Nicky was having the weirdest dream. She'd had some weird dreams before, but she could usually make sense of them. The one she'd had where she was a fairytale princess floating through the air casting spells on people had come after listening to Taylor Swift's "Today was a Fairytale". She didn't know what she had seen, heard, or did to prompt a dream about a forest with a bunch of random people standing around. Not to mention her attire for this dream was all too typical for her. Why wasn't she wearing something weird and wacky to fit this weird and wacky setting? This seemed like it was going to be a really boring dream.
That turned out to be completely false when Nicky caught sight of the clothed rabbit. That was funny enough at first. Then it talked. Now the dream was really getting bonkers. "Oh my god, that's amazing!" She blurted out as she bounded up to the rabbit, sparing no thought for the others near her and talking aloud. She immediately whipped out her phone to take as many pictures as she could of this spectacle. It was only after reflexively going through the motions that she realised it wasn't even operating. She tried smacking it, turning it back on, anything to get it to respond, but nothing worked. This really was going to be a boring dream. What kindof dream was it if she couldn't even take pictures of a talking rabbit? She inevitably gave up on taking pictures, choosing to sit and wait sullenly for something more interesting to happen.
When prompted, Mycona stood forward, mimicking the actions others took. What she had gathered from what had been said and done was that she was finally to show off her magic to somebody. She had been here a whole day without magicking, and she was beginning to wonder when they were going to magic. Without further ado, Mycona released a stream of gas from her mouth. The pressure from the gas stream was strong enough to knock someone backwards if they stood close enough, though nobody had been that close when she started. Anyone that happened to breath it in was...going to go on a trip.
A small portion of the gas could be seen drawn into the holes of Leere's mask as they took a shallow breath. They stood upright, head tilted back and arms behind their back for several seconds. When they finally spoke their voice had taken on an almost hollow and distant quality.
"Impressive, eight zero three one. Out of curiosity, can you create another gas to nullify the effects? It's quite alright if you can't; you pass this portion of the exam on that demonstration alone." It was difficult to tell what effect if any the cloud had on Leere but they had just referred to Mycona by a much smaller number than they had previously.
"What does "nullify" mean?" Was Mycona's one and only response.
"To make inert or cancel out. In this case the material you created has a certain effect, and to nullify it would mean you would prevent that effect... from taking effect. Or stopping the effect after it had already begun affecting it's target." As they spoke Leere held up one hand to their face and slowly curled each finger one at a time.
"Oh." Mycona stated, struggling to grasp the full meaning. "I don't know how to do that."
"Not a problem, I'm sure you will learn in time. Like I said I was just curious." Leere let the lazily drifting gas hang in the air and turned to the table of materials. Most of the other students still in the room backed away from the small cloud warily. A muffled scream and thump could be heard from the next room but this prompted no reaction from the professor.
"Out of yet more curiousity, what other magical talents can you demonstrate, Mycona Frisa?"
"I, um....I don't think I have any other....'magical talents'." She told him. Part of her was distracted with the scream she had just heard. "What was that noise?" She asked.
"Also not a problem. You have already passed after all. And that sound would be Miss Urzenheim making a miscalculation during her combat test, resulting, most likely in no small amount of pain from epidermal-" Leere turned back to Mycona and upon seeing their face stopped talking mid-sentence. "Oh, excuse me I forgot myself for a moment. That was a scream of pain."
"Oh." Mycona sounded concerned now. She understood pain to be a bad thing. Mother had told her it was pain she had experienced when she had slipped in the hallway back home. "Should we tell mother? Mother knows how to stop pain."
Leere cocked their head to one side. "That won't be necessary. There are several medical staff members waiting to assist any student that is hurt at the end of their test. The staff is even prepared to correct accidental death if things go very poorly during a test. Aside from that your mother is quite some distance away, Ms. Frisa. It would be impractical to attempt to gain her help in... stopping pain."
"Oh." Mycona had never even realised someone other than mother could stop pain. She was learning something new every moment here. "Why do you keep saying 'Frisa'?" She asked him. He had used the word a few times now and Mycona was curious as to what it meant. She had not been informed it was her last name, nor was she aware her mother had a name other than 'mother'.
