WXer

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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As his culinary cultured companion declared his verdict, Kazuyoshi could not help but do a single thunderous clap followed by a fist pump to celebrate this triumph of gentlemanly debate. His victory antics would be cut short though as his elbow would hit the counter top edge right behind him as his arm came back down, making him drop the second piece of fried gold that he had just bought. Tears would well up in his eyes as the tragedy unfolded before him. That, and his elbow really hurts.

The shock from the impact luckily subsided soon after, assuring Kazu that his old wounds didn't open once more. Reaching out for the dropped famichiki karē sando, one couldn't really tell if dirt had gotten on it as the combination of fried yellow and overseasoned orange camouflaged any ground contaminants. The temptation was there to take another bite but a sense of queasiness had started within Kazu, whether caused by his stomach or his mind remained a mystery to him. With a sigh, he had reluctantly arrived to the conclusion of throwing it to the bin at the same time as Noriaki called him a disgrace.

"I know!" Kazu exclaimed in exasperated agreement, slowly trudging towards the bin with his head down. Though as the curry sauce started leaking on his hand, the blue-haired punk picked up the pace and dunked the remains of his food with a force only achieved with disdain. Not wanting to feel or smell regret on his hand, Kazu would grab a packet of antibacterial wipes on display along with the rest of the sanitation products that the convenience store carried. Just as he went back to the counter in order to ring up his purchase, Kazu would hear the succinct declaration of seeking employment by Noriaki.

"This your plan on blocking us from visiting Lawson's next time, bro?" Kazu stated in the playfully arrogant tone he regularly annoyed people with. Before Noriaki could react though, Kazu would turn to to the totally not familiar cashier with the item he had picked up earlier. "Excuse me miss, I would like to purchase this with cash." he would state with a more respectful manner, ending with a slight bow. The cadence and mannerism were night and day but one can only imagine if Kazu does it on purpose.

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@Asura@psych0pomp@Scribe of Thoth

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The shopping experience for Kazuyoshi had been reminiscent of the ones he used to take with his now estranged social circle. That is to say he spent the majority of his time there lifelessly staring at his phone, looking at old text messages while waiting for the digital clock to slowly tick up towards the next hour. The main difference, of course, was that each passing minute usually brought a new brick to the roads of conversation for the popular punk but this has since reached a dead end since his summertime faux pas. It felt odd to not be suffering from sensory overload via SMS smalltalk, even after months of experiencing effective isolation in a hospital ward. Taking its place were now the mundane yet sincere conversations of three men buying cat litter and their late afternoon itinerary, of which he had not thought about until asked just then and there. Though, Kazu did beam in delight at the question Noriaki posed.

Yes, he did indeed love chicken.

However, his companion's choice of convenience store did flare up the signature snark that Noriaki should come to expect. "Bro I really don't wanna say it because I respect you, yeah? But the best konbini chicken? Definitely Lawson's, for sure." he would state, ripping off the paper cover from the greasy chicken filet he had just bought. Though he had just protested against it, one wouldn't be able to tell based on the vigour that Kazu had just started chewing with. Within a few bites, the deepfried delicacy had been decisively devoured. At the suggestion of Noriaki, he had also made a second transaction for a second piece of chicken along with curry bread but also with a neon green energy drink that definitely looked like something Kazuyoshi would enjoy unironically.

"I'll humour you but I'm telling ya this: Lawson's all day, all the way. Back me up here Daigo, you're the good food dude." He had turned to Daigo with a glare patiently awaiting for approval. Surely, he knew his fried chicken.

Resident Evil Outbreak: File #3

I will pop in here and say, it might be easier for all the characters to interact if we've all known each other to some extent. Either through passing, doing jobs for each other, etc. It also opens stuff up for most story and stuff. Like hidden affairs, conflict, drama, etc that is always fun writing out storywise.

