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Post by Toshiro Motoyama on Aug 6, 2021 8:39:50 GMT -8
"What the hell...?"
Snow and ice crunched beneath his heavy boot as he took a step closer to the edge of the precipice. This was the valley, wasn't it? Unless the villagers of Jingle Village were wrong. Toshiro stared in dismay.
A deep gorge, created by water and wind erosion over a stretch of time, was carved into the landscape. Ice coated boulders and sparse wintry vegetation dotted the vacant valley. A lone winter hare scampered from its burrow to forage for food.
There were no other signs of life in this place. No secret laboratories, no facilities, nothing. He reached into the inner folds of his thick winter coat. His mitten covered hands fumbled with the map as he spread it out before him.
"I'm sure this was the right way." He sighed and swore under his breath. "Just my luck. There's nothing here. Now what am I supposed to do?" The map crinkled as he clenched his fists. "I spent all the zeni I had to get here... damn it!"
He shoved the map back into his pocket, scowling at the desolate tundra before him. "There's got to be something here... there has to be! I didn't come all this way for nothing."
[205] [205] [205 of 4000]
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Post by Kurogane on Aug 7, 2021 17:38:52 GMT -8
The snow was thick beneath their feet, each step caused them to wobble slightly and their feet sank softly into the white snow beneath them. It crunched with each step they took. Hotaru was walking ahead by at least a few feet, looking around, from time to time stopping and then checking his map before continuing to walk. Himawari was behind him, whenever Hotaru stopped, Himawari stopped, waited for the young Sparrow to get his bearings and then when Hotaru started walking ahead, he continued along behind him. This maintained the distance between the two of them, as they were both walking at a nice even pace.
The air was chilly, but not intolerable. It was rather nice. There wasn't much of a breeze and the sun was beating down on them so it kept them somewhat cool, counteracting the chill of the area. Still, both of them were wearing long coats; Himawari's coat had a fur lining around the collar, while Hotaru's coat was somewhat puffy.
"I wonder if its still even here... It's been a long time," Hotaru muttered. He recalled there being an a hotspring, a resort, type place out here. Then again, the place existed over ten years ago, back when he was much younger. He had gone to the place with his family and they had enjoyed their stay. He recalled building snowmen and making snow angels with his elder sister. She was the only one of his siblings who appeared interested in spending much time with Hotaru back then.
"I'm starting to think it may have been torn down..." The blindfolded Himawari scratched the back of his head as he looked around. His free hand emitting a soft snap of his fingers occasionally, the sound carrying as it echoed throughout the area, a soft snap-snap-snap-snap, the echo going on for quite a distance. He stopped, tilted his head and listened. He heard something. He moved ahead, moving in front of Hotaru.
"What? What's wrong?"
"There's someone out here." Himawari scanned the area, or at least he turned his head one way or another then motioned, "That way, there's someone over there. Let's go see if they've seen a hotspring out here." He walked ahead.
Hotaru spotted him soon. The young man standing by the edge of a large chasm, a massive gouge in the earth's crust, formed by millions of years of erosion and quite possibly ancient glacial movement.
Once they were within earshot of Toshiro, Hotaru politely called over, "Excuse me, Sorry to..interrupt your moment of silent contemplation..." Well what else could he have been doing standing there staring out over the chasm like that, "you haven't, by chance, seen a hotspring resort around here have you?"
WC: 455 | 455 CWC: 660 | 4,000 Starting PL: 2,984
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Post by Toshiro Motoyama on Aug 8, 2021 7:04:59 GMT -8
Desperation was a funny thing. The way it wormed its way into the most stalwart of souls, undermined determination, and caused great men to take terrible actions in pursuit of vanishing opportunities.
The teenager raised his head, tearing his gaze from the valley beneath at the sound of the approaching figures. Their steps were soft but uncertain, perhaps unaccustomed to traveling in such deep snow. Shiro glanced back over his shoulder, eyes narrowed as he surveyed the pair that seemed to materialize from nowhere, lost in reverie as Shiro was.
