I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 27, 2023 15:00:11 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 27, 2023 15:00:11 GMT
 | ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location:] Tokyo Bay, Japan. | Current Status: Overstim Any% Speedrun 
Now Playing: Tubbo. CG5 - Life By The Sea
Kupo was usually fairly outgoing, he actively tried to be, but his true nature really lied in being something of a selective extrovert, or an ambivert. The sensory expriences that a party usually entails are one of the situations where Kupo tends to default to introversion (when he isn't avoiding them altogether), but a childhood of being taken to similar (albeit less mature) teenage parties by his social butterfly older sisters and attending fancy publicity events with his family had desensitized Kupo enough to the idea of 'parties' that when Jack suggested they go to a student party together (and Shion agreed), he couldn't really say no. Wearing a simple black t-shirt and dungarees with no shoes and some black-and-purple hairclips dotted around his hair/tail, Kupo took a deep breath as he got out of the car with Jack. Even a short distance from the yacht itself, the assault on his senses had begun. The sound of dance music & countless conversations and the smell of alcohol were apparent, the latter a new party experience for him, was already strong.
Calming himself once more, he looked up at the tall(er) Orion to answer his question. "I think I'll be fine, nothing I haven't dealt with before. I can always try to find a quiet corner, and I'll text you if I need you. You wanted to come to this party, I can't ask you to babysit me the whole time..." He giggled, a nervous tone pervading his otherwise cute habit. Kupo began to walk towards the yacht alongside Jack, steps having to be quicker to make up for his shorter stride. "Plus, it's good training for pushing through noisy conditions, which is important for battlefield rescues... not that I'll be training during the party or anything."
Kupo noticed that characteristic 'showboat mode' signal from Jack, immediately before covering his ears as his cousin yelled. Then, Kupo watched as Jack immediately locked on to one of the largest groups of people present. He initially tagged along, not yet seeing any obvious route of escape. There were three people who Kupo recognised in the group, being Miroru & Thea (who had made quite the entrance themselves) and Shion (his other roommate). Kupo waved over at them, not wanting to barge in on any conversations, before taking a moment to observe the eclectic group. They were loud, and seemed to be about to do shots. 'Huh, I can't see that going well for me, large groups tend to kinda trap me at the center of attention.'. He turned to Jack, now speaking in Japanese. "I'm gonna go find somewhere quiet, might come introduce myself later.".
Exploring the boat a little more, Kupo made it to the outside area of the yacht, and came across the fourth familiar face of the evening. It was Farrin, who seemed to be having a pretty rough time. Time for him to do what he does best! Without any thought beyond the desire to help, Kupo sat down beside the time-turner. His tone was chipper and sincere "Hi! Are you okay, Farrin? Wanna talk? If not, I'll leave you be, but I thought I'd check!" The small boy's fluffy tail (poofed up to look pretty for the party) curled instinctively around Farrin's back, leaving the end on his other side should he want physical comfort.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 25, 2023 23:21:51 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 25, 2023 23:21:51 GMT
| ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location: UA, Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: Training hard!
Now Playing: Sia - Unstoppable
Thanks to a combination of the spectacle of the fight and the fact that Farrin also seemed to be enjoying their analysis, Kupo was almost enthralled by the experience. Seeing his predictions come true, though, another feeling took over to break his immersion. Concern. He'd seen plenty of his classmates in college fall into the same pattern. Sparring taken too far, neither opponent caring for their mutual safety as they got lost in the battle fervour. It was a worrying tendency among prospective heroes, something that could be truly dangerous during actual hero work. He watched Bone-Blades repeatedly bash his head against the wall, only to be laid flat. He watched Boy-Blue counter the exact same way every time, smiling and making no effort to bring the battle to a close despite suffering similar attrition. The concern quickly dawned on Kupo's face then, eyes wide and tail slowing to fall still behind him. He hopped to his feet alongside Farrin, nodding quickly at his suggestion. "Agreed. They could really hurt themselves." It was audible in his voice too, a barely-audible whining to his words like a puppy concerned for its owner.
