The Whorl Within The Spiral

She was used to action first and introductions later by now. "Nice to meet you, I'm Kasumi," she replied with a bow.

"You could say that. I've been something of a wanderer for a long time now. I've had certain tasks that I needed to accomplish, but my life is peaceful once again... for now." And things did tend to jump out at her like a mugger in an alleyway, so it wouldn't be surprising if she'd suddenly found herself caught up in a new mess. "You're not keeping me from anything, don't worry. It's as I told you before, I'd climbed the roof in hopes of clearing my mind and thought that you were up there for a similar reason."

All I did was kick that man... "I appreciate that you've divulged your motivations for attaining this level of strength and fighting prowess, but I'm not sure that I can return you the favor just now. I don't like fighting, in the first place... but because I regularly have no choice, I need to be able to."

#the hero: chao #hotelyamato

He gives an understanding nod as he puts his hands in his pockets.

"Fair enough. I can understand that. Even when you think it's over, somethin' draws you right back in. Savor the time you've got, you never know what that time'll come."

Words you should apply to yourself but whatever it's fine.

"Regardless, if we ever run into each other again, I owe ya one. Most people would LOVE to chance to pass me by if they knew it'd do me in, so even if it was simple for you, it's appreciated."

And also 'cause I hate owin' people, but that's irrelevant.

The Hiroki clan, huh. So that's his target. He does sound sincere about protecting the innocent, though. One man against the world...

"Tens of thousands?" Even on that one occasion in the Shibuya Scramble, she wasn't able to appreciate the meaning of that number in terms of the crowds passing by. It was the harmony of it all that stuck in her mind, more so than the very date and time. "I suppose their size isn't so important if even the authorities are under their heels...

"You'd be right about that," she said about her own trials. "Maybe you've guessed it, even if I wasn't what you were expecting. It's good to hear that you're being realistic about it all. I've known people who were overconfident and overzealous, and overestimated their abilities, trying to take on similarly large challenges. I can tell that you strike a better balance. You have a true conviction. I wish you luck in your endeavors... and, well, you know your limits, but I'll say it anyways: please be safe."

#the hero: chao #hotelyamato

"Well, tens of thousands separated into different, smaller families and clans. But, you get the idea. They all come back to him. Until I can circumvent them, he's out of reach."

There's a tinge of venom in Chao's voice that he's unable to fully contain whenever he refers to the head of the Hiroki Clan, but he chooses not to linger on it, instead giving Kasumi another nod.

"Mm. I'm still alive, and that's what matters. It's... It ain't always easy, for sure, but I've managed so far. Can't really ask for anything else."

Then, he gives her another quizzical look, unable to hide his curiosity now that his spiel was done.

"Anyway, this didn't hold you up from somethin', did it? Someone of your skill... It ain't every day someone like that shows up. You just passin' by on a break, or...?"

... And then, realizing something he should of done FAR earlier, he lets out a faint "Oh, shit. Right," before... finally introducing himself.

"... It's Chao, by the way. Just Chao. Weird name, I know, but... That's what it is."

carusources

What class will my muse be in a classic fantasy RPG setting?

(I.e: Knight, archer, wizard, and so on.)

#specify muse #otay

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises..." She sheepishly accepted the water bottle, which was probably the most confusing thing about this situation.

Listening to his spiel, Kasumi was somewhat reminded of herself, working alone as frequently as she did. On the surface, his justifications seemed noble, but preposterous. She really had to think, though. For myself. I've always been doing things... for myself. Kasumi had nothing in common with the average folk like the man who was nearly mugged, let alone the two 'twobit thugs' lying tied up behind the stranger.

I guess I can't blend in, huh? Not if I give up so easily... So much for clearing her head, more doubts filled her mind. Those words, the weak and downtrodden, made her feel queasy. All this time, I never...

"That's quite the ambitious task that you've taken upon yourself. Going up against something so much bigger than you, whittling away at a tree with deep roots... I've had a similar experience. You don't appear to have doubts about going down this path. You sound very set in your ways." Her old mindset, of course, led her to one course of action, very Japanese: "Is that all you intend, though? Reactively protecting the innocent? Even if you can't strike at the head of the snake right now, that should be your goal."

Okay, maybe proactivity wasn't that Japanese, but yearning for decisive battles certainly was, though Kasumi knew all too well not to expect such a luxury.

Her response led to Chao giving her a quizzical look. That reply catching him a bit by surprise.

