>First Thread:
https://archived.moe/qst/thread/2424210/#2424210

>Previous Thread(s):
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=A%20New%20Mutant%20Quest

>Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/r4mTphVV

>>3268598
I'm here. Catching up on the threads before I post.

>>3268598
>"I'll leave you to it then. Take care, Itsuki."
>Take off to Strange's place, of course it'd be weird after last time but you've got to keep up your studies.

>>3268598
>"I'll leave you to it then. Take care, Itsuki."
>Take off to Strange's place, of course it'd be weird after last time but you've got to keep up your studies.

File: 1452621580110.png (175 KB, 480x368)

175 KB PNG

>>3268598
OF FUCKING COURSE KOJO'S BURNER NUMBER WILL HAVE 666 IN IT
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I EXPECTED
did you have other number symbolism in other peoples' burner numbers too?

Voting closed; writing now.
>>3268870
None that I set intentionally and forgot about or know of.

>[X] "I'll leave you to it then. Take care, Itsuki."
>[X] Take off to Strange's place, of course it'd be weird after last time but you've got to keep up your studies.

It's better you don't have an actual physical list of the Yakuza recruits' number: paper trails have caught other criminal masterminds in the past. Organizing the gang can wait later when they've all gotten the sleep they need. You need to learn more about magic and how to manipulate it just in case you ever have to go head to head with the Sorcerer Supreme himself.

"I'll leave you to it then. Take care, Itsuki."

You hop up to the roof of the warehouse while the Japanese man gives you one final nod.

Turning to the direction of southern Manhattan, you take off into the cityscape.

Fourteen minutes of leisure hopping take you from Queens, past Brooklyn, and into Manhattan.

A quick picking up of the pace brings you to the roof of a building neighboring the Sanctom Sanctorum.

Breathing in a deep breath, you hop down in front of the magic house's entrance.

The front door blows open with the ease of a velvet curtain to reveal a familiar bald-headed man in robes.

"Mr. Strange has been expecting you."

Slightly narrowing your eyes, you tilt your head to the side.

"Is that what he told you to say or has he really been waiting for me to come back ever since I first left?"

Wong lays silent.

"...Yes."

A laugh escapes your lips as you follow the man-servant into the wide open halls of the magically altered townhouse.

"Lead the way."

The odd man takes you from the entrance hall, past several of the infinite number of bookcases in Strange's house, and a hall of doors to an open study office in a split off wing.

Doctor Strange himself sits in a chair reading one of the many books floating in a swirl around him, pretending to not notice your presence.

You stand staring in silence as the sorcerer flips through the pages of the book he is not actually reading.

Surely, you cannot possibly be the cause of his bitchiness.

>[ ] "Put the book down, we both know you're not reading it."
>[ ] "Does he normally do this, Sorcerer Above Supreme Wong?"
>[ ] "You cannot possibly be mad at me right now."
>[ ] "I'm here to continue our lessons."
>[ ] "...What? What?"
>[ ] "...Seriously?"
>[ ] Write In.

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

How are you guys?

>>3269271
>"Does he normally do this, Sorcerer Above Supreme Wong?"

>>3269276
I'm OK. A bit upset because I can't have a bath just yet, but otherwise OK.
You?

>>3269271
>"Does he normally do this, Sorcerer Above Supreme Wong?"

>>3269276
Doing good.

>>3269287
Ditto

>>3269287
support

>>3269276
Just finished thread 8. You're really good at this.

Voting closed; writing now.
>>3269293
Doing better.
>>3270519
Thank you very much

>[X] "Does he normally do this, Sorcerer Above Supreme Wong?"

Straight up calling the man out will do nothing whatsoever. He will continue being a coy bitch. You need to deeply hurt his pride as both a sorcerer and a man. This way you can indirectly call him a bitch while calling him a second-rate magician.

"Does he normally do this, Sorcerer Above Supreme Wong?"

The monk smiles as the actual Sorcerer Supreme twitches.

"He does from time to time if he doesn't simply teleport the problem away."

Strange's book shuts itself magically to expose his annoyed face.

"I do not teleport my problems away, Wong."

You shoot the man a look.

"So you just pretend to read a book in front of them and expect them to go away?"

The Sorcerer Supreme stares at you blankly.

"...I have no idea what you are talking about."

A hum rumbles in your throat.

"You don't seem at all surprised by the fact that I'm here."

He scoffs.

"I have a lot of visitors."

Smirking, you narrow your eyes at the magic man.

"Name one who isn't me."

The man smiles.

"All of the Avengers."

You blink.

"...That's more than one."

Strange laughs.

"They are still visitors of mine."

A sigh escapes your lips.

It might actually not be in your favor to keep coming here if one of, if not the best, superhero team in the world visits this place from time to time. Of course, you may not want to or could depending on how the sorcerer takes the news of your inheritance in a couple of days.

>[ ] "Can we just get down to business and start learning the more advanced stuff?"
>[ ] "Don't tell me you're annoyed because of how I acted last time."
>[ ] "For what possible reason would the Avengers visit you?"
>[ ] "...Are you an Avenger?"
>[ ] Write In.

>>3270899
>"...Are you an Avenger?"
>"Whatever, let's just get to business."

Got a family event to attend in a short while. Will close voting and update when I get back.

>>3270899
>"...Are you an Avenger?"
>"Whatever, let's just get to business."

>>3270910
Ditto

I'm back.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "...Are you an Avenger?"
>[X] "Whatever, let's just get down to business."

>(1/2)

Every official member of the Avengers has made a public appearance at some point or another. Considering his position, power, and location, he could be some kind of unofficial member who pops in to help from time to time. He could also be their expert on supernatural threats they keep on the side-lines to avoid giving away his existence and location to those people.

"...Are you an Avenger?"

The Sorcerer Supreme shakes his head.

"I am their magical consultant: I help and advise them in their supernatural ordeals while occasionally helping with alien invasions, extradimensional threats, and crime organizations specializing or researching magic."

You let out a hum.

If there are any rival crime syndicates using or studying magic who will likely oppose you in the future, you can sic the master of magic himself on them if you manage to stay on good terms with him.

Come to think of it, you might end up teaching the gift of magic to your own underlings to give them an edge against your enemies.

A shrug of your shoulders dismisses your thoughts.

"Whatever, let's just get down to business."

Strange shoots you a look.

"And what business would that be."

You shoot him a look of your own.

"Oh, come on; you know exactly what that business is. Don't tell me you're going to keep pretending like you have literally anything else going on in your life right now. I'm the only big eventful thing that's happened to you in weeks if not months since Magneto's stint as Jewish Mutant Hitler, aren't I? Why else would you bother to teach me?"

The sorcerer crosses his arms.

"Maybe because I was bored and lacked an apprentice?"

>(2/2)

A grin spreads across your face.

"So you really do have nothing else going on in your life, huh? For all of the bullshit that happens here in New York, magic is on the lower end of the scale with the likes of people being unafraid of mutants and anyone recognizing New York City or the state of New York in general as anything other than Manhattan?"

Strange sighs.

"I wouldn't say that last part on account of magic being exceptionally rare in the world besides in a few select places of which are isolated by magic from the rest of the world, but yes."

You cluck your tongue.

"And the Avengers keep you as a magic consultant."

The Sorcerer Supreme floats up from his chair before landing on the ground to your front.

"I can literally name you every living sorcerer residing on this planet. Street magicians, mediums, fortune tellers, and psychics are a whole different story but they lack actual knowledge and awareness of the mechanics behind their abilities to be of any use to the Avengers."

Strange uncrosses his arms.

"Enough about all that, though. You yourself want to know and understand the mechanics behind magic and have already learned the basics in a single day. The advanced forms of magic are in no way as simple and easy. It will take you days to learn how to draw power from higher beings, leave sigils like the one I placed at the park, teleport, sustain constant spells, and imbue magic in vessels or other beings. Which will we start with first?"

A hum rumbles in your throat.

This is a lot to take in and will no doubt take you a long time to learn.

>[ ] "Demonstrate how to sustain constant spells, a long lasting coat of invisible armor sounds amazing."
>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, I want to see what they've got to offer."
>[ ] "Imbuing things with magic sounds pretty convenient, show me how."
>[ ] "Teleportation, it would make some things somewhat easier."
>[ ] "Let's go over sigils, the one you made was a nice alarm."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3272544
>[X] "Teleportation, it would make some things somewhat easier."

>>3272544
>[X] "Teleportation, it would make some things somewhat easier."

>>3272544
>demonstrate long lasting magic spells
>is there any Self-Study I can do?
Let’s see about protecting the people around us, and increasing our own power

Getting late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning, my time (UTC-8)

Hope you guys like the direction magic's going.

>>3272621
I like the dynamic Kojo has going with the Doc. The banter and back-and-forth feels like the one with Marcus, but different. It's good shit.

>>3272621
Savage Lands when?

Voting closed; writing now.
>>3273881
when you get on your first jet as per x-men tradition

>[X] "Teleportation, it would make some things somewhat easier."

If you learn how to pop in everywhere, you won't have to grab onto people to take them where they need to go. You would have an almost instantaneous form of mass transportation. Of course, there might be limits, but you could learn to bypass those and teleportation itself is already an extremely useful ability to have.

"Teleportation, it would make some things somewhat easier."

Strange raises a hand to his chin.

"While it is useful, it is incredibly complicated to learn much less master."

You sit yourself down.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get to it then."

The Sorcerer Supreme smirks before joining you on the floor.

"It is going to suck the excitement out of you."

Shooting the man a look, you shrug your shoulders.

"We'll see."

Doctor Strange proceeds to explain the concept of space-time, singularities, the natural resistance reality has against magical manipulations, and how to make it so your alterations are seen as natural by the fabric of reality to you before levitating a book in front of your face to read for the next three hours.

A sigh escapes your lips as you fall face-first into the pages of the magic tome.

"Fucking hell, why is this so complicated?" Your muffled voice mumbles.

You hear a laugh emanate from your front.

"I told you it was going to be complicated and that it'd suck the excitement right out of you."

Groaning, you lift your face out of the book to stare at the sorcerer.

"On top of having to create what amounts to a magic wormhole in the fabric of reality and space-time, I have to also take into consideration the slope of the planet and its own unconscious desire to preserve the mystical environment around it, of which it recognizes portals to be of foreign energy."

Strange nods.

"Like I said, complicated. You now know what it's like for me to have to conjure those portals for you. Besides, this is nothing compared to what it's like to conjure portals to another dimension. Creating portals here will be child's play once you've learned how to do that. Speaking of which, do you want to continue or leave it here for now? It's going to take you three straight days to learn basic teleportation unless you want to try learning another advanced magic."

You let out another hum.

Portals have their usefulness but the others could be more useful in the immediate future.

>[ ] "I've got other places to be and business to handle. Could you pop me back into Hunts Point? It'd be good to get a feel of how the portal exists so I learn how to make it better."
>[ ] "Demonstrate how to sustain constant spells, a long lasting coat of invisible armor sounds amazing."
>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, I want to see what they've got to offer."
>[ ] "Imbuing things with magic sounds pretty convenient, show me how."
>[ ] "Let's go over sigils, the one you made was a nice alarm."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3274189
>continue
Or
>constant spells
Magic is turning out pretty fun, I wonder how long it’ll be until Strange dumps us on the top of a mountain

>>3274189
>>[X] "Imbuing things with magic sounds pretty convenient, show me how."
Magic ammo, now that's the good shit.

>>3274189
>[X] "Imbuing things with magic sounds pretty convenient, show me how."
We can always continue teleportation learning later on.

>>3274283
Or we could inbue our horns so
>ditto
>>3274260
And cancel

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Imbuing things with magic sounds pretty convenient, show me how."

