Hero

Where It Always Rains

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The day just started and Shiori wanted it to be over.

Admittedly, the cause of such a feeling sat next to her, happily humming to herself after making a positive impression on a majority of the class. Shiori rested her chin on her hands, leveling an entirely unamused look at the girl. Part of her recognized that she should be glad; Ichika's bubbly personality would surely net her an array of other people to annoy with her endless amount of energy and cheeriness. Not too surprising, either, considering she was apparently popular back in her old school.

The other part, however, was still annoyed with their morning shenanigans to be properly reasonable. Her aunt had warned her that the girl was sheltered, but Shiori had underestimated the extent of it. Ichika refused to wake up at her alarm, resulting in a minor scuffle where Shiori ended up physically dragging her out of bed. After that, while she was in the bathroom, the fire alarm went off. Apparently, Ichika wanted to cook breakfast. She did not, however, consider that she had never so much as cracked an egg in her life, resulting in a mess and a fire--how exactly did one burn butter in a pan was beyond her.

The worst part was that all the time wasted resulted in Shiori going without her morning cigarette. She anticipated Hatsu riding her ass about smoking on campus, so she figured having one before classes would last her the day. But no, there she was, annoyed with the world first thing in the morning with a whopping seven something hours to go until the end of the day. She told herself she'd be fine, but she fully expected to break and give in by lunch.

Her eyes eventually trailed up to the second transfer student--because this was apparently going to be an exciting year. To his credit, he didn't seem enthused. Poor guy, he really got the short end of the stick transferring out here of all places. The buzz around her picked up once he finished speaking, with a majority of people staring as he returned to his seat.

Ichika was one of them, though she seemed more curious than wary. "Is he really a student?" She asked Shiori quietly.

"I can't think of any adult who would be here willingly, so probably," Shiori replied as she rested her head on the desk.

She certainly wouldn't be here if it was up to her.

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Fire Emblem: Legacy of the Empyrean Throne

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Ah, how utterly adorable.

Sanji's dedication to his craft was both admirable and practical. Granted, she had little knowledge in the arena of medicine and its various solutions. She very much preferred the art of magic, but she recognized that alternative methods were just as viable. Not everyone had the aptitude to cast, after all. Admittedly, his response immediately highlighted some potential mischief, her smile growing slightly. Okay, not entirely mischief, but a little teasing never did hurt anyone.

Whatever ideas she had frozen over in the cold as someone decided to join the duo. This one was...Kellen. No, Kallun, the Cheven Mercenary. The more the merrier, of course, although she had absolutely no idea what he was on about. He reminded her of her sister's yapping dog in that sense, energetic and often barking about something. It could be a little harsh, but truthfully, she didn't know him very well.

"Fate, or coincidence considering you can find any Hawk lounging around if you looked hard enough," Celeste replied cheerfully. While eager to continue the conversation, she remembered the last thing Sanji mentioned. "But let us continue the conversation inside somewhere, poor Sanji is about to freeze over."

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_{@Rethel34@KenjuGuy}

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Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

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The mood of the classroom had shifted, for better or for worse. To his credit, Lysander did warn him ahead of time of it, but Tomai thought it would be jitters. Derec looked just about ready to pass out. Clarissa, the straight-laced student, outright walked out. Crests being a touchy subject was more widespread than he expected. Still, Clarissa returned, Derec was upright, and there were questions asked that required answers. He decided to go in order.

Rudolf's question was easy enough to answer, thankfully. "Ungoverned has been universally been observed to be those who possess the Crest of Seiros outside of the Adrestian royal family," He answered. "There hasn't been any outside of that jurisdiction; any abilities that seem ungoverned are usually particularly stubborn or difficult to control autonomous abilities."

Lysander watched the classroom, albeit Lienna's question seemed to have made him a little uneasy. Once Tomai finished speaking, he felt he couldn't let any assumptions like that pass. "While the unit is a passion project of sorts, it is a social experiment," He would admit that much.

Looking over at Lienna as well, Tomai lightly tapped chalkboard. "Both autonomous and independent have a 'prompt' of sorts, but without knowing what it is, anyone's ability can go out of control and cause injuries," He explained. "Should someone's Crest give them enhanced strength, they may unintentionally break something or injure themselves. As we will be moving into more practical use, accidents are bound to happen."

