[AQ] Thigh Knights [Miuna/Junko/X-Mod]

[Miuna]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Quest Details}
Hearts For Healing

+ Description: There’s a rumor around town of a small boy who can apparently heal your heart. Upon finding him, you see he’s actually being followed by a mass of X-eggs, and that his ‘healing’ is stealing Heart’s Eggs entirely! What will you do?

+ Talk to him: +3 Guardians, +2 Faberge

+ Talk to him and cleanse all the X-eggs: +1 Guardians, +3 Faberge, +3 Roost

+ Only cleanse the X-eggs: -1 Guardians, -2 Faberge, +3 Roost

+ Break all the X-eggs: -2 Guardians, -2 Faberge, -3 Roost, +5

+ Let them get away: +1 Guardians, -1 Faberge, -3 Roost, +2

+ Requirements: Tag for X-mod

+ Submitted by Hatta

Miuna wasn't one to follow empty rumors.  She was an adventurer in spirit but with competitions looming over the horizon and homework piling up, she had far too much to do to be dilly-dallying in the streets of Otonoki.  Still, curiosity got the better of her when she had heard one particular rumor.  Perhaps it was her overactive imagination or some recent family issues, but either way she found herself downtown with a wrinkled sheet of paper in one hand and her phone in the other.

It was a bit of a strange neighborhood with most of the buildings around her abandoned.  From the what the signs posted said, it looked like some of the recent spring showers had flooded many people's homes, forcing shop-owners and classmates alike to flee the area.  In due time they'd return, but for now it made for a spooky experience.  Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Miuna continued to make her way down the block.  Apparently there was a child who could 'heal' a person's heart.  Whether that was code for some guardian business or a secret message to those at Seiyo, the girl couldn't help but track down the exact locations he was known to visit.

In her bag, Lapis hid.  The guardian character had seemed frazzled the second she'd stepped into the vicinity, hiding away at what she believed to be an evil presence.  Miuna just patted the bag, stopping at one particular alley.  Whatever Lapis was afraid of was approaching quickly, she could feel it.    Clutching her phone, she took one step, then another before stopping at an intersection.

Whatever the evil presence was, she knew she wouldn't be able to face it alone.

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

The message had been abrupt but she spared no time in responding.

She'd been stuffing her face at the new noodle shop when her phone had lit up, buzzing furiously at her. She had been expecting an angry message from her club leader, wondering if she'd accidentally forgotten to do his extra training but she was surprised with something entirely different.

As soon as she'd been able to properly read it she promptly paid for her meal before grabbing her bag and hurrying out of the shop as she sped through downtown Otonoki. Tama sped along beside her, horribly confused but following her none the less. She was sure the sudden alarm was for good reason. Or not knowing some of the reasoning behind Junko's sudden movements...

It didn't take long before the bad feeling hit Tama as well, something didn't bode well.

It was an overwhelming feeling of unease and depression that washed over her the closer they got. She looked to Junko who seemed unphased, this must've been what she had been called out for. The young girl slowed down, glancing around as she caught her breath. "Ah! Na-chan!"

She jogged over, letting out a deep breath. "Sorry I took so long! You okay...?"

She asked sheepishly, noticing the look on her face. She had to be careful...she wasn't sure her cheerful disposition was appropriate for the occasion. Which made Junko feel suddenly uneasy. She didn't handle those kind of situations very well...

[Miuna]

Miuna felt a chill run down her spine just as the other girl arrived. She'd texted Junko immediately after getting the information about the area. They were frenemies now, rivals in company but friends otherwise. Even if Junko did belong to the allegedly righteous Guardians, that didn't mean she couldn't still call for help.

Besides, it had been so long since they'd managed to talk. School had started to take over and Miuna could barely find enough time to cook for herself. It didn't help that they were in separate years either, Junko well ahead of her in classes. If only Miuna was a tad bit older they could spend homeroom together. Curse her January birthday, she was so close to being the same age as Junko.

"Ah, Jojo-chan," Miuna said, turning around to face the other girl. Whatever miasma had began to grow around them was starting to thicken. The force of evil was definitely in the area, "I wasn't sure if you'd make it. I don't know how much of my text you really got, but I think you should look at this..."

Miuna pulled up an article from the school news website on her own phone, holding it up to the other girl. It was a story posted only a few days ago of a young boy with a strange ability. Psychics were calling him a dangerous force of evil, but many were saying they had changed after meeting with the child. What made matters worse was the photograph attached at the very end of the article.