Teleportation is far more tiresome and boring than you thought it'd be. While instant travel would be useful, you can already hop across one side of the city to another in under twenty minutes. Giving objects special qualities with spells or just plain old magic power is something straight out of a fantasy novel. You can make whatever amazing equipment Tinkerer builds just that more amazing.

"Imbuing things with magic sounds pretty convenient, show me how."

Doctor Strange smiles as a cane shoots to him from across the room.

"Watch carefully." He grabs the cane and holds it out to you, sigils forming around his arm. Taking a deep breathe, he closes his eyes. "Fire of Life, erupt and fill this world with your Light."

Fire erupts around the cane and swirls around it before disappearing into the luxury wood, giving the stick a molten look as well as making it give off heat.

You stare at the magic stick with caution as Strange shifts his hold on it into a vertical one.

He just used the Phoenix's power to do that.

"I don't know how to call on higher beings but I'm pretty sure you imbued that cane with one's energy rather than your own."

With a beat of the sorcerer's hand, the cane returns to its normal state.

"Using the mystical energies of other beings is easier for me. It's likely different for you." He once again holds the cane out horizontally to you. "Here, try it."

You take the cane and cluck your tongue at the lingering energy around it.

It might be possible to do the same thing he just did but there's no telling what will happen. Using your own power would show just how different you are in comparison to everyone else and maybe alarm Strange. You could try manifesting Death into it to cancel out the Phoenix. Safest option is trying to use the plain multiversal energy, though.

>[ ] "I think that's enough magic for one day. Can you port me to Hunts Point again, Strange? I've got other things to take care of."
>[ ] Use the lingering energy to reignite it, no way you're praying to that thing. (Will Roll, +6 Modifier, DC14)
>[ ] Manifest Death into the cane, she might protest but you don't care. (Will Roll, +6 Modifier, DC16)
>[ ] Go with plain old multiverse energy, safest way to go. (Will Roll, +7 Modifier, DC18)
>[ ] Just use your own soul, can't be that hard. (Will Roll, +6 Modifier, DC18)
>[ ] Write In.

>>3274682
>[ ] Go with plain old multiverse energy, safest way to go. (Will Roll, +7 Modifier, DC18)
Not enough experience yet. We can attempt Bold Red, Phoenix, or Death later on once we get a hang of it.

>>3274682
>>[X] Manifest Death into the cane, she might protest but you don't care. (Will Roll, +6 Modifier, DC16)
I'm curious of how these two powers would react to each other.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>[X] Go with plain old multiverse energy, safest way to go. (Will Roll, +7 Modifier, DC18)

>[X] Manifest Death into the cane, she might protest but you don't care. (Will Roll, +6 Modifier, DC16)

>Will Roll
>+6 modifier
>DC16
Best of three d20s please.

Rolled 6 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>3274870
Wew, I'm always lucky with the tie breakers, hopefully I'm just as good rolling.

Rolled 18 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>3274870
Rollan!!!

Rolled 2 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>3274870

Rolling closed; writing now.

>[X] Manifest Death into the cane, she might protest but you don't care. (Will Roll, +6 Modifier, DC16)
>Will Roll
>+6 Modifier
>DC16
>Rolled 18 + 6 = 24
>Success!

>(1/2)

You can't help but wonder what it'd be like if Death's essence interacted with Life's. If anything goes wrong, you can just say you took the energy from the multiverse and most of it was that for some reason. Imbuing anything with actual multiversal essence will have to wait.

Closing all three of your eyes, you meditate on the ever so familiar cold grasp of Death lurking in everything remotely alive.

The eternal void resists for all but a moment before your will draws it into this world.

Opening your eyes, you see the dark immaterial matter swirl around the cane.

Strange's eyes widen at the unworldly sight.

"What in Dormmammu's accursed existence..."

A grin spreads across your face as you will the energy into the luxurious wood, causing deep smoking fissures to crack into the material.

"I have no idea what the hell this is but it's working."

The void energy grows to encompass all of the cane in its entirety before crumbling away into nothingness.

You blink as the last mote of dust fades away from this world.

"...On second thought, that's not the effect I wanted it to have."

Doctor Strange shoots you a look.

"As others your age say, no shit, my Sherlock apprentice. That was the exact opposite mystical energy of what I called upon and method you should have done, not that I intended for you to get it right on the first try. First, you must understand the distinct nature of energy and matter. We'll move on to other concepts and ideas you need to understand so you can learn to imbue magic energy properly in objects.

A groan escapes your lips.

"Is all advanced magic just going to be some kind of blend of universal principles, scientific theory, and mysticism?"

The sorcerer nods his head.

"Compared to the highest levels of magic, this is relatively simple."

You sigh.

"Let's get to it then."

>(2/2)

For the next three hours, the master of magic explains to you the innate somewhat obvious differences between matter and magic, how some material rejects certain magical energies, the different spells that can be written on objects, matter's incredibly small magic tolerance, and how to increase said tolerance as you read yet another book on the subject.

You let out yet another groan before setting the latest magical tome down.

"I swear, education has got to be the most unnecessary taxing thing in modern day societies the youth has to go through if it's anything like this. At least I'm learning magic while they're just cramming a bunch of shit they will never actually use in their head."

Strange raises an eyebrow.

"College and High-school allow you to take classes vital to whatever occupation you are seeking and a higher pay in those occupations."

You shoot him a look.

"And the rest on the lower end of things?"

He shoots you a look of his own back.

"People in less fortunate countries and less fortunate people in general would kill for the general education provided in our primary schools."

Narrowing your eyes, you give him your best 'Are you fucking kidding me?' look.

"I'm a black beaner orphan hood rat who's had to do plenty of things he isn't proud of to survive, and I'd rather die than have to go through anything like this bullshit if it all amounted to was wasted time on top of a shitty job for the rest of my life depending on a wrong dice roll for my major."

Strange blinks.

"...I see, but that's largely your own individual take on it amongst the sea of underprivileged young men of color."

Rolling your eyes, you sigh before looking back down at the book.

A few more day of this and you'll know how to imbue magic in things without making them explode or implode. It should be the early afternoon right now. The inner circle is definitely awake and most likely waiting for you. Zebra Daddy might have already put some pressure on those two pimps whose names you can't be bothered to remember.

>[ ] "I've got other places to be and business to handle. Could you pop me back into Hunts Point? It'd be good to get a feel of how the portal exists so I can learn how to make one better."
>[ ] "I want to try learning how to sustain constant spells, a long lasting coat of invisible armor sounds amazing and more efficient than imbuing things with magic."
>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, might be more useful to learn than this."
>[ ] "Let's switch over sigils, the one you made was a nice alarm."
>[ ] "Do you know what that energy I used was? You were surprised by it."
>[ ] Keep going with this study, complementary enchantments to Phineas' equipment is far too pleasing of an idea to give up right now.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3275390
>Keep going with this study, complementary enchantments to Phineas' equipment is far too pleasing of an idea to give up right now.
>"Do you know what that energy I used was? You were surprised by it."

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8) If I have time before class.

hahahaha, class

Honestly, College is more stressful but way more better than everything before it.

>>3275390
>>[X] "I've got other places to be and business to handle. Could you pop me back into Hunts Point? It'd be good to get a feel of how the portal exists so I can learn how to make one better."

>>3275414
Before I make my vote, what time is it in-story?

>>3275445
>It should be the early afternoon right now.

>>3275450
Alright then

>>3275390
>"Do you know what that energy I used was? You were surprised by it."
>"I've got other places to be and business to handle. Could you pop me back into Hunts Point? It'd be good to get a feel of how the portal exists so I can learn how to make one better."

>>3275456
Ditto

Back from class.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Do you know what that energy I used was? You were surprised by it."
>[X] "I've got other places to be and business to handle. Could you pop me back into Hunts Point? It'd also be good to get a feel of how the portal exists so I can learn how to make one better."

Six hours is more than enough time to spend studying magic for a day. You can and will get all the advanced stuff down eventually. For now, you'll settle for what you've learned and go back to your daily life as a crime king after you get one last answer from the stranger.

You lift your gaze back up to your magic tutor.

"Do you know what that energy I used was? You were surprised by it."

The man's expression does not shift at all.

"It was the ultimate entropy: Death itself. A young apprentice such as yourself should not be capable of channeling such a force, but you are no ordinary apprentice with whatever that eye on your forehead is and the amount of time it took you to master the basics of magic." He raises a hand to his chin. "Either you channeled Death imagining a cane of death dealing or, for whatever reason, death itself is drawn to you. The former is more plausible than the latter, but numerous entities and forces are drawn more to certain people due to many circumstances." Lowering his hand, he shrugs. "It could have also just been because I drew on the power of life."

A hum rumbles in your throat.

He doesn't really suspect a thing. So long as you keep the cosmos warping and power drawing down to the magical level, he won't have any reason to. Could be he's just hiding what he really thinks, though.

Placing down the book, you stand yourself.

"I've got other places to be and business to handle. Could you pop me back into Hunts Point? It'd also be good to get a feel of how the portal exists so I can learn how to make one better."

Strange's gaze softens.

"And here I was thinking you'd spend the entire day studying magic again." He stands up to see you face-to-face. "Before I send you back to that slum you call a home, might I ask what that business you need to handle is?"

You shoot the man a look.

Now he's starting actually suspect something and it has nothing to do with your supernatural nature.

>[ ] "For the past five years, I've been fighting my evil crime lord twin brother and keeping him from expanding beyond the Bronx. If I don't do my patrols, he'll know I'm not there to stop him and take down all his rivals in one fell swoop."
>[ ] "...There are things that are about to happen beyond anything you can imagine and I'm trying to stop them. If you try to get involved or take over from here, they'll kill you."
>[ ] "There are some kids I take care of because their parents are addicts. Two of them have had drug problems in the past."
>[ ] "...I've got a friend dying on me and I've been coming here so I could learn how to save him."
>[ ] "Don't try to be my dad."
>[ ] "None of your concern."
>[ ] "Why are you asking?"
>[ ] Write In.

>>3277680
>>[X] "...There are things that are about to happen beyond anything you can imagine and I'm trying to stop them. If you try to get involved or take over from here, they'll kill you."
Ominous...But also sort similar of what might happen.

>>3277854
Why not:
>[ ] "...I've got a friend dying on me and I've been coming here so I could learn how to save him."
Old Kojo counts, right?

>>3277856
I thought he was already gone.

>>3277858
Yeah, but he's still lingering in Kojo's psyche. I'm not sure whether Kojo should attempt to outright delete/erase Old Kojo, or synthesis/merge with him and become a whole individual? Worth considering.

Either way, fine.
>>3277680
backing >>3277854

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "...There are things that are about to happen beyond anything you can imagine and I'm trying to stop them. If you try to get involved or take over from here, they'll kill you."

Just telling him to fuck off would make him even more suspicious of you. It's better to tell him a half-truth to throw him off and to make him think you trust him, making hum actually trust you in turn. Of course, he won't buy it right away seeing as how he's a master sorcerer but he might with the right wording.

Letting out a sigh, you drop your look.

"...There are things that are about to happen beyond anything you can imagine and I'm trying to stop them. If you try to get involved or take over from here, they'll kill you."

Doctor Strange blinks before laughing.

"You almost got me there, Kojo. Come on, you can't seriously think I, the Sorcerer Supreme, would believe that?"

Briefly thinking over what to do, you opt to remain silent for a moment to let the ominous air sink in.

The joyful expression on the gray-stripe haired man fades into a stern look.

"Who are they?"

You stare back into his gray eyes.

"Like I said, no one you should concern yourself with."

He remains tall and stiff.

"Kojo, I'm not going to let you go without an answer."

Continuing to stare, you inwardly groan.

Now he's all parental and authoritative.

