off your ass and take it! He's at work, down in the third layer."
Fugazi:"..."
He looks at the table, and then back to her "...uh..."
"What is it again?"
Mom: "I don't know, I don't ask him about everything he has going on, just take the damn thing and go, you're already going to be late."
Fugazi:"Why do I have to do it? You could pay to just...have it taken there."
"Or just drop it and have him catch it."
Mom: "Okay.. Fine, but next time a game comes out that you want, I'mma tell you to have that mumistic friend of yours drop it for you." She stomps over and grabs the package before heading out
Fugazi:He rolls his eyes
Narrator:"Fugazi returns to his gaming with an hour passing and night beginning to appear before a call comes up on his phone."
Fugazi:He answers it with one hand "Yo."
Chung:A not all that close, but still semi-friend of his from one of the floors above is on the other end, one of the children he grew up with, and has even had the chance to beat up before due to a.. Undesirable conflict. Arkin Chung, who prefers going by his family name, is one of the most intelligent people Fugazi knows and also one of the more attractive, at least that's what a lot of the ladies around think. He's also one of the few fully asian blooded characters still around.
"Fu? Is that you?"
Fugazi:"No."
"Of course it is, you called my number."
"What's up?"
Chung:"Well you never know, I personally don't like picking up my phone so I have my people pick it up... Aniweighs, Fu! I need your help! When can you get down here?"
Fugazi:"What do you need?"
Chung:"My guard has called in sick and I'm about to be going down to the lower layer. Need someone to watch my back."
Fugazi:He looks at his clock "..."
"...what's in it for me?"
Chung:"What do you want?"
Fugazi:"A favor."
Chung:"I'm not setting up a meeting with Chul."
Fugazi:He pauses, squinting his eyes
"...Deal."
Chung:"Alright, meet me in my parking spac-.. can you pilot?"
Fugazi:"Yeah. You're vehicle. though."
*Your
Chung:"Fine, just get down here when you can. I have a meeting that I can't miss."
Fugazi:He grabs his bag and starts running
Narrator:"Fugazi runs his butt off and gets down to the lower floor where he finds Chung's car door open, in an extremely classy hoverier."
Chung:He snaps his fingers to make sure Fugazi's attention is gained
"Fu, let's go!"
Fugazi:He hops in the front seat
Chung:Fugazi has an idea as to what do as his father has given him piloting lessons before, but still isn't completely comfortable behind the wheel
"We're heading down to an alley off Hiiko Street."
Fugazi:He types in the address for Hiiko Street and starts off
Chung:Along the way, Fugazi can tell Chung is more nervous than usual, his forehead even glistening with sweat as he roams through his phone
"Fu! Turn on some tunes."
Fugazi:"You on drugs?"
Chung:"Drugs? No! I would never degrade my body like that."
Fugazi:"Then why are you sweating so much and geeking out?"
Chung:"Geeking out?"
Fugazi:"Yeah. Like a tweaker."
"I'm saying you're nervous, pal."
Chung:"Tweak- Ah, a user."
Fugazi:"What's up?"
Chung:"Listen, we're on our way to a very series meeting that I can not miss and absolutely can not mess up."
"My primary body guard waited until the last minute to call me and tell me he was sick!"
"And above all of this, my sister is dating one of those damn.. Mumistians."
"I'm not having a good time right now, Fu."
"I just need to get this meeting done, it's wasn't even supposed to be mine."
"It's my father's but he's decided to push it off onto me while trying to say 'This will show me how you handle business, Arkin.'.. Fool!"
Chung:"He knows I'm not ready for this type of person."
"But still he insists that I am the one to do this... Auh!"
Chung gives a wave to the air
"You wouldn't understand."
Fugazi:"...yeaaaaa..."
He nods along like he didn't just get his whole life story "You're probably right."
Chung:"You're going to that.. Yukojiin, right?"
Fugazi:"Yeah, should be shipping off here soon."
Chung:"This is your last week, right? Happy to be heading out?"
Fugazi:He nods along as he looks around "I'm excited, I'm excited. Kinda nervous, actually, being away from home...well, I guess more than I already am."