Kupo bounded down the hill in two strides, approaching the sparring grounds quickly after this. Switching back to Japanese, he calls out to the one with the blue energy Quirk. He hoped his memory of the other student's name from a couple shared classes wasn't incorrect. "Hey, Fujisaki-kun! Just a moment, are you guys okay?" The question was genuine, Kupo standing directly between the two combatants, in their path. Sometimes his cute/innocent appearance happened to be very good at getting Kupo what he wants, a prime example being that he hoped neither would (in the moment) risk harming him by continuing their sparring match with him in the way. He looked back towards Farrin, knowing that once both of them were involved, it shouldn't be too hard to speak (or knock) some sense into these knuckleheads.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 13, 2023 20:24:44 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 13, 2023 20:24:44 GMT
| ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location:] Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: UA Entrance Exams! Wish me luck!
Now Playing: The Score - Born For This
As Kupo was just preparing to burst out through the gates, he felt someone touch him and then heard (presumably them) speak. He turned to the voice's source, looking at Auden as they spoke (though without full eye contact). "Yep, that's the plan! Rescue first, and deal with any robots in the way of rescuing people. Working together will probably be more efficient, and if you wanna collaborate I'm all for it! But~, you'll have to keep up, sorry!" His voice was almost as youthful as his appearance would suggest, only betraying excitement for the test ahead. After rushing off at the commencement of the test, he quickly came to the first area of conflict, and his scenario awareness and rescue protocol training kicked in. With his sensitive ears, Kupo scanned the area to determine if there was anyone in immediate need of rescue trapped in car wrecks or the like, moving to save them (using his leg strength to lever wrecks off of people and act as a crutch to get them to other able civilians) if so. As he did so, Kupo projected his voice over the area, high pitch cutting above some of the clamour. "Heroes are here! All civilians who are able should evacuate to a safer area, our direction of approach is clear of villains!" He pointed down the street in the direction all of the examinees had come from, making this instruction clear and (after any manual rescues that needed doing) moving on quickly to the closest area with obvious damage and sounds of people requesting aid. The people most in need would be at the epicenter of devastation (not necessarily the epicenter of fighting) , after all. Kupo looked for Auden behind him, signalling to the blond if he needed help with a rescue (or assisting him vice-versa) & his direction of onward movement if he could pinpoint his potential ally.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 13, 2023 2:16:50 GMT
The morning had been and gone, with Kupo waking up early to get some technique training in before his morning theory classes. In the afternoon, he planned to do yet more physical training and studying. He had to catch up for his missed weeks somehow, even if he'd kept up his normal regimen during that time. To fuel all this hard work and his seemingly boundless energy, Kupo needed food! Not as much as some of his larger (and heavier) classmates, not by a long shot, but the small boy stil had more rice, steamed vegetables and chicken than would be expected for someone his size. A full portion, that is.
As he took his tray from the counter, Kupo was now stuck with the daunting task of finding somewhere to sit. In these early days, he didn't really know anyone besides Jack (who wasn't in the canteen, he'd checked) and so had to try and make friends while many students had started to form friend groups of their own already. In his brief search, Kupo came to Miroru's table. She seemed to have very similar mutant features to his own, so was less likely to possibly make fun of him or belittle him for his appearance, and she was studying alone. This trait marked her as one of the more studious ones present, a group who tended to be among the nicest in a school. For these reasons, he'd decided to try his luck at her table.
Placing his tray on the opposite side of the table from Miroru, and far enough along the table to avoid obstructing any of her books, Kupo looked over to Miroru. "Hi! Can I sit here? I can see you're studying, so I don't wanna disturb you or anything!" He spoke clearly, though not loudly, his youthful voice betraying genuine concern. With a better look at him, Kupo was in normal uniform, though with a few pins matching his identities & Quirk namesake on the lapel of his blazer and a few hairclips in his hair, collar & tail (visible & swaying behind him) matching his white-and-green colours.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 11, 2023 22:12:42 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 11, 2023 22:12:42 GMT
| ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location:] UA, Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: Training hard!