"... Gotta admit, you caught me a bit off guard. This ain't what I expected."

Between this and the display of skill from before, it was clear that this girl was far, FAR more than appearances let on.

For a moment, he contemplates, before nodding firmly.

"This ain't just for the hell of it, no. This is to make sure I stay in shape... And because I can't just ignore someone when they're in a situation like this. It'd make me feel gross."

... Guess there ain't a point in hidin' it.

"Around here... One group has an iron grip on nearly every aspect of life. The Hiroki Clan. They're a Yakuza clan tens of thousands strong. Any other clan they went against was either absorbed into their ranks or eradicated entirely. They have terrifying levels of responses for any scenario you can think of. All that power... Under the thumb of one man."

Faintly, he gripped one of his folded arms. Taking a deep breath, he was able to quell the rage that boiled within him, even if just temporarily.

"That man... I have to stop him. I need to stop him. If I can, the clan will crumble. I don't want to do somethin' as drastic as murder, but I need to beat him. To prove that I'm stronger than his clan."

... And better. I have to be better.

Lowering his head, he continues.

"... But it's like I said. It's a group tens of thousands strong. They ain't gonna just let me deal with him like that. And even if I DID go for the head immediately, they'd have time and energy to rebuild without him. I'm aware of my limits, and those odds ain't in my favor. So instead... I'll chip away at it, at their ranks. Like a drill, if i just keep a constant rotation, eventually I'll make progress."

Realizing just how much he said, he sighs and lifts his head back up at Kasumi.

"... Guess someone else kinda knowin' how this goes made me say more than I should've. Sorry, I know this ain't your business. You've... prolly got, or had, a lot on your plate. But, that's the long and short of it."

After landing the kick to his face, Kasumi landed on both feet and snapped around, scanning the area for any other targets before looking down and confirming that the second thug was no longer a threat. "It was nothing," she replied curtly, loosening her stance and turning to watch Chao once more.

Her answer was just as sharp: "Vigilante? I was ready to ask you the same thing a minute ago. You're definitely not police," she noted, nodding towards the rope used to bind the thugs' hands. "Either your intention is to watch for common thieves like these two, or you know something that I don't. You were expecting them, weren't you?" Kasumi didn't plan on divulging anything else about herself until she could receive those answers from the stranger in front of her. She took a deep breath as she waited, trying to bring her heart rate back down.

"Oh, definitely not police. Hell, they'd probably love a reason to lock me up..."

Reaching into his bag, Chao pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to Kasumi. "Here. I keep a surplus for when I feel exhausted."

Her questions and sharp demeanor gave him a brief pause. There was clearly more to this girl than she let on, but for the time being that wasn't the focus.

"You must not be from around here then... Fine, I'll answer your questions."

Leaning against a wall, Chao crossed his arms as he looked at her, nodding at the mention of vigilantes.

"Vigilante is definitely a term you could use. I don't work with any kind of force, too much yellow tape and company politic bullshit for my liking... And that's before gettin' into the corruption. Just too much hassle. Plus, again, they want any excuse they can to get rid of the likes of me."

Gesturing towards the thugs, he continued. "I wasn't expecting these two, never seen 'em in my life. But I was anticipating it. You learn to predict this kinda shit when you've lived here as long as I have. The city is REALLY crowded, so shitbags think they have a run of the place when no one's lookin' to harass the weak and downtrodden. That's why I was up there, lookin' to make sure I could stop it before anything happened. If it was lucky or not that something DID happen... I'll leave that for you to decide."

With a sigh, he continued as he rolled his neck once more. "I don't just go after twobit thugs. There's... more powerful forces at play around these parts. They're the ones I really wanna keep in check, because they scare most others into submission before they can act. They can't scare me, though. I've seen their bullshit too often for it to affect me. So, I elected myself to be the one to deal with 'em."

Looking over at her again, he nodded his head. "... Point is, things ain't right around here, and someone has to stick up for the people that get lost in the shuffle of this city. Police are too corrupt and only care about big name stuff, and most others can't fight back. So, that's why I'm here. And I don't intend to stop until they stop. Think whatever you want of it, I've heard too many different things to count 'em all... But that's the truth."

It was strange being this forthcoming, but it felt fair. This was definitely an unusual situation, after all.

By the time Kasumi spotted those two in the alley down below, Chao had reached the ground. A vigilante? The way that he handled a simple mugger was impressive enough to her. She was already watching him when he called to her. No time for questions, then. Now, though, she had a clear view of the shadowy figure with the bat.

