Tanuki Speed Quest [Heroes/Exalted]

So, the tanuki is going to do a speed quest. The start shall be unknown beyond some vague choices that I will label AFTER a winning vote.

As for why tanuki is calling it Tanuki Speed Quest, it's VERY simple. You will get an update when one of these two conditions or both conditions are met.

1) Half an hour has passed since the last update
2) 5+ Votes have been given to tanuki

The quest will end for the day/night when tanuki go auuuuuu! and falls asleep.

If dice rolls are required, they shall go by the 1d100 table that tanuki make good use of.

>Any Doubles: such as 11,22,33, etc, You win~
>00: You win twice. You are so awesome.
>91-99: Stupidly Successful
>61-90: Successful
>41-60: Neutral
>11-40: Not So Good
>02-10: Terrible
>01: This is so terrible that IT JUST MIGHT WORK! (reroll)

The above table subject to modifications to a simple d100, anything that comes out less or more than one or one hundred is treated as one or one hundred, but you only reroll once. Rolling one twice is... unpleasant.

Bonuses and penalties are applied before counting doubles or looking at the table.

- - -​

Setting Pick ONE
[X] Apples
[X] Eclipse
[X] Ramen
[X] Unknown frontier [Original]

Power Pick ONE
[X] Glorious be thy name, be true onto yourself.
[X] Mercurial and Shifty like a bastard or a bitch.
[X] o/~ Here we are, Born to be kings. We're the princes of the universe. o/~
[X] A cup with a chipped lip, to offer to the world.
[X] A shepherd's staff to guide the flock.
[X] A ring to bind yourself, it may change, you may change, but always it holds you together.
[X] A sword to cut away what is not needed.

 

The room is musky, redolent with the scent of vanilla, rose and oiled metal, and the young man breathed carefully. Each breath brought with it movement, unwanted and yet... always there.

His hand was as steady as could be.

The magnifying glass he wore showed him how much even the beat of his heart, as it pumped his lifeblood, shifted the gear that he nudged ever so carefully.

He was careful.

His mind was calm.

His breath was steady.

And yet, it wasn't enough.

It was never enough, and so he struggled.

He denied his body, he could feel that itch at the back of his mind, to pull that roiling heat in the depths his heart. To push in up his arms and down into his tools.

He resisted.

He could pull that heat into his mind, and give himself [clarity] in his craft, that would be an insult to the centuries of craft that he had been handed by his father.

He resisted.

It was easy to react, but that was the mark of a weak man. And his father did not raise him to be weak or a dullard.

And so Gabriel Gray toiled away with his tools, surrounded by the ticking of clocks, gears as they wound away with time.

And yet... beyond that familiar heat... there was the ease of skill that came to him when he studied mechanical devices. Watched how they were pieced together. The way they moved together in perfect harmony.

It sang to his heart.

It was for this. For the sake of his craft that he resisted that terrible heat in his heart. The heart that wanted to spread from him like a riotous weed bearing a terrible fruit.

[X] A surprising guest shows up in the shop.
[X] He goes home to his mother, who will assure him that he's special and deserves more in life.
[X] Write In

The timer starts once more with Gabriel Grey as a Wood Aspected Dragonblooded.

 

Mother.

A single word, and yet... it is one rich with emotion and meaning.

She loved him, he knew this in the depth of his heart. And truly, she wanted the best for him. And yet... it was clear to him that he disappointed her with his acceptance of his inheritance of his father's watch shop. Of taking on "that woman" as his partner.

With how he settled for being a simple tradesman in a world that was swiftly advancing beyond artisan trades such as watches that required gears. Never mind that he was equally skilled at repairing the latest quartz based watches.

And thus, he continued to pull at her apron string, following her as he always had.

The knowledge that she was all he had.

He had no friends.

No peers.

Only 'clients'.

It was clear to him that they only saw him as this earnest young man with the skills to fix their expensive watches, and yet, he would great them with a smile. Remembering their names and their watches.

Then, there was "that woman" as his mother called her. The sly partner who invested in his shop, who only worked now and then on commission pieces. She treated him as an equal, but hardly a peer. She was an artisan who crafted new wonders, and he a simple tradesman who fixed what was broken.

Unlike him, she made full use of her skills and [essence]... she held none of the pride that he had. And that was why she called herself an artisanm and him a simple tradesman.

The sun had set, and still he continued to work. Putting truth to the label "that woman" had assigned him.

Cleaning, adjusting, nudging the tiny gears just so... until, as if by magic, something clicked and the springs pushed the gears to move once more.

Tick, tock, as the saying went, goes the clock.

There was a smile of satisfaction as he placed the watch with its polished leather handle down in its labeled case.

Putting on his jacket didn't take long, nor did going over the shop to make sure everything was secured and in place.

It was second nature to him to arm the alarm system, and to lock the door behind him.

The store locked behind him, he walked towards his home where mother waited, a whistle upon his lip, a polite smile and nod to all that he met.

