I've been gone for two weeks, but that just means you get a double hit and the start of a new arc in this story! But before we get into that, I have a little request of you, my readers.
So, I've been unable to write for two weeks because I've been participating in what is called the NCS (National Citizenship Service) which is operated in Britain. two weeks are spent at an outdoor centre camping and at a Uni respectively, while the next two weeks (the week which has just past and this coming one) will be spent doing an action project with the team you've been placed in. I'm team 6 (officially. We're actually team Tag along... I'm proud of it) and our project is Bridging the Generation Gap.
The elderly are becoming more afraid of the younger generation by the day and we aim to change their opinion on us young people. We want to achieve this by visiting independent living accommodations and building a bond with the elderly to show them that we aren't as bad as they may think. We will be spending 4 days with them and during our time we will be doing various activities with them such as painting. We care about the older generation because they are still human beings who enjoy people's company just as much as we do. Therefore, we are raising awareness for the older generations to show that we know they are there and we want to make them feel a part of the community. The young have the ability, but lack the wisdom, and the old have the wisdom, but lack the ability. We want to get them involved!
But I was hoping that you could like two pages for me: an instagram page called and a facebook page called NCS team 6 -bridging the generation gap. if you could do that, it would mean the world to us and it's fairly simple, right? Let's go to the awkward part.
We also have a JustGiving page called (this is a mouthful) We're raising £200 to help fund our NCS project to bridge the gap between the young and old generation. The money will go towards helping the elderly(or alternately, bridge that gap). if you could maybe think of adding to that, it would be absolutely magical! any money gathered would go directly to supporting the elderly we visit. Anyway, with all of the request done, let's go!
Super hero time!
Shuujin: Issei, it's time to face some psychic siblings!
Issei: And you've got to deal with the devil... um, literally!
Shuujin: I know. It's because I'm psychic.
Issei: Bull! You've just got good intuition!
S + I: Break the chains! Phone up the future!
The Starway Rider warped into existence at the centre of a simple park, the surrounding people completely oblivious to the arrival of the strange vehicle disguised as a sort of statue in the middle of the area. Stepping out onto the grass, Issei held up the paper within his hands, Rider and Onihime stepping out behind him while Kunou and Ophis lagged behind, the energetic Kitsune exuberantly discussing whatever had found her interest at the time.
They had been sent after strange rumours from outside spoke of how it seemed the people all acted far too passively. Of course, it was to be expected that a place could hold very minimal violence and the sort, but even such things as friendly arguments seemed to have been completely erased from the city. Mozaik had once been near reviled for its lack of proper policing, the ones who proved themselves best in the underworld acting as the ones who policed their opponents. Then, for seemingly no reason whatsoever, it had all simply… disappeared.
"What do you think actually happened, anyway?" Issei questioned as he looked around, the people immediately didn't appear to strange, interacting and speaking in ways you would expect anyone to do. "I mean, it can't be that easy to manipulate all crime into stopping. It must've taken really extreme action to make it stop."
"Well, the usual manners in the underworld could possibly apply here." Onihime reasoned, placing a hand to her chin as the pale girl surveyed the rather typical surroundings. "Those who prove themselves strongest will become the kings. Perhaps a person found themselves in a position of power and chose to remove all evil. For what reason someone would do that though, I cannot say."
"It would seem a little excessive for someone to literally take over and beat anyone who would ever act out only to never do anything of your own." Rider countered, holding her arms out wide with a small frown. "Besides, the people here don't look like they're being bullied into acting normal; if it was really power that was preventing the crime, then there would be signs of at least one person who had been threatened."
"People, are lazy as well." Ophis added, letting the Kitsune at her side grab a hold of the small hand lying at her side. "They, would not go to destroy any simple arguments as well without reason."
"That's true enough…" Issei conceded, his eyes drawn to one of the large electronic billboards that towered in the air, various adverts flashing over its LEDs. They had been installed in various places around the city of Mozaik, apparently from the money saved through the lack of criminal activity that had once sucked up the majority of the government funds. His partners wouldn't notice the split second where his eyes seemed to focus intently on the board, an advert for seemingly special brand of strawberries being none too important to them.