>[ ] "...For the past five years, I've been fighting my evil crime lord twin brother and keeping him from expanding beyond the Bronx. If I don't do my patrols, he'll know I'm not there to stop him and take down all his rivals in one fell swoop."
>[ ] "They're...like me...only they eat souls, magic, and the essence of gods."
>[ ] "Ha, I fucking got you, old man!"
>[ ] "Don't try to be my dad."
>[ ] "None of your concern."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3278260
>[ ] Hold the silence and the poker face for a short bit longer.
>[ ] Burst into genuine laughter.
>[ ] "Ha, I fucking got you, old man! 'You can't seriously think I, the Sorcerer Supreme, would believe that' he says!"

Should we tell him the Phoenix is interested in us?

Going to go out to eat and get some groceries.

Will close voting and update if I get back before it's late. If not, I'll close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8) before class.

>>3278314
Risky. Very very fucking risky, especially since the Jean Grey shit already happened in the timeline.

>>3278416
Hmmm you a solid point well what a bout Death then?

>>3278431
Hmmmmm
well let's see what he said
>A young apprentice such as yourself should not be capable of channeling such a force, but you are no ordinary apprentice with whatever that eye on your forehead is and the amount of time it took you to master the basics of magic
>or, for whatever reason, death itself is drawn to you. The former is more plausible than the latter, but numerous entities and forces are drawn more to certain people due to many circumstances
Maybe if we convey it to him in order, he might take it okay. Something like "Death is interested in me. So is the Phoenix. Both are for reasons related to my birth, my mutation, and how I got this third eye. Sorry Mega Mage, but it's a story I'm not exactly comfortable telling you right now. Okay?"

I'm back in time.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Hold the silence and the poker face for a short bit longer.
>[X] Burst into genuine laughter.
>[X] "Ha, I fucking got you, old man! 'You can't seriously think I, the Sorcerer Supreme, would believe that' the gullible motherfucker says!"

That backfired on you real quick. It's not too late to salvage the situation, however. You can already see the look of annoyance and shame on the man's face. He fell straight into a lie you sold with something as simple as not saying a goddamn word to refute his accusation of you fucking with him. That shameful look is something he well deserves.

You hold the silence and poker face up for a few more moments before bursting out in genuine laughter.

"Ha, I fucking got you, old man! 'You can't seriously think I, the Sorcerer Supreme, would believe that' the gullible motherfucker says!"

Strange sits in your laughter for a moment and groans, giving you the exact look you imagined in your mind.

"...I actually bought that."

You point at him.

"Fuck yeah, you did!"

The master sorcerer's eyes narrow.

"I'll see you later, my impudent apprentice."

With a motion of his arms, a portal opens up beneath your feet.

You fall through it on to one of the rooftops of the Bronx, laughing all the way.

It takes a full minute for you to stop cackling and remove your arms from your sides.

He's not going to forget that anytime soon and neither are you.

>[ ] Hop to Zebra Daddy's place, he might have gotten those two handled for you by now.
>[ ] Flip out your burner and call Itsuki, he should be at the base by now.
>[ ] Take out your burner and call Phineas, he might be tinkering again.
>[ ] Make your way to the warehouse, you've got people to lead.
>[ ] Write In.

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time before class.

>>3278871
>Take out your burner and call Phineas, he might be tinkering again.
>Hop to Zebra Daddy's place, he might have gotten those two handled for you by now.
>Flip out your burner and call Itsuki, he should be at the base by now.
>Make your way to the warehouse, you've got people to lead.
In that order.

>>3278881
Ditto

>>3278871
this >>3278881
I actually want Kojo to be bros with Strange, or at least have him as a sort of surrogate father he'll never listen to except for muh magic. The dynamic so far is real nice.

oh, boy

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Take out your burner and call Phineas, he might be tinkering again.
>[X] Hop to Zebra Daddy's place, he might have gotten those two handled for you by now.
>[X] Flip out your burner and call Itsuki, he should be at the base by now.
>[X] Make your way to the warehouse, you've got people to lead.

Fuck it, you need to make rounds everywhere. You can't use up anymore time by making small chat as you go around town. There are people you need to lead and manage into three separate groups.

You swipe your burner out of your pocket and flip it open, inputing Phineas' number.

The line dial drones five times before breaking.

"...Yes hello, I'm a little indisposed at the moment."

A breath of some relief escapes your lips.

"That's good, old man. Stay that way for a while; rest the whole day if you need to."

Phineas lets out a small laugh that fuzzes through the speaker.

"I think I will, Mr. Reyes."

Hanging up on the old man, you turn to the direction of Mott Haven and take off to the dumbass pimp's place.

It takes you all of two minutes to get to Zebra Daddy's, knock on the visor door, get told he's not there, and confirm with your other senses.

You flip out your burner again as you begin hopping towards the warehouse and dial Itsuki.

The dial drones twice before breaking.

"もし もし?" (Romanji: "Moshi moshi", Translation: Telephone "Hello")

A small laugh escapes your lips.

"It's me; are you done with your business in Queens, Itsuki?

One strong confirming hum rumbles through the burner.

"Me and my men are back at the warehouse with the others awaiting your orders, Reyes-sama."

You let out a pleased hum of your own.

"I'll be there in a minute or two."

Moving your thumb over the red button, you hang up before the Japanese man can.

It takes you a minute and a half to touchdown in front of the open gate of the warehouse.

Everyone in your inner circle is spread about doing their own thing while the rest of your gang just lounges about.

>[ ] Sit down in front of the round-table and signal everyone to come to you, there's some reorganizing you need to do.
>[ ] Hop to Cuda, he hasn't seen action in a while and might go off on his own without any eventually.
>[ ] Stroll over to Alex, you never got to finish your conversation.
>[ ] Walk over to Ren, you left her in a bad place last night.
>[ ] Walk to Jesus, you haven't checked in on him in a while.
>[ ] Go to Itsuki, always good to check-in just in case.
>[ ] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3279950
>[ ] Walk to Jesus, you haven't checked in on him in a while.
>[ ] Hop to Cuda, he hasn't seen action in a while and might go off on his own without any eventually.
Alex and Ren will be fine for now. Itsuki we have faith in. We'll talk magic and shit with Marcus later. Right now we need Jesus and Cuda checked in on, THEN we start reorganizing

Voting closed; writing now.

Going to go to class soon. Will finish writing and update when I get back.

Also, today is night class day so expect one or two more updates max.

>[X] Check on Jesus.
>[X] Check on Cuda.

It's been a while since you've had a talk with the Colombian hitman. Frequent check-ups might actually raise his mood. As for Cuda, he's a bloodthirsty giant who should be kept a close eye on that you haven't been paying attention to as of late. The man is somewhat disciplined from his army days but he's still as viscous as his namesake.

You walk inside the warehouse to a chorus of greetings, applauds, and salutes on your way to the biblically named teenager at his corner of the warehouse.

Jesús briefly raises his hand in greeting.

"Patrón."

Stopping in front of him, you return the gesture.

"Hey, how you've been? You knocked out early last night from what I've heard."

The man nods.

"I was tired."

You raise an eyebrow.

"And now?"

His expression remain blank.

"I am wide awake, patrón."

Narrowing your eyes, you shoot him a half-lidded stare.

"What I meant was, how are you feeling now emotionally and mentally?"

Jesús blinks.

"The same as I always do."

A hum rumbles in your throat before you set a hand on his shoulder.

"You can talk to me whenever you feel like it or need to. Don't be afraid and try to enjoy yourself: leave the boys alone to go have lunch by yourself, comer obleas o bocadillos de guayaba o chocolate, try to hook up with anyone here who isn't Alex, or just lay down and relax." (Literal Translation: "eat wafers or snacks of guava or chocolate")

He stares at you for a few seconds before nodding his head.

"I'll try, patrón."

Giving the Colombian's shoulder a pat, you turn to Cuda's crate laying and boredly whistling form before walking over to him.

The black giant turns his head to see you as you finish your stroll to his side.

"Ayy, boss! We gonna actually do shit today or are we gonna stand around with our them up our asses again?"

You shoot him a look.

"We're going to do some shit today and I might have something for you to do solo if you cut that tone."

Cuda sits himself and grins.

"Oh shit! Sorry, boss, just been getting a little antsy is all. This standing around and doin' nothin' after the day before yesterday's killing me. I just know some shit is gonna go down soon."

Nodding, you hum in confirmation.

"It is, you just have to be patient right now and take what you can get."

The man's grin widens even further.

"And what can I get right now?"

You turn and wave backwards as you walk away.

"Wait a while."

Once again, your attention returns to the inner circle members spread throughout the room.

>[ ] Sit down in front of the round-table and signal everyone to come to you, there's some reorganizing you need to do.
>[ ] Stroll over to Alex, you never got to finish your conversation.
>[ ] Walk over to Ren, you left her in a bad place last night.
>[ ] Go to Itsuki, always good to check-in just in case.
>[ ] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3280867
>[ ] Walk over to Ren, you left her in a bad place last night.
Get that stuff cleared up somewhat, her being our OTHER right hand.
>[ ] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend.
Not sure if we should brief EVERYONE on the magic thing, or just Marcus. They know we got magic now, but not how much. I think only Marcus should be kept updated on that for now - best to do it late at night alone at the end of the day. Right now it should be just simple checking in with him, leaving the heavy shit about Old Kojo and supernatural magic bullshit to the night.
>[ ] Sit down in front of the round-table and signal everyone to come to you, there's some reorganizing you need to do.
It's time.

>>3280934
I mean that with Ren being our other right hand, we should clear that stuff up from the other day and so she isn't in a bad place now.

>>3280934
Ditto

Going to go to my night class soon.

Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

kant is a cunt

What are you all thinking about in terms of the quest's story?

>>3281096
I’m thinking we should probably try to start some shit, or we’ll have to start dealing with shit although I’d like to somewhat unfuck our biology before that happens and magic seems pretty cool

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Walk over to Ren, you left her in a bad place last night.
>[X] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend.
>[X] Sit down in front of the round-table and signal everyone to come to you, there's some reorganizing you need to do.
It's time.

>(1/2)

Alex is going to rub your face in what happened last night and you already checked-in on Itsuki with that phone call. Ren needs to know what you were trying to do last night and how manly you really are while Marcus is Marcus. After you handle that business, you'll call a round-table meeting to go over the last steps to reorganizing your gang before the upcoming big day.

Focusing on the wall-leaning Japanese girl, you let out a sigh and make your way to her.

Ren stops leaning on the warehouse wall to properly nod her head in greeting.

"Hello, Reyes-sama."

You nod back.

"Hey, Ren."

The Not-So-Crazy girl stares at you in silence for a moment.

"...Can I help you with something?"

Frowning, you raise a hand to the back of your head.

"Listen, about yesterday..."

Ren glances away as you trail off.

Another sigh escapes your lips.

"I was just trying to get through to Alex about something but she just kept being her. You already know how I am when it comes to sex, so I was busy restraining myself when you came up. When I saw you, I figured you could help me out and you did but I ended up putting you in another horrible position again."

The Japanese girl focuses back on you.

"Yes, you did. Thank you for realizing that, Reyes-sama."

Nodding, you lower your hand back to your side.

"Let me know whenever I'm asking too much of you or being an ass. You're my underboss and one of the greatest members of this organization. Whatever you have to say is important and worth listening to."

Ren smiles and nods.

"I will Reyes-sama and thank you."

You give the girl a wave before turning to Marcus' direction and walking to him.

>(2/2)

Marcus raises an eyebrow as you stop in front of his crate.

"Gauging the morale of your top officers, oh wizard king?"

A grin spreads across your face.

"Speak as such to me more, knave, and I will warp thou into a frog to feed unto my feline concubine."

The man laughs.

"Could you really bring yourself to put someone else in Alex's mouth?"

You blink.

"...No, no I could not."

Marcus shoots you a look.

"That's what I thought. So what the hell have you been up to lately with all the magic and absences? I'm pretty sure you've stomped every player in New York under your foot by now."

You glance back at the round-table.

"In a few minutes, you'll know."