@Fallenreaper

@rocketrobie2's and my character have intertwined backstories, his being a private investigator and mine being an out of town journalist. We thought of having a nameless NPC being our characters' link but, if anyone wants to take the spot, the character just needs to have hired both of our characters to break a big story about Umbrella.

Resident Evil Outbreak: File #3

Thanks again for doing this @TGM. Obviously in.

RWBY: Chasing Shadows

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The team's pursuit of the Grimm was seemingly coming to an end but perhaps in the most unexpected way. The marked Beowolves had led them further down the abandoned tomb, revealing the violent end of those buried deep within its darkness. Though Rio did not stop his reckless rush to inspect any of the prior side rooms, the sigil of the Wild Hunt prompted him to finally slow down. While he was still catching his breath, Rio would point towards the infamous death mark and speak to his team under a whisper. "Chickens came home to roost but the Wild Hunt opened the coop's door for the wolves." Almost immediately after pointing that out, the Grimm they had followed had seemingly stopped in place just further ahead past a hole. The Beowolves were ready to spring their trap but the element of surprise was not in their favour.

Before Rio could point that out, Nivea had called the mission off. A weight had been lifted off their shoulders and Rio quietly thanked the gods that the ordeal was finally over. They can finally leave this mass grave with nothing of value left behind. The remains of the dead will simply just be reclaimed by the soil and no bandits will be living in this place after the what the Grimm had done to it. It was an open and shut case.

That is, until, someone opened their shut mouth and screamed. The possibility that it was a bandit was very likely, hell even the fact that it was a Grimm that made the sound was starting to make sense to Rio. But, there was that very small yet real chance that it was a person in need. Switching over The Boatman's Due back to its firearm form, Rio trained his sight towards where his water-marked targets were hidden by the darkness. "... I don't think they'd let us leave without a fight even if we backed away now. They're waitin' fer us, tauntin' us." Rio was itching for a fight, hoping his justification would convince his teammates to stand their ground.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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Before he could explain the advertising genius of acorns being used to adorn a Dachshund body costume, a random bystander had interrupted their conversation. He looked quite familiar to Kazuyoshi but he couldn't quite put his finger on it until the lad started going on about food. "Oh, it's Hinari-kun. You know cutting through old man Takemura's place is the fastest way to get here... Also, if it's Mister Takemura asking, then no we've never even heard of him." Kazuyoshi had a feeling that Daigo was the kind of kid to actually enjoy talking to adults, specially taking pleasure in snitching on cool kids such as himself. Who else would bother listening to a rant about crabs, after all, aside from the elderly who probably have nothing else going on for them. Luckily, Noriaki was the target of his focus as they continued their conversation about cats and corndogs. Damn, could he go for a sweet batter-dipped, deepfried sausage with mustard on top right about now.

Just as he was about to further indulge in his fantasy, Kazuyoshi would be pulled from the verge of his daydream departure as Daigo proceeded to ask about dogs that weren't on sticks or sauced to perfection. "Uh, no on the dogs but I'm not gonna let some schmuck salesman upsell Noriaki useless merch. Osakan accents smell like blood to those sharks." While this was the preferred reasoning formed by his conscious mind, the feeling of being wanted company was his true longing. Luckily, Noriaki was strangely approachable and accommodating. Perhaps his magnetism was what also caused their classmate to join in on their discussion. Taking a risk on his hunch, Kazuyoshi would extend the olive branch to Daigo.

"So since you're like the expert on boring stuff like this, wanna help me ward off those sales sharks?" he would state with masking bravado, secretly hoping their bespectacled peer would accept. As much as he'd like to, Kazu couldn't possibly just talk to Noriaki for the rest of his high school life. Perhaps it was time to expand his horizons and include others unlike himself within his social circle. The price to pay for this, unfortunately, might be listening to hours upon hours about how there's multiple ways to serve crabs and the accompanying side dishes that complement its flavor and texture. He really just wanted a corndog right about now.

