[Touma Iki]

S omeone needed to die. Of this, Touma was thoroughly convinced: Someone had to go, and it was only really a question of who. Would it be the unlucky delivery man who - for the fifth time this week - received no answer at the door when he arrived with Touma's food? Would it be the landlady who still insisted that he was somehow behind on rent? Or would it be someone harmless, someone he would never see or hear from again? Maybe he could get lucky. Maybe a hero would land outside his window, all valiant and practically begging to be offed in the middle of their oh-so-grand speech. The thing with heroes was, though, that you had to be careful with. Treat them with care, or they may come smashing through your wall and insisting that you're some kind of villain. Touma had learned that care was not necessary for the average person. He did not have to treat them gently. That kindness had never been offered, and he - stubborn as he was - would not be the one to hold the branch out first. The delightful reality was that people were everywhere. They were walking around, doing whatever they wanted, talking to whoever interested them. For the past two hours, in fact, Touma had been intently listening on the soon-to-be divorced couple's argument at the cafe a block or so from his home. It was a deliciously dramatic confrontation. He wanted custody. She wanted custody. Neither of them were really fit for it. He had half a mind to take the woman first, throw hot coffee on her to feel the sting, then abandon her. That public display would probably be enough to convince any sane individual that she was a risk to kids, right? He could do that. May as well see what could happen, right? His spectral tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. With a sigh, Touma pushed himself up from where he had perched himself near their table, walking through it a moment later. Like it or not, intruding on that event would just be short-lived and boring, and he craved something more. A real joyride. Unseen, he began moving down the street. He had left his real body on a bench no more than ten or twenty feet from him prior, and as such it would be easy enough to dismiss the young man sleeping as a simple college student or worker overwhelmed and in need of a rest. He knew there was a train platform nearby, so he could theoretically wait there and see if anyone interesting passed by... He clicked his tongue again. Today's just going to be boring, huh?   ambience Taro Yamada people watching

♛

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90/100

In terms of jobs, this was one of Taro's simpler ones. All he needed to do was act as a distraction in a shop while the real perpetrators of The Crimes^TM, the trio he was working for, took as much as they wanted before they fled. They were thieves, basically. The sneaky kind who would take advantage of a commotion to nab whatever they could carry.

It was a string of heists that the digital being got to involve himself in, spanned over several days to raise the chance that no connection would be made between them. They were about a week into this venture now, and Taro had a bit of a routine going for him. He'd stay back as three friends walked into a convenience store across the street from the cafe Touma was watching. Once the signal came, Taro would then walk in, spend a bit of time pretending to look for which flavour of chips he wanted before launching a rocket-powered kick on the shelf to knock it over.

Whatever argument was going on outside would stop by then, surely drowned out by the blasts in the shop. Three people ran out, scared for their lives yet with heavier pockets than when they went in, while Taro kept rampaging around for seemingly no reason. He eventually left himself, crashing through the window for that extra bit of EXP before turning on his heel and running the opposite direction from his bosses, ignorant of the scene he caused. He couldn't associate himself with them after all, not while they were out in public.

By now the police were probably heading to the store, so Taro's goal now would be to get as far away from it as possible.

Touma Iki

[Touma Iki]

W ell, that proved the old saying true: if the deserving ask, they will receive. Mind, to be 'deserving' of something entertaining wasn't Touma's particular goal, nor was it something he considered all too often. 'Deserving' was a social construct created to inhibit others by creating a sense of debt, inferiority, and imposed superiority on top of it all. It, like everything else in life, served only to chain him down - or, worse: bore him to death. Suppose it was fate, then, that something entertaining really did happen. Some idiot went barreling through a window and started booking it, and after what sounded like a whole mess of chaos inside the store too! Oh, Touma's mind was racing. A robbery? Better yet, was someone dead inside? Better still, was that guy... Oohh, he must have been a good runner. Athletic. Well-built. Weird horns. In so many words, the sprinter was an experience. Running as a ghost was never going to be a fantastic feeling. Phantom feet struck the pavement in hot pursuit of the runner, one hand constantly outstretched to try and reach the slightest point of entry. Damn it, this guy was fast. I want to run that fast. Touma thought to himself. I should be able to run that fast. Give me your body. Let me run. He could practically feel the burn in his lungs already. Yet, there was a catch already in place: If the idiot ran too far, then Touma wouldn't be able to pursue him past a point. So, urgency begged him onwards, faster and faster. Without something slowing the guy down, though... Eugh, it was a fifty-fifty on if Touma could close the distance between them. Come on, God, Touma prayed, You've practically handed him to me on a silver platter... Now finish the deal, you bastard! ambience Taro Yamada CHASING GLITCH MAN

♛

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90/100

Without this thing humans had called lungs, nor the ability to feel muscle strain, Taro could very well run as far as he wanted. Nothing could hold him back. Well, except for that barrier that continued to block him to this day. Only the digital being was capable of being trapped in the city despite freely moving around in it. One day though. One day he'll see what's beyond the border.