"Well, where do you want to go first?" Kunou asked energetically, turning to Issei with near trembling movements. "I heard that they've got a whole load of cool places here since the whole refurbishment thing! We should go and visit the ice cream place!"
Onihime was silent as they walked along , Ophis quickly taking her 'father's' hand to have the trio pulled along faster, only Rider remaining behind to whisper with the gambler.
"So, I'm guessing that you have the same ideas ad hunches as I do?" the pink haired girl remarked as they passed across into the shopping district, bustling with happy shoppers going about their days in peace, every window allowing cheerful, almost artificially so, people to be seen.
"Yes, I do believe so." Onihime confirmed, tilting gently to the side to let a smiling mother be dragged long by her children in very much the same manner as Issei was experiencing with Ophis and Kunou. "There's been an increased in the young based entertainment and shops; that would be an indication that the person who has taken over the city is either very much a child lover, or a child themselves. Either way would be pretty remarkable."
The two had to stop when they were near to bumping into the brunette, who had paused to allow a young boy to pass by them with a great beaming smile upon their face. Only Ophis allowed her eyes to narrow at the sight of the child, an act that Issei was quick to catch up on.
"Hey, what's up?" the student asked quietly, the ice cream parlour Kunou had been so eager to visit gently appearing as they rounded the corner.
"Something, about that boy seems wrong father. I, do not like him." Ophis whispered, the gothic Lolita clenching Issei's hand tighter as they entered, Rider taking Kunou forward with a small look shared between them. "He, has a strange aura. He, doesn't seem normal."
"…If you really think that he's going to be an issue, I'm sure we can try and find him later." Issei declared, ushering the small girl to a seat as the others went about procuring their frozen treats. "Even if we wanted to, it would be an issue trying to find him without any leads. Just enjoy your ice cream for now."
And the group did. She wasn't exactly as eager as Kunou in her consumption, the chocolate dessert having to be wiped partially from around her mouth after the act. The thought of the boy refused to exit her mind, the reason for such completely foreign to the girl. He wasn't her mother nor her father, so he held no importance to her, and yet the thought of that strange boy remained in her mind.
"'Phis? Are you alright?" Kunou asked, the black haired girl giving a simple nod of her head as she looked around the city. They were returning to the Starway Rider after a small tour of the various facilities close to the vessel, meaning that there was time for Kunou to catch onto the girl's strange mood.
"Do, not worry. I, will be fine."
"They really enjoy their literature, don't they?" the dark dressed demon in name declared as they entered the hotel, perhaps mistakable for a library for the sheer number of books that lined the lobby. It had also been clear from the many book stores outside that even the city of crime had an oddly vast taste for the written word. "I can understand a lot of bookstores, but what would the hotel be needing such a great amount of books for?"
"I mean, it's a good mix, but definitely not the amount you would expect in a hotel." Issei agreed, drawing one of the novels into his hand. it had been a mystery about a child who found themselves lost into the hands of cruel circus owners, tortured and placed into a freak show." And some of these you really don't want to have in a public place if you're looking to entice people… okay…"
"Ah, are you new to Mozaik?" the secretary asked from behind the desk, poking a head of black hair up as she effortlessly slid the pencil in on the top of her ear. "We've been able to renovate a lot with the removal of the many conflicts. The city council believed by increasing access and variety of books available in the city, the people would be more enticed to read rather than lose themselves in electronic entertainment."
"Well, I suppose that makes sense." Issei conceded, pulling out his wallet. "So, how much would a week be?"
"That will be twenty thousand per person, per night and with five of you, that will be seven hundred thousand yen." The lady listed off, Issei unable to hold back the gulp that came out. His funds collected from Yasaka would barely be able to fill it out, but being in a hotel would provide the chance to interact with the people much more easily than staying in the Starway Rider and it would make them appear less strange than they would've if they simply appeared out of 'nowhere' thanks to the vessel's perception filter.