"Behind you!" she managed to let out, but in an instant, she was running down the slanted end of the roof—

"Hyaa!"

—and aiming her dominant foot at the thug's head.

"What the fu—"

Bracing himself for some sort of impact, Chao closed his eyes and held his arms in a guard as Kasumi zipped by...

... Zipped by?

"Gyaaaaa—!!"

Opening his eyes after hearing the scream, he turns around and sees the unconscious body of another thug, his bat gently rolling across the pavement. Chao looked towards him, then back towards Kasumi, putting two and two together.

"... Oh. That's what you were referrin' too. That was sloppy of me... Normally I'd of caught that in an instant. Thanks."

Well, this was definitely an unexpected turn. This girl knew how to fight... and she was pretty ballsy. A jump like that from the roof ain't nothing to sneeze at.

Reaching into his carrying bag, Chao pulled out a string of rope and tied the unconscious thugs hands together. "Just so they can't escape back into the darkness. Someone'll come get 'em."

Turning his attention back towards Kasumi, Chao raised an eyebrow. Curiosity clearly piqued after such a maneuver.

"... Credit where it's due, that was impressive. It ain't every day I see someone with moves like that. You some kinda vigilante? I haven't heard of anyone like you... But I admittedly don't focus on things like that."

"If you're sure. I appreciate it." Kasumi, too, felt relaxed at the other's words, though she would watch him closely. I can already picture us... working together. ... My mindset persists, doesn't it.

She didn't require too much critical thinking or tact to piece together that he was searching for something, though all she heard was muttering. All this kept her from going back to trying to search for something herself in the cityscape from this spot. Now his body language seemed tense to her, but she didn't want to ask him just yet what he was up to. If he doesn't already find me suspicious...

"Disagreeable". Hmm... and who are 'they'? She found herself scanning the darker, more hidden spots below, wondering if she'd spot anything unusual.

For a moment, everything seemed quiet. Sure, there was the noise of the city still, but if they two were hoping to find something... They'd be greeted with nothing but empty space as far as they could see.

Chao was content to keep it at that and move on, but just as he as about to move on to the next area... He spotted something, just below where the two of them stood.

A thuggish looking man had cornered a young man, his body language making it clear he was demanding some sort of payment from the boy. Even from the distance the two were, it was obvious that the younger man looked downright terrified.

Bingo.

Wasting no time, Chao quickly leapt off the roof with impressive finesse, using the nearby scaffolding to climb his way down to the ground as if it was reflex at this point.

Getting in-between the young man and the thug, Chao glared at the criminal with daggers in his eyes.

"A'ight, that's as far as you go. You haven't done anything yet, so I'll give you one chance. Scram and never try this shit again. You can still prevent makin' an ass outta yourself."

Quickly glancing towards the frightened man, Chao pointed at the exit of the alleyway. "Get outta here. Go!"

Frantically nodding, the man ran off, narrowly escaping the robbery attempt.

"Ghk...! Nice parlor trick, pretty boy, but I ain't gonna fold that easy!"

With a punch, the thug lunged at Chao... who promptly caught his fist and twisted his arm into a throw, sending the thug to the ground and incapacitating him.

"... Huh. You actually did fold that easy. Well, I tried to warn you..."

With a sigh, Chao rolled his neck... and spotted the woman still on the roof. Attempting to get her attention, he shouted to her.

"YO! You may wanna get outta here! You never know if it ends at just one with these kinda people!"

Unbeknownst to him since he was focusing on the girl, a second thug, likely a friend of the other, was sneaking behind Chao with a bat, hoping to close the distance and deal with him before he noticed. It was something she could clearly see, but he was none the wiser as he looked up.

#specify muse when necessary #i aint burnt out but

gardenofmemeden

Easy Meme for a Burnt Out Mun

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Kasumi also picked this rooftop at random, for tonight, there were things eating away at her mind. She'd changed a lot, sure, but the world around her and her circumstances hadn't. She still couldn't go back home, and she'd still never truly fit in here.

She only infrequently experienced views like this, but they stuck out in her memory. Somehow, she had the feeling that if she grew accustomed to this particular scene, and then embraced it, then she would feel some sense of belonging.

She was just as surprised when someone else appeared on this rooftop. Fortunately, things were different enough now that her first instinct wasn't to snap her hand to the hilt.

"Oh, excuse me, I've just come up here to... clear my head and watch the city below. Am I intruding?"