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Post by othus on Jan 9, 2021 7:08:30 GMT
Hokkaido, Niseko hidden villageAt a peak elevation of 1,308 metres with pristine wilderness surroundings, the Hidden village found at the foot of Mount Yotei is the home of a multitude of HW creatures, from humans and Yokai to the magical Shinto. Siberian winds interacting with moisture from the Sea of Japan provide a snow cover for the Hidden Village that is among the driest and lightest in the world. Being a place isolated from modern Japan, Niseko is built in an entirely traditional manner, with many of its buildings dating back to the Sengoku Era. Due to its exotic nature, Niseko has become a must travel place for adventurers, the jurisdiction of the JHWAB in this area is ceded to the Musashi clan, who pay for the upkeep costs of the village. As such, the Musashi clan has a center of operations in the midst of the village. Being a nature wonderland, Yotei offers adventurers perfect spots for cave exploration and extreme sports.
Ever since Hyun-Park left Korea, her life had been that of a traveler, holding a few jobs here and there, never managing to stay comfortable in one place. After a satisfactory stay in Valstand, she decided it was time to pack her stuff again and hit the road. Maybe it was a matter of luck, or even fate, but she had decided this time to travel to Hokkaido. there weren’t many places HW people could feel at ease, but Niseko was well known, perhaps a short stay there would help her clear her mind and decide what she wanted to do next. After a couple days of travel from Valstand to Japan, Hyun had finally managed to get to the Village. The traditional buildings made of Hinoki wood shone as the sun hit them, the snow on the rooftops glowing like stardust. She saw people skiing in the nearby massive slopes, while some skating in the distance over the frozen lake. She immediately made a mental note of it all as she headed towards the inn. "Alright, time for a new beginning!"-She said as she hyped herself right before entering. The Esper was wearing a multi colored snow jacket, boots and gloves, they didn't make much of a difference, but she loved dressing for the occassion.
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 9, 2021 22:20:21 GMT
Arthur's brow was covered in sweat. He couldn't believe he was struggling this much. An opponent this tough after all the ones he's conquered up til now?
"Orya!" The large man opposing him shouted. A loud boom and a crack echoed. There was a moment of silence. Until...
"And Captain Hagane wins the arm wrestling tournament!" The announcer proclaimed to loud cheering all throughout the inn. Arthur shook his bruised hand. The magically enhanced table was slightly cracked where his hand got pinned. I suppose it makes sense there'd be a monster like him in a hidden world village, Arthur thought.
"Hey, you got farther than I thought, kid. I guess you shouldn't judge a book just because it drinks baby juice." Hagane grinned.
"I guess all that booze got to your head, old man, because that sentence made zero sense." The two started at each other for a moment, then they smashed their hands together into a bro handshake. "You're alright," they said in unison, Arthur trying not to wince from the pulsing pain shooting from his injured hand.
"Alright, alright," the innkeeper, who was serving as the announcer and judge for the impromptu armwrstling tournament that just happened, cut in. "Let's put these tables back where they belong, you rabblerousers." And so, the patrons got to work fixing the mess they had made. Just in time for Arthur to turn and notice a familiar face walking in. One that unusually didn't take long to place.
"Heeey, Hyun! Wasn't expecting to run into you here! What's up?" he smiled.
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Post by othus on Jan 9, 2021 23:22:42 GMT
Entering the Inn made Hyun wonder if she had mistaken it for the pub. There was surely a lot of noise, even though it quickly settled down. As the esper looked around, a familiar voice called her name.
"Arthur?! HIII!"- Hyun's face beamed with joy as she excitedly waved her arms. The place was clearly a mess, but it was great seeing a known face for sure.
"Well...I'm kind of a wandering spirit you know? can't stay in one place for long! what about you? did Love and Hazel come here too?! Or you just tracked me all the way here on your own cause you fell in love with my ice cream? cause, y'know...I wouldn't blame ya if you did!"- She said jokingly with a proud posture as she reached for her bag, which slowly floated into the Inn.
"I've got an idea, why don't you let me check in and put all my stuff away, then we can do a little bit of exploring around the village! I was thinking of the frozen lake...O-oh, I'm probably getting ahead of myself, a-are you actually ok with that?! You know...to catch up and stuff..."-She said as she played with her hair somewhat embarrased of her rambling.
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 10, 2021 8:20:55 GMT
"Heh, I definitely wouldn't mind tracking you down for more of The Deathbringer. I'll keep the idea in mind for next time," Arthur joked back. "But I actually had some business nearby and I decided to check this place out, so I'm alone this time."