"Frisa is your surname, also known as last name or family name. Most of the people in your family unit will have the same surname. Having a first name to identify an individual and a last name to identify family is more helpful in identifying a person who may share the same first name with another. For example imagine if there was another person named Mycona in this room. It would be somewhat confusing as to who I was addressing if I only said 'Mycona'. However, the two individuals would, ideally, have different last names and by adding that last name when I spoke it would become clear which individual I was addressing." Leere leaned against the table, seemingly enjoying their chat with the girl while loud noises could still be heard beyond the sealed door.
Mycona seemed thoroughly perplexed by the explanation. She had been told the staff could explain things if they weren't busy, but this staff was making things more confusing. "But...mother said my name was Mycona. Mother is always right."
"Indeed, your name is Mycona. It is your first name which helps identify you specifically. It is the most common name you will be identified by. Often an individual's last name is omitted entirely in conversation, so I am not very surprised you are not familiar with it as something that can be used to further identify you."
The female student that had made the most extravagant display of magic thusfar spoke up, unable to hold their tongue any longer. "It's a last name, everybody's got one. How do you not know your last name?"
Growing ever more confused, especially by the entrance of a new person into the coversation, Mycona replied, "My name is Mycona. Just Mycona. Mother said. Mother is always right. There is no other name."
Leere hummed to themself at Mycona's reaction, and held up a hand to silence the girl who seemed about to go into a bemused tirade. "Of course, you are correct and so is your mother. Though it is more complicated than that. But I see I've gone and confused you, for which I apologize. It will be clear in time but I can see now is not that moment. Instead we should focus on the tasks at hand I suppose."
Professor Leere looked up, as if noticing for the first time there was no longer any sound from the testing room. "Oh yes, that's right." They lightly tapped the button and the door slid open. A very haggard looking young girl mostly resembling Elsa Urzenheim stumbled through, looking as if she was barely managing to stay on her feet. Clumsily she put the mask back and shot Leere a look. "W-well?" She rasped out, sounding as if she may have breathed some of the gas at one point.
"That will be all, Miss Urzenheim. Glad you survived, you passed, could have been better, now go brush up on your studies!" Leere answered only half paying attention to the girl who looked about to cry, have a fit of rage, a mental breakdown, or all three in no particular order. In the end she opted to storm out of the room without another word. Leere gently guided Mycona towards the open door, playing with a combat knife like a toy in one hand.
"Mycona do you understand what is expected of you?"
Mycona immediately recalled what the professor had said earlier about what they were to do in that room. "Um, yes and no." She told him, repeating a phrase she had picked up back home for when you did and didn't understand something. "When I face them, am I supposed to do anything else? And I don't understand how I "don" one of those masks. How do I "best" an Ashhopper? Also, I don't-"
Mycona's onslaught of questions was interrupted by the arival of somebody else in the room. Mycona recognised her as the nice lady from earlier that had explained things better than anyone. She immediately approached her and Leere. "My apologies, Professer Leere, for the interruption. I'm sure you're aware of this ones....condition. Would you permit me to explain things to her in a way she can understand?"
Professor Leere listened to Mycona attentively until the arrival of yet another staff member. "Ah, Miss Serannen, think nothing of it. Yes, I have recently noticed this one's incredible potential and as delightful as I find our conversation she does seem more familiar with and, dare I say, fond of yourself. Please..." Giving the two space Leere seemed content to take a back seat and observe.
After a short bow and a "Thank you, sir.", Leonora turned her attention to Mycona in full. "Now, Mycona, did your mother ever explain to you what it means to "fight"?" She asked her.
Thinking on it, Mycona replied, "Mother said that was what the heroes did with the villains in my books."
"Right. That's precisely what you need to do with the Ashhoppers in question. The ones inside will look similar to the one in that cage, but not the same. For each and every one you encounter, you have to fight them, the same way those heroes fought the villains. When the Ashhoppers no longer move, that will be when they are dead. Do you understand that?"
"Yes." Mycona told her. "Mother said the fly that didn't move back home was dead."