Turning to Imogen, he needed a second to process what she said. After coming to some basic understanding, he continued, "We'll be going over the details next class, but as I mentioned to Rudolf, it's about finding your Crests' prompt. Once you recognize it, it's akin to exercising a muscle; the more you practice, the better you get at it. Granted, the difficulty varies from person to person, but I have the utmost confidence some of you will excel."

He let silence drop for a second as he flipped the board over once more, drawing makeshift borders around some of the Crests. A few, such as Charon and Daphnel, were in more than one group. "There have been many attempts in the recent century to give Crest abilities some sort of rhyme or reason, but the powers widely vary. The most common agreed-on theory is that the power depends on the individual, not on the Crest itself," He stated. "Charon and Daphnel are proof enough of this, as both appear across both the Leicester Alliance and Faerghus."

"With that in mind, Crest abilities are commonly sorted into categories," He explained, tapping the Blaiddyd Crest. "As I mentioned, King Aaron's ability was considered to be combative. My own ability is considered to be enviornmental, though I believe this name is currently under review in favor of 'sensory'. Those that affect the things people say or feel are considered social. Then there are abilities like Michail's that are in the category of survival, though any that are self-sustaining fall in that category."

He put the chalk down and crossed his arms. "As I mentioned before, Crest abilities are activated through inner prompts. What that prompt is depends on the person; some are stress-related, some can be easily tapped into like flicking a switch, and others can only be lessened," He frowned at the room. "For some of you, this will be easy. For some, you might never truly be able to turn it on or shut it off. It takes time, diligence, and inner reflection to master your Crest ability...and more often than not, some people are simply more talented than others."

He stopped speaking to let his words hang for a moment. "I reckon that'll be it for the introductory course. Though I'll also take any lingering questions."

Veronica let out a small sigh of relief; Goddess above, she was about to fall asleep. Still, she supposed she really only had one question, and now was as good a time as ever to ask. She raised her hand and waited until Tomai nodded at her. "What can we expect of this class going forward?" She asked. "You mentioned that it'll be up to us, but we can assume we'll get some sort of guidance, no?"

"You won't be in this class every day," He replied. "We'll spend the first few classes trying to gauge the categories you're all in, and split you up from there into smaller groups. While I have the most experience, both Professor Kalonics have Crest experience and will do their best to assist you where they can."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another hand raised. Derec somehow managed to move, even if he looked like he would lose his lunch any second now. Tomai held back a sigh and motioned for him to speak. "Can we opt out of these classes?" He all but blurted out the question.

Michail gave Lysander a weary 'I-told-you-so' look from across the room. Lysander had to ignore him for the moment. "I don't recommend it. If your ability gets out of control during a battle, you could very well lose your life," He pointed out. "Why don't we speak after class?"

Tomai closed his eyes for a moment, though once he opened them, he gestured to the door. "Go ahead and speak now, the class is basically over," He pointed out.

Derec sprang up from his seat, immediately heading to the doors. Michail opened his side without hesitating, though after a moment, Euphemia followed suit. Lysander looked uneasy, but he quietly followed Derec out of the classroom.

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Where It Always Rains

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April 7th, 20xx
8:45 a.m.
Weather: Cloudy with a Chance of Light Rain

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The clouds loomed over the town of Utsubyo, though the threat of rain was questionable at best. Most of the elders believed it would come at night in a light drizzle. The more paranoid residents of the town made sure to clutch an umbrella as they began their day. The town buzzed a little more than usual today as parents readied their children for the first day of school. A few tears were shed with younger students on their first day, while the middle school was surprisingly chipper, likely eager to see their friends again.

The students of Utsubyo High School were not nearly as enthusiastic as their middle school counterparts. Polite greetings were exchanged every so often, though the faculty may as well have been dragged along to the dentist with their apathy. The opening ceremony went on without a hitch, leaving the mood of the school neutral at best. A few exceptions came in the form of one pair of teachers: Yokoyama Iwao and Touga Aki.

"I don't know why I let you drag me to Kagoshima before every new year starts," Yokoyama complained, punctuating his sentence with a yawn.

Touga let out a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. "It's tradition!" She insisted, albeit she visibly deflated a few seconds afterward. "Actually...maybe we should come up with a new tradition."

"Ya think?"

The school's bell rang through the halls, interrupting any chance Touga had to respond. "Ah, we can talk about it later," She told him with a wave, hurrying over to her class. After double checking her notebook, she slid the door open to classroom 2-C. The speaking came to a halt, most watching her as she approached the podium.