Gundam 0094 (Invite Only Roleplay)

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Oh, to be young and fearless. The provocation from Ezmy would have definitely drawn a reaction from the more idealistic Disker during his youth in the Federation days but time has tempered his fire. Thankfully, he wasn't alone in thinking this as Leon had agreed with his sentiments. Though, perhaps Ezmy did have a point. The Cathartes was a sitting duck in this ocean of stars, tempting the jaws of a leviathan in waiting. Striking first would be a good option but where would they even start? Marauders didn't exactly advertise their hideouts with bright neon signs. Then again, this salvaging ship didn't either.

As Marlowe spoke on about his opinion, a compromise popped in Disker's head. "You know, both of you bring up good points. We should set up a rearguard and a vanguard position that would intercept the enemy before they reach this ship. That way, the captain can evade an attack if it occurs." He then paused to gauge the reactions from each pilot present, before proceeding on to the pièce de résistance of his battle plan. "Good strategy, agreed? Of course, I'll stay on board the Cathartes to provide cover fire. Young master Voltus here just needs to convince the old man to let us sortie. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a... ball to repair."

Regardless of how the others would react to his proposal, Disker would proceed out of the salvage bay while inspecting the device that Marlowe had given him earlier. If he was gonna be stuck inside his Mobile Suit's cockpit, he might as well have something to tinker with to pass the time. Before heading out to the hangar bay, Disker would need to retrieve the toolbox from his designated quarters. On the way there, Disker would come across an unfamiliar face on their way to the captain. Perhaps the captain was hiring extra hands to take up arms. While it didn't bode well for an uneventful voyage, this was definitely the prudent thing to do.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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While Noriaki definitely had a point regarding Kazuyoshi's lack of sleep, the newcomer to Hinotori high was about to be told the truth of and by the accompanying brash buck that was his classmate. "I hear ya, but I'm telling you now that sleep ain't gonna be changing me much by tomorrow." Kazu would state in the most serious tone he's spoken in today while fiddling away on his phone. The city of Kyoto wasn't lacking in shopping locations but Kazu hasn't exactly visited the kind of store Noriaki was looking for. Luckily, a quick scan on the web would tell him that there were indeed a few choices in the nearby commercial district. Putting his phone back in his pocket, Kazu would start walking towards the direction of their desired destination. "Alright, we're taking a shortcut. Don't mind the stench though, that's just Kyoto's charm, yeah?"

The metropole native would guide his countryside comrade through a mini-maze of the concrete jungle. The pair would cut through seldom-used footpaths, back roads, and narrow alleyways while avoiding the gaze of the homeowners of the private properties they were trespassing on. Along the way, Kazu tried to make small talk though only question really stood out. "So, not a lot of people can stand up to the prez like you did... How'd you do that? Y'know, not be fazed by authority figures. Gods know I can't even look Ayane's parents in the eyes..." Kazu asked, in a more playful jest. While this was definitely quite forward to ask, Kazu's curiosity beat out the reservations he had when they first met.

Eventually, after a few instances of being lost due to unforeseen route closures, they would reach the nucleus of the nearby shopping district. The flashy neon lights that illuminated the night were currently dimmed but the various employees assigned to greeting duty outside their stores more than made up for making the area pop out. Some were dressed as gothic maids, some in colourful uniforms with random English words plastered all over, and one was even in a strangely pristine mascot costume that seemed to be a cross between a dog and an acorn. "Think that dog-a-corn sells what you're looking for?" he would ask in the same sombre tone from their earlier departure.