But for now, there was a different kind of obstacle. Construction on the road Taro was running down. It caused him to slow his pace, for as much as he wanted to take one of those bulldozers and drive it into a building, he knew that he wouldn't reach it before someone reacted. Especially with that burglary causing alerts to his presence already.

So the entity snuck into an alley instead, slowing to a stop when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He picked it up once he recognized the number. Though the voice on the other end was angrier than he thought it'd be. "Yo P1! You gotta go easy on your attacks man! DJ broke his wrist because of you!"

Taro pouted, unsure of what he did wrong. "Wasn't that the point? If you get hurt, people won't think I'm with you guys."

He heard a hiss from somewhere far off. Must be DJ. "Hey. Hey. Don't make it sound like you wanted that to happen. When you hit the shops, none of us are your collateral. You got that?"

A shrug that his caller wouldn't see. He still didn't get it but orders were orders. "Sure."

"Cool. Sent the address for your payment, you can pick it up whenever. So for the next place..."

Touma Iki

[Touma Iki]

J ackpot.There it is. The stop that he was waiting for, that brief halt in momentum as the figure ducked down an alleyway - and a phonecall to boot? Oh, the universe was rewarding him. For some reason, it kept giving Touma reward after reward, and he was not going to complain. Hell, he wasn't even going to question it. He deserved this. The body ahead of him was an experience fate demanded that he have. Better yet, a meal to be devoured whole. He caught part of the conversation as he came to a stop near the figure, as unseen as ever. Payment? A next place? This guy must've been a career-whatever-he-did. Career robber? Maybe. Career painter? Also possible. Frankly, Touma didn't care enough to investigate any further. What mattered was that the body was stopped for now and talking. And there it was. The brush of an unseen hand against the figure's shoulder, the step of a specter into a body - and like that... the experience was his. Oh, the euphoria of a new body could not be described if his life depended on it. How nimble the fingers felt! How tall the guy was! Oh, he was a treat. Touma had half a mind to chime in, to ask that presence now in the back of his mind if he had someone waiting on him at home. Probably did, honestly. Handsome folks often did. It took every bit of willpower Touma had to not burst out laughing. Your body, He thought, is well put together! Feels a little funny, but... I don't mind it if the joyride is shorter than usual. He adjusted his grip on the phone, listening to the other end for all of a moment. He'd only caught part of it, meaning the greater context was still lost... But thankfully, there was an eternally useful way to pick the ball back up once possession had nearly dropped it. "Whoops - my bad, had a brain stutter. What were we talking about?" ambience Taro Yamada glitch man get

♛

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90/100

Taro gave a few nods as he followed the plan, even though the caller wouldn't see them. It was force of habit; people liked seeing gestures like that alongside the words. Double the agreement. Double the proof he was listening. Not to say he was lying or anything, he was in fact taking note of his boss' word.

It was during this internal note-taking that something shifted in him. And just like that, there was another voice; someone he'd never heard before. Who was talking about his body? Thinking there was someone new on the other side of the call, Taro asked who it was. Except nothing came out of his mouth.

He didn't realize he hadn't said anything until his boss questioned his silence. "Hey! P1, you still there?" Of course, this was his time to answer that, yes, he was, but when he spoke a different set of words from what he would've chosen came out.

Huh. Taro thought. I don't remember saying that.

His boss continued on, none-the-wiser to the switch Taro was trying to decipher. "Seriously? Fucking- you're lucky it's DJ who got injured and not the rest of us." A sigh. "Look, I'll just call you next week. Be ready." Then the call was dropped. Usually the digital being would put down his phone by now and be on his way, but for some reason he couldn't will himself to lower his arm. Not out of strain; he wasn't frozen or anything. It was like whatever command he gave wasn't being followed. As if his mind was detached from his body.

Weird... maybe the voice wasn't from the phone.

Hey. Weird new voice I've never heard before. Could he even talk to the new voice? He heard them clearly enough so that could mean they could hear him too. Maybe. Did you say that?