"I thought it was just another 'seven wonders of otonoki' post, but look closer at the picture. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but if it's what I think it is, then we've got to do something," Tapping the screen twice, Miuna zoomed in closer to the photograph.

The dark presence of shadowy eggs behind the boy pictured was dangerous looking, but that wasn't all. What was even more surprising was the actual boy in question, along with two very familiar looking parents.

"Jojo-chan..." Miuna looked at the other girl, expression twisted with confusion and a bit of fear, "Isn't that the boy from the festival?!"

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

Titles would never change how Junko felt about Miuna, she'd always be her treasured friend. Regardless of where they both ended up. She just hoped the two could call each other friends in the end of it all.
She hadn't seen much of her though since the flower viewing festival...She should've invited her out more...grab something to eat together at the very least. Or maybe help each other in studies. They were a year apart but it didn't make school any less difficult in either year.

But that was besides the point. "Of course...! I came as fast as I could." She grinned sheepishly. She'd come to help whenever Miuna asked, what were else were friends for? She always tried her best to be a good friend, considering how few she had.

She gave Miuna's phone a glance, certain words catching her eyes. She didn't really like the looks of what was on the screen to be honest...None of it sounded promising. With the more things progressed since she received her egg, the more she was realizing anything at this point was possible....

She couldn't believe the amount of exposure this had already seen. To already be considered another of the 'Seven Wonders of Otonoki', it was frightening how fast the media traveled. She hoped she never saw herself on one of these articles. Her life would be over, she was sure this boy's life would only become difficult from here on out.

Already she knew what Miuna was afraid of saying. Junko was frightened to say it aloud as well, she was sure they both knew exactly who that boy was and saying it would only confirm their fears.

If only to jeer at them, there he was.

Junko grabbed on her her shirt, a sudden pain in her chest as she saw him wander into their line of view. Followed by...an unnerving amount of black eggs hovering around him. His parents couldn't even see them...as they swarmed around like flies.

"I-I think so..." She responded reluctantly, her face twisted into a painful frown. What had happened...

[Miuna]

The shivering that Miuna felt came to a stuttering stop as Junko grabbed onto her shirt. It was as though time stood still for a single moment, nothing else moving in the world. Her phone buzzed in her hands, most likely notifying her that she had archery practice or an invitation for karaoke. None of that mattered though as the air around them froze, settling in on the two girls.

Miuna's phone fell to the floor, the buzzing still shaking small pebbles at her feet. She turned where she stood, careful not to move too much. It was as though dark tendrils were crawling over the floor, climbing up her legs and wrapping around her body. She felt stuck in place, unable to breathe or talk to the boy now standing before them.

Her mouth went dry, and just as the buzzing finally stopped the spell broke.

"Jojo-chan, listen to me," Miuna whispered quickly, putting an arm between the girl and the X-plagued child. She took a step back forcing the other to do the same, keeping as much distance between Junko and the eggs as she possibly could, "I want you to run as fast as you can out of here. Don't look back, and don't worry about me..."

She swallowed, the lump in her throat making it difficult to continue. Nevertheless she persevered, the eggs seeming as though they were readying themselves to make a move.

"I promise I'll keep you safe, okay?" The girl offered her friend one last worried smile before stepping up towards the boy. From her bag Lapis peeked out, ready to arm the girl if needed.

"You there!" Miuna called out to the boy, "What do you want? Why have you stolen so many eggs from people?"

Keiko

[Juon]

"You're..."

The boy's voice echoed alongside a chorus of a dozen others; the voices of the X-eggs that swarmed all around him, attracted to him like moths to the flame, shifting their throng as his hand rose to point up toward them.

"... With the little ladies."

His dull eyes and empty expression shifted to smile, jaws parting and cheeks pushing his eyes up.

The parents didn't seem to notice a thing. His mother, on his left, with her hand in his, and his father, on the right, with his hand on the boy's shoulder. They seemed almost in a trance, smiles upon their faces but eyes glazed over, moving like clockwork in response to the boy's every whim.

"Oh! You're from the festival," his mother chimed, her words and tone cheery but the plasticity of her expression did not convey. "You found him for us..."

The father picked up with the rest. "... Now let him find you. Let him heal your heart."

The child smiled again, and the swarm of X-Eggs began to move again, their twirling cycles around the boy beginning to move down his extended arm, the energy they radiated forming almost a grim tornado that seemed to be creating a vortex aimed toward the two girls.