Arthur had to admit he liked Hyun's excitable personality. He chuckled at her embarassment. "Hey, I was thinking of exploring anyway, looking for souvenirs. You sound like you've read up a bit, maybe you can show me around. I can help you take your stuff to your room, then I'll help fix this mess." He nodded toward the tables that needed rearranging. "It's partially my fault anyway. Just come down when you're ready."
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Post by othus on Jan 10, 2021 17:51:01 GMT
"Aw, that's a shame, I was hoping to see them as well! do tell them I say hi tho! maybe after I get my own place you three can come back not just for ice cream but for dinner too! although that might take a while, I'm not exactly rich y'know?"-She replied once she heard neither Love nor Hazel were here. when Arthur offered her his help, she gave a big smile in return.
"Now, since you insist, i will gladly let you help me, then we can put these back together...you sure were going wild back there, weren't you?!"- She said as she looked at the splintered table. Hyun gently handed over her bag to Arthur and checked in.
After putting all the tables back in order, Hyun waved for Arthur to leave the inn
"so, wanna fly over to the lake? don't race me though, I'm not as fast as you are!"-Hyun said as she put on her snow googles
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 10, 2021 23:21:01 GMT
Arthur told Hyun he'd pass on her regards to Love and Haze, and also offered to help when she was looking for a place for herself. It's an offer he'd made several times before, and he couldn't remember one time anyone took him up on it. Though all the people were preoccupied with other matters, so he couldn't blame them for forgetting.
"I- I wasn't gonna!" Arthur faked an offended tone when she told him not to fly ahead. Then he smiled and patted her back. "I might get lost without my guide, after all." Icey wings formed on his back and he flew next to her, careful not to go too fast. "I like your goggles, by the way. I didn't know you needed them with your powers though."
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Post by othus on Jan 11, 2021 1:20:18 GMT
Hyun opened her mouth wide as if she were in disbelief
"Oh you stuttered! was that hesitation?! I am very much not convinced of your statement now so..."-She told him as she extended her hand towards him, expecting him to take it.
"I'm gonna have to make sure you don't go anywhere, also thanks! I happen to like them too! which is why I'm wearing them. Trust me, if I only bought stuff I needed I would lose the jacket as well, but isn't it pretty?! It's not exactly as pretty as your wings, but it does the job!"-She told him as she spun mid air, showing off her jacket to him.
Flying over the small village gave them a better view of everything, the frozen lake on one side, a large volcano on the east and right below them all the buildings of the village. Amongst those, one immediately stood out, it towered over the rest, banners in red with a Japanese Family crest of sorts, the tower while made out of wood, seemed more recently made and in overall better shape than the rest of the buildings for some reason.
"Hey, what do you think that building is for? I kinda wanna go there after the lake!"-Hyun said right as they passed it.
The frozen lake was almost as large as the whole village, Ice transparent enough that you could almost see the bottom of the lake at a glance. Blue Shinto danced as they played together over the thick layer of ice, while a human family of the village could be seen fishing in the distance. Kappas were at the closer edge, building snowmen akin to them.
"So pretty! Hey Arthur, can you actually skate?!"-Hyun said as she reached for her boots and added blades made out of dense ice with her powers.
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 11, 2021 21:03:28 GMT
"Aww, you don't trust me? Then..." He took her hand, "I guess I'll have to earn that trust!"
In response to his compliment, Hyun decided to show off some. "Oh, it's very pretty. You win this round, then. I can't deny looking cool and stylish beats simple and practical. But it can be improved." He snapped his fingers and two pairs of wings grew on Hyun's back. They were smaller than Arthurs and shaped more like angel wings, making her cuter than a cherub. "There, now we match."
From up high, they could see the entire village. Hyun pointed out one of the buildings, and Arthur had to admit it peeked his curiosity, too. "Hm, Mon on a building usually means a store dealing in traditional crafts. But a wooden building so close to a volcane might mean a bathhouse. I guess we'll just have to check it out up close later!"
Soon enough, they landed at the frozen lake. "It's gorgeous. I didn't expect to see Kami hanging around. Ah, now I feel really bad Hazel and Love aren't here. It looks like a great place for a family visit."
When Hyun asked him if he knew how to actually skate, he scratched his chin. "Actually actually? I don't know. With my powers, it takes zero effort. But now that you mention it, I never tried doing it naturally." He formed skates matching Hyun's. "Heh, I'm pretty agile though. How hard can it really be?" He took tentative first steps on the ice. He could definitely balance on the skates while walking.
"Alright... How do I start skating now?"