Turning, you walk past the crowd of your men to the front of the round-table and motion for everyone to sit down.

All your foot-soldiers sit down on the floor, making your inner circle the only ones in other positions.

Marcus, Ren, Itsuki, Jesús, Cuda, and Alex immediately begin making their way across the sea of sitting men to the circle populated only by you.

Sitting down, the rest of your inner circle sits down with you, completing the ground circle.

There's not much to go over but there's a lot you could say.

>[ ] "From here on out, our organization will be split into five different crews with different names that act independently of one another but are really working in tandem: the 893 of the Bronx under Ren, 研二会 of Queens under Itsuki, the Silvermane Maggia family of Brooklyn under Silvio, and several nameless gangs controlling Staten Island with the 893 having the appearance of controlling Manhattan." (Japanese: "研二会", Romanji: Kenji-kai, Translation: "Kenji Association[Yakuza Clan]")
>[ ] "I want the pimps in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and here in the Bronx under our flag. I've got Zebra Daddy pushing on two pimps who don't want to join up with the rest willing to hear me out."
>[ ] "Itsuki, rally all the men you led into this organization. Marcus and Ren, I want you two to split the rest evenly among yourselves before having a pick of Itsuki's boys."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3283423
>From here on out, our organization will be split into five different crews with different names that act independently of one another but are really working in tandem: the 893 of the Bronx under Ren, 研二会 of Queens under Itsuki, the Silvermane Maggia family of Brooklyn under Silvio, and several nameless gangs controlling Staten Island with the 893 having the appearance of controlling Manhattan." (Japanese: "研二会", Romanji: Kenji-kai, Translation: "Kenji Association[Yakuza Clan]")
>[ ] "I want the pimps in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and here in the Bronx under our flag. I've got Zebra Daddy pushing on two pimps who don't want to join up with the rest willing to hear me out."
Oh boy, time for fun

>>3283423
ditto >>3283440

>>3283415
>"I was just trying to get through to Alex about something but she just kept being her. You already know how I am when it comes to sex, so I was busy restraining myself when you came up. When I saw you, I figured you could help me out and you did but I ended up putting you in another horrible position again."
>"Let me know whenever I'm asking too much of you or being an ass. You're my underboss and one of the greatest members of this organization. Whatever you have to say is important and worth listening to."
This feels like a big step forward for Kojo in character development. Holy shit did the Old Kojo reveal and the Marcus talks change him in a matter of literal days. Feels kinda unrealistic, but then again this is Marvel - it's to be expected even in a fanfic quest, so it's okay. I still want Kojo to keep his bloodthirsty conqueror personality, but that doesn't mean he can't understand his failures and solidify his ties with his inner circle this way. Good balance.

Voting closed; writing now.

>>3283516
You're forgetting the massive amounts of will power it took to accept both situations and not deny the obvious, which would lead to you doubling down on the evil conqueror thing without accepting your "positive" emotions. If you failed both....well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jla4N_2CiNQ

>[X] "From here on out, our organization will be split into five different crews with different names that act independently of one another but are really working in tandem: the 893 of the Bronx under Ren, 研二会 of Queens under Itsuki, the Silvermane Maggia family of Brooklyn under Silvio, and several nameless gangs controlling Staten Island with the 893 having the appearance of controlling Manhattan." (Japanese: "研二会", Romanji: Kenji-kai, Translation: "Kenji Association[Yakuza Clan]")
>[X] "I want the pimps in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and here in the Bronx under our flag. I've got Zebra Daddy pushing on two pimps who don't want to join up with the rest willing to hear me out."

>(1/2)

You've been playing up the caution, secrecy, and lurking shadow puppeteer thing for a while now. If you're going to be Kingpin, you can't play it like Fisk did with everyone and their mother with skin in the game knowing who he is. A lot of people are going to suspect you once you get your inheritance but you can throw off suspicion with all the various criminal groups everyone is going to think are in control of New York when it's really only one. Launching a humanitarian relief effort for the Bronx would also help. You could get housing for your men all the while painting a pretty image for yourself.

All in due time, however.

"From here on out, our organization will be split into five different crews with different names that act independently of one another but are really working in tandem: the 893 of the Bronx under Ren, 研二会 of Queens under Itsuki, the Silvermane Maggia family of Brooklyn under Silvio, and several nameless gangs controlling Staten Island with the 893 having the appearance of controlling Manhattan." (Japanese: "研二会", Romanji: Kenji-kai, Translation: "Kenji Association[Yakuza Clan]")

Ren, Itsuki, Alex, Jesús, Cuda, and Marcus nod.

They understand perfectly the situation you and them are all in; their can be no room for fucking up from here on out. People are going to be split up among them, act like they don't know each other, and possibly end up killing one another depending on certain factors. So long as they're obedient and loyal, you could care less who dies.

You're all in the big time now and sacrifices must be made as well as decisions.

"I want the pimps in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and here in the Bronx under our flag. I've got Zebra Daddy pushing on two pimps who don't want to join up with the rest willing to hear me out."

>(2/2)

Marcus raises an eyebrow.

"Zebra Daddy? That purple suit and zebra stripe car driving motherfucker? Why did you have him gather up the Bronx pimps?"

You shrug.

"He happened to be there at the time and I was chasing down that lead on Wesley, remember?"

The black teen clucks his tongue.

"Still, the man's a dipshit."

Nodding, you hum in agreement.

"Despite all that, he did what I asked and would make a good puppet ruler of the pimps in the Bronx. Obviously, he'd be shit as the governor of all the pimps but I'm not aiming for that."

Marcus raises an eyebrow before shrugging it off.

"Alright, I guess I can see that."

Barracuda leans in.

"So we gonna go tell the pimps around town they're in our crew now?"

You let out another hum.

>[ ] "First we need to split the men. Itsuki, rally all the men you led into this organization. Marcus and Ren, I want you two to split the rest evenly among yourselves before having a pick of Itsuki's boys."
>[ ] "No, for you at least. You're going to make sure Zebra Daddy is doing his job and if he isn't do his job for him."
>[ ] "With Itsuki in Queens for the Kenji-kai, you are. Gotta get your name out there as a merc."
>[ ] "The 893 with Ren in Manhattan, you are. Both of you already took over the place."
>[ ] "The 893 is with Alex and Ren in Manhattan, both of you need to bond."
>[ ] "Jesús is going with Itsuki to do that in Queens for the Kenji-kai."
>[ ] "Alex, you're going with Itsuki like you've done before."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3283919
>Alex, you go with Itsuki to do it
It might suck for her mental health, but she’s the subject matter expert here. Although her serial killerness might fuck us a little

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Alex, you're going with Itsuki like you've done before."

She has the most experience with pimps out of everyone in your crew. Not to mention she's from Queens herself. That's partly why you sent her off with Itsuki. Maybe in time the Japanese man will instill some hard far east Asian values into her promiscuous ass.

"Alex, you're going with Itsuki like you've done before."

The blond giggles.

"It's been a while since I've seen the old pimps in Queens; wonder if a few I knew...intimately are still around."

You twitch.

"...Don't kill them unless they give you good reason to...or fuck them on any circumstances."

Alex smirks.

"No promises."

A growl rumbles in your throat as you glare at her.

"On. Any. Circumstances."

The minx blinks before letting out a purr.

"Now there's your manliness; what are you going to do now?"

Marcus groans as Cuda laughs.

"Before the two of you star fucking each other in the center of his circle, can the rest of us know what we're going to be doing in the mean time or if there's anything to do?"

The Black Giant takes a break from his laughing to bob his head in agreement.

"Yeah, you said you got some work for me, boss! Am I heading out with the little lady or are me and the other brother here gonna go beat some pimps in Staten Island?"

You turn your attention away from the one white person in your inner circle to the two black guys.

It might be fun to see hear how Marcus reigns in Cuda for this kind of easy work.

>[ ] "First we need to split the men. Itsuki, rally all the men you led into this organization. Marcus and Ren, I want you two to split the rest evenly among yourselves before having a pick of Itsuki's boys."
>[ ] "You're going to make sure Zebra Daddy is doing his job and if he isn't do his job for him."
>[ ] "Jesús is going with Marcus to Staten Island, you go with Ren to the Bronx again."
>[ ] "The two of you are going to Staten Island together."
>[ ] "Oh shut up, Truman."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3284429
>[ ] "First we need to split the men. Itsuki, rally all the men you led into this organization. Marcus and Ren, I want you two to split the rest evenly among yourselves before having a pick of Itsuki's boys."
>[ ] "The two of you are going to Staten Island together. Jesus and Ren are on Bronx duty this time around."

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

>>3284552
Ditto

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "First we need to split the men. Itsuki, rally all the men you led into this organization. Marcus and Ren, I want you two to split the rest evenly among yourselves before having a pick of Itsuki's boys."
>[X] "The two of you are going to Staten Island together. Jesús and Ren are on Manhattan duty this time around."

The reorganization has already gone about somewhat two days go. Main goal this time is for assigning the men semipermanently under your lieutenants rather than forming temporary protection racketeer crews. You can't wait to hear how Marcus is going to have to reign in Cuda.

"First, we need to split the men. Itsuki, rally all the men you led into this organization. Marcus and Ren, I want you two to split the rest evenly among yourselves before having a pick of Itsuki's boys."

All three lieutenants nod and rise.

You grab on to Marcus before he can walk off and point your free hand to Cuda.

"The two of you are going to Staten Island together. Jesús and Ren are on Manhattan duty this time around."

Marcus groans as the black giant laughs.

"If he tells me any Dan stories, I'm not going to tell them to you."

Scoffing, you shoot him a look.

"You wouldn't."

He smirks.

"Exactly."

You blink as he wanders off to do his job.

The man's either being coy or he's being a real dindu nuffin double negative user for negative things right now.

Itsuki, Ren, and Marcus pick out your siting foot-soldiers and split them into two relatively small groups with one big pile gathered in front of the Japanese man. Men assembled, Ren and Marcus pick out the former Yakuza men and ask them questions before leaving them or having them join their group. The process continues until there are three large even looking groups of men.

Groups formed, your remaining three inner circle members rise from their seats to join their respective assigned crews.

All three make their way out one at a time, leaving you alone again only without Felon this time.

You lean back and look up at the cement ceiling.

This place has felt far more empty and hollow as of late.

>[ ] Take out your burner and dial in Tombstone's contact number, he might still be in town and you could always use good enforcers.
>[ ] Lay back and wait for them to come back, it's going to take some time but you've got a lot of it.
>[ ] Stroll out, close the gate, and hop back to Strange's, you've got studying to do.
>[ ] Go out for lunch, you need sustenance for your crazy body.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3285830
>[ ] Go out for lunch, you need sustenance for your crazy body.
>[ ] Get a sandwich for Strange while you're at it, then hop to his place for more magic studying.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Go out for lunch, you need sustenance for your crazy body.
>[X] Get a sandwich for Strange while you're at it, then hop to his place for more magic studying.

>(1/2)

Despite how insane your tolerance for going without food is, it's most probably not healthy for you. Sure, you've been doing better these past few days but you've fallen off the wagon somewhat as of late. Magic has enticed you a little too much.

Kip-upping to your feet, you walk out the open entrance and press down on the red close gate button presented by the electric padlock.

The sheet of galvanized steel groans and churns shut behind you before you back-flip onto the roof of the warehouse.

You look in one distant restaurants direction and then another.

One is a pizza place by the name of Fratilli's Pizza and the other is a genuine Mexican restaurant by the name of City Tamale.

In your experience and enlightened bias, Mexican food is the superior Latin cuisine on the virtue of not being extremely dough focused. Not exactly bad but Italian food gets bland after a while and is incredibly greasy. Masa might be corn dough and compose tamales, tortillas, and pupusa but that's forty percent of Mexican food at most, excluding all the other goods gringos wouldn't know about.

You fix your eyes in City Tamale's direction and take off.