Touma Iki

[Touma Iki]

P 1? What kind of an alias was that? It had to be some kind of weird nickname, right? Like, Peter-One or something. Bah. He tapped the phone as soon as the call ended, hoping that it was still unlocked. Aaaand now the body owner was talking. Greaaat. He kept a hold of the phone, tipping and tapping away at it to see what it would do while leaning back against the alleyway wall. If it was unlocked, one could be certain that he'd work quick to go through recent messages. If it was unlocked... Well, he'd start trying to crack the password as best he could. Either way, it was a matter of seeing who this body was that concerned him in the moment. No, a disembodied third voice said it. Yes, I said it. He rolled the guy's eyes. I'd ask if you're brain-dead, but you're clearly not, so I'll assume you're just an idiot from this point on. Hi. Your body is mine for the foreseeable future. Quick, blunt, and to the point as ever. Touma squinted at the phone, then groaned and took in a deep breath... ... And it dawned on him. ... You don't need to breathe? There was a hint of panic to his voice in their now shared mind, as though he wasn't quite sure if this was intentional or not. He had never possessed someone who didn't need to breathe, but also... Maybe this was just a complication, and he was slowly suffocating the body? Crap. His mind was starting to spiral. He needed an answer. Here's the deal. You answer my questions, and I don't hurl you in front of a train. Deal? ambience Taro Yamada glitch man get

♛

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90/100

If Touma gave Taro's phone a good look - quite literally in fact, it was one of those facial recognition ones - he'd soon realize that it was a burner. Full of numbers, no names to them. Something notable would be how there weren't many numbers or messages either, as if the man didn't own the phone for long. Which was true. He had to get a new one for each death he went through.

But an address was the most recent message. The place where Taro's payment was located.

Would this newcomer know? Taro wasn't sure; he didn't know when the stranger took control of his body. Which was a strange experience by the way. He could feel the motions made, the way he tilted his phone around and rolled his eyes even though he didn't will those gestures - especially the eye-rolling. He wasn't an eye-roller.

Taro shrugged but only in his mind. Yeah, I get that a lot. Maybe people thought him an idiot, and for good reason. He ran into danger often. He asked stupid questions. He knew too little of the world he was now playing in.

He could never be punished for his stupidity though. At least, no one could figure out how given what he was. That's what made him truly dangerous.

Which made him curious instead of fearful when it came to the concept of possession. You can control bodies? That's cool. I think you'd have fun with mine then.

It was interesting too, how a mind voice could carry so much emotion in it. The newcomer was worried about something. Taro couldn't figure out what. Nah, I'm a non-breather, he thought simply. I'm not limited in things most people are.

He hummed at the "deal" the guy was offering. Well, a train is bigger than a car, and I didn't survive the car so... sure I guess. Thinking back, he had no idea how that conclusion would get him to agree to their proposal. Oh well, he can't do much else so might as well give some answers.

Touma Iki

[Touma Iki]

H e can't help but snort as the voice goes on. The fact that this is a burner phone registers, of course it does, but more than that? The guy is... surprisingly okay with this. Normally there's a lot more negotiation involved - a whole lot of begging on the sake of kids or wives or husbands or whatevers, which Touma has made a habit of ignoring - but here? The guy is fine with it. He doesn't even sound annoyed. Touma can't help but chuckle, and he finds the sound almost agreeable. This person has a decent laugh. Probably will. You're well built, and you've got good looks. Better than mine. Touma replies, peeking out the alleyway, then pulling his head back into the cover. It's an uncanny feeling, not needing to constantly feel the rise and fall of your chest. It almost freaks him out. Almost. Thankfully, possessing enough weirdly-shaped mutants has a tendency to remove any uncanny sensations you get from hopping into other bodies. He pauses, eyes narrowing for all of a moment. ... You think it's cool that I can do this? Well, that's a first. Normally it's cries about how horrible he is or about what a monster he's going to be. No one's called it cool before. Not by a long shot. Wait, you got hit by a car and didn't die? The body's eyes widen, and there's excitement there from Touma's presence. He bounces a little where he's standing, gesturing to the air despite not speaking aloud. That's remarkable! Can you come back from the dead? Or is your body just hyper-durable? Have you ever been set on fire? It's a quartet of rapidly asked questions, the previously indifferent demeanor immediately shifting into one of rapt attention and curiosity. I've never used a body like yours before. Do you know you're one-of-a-kind? ambience Taro Yamada glitch man get

♛

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90/100

Taro may or may not have played with the possibility that he was being haunted. Have someone he killed recently come back from the dead to make his life a living hell. The only problem with that guess though was he hadn't killed anyone. At least, not on purpose. There could very well have been collateral when he demolished some places, but he never targeted a specific person with his attacks.

