Sixteenth Jump (Harvest Moon) Part 1

Harvest Moon Jump

Location: Konohana

Age/Origin: 20/Drop-In

CP: 1600cp

Perks: Weatherman (100cpD), Gaia Speaks To Me (150cpD), Greenthumb (50cpD)

Equipment: Farm Hands (100cp), Superior Tools (100cp), Farmer’s Almanac (200cp), House Expansion (200cp), Blue Feather (200cp), Fishing Pole (100cp), Kitchen (200cp), Bigger Barn (100cp), Seeds Galore (100cp)

Drawbacks: Hard Work (+600)

Yankaka-------

Rancher (100cp), Age 23

Perks/Equipment: Master Cook (50cp), Looking Good (50cp), Rancher (Free), Greenthumb (100cp)

Celestian-------

City Girl (100cp), Age 18

Perks/Equipment: Friendship (Free), Expert Trader (100cpD), Greenthumb (100cp)

Cierra-----------

Farmer (100cp), Age 19

Perks/Equipment: Greenthumb (Free), Who Needs Water? (150cp), Master Cook (50cp)

Fia---------

Drop-In, Age 18

Perks/Equipment: Companion Guidebook (300cp)

Lina----------

Rancher (100cp), Age 17

Perks/Equipment: Rancher (Free), Charge It Up (200cp)

Bang--------

Farmer (100cp), Age 22

Perks/Equipment: Blessing of the Goddess (300cp), Greenthumb (Free)

The Setup Process

            After sitting through the rest of the Blazblue jump and, of course, introducing everyone to Yankaka and Bang, I woke up in a bed that was situated in the corner of a room. There appeared to be a doorway to another section of the house, but otherwise the room was quite sparse. A chest, a bookshelf, a TV, a calendar… and that is about it. Climbing out of bed, I slipped out the front door and took a look around.

            Fields, a barn, Yankaka playing with a fish pond… Harvest Moon? Not a village I remember. I took an hour finding and gathering everyone up and, after a little bit of explaining, we set about fixing the one real issue that we were faced with… Where the fuck am I going to put everyone?!

            It took some time speaking with every villager from both of the towns that were apparently here, but we did eventually manage to find a place for just about everyone. Celestian was going to help the Bluebell mayor for a place to stay, Cierra the tea shop here in Konohana, Lina the clinic, and Fia the general store over in Bluebell. An even split of everyone except for me, Yankaka, and Bang. That was going to be difficult as they both chose to stay on the farm and help me out with everything.

            I wasn’t going to argue with them, but the main difficulty was the sheer fact that there was only one bed. Yes, I could always bunk with one of them, but I can only imagine that causing issues for everyone involved. Being the gentlemen we were, me and Bang offered to allow Yankaka the actual bed while me and him slept in the second room with the aid of these ta… tatami beds? They were like bedrolls, but oddly comfy. Had to use one when I was living with Bang in the previous jump.

            It mattered not, but we did get everyone settled in and even got everyone a place to work during our stay here… As long as everything went well and no one did anything rash. As far as the farm was concerned, I split up the tasks between me, Bang, and Yan. For the start, I simply allowed them to help me with the farming during the day and split up afterword so that everyone could do as they pleased.

            For the most part, I simply fished during my spare time as we needed some starting coinage as, because of the situation, I didn’t have my usual funds. Yan or Bang would join me every now and then with the Sisters visiting the farm about once or twice a week so that we could have one of our group meals. Considering the fact that Yan was helping Cierra with the cooking, I took it as a good sign that everyone was getting along. A few rough edges, but that was bound to occur no matter who was involved.

            It was quite… relaxing to be honest. Simply farming instead of having to worry about various battles or other situations. Sadly, I had to get over my nicotine addiction, but I still had access to some drink every now and then… Not my usual taste or amount, but it was enough to keep me from going through the headache of not having any. Though, especially now while I didn’t have any of my perks, everyone was getting onto me about my drinking habits.

            Most were health concerns, but others were worried more about my discipline and the psychological reason behind why I seemed to drink once every day or two… for a few hours… but, I did my best to comfort them and push aside any real worries that they presented. I was getting my work done and I wasn’t harming anyone, so I didn’t see why I should.

            What surprised me was the fact that Yankaka was worried about it. She knew that I drank a lot, but as of late she had started taking her chances at hiding any alcohol that I purchased for myself, keeping me away from anywhere that I could purchase it through excuses or other means, and even once convinced Bang to break the bottle I had from a distance with a rock. Don’t know how she did it, but considering it was a way of helping me, I am sure that she figured something out. Crazy cat.

Fifteenth Jump (Blazblue) Part 6

Yan-Confusion

            Yankaka donned her newly-dyed jacket, her ‘face’ appearing once more now that she was fully clothed. The dye had caused her jacket to be a solid, navy blue color as to hide her identity. Well, once she had hid her tail and braid inside of the jacket, no one would be able to recognize her… Not even Tadek, if she didn’t speak. It wasn’t like he would find out and, while it brought her guilt to be hiding actions that he didn’t approve of, she knew that it had to be done. She couldn’t have him, if there were people in the way!

            Now that she was nice and disguised, the Kaka left home and went on her hunt for that red-headed woman who had sat down and obviously tried to console him when he was angry… Yes, she had been following him for breakfast. Her hunt for the competition could never be halted!

            It took her a good half-day to actually find the harlot who had actually touched Tadek’s hands… Something she simply could not allow as that meant she was ahead of her! Tadek never allowed her to hold his hand… Not even his arm, no matter how often and how hard that she tried. The Kaka was not exactly happy about that fact… Perhaps if she removed this one, she would finally get to show him some classic, romantic affection.

            It was unimportant, however… She followed that woman around for the better part of the day, trying to find a prime opportunity for her to actually attack her. During this time, she actually caught the red-head talking to Tadek again. “How dare she, nya!” The Kaka muttered to herself. He was claimed already… even if it wasn’t official, she laid claim to that man.

            She couldn’t hear what they were talking about from her position, but they seemed on friendly terms. It made the Kaka’s blood boil, her cloth-covered ears pinned back while her giant claws slipped out from the holes in her jacket every now and then. Though, as she was thinking of how much closer this would bring her to him, something crossed her mind… He did not like the fact that people were dying.

            “If Sweet Guy finds out what Yankaka is going, he might leave Yankaka, nya.” She said to herself as she moved to stand over an alleyway, looking down as the redhead started to go on through. “Maybe Yan simply scare her? No… She will tell others, nya. But, Yan is disguised, nya… She wouldn’t know.” The Kaka shifted back and forth from the edge of the alleyway, physically debating as to whether or not she should attack or simply leave it be. Was the risk of losing her prize really worth taking out the competition through bloodshed? Was it worth losing someone who showed her care and helped her?

            Yes… Yes, it was. He wouldn’t find out, she thought. There was no way he could find out when she had such a wonderful disguise! She wouldn’t have to tell him… No, no, no. Without further thought, she leapt down from her perch, her claws unsheathing from the claws in her jacket. Yan would make it nice and quick… That would be the right thing to do.

------------------

            With my plan in mind, I left home rather early this time around and went off in search of that red-haired woman who had approached me just yesterday. It would be a cruel action to use her to find the murderer, but on one hand I might actually be saving her if she was already a target. It took me a good portion of the day, but once I found her, I set about doing what I had to… For one, I actually did need to find her for a much more mundane act.

            That act was simple… To apologize for my behavior yesterday. While she did seem a little weirded out by the fact that I looked for her to simply apologize for my attitude, she accepted the apology with a smile and went on her way. It was quite an easy task to follow her once he brought up some of his perks. If he wanted to hide, practically no one in this universe could find him. (Except for perhaps certain Observers.)

            He was going to find that murderer and put a stop to them… After all, this involved him and, at this rate, Yankaka was probably going to be attacked if the murderer was, in fact, attacking women who interacted with him. Hmm… Why hadn’t she been attacked before? Hmm.

-----------------

            Yankaka was close to landing on the other woman, her claws outstretched and mere inches away from sinking into the red-head’s pale flesh. The Kaka’s eyes grew in size and her fanged smile turned upside down as Tadek seemed to appear from thin air, his hand clasping around the feline woman’s wrist. With a small flick of his wrist, she went flying across the alley and into a far wall, bouncing off of it and to the ground with a hard thud.