Chung:"New environment and all. Well, I'm sure you'll do fine. Might have a hard time with the grades, but you can get some tutoring."
"Sure you'll find a friend or two there, seems to be something you've always been good at. Making them friends."
Fugazi:He looks at Chung, squinting "...yeaaa..."
Chung:He grabs some water and begins to chug it with Fugazi realizing this is one of the most comfortable and smooth riding vehicles he's ever been in, with it feeling like a mechanic cloud
"You still talk to that gutter tr-.. Girl from a couple layers down?"
"What was her name.. Chiyabe?"
Fugazi:He rubs the wheel with his thumb "Nah. She's old news."
Chung:"That's good."
The wheel feels as though it's made out of gel
Fugazi:"Yeah?"
Chung:"Yeah, she wasn't really.. One of us... Although that's one of the places we've always disagreed on, now that I think of it."
Fugazi knows to start to slow down as the street is starting to come up
Fugazi:He begins to slow down "Has been, hasn't it?"
Chung:He wipes the sweat from his head and gives himself a moment to breath before pointing down to an available parking space
"That's close enough."
Fugazi:He puts it in park
Chung:As the vehicle lowers, it comes into a nice gentle landing as Chung takes a moment before getting out, saying beforehand
"Don't forget to lock it."
Fugazi:He does not, as he follows
"Who're you meeting?"
Chung:"An associate of my father's."
Chun grabs the trunk, opening as it reads his prints and grabs two large cases from it before noding to it, indicating for Fugazi to shut it as he begins walking away
"A very serious man who is playing a very serious game. And a man that I would prefer not to anger, which is why I'm so nervous."
Fugazi:He shuts it and follows and nods
Chung:"I ask that you keep your words, particularly any opinions to yourself. And trust that you're not the gossiping type."
Fugazi notices the club he had went to just the other night isn't far from here
Fugazi:"Makes things too difficult."
He looks at the club as they pass
Chung:The club seems to be filling pack up as night is very quickly coming upon the city. The two keep walking for half a block before finally Chung enters an alley
As the two enter the alley, not even twelve steps in Chung is forced to stop as a man half his size steps out from behind a trash can with several others coming out of no where and taking spots around them
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:"So... Wat's n' teh boxes 'shima?"
Chung:He slows to a stop and looks around to the five men who are starting to crowd the alley and says
"No, listen. You don't want to mess with who this belongs to."
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:"Yeh? N' ywh's tat?"
Chung:He pauses for a minute before looking over to Fugazi
"Think if you had to?"
Fugazi:"...these aren't the guys?"
Chung:"The-.. No!"
Fugazi:"Oh."
He kicks the nearest one
Attempts to kick (235)
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:Attempts to notice (50)
"Whauhhahaha!"
The nearest one didn't see it coming from a mile away as Fugazi instantly renders him unconscious from a simple chest kick
"Te' 'ell?!"
Fugazi:"Stop talking. I can't understand you."
"Just listen."
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:The second closest one runs at him
Fugazi:"Get the fuck out of here, go get some dentures."
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:Attempts to strike (147)
Fugazi:Attempts to dodge (232)
He goes to kick him out of the alley
Attempts to kick (202)
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:Attempts to block (97)
He had no chance as Fugazi kicks him in the ass and out of the alley straight onto his face as it scrapes against the ground and onto the sidewalk
A third one runs up, hoping he can do something.. Anything
Attempts to use an extra limb (105)
Fugazi:Attempts to dodge (202)
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:The man had jumps and did an almost 80s anime knee into the sky as Fugazi simply stepped to the side
Fugazi:He goes to punch him in his gut
Attempts to strike (143)
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:Attempts to block (101)
Smoke comes out of his throat as he nearly vomits up his lunch, falling to the ground as the last two freeze
Fugazi:"Scram."
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:The last thug runs as the ringleader stands, his eyes revealed past his glasses as his mouth stands agape
Fugazi:"Did I stutter, chief?"
Teh Ha-ardy Bois:He gives a cartoon hard swallow before turning around and scooby-dooing it the fuck outta here
Chung:Chung gives a bow to Fugazi
"Thank you."