It takes you twelve seconds to reach the Mexican place.

As you enter, you get the usual reaction you always get before being led to your own private table by a polite Mexicana you vaguely recognize. The young woman immediately takes your order for fish enchiladas, black beans, Mexican rice, and a glass of iced Tamarindo. Ten minutes is all you have to wait for you to have your orders placed in front of you.

"Si desea algo más o tiene un problema, infórmese a alguien y lo ayudaremos." (Translation: "If you want something else or have a problem, inform someone and we will help you.")

You rub your hands and nod.

"Te entiendo. Muchas gracias, señorita." (Translation: "I understand. Thank you very much, miss.")

The girl laughs nervously as she walks away.

"De nada." (Translation: "You're welcome.")

>(2/2)

Picking up the plate with one hand, you dig your fork into the chili sauce covered tortilla and drag part of it into your mouth before biting it off. `

A purr rumbles in your throat as you roll the bundled up pieces of fish around your mouth.

Spicy, savory, and sprinkled with queso fresco. (Translation: fresh cheese)

You swallow and quickly devour the enchiladas before raking down the rice along with the beans into your mouth.

Crunching both staple foods into a sublime paste, you swallow and let the savory ooze seep down your throat.

A pleased hum rumbled in your throat as you swipe the glass of agua fresca and make your way to the entrance.

Downing the glass of sweet & sour ground legume, you set the now empty cup on a nearby table before you make your way out.

You hop to the roof of the building, turn to the direction of Manhattan, and glance at a distant Deli's direction.

It might be good to get Strange a sandwich is a sort of peace offering after how you left him.

Shrugging, you take off to the deli grocery.

A short few minutes of entering and ordering end with you leaving with a vegetarian sandwich wrap.

Considering the man lives with a monk, you figure he might prefer it this way.

You hop again to the roof of the deli and take off to Manhattan.

Fourteen minutes of leisure hopping take you from the West Bronx down to the Sanctum Sanctorum in Lower Manhattan.

The door flies open once again for you to enter with Wong inside to lead you to the sorcerer.

Strange sits in a chair pretend reading a book just as he did the first time you came here today.

Resisting the urge to laugh, you glance down at the wrapped sandwich wrap.

Probably not enough but it might due.

>[ ] "I want to try learning how to sustain constant spells. Let's do that and not this ignoring each other thing."
>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, they might be able to snap you out of this bitch fit."
>[ ] "Let's go over sigils, I could make one to ring in your brain whenever you're like this."
>[ ] "Drop the book and teleport yourself over here so you can teach me how."
>[ ] "Want to continue where we left off on imbuing things with magic?"
>[ ] "Are you seriously doing this again?"
>[ ] "I brought you lunch!"
>[ ] Write In.

>>3286624
>[X] "Want to continue where we left off on imbuing things with magic?"

>>3286624
>[X] "Want to continue where we left off on imbuing things with magic?"
but set the sandwich wrap off to the side, in plain sight

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Want to continue where we left off on imbuing things with magic?"

>(1/2)

Both of you already got into the groove of things before you went to go handle your business. He's obviously awfully sore right now about how bad you burned him. It's best to suggest your upcoming tutoring session as a possibility rather a definite.

"Want to continue where we left off on imbuing things with magic?"

The magic man glances up from his book.

"...Ah, forgive me; I didn't notice you were there."

You shoot him a look.

"Reeeaaally?"

Strange nods.

"I was too focused on this book of mine, you see." He lifts the magical tome up into the air with a hand.

A laugh escapes your lips.

"That's the book on teleportation you had me read."

Doctor Strange blinks, glances at the tome, focuses back on you, and drops the book into a spontaneously appearing portal.

"Well played, apprentice, well played."

You raise an eyebrow and cross your arms.

"If we were playing, you must really suck at it considering I beat you without even knowing it." A grin spread across your face. "I didn't even do anything but point out what you were reading: you beat yourself."

The man sighs and glares at his manservant as the monk chuckles to himself.

"Do you want to get to studying or not?"

You nod and walk over to the man, catching a book as it flies to your head and laying your lunch gift on Strange's desk.

>(2/2)

For the next three hours, you read up on matter's small tolerance of magic and the small space between atoms solids have before making a few more canes unexist themselves.

A groan escapes your lips as the latest cane disappears in your hand.

"This would be so much more effective on humans if you didn't have to really concentrate to do it. Just lay a hand on them, imbue them with way too much magic, and watch them get atomized like in a nuclear bomb only magic and exclusive to that one person."

Strange shoots you a horrified look.

"How could you even think of doing that?"

You roll your eyes.

"How could I not? I used to use random shit around me as weapons all the time to protect myself from other people. If this is some kind of moral issue, good and evil and right and wrong are just words people use to simplify the complexities behind certain people and their motivations. They call serial killers monsters and shout for their death, prison rape, and torture all the while preaching their bullshit of love and understanding. People cry over the less fortunate and only help when to show off to everyone else just how caring they are. It's hypocrisy, and, if there is anything remotely wrong or evil in this world, it's hypocrisy."

The doctor's eyes soften and glisten with a familiar, alien warmth.

A deep feeling of loathing and annoyance flares across your body.

You really don't understand these types of fucking people.

>[ ] "Are we going to keep going or are you going to keep staring at me like I'm the bastard son you left in a whore who grew up without you?"
>[ ] "Why the fucking hell have people been giving me that same exact look lately? I'm not some wounded animal that needs your pity."
>[ ] "I want to try learning how to sustain constant spells. Let's do that and not this staring at each other thing."
>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, I want to see if any of them actually give a damn."
>[ ] "Let's go over sigils, I could make one to fry your brain whenever you look at me like this."
>[ ] "Drop the look and teleport yourself somewhere painful and back so you can teach me how."
>[ ] "Portal me back to Hunts Point, I'm done here."
>[ ] "You can't tell me I'm wrong, can you?"
>[ ] "...What? What?"
>[ ] Write In.

>>3287132
>>[X] "Why the fucking hell have people been giving me that same exact look lately? I'm not some wounded animal that needs your pity."

>>3287142
Ditto
+
>can we just get on with it

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Why the fucking hell have people been giving me that same exact look lately? I'm not some wounded animal that needs your pity."
>[X] "Are we going to keep going or are you going to keep staring at me like I'm the bastard son you left in a whore who grew up without you?"

If it had just been Cage's bitch and Felon that one time he can't remember, it would be only mildly annoying; three different times by three different people on three different days is just infuriating. Bad enough you can only kill Felon to alleviate your anger. Strange is quite possibly too much for you and far too useful while Cage's bitch was just being caring.

A growl rumbles in your throat.

"Why the fucking hell have people been giving me that same exact look lately? I'm not some wounded animal that needs your pity."

Strange parts his lips to say something, stops, closes them, and parts them again.

"You aren't an animal, Kojo, but...you've been hurt by a lot of people from what little I've heard about your life. Others likely give you the same look because they realize the same thing: what you've gone through to be the way you are is horrible and saddening. No one should have to have lived through what you did."

The angered look on your face softens into a blank one.

"Are we going to keep going or are you going to keep staring at me like I'm the bastard son you left in a whore who grew up without you?"

He blinks.

"...Is that how you came to b-"

You raise a hand, cutting him off.

"That was a hypothetical, you dumbass."

Without any further words, your teachings continue.

Another three hours of reading, staff atomizing, and groaning over the over complexity of magic passes.

You stare and blink at the dimly glowing staff in your hand.

Doctor Strange give you a small applause.

"Well done, you've finally imbued a cane with magic without turning it into particles."

Swinging the enchanted staff in Strange's direction, a small wave of energy flies from the imbued wood into the wizard's face, making him clutch it in moderate pain.

"...Huh." You focus back on the staff. "That actually worked."

A groan escapes your tutor's lips.

"I know, I could literally feel it smash against my face."

You hum a joyful tune as you look the staff over.

Took nine hours of studying but you've the got the bare minimum of an advanced magic down.

Inner circle is definitely or almost done rounding up the pimps by now.

>[ ] "I want to try learning how to sustain constant spells. That'd help keep enchantments like this up."
>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, I want to see if any of them actually give a damn."
>[ ] "Let's go over sigils, I could make one to soothe your pain whenever I hit you with this."
>[ ] "Teleport yourself somewhere painless and back so you can teach me how."
>[ ] "Portal me back to Hunts Point, it's getting late."
>[ ] "Getting late but I want to keep going."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3287383
>let’s learn about constant spells
I feel like a few gods would freak out at our existence

>>3287383
ditto >>3287672

Getting late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

What is a human? A miserable pile of contradictions.

How you feeling about Kojo right now?

>>3287687
Still a based protag. Still has the best banter and lines. Him being a teenager shines through here and there, just enough to help ground his character along with other things, without being too overbearing or annoying or dumb. You got that balance of "overlord ruler who lusts for ultimate power and conquest over the entire universe" and "traumatized teenage street rat with a fucked up past and a based crew backing him up, physically and emotionally"

>>3287757
This
>>3287673
Huh, didn’t think I’d be the one ditto’d

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "I want to try learning how to sustain constant spells. That'd help keep enchantments like this up."

While imbuing things with magic may be helpful, it's of no use if it can't be sustained long enough. Most of the power that comes from imbuing things with magic is weaving spells into them. A long lasting suit of invisible magic armor would also come in handy.

"I want to try learning how to sustain constant spells. That'd help keep enchantments like this up."

Strange removes his hands from his bruised face to levitate a book straight into yours.

Catching the bridge of the magic tome, you flip the book open.

Three hours of reading about the natural resistance reality has against magical manipulations and how alterations can be seen as natural by the fabric of reality again pass ontop of reading about weaving looping spells which gather energy from the multiverse on their own.

A groan escapes your lips as you set the book down.

"Most of that was just a retread of what I read about teleportation."

Strange raises a pointer finger.

"But in a different context to better help you in this area of the advanced magics."

You shoot him a look.

"It's literally just rephrased and means the exact same thing."

He hums.

"Maybe the slight differentiation will help you."

Shaking your head, you narrow your eyes.

"No, it fucking won't."

The man sighs.

"Are you going to continue studying or are you going to keep complaining?"

A hum of your own rumbles in your throat.

It should be around 9PM by now. Everyone's definitely back and waiting for you to return.

>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, I want to see if any of them actually give a damn."
>[ ] "Let's go over sigils, I could make one to shut you up whenever I feel like it."
>[ ] "Teleport yourself somewhere painful and back so you can teach me how."
>[ ] "Portal me back to Hunts Point, it's getting late."
>[ ] "Back to imbuing things with magic, please."
>[ ] "Getting late but I want to keep going."
>[ ] "I left you a sandwich, by the way."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3289494
>let’s try out sigils
Let’s do this then go back to imbument

>>3289494
>>[X] "Getting late but I want to keep going."
>>[X] "I left you a sandwich, by the way."

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>let’s try out sigils

>>[X] "Getting late but I want to keep going."
>>[X] "I left you a sandwich, by the way."

>[X] "Let's go over sigils, I could make one to shut you up whenever I feel like it."

Enchanting things and making spells cast longer is all well and dandy but sigils might prove more useful. You never know when you can use a magical alarm to warn you when and if certain people are nearby. It's probably going to be most useful as a way to know if your inner circle is around or alive. Might have some combat applications but you don't know those just yet.

"Let's go over sigils, I could make one to shut you up whenever I feel like it."

Doctor Strange scoffs.

"I would immediately erase it."

You smile.

"Then I'd make it so you couldn't."

He shoots you a look.

"I am the Sorcerer Supreme; whatever sigil you can cast, I can dismantle."

A laugh escapes your lips.

"We'll see when I've mastered this magic."

You catch another book before it can fly into your face, open it, and start your reading.

Once again, another three hours of reading over magic theory, energy tethering, singularities, spells of which coincide with sigals, space time, and fooling reality pass by.