"Good, good. Now, there are a few ways to make sure they're dead. You can either stab them with one of these knives..." She gestured to the combat knives as she spoke. "...or you can physically hit them with your hands. I don't recommend that way so much personally. If you can find a way to hurt them using your magic, or any other method you can think of, that's good. But whatever way you can, you have to keep hurting them until they die. If you can accomplish that, you will pass our test, and that is a good thing, yes?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Also, you'll need to wear one of these masks. Don't take it off once inside, and do not allow any of the Ashhoppers to touch this canister." She clearly showed her the canister as she spoke. Additionally, she modified one mask to allow for Mycona's flower-like protrusion atop her head to stick out without making the mask useless. "If they take it from you, you will fail, and that will be a bad thing. Do you understand that?"
Mycona nodded her head. She acquired the mask meant for her, fastening it to her head.
"Alright, good." She pointed her towards the testing room. "I believe you're ready to go in there now. Good luck, Mycona."
"Thank you, miss!" Mycona replied before cheerfully heading off into the room, having taken a combat knife with her.
"Mind if I observe with you, Proffessor Leere?" Leonora asked of her co-worker. "I would like to see the results myself."
"Please. Do." Leere said softly as they closed the door behind the girl. Inside was a recreation of the Deadlands a particularly alien world for those not familiar with the glowing foliage and the dominance of fungus over leafy plants. Nearby, some of the razorgrass was disturbed, and a small Ash hopper poked its head out. It was of average size and looked almost exactly like the one that had been in the cage save for one small difference; this one had a faintly glowing series of numbers seemingly etched into it's head. All four of its eye stalks were focused on Mycona, or more specifically Mycona's filter. However, it did not yet feel brave enough to break cover.
Mycona stared back at the creature with a mix of wonder and apprehension. It was both interesting to see something like it, yet also evoked a strange feeling in her stomach. She knew that she was to fight these things. Just like the heroes and the villains. But villains fought back, and caused pain. Pain, just like "Urzenheim" had experienced. Mycona had felt pain, and she did not like it. But she had been told to pass this test, and that was a good thing, just as Leonora had told her. So she had to make it dead.
Approaching the razor grass, Mycona went over her options in her head. Leonora had said she could use the knife, but she had never used a knife before. She also said she could hit it, but Mycona hadn't hit many things before. She had only hit a vase back home, and mother had not been pleased with that. The third potential was the one that stood out in her mind; her magic. She was at a school for magic, so magic should play a part in what she did there. Her mind made up, Mycona let forth a jet of gas at the Ashhopper's position, this time from her hands, as her mouth was presently contained. She was about to find out exactly how good or bad of an idea this was.
The creature startled and backpedaled as quickly as it could from the sudden attack. It quickly disappeared back into its hiding place but the gas followed right after it. There was thrashing among the blades that went on for a few moments but it was too dark and too far in to see what was happening.
Mycona was tempted to go into the grass in pursuit, but the grass made her nervous. It was not grass like anything she had seen before. Nothing in this room was like anything she had seen before. That same mix of curiosity and concern bubbled to the forefront of her mind. She reached out and gingerly attempted to touch one of the blades of grass, only to find her finger cut. This grass caused pain. Recoiling, Mycona decided she wanted nothing to do with this grass. If the Ashhopper was in the grass, then the Ashhopper would have to come out of the grass. Then she could make it dead, if it wasn't already.
From behind Mycona two ash hoppers that had been hiding at the base of a cluster of mushroom trees made their move. Unfortunately for their ambush they startled one another and a scuffle broke out between the two. One even locked it's powerful jaws around the head of the other and started chewing and grinding. The one being chewed upon like this did not seem to be in pain like one might expect, but rather it just seemed annoyed. It managed to get a solid kick on its attacker which was enough to discourage the chewer from its continued assault. Interestingly, its carapace was barely damaged, which might make one wonder how a knife could be expected to kill one of these things.
The two backed off from eachother and finally refocused on their shared target, the mask's filter drawing their attention. With their ambush blown they looked at Mycona for a moment, trying to decide on a new plan of attack. On the heads of these ash hoppers as well were a series of numbers, each formula different between the two creatures.
From within the razorgrass the thrashing was dying down.