Fugazi:"Don't mention it."
"Where's our guy?"
Chung:"Should be just ahead."
Chung continues until they reach a door with graffiti that reads 'Teh Ha-ardy Bois Turf now shon' and knocks on it
After a moment, the door opens, seemingly on it's own as no one stands behind it and leads into a dark hallway
"Alright.. Fu.. If something happens, protect me, but.. The cases are priority number one. If this goes south, take them and run."
Fugazi:He doesn't answer
Chung:With no answer, he gives a nod and slowly enters the hallway, walking until it is difficult to even see his hand at his side before the two see a small flame from a lighter appear
Chung stops as the light raises, revealing a.. Rather average looking face, with light green eyes before the door behind them shuts, cutting all light but the one from the cigarette that was just lit as a rather calm voice appears, saying in a higher tone than you'd expect in this kind of situation
Unknown:"Sorry about the theatrics, lights should be back in here in just a moment."
Chung:"Are you uhh.. I'm Arkin Chung. I believe I'm here for a trade."
Chung says through a shaky voice
Unknown:"It was supposed to be your father, but.. Not everything can go as plan."
Chung:"Well, everything is in the cases, you don't gotta worr-"
Unknown:"Sh-sh-sh-.. Please, I like to see who I'm talking to, surely the twin shouldn't be much lo- ahuh."
The voice gasps as the lights in the building suddenly turn back on revealing the face
Mudakai:"Well.. There we are."
Fugazi:He squints his eyes, a little confused
Mudakai:"Again, sorry about that. The uhh.. Owners of this place weren't too accommodating."
He gives a flick to his cigarette, dropping the ash on the ground
"Mind if I inquire who the friend is?"
Chung:"Ahuh, this is.. Uhh.."
*He looks to Fugazi
Fugazi:"Fugazi."
Mudakai:"Fugazi? Interesting name."
Fugazi:He was told to keep his opinions to himself
Mudakai:"Hope the kids outside didn't give you too much of a fuss. They were a bit.. Well, they were just plain weird to me."
Chung:"Auh, no, Fugazi got rid of them rather quickly."
Mudakai:"Oh? That's good. Fugazi here a friend or an employee?"
Chung:"At the moment a bit of both I suppose."
Mudakai:"That's good.. You always have to have friends.."
The character stands and introduces themselves, extending a hand to Fugazi
"Names Mudakai."
Fugazi:He looks to the hand and then to Mudakai, before finally shaking it
Mudakai:He gives a smile before taking another puff from his cig and shakes Chung's hand before taking his seat again
Fugazi:Attempts to notice (1)
Unknown:Fugazi hears the sound of something being dragged before he looks behind him to see a rather big man dragging a few 'teh ha-ardy bois'
The man looks past the two and says
"Alright, they're all taken care of, boss."
Mudakai:"Thank you, Gald. Get yourself something to drink and wait in the car, we're not going to be much longer."
Fugazi:He nods
Gald:He gives a nod to Fugazi and walks away, leaving a small pile of bodies behind Fugazi and leaving out the door the two entered in
Mudakai:"Speaking of drinks, would either of you want one?"
"I'm sure we have... Something decent here."
Chung:"If it's all the same to you, sir, I'm very busy today."
Fugazi:"Same."
Mudakai:"Hmm.. Okay."
Mudakai waves Chung over
"I know how it is to be busy.. Quite a hassle indeed."
Chung walks over and hands one of the cases to Muda as he opens it and peers in at an angle that Fugazi can't see in
After a moment, he gives a nod and asks for the second, which he is then handed and also peers in
After another second, he nods and says
Mudakai:"Alright, looks like we're all good. Fugazi, behind you is a closet. Look in it."
Fugazi:He squints
He looks to Chung
Chung:Chung appears a bit worried but after another hard swallow gives a nod
Fugazi:He shrugs, and casually opens the closet
Mudakai:Inside the closet is a small bag made of clothe
"Your stuff is in there."
Chung:Chung looks from Fugazi to Mudakai and back to Fugazi not really knowing what he's supposed to do here before saying as he stands up
"That's uhh.. That's it?"