Sighing, you drop the book on the ground.

"The only new thing in this book is just tethering spells to certain factors and what I can actually use with Sigils. Rest is just going over what's in the other books."

Strange raises his pointer finger once again.

"But in a different context."

You stare at him in annoyance filled silence.

It should be around midnight by now. Everyone's either asleep or waiting on you for some reason.

>[ ] "Show me how to draw powers from the gods, I want to see if any of them actually give a damn."
>[ ] "Teleport yourself somewhere painful and back so you can teach me how."
>[ ] "Portal me back to Hunts Point, it's already tomorrow."
>[ ] "Sustaining spells is more vital, let's switch."
>[ ] "Back to imbuing things with magic, please."
>[ ] "I left you a sandwich, by the way."
>[ ] Keep going, you need more power.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3290525
>[ ] "Portal me back to Hunts Point, it's already tomorrow."
>[ ] "I left you a sandwich, by the way. Consider it a midnight snack now."

forgive the wait, I was playing kotor 2 and trying to get my lightsaber back from atris before realizing I couldn't

kreia a cunt as is atris

Also, I have no idea what I'm doing building my character.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Portal me back to Hunts Point, it's already tomorrow."
>[X] "I left you a sandwich, by the way. Consider it a midnight snack now."

You've done over eighteen hours of magic studying today or rather yesterday. That's far more than enough. It's not like you mastered anything like you did when it came to the basics. Best to just head on home and give it a rest for once.

"Portal me back to Hunts Point, it's already tomorrow."

The Sorcerer blinks and looks outside one of the magic building's windows.

"...Huh, time sure does fly when you're having fun."

Furrowing your brow, you shoot the man a look.

"Watching me study is fun for you?"

Strange smiles and nods.

"Yes, it is. My master himself once said the same to me as I did what you have. I completely understand why now and you too might one day."

A groan escapes your lips as you stand yourself up.

"I left you a sandwich, by the way. Consider it a midnight snack now."

The doctor glances at the wrap before focusing back on you.

"While I appreciate the gesture, I'm incapable of drawing sustenance from normal foods due to my own magic ability. In time, you quite possibly may become the same."

You blink.

"Does magic have any other effects on a person physiologically or biologically?"

Strange raises a hand to his chin.

"None that I know of and none that you should worry about. Though, if you lose your taste for normal foods, feel free to come here and ask for or take what you need."

You let out a sigh.

"Don't forget to tell me those kinds of things in the future and just port me already."

With a motion of the man's arms, a magic singularity opens up beneath you.

"As you wish." He says as you fall through.

You take a moment to collect where you are in Hunts Point before turning to the warehouse's direction.

It would be wise to go home but you haven't had dinner yet and don't know whether or not Zebra Daddy did his job.

>[ ] Make your way back to the warehouse, go inside, and hop to the second floor, you need the rest and could talk to whoever's up.
>[ ] Rooftop hop your way back to the warehouse rooftop, it's always nice resting while you watch the sky.
>[ ] Turn to Harlem's direction and make your way to Sylvia's, it's always fun to wast Cage's cash.
>[ ] Hop to Zebra Daddy's, everything has to be under your control.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3291731
>>[X] Make your way back to the warehouse, go inside, and hop to the second floor, you need the rest and could talk to whoever's up.

>>3291731
>[X] Make your way back to the warehouse, go inside, and hop to the second floor, you need the rest and could talk to whoever's up.

Getting late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

Forgive the delays in updates, my friends. Been far too distracted as of late.

>>3291744
Ditto

>>3291811
No problem dude, you're doing good.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Make your way back to the warehouse, go inside, and hop to the second floor, you need the rest and could talk to whoever's up.

Too late to go out for dinner at this time. Most restaurants are closed by this time anyway so Sylvia's is likely to be as well. If Zebra Daddy didn't fall through for you, he'll suffer, die, and/or both.

With a hop, you take off into the nightscape.

You land on the roof of the warehouse in seconds and jump down in front of the entrance gate.

A tune hums in your throat as you input the keycode into the electronic keypad before pressing down on the green open gate button.

The sheet of steel groans and creaks while it churns open to reveal an unpopulated warehouse interior.

You walk inside, shut the gate with the control panel on the other side of the keypad inside the warehouse, make your way to the ladders, and jump up to the second floor.

For once in a long time, the second floor's sea of futons and bed mats is almost completely filled with dozing gangbangers.

Only Marcus, Itsuki, and Alex are awake on their own sides of the floor.

Your second-in-command shoots you a somewhat annoyed look as Itsuki acknowledges your presence from his wall-leaning position with a nod while Alex simply stares.

Knowing them, this is their typical behavior with the exception of Alex's.

A questioning hum rumbles in your throat.

Something either happened on her assignment with Itsuki or she's being this way because of what happened the other night.

>[ ] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend and he is annoyed with you.
>[ ] Get over to Alex's spot, she might have something interesting to say.
>[ ] Slip past the sleepies to Itsuki, he's always good for an update.
>[ ] Find your own little spot and lay down, you need the rest.
>[ ] Pick out a spot and take a nap, no wet dreams as of late.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3293886
>[ ] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend and he is annoyed with you.
he can't say we were doing nothing - magic is magic, maaaaaaaan

>>3293886
>Get over to Alex's spot, she might have something interesting to say.
>Slip past the sleepies to Itsuki, he's always good for an update.
>Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend and he is annoyed with you.
Afungi, will we ever see a certain old weeb who hates Hulks?

>>3293886
>>[X] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend and he is annoyed with you.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>[ ] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend and he is annoyed with you.

>[ ] everything

>>3294130
>>3294120
Ah, ignore that roll.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Make your way to Marcus, he is your best friend and he is annoyed with you.

>(1/2)

As always, bros before hoes and stern but soft middle-aged Japanese men. You especially owe him an explanation above everyone else for leaving him on the roof that one time. He's probably still sore about that and expecting you to be more responsible in your role as the gang leader. Fact that you're now the crime king probably doesn't help.

You focus on Marcus and make your way to him.

The young black man's blue eyes are fixed on you from your position in front of the ladder openings to his sitting front.

"Where the hell were you this time?" He whispers.

Squatting down, you raise a hand to the back of your head.

"Learning some more magic."

He lets out a small groan.

"Don't you think you should do that after we've settled all our business and got the gang up and running like a syndicate? You can't just keep disappearing on us when things are like this."

You frown and nod.

"I know but this might be the only time I have to learn this crazy shit. Besides, you can do fine without me and we're already near the finish line. All we need to do now that the pimps are handled is settle Itsuki in Queens, get settled in Manhattan, and Staten Island while Ren takes things over from here in the Bronx. I'll reveal myself after the first press conference Silvio holds and both you and Ren will have to take care of things until my name is cleared from Tuesday morning's bullshit. Just keep your head low and let the others do your dirty work: you're no good to me as a COO if you're a known criminal."

>(2/2)

Marcus sighs.

"...Alright, just lay down what you want done for the rest of the day and if you'll come back before you leave so we're not just standing around waiting for you. Randomly disappearing is bad for morale, too. Be careful with this magic and spiritual bullshit; I don't need you going from Kojo to somehow even more Kojo magical Kojo. "

Suppressing the urge to smile, you shoot the man a serious look.

"Marcus, I'm already Kojo." You grin. "I don't know how I can be anymore Kojo."

He shoots you a look of his own back and laughs to himself.

"What the fuck are you even talking about?"

You shrug.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."

Muffling one last laugh, Marcus leans back on the warehouse wall.

"...I feel a lot better when you're around."

Your eyes widen briefly before you narrow them and nod in understanding, a warm feeling brushing over your body.

"...Yeah, I feel the same way about you but I can't stop what I'm doing now: I need to get what I need and see it through."

Marcus slowly nods back in silence, save for a brief sigh.

The both of you are here of your own design and will have to live with your choices.

>[ ] "...Marcus, do you remember when you dragged me out of the river? I never asked you why or what happened. All I can remember is the pain I felt when I came back and everything inside me shattered."
>[ ] "Sooo, what happened with Cuda? Did you have to pull and hold his giant ass back?"
>[ ] "What's Alex's deal? She's just sitting over there...staring."
>[ ] "By any chance, would you be interested in learning magic?"
>[ ] "Did everyone handle things without any complications?"
>[ ] Write In.

>>3294438
>[ ] "...Marcus, do you remember when you dragged me out of the river? I never asked you why or what happened. All I can remember is the pain I felt when I came back and everything inside me shattered."
>[ ] Contemplate the void you witnessed when you dove back in there. You know your second death in the water is what split Old Kojo from you, and caused you to become the horned mutant you are now. You remember Old Kojo remains a lingering entity in your own mind's dreamscape. Maybe Marcus remembers something you do not, something that might help you?

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "...Marcus, do you remember when you dragged me out of the river? I never asked you why or what happened. All I can remember is the pain I felt when I came back and everything inside me shattered."

He is the only human being in existence who was there that day and the only one who knows you. The young boy he once was watched as you transitioned from a broken shell into an actual being. If there's any insight you can get from anyone about that one instant in time, it's from him.

You breathe in and sigh.

"...Marcus, do you remember when you dragged me out of the river? I never asked you why or what happened. All I can remember is the pain I felt when I came back and everything inside me shattered."

The man stiffens as concern flashes in his eyes.

"Kojo, why are you asking me this now?"

Blinking, you shrug.

"I've been working through a lot of shit lately; figured I'd keep at it...For some reason, I've been shutting down whenever I think about the time I spent under."

Marcus scoffs.

"Of course you are, you fucking died. People just don't die and walk away from it like nothing happened. It's like Dan said: you either stop worrying about death, go crazy for a while, stay crazy, see God, or start having hallucinations for the rest of your life. In your case, you just started to act like a person. Maybe you saw some mystical shit that you're not high enough on the food chain to comprehend or maybe dying was a kind of pain you didn't know how to take."

You stare blankly at your best friend.

That bit about the food chain is interesting and he is somewhat right on the pain part but telling him would only make him worry.

"Marcus, what do you remember?"

He sits in silence for a moment.

"...I remember how cold the water was...I remember how stiff and cold you were when I hauled your ass on to the river bank...I remember how you didn't so much as twitch for several minutes despite how hard I tried to resuscitate you like how Dan told us to if either of us choked or drowned...I remember your eyes showing actual emotion for once when they finally opened up...And I remember the crunch your body gave out when you started moving again and the first time I ever heard you scream." A bitter laugh escapes his lips as tears well in his eyes. "...You sounded like a crying demon baby."

An ever so familiar pressure pushes down on your insides.

You don't deserve to have anyone care for you or value you anywhere near this much.

>[ ] "...The old me is still alive, you know. Nothing matters anymore to him, though. I don't know why, but he can't just let go."
>[ ] "Sooo, what happened with Cuda? Did you have to pull and hold his giant ass back?"
>[ ] "What's Alex's deal? She's just sitting over there...staring."
>[ ] "By any chance, would you be interested in learning magic?"
>[ ] "Did everyone handle things without any complications?"
>[ ] "...Some things are best left forgotten, huh?"
>[ ] Hug him, you don't deserve it but he does.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3295227
>The old me is still alive, you know. Nothing matters anymore to him, though. I don't know why, but he can't just let go."
>[ ] "Sooo, what happened with Cuda? Did you have to pull and hold his giant ass back?"
>[ ] "What's Alex's deal? She's just sitting over there...staring."
>make sure nobody’s looking, then hug him

>>3295227
this >>3295399
Bros > hoes, no matter what

>>3295227
>People just don't die and walk away from it like nothing happened.
Yeah they do - we survived getting brain blasted when we moved during soul extension, didn't we?