            While Yan was recovering from the shock of being thrown against a wall and the fact that her beloved had appeared to stop her without so much as a second of hesitation. Her vision was blurred, but she could see him approaching and, as it cleared she took painful notice of his expression. He seemed angry with her. “Wasn’t too difficult to find you, you know. Your targets were predictable and the weapons were always the same. Don’t know why I didn’t figure that it was a Kaka.”

            He didn’t recognize her… That fact both frightened her and ease some of her worries. As he spoke, she could see him take out one of those flaming sticks he liked to burn, fitting it between his lips and lighting it with nothing more than a flame that appeared on his finger. She didn’t speak… She didn’t want him to know it was her. That would make things even worse.

            Thinking quickly, the Kaka tried to climb to her feet and run away, but as she turned, she felt a hand close in around her ankle. He… He was twenty feet away… How did he close the gap!? “Where do you think you’re going? You’ve caused me and plenty of innocents some grief.” She heard before pain shot through her frame, her vision going black for a moment as the next thing she realized was that she was pinned against a wall by Sweet Guy’s foot, the wall itself having caved in from the impact.

            Her body wouldn’t move, both physical and emotional pain keeping her from moving as she just looked up at his glowing, red eyes. Why were his eyes red? It was a carry-over from some of his perks, something of which she wasn’t aware of. Her heart was sinking, her eyes welling up as she realized two simple things… One, she had been causing him actual grief, and two… He was cruel at times. No, that couldn’t be it! He was treating her like a murderer because he wasn’t aware that it was her. That had to be it! He was kind to her, but she knew that he was mean to those who caused difficulty in other people’s lives… He broke thugs that he ran into, but that was because they were trying to hurt people! She… She was trying to hurt people…

            As that realization dawned on her, she felt her windpipe shut from the pressure of Tadek’s shoe against her throat, holding her up off the ground. She knew that he was strong, but she didn’t realize how strong… However, that wasn’t important right now. She looked down at him with teary eyes, her paw-sleeves grabbing at his leg and she tried to mouth the words ‘I’m sorry’, but because of how her ‘face’ worked, it didn’t get across. It did, however, allow him to pause for a moment, taking the pressure off.

            “Hmm? What was that? Could you repeat yourself… I can’t read your, uh… lips.” He stated, leaving Yankaka to try and catch her breath before speaking once more. “Y-Yankaka sorry…” She sobbed, lines of water pouring down the abyss of her face as she was slowly lowered to the ground.

---------------------

            I paused as I heard the Kaka say that she was sorry, the voice and the name used causing me to simply lower the woman down to the ground before kneeling down in front of her. I had no idea where the red-head had ran off to… Probably nowhere that would be good for me. “Yankaka?” I asked softly, taking a moment to pull out a talisman and cast the healing spell that had been bound to it on her. “Yankaka sorry, nya… Yankaka done bad…” She repeated, her paw-sleeves reaching up to rub at her ‘face’ and try to hide herself.

            With a sigh, I thought it over for a moment before reaching out to gently take a hold of her shoulders and pull her into a tight hug. First I had to do was calm her down and then get some answers from her. Yan clung to me, sniffling and sobbing in my arms even as I tried to pick her up and get her away from the alleyway before any NOL Agents arrived… They would be an issue, considering their choice of weaponry. Being mindful of myself, I took her back to the Kaka village and to her home so that we could have somewhere private to actually speak.

            I set her down on the edge of the bed and, while it took a moment to get her to let go, she eventually pulled away and curled up on the bed. I only had one real question… “Why?” I asked simply, trying to keep my tone even and void of emotion. She slowly straightened up on the bed, her tail finally coming into view, the small amount of fluff and the salt and pepper coloration giving away that she was, in fact, Yankaka. “Yankaka like Sweet Guy... Yankaka heard of competition… Yankaka didn’t want them to take nyou… Yan no want to be alone and scared, nya.”

            Thinking about it, I finally put out the cigarette I had between my lips and toss it away. “Alone and scared?” I asked and it took a moment, but I finally remembered back to around the 632 month… She had mentioned something about being born outside of the Kaka village and, as a beast-kin (Especially one who was somewhere that didn’t have Kaka.), she had to deal with a heavy amount of prejudice up until she made it to the village and, once she made it to her own kind, things did improve but she always had to deal with such things whenever she went outside of the village.

            Such things included physical violence, being left out in harsh weather, and various other bouts of hatred and the like, so… I could kind of understand parts of not wanting to go back to such things. I allowed her to repeat the stories, though, simply trying to keep her calm the whole while. “Yankaka wants to be safe… to be happy… but, Yan scared, nya.” She stated and, after a moment, I simply reached out to slip my hand underneath her hood and gently rub the top of her head.

            “Well… That’s a better reason than I had for some of the things I have done in my time... You know what you did was wrong, right?” I asked simply, offering her a little grin and, in return, she gave a little nod of her head. “Good. You have some sins to make up for, but… I forgive you for your actions and apologize for hurting you when I didn't know it was you. Sometimes all someone needs is forgiveness… Even for things they were blamed for, but never did.”

            She suddenly leaped up and tackled me to the ground, clinging to me rather closely with a big, toothy smile on her face. “Sweet Guy, Yankaka's!” She tried to claim, but I sadly had to push that off to the side after a moment and, while it saddened her, at least she knew I wasn’t mad at her now. She just needed some guidance and kindness to help her come to terms and overcome her suffering.

            I knew just who could help me with that… You know what, I am bringing both of them along. Bang and Yankaka have been added to the party! Fuck… I need a break.

Fifteenth Jump (Blazblue) Part 5

Yankaka Strikes Again

            Yankaka hummed softly as she climbed up to the window of the beastkin’s house, having followed her home from her afternoon shift at the restaurant. She had seen Tadek talking to her again, so she was obviously another one of the four. This just wouldn’t do, especially since she had spoken to him TWICE without so much as a thought about Yan. “Yankaka find you… Kill you, nya. You in the way, nya.” She whispered to herself as she used one of her claws to quietly cut through the latch on the window.

            Once the latch was severed, the Kaka quietly pushed the window open and climbed into the small apartment, lucky enough to not be seen in the process. At least that is what she personally thought. The feline woman stepped through the apartment, checking every room until she came upon the beastkin sitting on her couch. Yankaka grinned widely to herself as she realized just how easy it would be to… remove the competition.

            With a little growl, Yankaka stepped out from behind the corner that she had been hiding behind and slowly advanced upon the beastkin, who eventually noticed the intruder just as Yan allowed her claws to spring free. “Beasty stepped over Yan’s line. She got close to My Guy… She too close…”

--------------------

            I sighed softly, my fingers reaching up to take the cigarette out from between my lips as I wandered through the city around the middle of the day, simply enjoying my time alone. I had informed Bang of what happened with the NOL Agent who had died, but he had no idea as to who could have done it. Taking a moment to think, I stepped into a restaurant, being mindful enough to at least toss away my cigarette as I did. “Hmm… Claw-like marks, an inch deep… Stab wounds, though. That’s the odd part.”

            With a huff, I dropped into a seat and ordered a cup of coffee for the moment. That seemed to be my schedule these days… Eating and relaxing. While I waited for my coffee, I glanced over toward the TV. “Hmm… Another murder?” I asked aloud as I took a hold of the mug, paying attention to what was being said.

            Eventually an image of the beastkin waitress popped up, my fingers suddenly snapping closed, shattering the cup of coffee in a spray of ceramic and hot liquid all over my hands and the counter. “What the fuck!” I called out, almost as a reflex. I found myself standing, everyone looking at me as if I was about to kill them, but instead of making any more of a scene, I simply retook my seat.

            “What’s wrong, sugar?” I heard from this lady that sat down across from me, her dress dictating that she was either of higher society… a prostitute… or simply dressed well. Hard to tell around here. “I knew that woman… Well, in passing. Nothing important, though. Just surprised me.” I commented, handing some money over to our waitress to pay for the coffee and the shattered mug with a little apology on my part.

            “I am sorry for your loss. Anything I can do?” She asked simply, one hand reaching over to set one hand over top of my own. I quickly pulled my hand away and climbed up to my feet. “Nah. I have something I need to take care of, I think… Thank you for your odd concern, though.” The red-headed woman gave a small nod of her head and allowed me to leave.