Fugazi:He takes the bag
Mudakai:"Yes. That's all. Some argue it could have been done through mail, but I like the.. The old ways of looking my business in the eyes."
"Seems more sincere. More personal and less.. Artificial."
"But, I'm sure your father had.. Good reasons for not appearing."
"Neither way. It was good meeting the both of you and I hope you have a wonderful time."
"Goodbye."
Chung:Chung gives a bow and slowly turns to walk away when Mudakai raises his voice
Mudakai:"I'm.. So sorry to stop you, but.. How old did you two say you are?"
Chung:Chung pauses for a moment before slowly turning back to Mudakai
"Uhh.. I'm.. Twenty, sir."
Mudakai:"Twenty? Pretty young. Alright, how about you Fugazi?"
Fugazi:"Around there."
Mudakai:He gives a smile and peers down
"Twenties were a shit time for me. Wish you a better time."
He raises his cigarette to them, with it being the final goodbye
Chung:Chung steps over the bodies and takes his leave, letting Fugazi hold onto the clothe for the moment
Fugazi:He follows
Chung:As they reach outside, he lets out a gasp of air and begins breathing heavily
Bringing up his hands Fugazi can see they're shaking as if he was going through hard withdraw as he begins to walk out of the alley
"Alright, that's it!"
"It's over!"
"Thank Ubrino."
Fugazi:"You're welcome." He has no idea who Ubrino is
Chung:"And thank you for showing up! I had no idea what we were walking into, nor do I know what's in that clothe."
"And I do not want to know. I'm ready to just get beyond all of this and go back to my studies."
"Let's get out of here."
Chung is on a fast track for the car
Fugazi:He nods "I don't want to fight anymore rednecks today."
He unlocks the car and throws the bag in the backseat
Chung:He hopes in the front seat next to Fugazi, not wanting to be near the bag
"Alright, we got to drop this off with my father.. Then we can go home."
Narrator:"Chung and Fugazi fly off, heading for Chung's father's work as we head back a few days ago, back to a familar face; Fitz, as he jumps out of his cab and start to enter the Sweeter than T's before he is stopped by the bouncer, asking for ID*
Chapter 2
Eirjiro
// School? Or Prison? \\
Narrator:"Well look at there, we're finally at the first chapter, and who are we focusing on for now? Non-other than our last boy himself, Eirjiro, who appears to have already gotten past the school's gate where he was given very brief and blunt directions to his dorm, and the room he has been assigned. As he ventures through the campus, he finds it much bigger than he would have thought, with various buildings other than just the main schoolhouse and the four dorms."
"The school seems to yet be filled with it's seven hundred student limit, with only a handful, in comparison, showing up on the first friday students are allowed on campus. Eirjiro eventually makes his way to his room, where he finds it fairly small and simple, the final note he was given by the gate was to check the desk in his dorm, where he finds a laptop like device, with a video on it titled 'play me'."
Eirjiro:He pulls up the video and goes to play it
Renzo:"Welcome to your first day of Chikara-koko, new student."
says a boy with short purple hair in a martial arts uniform, before continuing
"Name's Renzo Stiel and I'm the boss of your new home. Head of the North Dorm and the one you'll direct most question too.. But please hesitate to come to me."
Renzo raises a hand and places it on the back of his head before closing his eyes, continuing
"If you must talk, I can usually be found in the room on the roof of the dorm.. Because they took the 'head' part a little too seriously."
He gives a sigh before saying the next part a bit faster, trying to get this over
Renzo:"You already had to sign into school to enter the gates, so no need to worry about that. Starting Monday, those gates are going to be locked for the first week, so make sure you brought anything and everything you need for that time. If you need to buy something, the school has a small market which sells most essentials, for a bit a higher price for the sake of something school non-sense. Speaking of school non-sense, there is a competition, held at the end of every month against each dorm, North and West against East and South. So make sure to make friends with your Western cousins and don't take shit from the Easterners. South typically gets along with everyone until you fuck with one of their people, then you've really kicked the hive, so make sure not to go doing that. As for us... Don't do too much in-fighting. Spend your first day, two, or three if you're one of the few to show up day one, looking around and making yourself familiar with the campus. On this Mishikouta you'll find all the information you need on this school, it's history, the classes, people, and even friends in the apps found in the 'C.K.Y.' folder."