[X] A sudden encounter along the way... why was someone trying to kill him?
[X] A sudden encounter along the way... of course, he would help. He was a nice man.
[X] A visitor was waiting for him at his home, someone his mother knew, perhaps?
[X] Write In.

 

Thankfully, the night was quiet... the route he had chosen a peaceful one. Unlike certain OTHER parts of the city.

Why he had heard on the news that there were murders without count just about everywhere. A fact borne out by the gunshots and sirens that could be heard in the distance.

And yet, if one knew what to look for, if one was willing to stear clear of trouble in the form of ganger tags... one could go without troublesome encounters.

More than that, even if his home was in the middle of the King Kobra Klan territory... they opted to leave him alone. After all, he was a nice person... who offended no one. Not with the way he could turn poisonous every now and then, or simply ignore bullets and knives... of course not, that would be silly.

And so, he made his way home peaceful.

It was as he entered his home, that he heard something unusual.

Voices.

One of which belonged to his mother.

The other belonged to someone... unknown. Still, there was an ease there that indicated that whoever was speaking to his mother was someone who she didn't mind having invited into their home or to speak with. At least, she wasn't a prisoner or some such.

"Mother, I'm home."

He stepped into the living room where his mother was entertaining a guest; an elder gentleman, who seemed rather squarish not just in his style of clothing, but down to his features. But it was the glasses that drew the eyes, horn-rimmed, and which gave him the appearance of being a government worker.

"This is my son, Mister Bennett."

"Gabriel, right? I've heard much about you from your mother." He stood up and offered his hand for you to shake.

"Nothing bad, I trust?" You smiled at him and shook his hand.

What Do?
[X] Talk with the government man?
[X] Help make dinner for yourself, mother and the guest?
[X] Write In

 

It is clear to Gabriel that mother hadn't cooked, yet... given that she was enjoying a cup of tea with her guest.

He wasn't like his mother, him... or "that woman" as mother called her. He didn't bear a trace of the elemental inheritance that the young man had gotten from his mother, and down her ancestral line.

And yet... Gabriel found himself jealous. Angry even that she would be so friendly to some man she had just met.

And thus, even as Gabriel shook this Bennett's hand, he found himself plotting his murder.

....

It was odd that he felt this way... but this wasn't the first time it had happened, nor would it be the last time, he suspect.

"Goodness me, no, no... nothing but the kindest of words, Gabriel." The company man said with a smile at the younger man.

"I'm glad," Gabriel smiled at his mother as she sipped at her tea, the light giving her crimson hair a vibrancy that he had yet to see on anyone else. "If you don't mind, I'll do the cooking to allow the two of you time to chitchat?"

"Ah... go ahead, Gabriel." There was the look of gratitude as she nodded at her son.

With a whistle, Gabriel entered the kitchen and go to work cooking. A simple meal, one that didn't require much time.

At least not, with the essence roaring in his heart and filling his frame, to guide his hands. It just happened that certain... exotic herbs that he enjoyed ended up in the sauce. Ones that he knew was toxic for normal humans.

And all too soon, dinner was done.

"I hope you don't mind spaghetti," Gabriel said with a smile he started plating the dishes.

There was a shake of heads as his mother had transitioned from tea to wine with her guest. No, what Gabriel intended was perfectly just...

The spaghetti and tomato meat sauce. A classical dish. Cooked to perfection, enhanced with essence.

A meal that no one can deny was excellently done.

A meal laced with certain herbs that would normally be toxic and get a reaction from normal humans.

And this... Bennett simply ate with gusto and without any ill effect.

What Do?
[X] Write In.

Tanuki will call it a night now... feel free to vote away!

 

It was shocking. Completely and utterly so, for a human to consume raw bitter almonds without side effects. You knew how toxic the raw and untreated almonds were from the amount of cyanide that they contained, and he had multiple helpings of the side salad that you had used said almonds as a garnishing.

There was also the toadstool mushrooms that you had included in the meatsauce...

Your mother and you had immunity to the herbs and assorted plant based poisons. But he wasn't immune, after all... he was absolutely human.

A perfectly normal human who was now complimenting you on the bitter almonds in the salad. "Very delicious, I must say that toppings are quite unexpected... I simply must ask where you got the almonds."

"Thanks, I guess... you liked it?" Your response was confused. "We have an almond tree on the roof, potted."

"Now that we have that out of the way... I must ask you, are you content with your life?" The look he gave you indicated that he knew exactly what you were... hardly a surprising fact. "As you can guess, your mother asked me to talk to you. And I'm here with a job offer for you."

"To leave aside your shop and to come work for the greater good." He spoke at length, of demons and demonhosts. He himself was the host of a star spirit, much like your distant ancestors were the hosts of five mighty dragons. More, he spoke of the need the world had for stopping demons and their demonhosts.

"Normal humans can't stop them, and my people are far too few in number, unlike you dragonblooded. Come, work for me and help the world."

What Do?
[X] Reject his offer.
[X] Accept his offer, it can't possible hurt to humor him.
[X] Write In