            Yankaka found me soon after, her usual smile plastered on her face as she grabbed me by the leg and attempted to pull me to the ground. “Sweet Guy! Come with Yankaka!” I didn’t budge, but instead simply reached down to grab the back of her hoodie, pick her up, and set her down in front of me. “Heh, afternoon, Yankaka. I am not that sweet… Trust me.”

            The Kaka moved to try and take my hand and, with a begrudged sigh, I allowed her to tug me along. “Yankaka found festival! Yankaka take Sweet Guy there.” She stated happily, dragging me along to this so-called festival.

            It was about an hour walk and, during said walk I pulled my hand away at one point. The Kaka took it surprisingly well, simply skipping along a short distance in front of me as we walked. “How was Sweet Guy’s day? Is Sweet Guy happy, nya?” She asked to kill the silence… Well, relative silence. “Eh, half and half. There have been murders within the city. Both people I have actually met and spoke with, which worries me considering they died in similar manners.”

            I spoke, thinking back to how they described the death of the beastkin. Throat torn out, face hanging on by only a few ragged pieces of skin, and her chest had been torn into so fiercely that her ribs were shattered in a few places. To make matters worse, she was found with her hands torn apart as if she had tried to catch blades worthy of short swords… but, it was all done through similar weapons to the first one from the descriptions.

            Yankaka’s smile lowered a little, her ears following suit for a moment before she cheered right back up. “Yan is sure that it has nothing to do with nyou. They simply unlucky, nya.” She stated and, before I could comment on how callous those statements were, Yankaka turned a corner and ran off into the festival that she had directed me to.

            I followed along, pushing her obviously less-than-wholesome comments to the side for the moment. It was rare that I got to enjoy such celebrations these days, so I spent the day handling that with Yankaka. I had a plan this time around. Two people died within 48 hours of interacting with me. That was enough for me to at least worry that it was, in fact, involving me in some way. My plan was simple… If I speak with a woman for a while or hang out with them, I was going to follow them. Was it a creepy idea, yes… but, it was my best chance.

            Back to the situation at hand, I spent the day playing games with Yankaka in the festival, which was oddly enjoyable all things considered. She may be annoying, constantly hungry, and extremely talkative… but, she was entertaining and, after about eighty two years of knowing her, she had managed to soften my heart a little. She wasn’t always annoying… I honestly found some of her antics cute, primarily when she tried to leap toward me or explain how to properly eat those curly noodles she seemed to enjoy.

            We parted at the end of the day, however. I had work to do and she said that she needed to mend some of her clothing. I didn’t even realize she had multiple outfits. Oh well, none of my business. I had murders to solve and be proactive for once… After all, this might just involve me.

------------------

            Later that night, while Yankaka was sitting at home, she was staring at the little, stuffed catfish that Tadek had won for her at the festival. It wasn’t a huge prize, but it warmed her heart none-the-less and brought a wide, fanged smile to her abyss-of-a-face. “Sweet Guy gave Yan a present… The lack of competition is obviously working, nya He’s being nicer… but, he knows…”

            Her smile started to fade as the realization dawned on her. Her target of affection knew of her behavior and disapproved. Oh, she tried to cheer him up, but she saw that stern look in his eyes… He couldn’t hide his feelings from Yankaka! She could read him like a book! “Yankaka have to kill… Yankaka won’t have Sweet Guy if she doesn’t, nya.” She stood up from where she was sitting and glanced over toward the jacket she had been stitching up, an idea suddenly came to mind.

            “He doesn’t approve… but, Yankaka have to. What if Yankaka wasn’t Yankaka, nya?” Her smile returned, her red eyes gaining a little, malevolent line above them to indicate a glare. “Yan disguises herself, nya. Kill the competition and Sweet Guy won’t know, nya.” She took out the wooden carving she made of him, one of her paw-sleeves reaching up to run along the surface.

            “Don’t worry, Sweet Guy… Yankaka will remove those that keep us apart, nya. You’re so cute when you sleep… but, I can’t watch Sweet Guy tonight. Yankaka has to make a disguise so you won’t be mad if Yankaka gets caught, nya.” She stepped over toward the jacket and thought it over for a moment as she put away the wooden carving for now.

            “Yan will have nyou. Yan remember when she was alone, when rocks were thrown, and the cold rain, nya. Never again, nya.” She picked up the jacket and took it along as she stepped out into the night so that she could try to find a late-night tailor’s shop. Even she was aware of how similar Kakas looked to non-Kakas, so if she dyed her clothes and hid her fur, no one would know.

Fifteenth Jump (Blazblue) Part 4

Another One Bites the Dust

            I left fairly early this morning, doing my best to avoid the fact that Jin was currently spending the night in my room recovering from a few injuries that he possessed. While I disagreed with Bang’s actions, I can honestly understand not wanting to fight someone who was injured. It isn’t as much fun, especially if they caused you a lot of torment. For breakfast, I actually went to that restaurant the NOL Agent had told me about.

            There was no sign of that agent and, while I was eating, the news that was on TV mentioned that she had actually been found dead. Inch deep claw marks were found all over her bloodied corpse, some having actually been since as stab wounds and not true scratches, primarily around her head and chest. Back home I had heard that if someone had wounds around their face, it meant that the killer hated them… Sad. I would bring her back from death, but I could not now that her death was known to everyone.

            I pushed the thought out of my head and simply went back to my food. The waitress was kind enough to join me for a conversation and a snack after her shift and we actually hung out for about an hour afterword as I asked her about current events and where everything was in the city as I still had yet to go everywhere. She was a beastkin, so I did have to drive off a few racists that decided to bother her.

            We parted around the marketplace and I went on my way to go to the park and enjoy myself with a few smokes and my endless, healing cherry grog while simply enjoying the day. Yankaka managed to find and join me a few hours, around the time that the sun was starting to set.

            She seemed surprisingly calm, considering she simply flipped over the back of the bench I was sitting in, landed on her feet, and then dropped into the seat. Yes, that was her being calm. “Hi, Great Guy!” She stated as she sat down and moved to try to lean against me. I allowed it for a moment, but when she tried to wrap her arms around me, I gently pushed her arms away.

“Evening, Yankaka. Why so calm?” I asked softly, taking a long draw from my cigarette before letting out the smoke through my nose, making sure that I wasn’t blowing the smoke toward her. She seemed to enjoy the flavored scent that it was laced with, but it was still unhealthy. “Yan has been up for a few nights. Yan has had business to take care of, nya.” With a small hum, I took a moment to put out the cigarette on the bench before tossing it into the nearby trash can.

I took a final sip from my grog while Yankaka spoke, listening quietly as she elaborated. “The little Kakas were bothering Tao’s nightly nap, nya. Yan took them to bed and nothing else, nya.” My head tilted off to the side as I corked the bottle and slipped it back into my coat… Really, the personal inventory, but this way it just looked like it was in the coat. “So… Multiple nights in a row?” As I spoke, I raised up out of the bench and started to walk off.

Yankaka leaped up and tried to cling to my back for a moment before eventually dropping off once I voiced a slight complaint… Granted, she kept reaching for my arm when I wasn’t paying attention. “Totokaka was looking for her, so they tried to find Taokaka, nya.” We both turned a corner and went off toward Bang’s place as the wind started to pick up, a few clouds rolling in and the humidity began to increase. Was probably going to rain soon, so I didn’t want to stay out in the open for too long.

“Very well. I can understand that… I think. Still, multiple times?” The Kaka frantically nodded as we made our way toward Ronin-gai and, just as the storm started to pick up, we managed to slip into the home. I still had yet to have an actual place of my own… or find my damn apartment or even the resort, but that was unimportant.

            “Ah, Good to see you, Yan of the Kaka Clan!” Hollered Bang once he realized who it was that I brought with me, considering the fact that she said her name when speaking, it didn’t take long. “Shirtless Man! Hi-… Who are you, nya?” She started with a smile, but her red eyes turned into straight lines and her mouth into a box shape once she realized she had no idea who this was. “This is Bang. He is the guy I am staying with at the moment.” I wandered off for a moment, leaving them to talk.