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@Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The ice queen's gaze was just as chilling as her stonecold heart. At least that's what Kazu thought as he momentarily froze when Sakuya had locked her eyes on him. "Y-you too..." he managed to mutter as a reply to her scolding. "I"ll, uh, see you at the gates when you two are done talking." he would softly speak to Noriaki, averting his sight to the ground and walking sheepishly away. Upon reaching the doorway he would turn around in a dramatic fashion with wide eyes while making an X mark with both arms, trying to non-verbally warn Noriaki while the student council president couldn't see the cheeky slacker behind her. It wasn't a good idea at all to be on the prez's radar, transfer student or not. While Kazu wasn't superstitious before, that Taoist booklet that kept him company in the hospital certainly spoke of curses and those vicious school rumours circulating around definitely had something about Sakuya catching the eye of harbingers of misfortune. At least, that's what he thinks he heard during the assembly earlier while half asleep.

Outstandingly, Noriaki was not fazed at all. Kazu definitely needed to ask him how he did that later on. For now though, would go on ahead of his new friend and head to their agreed upon meeting area. While not as crowded as earlier, the school was still bustling with activity as people headed to the school clubs. Unfortunately, the promisingly talented Asakura was still not cleared to play sports otherwise he would have signed up to be the star ace of any Hinotori High sports team that would be lucky to have him. At least an element of suspense is still there for the spectators, he supposed. These thoughts of splendour would whisk him away to the entrance of the school before he knew it.

However, Kazu still didn't know where to take Noriaki and, in his pursuit of not trying to expend more effort than he had to, he had decided to leave it to his companion. "So, where exactly are we headed broski? I mean, where do you want to go... Brain's really pre-occupied, y'know?" he would ask once Noriaki would arrive.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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As Miss Momoji ended her opening address to the class, Kazuyoshi took the opportunity to start dozing off. Barely responsive, he had narrowly missed the first attendance prompt before wildly raising his hand in order to catch his teacher's attention from the back. "I'm here, that's me - Asakura." he would state in a drowsy voice, suppressing a yawn with his hands afterwards. At least his name was near the top of the list and he could go back to skulking behind Noriaki's seated figure. Kazu had hoped that being hidden out of sight would lead to him being called on less but this did not exempt him from class participation at all. He even began to suspect that their new homeroom teacher had started to single him out for passage recitals in order to shake the lethargy out of him. To her credit, Kazu was wide awake by the time lunch time rolled around though his mind was now filled with details of class syllabi.

The day was pleasant enough that spending their free hour in the classroom was simply unacceptable. So, Kazu would grab his lunchbox and sprint to the roof the moment Miss Momoji would dismiss them as he wasn't about to test her patience twice in one day. The sea of students that flooded the hallways did not deter him from making his journey, bumping into the unsuspecting and stubborn without even looking them in the eye. After all, he was still one of the young kings of Hinotori high, right? To his dismay though, his lunch was not fit for royalty as it was cold hardboiled eggs and soggy toast. Certainly a sharp departure from the bento boxes that Ayane-chi would prepare for the both of them.

After consuming his lunch alone and then cloud gazing for a few minutes more, Kazuyoshi would make the reluctant trudge back to the classroom. As he arrived back at his seat, Kazu had a few choice words for his new acquaintance. "Aight, you're not ditching me next time. If I'm gonna be sucking eggs on the roof, might as well be with you next to me." His seatmate definitely had a level-headed response to that which Kazu merely shrugged off. At least they were in the home stretch now and they can finally leave this day behind them. After a few more introductory material readings, they were finally done. However, before they could leave to actually go enjoy their lives, the queen of discipline and good manners had coerced his good friend Noriaki into an interrogation.

Though the young lad's spirit wanted to meet the she-devil head on with energetic bravado, the body was unable. Sluggishly, Kazu stood up and leaned against the nearby classroom wall as Noriaki handled himself. Quite impressive of him to not stumble against Sakuya, Kazu had thought. Wanting to capitalize on this, he would walk towards the pair and once again put his arm around Noriaki's shoulder while locking his sleep-deprived eyes to those of their school president. "Senpai, I'm gonna need you to stop hitting on my good friend Noriaki here." he would state with a callous smirk. "'Sides, I got him. Gonna show him around the area and have a good time, yeah?"