One of them was younger, roughly Shiro's own age. He had a shock of white hair and a scarred face. There was a wild sort of look in his eyes—the look of one who has seen more than most at his age. The other was taller and slender, bearing the same spiky white hair. A blindfold covered his eyes yet this did not impede his steps as he stood near the other youth.
Toshiro's brow raised at Hotaru's question. "A hot spring? In this place? You must be joking." He looked serious, at least. On cue, his virtual assistant attempted to search the galactic net, but the signal was sparse here. Nothing to be gleaned. "I don't know anything about a resort. You wouldn't happen to have heard anything about a secret base in this place, have you?"
Shiro observed them a moment more before producing the map from his jacket. He hesitated for a second, then held it out to Hotaru for the white-haired youth to observe. "It's supposed to be somewhere around here. And I... need... help finding it." Shiro glanced down into the deep gorge once again, eyes scanning for hand and foot holds. "Down there. Help me find the lab, and I'll help you find that resort you're looking for. Deal?"
[306] [511] [966 of 4000]
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Post by Kurogane on Aug 9, 2021 1:09:02 GMT -8
The response that Toshiro gave, obvious disbelief, was not unexpected. After all, they were surrounded by what looked like miles of tundra, thick sheets of snow covered every square inch of land in eyesight. So it made sense that someone would question the idea that there was a resort in this area. But, there had been a resort there; albeit, that had been ten years ago, a long time has passed since the young Sparrow last saw the place. It had been a beautiful mountain-like lodge. It had a large main building, as well as, behind it, an enclosed hot spring. The white haired youth recalled someone, at one point, explaining to him that the hotsprings were natural, heated by some kind of geothermal something or other, he didn't recall the actual explanations, it was when he was much younger that he heard it. But, he recalled that the hotsprings themselves were comfortable, steamy, and despite the frigid snowy air outside of the hotsprings, the actual spring area of the sort never felt chilly. The stones surrounding the spring always felt warm to the touch.
Now, there was no resort, at least he didn't see the large main hall, nor did he see the fencing that had surrounded the spring proper.
Now, all he saw was snow, snow, and more snow as far as the eye could see; that and a large chasm that stretched for quite a distance.
"Hm, not joking," Hotaru looked over at the chasm for a half a second, "I guess it's been ten years since I was here... It is possible the place has long since been demolished."
The white haired young Sparrow peered over at Toshiro when he mentioned something about a secret base, "It wouldn't be much of a secret if I knew about it..." He shook his head, "I don't know anything about any bases around here. I don't mind helping you look for it if it's something you need to find."
"Hm, what would you be looking for a secret lab for, if you don't mind me asking?" Himawari canted his head, rubbing his chin as he thought this over a bit, humming to himself softly.
WC: 365 | 820 CWC: 1,331 | 4,000
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Post by Toshiro Motoyama on Aug 18, 2021 18:04:58 GMT -8
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you have questions." Shiro tore his gaze away from the gorge, glancing at the pair of snow-haired men. "The fact that you're willing to help a complete stranger says a lot. At the very least I guess I owe you an explanation."
He sighed.
"My name's Toshiro Motoyama. Or at least... that's who I used to be. Now I go by a different name. Flashfire." He held up a hand as a demonstration as flames leapt to life in his palm, curling around his fingers as if the very flames were alive. "Some time ago, I... well, I died. Sort of. I mean, I did, but... I was brought back to life."
He closed his hand, snuffing out the flames in a tiny puff of dark smoke.
"The man who saved my life is supposed to have a base here somewhere. I don't know where, and I can only assume the man is still alive. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'll do if I find him..." His gaze fell to the ground, his tone uncertain. "But... I've got to do something. Maybe if I can find him, I can figure out what I'm supposed to be doing." He raised his gaze to meet Himawari's. "Does that answer your question?"
