un: jMan93 | video

[critpei]

[ The video starts with a boy in a baseball cap, wearing a bright grin and lifting a hand in greeting. An I-come-in-peace kind of greeting. He's in his bedroom, sitting on his unmade bed and while his room isn't messy per se (he hasn't been here long enough to accumulate a mess), there are a few shirts haphazardly draped over the back of his headboard. ]

S'up, Etraya? The name's Junpei Iori! I'm pretty new here. Still getting the lay of the land and all, but uh...

[ He rubs the back of his neck, glancing past the camera for a moment. ]

My birthday's on the 16th. Which I guess is operation day? So I'm thinking of celebrating early. Anyone wanna maybe...hang?

[ God. That feels so pathetic. Like coming on here and pretty much announcing he's a friendless loser. Junpei quickly pivots: ]

Or I guess you could just give some recommendations of good places to check out and party it up? What place has the best food or where can a guy get a good cake...that kinda thing? Yeah, sure. I can probably go find somewhere on my own, but the best reviews are usually word of mouth!

[ Junpei shifts, palms planted on his knees as he leans forward. ]

Sooo, lay it on me, folks. Where would you spend your sweet seventeen in this place?

Comments

[joke_o]

[She shrugs.]

Yeah, Jimmy's version is the closest I could get to the real deal I think. According to Skullmaggedon's version, Marian turned into an evil wizard for a bit, and there was a heavy metal dimension or something. Pretty sure he was just making stuff up to sound cool there. ...Though he can teleport...

[She shrugs, moving on with the weirdness of her home town.]

It really is just a normal town most of the time. [...For a given definition of normal.] Stuff just kinda gets really intense for a day or two every so often.

[critpei]

I mean, I guess I can get that. Maybe? Kinda suspect even the guys me and my team gotta take down every full moon pale in comparison to your
intense day or two stuff. But otherwise, you totally lost me, girl.

[ He laughs a little. ]

Maybe you need to make a chart or diagram with all these branching stories? That'd probably make it easier to follow for guys like me. An idiot proof version! That's what we need. An idiot's guide to River City.

[joke_o]

[She grins and shakes her head.]

The best way to get things straight is just to experience it. I do kinda hope I can show you around sometime. I think you'd have a lot of fun!

[She cocks her head slightly and smirks.]

What's this about taking guys down every full moon though? You guys fighting some weird occult stuff?

[critpei]

Well, if Aurora can open up a portal to another world, it's definitely possible she could open one up to your world for us to visit. It'd be hella smart 'cuz it sounds like you could do some damn good recruiting for this mission shit from your place.

[ He pauses. ]

The guys we're fighting aren't really occult stuff, though. It's just monsters called Shadows. They're around all the time during the dark hour, but the big ones come around during the full moons. Maybe like the way tides get bigger during full moons? I dunno. I'm not the brains guy.

[joke_o]

[Kyoko just tilts her head with a blank expression on her face, most of what he said going over her head.]

I mean, you're fighting monsters that's kinda occult in itself. ...And what's this 'dark hour' thing?

[critpei]

[ Don't worry, Kyoko. It goes over Junpei's head too! ]

Oh! The dark hour is just an extra hour of the day no one knows exists. Most people are unconscious during it, but people like me who have a special power are awake and aware. This is when the Shadows come out and when we do our fighting! Soo it's not really daytime brawls for me and my team like it is for you guys!

In fact, no one even really knows we're fighting. But we're still out there doing our part and saving the world. Cool, huh??

[ Please think it's cool, Kyoko. ]

[joke_o]

[She listens in rapt attentive silence.]

Oooh! That sounds like the plot of a shounen battle manga!

[Why yes her eyes are sparkling like she'd just seen a shooting star.]

That's SO cool!

[critpei]

It DOES kinda sound like a manga, right? Or like....a video game! Maybe one day we'll find a video game about my adventures in the same place you found yours!

[ He is on cloud 9 right now. Thanks, Kyoko, for making this the BEST birthday ever!! ]

My team's called SEES. And everyone on it is freakin' badass! Maaan, I bet you would love hangin' with Yuka-tan. She's our healer, but also a total badass with a bow and arrow. And she loves shopping. I could definitely see you two hitting it off.

[ And probably making fun of him, but it would be okay! Because it would mean Yukari is here. He's really missing his team as of late. ]

[joke_o]

Oooh, I would play the HECK out of that game!

[She's practically bouncing in excitement.]

Oooh, she sounds like fun! Tell me EVERYTHING about them!

[critpei]

My team? Well! You got Sanada-san who is a badass boxing champion and gets right in there, punching the enemies straight in the face and yelling things like 'I've been WAITING for this!!' as we launch a full assault. Then there's Kirijo-san who's this fencing ice queen -- specializes in ice magic and kicks ass in her stiletto boots. Then Yuka-tan, of course. Bow and arrow, wind magic.

[ He taps his chin. ]

I think I mentioned Koromaru -- our dog who fights with fire and dark magic and slashes enemies with a little kunai in his mouth? We got a tanky fighting robot named Aigis...and it's so unfair because she is so cute, Kyoko-chan! Umm, and then Amada-kun just joined the team right before I left. He's this ten year old kid that I really don't think should be fighting, but the chairman approved it....so I guess it's alright? And that's it! That's the team.

[ Minato does not exist. ]

We're really something out on the field!