            It only took a few minutes before I crashed right through the wall to get back into the room when I heard Bang, talking in his heroic, boisterous voice say “Of course you can stay! I wouldn’t want you getting sick and going through the city at night! That’s just unkind!”. It took me a moment to regain my composure, my eyes glancing back and forth between the two for a moment.

Bang looked at me with a mix of surprise and confusion, considering I had gone through the wall, while Yankaka seemed so very happy about the idea… Even if I had gone through the wall with an expression of ‘no’ on my face. “What?! I could easily get her home, you know. I have an umbrella and the darkness is not an issue.”

“Do you not want Yan here, nya? Does Great Guy want Yan to go through the cold and rain?” She stated with a growing whine, her jacket-covered ears lowering down and her ‘eyes’ watering up on the spot. “Yes, Tadek… Are you sure? That’s not very kind… or, in your case, polite.” Bang commented, an eyebrow raising up as he spoke.

Between the two of them, I let out a heavy sigh, turned, and wandered off toward the chest that held the spare guest supplies. “Alright, alright… I’ll get out the blankets and everything.” I heard a “Yay! Yan get to spend night with Great Guy, nya!” and a “That’s the spirit!” from Bang.

--------------------------------------------

(For the audience.)

            Later that night, as everyone was sleeping and recovering from their individual events, Yankaka was unable to sleep. She had been set up behind a fold-out screen on the opposite side of the room that Jin and Tadek were sleeping in, as she was in the same room and Bang (And Tadek) insisted on privacy. The little Kaka peeked out from behind the screen and simply stared in Tadek’s direction, her body leaning back and forth as if she was debating whether or not she should simply go over and join him.

            “Yankaka happy… Yan also found more competition… Beastkin… Great Guy would be mad, if he knew Yan was following him without saying ‘hi’… Don’t worry, Great Guy… Yan will be with nyou soon. Yan killed the first…” Her claws suddenly slipped out of her jacket, the large blades gleaming in the shreds of light that occasionally creeped in due to the light poles outside. “Yan kill the second, nya… Then Yan will be closer... Yan will have Great Guy, nya. Yankaka will have you.”

Fifteenth Jump (Blazblue) Part 3

(For future note. If something is only for the audience, the other jumpers can see what is happening. Only Tadek and the like can’t see, but everyone else can. Feel free to comment on Yankaka’s antics. For one, if they are directed toward her, she shall be the one to reply. Also any detail involving blood/violence is being kept to a minimum as to not possibly horrify the readers.)

A Normal, Uninteresting Day

            For a fighting universe, this place was quite dull in the long run. I woke up in Bang’s home, spent the first hour of breakfast sitting out on the back porch where I could quietly watch the coy pond while I ate. It was surprisingly relaxing for a universe where people fight more often than not. It mattered not in the end.

            After breakfast I went for a walk through the park section, stopping at one point to join this NOL agent who appeared to be on break and speak with them for a while. She was nice enough, even suggested to me a nice, little restaurant that they frequented. Once her break was close to over, I told her to have a wonderful day and went on my way once more.

            I did visit that restaurant around mid-day, spoke with the waitress and, on the way out I ran into that NOL agent who, after catching sight of me, suddenly froze up for a moment. “Ah, evening. You were right… They do make good food.” As I spoke, she appeared to be slowly stepping away and then ran off yelling something about needing to do something. I think that I saw bandages on her arms, but that was probably nothing.

            Later that night, I ran into Yankaka… Weird considering she usually found me by eleven each day, but that was unimportant. I simply took her off to get some food and spend some daily time with her for the moment. That Kaka did eat a whole lot more than usual, but… Eh. She did show me this nicely carved piece of wood with an image of me, which was quite nice, but otherwise it was a very dull day.

---------------------------

            Yankaka had stayed up all night working on her plans, writing them down on a few pieces of paper that she slipped into the inside of her jacket so that she wouldn’t forget. She had work to do… If she got rid of the competition, Tadek would see her as more than a friend! “Kind Guy will be sad. Yan stay out of sight… Watch him to find the competition. Yan find him after competition is lessened. Kind Guy will be happy again with me, nya.”

            She giggled whole-heartedly to herself, her paw-sleeves reaching out to pick up the wooden carving and held it close to her chest. “He keep Yan safe. He keep me happy.” She stated before slipping the carving into the left side of her jacket, right where her heart was before she headed out.

            It took Yankaka much too long to find him, but not only did she find Kind Guy, but she found where he was staying! Oh, she was even closer to him now. “Yan pay him a visit? No. Yan must resist. Yankaka must focus, nya.” She told herself, hanging off the side of the wall to try and stay hidden, simply surprised that he didn’t take notice of her.

            The Kaka followed him from place to place, staying a full fifty feet away from the man who had won her little, kitty heart with a… really, it was a very small amount of effort. He had honestly just been a decent person and helped her and her family/friends whenever she asked. There was something about him that drew the Kaka, though… Something special. She had yet to see him fight seriously, but she just knew that he could keep her safe, happy, and fed.

            “He talk to so many… How will Yan know who her competition is, nya? Yan can’t find my competition if-“ Yankaka’s stomach growled, forcing a discomforting whine come from her. She was just about to allow herself to go to the snack kiosk that the park possessed, but she stopped herself once she realized that her beloved Kind Guy sat down next to another woman. Oh, she could be it!

            Instead of succumbing to her need for food, the feline woman followed along after the woman who had obviously been trying to keep Tadek away from her. They had spoken for an hour, she was obviously one of the four! Being the smart predator she was, Yankaka had positioned herself in an alleyway that was along the agent’s path. When the tart came walking by, the Kaka pounced and forced her to ground before dragging her further into the alley way with those sickle-claws held up for all to be seen.

            “Hi! Nyou in Yankaka’s way.” She stated with a wide, toothy grin, one of her shoes coming down to pin the agent’s jaw down to the concrete instead of allowing her to speak. As for her free hands, they were pinned down by those sickle-shaped claws, sinking in and tearing through muscle to keep her still. Blood was easy to clean up and this agent seemed to be quite new, so little experience. “Competition stay away from Kind Guy… Kind Guy mine.”

            The agent didn’t seem to know who the Kaka was talking about, so instead of losing her temper, something she was sure that Tadek would not approve of, she flicked her wrists, turning her claws to the side before tearing them on out of the woman’s arms. “Kind Guy wear coat. Nyou no touch Kind Guy. Yankaka find Kind Guy… Yankaka hungry.” She stated to herself. All things considered, Yankaka was apparently very bad at committing crimes… and the agent was fresh from the academy from the looks of it. That and the Kaka did get the jump on her, something that Yan was quite proud of.

            With one out of four taken care of, the feline leaped up to grab onto a ledge and skitter away, moving off to search for wherever Tadek happened to run off to. She did eventually find him, just as the agent ran off in another direction. That caused Yan’s cheerful smile to lower, her eyes following that agent as she ran off. “Yankaka find competition… Competition doesn’t listen, nya.”

            However, that will have to wait. She was hungry and Kind Guy was right there! She knew that he would be more than pleased to see her and she could even show him the carving she made of him that she now kept close to her heart! Yan was sure that he would love it! The Kaka hopped down to join him and batted at his arm, the Kind Guy simply greeting her and already offering her food, which she happily agreed to.

            While they couldn’t spend too much time together, she now knew where he stayed… Given the chance, she watched through the screens or any cracks she happened to find in the walls of Tadek’s room, happily watching him sleep for the first half of the night, but she had more work to do. Competition to find… and to kill for not listening to Yan’s warnings.

            For now, though… For now, she watched him sleep, her smile softening as the thought of spending every night close to him passed through her mind. “Once the competition is gone, Yan and Kind Guy can be together, nya. Kind Guy keep Yan safe… Yan keep Kind Guy happy…” She whispered to herself before turning and leaping up over the wall so that she could resume the hunt for that NOL wench.

Fifteenth Jump (Blazblue) Part 2

Seriously, Something is Going on Here

            Arriving at a restaurant, I slipped off my hat and put it away in my inventory, my glasses retracting back as I did. To top off my attempt at being polite, I reached up to take a hold of my cigarette and, after putting it out on the heel of my shoe, tossed it into the nearest trash can. “Right. Here were are… Find yourselves a table and order what you want. I have something I need to take care of.” I knew that was a bad idea, but the two of them went off for the moment.