[219] [730] [1550 of 4000]
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Post by Kurogane on Aug 20, 2021 16:11:05 GMT -8
He kept looking at the chasm, the gorge, as if he were trying to spot something in all the snow that he had somehow missed before. Apparently, he was looking for some kind of secret lab? Which, Hotaru had to guess, must have been very secret since it wouldn't be blatantly just be sitting there with a big bright neon sign that said SUPER SECRET LAB, COME ON IN flashing out front. It would be very well camouflaged, hidden away so as not to be seen. However, the fact that Toshiro knew about it - since he introduced himself as Toshiro Motoyama - meant that someone was, apparently, terrible at keeping secrets.
"Well, we already are way out here, the hot springs appears to be gone, so we don't really have much else to do," Himawari frowned, though the tone of his words didn't sound as if that was the whole case.
"I don't mind helping." Hotaru peered over at the blindfolded man, smiling a bit, knowing that he too just wanted to help even if he wasn't going to openly say it aloud.
He nodded when Toshiro introduced himself, "My name is Hotaru, Kurogane Hotaru. This is my...I guess you can call it chaperone, Himawari," He motioned to the taller man.
"Aw, at least introduce me as your buddy or something. Making it sound so impersonal," He pouted again, though he grinned and shrugged, "But, yeah, I'm his chaperone, making sure he doesn't get himself in trouble."
The explanation that Toshiro gave only opened up even more questions; he died? How had he died? How was he still there if he had died? Oh, someone had managed to bring him back to life after he died? Was it through CPR or some kind of surgery? So many questions unfolded inside of Hotaru's mind.
"Hm, well, yes, it does though it makes me want to ask more questions. But, I'll leave it to you if you wish to answer. For now, let's try and find that lab, yes?" Himawari's eyes were hidden behind the blindfold, so Toshiro only got to raise his eyes onto the black cloth hiding half the handsome man's face, though it almost felt as if he could see nonetheless, see into Toshiro's eyes, his grin only growing.
WC: 380 | 1,200 CWC: 1,930 | 4,000
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Post by Toshiro Motoyama on Aug 26, 2021 7:54:04 GMT -8
Down at the bottom of the vast gorge, things looked just as bleak as above. His breath came in cloudy bursts as Shiro jogged about, eyes darting from place to place. Occasionally he stopped, digging with both hands in the snow, seeking to find something—anything. Nothing but frozen soil and stone was there to greet him. No sign of life. No sign of anything at all.
"Damn it!" His frustration got the better of him. He clenched his fists, glaring at his boots.
It was a dead end. There was nothing around for miles, and he knew it. Why did he keep running into so many dead ends? Why couldn't he catch a break? He was just a kid, stumbling around in the dark, groping blindly for some semblance of light. There was no one to help him; no one to guide his efforts and steer him in the right direction.
It was beyond frustrating. He was just a kid. It was foolish for him to believe otherwise.
"All I want is answers." He turned his gaze skyward. "That's it. Just one sign from the universe that I'm on the right track. What sort of hero am I supposed to be? And how?"
He didn't expect Kurogane to reply, nor his chaperone. He doubted they had the answers he sought to begin with. The wind began to pick up, howling through the gorge as it sent flurries of loose snow tumbling through. Shiro winced, shielding his face with an arm against it. The weather was getting worse, as if it wanted to discourage him from seeking the truth.
For some reason, this irritated him. Irritated him to action.
"You might want to stand back!" He shouted over the wind to Kurogane and Himawari, pushing up the sleeve of his left arm.
Unlike his right hand which coated itself with ice at his behest, his left sparked a flame that enveloped his hand and the entirety of his forearm. The flames burned hotter and bright by the second, and with a sweeping throw of his hand, a brilliant flash of light ensued. A wave of heat washed over the entire area followed by concussive force from the explosion.
Much of the surrounding ice and snow vanished in an instant under the duress of the flash fire sweeping through the air. As quickly as it flared to life, it snuffed out with a puff of black smoke, curling into the skies above.
He'd cleared an area around himself and the others, revealing some scorched earth beneath them, warm to the touch. More than that.