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "The old me is still alive, you know. Nothing matters anymore to him, though. I don't know why, but he can't just let go."
>[X] "Sooo, what happened with Cuda? Did you have to pull and hold his giant ass back?"
>[X] "What's Alex's deal? She's just sitting over there...staring."
>[X] Make sure nobody’s looking, then hug him.

>(1/2)

Outright comforting the man while the crazy bitch is staring at you will no doubt lead her to using it against you some time in the future. Worst case scenario, she tells Ren/Run and the bitch personality never relents. Affection is weakness if made aware to one's enemies. For now, you owe the man the truh and some small talk.

Curving your lips into a frown, you look down at th warehouse floor.

"The old me is still alive, you know. Nothing matters anymore to him, though. I don't know why, but he can't just let go."

You look back up at Marcus' now surprised face.

"Sooo, what happened with Cuda? Did you have to pull and hold his giant ass back?"

He blinks before shooting you an 'Are You Fucking Kidding Me' look.

"Motherfucker, don't lead with some crazy shit like that and ask me about my day with that crazy ass negro without explaining what you fucking mean." He whispers, irritation oozing off of his every word.

You hold up your arms.

"Okay, okay. Calm down; people are still asleep." Lowering your arms, you cross them over your chest. "Here's the sitch, I've been having weird dreams and hearing a warped voice in my head. That voice turned out to be the old me from when or right before I died. Thing is, when I was dying, I wondered what the point of everything was and came to the conclusion that nothing mattered just before everything went dark."

>(2/2)

The black man stares at you blankly for a moment.

"...So, like, Ren's thing?"

You tilt your head from side to side.

"Kind of."

A sigh escapes your best friend's lips.

"It's never fucking simple with you, is it? Give me some time to process this and I'll get back to you later."

Nodding, you let out a small hum of understanding.

"That's fair: I can't have the only somewhat normal person in the inner circle go insane from insanity overload. So, how did it actually go with Cuda?"

Marcus leans back on the hard wall.

"Fine, despite his attitude, he's surprisingly good at following orders and holding back. Shit talks too much for my tastes, though."

A pleased hum rumbles in your throat.

You thought Cuda wouldn't take the new quiet gang life well but he's doing a good job of reigning it in.

Turning to look at the black giant, Alex's hollow blue eyes bore into your red on black as they come into view.

Pausing, you turn back to your second-in-command.

"What's Alex's deal?" You glance at the corner of your eye, spotting a bit of the blond minx. "She's just sitting over there...staring."

Marcus breathes in through his teeth.

"...Yeah, she's been like that since she came back with Itsuki. Saw a lot of people from her past who had a lot of stuff to say and remind her of from what the man told me. It got her thinking and she asked Itsuki a lot of questions about random things in life and about people. While it's good she's not her usual crazy ass white bitch self, she's just downright fucking creepy like this. I'd try to sort her out if I was sure of what she's going to do and how she'd take it."

You focus back on your partner in crime and furrow your brow.

It would be best to talk with her before you call it a night.

Spying again on the blond from the corner of your eye, you watch her moments closely.

Eventually, her eye lids make the tell tale movements of initiating closing.

You put a hand on Marcus' shoulder as Alex's eyes shut and pull him in for a quick hug before gently pushing back up against the wall.

The man shoots you another look as you smile warmly at him.

It was the only way.

>[ ] "By any chance, would you be interested in learning magic?"
>[ ] "Did everyone handle things without any complications?"
>[ ] "Gonna go over what's up with her with Itsuki, later."
>[ ] "I'm going to go have a talk with her, sleep tight."
>[ ] Stand up and walk over to Alex, you must stop whatever this is here before it gets worse.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3295903
>[ ] "Did everyone handle things without any complications?"
>[ ] "By any chance, would you be interested in learning magic?"

>>3295903
>>[X] "Gonna go over what's up with her with Itsuki, later."

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time before class.

How are you guys? Whatcha thinking?

>>3296115
Doing ok. That I should be sleeping.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "Did everyone handle things without any complications?"
>[X] "By any chance, would you be interested in learning magic?"
>[X] "Gonna go over what's up with Alex with Itsuki, later."

The Alex situation needs a little more reconnaissance before you go over to resolve it. Before you do that, you've got two more questions on your mind. You need to know if things went swimmingly and if your best friend wants to go through the same academic hell you've had to go through as of late.

"Did everyone handle things without any complications?"

Marcus nods.

"Besides Alex's crazy ass, yeah. We all showed up with too much men for the pimps to handle. They caved in and swore there loyalty before things had to get bloody."

A small hum vibrates in your throat.

"By any chance, would you be interested in learning magic?"

The young black man blinks and shrugs.

"Maybe when you have the time to spend: you're already spending a lot of it learning magic on your own."

You nod in understanding.

It's going to be hard teaching someone else magic while you're already being taught the mystical arts. Sometime after you master the advanced stuff may be good. After you've surpassed Strange would be ideal but that's a long way off judging by your current learning rate.

"Gonna go over what's up with Alex with Itsuki, later."

Giving a small wave goodbye, you stand yourself up, turn to the Japanese man's direction, and make your way through the sea of unconscious bodies to him.

The man bows his head in greeting.

"Reyes-sama."

You squat down and give him small wave.

"Itsuki."

Forever the formal one.

>[ ] "Want to come with me to talk to the crazy girl?"
>[ ] "Just what type of questions was Alex asking exactly?"
>[ ] "Do you know what's going on with Alex?"
>[ ] "How did your end of things go?"
>[ ] Write In.

>>3297289
>[ ] "How did your end of things go?"
hear it from him first, reconfirm
>[ ] "Just what type of questions was Alex asking exactly?"
get context
>[ ] "Want to come with me to talk to the crazy girl?"
give him the chance to help

>>3297346
Ditto

Back from class.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "How did your end of things go?"
>[X] "Just what type of questions was Alex asking exactly?"
>[X] "Want to come with me to talk to the crazy girl?"

It'd be good to hear about the situation from his side of things. He can go into depth about what was up with Alex while Marcus can only gloss over it. Better yet, he might be able to help you out with her.

"How did your end of things go?"

The man does not skip a beat.

"Flawlessly. Alex-san and I were met with little to no resistance. Some protested at first but saw the light when they realized they had no way of resisting us. However, many recognized Alex-san as a former prostitute of one 'Vanilla' person. Their comments left her...confused. She asked me many questions after."

You let out a hum.

"Just what type of questions was Alex asking exactly?"

Itsuki remains still.

"One's nature, the past, change, and the future."

Blinking, you squat in silence.

She's going through some kind of identity crisis of sorts. Not that surprising considering her recent behavior. It was only a matter of time until she couldn't keep the facade up anymore.

"Want to come with me to talk to the crazy girl?"

Itsuki nods.

"Yes, Reyes-sama. I did not stop any one of those pimps from saying what they said to her, thus I am partly responsible for the state she is in."

Standing yourself up, you turn to the blond girl.

Alex's stare remains as still and fierce as it was when she first laid eyes on you after you jumped up.

You let out a sigh and make your way to the sitting minx with Itsuki trailing behind you.

The catty girl's expression doesn't change the slightest as you squat down before her.

"Kojo." She looks up at the man standing behind you. "Itsuki."

A frown makes its way on to your face.

She never calls you by your name.

>[ ] "In this world, is there anything you really enjoy? Is sex really the only thing?"
>[ ] "You know how I feel about anyone but Marcus calling me by my real name."
>[ ] "Alex, who are you really?"
>[ ] "What's wrong?"
>[ ] Sit down beside her, it makes this easier and less standoffish.
>[ ] Write In.

Got distracted again. Sorry about that.

>>3297978
No worries m8

>>3297974
>[ ] Sit down beside her, it makes this easier and less standoffish.
>[ ] Establish and maintain eye contact. The eyes are still windows to the soul, superhuman mutant or not. "Alex, who are you really?"

>>3297974
>[ ] "What's wrong?"
>[ ] Sit down beside her, it makes this easier and less standoffish

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Sit down beside her, it makes this easier and less standoffish.
>[X] "Alex, who are you really?"
>[X] "What's wrong?"

You can't approach this with a stiff hand; standing by her side as an equal will make her feel more comfortable. Prying around the issue before directly confronting it will help. She'll ease into things and say what she needs to say.

Letting out a sigh, you stand back up and move over to her side before sitting down properly.

"Alex," you turn to stare directly into her blue eyes, seeing your own red on black in their dullness, "who are you really?"

The minx blinks.

"...I...I don't know. I used to be a good girl: I did my homework, ate my veggies, obeyed every order that came out of mommy and daddy's mouth, stayed away from the gangster boys, and went to ballet practice." A nostalgic warmth glows in her eyes. "I used to be the best little ballerina and got teased for it by all the other jealous girls." She sighs wistfully. "Then one day I decided to walk home in my ballerina outfit and a man who'd end up changing my life noticed me. He grabbed me, pulled me into an alley so no one would hear us, pushed down my panties, and fucked me right then and there. It was painful at first but I was doing my best to straddle him half-way through. As a reward, he gave me my first sniff of coke and I was his from then on before...well, you know the rest."

Your eyes widen briefly before narrowing back down.

She is the exact opposite of the kind of person she used to be.

"What's wrong? Why are you just telling me this now?"

Alex looks down.

"...I don't know. My head is just a mess right now. Can you just...hold on to me for a while?" She stares back into your eyes with her watery blue ones. "Not touch me or pin me down like you did back then, just hold me in you arms?"

You blink.

This is not at all how you expected this to go down.

>[ ] "...Seriously, just what the fuck is going on with you?"
>[ ] "...Would you be okay with a hug from Itsuki?"
>[ ] "...Are you fucking with me right now?"
>[ ] "...I don't understand."
>[ ] Hold her in your arms, it's probably help and she doesn't seem to be plotting anything...yet.
>[ ] Shift your self away from the crazy bitch, she's definitely plotting something.
>[ ] Write In.

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

Thoughts, anyone?

>>3298410
>>[X] "...Would you be okay with a hug from Itsuki?"
>>3298416
Wew. This is messed up.

>>3298410
backing >>3298425

>>3298416
Literally everyone we know is fucking broken and messed up. I guess this sort of insanity is somewhat more realistic now given the backstory, but DAMN

>>3298410
>get up, tell her to follow us
>walk out of view of everyone
>give her a hug
Fucking hell, everybody wants a damn hug

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "...Would you be okay with a hug from Itsuki?"

She might be plotting something or she might not be. You can't give her chance to enact whatever plot she has in mind but at the same time you can't just leave her hanging. As far as you know, Itsuki is a chaste adult man with big arms who can definitely give her a big platonic hug.

"...Would you be okay with a hug from Itsuki?"

Alex glances at the standing Japanese man before staring back into your eyes.

"Not really...Why are you trying to pass me off on him like a cheap whore?"

You blink.

"That's not what I'm trying to do: I just don't know how to handle this."

Her lips curve downward into a frown.

"Is it really that hard for you to hold me? You tell me I'm yours and only yours and you don't even fuck me much less hold my hand. Do I really mean nothing to you?

Once again, you blink.

You are incredibly fucking lost on what is going on with her right now but you should probably give her what she wants.

>[ ] "...I don't really know what to think of you. Every time I think I've got you figured out, you pull the rug out from under my feet and I'm left wondering what the fuck is really going on."
>[ ] "...Seriously, just what the fuck is going on with you?"
>[ ] "...Showing platonic affection is not my forte."
>[ ] "...Are you fucking with me right now?"
>[ ] "...I don't understand."
>[ ] Hold her in your arms, it's probably help and she doesn't seem to be plotting anything...yet.
>[ ] Shift your self away from the crazy bitch, she's definitely plotting something.
>[ ] Write In.

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>>3299389
>[ ] "...I don't really know what to think of you. Every time I think I've got you figured out, you pull the rug out from under my feet and I'm left wondering what the fuck is really going on."
>[ ] "...I don't understand, but okay."
>[ ] Hold her in your arms, it's probably help and she doesn't seem to be plotting anything...yet.
Kojo right now

>>3299389
>>[X] "...Showing platonic affection is not my forte."
>>[X] Hold her in your arms, it's probably help and she doesn't seem to be plotting anything...yet.