            The black-white one… I think her name was Yankaka… had been staring at me the entire way here. I still had no idea what exactly lay underneath the Kaka’s hoods… Simply a black abyss with a silhouette of a head in the right light. A pair of beady, glowing red eyes and a large, toothy smile was the only way that they all showed their expressions. Honestly, they showed plenty of emotion that way, but when the grin was also filled with only pointed teeth, it was a little… unnerving… to see in person.

            As I stepped back out for a moment, I reached into my inventory and pulled out my gloves, taking just a moment to slip them on as I had forgotten to for two days now. “Hmm… Blazblue. What did this world have again…” I muttered to myself, trying to think back as to what this universe actually included. Before I could draw up any information, Yan appeared and grabbed my arm, giving it a sharp tug as she spoke. “Good Guy! Come eat, you need food, too. Nya!” Well, at least she seemed to speak better than Tao did… If only by a little.

            Instead of arguing, I followed/got dragged back into the restaurant and joined them. My poor wallet… My poor, poor wallet. I knew what I was getting into, but I did not realize that they both ate such excessive amounts of food. It was impressive to watch, but… Still was quite a shocking amount of food.

            At least I could afford to pay for the both of them and I personally did not eat. “Any ways. Why don’t you two go take a nap, hmm? I have to return home soon.” I mentioned before taking my one chance at leaving while they were both well-fed. I made my way back home from the restaurant… or at least what classified as my home here. For a fighting game universe, there seemed to be very little in the way of combat. Whether that is a blessing or a curse is another matter and one I was not yet willing to consider.

            After that night, it seemed to be a very peaceful existence. That was up until about a month later that I felt something shift. I was unchanged, but everything around me seemed to have reversed back to a previous point. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Bang and went through a very similar discussion as when I first met him and, the very next day, I ran into Tao and Yan in the same exact alleyway.

            This repeated again… and again… and again… and again… Over 700 times. I made it a habit of finding ways to change what was occurring with each loop… Going to different cities, interacting with various characters, and other simple things that may or may not change the direction. It became exhausting and, without fail, Yankaka would appear one way or another. Every. Single. Time… Without fail. It was as if I physically couldn’t avoid her through an entire, month long loop.

            There was one specific time, however… Something changed. I was going about my business, chatting with Bang back in the village, allowing him to tell me a story I had heard a hundred times over, mostly because it kept me from losing my mind at this point… but, there was no loop. Instead the ground shook and time continued. Hmm… Odd, especially considering the fact that I was even able to go to sleep that night and wake up the next morning right where I was.

            To simply go with the flow, not that there was one, I headed off further into the city with Bang the next day and stayed with him for the first half, but pulled away for the second, allowing him to go off and do as he wished for a while. To say the least… I was both relieved and bored once again… but, that complaint was answered when I felt a sudden pair of arms wrap around my waist. “Who the hell- ah!” I was lifted up high and started to go back in a half-circle. This could mean only one thing…

            “Yankaka Suplex!” I heard from my would-be attacker, my hands quickly coming down to catch myself before she could complete the attack, but my elbows were bending at first from the sheer strength that was pushing down on my body. “Yay! Yankaka got nyou!” She sounded out before letting out a small whine of disappointment once she realized that I was keeping myself up. “Only in your dreams, Yan. Now… Put me down!”

            Instead of doing the sensible thing and putting me down properly… She simply dropped me, took me by the arm, and started dragging me off across the ground. “Yan take Sweet Guy to food. Yan hungry, nya.” I couldn’t see her expression from my current view point, but I didn’t argue the point. The last time I did, I ended up being chased half-across the city. At least she seemed harmless… Still had to wonder why something really just didn’t feel right about her. Granted, the fact that she literally hunted me down most days was a red flag, if there ever was one.

            “Yankaka… Is there any reason you come and find me every day?” That question managed to stop her for a moment, one of her paws… sleeves… paw-sleeves… paw-sleeves reaching up to rub her chin in thought. Taking the chance, I climbed up to my feet, dust and dirt falling off in equal measure. I don’t know how, but some managed to get in my hat. “Yankaka like Sweet Guy! You're fun, nya.” She finally answered as I turned to face her. “While I will accept your compliment, I am not that sweet… I may feed you, I may occasionally give you something to play with, but I am not exactly a kind individual, nor am I a good guy.”

            I took the opportunity to explain my position and end this now that things apparently weren’t going to loop. Her usual smile turned upside down, her teeth still quite visible as she spoke. “Sweet Guy nice. You helped Yan with her troubles, remember? Tao was sick and you made her better when Litchi wasn’t around instead of keeping Yan from playing with her, nya. Sweet Guy saved Yankaka from those who hate Yan for being Kaka.” I let out a small huff, the feline woman playing with her braid a little. A nervous habit from what I had picked up. “Oh! You gave Yan flowers when Yan was sad! Come here, Sweet Guy!”

            Before I had a chance to provide my side of the argument, the Kaka leaped forward and tackled me to the ground with enough force to make an elephant think they were weak, sending me straight to the ground as, while I had a few strength perks up, I rarely had anything above average possibilities active. “Nyou stay with Yan! Yan find your home and stay- nyack!” That little meow-squeak came when I forced myself up to my feet and pried her off by the back of her jacket. Her joyous, creepy, smile turned into a cute, if sad, upside down 3 for the moment. “Sweet Guy no like Yan?”

            “Look, I am currently staying with someone else. So… you can’t stay with me. Second, we can go eat… but, while you are my friend and you’re quite adorable when you aren’t tossing me around, I am just not looking for someone to live with me. I already have four other ladies who live with me-“

            I paused for a moment, the Kaka apparently crying by the anime-esque water lines going down her void-of-a-face. “You no like Yankaka, nya?” She asked with a quiet, pitiable voice, which forced me to change my tone. While she was occasionally annoying and overly touchy, she didn’t seem to mean me any harm. That and people were starting to stare. Sucking up my own mental holdbacks, I let out a sigh and set the Kaka down onto the ground. “Yan, stop crying. You know I like you… As a friend. Come on, let’s go get you something to eat, hmm? We can go get those noodles you like so much. My treat.”

            The Kaka sniffled and glanced up to me for a moment as she climbed back up onto her feet. “The ones with the slices of beef and fish, nya? With the curly noodles?” She asked as I offered her a little bit of cloth to wipe her eyes… or what appeared to be them… with. “Aye. Those ones.” With that, we headed off toward the restaurant, the Kaka trying her damnedest to lean against me or even hop onto me whenever she got the chance. I had this gnawing feeling in my gut, though… Just this bad feeling that I messed up somewhere.

-------------------------------------

(This part is not seen by Tadek or anyone else. It is simply what the audience saw. As a note… any first/third person errors by Yan when referencing herself and others is on purpose.)

            

            Later that night, back at the Kaka Village, Yankaka was sitting over a circular piece of wood that was about the size of a grown man’s palm, carving into it with one of her large, sickle-shaped, metal claws that sprung from one of the very, very tiny slits in her jacket. “Sweet Guy make Yan happy, make Yan safe, nya. Only he feeds Yan and takes care of me.” She seemed happy… maybe a little unhinged, but nothing that wouldn’t draw any real attention considering the fact that she was a Kaka.

            “Yan have competition, though. Those other four want to take Sweet Guy from Yan. Yan knows it... They want his kindness for themselves. Yan find those four… Yan kill the competition and take Sweet Guy for myself, nya.” Her facial expression had turned to one of anger or annoyance, more akin to an emote than a true face, but it did not make it any less creepy.

            Holding the wooden carving up close, her smile returned on the spot with a hint of pink appearing within the void where her cheeks would be. “Sweet Guy is Yan’s. Only Yan’s. Yan hunt tomorrow… She’ll find those harlots and make Sweet Guy mine. He’ll like that, nya.” She spoke those last words with a calm, pleasant exhalation, her sickle claw carefully, lovingly carving a small circle around what looked to be a surprisingly well made, stylized picture of Tadek, almost as if she was stroking his very cheek.

Fifteenth Jump (Blazblue) Part 1

Blazblue

1300cp. Didn’t spend 50cp.

Location: 5th Hierarchal City of Ibukido.

Origin/Age: Ikarugan Refugee (100cp)/21

Perks: 

Survivability (Free): Improves environmental tolerances and general physical abilities. Simple. 

