[AQ] Think I Left The Faucet Running [Junko/X Mod]

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

SPOILER: Click to show

{QUEST DETAILS}Drowned
+ Description: A student in your class has been absent for a while now; you (and possibly another student) have been sent to check up on them at the dorms. The student claims to have picked up a haunted game cartridge at used game store featuring a previous clear file of someone called BEN… but you guess it’s probably X-related.
+ Drag them out of their room and force them to go back to classes; the reason doesn’t matter: +4 Guardians, -3 Faberge, +2 Roost
+ Investigate the supposedly-haunted cartridge: -3 Guardians, +3 Faberge, +4 Roost
+ Try and help them before anything else: -2 Guardians, +4 Faberge +3 Roost
+ Call them a weenie: +1 Roost
+ Find that you’re unable to help/defeated: -2 Guardians, -2 Faberge, +1 Roost, +2
+ Requirements: Tag for X-mod
+ Submitted by Hatta

It was no secret the second year would never turn down a request from a teacher. She was often found following a few of them around the school, attempting to assist them as best she could. It was a known fact she often followed around Mr. Notsuka like a loyal errand dog. He could say jump and she'd ask how high. So when one of the teachers had approached the young girl, asking her to check on a student, she had responded with a large nod and a big smile.

Another thing she could never say no to was helping someone else. She'd never been one to go out of her way to help others, at least not in the beginning. But after you spend some time at Seiyo Academy it slowly becomes harder and harder to find yourself not involved with someone else. One had to try really hard to keep themselves out of others business in this school. Whether someone liked it or not, everyone was pretty involved with one another. It was a close knit school whether anyone realized it or not, regardless of factions and differences.

Having excused herself from class a bit earlier she left the room, making her way down the halls as she attempted to think of a plan of action. Tama followed behind her, watching the young girl as she mumbled to herself. She had given the small sprite a gist of what she had been asked, seemingly pumped to somehow convince this poor student to come back to school. From what Junko had told her of her past school years it didn't really sound that desirable. It had sounded like things had only started to look up now that she was at Seiyo so she wondered if the student would really listen to what Junko had to say.

The young girl had a positive attitude and a load of spunk but that wasn't always enough to get someone to follow you blindly. She didn't think Junko had the strength to drag the poor soul back either, as much as she'd argue she did. Whatever it was she was planning she was putting it into action as she left the school and headed towards the dorms.

"Do you think you'll need my assistance My Lady....?"

Junko glanced over at the small lady, thinking for a moment before she shrugged, hands behind her back. "I might...but I'll let you know." She paused. "Actually...if I look like I need help...don't be afraid to lend a hand..." She looked at Tama with a sheepish smile. She didn't really think the conversation would could south, it was just a student who didn't show up for classes after all. She had only been asked to check up on him, bringing him back was one of her own brilliant ideas. The teacher would thank her later. Totally. Maybe....well she was sure he wouldn't complain to see his student back in class again.

Getting into the dorms Junko's pace quickened as she moved anxiously towards the room number she'd been given. She made her way to the door, standing in front of it for a moment as she paused. She stared at the door, swallowing the lump in her throat as she pushed back any nervous thoughts she had before a raising her hand as she gave the door a few taps.

"Hello?"

[Miuna]

There were a few moments of silence before a crash was heard from the other side of the door, followed by a loud scraping and finally the click of a lock. The door took a few tries to open but whatever junk was behind it was pushed away far enough for a pair of wild eyes to look out. The boy was dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants, the pungent stench of body odor seeping out from behind the door.  On the ground by his feet instant ramen cups stood stacked, hardened noodle bits sticking to the edges of each cup.  The boy couldn't be any older than Junko despite the missing academy clips though he stood hunched over and shaky.  It was clear that he was nervous around the girl and he looked desperately around the hall before pushing his door open a little more.

She wasn't the first to visit him, the papers left by the door indicating several weeks of unfinished assignments and dropping grades.  He motioned for her to come inside, stepping around the mess by the door and slithering back into the darkness of his room.

The overhead lights had been shut off and the blinds to the windows had been closed, no light entering or exiting the room.  The only thing left flickering was the student's computer screen followed by the dim glow from a Nintendo 3DS.  A mixture of music played on loop in the background, the monitor left on with the menu screen of the game Osu! looping in the background.  The mess by the door was only a fraction of the trash left in the room.  More instant food packages laid half open and half eaten while soda cans were crushed and piled in a corner.  The sheets on the bed were stained with sweat and other miscellaneous fluids and bunched up around the pillows.  it was a complete mess overall but the boy paid them no mind as he crawled up onto his bed to grab his 3DS.