Now Playing: Rag'n'Bone Man - Human
There it was again. That feeling that he was somehow being looked past, or down upon. Then again, the feeling was always there, just shunted to the back of his mind. He hated the feeling, especially when it didn't seem like anything was actually wrong. No patronising words, no gestures. So, he did as he always had, ignored the feeling until it faded. He wouldn't let that insecurity, of all things, break his smile. More than a mask, it was his shield. Rose-tinted perception to banish the sickly greens of doubt and the deep blues of depression. No, everything was fine here. Not like he could read Thea anyway, even as perceptive as he usually was. "Right, that seems to be a theme I'm noticing here. Not that I can talk, I go overboard with my own training more than I should. Can't say I've ever made myself bleed on purpose though, I'm made of paper and fluff as it is so usually it's whoever I'm sparring that does that." He giggled cutely, acknowledging one of his more key weaknesses. He a couple of plasters (band-aids) on his arms and legs, and wrappings around his feet, but no obvious bandages besides that. As she described herself, he nodded along in understanding. "That's fair. Honestly, if I was smart, I wouldn't try to talk to people as much as I do. Most of the time I end up hurting my ears or getting pet or something. Thanks for not doing that without asking, by the way!" The gratitude seemed genuine, eyes shining as they very briefly met Thea's. Back to listening, Thea's final statement surprised him. He hadn't seen her in class yet, but he'd presumed that was due to his late entry to the school. 'I wonder how she gets away with that? I thought UA's attendance requirement was pretty high... Or does she just mean she's hard to notice?'
"Nice to meet you, Thea!" His tone was, again, energetic but not loud, and his tail could be seen shifting side-to-side behind him as the conversation went on.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 11, 2023 18:59:14 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 11, 2023 18:59:14 GMT
| ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location:] UA, Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: Training hard!
Now Playing: Toby Fox - Enemy Approaching
The trend Farrin pointed out was one that resonated heavily with Kupo. "Yeah, that sounds about right. I guess I'm lucky I don't really have to think about that. My Quirk's always on, so it's always been part of my fighting style, always a factor." He'd always required athletic training and martial arts to be effective even with his Quirk, a far cry from those whose training of the two aspects was separate. As the fight continued, Kupo watched as the melee fighter closed in, slicing at his opponent before he could be repelled once more.
In his mind's eye, a similar fight between himself and his sister Maki played out. Of course, they were both familiar with each other's fighting styles so him getting knocked back had been her creative spacing rather than an error on his part of pushing her away. It was the first time he had won a sparring match with her since she'd become familiar with her Quirk.
Attention focusing back on the match, Kupo took a bit to answer Farrin's question. "It depends how smart Bone-Blades is. If he changes his pattern of approach in an unpredictable way, then he'll probably get up close again. I have a feeling he won't, though. Our brains are wired to keep doing something if we've seen it work before, even if it was a fluke!" Kupo's tail had been swaying behind him for the full conversation, but now it could be more accurately described as wagging. He was really into this analysis now, eyes sparkling. "Plus, he doesn't seem like the smartest cookie. When he got in close, he didn't go to outmaneuver or cover angles of escape, he just started swinging. It seems like he's practiced his technique a whole lot, but not against other people. If he tries the same thing again, he's gonna get caught with a blast or blocked!" His voice rang with emphasis from excitement, that much was blatant, but it didn't seem to raise in volume at all.
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 11, 2023 17:23:36 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 11, 2023 17:23:36 GMT
Kupo had always enjoyed being out in nature. Walking through the wilderness kept at bay at the edge of civilsation. It was usually quieter and calmer than anything ever was in the city, especially one as big as Tokyo (or London, where he'd lived prior). The sounds, smells, feelings and sights brought on by the forest were special for Kupo, providing a window into a part of his being - a part of his soul - which he would otherwise have to bury, for fear of being ostracised or (figuratively) looked down upon. On a day such as this, where the rain had wiped the forests' slate clean, waterlogged the ground and made each plant's hues more vibrant, he couldn't be happier nimbly exploring this particular forest and observing the delicate ecosystem at play all around him. If not for his diurnal student schedule, he'd do this same thing at night.