Stylish Mode (100cp): Combos and yelling out attack names! Really just makes it look good and nothing else. 

Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan (300cpD) This. 

Human GPS (300cp): I just have to look around and, eventually, I will get where I need to go. 

Ars Magus Training (100cp): Lets me use Carbuncle... About it. 

Ninja Skills (150cpD): A master of ninjutsu, among other things.

Equipment: 

Survival Equipment (100cpD): Basic survival equipment.

Ars Magus: Carbuncle (200cp): A bracelet that lets me form a temporary, completely invulnerable energy shield. Needs time to charge.

Drawbacks: Mooch (100cp), Stalker (200cp)... A stalker and a kaka? Why do I feel uncomfortable...

Déjà Vu

            I let out a small sigh as I slowly climbed out of the tent that I had appeared within, my eyes glancing around as I noticed one single trait of where I currently was at. It was physically a large, city-sized ruins. Hmm… It took me a moment as I tried my best to remember where I was and, once the memory was found, along with a few horrifying scenes of NOL Armagus users killing and destroying the city, I took a moment to pack up my equipment and slip them into my personal inventory.

            Hmm… Seems I was in an extremely high magitech universe. Kagatsuchi… Kagatsuchi… Why does the city sound so familiar? I mean even before I ended up in this universe. It mattered not. I left the remains of the city, slipping into something more appropriate as I went. My tuxedo-coat combo, my nice dress shoes, and my hat. It had been a while since I last wore them all, so I might as well. I even put on my sunglasses from Deus Ex. They wouldn’t stick out in this universe… Probably.

            Either way, I went along toward the nearest airship dock that I was personally aware of. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long before I had actually arrived at one and, with the use of some of the money that I always seemed to have these days, I bought a ticket for Kagatsuchi. While I was unable to remember why I knew that name, it was the best start that I personally had and it was much better than staying in the ruins of a city I apparently once knew.

            It was fairly late once I had arrived in the port, so I begrudgingly went to look for a place to stay for the night. Half way to the closest end that I knew of, I was suddenly approached by a man with a… I couldn’t even describe what he was wearing. His chest was exposed, but the back was covered… He had a large nail on his back and an x-shaped scar across his face. He appeared just when I took off my hat and retracted the lenses of my glasses and he looked so happy to see me. “Tadek! It has been so long! I thought we had lost you!”

            It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about, but once the memory clicked, I realized one thing. I had ran into the Bounty Hunter for Love and Justice. The one, the only… Bang Shishigami! His entrance was a spectacle, he crashed in through a window and flipped over to me with a boisterous call of righteousness!... And then went back and not only paid for the window, but also for the trouble. “Ah! Bang! It has been quite a while… Three years? Four?”

            I held my hat off to the side, offering him a genuine grin at seeing him again. While I had no true connection to him, my memories told me he was a good and friendly individual and had yet to do anything wrong to me or anyone else I happened to ‘know’. “Too long, my friend! I would treat you to something to eat, but I spent my money on the window. If you are amenable, would you like to go and see your new home? We moved here after the disaster…” He grew a little pensive as he mentioned the event and I simply gave him a little pat on the shoulder. The best I could give as I was still me.

            “Aye. Enough of that, however. My new home, hmm? It would be nice to see everyone again.” He pulled me close, raising a fist into the air as he did. “Of course! Come! Let us be off.” He escorted me out of the building and escorted me to a place that he called Ronin-gai. It was a welcomed event, oddly enough, everyone is happy to see me after all these years and, while I did not have a physical home yet, they allowed me to stay with Bang. I knew that somewhere I had a resort and an apartment, but they were fine where they were.

            The next day, however, was a hint more… Hectic. Thinking that it might be best that I learn the layout of the city, Bang took me along to the market area of the city before letting me loose. He had some business to take care of, so he thought it might be best if I learn the layout on my own. If I needed to find my way back, he told me to follow the bridges and ramps, ever going lower, but avoid the slums unless, in his words, “Unless you would enjoy playing with the Kakas”. Why the fuck did the term ‘Kaka’ sound so familiar.

            It wasn’t before long that I went walking along and found two… cats? They looked exactly like nekos except for the hoodie-jackets they were wearing and- oh fuck… I knew where I was. One of them was sitting there, poking the other as if she was attempting to wake the Kaka that was wearing a cream colored jacket with orange highlights. “Taokaka. Fucking Taokaka.” I stated without thinking about it, the other Kaka quickly looking up to me with a… with a… This face: :O.

            That specific Kaka I did not recognize. She looked similar to Taokaka, which most of them did, except for a few rather obvious differences. Her clothing was slightly different, having a longer pair of shorts that reached down to the knees, yet was sleeker and clung to the shape of her legs. The color scheme was quite different with half of her jacket being white and the other black with the smaller areas, such as where the claws would slip out of the jacket and her ears, being colored a grey. It wasn’t apparent of what her hair was at first, but when she brought her braid around and began kneading it, it made me a hint uncomfortable. It was just as long as one of Tao’s braids, a salt and pepper color scheme, and her tail matched almost perfectly. Was a little fluffier than most Kaka that I could remember, but barely so.

            Descriptions aside… I felt very, very worried about myself as this woman stared at me for some reason. Just as I was about to turn, Tao suddenly woke up, glanced between me and the unknown Kaka for a few moments. “Yan found food? Oh, Tao know just what to do! Taokaka Launch!” I let out a sharp gasp as the other Kaka took hold of Tao’s arms, they both spun around, and the black-white Kaka was suddenly launched toward me.

            “Yankaka Suplex!” I caught the Kaka with one hand and, instead of allowing her to suplex me, moved to toss her right back toward Taokaka. “Fine! I’ll get you something to eat as long as you don’t do that!” I called out and, just before Taokaka could say a word, the two of them were on the ground with a smile. “Yankaka told Tao. We would find her food and a very own Good Guy for Yan!”

            Why do I feel so uncomfortable right now. Why is my yandere sense tingling…

Fourteenth Jump (Arrowverse)

Arrowverse

Location: Central City

Faction/Origin/Age: None/Drop-In/26

Perks: Abrasive Charm (Free): I can be quite blunt and people will still open up to me. This helps a lot considering I am not one to return the favor more often than not.

4 Companions (200cp): The Sisters need some points, heh.

Meta Human: Vibe – 1000mp (600cp): After this jump it simply allows me to keep up with beings that are much faster than me through prediction, but otherwise it makes me 100% immune to time manipulation.

Concealed Identity (100cp): Just need a hood and I can hide my identity.

Equipment: Magical Card (100cpD): Papers, please.

Bag of Goodies (Free): Some holy water, duct tape, a police scanner, cemetery dirt... hmm, and nails from a saint's coffin that can be used as a tracking device.

Arlissa------

Origin: Martial Artist

Perks/Equipment: 

Meditation (Free): Eidetic Memory and I can go through my memories at different angles. Useful. Peak Human Training (150cp): Top physical condition, as if I needed further training.

Next Gen Watch (50cp): Can detect supernatural effects, tell time, and record my voice. Hmm. Flechettes (Free): Small, throw-able bolts. 

Comic Time (100cp): The Inquisition might accept me with this talent.

Fia-------

Origin: Scientist

Perks/Equipment: 

Adorkable (Free): So, if I wear glasses and do what I normally do... I am more attractive? 

Gadgeteer (300cp): I can create gadgets and items that work off of comic book physics. What are comic book physics? 

Robotic Bees (Free): Robotic bees... Robotic bees.

Lina------

Origin: Drop-In

Perks/Equipment: 

Meta Human: Cellular Regeneration – 500mp and Photokinesis – 500mp: Oh, I can control my cells... create temporary copies of myself... and control light to an extent? I have a use for all of this, hehe. 

Bag of Goodies (Free): Same as Tadek's... Why is there dirt from graves in the bag? 

Abrasive Charm (Free): Same as Tadek's.

Cierra-------

Origin: Philanthropist

Perks/Equipment: 

Born Rich (Free): More charisma. Good.

Wealth 1 (Free): 5 million dollars... What shall I do with it? 

Next Gen Watch (50cp): Same as Celestian Arlissa's.

Expert Driver (100cpD): Finally! Celestian Arlissa can't drive and she won't let anyone else do it unless they show skill. I can finally go to the movies without nearly dying! 