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Post by othus on Jan 12, 2021 0:02:31 GMT
Hyun's eyes shone as she looked at the wings on her back, Arthur's statement of them matching even made her blush a little, she instantly covered her face so he wouldn't notice.
"I-I guess we do match! although I think mine are juuuust a little bit cuter!"-She joked with a big smile as she took Arthur's hand.
"Thank you"-She told him while they were still mid flight.
"Allow me to show you, I actually take pride in my skating y'know"-Hyun removed her googles and moved right in front of him. The esper held arthur by the forearms, kinda latching onto each other
"well, let's try gliding a little together. you are gonna push outwards, left foot first, then your right foot. Don't look at the ground, just...look at me"- Hyun told him as she looked at him right in the eyes, the lake was big enough she didn't have to worry about running into someone or something by skating backwards, so she began the first impulse. The cold air waved her hair as they began to move, her skin slightly red as she wasn't controlling her temperature, her breathing hastened, but it wasn't due to the excercise. Soon enough they had caught enough speed that neither needed to push any more. she tried saying something funny, but words were not coming out, she looked away at the reflection of the sun in the ice, wondering if she was actually living this moment of simply imagining it in a dream...
"Hey...is it ok if we stay a little bit more like this?"
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 12, 2021 16:50:00 GMT
Arthur followed Hyun. Left. Right. Look at her. It was hard not to. The way her hair moved in the breeze was enchanting. Her rosy cheeks made her look so cute, Arthur could feel himself going flush, too. And that shy little look away...
"Hey...is it ok if we stay a little bit more like this?" She asked
He let go of her forearm, only to pull her into a hug. He worried slightly if his heart was beating too loudly. Could she hear it, now that she was so close? "I would like nothing more."
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Post by othus on Jan 12, 2021 23:55:55 GMT
Hyun embraced him back, feeling his arms around her made her feel so safe. She felt his warmth and the cold in the air slowly going away. they had stopped gliding a while ago and she had only just realized.
"So...what do you think? did you find skating exciting? your heart is racing"-She told him as she wrapped her arms around him over his shoulders and giggled, she then got closer and whispered at him: "Mine is too."
Hyun reached for Arthur and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. she finally let go of him and held his right hand, willing to skate by his side now. The sounds of nature were calm, all she could hear were blades gliding through ice and the winter cold breeze. snow began to fall as they glided over the lake.
"Y'know...you are surprisingly cuddly, I'll give you extra points for that."-She said and sighed right after.
"Now I'm in the mood for cocoa, what do you think? we can probably find a place here that sells it, right? you are gonna have to come with me obviously, it's your fault after all!"
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 13, 2021 15:15:37 GMT
Hyun wrapped her arms around him and brought herself closer. As she whispered, he felt himself growing even redder. It was like his mind went back to a period where it matched his body. He chose, wisely, to stay quiet and smile broadly, lest his words turned into indistinguishable gibbering. He finally got a hold of himself again when she let him go and took his hand once more. She then provoked a laugh by calling him cuddly.
"Is that so? You on the other hand are unsurprisingly cute," he bumped her shoulder with his own. "Oh, hot cocoa? Mmm, I can't say no to chocolate. Where do you think we should look?" He had seen a cafe with cocoa before, but he chose not to say it. If looking for it meant they spent even a little bit extra time together, he'll take it. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like he did during that moment on the lake. She was... Something special.
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Post by othus on Jan 13, 2021 23:28:17 GMT
"hmmm? Am I really? is it because of my little wings and jacket? or perhaps...you mean something else?"-She told him blushing but still looking straight at him with a big smile on her face, she really was enjoying teasing him just a bit too much.
"I think we should try somewhere close to the tall building we passed on our way here! Also, You are gonna have to praise me more, cause I'm paying!"
Hyun undid her blades and took flight, setting her googles in place.
"catch me if you can! who knows, you might win a prize if you do!"-She told him as she flew away as fast as she could.
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 14, 2021 20:55:58 GMT
"Maybe I do. But I'm not sure if I should tell you. I'll think about it." He winked at her.
When Hyun said she'd be paying, Arthur had to protest. "Oh, nonono, cocoa is on me. You're saving for your own place, remember? Besides, I'm about to get a different prize!"
He took off after her. He stayed just behind her for a bit to keep the chase going. "You're doing well," he commented, then he flipped over to look at the sky and sped up, grabbing her into a spinning hug as he caught up.
"But it looks like I win."
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Post by othus on Jan 14, 2021 23:11:09 GMT
"Sorry what was that? I couldn't hear you, you slowpoke!"-She told him speeding up even further as he talked about the cocoa and her finding a place.