There were signs of a promising student, torn motivational posters still hanging on the walls and gold medals askew on their hooks.  Picture frames sat covered in dust along the desk, a happy family with much younger children holding up trophies and awards for the camera.  At some point the boy probably had a wonderful future planned out for him but now he was sinking further and further into his mattress, muttering something about cheat codes and secret passageways under his breath.

"Leave them by the door," he finally said once he'd entered a fetal slouching position.  He waved towards the pile of assignments on the ground, tapping quickly at the screen as he fell onto his side, "Tell the teachers I'll finish them eventually."

Whoever he had once been was gone, replaced only by an isolated NEET in a dark, dark room.

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

She paused, batting her eyes as the door actually opened. She was going to be fully honest she had expected to maybe break it down....no, no let's be realistic she had really just expected it to be like any other request like this. She'd show up, knock, get no answer and just slip the papers under the door. The fact he had actually opened the door for her simply fueled her further. She'd take the chance and attempt to coax him back to school!!

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she sheepishly stepped inside, feeling like she was entering a haunted house. The way the door had opened and the lack of light, just the light of the gaming keeping the room in place. Junko liked games herself but he seemed so immersed in them to the point of no longer having any desire to leave the room. That much was apparent from the ripe smells wafting from inside, as if the noodle cups weren't obvious enough.

She looked to him before looking at the side of the door, wondering where the heck would she put them...she felt like if she set them down by the door they'd slowly be consumed by the garbage that had piled up in the corner. She looked back at the boy, sheepishly inching closer. "What game are you playing?" She asked, eyeing the game console he had in his hands. She wondered if it was the reason he'd locked himself up inside the room. She could understand that herself, often playing certain games for hours on end if no one kept an eye on her. Although she'd never considered skipping classes to do so, not when she enjoyed them equally as much. But that was just her.

"It's too bad the sports fest is going on at the same time as your game, you're missing out on even more games there. Though the white team is falling behind..." She shrugged slightly, attempting to get him to talk at least a bit more. He didn't seem to be looking for a chatty visit, instructing her to drop the papers and get lost. But sadly they'd sent Junko of all people, so she was most definitely going to stick her nose into things where it didn't belong.

Taking a risk she plopped herself down next to him.

"You know I've never seen you in the hallways before this. I'm Kinjo, Junko-- oh but you can can me Jojo if that's easier!!" She chirped, leaning over a bit as she got in his bubble of personal space. "How come you aren't showin' up for class?" She asked, tilted her head to the side. It was mostly out of curiosity if anything. "You're missin' out on a lot-- we got some new students and it seems like the teachers are gonna be doing a lot more events so there's definitely gonna be stuff to do....Oh! if you need help with assignments you can always ask me! I could help!" She hinted, noticing the slight stack of papers he already seemed to have. Maybe he was just shrugging with them....

[Miuna]

The boy had previously ignored all her comments, choosing to avoid speaking with his visitors unless absolutely necessary. Several before had talked to him in hopes of convincing him to return to classes. Even his friends had stopped by, dwindling in numbers until only one visited to drop off more food. The amount of people looking to bother him had decreased significantly and he knew this girl would soon join their ranks. They always left after all, always gave up at some point.

He liked it that way.

Instead of dropping the assignments and being on her way, this Kinjo girl decided to move even closer, going so far as to sit on his bed! He made a face of disgust from the obvious sheet stains she was now hiding so efficiently, curling up his toes and inching away from her. He didn't like her close proximity, never had even before the game but now she had the nerve to just sit there and start up a conversation with him! The nerve of some people, couldn't they tell he was busy?! Huffing, he finally decided to speak. Perhaps the sooner he gave her the information she wanted the faster she'd leave.

"It's the new Digimon game," he said once it looked like she was settled in. The game had come out only a month ago and miraculously he'd found a discounted copy at the used game shop down town. The front label was scratched and nearly illegible but he'd know the familiar logo anywhere. He'd bought it the moment he'd seen it and hadn't stopped playing it since, "The one with Takashi and the giant egg digimon, the virus infecting all the computers systems."

He didn't expect her to understand what he was saying. No one understood, no one ever knew what he was talking about. Besides, the summary he'd provided was vague. "Takahara Ichiro. I'm too busy to come to class, I've got too much to do. No one has beaten this game yet and it's been out for a whole month. I'm running out of time, people are already farther than me. Not that you would understand something like that.