World Famous Suburbanite (150cpD): Peace and quiet as long as I keep a normal profile? Yay!

A Very Short Cop-out

            I remained unconscious into the next jump, my regeneration working tirelessly to try and repair the damage that I had gone through during my fight with Chakravartin. As such, I didn’t wake up for a full year and, once I was awake and went through the emotional portion of what had occurred after word. It was an enjoyable time in a modern setting. I even had an actual body once more! Granted, my cybernetics were a part of it all, but they were now a part of a much, much more advanced form… At least to my knowledge.

            It was unimportant, either way I enjoyed my time with everyone and simply focused on recovering, learning to properly use my abilities for once, and working on constructing (With Fia’s help) and charging the mantra orbs before simply putting them into my personal inventory for the day that I might truly need them.

            Besides that, there wasn’t too much of note, simply more mundane and average tasks to help prepare myself for what was to come up next. Granted, rarely did I have any idea where I was going, but I felt like the next jump would be quite interesting.

Thirteenth Jump (Asura's Wrath) Part 2

Stall Him Until The Main Character Gets Here!

(This is written in 3^rd person for my sanity.)

            The orb vanished as it was swallowed by a sudden rush of energy, a flood of blue energy filling the area. As the energy slowly flowed away and Tadek lowered down onto the floor below, Chakravartin’s eyes widened for a moment. Tadek’s form had changed. A chained circle floated behind him, his body laced and etched with glowing lines of energy, his eyes nothing more than blue orbs with small flows of energy that emulated flowing tears with ribbons of similar make drifting away from his limbs and torso, always hanging down from his charred body, being of similar appearance to that of Asura when he turned into a beast except for the aforementioned traits and the flowing cloth that hung from his waist, rags clinging to his limbs with the only purpose of hiding the cracking skin underneath.

            Just in front of him, the words ‘Tadek: Slaughterer’s Lament’ shown for a moment before vanishing in time with ripples of the floor below. “You show your true self t-“ Chakravartin’s face vanished underneath a black fist, his face caving inward. Tadek flew back from the return strike, his hands slamming the ground to help slow his momentum. “Pathetic Fool! You dare strike me!?” As the charred body of Tadek stood up, he offered a small grin. “And I will do it again. You say that torment brings enlightenment… Allow me to enlighten you of the pain you have brought others.”

            What was a simple slug fest turned into an unseen battle, Tadek and Chakravartin appearing for mere moments at a time with flashes of movement and attacks. Blows struck, bodies cracked underneath the strain, and pulses of force erupted at seemingly random points within the realm where they collided.

            With a flash, they both landed and charged forward, fists filling the air at speeds that should not be possible. Where they collided, flesh cracked and chipped away, their heads and bodies lurching back when they impacted one another. “Worlds should not be treated like this! You manipulate them like children!” Tadek slammed one of his elbows into the side of Chakravartin’s jaw before he was slammed away by four or five fists to the chest. “You know nothing!” As Chakravartin brought his limbs forward, Tadek brought his leg forward in a wide arc to push them away and in a flash the deity had a heel collide with his chin and another to the sternum.

            Chakravartin stumbled back for a moment and dropped to the ground, staring at his hands for a moment before he raised up high, letting out a scream of true anger toward the sky. His form raised high, disappearing in a black and white void. Out of the light that filled the sky, he lowered himself down to the ground below, a new, skeletal form that emanated a sense of dread and hopelessness to anyone who ever laid their eyes upon such a thing. Even the realm shifted to match the black and white from before, the chimes sounding once more as his toes touched the flat plane in a way as softly as a leaf touching a still pond.

            As the deity stood there, the words ‘Chakravartin, The Creator’ appeared before Tadek. He knew what this meant for him, but he cared not. His body was cracked, blue energy seeping from his body in a similar fashion to blood, his body shaking just a hint from the strain it was being put through. “If nothing else, I can save Mithra for Asura…” He muttered to himself, slamming his foot down onto the ground below.

            Tadek rushed forward, flying forward in a burst of energy. They connected, Tadek with a heel and Chakravartin stopping him with merely a finger. “Weak… Very Weak.” He stated before forming and then unleashing a burst of light. Tadek screamed in agony as his very body was torn apart, the man flying back, his body skipping along the plane like a simple stone that soon came to rest a full sixty feet away.

            Chakravartin sighed, looking out toward his fallen opponent who slowly, painfully pushed himself up onto his shaking legs. At this point the only thing keeping him standing was his regeneration. “Just a little longer… Just a little longer...” He muttered to himself as he took a stumbling step forward, his other foot dragging across the ground for a moment as he went. “Simply lay down and die, Slaughterer. You have lost.” As Chakravartin spoke, he slowly walked forward toward the suicidal person he had been fighting.

            “Never.” After he spoke, Tadek fell down to the ground for a moment, forcing himself to climb back up to his feet. Once he was on his feet, he was welcomed with a finger to the forehead. “Any last words?” Chakravartin stated, possibly only because he could. “Yeah… Just a few. Dimensional… Eruption.” He stated, portions of his body flying away as he stepped forward. Five different fists appeared at once due to sheer speed, his arms from the forearm down glowing in a mix of colors as they connected with Chakravartin’s arms and head at once.

            The only sound that came from them was akin to a silo of hellfire missiles, waves of force erupting from every spot that they impacted. “Dimensional Eruption!” A second wave of blows shot forth, one of Tadek’s arms bursting into blood and shards from the strain on his body. There were visible holes in his body, growing wider with every combination that he brought forth. “You may be the only god here, but you hold no power over me! You are like everyone else! Flawed!” He stated, his other arm shattering as he continued forth, one of his knees snapping in two underneath the sheer strain. During the repeated blows, a small bubble was punched out and landed a short distance away. It grew and popped, a small girl with black hair appearing.

            Tadek thought that he had done enough, but all that he was greeted with was a scream of annoyance and a sharp blow to the chest, an eruption of Mantra tearing through his body. From there, he landed a distance away, laying there with barely a leg, a torso, and a head. The charred portions of his body slowly fell away to reveal his base form below. “You annoy me…” Is all that Chakravartin stated. He slowly moved forward, but stopped as someone approached. It was Asura.

            “Stay down, Tadek. I will take it from here. Take my daughter and leave.” He stated, Mithra running over toward the both of them. Tadek went unconscious with a grin on his face.

Thirteenth Jump (Asura's Wrath) Part 1

Asura’s Wrath

CP: 1500cp

Background: Demigod (100cp)

Era: Asura’s Wrath

Perks: 

Mantra Generation (Free): I can generate my own Mantra. Yay.

Imposing Declaration of Title (Free): Everyone gets a title that pops up when something important occurs, such as a new form. 

Mantra Affinity: Melancholy (Free): My affinity is Melancholy and I am both a constantly active 10 sources of Mantra. More or less that means I am constantly at level 1.  

Mantra Training and Techniques (100cpD): Supernatural martial arts, a mantra form, woo!

Cyborg Hindu Godbody (200cpD): True cybernetics/genetics/magic/WTF that gave me a new chance with a new body.

Equipment: 

Resplendent Wardrobe (Free): Very nice clothing. 

Mantra Capacitors (100cp): Mantra storage devices, which... with enough of them... I could probably reach level 5 with enough preparation. 

Divine Weapon: Flail (300cp): A wonderful weapon. Named "Redemptionist's Might" and has the special ability of storing momentum and potential energy through swinging. Can be unleashed in one strike with the cap of the user's strength. In other words... After 10 seconds of swinging, I can hit them with twice my max strength. 

Divine Weapon: Shield (300cp): A large kite shield of sorts with a bladed edge that has the special ability of protecting anyone behind the wielder from collateral damage, such as cones and explosions. It weighs a literal ton and is named "Lamenter's Burden". 

Mantra Reactor (200cpD): It will keep me from dying due to the use of Mantra.

Retreat (200cp): A luxury resort that can be fashioned into a fortified bunker.

Drawbacks:  

Outlandish Empathy (200cp): I can feel the pain of the planet and use it to power my Mantra, but I run the risk of gradually dying. Why the fuck is the planet feeling lust!?

Threat to the Conspiracy (300cp): And all of the deities are after me. Yay!