So it was good to know he wasn't dealing with a ghost. So you do have your own body. Taro couldn't smile but contentedness was there at the compliment. Thanks. But that's subjective isn't it? Me looking better? I don't know how you look so I can't say whether you're right or not. It made him curious though. Just what was this person like? Were they even a person at all? But yeah, it's cool. You get to do things you can't usually do. Ever tried to take over someone with wings?

There was surprise in Taro's voice as he corrected the other being, having thought he didn't need to clarify what he meant. Oh, the car did kill me. That freak accident was hard to forget. He still didn't know how he didn't see the vehicle until it was too late. I just came back afterwards. Respawns. Like a videogame yeah? I've never been set on fire but I did hold a guy's flaming fist once.

As much as Taro wanted to get into that story however, he could hear sirens in the distance even though he couldn't turn his head. Oh, right. You took the driver's seat at the wrong time. Cops are after me. Man, it was almost like Taro became the narrator of his own life for a change. Wack. You should probably get moving.

Touma Iki

[Touma Iki]

O h. Right. The police. It's wild that Touma almost forgets them, fully caught-up in what the other is saying. He can't stop himself from engaging in an actual conversation for once - and one he doesn't hate! He's not even putting up an act or show here, he's just legitimately that excited to really be able to talk to someone who at least seems to like his ability rather than looking at it as some sort of horror-movie in the making. I tried to take over someone with wings once, Touma begins, tapping the body's foot against the ground. I couldn't fly with them. It's sorta like... I can only do what I have experience with, or what my body can do. So, like, you could be faster than me, but I can only run in your body as fast as I could in mine. He snorts, then adds, It's the reason I never aim for anyone with super speed. It'd just be a let-down. He blinks, then pokes his head out the alleyway again. He can definitely hear the sirens now and, farther down the block, he can definitely make out the impression of police vehicles either heading their way or parking. Crap. Okay. Well. I don't want to kill you now, for once. Touma clicks his tongue, drumming the tips of his fingers together in thought. But if you just respawn... Throwing you in front of a train could actually help you get away from the cops, if you respawn somewhere else. Or I could just try to grab one of the cops and steer them away from you, but that... Eh, I could do that - if you want. It's odd to feel himself be eager to actually help someone for once. Normally it's the opposite emotion - that drive to absolutely destroy someone's livelihood - that takes him over when he's wearing their skin. It's uncanny. He's not sure how to feel about it. You're the hardened criminal here, so... What do you think? no ambience i sleepy Taro Yamada dear god he's stupid

♛

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90/100

Taro was silent for a moment, taken aback by the answer. The shock was evident in his mind-voice. You can't fly even if the person you're controlling had wings? He'd shake his head if he could. Wack. Would they slow you down instead since they're in the way? Do you stay away from winged people because of that? He wondered briefly if the person was aware that he had a tail.

That's a question for later though, because the police were getting close. Taro followed the tilt of his own head; the sounds his ears were picking up. Thank you for not wanting to kill me. I like the challenge of staying alive, I only die on purpose to fast travel.

It was still weird, being unable to turn his head. He could only watch as the streets flooded with blue and red as he continued, taking in the pause in the stranger - he supposed it was his own - voice. You sound like you don't want to leave. It's okay, we can stay together. I'm wearing rocket boots that you might be able to use since they're not the same as wings. Or you could let me take over and stick around for the ride. Unless you gotta leave for me to have my body back.

A police man eventually entered the alley, followed by two others. He raised a pistol at the villain. "You there, you're under arrest! Put your hands up!"

Taro only hummed. Better think quick.

Touma Iki

[Taro Yamada]

GAME ON!

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 60/100

Taro regained control. Whether it was because the person got cold feet or they just wanted to sit back and enjoy the ride, he didn't quite know, but he didn't mind either way. It just meant he got to play again.

Authorities would arrive in the alley to the sound of several bursts, and eyes turned to the sky to spot the digital man fly to the roof of the building. Well. Less flying and more walking mid-air to more solid ground. His form would distort with each step he took until he- slammed against the wall just below the edge of the structure. He grasped the edge to pull himself up the rest of the way.

Voices shouted below as Taro waited for his body to stabilize. "You doing ok-kay there?" He tilted his head as he waited for a response.

It never came. Huh. Did the stranger leave entirely? It would be a bummer if they did. He hoped they would at least say goodbye first.

Stomps sounded in the distance. The cops must've found the stairs. Taro sighed. Guess he should get moving.

Powering up his boots again, he leapt from roof to roof and let the night take him.

[Fanthes]

[nospaces]

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✨MISSION SUCCESS!✨

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✓ This gamer survives another level! But sorry Taro, the princess is in another castle! [break][break]
Taro - 0 // 7.500

+ 7.500 EXP!

---

Tag: Taro Yamada

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