"How about we have a little discount, seeing as we're going to be such a fair group?" Onihime suggested, letting her claw tap absently upon the wood between her and the woman, crimson eyes alit with amusement. "You know, I've heard of places where the price is six thousand a person for a single night. Perhaps that would be a more suitable price."
"I hope I do not disappoint you when I say that sort of price is reserved for places with a lesser quality service. I cannot possibly allow such a discount." The lady denied, keeping the smile upon her face with every word, as did Onihime as she let the metal crawl along the underlining of the woman's chin.
"Oh? Really? I believe I could arrange something that would allow us to properly sort out this dilemma." Onihime declared casually, a great evil gathering at her eyes as Issei was about to pull her back.
"We're trying to be normal, you can't just do that!" he objected, reaching out to grab the back of the girl's dress before suddenly pausing.
"That will be fine."
He turned incredulously to the woman, as did Rider and Onihime, stuck in their positions. Had she really just been so easily turned? She didn't appear to be frightened in the slightest; in fact, she appeared to be even more relaxed than she had been originally, her movements having a sudden lack of energy as she went around dealing with the paperwork.
"With your new prices, that will be thirty thousand a night, making for two hundred and ten thousand." The lady stated, even a noticeable drunkenness adding to her tone, even if her smile remained pleasant as she accepted the money. While Issei did feel a little bad for taking such a large profit margin from a type of hotel known for being expensive for good reasons, it was more of a strange experience than anything else. Pouting at the side, Onihime crossed her arms as she played with the tip of her black hair.
"Well, that simply wasn't any fun. Usually people will accept when I offer a game, believing me to be weak. I could've won us the entire hotel if she simply accepted." The gambler whined, approaching the traditional Japanese room and sliding the door aside, all gathering as Rider and Onihime placed their luggage to the side - Issei and Ophis with Kunou would have their own rooms.
"You shouldn't have made it sound like you were going to kill her!" Issei scolded, only for Rider to hold out a hand, an electronic notepad having a stylus flying over it, Rider quickly turning it around to display the digital notes recorded upon it.
"Don't worry about it Issei, we had a small agreement about it!" the pink haired inventor dismissed, her finger moving around the spider diagram formed upon the screen, a central bubble holding the title of 'Mozaik Mystery'. "See, I wanted to see to what extent this whole 'no crime' thing went to, so I asked Onihime to purposely intimidate the first chance we had and see how a random person would deal with it. If they were being blackmailed, you would've seen someone at least hesitate or flinch, because fighting back would bring down the wrath of the one who was blackmailing them. The fact that this lady showed no reaction over than becoming more docile is proof that there is some sort of mind manipulation involved – one that gets stronger in the face of potential conflict."
"By having it done in such a fashion, it would make it easier for such a thing to go unnoticed. It would only truly spring up when people were actually reaching the stage of anger, and so they would be acting completely normally until that point." Onihime expanded, seating herself gracefully upon the tatami mat. "But we still don't know a proper way for them to manipulate the people…"
"…Except we do!" Issei suddenly concluded, Kunou turning a titled head towards him.
"Wait, we do?" the young blonde questioned, Issei standing and starting to pace as he attempted to put all of his thoughts together.
"Well, if they wanted to do a city wide brainwashing, they would either have to use a great amount of power, or have a method of doing so on a grand scale." Issei explained, the kitsune nodding slowly. "So, if they had enough power to take over, say, the council in control of what is implemented in Mozaik, then they would be able to add in things that would help them out and extend their influence. Now, what have they added?"
"There's the whole bunch of books, the big board things and all of the cool places, right?" Kunou recalled, Issei giving a nod.
"And so one of those things is allowing the one behind the elimination of conflict to control the people easier. If we were to remove the extension, they would only be able to control a small amount and be easier to find." Issei concluded, ending strong before awkwardly scratching his head. "Even if it is unnatural, it does seem weird for your mother to send us here to… restart? Conflict."