The Day that Remorse Died

            Asura’s Wrath… Such an odd, yet welcome place to wake up in. All the way up until I realized one single issue… I felt the emotions of the world as a whole. I had memories of being a Demi-God for thousands upon thousands of years, interacting with all of the main characters, side characters, background characters, and everything that occurred up to the point that I went rogue against the conspiracy. I knew exactly what was going on, however, and for the longest while I stayed out of it, simply enjoying my time until Asura had worked his way up to the point that he was preparing to fight Chakravartin… However, there was one issue.

            Because of the constant attacks on me and various other factors that I had caused due to slowing down the pace at which Asura realized his version of enlightenment, the “creator” was already moving his plans ahead to remake the world once again. Shit…

            The Sisters and I were staying at the retreat, discussing how to specifically survive long enough for Asura to take on, and eventually defeat, Chakravartin as he should have. All of the other demi-gods who could possibly have a chance are dead except for Yasha, who Asura is currently fighting. “So… I have a terrible idea… But, the only reason I am considering it is because, well… I don’t want this planet to die, nor do I want all of us to perish with it.”

            As I spoke, I gestured to the Sisters of Battle, each of them having a worried expression in their own right. Cierra was currently eating away at some cookies she had made to help ease her worries, Fia was curled up next to Lina who was trying to console her, and Celestian had just the barest hint of a frown. I was personally focused more on holding off the tsunami of emotion from the world itself. It was painful to feel the torment of the very planet for years upon years… I was used to never feeling the same emotion as another individual and understanding why they felt the way they did without the use of logic, but instead pure emotion.

            Part of me welcomed the change, but the emotions clawed at my heart day in and day out, threatening to drive me insane and force me to feel the exact same way. Everyone, however, stayed silent, simply looking at me, awaiting for me to explain my idea. Instead of actually telling them, like I should of, I slowly stood up and made my way out of the retreat. I gathered my flail and shield as I went along, bringing them as I knew that I would require them for what was to come.

            They followed along, Fia actually speaking up as we walked. “Well, what’s your plan, Tadek? Wait… Why are you brin-“ She went silent for a moment, the color leaving her face as something apparently dawned on her. Instead of allowing them to speak, I glanced up toward the sky. “Heh… You know… I killed a planet once. I have regretted that fact ever since… But, well… If I am going to die, anyways, I am going out fighting. Give Asura a chance to catch up.” I explained, the air around me starting to flow with blue lines of Mantra before I suddenly crouched and leaped high up into the air, moving from the planet into the sky and out into the empty void of space.

            I would be lying if I said that the rush of power wasn’t sobering. Going from what would be considered Mantra level 1 to Mantra level 6 in an instant through the power of the very planet itself. I had to focus heavily on keeping the rush of energy under control as I came into view of a large, golden figure in the far distance. “Chakravartin.” The figure was smiling, but it was a curious one, almost as if he wasn’t aware of who I was. He was going to find out soon enough as I allowed some more of the energy to flow through me, pushing me from level 6 to 8. “Using a drawback as a benefit… Hmm… Come to think of it, I am going against my own philosophy, relying on another entity for power.”

            With a little hum, I made my way toward the glowing figure as fast as I could. I had a job to do and I was not going to enjoy it.

            It wasn’t long before I found myself standing on a flat expanse of white, a subtle glow surrounding me on all sides with the subtle tone of chimes filling the air. It was almost transcendent, my mind and body being calmed for the moment until I heard someone speak with a soft voice. “And who are you? My plans only accounted for Asura to accomplish such a feat.” I heard those words just before a column of energy surged forth, a tall, multi-armed being appearing with a curious smile.

            “My name is Tadek Pezrin… At least that was what I called myself after I slaughtered a world to undo the death of a few and those that followed that I had caused. You may know me as Remorse.” The being squinted his eyes for a moment, a realization possibly coming to his mind. “So, you are the slaughterer. You brought suffering upon yourself to remove the suffering of an entire planet… But, in doing so you caused further torment for all. What brings you to me?”

            The being slowly raised up off of the ground and floated toward me, coming to stop a short distance from me. “Your actions have caused nothing, but suffering… I am here to end this.” I explained simply, bringing up my shield and dropping the head of my flail so that it hung below my hand. “And why? From the stories I have heard, you and I may agree on how one obtains enlightenment. Suffering. Suffering brings strength… It brings knowledge…” He explained, obviously deeming me nothing more than an insect that he could speak with without fear of being bitten.

            He was right… I saw suffering as a means of obtaining strength, improvement. Did that make me like him? Someone who would force someone to suffer for eternity so that they could become a god? That realization slowly caused my weapons to lower. Wait… There was one part that I forgot. One single thing that makes suffering a way to improve. “No. We are not the same. Suffering does lead to improvement… The body and mind do become stronger by overcoming hardship, but that’s just it… The body and mind need time to recover. You can’t just keep going on without a chance to recover.”

            I explained, thinking it over in my head for a moment as to why people suffered in the first place, why people became stronger and why they didn’t break underneath it all. Before he could speak, I interrupted and spoke once more. “Heros suffer for others… Only Villains force others to suffer for their own ends! I normally only bring pain upon myself to continue my existence, so that I can become more and more powerful. But… I don’t want others to be in pain. I don’t want my companions or the planet to die here because I stayed out of the fucking way!” I raised my weapons and leapt toward the deity with flail in hand.

            Chakravartin narrowed his eyes and slowly raised one of his hands. “Pathetic fool. Here I thought we could have a proper conversation and not fight one another…” His hand thrust forward, a wave of force coming toward me, sending me flying back without so much as a shred of resistance on my part. I was thankfully uninjured, but it kept me at a distance. “Now… Die.” My form lurched back with a burst of energy going around me, my shield held high. I hardly saw the burst that he sent my way, even at level 8 I could hardly move to block each burst that came my way.

            “You use energy that you do not even know how to properly make use of. Energy I gave this world. You may have the power of a perfect being, but you are truly flawed.” I gritted my teeth as I slid across the floor. “As if I would even want to be perfect! You may have given the world Mantra, but it is their energy to keep and use! Once given, a gift can’t be taken away!” I called out, my concentration more focused on keeping my energy levels in check and defend against the various impacts that caused my very bones to rattle.

            I glanced up and dropped down, my knees on the verge of buckling as a column of Mantra came down upon me before the next thing that I was aware of, I was laid flat on my stomach, my body shaking while smoke flowed off of my chest. “Shit… What the fuck hit me.” I muttered as I slowly forced myself up to my feet. Chakravartin hummed softly, halting his attacks for the moment. I couldn’t beat him… Even with everything active, I could not beat him like this. My concentration was too split to do more than stale my death.

            I was going to die here at this rate before Asura ever got here. I was drawing on a planet, willingly, but I was still too weak. “Take heart, Remorse. At least your suffering will bring you closer to enlightenment before your death.” He stated as he started to charge a small orb of Mantra in one hand. Wait… I was going against one of my principles. I was willingly drawing on the power of another, many others, simply so that I could try and save myself and everyone else. People I cared for, people I didn’t know, every single being on the planet including the planet itself. It brought an odd smile to my lips. “Heh… Hehe… Hahahahaha….”

            My sudden laughter caused the being to pause for a moment. “I am glad to see that you are enjoying your demise.” He stated with a hint of confusion and I simply offered him a grin. “Heh, I get it now… This is why the villain always loses. This is why heroes fight and have nothing against drawing on the power of others. Suffering brings strength, but only the happiness and the support that what you’re fighting for brings can you ever obtain true power… Can bring you happiness. I have been going on for so long… I couldn’t feel a damned thing in my heart.” As I spoke, I slowly straightened up, blue lines flowing around me once more as I continued.

            “My companions brought me some joy. They cared… I didn’t have to constantly keep myself up, to keep myself from breaking down underneath the strain of my guilt. But… Here… I am sure that I will die and I am happy, but it is terrible… I feel terrible knowing that if I die, everyone else goes with me.” I dropped my shield and my flail to the ground below, small waves flowing away from where they impacted the ground. “I might as well go out knowing that I will bring the end of a god who wishes nothing else but death on this world.”

            “That is unlikely.” He stated before he launched the orb toward me. At that moment, I simply let go. I finally let the levees open and flood my heart. Time for me to finally let go…