Though initially startled, Mycona was almost intrigued by the sight of the two Ashhoppers fighting. She was not told that they would fight each other as much as they would fight her. With them both gazing at her now, Mycona knew that it was the time to act, or they would both be fighting her. Yet another burst of gas erupted from her hands, in a slight arc, intended to evelope both of them.
The failed ambusher to the left was the slightly smaller and quicker of the two but its speed did little to help as Mycona's gas reached it first. Taking the blast full in it's face while it tried to flee the ash hopper tripped and tumbled through the dirt. It found its feet quickly enough but it became clear that it was now severely disoriented. Its behavior rapidly grew more erratic and it began twitching, randomly flapping its wings, and even snapping its hind legs in reflexive jumps.
The second ash hopper to Mycona's right was much slower but seemed completely unaffected by the gas, save for some irritation. This was also the ash hopper that had resisted having its head chewed open unfortunately. It seemed smart enough to catch on to the fact that Mycona might not be a threat to it and began boldly approaching the girl.
In response to the approaching hopper, Mycona let out yet another rush of gas at close quarters. At this range, the intention was not to simply evelope it in the cloud, but instead to let the force of the stream, much greater at the source, blow the hopper back and perhaps away.
The force of the blast did indeed knock the more durable ash hopper away and even managed to flip the creature onto its back. It struggled for a few seconds trying to right itself. The ash hopper that had been far more susceptible to Mycona's attack showed no signs of recovering from the effects and even managed to wound itself on some nearby razor grass.
The soil just a few feet of Mycona stirred in this moment and less than two seconds later churned and expelled a new ash hopper. This one had a very extensive formulae of letters and numbers, with a very common symbol for 'death' just before the series. The ash hopper quickly attempted to set its legs and jump at Mycona, hoping to use its surprise appearance to maximum effect.
When she turned to look at the newcomer, Mycona's eyes fixed on one thing. The death symbol. She had seen it before; father had pointed out the meaning of it in a "comic book" back home. It meant something very bad, she knew that much. It set her off running in the other direction. One thing Mycona could count on was her running speed here. Mother had told her she had always been a fast runner, though Mycona wasn't sure what she meant by that. She did not remember running fast much. But she certainly ran fast now, trying to put distance between herself and the ambushing hopper. As she ran, she let loose some gas on her path, hoping her magic would dissuade this one the way it had dissuaded some of the others.
Luck seemed to be on Mycona's side as another fight broke out behind the girl. Her defensive measures had left the creature briefly stunned, and the toughest ash hopper, now extremely upset that things were not going its way, had begun to take its frustration out on the only target it could actually reach. The tunneling ash hopper was the bulkiest yet seen in this room but even it could do little against the other and piece by piece it was torn apart. As its muscles snapped and its shell crumpled only light scratches could be seen on the shell of the soon to be victor.
Within a minute or two it seemed to be over, the one ash hopper standing over the still twitching carcass of the digger. Brown liquid and shredded bits of dark muscle fiber littered the dirt and splattered the nearby plants. The so far unwounded one took a step forward, clambering over the broken body of the dead one... and then it exploded. The hapless tank of an ash hopper flew through the air like a ragdoll. It landed not too far from Mycona, still alive but now badly wounded with shrapnel buried in many of its joints.
Mycona couldn't help but giggle at the whole scene. When she had decided to let them fight each other, she had not done so under the impression that the foreboding Ashhopper would in fact end up being so bad for one of the others. As hurt as the insect clearly had to be, Mycona could tell it was not dead yet. She knew "dead" meant it didn't move, and this one was still moving. Feeling more confident in approaching it, Mycona came up to the creature and looked carefully at the shrapnel in the joints. She had observed its shell withstand many attacks, but now it seemed there were openings after all. Siezing the opportunity, Mycona decided to stick her knife into one of its joints, trying to put her full weight on it. She had read that placing pressure or weight on a narrow point caused it to have greater piercing effect, so she hoped she could rely on that now.
The creature struggled under the knife which only hastened its now inevitable death. It just took a few more seconds before it was still at last. Dead. One last, practically helpless ash hopper rolled about in a drug induced maddness. It did not look like it would be too difficult to finish with its senses scrambled as they were.