He takes a minute to give himself a breather before continuing, eyes still closed and hand still rubbing the back of his head
"While inside the walls of the school, you're allowed to use your eaftousia freely, as long as it's used responsibly. If it's discovered that you're taking advantage of this freedom, you'll be kicked and banned from ever joining a Yukojiin again.. This is a co-ed dorm, so please be respectful to your other sexes, otherwise you'll be kicked.. And possibly face a judge... That's about it, just don't go around killing each other, ruining the chance we're offering everyone with this place. Oh, and I won't be in my room until Sunday, so don't expect to talk to me until then... And I guess I should tell you, because this 'school' has been foreseen to get a little chaotic, so we have a series of monitors among the school staff that have authority over all students. What they say goes, if you go against one or piss one off, you're in some sort of trouble that I didn't bother reading, but.. Don't worry, you won't get kicked."
Eirjiro:He nods, and proceeds to browse the folder for a bit more general information after watching that video
Narrator:In the folder, he finds several other apps, among them are an app for school work which directly connects to the classes, allowing for the submission of work. Another app is a social app; C.K.Chats, where a basic profile has been set up for every Mishikouta, waiting for the students to further edit and personalize things. Another is an ordering app, Ship-Shop, where he can order various things which will show up for him at one of the markets after a small bit of time. Another is a map of the school, showing off the uses of the various buildings.
Eirjiro:He nods again, and familiarizes himself with things a bit. After a moment, he goes to check out what's going on the C.K.Chats
Narrator:There are a couple of conversations already occurring, with various topics already having been created, most of these accounts though have yet to be created with their names being Mishikouta-0, followed by a series of numbers and letters, making it fairly hard to tell who exactly is saying what
Eirjiro:He sees if there's a topic or conversation that catches his interest in particular
Narrator:Of the various topics and conversations Eirjiro scrolls, for some reason, three in particular stick in his mind; topics titled 'Who needs Eaftousia?' and 'We're checking out the training grounds, join us at 2.' and a conversation occuring where a certain account; George Amuthouck, asks if there are any real people at this school, or if everyone here is as fake as everything else in the city.
Eirjiro:(1)
He hops onto the third thread and types out, [What makes you real?]
George Amuthouck:[What makes you real is thinking for yourself and seeing through the loads of bullshit that the media constantly pushes.]
Eirjiro:[No, what makes you real, George?]
George Amuthouck:[Oh, my apologies. Nothing. I'm as fake as the rest of you.]
Eirjiro:[(｀-´)>]
he sends that then walks off
George Amuthouck:[wha-.. hehe, I got a feeling we'll get along, mister 1-65387.]
Narrator:"Eirjior walks off? But to where?"
Eirjiro:He ambles around a bit, seeing if anything catches his interest before he starts checking out some of the buildings
Narrator:As he ambles around in his own dorm, he finds several peers doing various activities, ranging from wrestling to just chatting, with groups already starting to form, both out of friendship and hatred.
As he walks around the campus, Eirjiro enters one of the non-dorm buildings to find a massive pool inside, with an almost stadium like seating situation. In the seats, he sees a couple making out, and gets a sense that this school is a little more free than it should be.
Eirjiro:He shakes his head, ashamed for them. He leaves them be, walking around and enjoying the sights a bit, aside from that
Narrator:As he continues, he finds a locker room which leads into another large room, which looks like a type of basic training and prep-room.
Eirjiro:He rubs his chin, and looks for anything that could benefit for him his partial style of training and martial arts
Narrator:He finds various weights and pieces of equipment behind a couple of doors that are in this training room
Eirjiro:He starts looking for training dummies
Narrator:Couple of types are in the equipment room
Eirjiro:He nods, noting to himself that he'll be coming here a lot in the coming years
Narrator:As he leaves the training room, he feels a weird situation approaching as he sees a tiny, four feet being walking towards him, shades on his face and gym clothes on his shoulders and waist
A ball bouncing against his hand and the floor as he walks
Eirjiro:He blinks and looks to the tiny, four foot being, inspecting him
GymRat:"Yo!"