Going to go to class soon. Will close voting and update when I get back.

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>>3299408
Ditto


>Kojo’s face rn

I'm back.

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] "...I don't really know what to think of you. Every time I think I've got you figured out, you pull the rug out from under my feet and I'm left wondering what the fuck is really going on."
>[X] "...I don't understand, but okay."
>[X] Hold her in your arms, it's probably help and she doesn't seem to be plotting anything...yet.

Being honest and giving in to the crazy girl's demands will probably help you figure her out. She can't be mad that you think she's a crazy bitch: she knows she is. It's all about delivery, however.

A sigh escapes your lips.

"...I don't really know what to think of you. Every time I think I've got you figured out, you pull the rug out from under my feet and I'm left wondering what the fuck is really going on."

The blond girl looks back down.

"Way too much some times and far too little other times. I don't know why but this is probably the most normal I've been in years." She focuses her eyes back on yours. "So, please, just hold me for a while. I...I don't want to be alone."

You stare into Alex's glowing blue eyes.

For once, she looks as broken as she really is on the inside.

"...I don't understand, but okay." You begin to coil your arms around the girl's body.

Alex buries her face into your shoulder and sobs.

"Thank you, Kojo: you were the only one who ever gave me a choice in my life and I don't regret it one bit."

You glance down at the blond's golden head of hair as a slight pressure wells in your chest.

What you gave her would have hardly qualified as a choice and more as a threatening ultimatum.

The two of you embrace one another in silence for a few minutes.

A wistful sigh escapes Alex's lips, breaking the calm quiet.

"...Can you lay down with me for the night? Just until I fall asleep? It's fine if you want to go now, though: you've already done enough for me."

You let out a hum.

It'd be troublesome waking up in the morning but it would insure no one except you would be in the position to take advantage of her.

>[ ] "Let's sleep out under the stars, it's more private."
>[ ] "Itsuki, why are you still standing there?"
>[ ] "I'll stay with you for the entire night."
>[ ] "Alright, I can spare you the time."
>[ ] "Okay, later."
>[ ] Write In.

>>3300505
>[ ] "I'll stay with you for the entire night. I owe you that much."
>[ ] "Itsuki, why are you still standing there? Are you going to sleep standing up?"

Voting closed; writing now.

>>3300705
Ditto but we should sleep under the stars

>[X] "I'll stay with you for the entire night. I owe you that much."
>[X] "Itsuki, why are you still standing there? Are you going to sleep standing up?"

>(1/2)

Holding her in your arms all night isn't such a bad thing. Maybe she'll wake up tomorrow a whole new less irritating person. Whatever the outcome, she'll likely be more honest and less deceiving.

"I'll stay with you for the entire night. I owe you that much."

Alex snuggles against your shoulder.

"Thank you, Kojo."

Letting out a sigh of your own, you look up to the Japanese man silently staring at the both of you behind his pair of shades.

You've got to give it to the man: he's dedicated.

"Itsuki, why are you still standing there? Are you going to sleep standing up?"

He continues to stand in silence.

"While I have done so before, Reyes-sama, it is not comfortable in any sense of the word. I am still standing because you brought me along to comfort Alex-san, though it seems my assistance was not needed. Do I have permission to rest, Reyes-sama?"

You shoot the man a disbelieving look.

"...Uh-huh, don't try to wait up on me in the future too. We're likely going to be too far apart to do any of the sort in person, anyway."

Itsuki nods, bows, and navigates his way to a clear spot before sitting down and immediately dropping unconscious.

>(2/2)

Alex cranes her head to glance at the former Yakuza man with her own eyes.

"He's weird."

You hum in agreement.

"That applies to all of us. Pretty sure if anyone from the outside who didn't know a single one of us beforehand would think we're escaped asylum inmates and freaks after a talk or two: just look what happened with Felon, and that bitch was a soul projecting mutant. Most people are too sheltered from the truth of how 'twisted' people can really be."

Alex turns her back and snuggles against your shoulder again.

"It made me feel a lot better when I realized I wasn't the only one after I joined your crew. You, Ren, Jesus, and Marcus turned out to be a lot less perfect than I thought you guys were when I first met all of you. Everyone else, too: we're all broken people with some of us in the process of breaking. Marcus might hide it and act like the only sane man, but he couldn't possibly live without you or a normal life." She giggles and pulls back her head to gaze into your curious eyes. "It's beautiful, sad, and adorable how much he hates it when you leave him alone. If there's anything that's pure in this world, it's his love for you."

Your eyes widen as you turn them in Marcus' direction.

The man sits against the wall, arms crossed, shooting you a curious and knowing look.

Groaning, you roll your eyes and look away before letting out a sigh.

He cares about you in the way one would their closest friend; nothing more.

>[ ] "Oh come on, Marcus is Marcus. Sure, he might have been a nervous tyke once but the man's as solid as diamond. There's not a nut that can crack him into one. Me and old soldier man Dan made sure of that."
>[ ] "Don't mistake his loyalty for love. I've saved his life more times than either of us could count to at the time."
>[ ] "...Just how exactly would you and do you know that?"
>[ ] "Marcus isn't gay. Trust me, I would know."
>[ ] "...Love isn't real."
>[ ] Flip Marcus the finger, see how much he loves that.
>[ ] Pull Alex closer, really fucking rub it in.
>[ ] Write In.

>>3301194
>"Oh come on, Marcus is Marcus. Sure, he might have been a nervous tyke once but the man's as solid as diamond. There's not a nut that can crack him into one. Me and old soldier man Dan made sure of that."
>>[ ] "Don't mistake his loyalty for love. I've saved his life more times than either of us could count to at the time."
>>[ ] "...Just how exactly would you and do you know that?"
>>[ ] "Marcus isn't gay. Trust me, I would know."
>then pull her a little closer

>>3301197
this >>3301312
Marcus is the only bro we have in this world, miss me with that gay shit

Late. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8) before class. Tomorrow is night class day so expect a lower amount of updates than the current usual.

Share me your thoughts dear readers.

>>3301427
Are we about to have our new crime empire fall after a civil war based on who wants to be our waifu?

Voting closed; writing now.

>>3301515
Ren's the only one in a reasonable postion to do so but she doesn't love Kojo so much as admire him.

>[X] A lot of things.

Love isn't real and you don't deserve his if it even is. You've lived with him for a long time and saved his life more than once: it's only natural he'd care for you. Besides that, Marcus was molded from a boy to a man by you and Dan; there's not a thing that could break him in this world.

You focus on the blond's soft face.

"Oh come on, Marcus is Marcus. Sure, he might have been a nervous tyke once but the man's as solid as diamond. There's not a nut that can crack him into one. Me and old soldier man Dan made sure of that."

Alex tilts her head.

"Just what exactly did you and this Dan dude do to him?"

You spare another glance in Marcus' direction.

"Life did most of the work. We just showed him and taught him how to and should handle himself. By the end of the first year, he was acting a lot like the Marcus we know today.

The minx coos.

"I wonder if he loved you then just as much as he does now."

Groaning, you turn back to the snuggly buddy in your arms.

"Don't mistake his loyalty for love. I've saved his life more times than either of us could count to at the time."

Alex blinks her big blue eyes.

"But he does love you."

You let out a sigh.

She just won't let up.

"...Just how exactly would you and do you know that?"

The blond giggles.

"It's all in the way he reacts to figuring out you've left us on our own again, looks at you, talks with you, and talks about you when you're gone. He doesn't feel like he doesn't know who you are anymore. At the same time, he gets so mad like a jealous girlfriend when you go out on your own. I swear sometimes I think he's got a bone for you."

A scoff escapes your lips.

"Marcus isn't gay. Trust me, I would know."

Glancing back at Marcus, you pull Alex closer to you.

The young black man's stare does not change at all.

You hum.

He's definitely still straight.

Alex looks up at you from her new position clutched close to your chest.

"How would you know that?"

Looking down at the girl, you stare deep into her eyes.

"Trust me."

She blinks and says nothing, leaving the two of you in held silence.

Normally, you'd be somewhat aroused by this situation but all this talk of Marcus having a boner for you is a major turn-off. Might be best to get some sleep before she asks questions or just lay down and pretend to sleep.

>[ ] "Do you care if I tell Marcus why I'm holding you in my arms and what's up with you?"
>[ ] Hold on to Alex until she falls asleep and go out, you've got a starry sky to gaze up at.
>[ ] Stare up at the ceiling all night, not the stars but it'll do.
>[ ] Doze off, won't hurt anyone but you.
>[ ] Write In.

Going to go to class soon.

Will close voting and update when I get back.

>>3302357
>[ ] Hold on to Alex until she falls asleep and go tell Marcus what's up with her.
bro's gotta know, then
>[ ] Take Alex to the roof (with a blanket for her) and sleep up there.
We're just doing this for her benefit (or so Kojo thinks).

>>3302392
Ditto, we probably shouldn’t leave her or she’ll be pissed

Voting closed; writing now.

>[X] Hold on to Alex until she falls asleep and go tell Marcus what's up with her.
>[X] Take Alex to the roof (with a blanket for her) and sleep up there.

Abandoning her and leaving her here will likely ensure she'll be pissed when she wakes up. Breaking promises tends to do that to people. You know you'd react the same way if a handsome bastard like yourself said he'd hold you all night long and woke up to find him sitting on the rooftop watching the skies like the shithead he is.

You sit with Alex in your arms for half an hour until you feel her go limp.

Sighing, you gently lay the girl down on the floor of futons before getting up and making your way to Marcus.

The young black man raises an eyebrow at you as you squat down in front of him once again.

"So, what's going on with Alex?"

You spare the minx a glance before turning back to your best friend.

"Her past is haunting her: that's all I can say."

Marcus shrugs.

"Alright, I can put two and two together. So long as she doesn't freak out and kill someone it's all good."

Nodding, you rise and make your way back to Alex.

The girl mumbles to herself as you pick her up with an arm.

Grabbing a nearby blanket, you open one of the warehouse windows and hop out of it.

You hop again to the roof of the warehouse and wrap Alex in the blanket before setting her down, plopping yourself by her side.

Another sigh escapes your lips as you look up at the open starry sky.

It's always out of reach.

Closing all three of your eyes, you relax your mind and your body before everything fades away.

You open your eyes again to the early red morning sky.

Blinking, you raise your upper body from the granite roof.

That was the first dreamless sleep you've had in a long time, which would be comforting if you weren't in your current mental situation.

>[ ] Flip out your burner and call Strange, might be good to check-in before you hop over.
>[ ] Kip-up and hop to the Vegas', breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
>[ ] Take Alex back inside, you're not going to repeat what happened with Marcus.
>[ ] Jump up and make your way to Strange's, you've got more magic to learn.
>[ ] Get up and take off to Zebra Daddy's, you still haven't gotten word.
>[ ] Shake awake Alex, she'd be mad if you didn't explain yourself.
>[ ] Hey, did you talk with...the old me?
>[ ] Write In.

Going to go to class soon. Will close voting and update tomorrow morning my time (UTC-8)

freaking night class

>>3303117
>[ ] Hey, did you talk with...the old me?
What did Bold Red do this time, letting us have a nice calm sleep for once?
>[ ] Flip out your burner and call Strange, might be good to check-in before you hop over.
Better to not bother the Grand Wizard with actual sorcery by rudely barging into his house for early dawn meme magic lessons.
>[ ] Shake awake Alex, she'd be mad if you didn't explain yourself.
Wake up Alex, it's already morning.
>[ ] Take Alex back inside, you're not going to repeat what happened with Marcus.
We fucked up once, not this time.

>>3303142
Ditto