"All rise," She instructed them as she placed her notebooks down, watching as the students rose. "Be seated."

Waiting until the class fell to silence, Touga pulled out a sheet of paper she had picked up from the office earlier. "Good morning everyone! My name is Touga Aki, and I'll be your homeroom and Literature teacher this year. Today, we'll be choosing a class representative and dive into the novel we'll be studying, The Dancing Girl. Before that, however, a couple of introductions are due!"

Glancing down at her paper, she scanned the faces of her students. "I'd very much like Shimizu-san and Totsuka-san to introduce themselves, please,"

At the mention of her name, Ichika perked up immediately. Without waiting to see if the other person was ready, she stood from her seat, bouncing over to the front of the class. She scribbled her name on the chalkboard and turned to the rest of the class, beaming. "My name is Shimizu Ichika. I like shopping, dressing up, and volleyball. It's nice to meet you!"

Touga couldn't help but admire Ichika's enthusiasm. "Thank you, Shimizu-san," She watched Ichika bounce back to her seat.

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Where It Always Rains

Be not Defeated by the Rain

Be not defeated by the rain, Nor let the wind prove your better.
Succumb not to the snows of winter. Nor be bested by the heat of summer.

Be strong in body. Unfettered by desire. Not enticed to anger. Cultivate a quiet joy.
Count yourself last in everything. Put others before you.
Watch well and listen closely. Hold the learned lessons dear.

A thatch-roof house, in a meadow, nestled in a pine grove's shade.

A handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables to suffice for the day.

If, to the East, a child lies sick: Go forth and nurse him to health.
If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted: Go forth, and relieve her of burden.
If, to the South, a man lies dying: Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear.
If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues:
Go forth and beg them stop such a waste of effort and of spirit.

In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy.
In summers cold, walk in concern and empathy.

Stand aloof of the unknowing masses:
Better dismissed as useless than flattered as a "Great Man".

This is my goal, the person I strive to become.

Where It Always Rains

湖のほとりの街

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Kazuki was relieved to hear Kazuma's agreement, taking a half-step back to give him space. He almost lifted his hand to pat his little brother's head, but he figured he had probably embarrassed the both of them enough. He didn't know what it was about the situation that made him feel so off--probably the ale, honestly--but hit was almost enough to sober him up. He watched as the other brunet decided to walk after Rael, taking a second to take in a deep breath. Alright, he was fine, he didn't need to walk in a straight line to go...wherever it was they were going.

The bard was surprisingly fine as he did the smallest jog to catch up, though he was surprised to hear his brother say something about Mystic Prophecy. While he didn't stop, Kazuki's steps were noticeably slower, and an uneasiness bubbled in his chest. Whatever relief he previously felt quickly turned into dread at the thought of running into Luci, and he was deaf to the rest of the conversation. No, he didn't want to go there.

The thought occurred to him that he could easily just...not continue walking. That thought, however, came to a halt as Alja suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Logically, she likely chased them down, but from his perspective, the woman came straight out of nowhere. The surprise climbed on top of the rest of his troublesome emotions, causing Kazuki to outright stop.

To his credit, he opened his mouth to protest, but the words never came. Instead, he simply turned around and began to walk back to the tavern.

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Smart? Talented? What the hell was Kazuma going on about? The last one didn't make sense either--they were brothers, every time they went out together people thought they were twins. He was only 'smart' because he got good grades, any schmuck could do that if they put their nose to the grind. And even then, it was only because of how pathetic Kazuki was. He had all the time in the world to study and play piano because he didn't have anyone to hang out with, no one to talk to. That was just the logical conclusion.

But Kazuki's blood boiled nonetheless. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, truthfully; he genuinely hated anything coming out of his mother's mouth. But hearing Kazuma put himself down just flipped a switch in him.

"Don't you ever talk like that!" Kazuki's response was so fast that he surprised himself. He took a second to focus on standing up, ignoring the swaying world as he marched up to his brother. "The only thing that's left to do is survive. It doesn't matter how you do it, you use everything at your disposal to look out for yourself. If you don't have the skill, then you do everything to get it."

He didn't intend to go on a ramble, but it came out anyway. "If there is any saving grace in this godforsaken world, it's that we don't have to deal with that woman while we're in here. Nothing she says matters; we deal with her when we get out, and until then, you forget everything she says."