Once she confirmed the one before her was well and truly dead, Mycona turned her attention to the one busy making a big fuss. Mycona had no idea that this was the result of her own magic, so she was just amused by the flailing creature. But she knew she had to make it dead, so she approached it, held it steady, and plunged the knife into it, just like the other one.
The last ash hopper bled out having no idea what was happening to it. With its end the gas was vented from the room and professor Leere opened the door for Mycona.
"Well done Mycona. Your performed... efficiently. You may remove your mask and leave it over there. Your formal testing for today has concluded. You may spend the rest of your day as you see fit, unless you have any questions?"
After taking her mask off, she started on a barrage of questions that had been festering in the chamber. "Yes, I wanted to know what those symbols were? And that one with the death thingy, was that related to the one from Ubermensch Volume 11 chapter-"
Before she could continue, Leonora interrupted her, saying "I think it's best you don't pester the professor with too many questions, dear. Other people need to tend to their tests as well. Let me take you somewhere else, and I'll asnwer your questions."
"Oh, okay." Mycona said dejectedly.
"I'll take her out of your hair for now, sir." Leonora said to Leere. "If you let her have this opportunity, you'll be here all week." She then took Mycona by the hand and began to lead her out of the room. "Farewell, sir." She called back to Leere, with Mycona waving him goodbye fervently.
"Ah. Yes. So be it." Leere responded to Leonora with some disappointment. "Please, let her know my office location and hours on my behalf. I would love to see her another time. Farewell for now." Leere bowed theatrically to the two of them then turned their attention to the other students.
"Oh my God!" Came a cry as Taro Tanaka joined the growing group of gawkers. Someone was dead! Many people who knew Taro would have expected this to be the moment he tried to make something "unique" out of this, or find some way to become the center of attention. But even Taro wouldn't sink that low. Someone was DEAD! This situation demanded seriousness and gravitas. It would not do to swan about trying to satiate one's own agenda like some form of baseborn ghoul. SOMEONE WAS DEAD!
On the note of someone being dead, Taro couldn't help but notice that few people were focusing on the fact that someone was dead. Somebody was calling Anti-Skill, but a lot of the others seemed all too concerned with some girl and her camera. Did they somehow fail to notice that someone was dead? "What are you people doing?" He called out. "Someone is dead! We all need to focus on what's important here! Someone is DEAD!" If it was not already obvious, Taro was having a bit of a meltdown over the fact that someone was dead. He was also painfully oblivious to the fact he was doing nothing productive and instead simply freaking out over the fact that someone was dead.
Attire: If she can afford it, Nicky likes to indulge in the latest fashion trends. If not, she falls back on her usual wardrobe, from which she favours a combination of a loose fitting shirt and pants coupled with a hooded jersey.
Arcana: Lovers
Weapon: An axe.
Personality: Nicky is a cheerful, free-spirited girl. She is a firm believer in the power of positive thinking, and she always tries to keep herself positive no matter the circumstances. She is big on the idea of community, and she sees it as a matter of duty to stick her neck out for a comrade in need. While always eager to help, she isn’t as assertive as she could be when it comes to disputes between friends, as she is reluctant to take a side in such situations. Opposing a hostile outsider is easy, but telling a good friend their wrong is much harder for her.
Independence is an important virtue for Nicky. She does not like to be told what to do, within reason, and neither does she like to tell others what they should be doing. It’s all well and good to take orders in an emergency situation or follow instructions from someone important, but being told how to live the more trivial parts of her life is a no go for her. Telling her how to dress or telling her to be more like someone else will really get her goat. Naturally, she finds the idea of telling someone else how to act along such trivial lines as practically immoral. In her mind, a person should always be free to follow their own way.
Backstory: Nicky was born and raised in London, but her family has its roots in South Africa. Growing up in a close knit community, Nicky was taught from an early age that sticking together was beyond important. She put this ideal into practise when, at the age of 10, she witnessed a young boy from their little corner of London being accused of theft. Nicky stepped in by asking his accuser to let him go, putting on the waterworks to evoke sympathy. She succeeded in getting them off the boy’s back, and the two of them became fast friends afterwards. His name was Charles.