He scoffed then swore at the cartridge, a large game over screen popping up. He couldn't seem to get through this one maze. Once he entered it was impossible to leave and he was dying from a complete team KO every time. If only he could get past this one part then he'd be back in the lead for beating the game.

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

"Uwaa..." She eyed his game, batting her eyes as she looked to it with interest. "I've heard about that one!! Is it any good?? The monsters in it look so cute!" She'd seen the posters in passing and had to admit it look interesting, even as someone who herself did invest multiple hours in games she never once dare waste days doing so. The idea was honestly a bit frightening. Was he eating properly? Frankly the cup noodles suggested otherwise. At the very least he was eating just nothing...healthy.

She couldn't wrap her head around his motives.

Was a game really worth it?

Missing classes. Not talking to friends. Not cleaning up after yourself. His room was more of a disaster area than hers after gym class...She scooted a bit closer after seeing him move away, the look of disgust flying completely over her head as most things did. "I mean...you're probably right. I don't really understand..." She admitted half heartedly, looking at him sheepishly. "B-but don't you think its important to go to class Taka-chan? They're pretty worried about you...and the game's not going anywhere! Especially if no one's beaten it yet within the month its been out."

She attempted to tip toe around carefully with her words. She had to tread carefully, one wrong word and she had a feeling she'd set him right off. He was holding this game up so high, it was a bit odd even for people who enjoyed games. He was still in highschool, it was a pretty important time. A lot of people didn't seem to realize how much messing up now would back fire on them later...

"I mean you could even play during breaks! There's more than enough time to play it in between classes. I bet it'd be a lot easier to do assignments if you were in the class to understand them! Then you wouldn't have them piling up on you!"

She tried her best to make class sound somewhat appealing, attempting to try and 'compromise' with him so that it would work in everyone's favor. But somehow she had this feeling it may not play out as she hoped, looking around the room and at the boy himself....it really didn't look like he would be interested in her words any time soon since making himself very comfortable in his lair...

[Miuna]

Ichiro rolled his eyes at the girl. She seemed okay at first until she started talking about going back to class. She was the same as his parents, she just didn't get it. Everyone expected him to go to class and get good grades but no one understood the nitty, gritty lifestyle of a hardcore gamer. Games were a serious passion, not just some childish pasttime. He scowled at the girl, reloading his game to start from his previous save file. He was just a little bit closer to finding the way out of the maze, he just had to keep going.

"If I take a break for even a second people will surpass me. I've already received great karma online for unlocking such an unusual part of the game. Once I complete this area I'll have enough power to fly through the rest of the bosses," His APM was out of this world, fingers moving at lightning speed against the console, "You just don't get it. It's not a hobby, it's a lifestyle. Besides, I understand the material. I'm not stupid."

People thought that just because he played video games he was killing his IQ. Didn't they get that he was actually strengthening his mind by solving these puzzles? He yelled as another monster popped up at him, stretching out his legs for a moment as if preparing for a long and tedious battle.

"I really think it would be better if you just left," he said, glaring at the girl for just a moment before looking down at the game. "You just don't understand my goals. Not that I expect you to, but I've got bigger things to worry about..."

His voice trailed off when he got yet another KO, his entire team wiped out by a single move. "Dammit!" he swore, holding up the console as if to throw it. He hesitated for a moment, sighing and pulling it back down to restart.

"It's always the same stupid egg monster that gets me. It's stupid white X attack it impossible to dodge and it always finds me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this stupid game was haunted."

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

Obviously bringing up going back to class wasn't her smartest move, but it was worth giving a shot. She guessed. She had to bring it up eventually. But after the reaction she'd received, god help him if he roll his eyes at her again, she decided it best to push that topic aside until later.

She paused for a moment before slowly nodding her head a bit. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It would put a bit of a dent in your groove if you stop now. And I mean, you certainly look clever enough to understand the material. Guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions haha." She chuckled, giving him a bit grin before turning her attention to the game as his fingers seemed to just glide right across the game console with ease. It was mildly impressive she did have to admit, she certainly couldn't move her hands like that even for a game.

"Whaaaaat?" She gave him a half hearted distraught look. "But I haven't even really gotten to see the good part of the game! Or like-- even trrrry it?" She batted her eyes at him, giving him her best rendition of puppy dog eyes. Her pouty lip needed some work but it was something rather than nothing.

Her eyes quickly glimpsed to the game at the mention of an egg with a white X.

It couldn't.....could it?

"I've never heard of an egg monster in that series...." She paused for a moment before raising her hand, hesitating as she debated whether her next course of action would be one of her best ones. Probably not. With cat like reflexes, or what she dreamed to be, she swooped her hand down. She grabbed onto the handheld before yanking it out of his hands as she lept up from his bed.