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Kazuki had no idea why he was being taken outside, only making a weak grab for the mug of water before getting dragged out. Admittedly, the fresh air did do him a little good as he took in a deep breath, and it was only then that he realized it was his brother that had been the one to take him outside. He was sincerely grateful for the help, figuring that if he was the one that took him outside, it was probably for the better. He definitely should have taken the water, though.

"私はあなたを愛しています、弟..." He mumbled.

He half-listened to the conversation, brow furrowing at the mention of Mystic Prophecy. If that was where the group wanted to go, he'd rather put his energy elsewhere. He was more than happy to continue his self-appointed studies and practice his magic. Brushing up on his skills and spells was much more time-worthy than going somewhere and awkwardly standing around and avoiding Luci.

His frown deepened as he caught his name, though it was like a splash of cold water hit his face as he stared at his brother. "Don't say that," He couldn't help but scoff as he leaned back against the building. He hated it when his parents compared him, he hated it when their relatives did it--he wasn't about to accept it hearing it from Kazuma, either. "Plenty of things you can do that I can't."

Like talk to people, for one. He thought as he let himself slide down to the ground, readjusting so that he had his arms resting on his knees. "I dunno where you've been looking, Rael, but there's resentment there. They lost more than we did while we made it out alive. Even if they don't admit it, there are feelings to be had over that."

Bad feelings, of course.

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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The boys were full of ideas, though at the very least the consensus was to avoid the shadows. Probably for the better; there was this strange tension radiating from them as they hyperfocused on their tasks. The entire dungeon gave her some really bad vibes, but she couldn't figure out why. Well, seeing it completely formed was unsettling, so that could be it. But there was something else to this, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

The new player spoke up, indicating that the shadows indeed didn't want to be disturbed. Oh, right, there was another person in the bathroom, wasn't there? Perfect, then the way to go was to sneak around and dodge them as best as they could. She also confirmed that the dungeon was already formed--Mira was hoping she was wrong about that--and the blonde sighed. Welp, they wouldn't get answers just standing around.

As Mira stepped forward, however, she was surprised to suddenly get grabbed from behind. Well, not grabbed--hugged, more like. She was entirely confused, the girl's words not really making any sense. She wriggled slightly, uncomfortable with the close contact.

"Who's alive?" Mira couldn't really get out of her grip without being rude, unfortunately. "This isn't the time to play around. We need to hurry up and clear the corruption."

Looking back at the shadows, she watched the ones running around the 'track'. "If we time it right, we can just run through."

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Graves didn't seem all too happy. Kazuki wasn't really surprised at that, though he wasn't going to argue on it any longer. He would never uphold a real, actual life over some data, but he recognized when he needed not to cause a fuss. They had to be practical, but the overly emotional Graves acted on...well, emotion, and often without thinking. He let out a small sigh at the thought; he'd rather avoid any future fights, but if Graves was going to be stubborn, it'd likely present a problem. He should've just gone with Robin, this was giving him a headache.

The mug Seele offered him went ignored as Kazuki shuffled to the bar. He fished out some coin, placing it gently on the bar. "One ale, please," He requested politely, giving the man a bow once he got the mug. Shuffling back to his seat, Kazuki took an eager swig, letting out a hiccup as he plopped down into his seat. His eyes landed on the mug of water, and he gently pushed it back with the other mug.

"I'm okay, thank you," Kazuki said (likely to Seele, but it seems more like outloud), tilting his head back as he drank the rest of the mug. It tasted terrible, it smelled terrible, but he was really, really feeling good after the matter. He watched Alex for a second, lightly swaying in his seat with a frown on his face.

"Missing wayfarers...it would be bad if other wayfarers were behind that," He mumbled. "Not that I'd be surprised. Griefers are the worst."

He had a solemn silence after that, although he leaned to his right. He kept leaning, and leaning, and leaning, and then he slowly lowered his head to the table. The brunet slid right off, remaining on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. "ゼーレさん、もう一杯必要です。" He grumbled, closing his eyes. "天井が回転している…エールだったと思う。気が変わったので、エールはもうやめてください。" He hiccuped.

At Siegfried's words, Kazuki rolled his eyes. カズマ、なぜ私たちは別の見知らぬ人をサポートしなければならないのですか？人々はあまりにも信頼しています。." He muttered in displeasure, shooting 'Artemis' a look resembling disdain. "女の子は迷惑です。でもグレイブスさんは私が何か言うと怒鳴りますので、これを処理させていただきます..."

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