He gasped, eyes widening. He took a hesitant step towards the towering metal bulkhead doors set against the stony facade of the ravine's wall. The secret entrance... it was there all along! A sense of shame swept through him. Why had he doubted himself? Perhaps this was a lesson from the universe itself. A hero never quit, despite the odds they faced.
He grinned for the first time, glancing at Kurogane. "Alright. Let's see what we can find."
Stepping forward, he stuck his fingers into the small gap between the giant doors. Shiro grit his teeth, feet planted squarely as he struggled to pull the doors apart. While he appeared a normal teen, in truth, his strength bordered on the superhuman due to his mechanical body. Despite that, the doors wouldn't budge a single inch.
He sighed, stepping back and away from the doors. "Of course it wouldn't be that easy. I think the cold has probably frozen them into place. Maybe you can take a crack at it?" Kurogane seemed strong, in his estimation. Perhaps the scar-faced teen could get it open.
WC: 615 | 1,645 CWC: 2,545 | 4,000
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Post by Kurogane on Aug 26, 2021 19:12:56 GMT -8
It was almost funny how they ended up down at the bottom of a gorge in the middle of a frozen tundra. At least, it was funny to Himawari. The tall man had just wanted to go to a hot spring and soak in the naturally heated and relaxing waters. Now, he was up to his knees, almost, in snow, while his charge and a young man they had just met began to hunt the area to find an entrance to a supposed hidden lab out in the frozen wilderness.
It sounded odd, silly even, to Himawari. To Hotaru, it made some sense to put a lab out there; with it being so isolated, it would be a good place to hide in plain sight. So, why not look for it out there? Hotaru had to trust in the word of the young Toshiro, who in turn had trusted in someone else, or perhaps his own recollection, Hotaru wasn't sure which. To that effect, they descended down into the gorge.
The bottom of the gorge, the deep chasm, was as they had pictured it; it was desolate. Snow and rocks. Big boulders jutted out the snow. Hotaru almost did not see them were it not for their sheer size. They would have surely blended into the background. The trio had gone down into the gorge, hoping to find that secret base, and thus far, nothing.
"Are you sure this secret base is down here?" Hotaru looked around, his eyes fleeting from one spot to another before they fell once again on Toshiro.
He was growing frustrated, angry, at his inability to find the supposed hidden lab; but, as Hotaru had said before, if it existed and wasn't hidden, it wouldn't be very good hidden lab.
"Keep looking," Himawari piped up. He wasn't particularly helpful in this scenario; he stood off to the side, allowing the two young men the chance to look for the secret lab's entrance, "Why would someone put a hidden lab up here..." The tall blindfolded man was mostly speaking to himself, looking around the area - or at least turning his head this way and that way as if he were looking through the blindfold - as he felt a shiver race up and down his spine from the cool air around them.
Toshiro was gonna do something; whatever it was, Himawari perked up as he sensed something change in Toshiro. "Hotaru, over here." He spoke up, his voice growing firm and serious as the young scarred ward made his way over to his chaperone's side, "look away."
The taller man placed a hand on the back of Hotaru's head and turned his face away. A sudden flashing light and a dull explosion filled the chasm and when the young man with a shock of white hair turned to look, the snow was gone, evaporated from existence to reveal the brown grass and earth and rocks beneath; but, that wasn't all.
"He found it..." Hotaru was staring, wide eyed at the bulkhead doors, the big metal doors hidden into the side of the gorge wall; which proved to be difficult to open.
"Well, yes, but now, how do we get in..." Himawari snapped his fingers softly as he walked up, not quite up to the doors, but a few feet away as he peered back to Hotaru. "You think you're up for the job?"
"I... Maybe?" He looked at the doors, the air around them still clogged with steam from the evaporated snow. He approached the doors, his eyes trailing over them and then he ran his hands along the metal.
"You're a lot stronger than you realize," Himawari tapped his chin, "Just consider this part of your training."
Hotaru bit his lower lip and peered back at the door then he readied himself, sliding his fingers into the crevice between the doors, he got a good grip. He then planted his feet and after a deep breath, he began to pull.