However, it turned out that it was not by mistake that Charles was accused of theft, and nor was it a once off incident. Charles was much more deeply involved in petty crime than Nicky had realised, and as he got older, it only got worse. Around the time she was 14, Charles began to pressure her to get involved in his criminal acts, beginning with almost joking suggestions, and gradually building into blatant requests for help with this and that. Nicky always refused, but never broke ties, as she was reluctant to leave him for good. One day, he came to her with a much more forceful request to help him with what he claimed was the biggest job he’d ever done, insisting that she would be a huge help for it. He wouldn’t take a meek no for an answer this time, and came as close to threatening her as he could get. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Nicky, and she raised her voice at him for the first time in their friendship, telling him to leave and never come back.
Naturally, it was over between the two of them after that. While Nicky was shaken by the incident at first, she soon resolved to put it behind her and get on with life. She did not need a friend like Charles, and she was sure to make many more friends in the years to come.
Persona Name: Kundalakesi Persona Appearance: An Indian woman with a shaved head, wearing a Buddhist monks robes. In one hand, she cares a Khakkara, or monk staff, and in the other, a palm-leaf inscribed with words in Tamil script.
Persona Skills: Media, Kouha, Rakukaja
Character Relevance: Kundalakesi’s story is one of a girl that sees a thief, named Kalaan, about to be executed publically in her home city. She intervenes on his behalf, saving him from execution and eventually marries him. By pure chance, she playfully referred to him as a thief one day, which enraged him beyond reason. He decided to lure her to a cliff side where he would push her to her death, but Kundalakesi managed to turn the tables and kill him instead. She decides to become a Buddhist monk afterwards, and achieved success and happiness in her new life.
The tale of Kundalakesi mirrors Nicky’s experience, though Nicky was never Charles’ lover by any means and obviously didn’t kill him when he turned out to be hostile. However, the story of coming close to another only to have to be rid of them is very pertinent to her, as is the decision to live a happier life after breaking with someone important to them.
Attire: If she can afford it, Nicky likes to indulge in the latest fashion trends. If not, she falls back on her usual wardrobe, from which she favours a combination of a loose fitting shirt and pants coupled with a hooded jersey.
Arcana: Lovers
Weapon: An axe.
Personality: Nicky is a cheerful, free-spirited girl. She is a firm believer in the power of positive thinking, and she always tries to keep herself positive no matter the circumstances. She is big on the idea of community, and she sees it as a matter of duty to stick her neck out for a comrade in need. While always eager to help, she isn’t as assertive as she could be when it comes to disputes between friends, as she is reluctant to take a side in such situations. Opposing a hostile outsider is easy, but telling a good friend their wrong is much harder for her.
Independence is an important virtue for Nicky. She does not like to be told what to do, within reason, and neither does she like to tell others what they should be doing. It’s all well and good to take orders in an emergency situation or follow instructions from someone important, but being told how to live the more trivial parts of her life is a no go for her. Telling her how to dress or telling her to be more like someone else will really get her goat. Naturally, she finds the idea of telling someone else how to act along such trivial lines as practically immoral. In her mind, a person should always be free to follow their own way.
Backstory: Nicky was born and raised in London, but her family has its roots in South Africa. Growing up in a close knit community, Nicky was taught from an early age that sticking together was beyond important. She put this ideal into practise when, at the age of 10, she witnessed a young boy from their little corner of London being accused of theft. Nicky stepped in by asking his accuser to let him go, putting on the waterworks to evoke sympathy. She succeeded in getting them off the boy’s back, and the two of them became fast friends afterwards. His name was Charles.
However, it turned out that it was not by mistake that Charles was accused of theft, and nor was it a once off incident. Charles was much more deeply involved in petty crime than Nicky had realised, and as he got older, it only got worse. Around the time she was 14, Charles began to pressure her to get involved in his criminal acts, beginning with almost joking suggestions, and gradually building into blatant requests for help with this and that. Nicky always refused, but never broke ties, as she was reluctant to leave him for good. One day, he came to her with a much more forceful request to help him with what he claimed was the biggest job he’d ever done, insisting that she would be a huge help for it. He wouldn’t take a meek no for an answer this time, and came as close to threatening her as he could get. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Nicky, and she raised her voice at him for the first time in their friendship, telling him to leave and never come back.