"T-t-this sounds like a glitch...! I-I'll fix it for you!!"

She held the game console close to her chest as she slowly, ever so carefully edged towards the door. She definitely....did not think she'd be slipping out of this room so easily. Not at all...

[Miuna]

What a pleb. Ichiro could bet his entire wallet that she read the wiki and thought she knew everything about the game. Did she even know about the secret codes or the hidden dungeon or even the alternate ending? The stuff they didn't release online because of spoilers that was only found through careful datamining?! Was she even a real gamer or was she just a fake gamer girl?! God she was so annoying, why couldn't she just leave him alone???

"Tamatoriyama. It's like this dumb oval thing with a crack halfway through its middle and strange tentacles seeping out of it. It's ridiculously overpowered for this area of the game and I swear to god it shouldn't even be here. It's probably meant to be in a later instance and someone messed with the game files or something. This is just like that time I thought I got a copy of Pokemon Yellow and it was some knockoff Vietnamese Crystal crap instead." This girl was seriously bugging him. Did she even mention her name? It was like Kinko or Junjo or something stupid like that. He barely even remembered hearing it in the first place.

As he ran into the stupid egg monster again, he readied his team. He managed to get a preemptive strike on it and with a few special items brought it down to half health. Now he just had to hope RNG was on his side and the speed buff would last this next turn. The monster was charging that ridiculous X attack again so he still had time to--

For the first time in who knows how long, he stared down at empty hands, callouses forming on his main gaming fingers. It was a bad case of cramping as they tried to stretch back into a normal position, his eyes slowly turning up to stare at the girl before him. Not only had she mocked the true art of gaming but now she was taking his game from him? And at this opportune moment as well?!

He shrieked, moving off the bed and scrambling on the ground to charge at her. His blankets snagged his feet and as he fell he began to crawl at her like a deranged zombie, clawing at her feet as he yelled again and again.

"Give it back, give it back, give it back!"

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

It didn't really matter what he told her it was at this point, it was more than clear that she'd flipped some sort of switch that she was beginning to regret. But his behavior was so peculiar...from what she'd heard or been told his current behavior was a completely twist compared to how he'd behaved before. With the multiple mentions of an X attack it only cinched it for her, she'd just have to apologize about it later !

"I-I'm sorry! I don't think this is-- I-it's not really healthy like t-this!" She pleaded, backing away as he desperately clawed his way towards her. "T-this is definitely not healthy!!" She yelped, stumbling back into the entrance hall of the room. "I don't know you that well-- I-I mean m-maybe I'd like to-- b-but--"

Her feet weren't the only things she was stumbling on as she rambled through words in her head, attempting to talk him down from his rage. She'd attempted to brace herself for this reaction, knowing fully well he wouldn't respond well to having his game snatched away but actually seeing him get upset was a whole other disturbing story. It was startling to see him fling himself off the bed only to drop to the ground and drag himself towards her as he tried to grab at her. Surprisingly it might have actually spooked her than an actual X attack.

She scrambled from her spot, quickly grabbing onto the door before bursting out of the room. She hurried down the hall a bit before turning back around as she waited for him. If she was lucky....he'd follow her just to get it back. So if she stuck to her guns...just for a bit, she might be able to lure him back to the school.

[Miuna]

Ichiro was like a demon released from Pandora's Box itself, clawing wildly at the floor as he attempted to right himself. How dare she take that game from him, how dare she think she could just intervene like that. She was just like his parents and classmates, always expecting him to be the very best. He had the grades, he had the achievements, so why couldn't he ever just get a stupid break?! He deserved this break time to play games. Besides, video games and esports were a growing industry. No one understood how important they were becoming, how important he could be.

He was nearly animalistic as he growled, forcing his legs to chase after Junko. Before he had isolated himself to his bedroom he had been a respectable student, involved in all sorts of extracurriculars. Staying curled up had definitely left some tension in his muscles but it didn't destroy them completely. As he flexed his arms he felt those endorphins rush through him. He was weak from a lack of proper sustenance but he still had enough energy to run.

By the time she made it outside he was at her tail, overestimating his speed for a moment and crashing into the door across from his room. There was a loud bark of someone yelling as he pushed off the heavy wood, the inhabitants clearly spooked by the sudden bang outside. Nevertheless he picked himself off and ran after her. Like a rabid dog he was gaining ground and in no time he had caught up. She was only a few feet in front of him, and as he reached out to grab her shoulder he yelled.