Hyun was really trying to get away, but it was clear he was flying circles around her. Her struggle was obviously in vain as Arthur swiftly dove to catch her
"Nooooo! Dammit I was kinda hoping you would let me win!"-She told him between laughs, she looked at him in a slightly more serious tone and shook her head, soflty speaking to him.
"Say...Is it really ok for me to fall for you? No red flags I should know about? you know...someone else in the picture?"
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 15, 2021 21:51:56 GMT
"Heh, if you wanted to win, you shouldn't have promised a reward. I'm very competitive, you see." Arthur told her before she switched to a more serious topic.
He shook his head. "You already know about my daughters. If you have no problem with that, then there's nothing. I've been single for quite a few months now." He smiled. If he was cheating, Love and Hazel would probably be chewing his head off right about now. "I hope you didn't have bad experiences with men like that before," he said with some concern. If he was going to earn her trust, he had no know if she had been hurt before.
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Post by othus on Jan 15, 2021 22:56:00 GMT
"Well, worse than bad, so...just know this is a big deal for me..."-She told him and looked away for a moment. taking a deep breath, she clearly was thinking hard about what she was gonna do next.
"Alright, I know you would never hurt me so...you can collect your prize now"- She told him as she got closer and closer, kissing him slowly as her hands clenched on his back slightly shaking. her heart was racing so hard she could feel it drumming on her chest, almost threatening to burst right out. it was a soft but long kiss, full of simple sweetness and hope. After what seemed like forever, she finally let go of him.
"I...definitely could have that cup of cocoa now"-She told him with a little smile on her face
Flying back to the village something had changed, the buildings were the same but the air around it was different, the streets seemed too calm, in fact, there was no one outside. Hyun and Arthur would walk long enough around town to notice everything was closed. right at the middle of the town, a group of people were walking, around 10 people in black robes had just came out of the building. The tallest of them was a woman, easily over 2 meters tall, her entire body covered by a large cloack and a large rice hat in jet black color.
"Hm? Outsiders...bad timing"-She said as she walked towards Arthur and Hyun
"Things are going to get dangerous...You little ones should probably go inside the building"-She told them in a soft but oddly slow tone.
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 16, 2021 21:27:37 GMT
Ah, so she had been hurt before. Whoever did that was an idiot. But ARthur had to admit he was curious about what happened. Still, he'd not earned that trust yet. She will tell him when she's ready. He was distracted anyway, by the prize for his victory.
She came in slowly, and Arthur heard his heart beating again. She put her arms around him, and he cradled her face in return. It was a nice kiss, romantic and sweet like Hyun herself. No matter how long it lasted, it still ended too soon. He was certainly warmed up after it even without cocoa, but he still took her hand as they proceeded back into the village.
The atmosphere changed though. The streets, full and cheerful not long ago, were now deserted and dark. The only people they saw were a robed bunch, 10 or so, skulking about. They warned them of danger, but Arthur wasn't sure if they were the ones about to make it dangerous.
"Is that so? What's the danger? I'm not one to run from some fun, you know."
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Post by othus on Jan 16, 2021 21:45:34 GMT
"Red Wyrms...five meters long by two meters tall...they nested near the volcano area around a month ago...their time of feeding is near, we think there are...around 20"- The woman said as she slowly rummaged through her clothes, finally pulling a silver badge out of her pocket "I'm called Ainu...of the Musashi clan, in case you did not know, we are the authority here. Now, if you can fight and don't fear death, you may follow me, I won't stop you, else, I would advice you both to leave town"Hyun had never even heard of the Musashi, so she shrugged as the woman introduced herself, all that she knew, was that that woman was the police force in the area, and she wanted to help "I would like to go, Arthur. I can't just leave town if they need us! Ah, but you don't have to come with me, I don't want to feel like I'm forcing you into this"-Hyun said clearly embarrassed for speaking before consulting it with him. "In any case, I'm afraid I must make haste, this village is a very important project to me. see you around..."Ainu began to walk towards the volcano and her agents followed. whatever choice Arthur made after this was up to him and him alone.
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Post by TimePuppy on Jan 16, 2021 23:24:32 GMT
"Oh. You're with the Musashi. Sorry, the ones I met before aren't very much into the cloak and dagger look." In retrospect, the fact they approached them so civilly should've been the tipoff they weren't the danger here. Then again, they had the whole eldritch cult getup going.
"Anyway, I said I'm always up for some fun, right? Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of firebreathing dragons, but I don't mind giving out a helping hand." He nodded. "Alright, I guess we're both coming along then." He looked at Hyun and winked before following after the Musashi agents.
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