"It's not a case of restarting the conflict silly." Rider corrected, pulling back the notepad. "It's about getting things back to normal. It can't be healthy to be under brainwashing for a long time, and if it had been blackmail, then it was likely that a strong supernatural person was the one responsible. If it turned out to be something that Kyoto couldn't handle, then it would allow Yasaka to contact the right people."
"That's fair… So, we have the books, the electronic billboards and all of the young aimed shops. I can't really see what they would have in the young based shops that would brainwash though… maybe it was to control the children so they would grow up expecting the same; it certainly wouldn't be aimed at the adults." Issei commented, slapping his head slightly. "Well, we should probably do some more exploring in the morning. I hope you don't mind if I retire for now…"
Bidding the others good night, Kunou far too excited for the time of day it was; they had spent a good majority of that day exploring the various shops available to them around the city and it was getting deep into the night – far later than a child Kunou's age should've been awake until, Rider looked to the notepad where she had recorded all of their details within. Though she had yet to speak of them, there was bit more upon her mind.
Falling upon the pillow with countless questions floating around her head, the girl turned away from where she knew Onihime was still awake. Hopefully she would get the right idea and remain silent so she could sleep.
"Would you care for some tea? It clearly would assist in easing your mind." Onihime offered, not even turning her head as she poured out the second cup; it was clear what the answer would be. Blearily pulling herself out of the futon, she gracelessly sat opposite the gambler, dragging in the cup like a lifeline. "Now, what burdens your mind?"
"I suppose I just don't think I'm doing this team good." Rider admitted with a small chuckle, Onihime slightly raising an eyebrow. "I mean, it was your idea to threaten people to find out the truth; I kind of just took some of the credit for it."
"Well do not worry, for I surely hold no qualms for you taking some of the credit." The gambler happily relied before her visage turned to stone once more. "Now, what is truly acting as your burden? It clearly wasn't the fact that you took a measly amount of credit and you were the one who suggested the whole concept of testing people in the first place."
"It doesn't matter." Rider dismissed, a small sigh escaping Onihime at the simple statement. There was no denying that such sharp answers were not the technomancer's tone, the girl much preferring to explain her thoughts in greater detail or joking; to be so simple was definitive proof that she wasn't alright.
"Now that was just disappointing. Could you not come up with something that could be at least somewhat believable?" the gambler remarked, a small groan escaping the pink haired girl. "Now, if you do not want me to know of it, then that's perfectly acceptable. I just ask that you admit there is something on your mind."
"…I'm sure I'll tell you what it is eventually; I'm not the strongest girl mentally out there, so I'll most likely end up blabbing to you as soon as the pressure comes…" Rider admitted, the laugh that came this time being much more open. "However, I don't think I can do it right now. Maybe later. Thanks for the tea though Onihime."
She would take a second to walk away from the table before she turned back, Onihime pausing with the edge of the china touching her blood red lips.
"Oh, by the way, we never really did get your true name, did we?" Rider remarked, leaning upon her shins. "Would you care to elaborate?"
"Oh? So you are unwilling to elaborate on your own issues, but you immediately wish to ask of mine? How rude of you." The black haired girl taunted as she took a sip of her tea. "Perhaps one day we shall have a secret swap. Maybe then you will find out the truth of my name."
With a pout, Rider turned away, crossing her arms as she entered her section of the room, leaving just a small amount of the door open for her to speak through.
"Aren't you meant to be under lock and key!? I'm pretty sure I locked you in the handcuffs before!"
"Maybe you should hide your keys in a better way."
Let's put that on hold for now. So, we've got a little mystery going on, but there's no need to wait for something else to come up! Yes indeed, we're going with the double upload as a reward for listening to my little request (though I am going to put it again on the next one... oh well.)
1 - Dragon (Ophis: scale slicer)
2 - Kitsune (Kunou: Kit o' nine tails)
3 - Technomancer (Starway Rider: .EXE(but!)cuter)
4 - Demon (Onihime: Royal straight crush)
5 - ?
6 - ?
7 - ?
8 - ?
9 - ?
0 - ErRoR (woman: ErRoR)