"Give it back, give it back you little bitch. You don't understand so keep your nose out of my shit!!!"

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

She had poorly underestimated him and she was beginning to thoroughly regret it as he bound towards her with a quicker pace than she'd anticipated. He always already within arms distance before she knew it, grabbing at her shoulder. She yelped, yanking herself away as she quickly turned back around and down the hall. "I-i don't understand, I-I don't!! But I want to!" She hollered out, why she was still trying to talk to him during their wild goose chase was beyond her but she was attempting it none the less. Perhaps it was the guilt she was trying to talk out of her as they both ran around the building like a couple of idiots.

She hurried down the stairs before bursting out of the building, looking behind her for a moment before she scrambled away. If she stopped for too long he'd definitely catch her. She continued to run as fast as her legs would enable her, she did not want to be caught. She did not want to be caught!

She continued to head towards the school, stumbling onto campus as she headed towards the school's front entrance. Only to collide into the door face first, distracted as she'd chosen a poor time to check behind her. She smacked into the hard surface of the door, fumbling backwards before falling on her rump. The game console tumbled from her hands, coming crashing down on the ground.

She could feel the hair on her neck stand up as she watched it break in front of her, god if he was frightening now....she didn't want to see what he was going to be like.

[Miuna]

Ichirio followed Junko through the halls and down the stairs, his awkward stumbling and loud yelling seen and heard throughout the boy's dormitory. A few opened their doors to see what the ruckus was about, others turning away and keeping their rooms locked. It wasn't an uncommon occurence for people to be yelling and fighting at this school. Between the weird kids talking about eggs and the overall violent atmosphere present, another kid that had lost his mind was only another excuse not to do homework.

As for the kid in question, the poor boy was growing sloppier and sloppier with every step. At times he would lose his balance entirely, too caught up in his own anger to walk in a straight line. His feet would collide with another and he'd slam into the wall. After a few disoriented moments, he would pick himself back up and run again. This cycle continued all the way outside, where Ichiro had to stop for a moment to shield his eyes. It had been days, weeks, maybe even a month since he'd actually experienced the full force of sunlight and the feeling was practically blinding. His ratty clothes stuck to his skin with the heat of summer and he was nearly tempted to return back inside to his cold, quiet hut.

Gaining whatever determination he could, he continued forward, slower this time as the pair reached the front entrance. Just when he thought he had her cornered, he watched as she slammed into the door, the game console falling down. There was a loud crack as the edge hit the hard stone, everything falling apart in a mess of a buzzing screen and a few large scratches. The console didn't just fall, it broke apart completely. The cheap plastic couldn't hold its bindings and the only thing left holding it together were the internal wires.

The boss, his progress, and the mysterious Egg boss had all disappeared.

Ichiro screamed. He yelled like a wild animal, charging towards Junko and slamming his fist against the wall. He was just about her height leaving him at eye-level with her as spittle flew from between his bared teeth.

"What the hell is your problem, who the hell do you think you are?! You come into my room, take my shit and just break it? You think this is some sort of joke, some sort of hobby or something?! How dare you, you don't even know me! How dare you!"

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

Her head shot up as he showed up nearly as quickly as she'd begun to worry about his reaction. She could feel fright take over her, heart beating wildly as she could hardly catch her breath. He was a mess. Now that she could see him in the light she could see what a mess he'd let himself get, her brows furrowing as she couldn't help but feel...put off by how sloppy he'd become. She felt...sorry for him. She wondered how much he'd suffered inside without even knowing how bad he was getting. But his snarling and shrieks brought her back from her storm of thoughts that had suddenly taken her away for a moment. She was brought back, the harsh slam of his fist against the wall as he drew as close as he could to her.

She struggled to meet his eye, glancing down at the console that had shattered once it hit the ground. W-was it really worth the upset? Was it really worth hollering at her like that. He was lucky there wasn't a teacher roaming near by or they'd both be in trouble. She found it difficult to say anything as he stood there, the heat of his anger more than obvious. She took a deep breath, looking back at him as best she could, frowning softly. "I-I...."

She swallowed, keeping her eye on him. If she dare look away would he do something to her? She was afraid to find out. Even if it was her fault in the first place. "Have you looked at yourself...Ichi-chan." Her heart only seemed to beat faster as she dare ask him such a question. "H-have you seen...how..dreadful...you look? Ichi-chan...you look...sick. You look like y-you're homeless." She pleaded with him, attempting to turn his attention away from the game for a minute. "You've been at this game for so long, you don't even look like yourself. Y-you don't look like a person. Forget loosing a game Ichiro. You're loosing yourself!