He groaned in effort, his jaw clenching as he felt his body strain. His biceps bulging and flexing as he strained and pulled and he allowed his power to increase and swell, he felt it concentrating, growing.
"Come on, it's a door, if you can't get past this, how will you complete your mission?" Himawari spoke up, standing off to the side.
That appeared to reinvigorate the scarred boy who dug his feet into the ground harder, deeper, rocks cracking and shattering under his feet as the doors groaned in protest.
Then they creaked, groaned, and began to pry apart.
"See, I told you that you'd be able to do it."
WC: 775 | 1,975 CWC: 3,320 | 4,000
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Post by Toshiro Motoyama on Aug 30, 2021 8:20:06 GMT -8
Shiro stared in amazement, mouth slightly agape at the impressive demonstration of strength by Kurogane. He hadn't been able to even budge the door, yet Kurogane—with the encouragement of his blind chaperone—managed to pry the doors open, even if just by a little. Not wanting to leave the brunt of the work to his companion, Shiro rushed forward and gripped the other side. His arms ached from exertion, sweat-like substance beading on his own brow as he strained and tugged to force the door open further. With their combined efforts, they managed to create a sizable hole; a four-foot gap for the trio to slip through. He let out a relieved chuckle. "Kuro, you're incredible, you know that? Amazing strength. How did you get so strong?" It was beyond impressive. "Tell me later. For now..." He glanced into the yawning darkness that stretched beyond the door. "...let's see what we can find inside." He stepped forward, pausing at the threshold. What could they expect to find inside? It could be anything. Would it be a fully functional facility, a mirror image of the laboratory he spent his formative years training and learning about his new abilities and purpose? Would the doctor himself be inside? Toshiro slipped through the gap, motioning for Kurogane and Himawari to follow. Their steps echoed in the quiet expanse. It was freezing inside, and the darkness permeated everything. He could barely make out the profile of several machines adorning both sides of the hall. Shiro squinted, trying to force his eyes to adjust to their new surroundings. "Something's... not right." He glanced at Kurogane, then back at Himawari. "You guys see or hear anything?" Silence pressed in as if in answer to his question. His tone grew serious. "Let's keep looking." They pressed further into the facility. Shiro raised his left hand, a small ball of flickering flame forming in his palm to act as a torch, lighting their way. The facility was expansive, far larger than Shiro would have anticipated. The light didn't even reach the ceiling. They were in a wide corridor, stalking past plate glass windows displaying more rooms filled with equipment, storage tanks, and silent monitors. The laboratory was empty, void of all life. A thin layer of dust revealed it had been that way for quite some time. Shiro paused, turning to his companions. "This can't be right! Where... where is everyone?" Breaking off from the main corridor, he entered a large room. One entire wall was nothing but dark monitors. The other three harbored electronic equipment, as well as metal desks strewn with messy stacks of papers, electronic tablets, and a few old hoi-poi capsules. He tried clicking one to see its inner contents, but it simply fell to the ground and rolled into the darkness. Toshiro approached the monitor wall, staring at the array of buttons. He pressed one. To his surprise, the screen flickered to life, filling the room with the ambient glow of the monitor. "Wait a sec. I might've found something," he called over his shoulder, uncertain if the others had begun exploring on their own. He began typing at the keyboard, trying to make something happen on screen. "Maybe I can—" A klaxon began blaring, shattering the silence and throwing the room into chaos. Red lights flashed, flooding the room with sickening light. The screen briefly went blank before letters scrawled across the screen. Shiro stepped back, eyes darting back and forth across the screen. "What the—!" He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. As if in response, his own systems began analyzing the data, transposing it into his mind in a concise manner. Soon, the letters disappeared, leaving only a simple countdown timer: Five minutes. And it was counting down fast. "I-It's a self-destruct sequence." Toshiro shook his head, turning to Kurogane. "I've seen this before. It happened to the lab I was built in. This place is going to blow any minute! But—" He glanced about, rushing over to one of the desks, rummaging through its contents. "I can't leave empty-handed! Not again!" WC: 684 | 2,329 CWC: 4,004 | 4,000
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