Naturally, it was over between the two of them after that. While Nicky was shaken by the incident at first, she soon resolved to put it behind her and get on with life. She did not need a friend like Charles, and she was sure to make many more friends in the years to come.
Persona Name: Kundalakesi Persona Appearance: An Indian woman with a shaved head, wearing a Buddhist monks robes. In one hand, she cares a Khakkara, or monk staff, and in the other, a palm-leaf inscribed with words in Tamil script.
Persona Skills: Media, Kouha, Rakukaja
Character Relevance: Kundalakesi’s story is one of a girl that sees a thief, named Kalaan, about to be executed publically in her home city. She intervenes on his behalf, saving him from execution and eventually marries him. By pure chance, she playfully referred to him as a thief one day, which enraged him beyond reason. He decided to lure her to a cliff side where he would push her to her death, but Kundalakesi managed to turn the tables and kill him instead. She decides to become a Buddhist monk afterwards, and achieved success and happiness in her new life.
The tale of Kundalakesi mirrors Nicky’s experience, though Nicky was never Charles’ lover by any means and obviously didn’t kill him when he turned out to be hostile. However, the story of coming close to another only to have to be rid of them is very pertinent to her, as is the decision to live a happier life after breaking with someone important to them.
Name: Taro Tanaka Age: 16 Gender: Male Appearance:
Biography: In Japan, the saying goes that “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” Taro is the nail that stuck out, but he has never let himself be hammered down. From an early age, Taro enjoyed the feeling of being unique; he liked to have unique things and do that which others did not. It helped that he came from a upper-middle class family that liked to indulge his habits, and so when Taro wanted something unique, he got something unique. As a child, he liked to indulge in alternative fashions, dressing in western fashions when no one else did, and if the trend changed, he would change to be contrarian towards it. His contrarianism had its logical limits, but he never liked to be one of the crowd. He always wanted to stand out.
One day, Taro decided he wanted to apply to the Power Curriculum Program in Academy City, hoping to become a full fledged Esper. Sure, it wasn’t wholeheartedly unique, but many Espers had very unique powers and some acquired no shortage of fame for their prowess.
Upon being tested, Taro heard these very words; “Ah, Telekinesis. A very typical power.”
He was aghast. He could not have it be that he would have such a generic power, no matter how strong said powers might be. He demanded more tests be performed, but eventually learned there was no fighting the fact that he had one of the most typical powers among Espers. He almost wanted to depart Academy city and close his ears to talk of Espers and their powers forever. However, he eventually resolved himself to find a way to make himself unique and interesting even with the most common power imaginable, and he was damned if he would let himself just be any other telekinetic Esper.
Personality: Taro loves to be the centre of attention, and he likes to achieve that by going against the grain. He likes to find things that no one is indulging in and take them up himself in hopes that it will make him stand out. This makes him highly open to new ideas and experiences, but he also tends to become quickly bored with something that doesn’t put him in the spotlight. That said, Taro is usually loathe to try anything that he doesn’t at least see as being good or interesting. While he enjoys attention, it’s exclusively positive attention that he enjoys, and he does not desire to be mocked or draw ire for what he does. He’s by no means suicidal either, and he won’t do anything stupid in a serious situation just to get people’s attention.
While some might assume him to be a mean spirited snob from his behaviour, he is ultimately anything but that. He does not like to bring others down just to make himself look better. His quest for uniqueness is entirely personal, and nobody deserves to be mocked and belittled just to make him feel even better about himself. He loves to learn from others, usually so he can find out what’s popular so he can avoid it, but also so that he can encourage others to find their own unique niche to fit into. After all, if he can enjoy having his own thing, so should everyone else.
Esper Power: Telekinesis: Level 4 Taro is capable of manipulating objects using an invisible psychic energy. For instance, he can throw a tank up to 30 meters, and control multiple objects at the same time. The larger the object, the less of them he can control at once and vice versa. Skills: Amateur painter, poet, and basketball player. He also knows a lot of random facts and trivia, picked up from investigating new avenues of uniqueness.