Eirjiro gets a finger gun as the creature walks by, bouncing a classic b.ball.
Eirjiro:"Eeh?" He mutters, quite caught off guard. Having never seen a being like this as far as he can recall, he looks Gym Rat up and down, and shakes his head, "That's... quite a costume."
GymRat:"Costumes are for smucks."
Eirjiro:"What?"
"What is a smuck?"
GymRat:"Y'know? Smuck. Kind of like you."
Eirjiro:"Is that an insult?"
GymRat:"Depends on the kind of person you are, smuck."
Eirjiro:Attempts to discover, with (0) degrees.
Attempts to discover, with (0) degrees.
Attempts to discover, with (0) degrees.
GymRat:Eirjiro is at a complete fucking loss as to what a smuck would be
Eirjiro:He blinks, really lost and confused
GymRat:"See'ya on the court, croawdel."
With that, the GymRat walks on, acting way cooler than he ever could be.
Eirjiro:(2)
He turns and follows behind him, and says, "I would prefer if you didn't insult me."
GymRat:He gets the bird from a rat-man as he keeps walk, his overly sized, weirdly shaped feet making enormous, for his size, shadows as they raise
Eirjiro:He goes to swing at him in response to this
Attempts to strike (131)
Attempts to run (160)
GymRat:Attempts to notice (0)
Attempts to notice (0)
The GymRat doesn't see it coming as Eirjiro swings a mighty blow with the fury of a Japanese delinquent
His finger completely mangled as he stops and looks in shock as his finger is very clearly broken.
A small squeak comes from his mouth as his glove begins to pool with blood before Eirjiro watches the GymRat shrink a little
Eirjiro:"I ask you, don't insult me anymore."
GymMouse:"Y-y-y-y-yes! I understand!"
"Please!"
With that, the GymMouse runs away, shock still holding his pain
Eirjiro:He scratches his nose, and then turns to go and check out more of the general equipment
Unknown:It doesn't take long after he leaves the gym building before he hears from behind him
"Already people are making friends and enemies."
Eirjiro:He looks back over at who said that
Unknown:Some guy has his back turned to Eirjiro but is stopped not far behind him, finishing off with
"I don't think I like how this place handles it's.. 'students'."
Eirjiro:"How is that?"
Joshua:The student turns back and says with an emotionless face
"Too much freedom."
Eirjiro:He thinks back to when he first entered the area, and after a moment nods, "I can see that. In some ways."
Joshua:"We're going from an extremely strict, sickly corrupt country that has placed too much focus on our terribly unstable cities, to a free for all jungle."
"Children who have grown up with gangs are already, day one, forming groups which will surely become the cliques or coteries."
"It's only been nine hours since those gates opened, and already students are using public areas for... Physical acts."
"This school is on a very fast horrible route."
"The only reason this place will be any good is for some reason, having a Yukojiin on your credentials is a fast pass for most of the shitty jobs out there."
Eirjiro:He nods, "You may be correct."
Joshua:A silence accompanies the two for a few minutes before he asks
"What is your reason for being here?"
Eirjiro:He clears his throat, "Someone who means a lot to me sent me here. I'm hoping I can do him proud."
Joshua:"Honorable... Or blindly following someone else's dreams."
He looks away for a moment before glancing back to only say
"Ignore me, I'm just a in a bad mood at the moment."
Eirjiro:He raised an eyebrow, a bit annoyed by that comment, but he cleared his throat and said, "Alright... I'll keep that consideration in mind for now."
Joshua:"Piece of advice; don't get involved with any of the groups too quickly."
With that, he turns and begins walking away, saying as he leaves
"I'm Joshua by the way."
Eirjiro:He nods, "Joshua. Alright, I'll remember that. I am Eirjiro."
Joshua:"I know."
Is the last thing he says before turning a corner
Eirjiro:He raises an eyebrow at that as well, but shakes his head, letting that slide without incident for now... but it did have him curious. He turned then to start heading back towards his dorm room, to make sure he had everything of his put away, after his cursory glance around the campus