This state of contentedness and peace was quickly and abruptly shattered into a million pieces. The shrill cry of the bear pierced his ears, briefly dropping Kupo to his knees. It sounded almost human-like, so similar to the cries for help that Kupo had been trained to seek out and take action as a rescuer. So similar that his body moved on its own. It was close, he could tell that much. In a few brief bursts, he had reached the edge of a large clearing, and it was only at this moment that any semblance of self-preservation kicked in as Kupo wrenched back control of his perception. Crouched in a patch of dense undergrowth, a few things happened to Kupo in very quick succession.
First, his eyes were drawn to the bear which had just been slammed into the floor. 'Well, I found the source of the scream... no saving that one-' Then, he was very suddenly aware of King. The creature that absolutely dwarfed him in size, with a patchwork of scales adorning its thick hide. For the briefest moment, curiosity and fascination filled Kupo's mind, before they were very quickly replaced by a primal fear that overrode anything conscious. He heard the sickening tearing of flesh, smelt the flow of blood, and saw the teeth like daggers. Then, Kupo was gone. He was shortly a small, white, fluffy thing rustling out of the position he'd been crouched in, then shooting through the undergrowth and trees with all the speed his honed body could generate. He felt himself (abnormally) beginning to sweat, as his bloodstream was flooded with adrenaline. Thorns and twigs occasionally caught on his skin, leaving a few droplets of blood from tiny cuts as he went. Despite this, all that Kupo could think about was getting away, getting as far away from that much larger predator as he could. His conscious personality and reason was pushed back, held captive by instinct. Perhaps this would inspire shame later. Not now, though.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Jul 10, 2023 13:01:35 GMT
Post by Kupo on Jul 10, 2023 13:01:35 GMT
Kupo's senses fell in a weird priority order compared to most. He heard the footfalls & soft *thud* sounds on the grass, deep breathing and finally the muttered expletive before anything else, ears twitching around to locate the noises' source. He then smelt blood, a scent he was more sensitive to than most thanks to his canine nature. His first instinct was to check for any cuts or scrapes he'd ignored due to adrenaline, but no, this didn't smell like his blood. Finally, he looked in the direction of these pinpointed stimuli, and saw their certain origin. Presumably another student, laying down in the grass. Given the little evidence he had, Kupo came to what he thought was the best conclusion he could then: that said other student was clearly not doing great, and could probably use some cheering up.
Standing up and making his way over to the other side of the shade tree with almost silent steps, Kupo sat down about a metre (~3 feet) from Thea on the grass. "Hi! Sorry to disturb you, but are you okay? It looks like you've had a pretty rough morning." His voice was soft, intended to be comforting, though loud enough to hear clearly and still betraying his natural excited/happy tone. "I don't wanna intrude, just offering a listening ear if you wanna talk... oh! I'm Jason by the way, but I usually go by Kupo. First year heroics." Kupo had never been the best at reading social cues, this particular time being an example. His face showed only a warm smile, with no indication of the knowledge that perhaps this person didn't want to be spoken to.
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|
I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 9, 2023 19:30:38 GMT
| ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location: UA, Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: Training hard!
Now Playing: Shady Cicada - Stardust
Kupo nodded along as Farrin spoke. He'd certainly read that Japan was a lot more xenophobic before the Advent of Quirks, but that the inherent diversity caused by Quirks had caused something of a paradigm shift, even moreso with the number of people who had begun looking to Japan as the leading country for Heroics, and UA its leading academy. He noted the two mentioned people for later, not having met either yet, and perked up at Farrin's next comment. "Yeah, prior study is definitely helping. I took Heroics as part of my A-Levels and finished early to attend here, so most of what I missed here early on I already knew. It's almost scary how many of the people only taking mandatory Rescue classes didn't know basic First Aid. Or how many people weren't taught any Hero Law definition of 'excessive force'." He giggled, laughter hiding some discomfort brought on by that specific notion. As the sparring began in earnest, he joined Farrin in watching analytically. As someone with a very early start (and a very professional mentor) in this kind of combat training, watching other students was always fascinating. "Right, blade dancers. Usually the trick there is rushing them with something that traps their weapon or trips 'em up... looks like Boy-Blue is a zoner, though." It felt weird to use fighting game terminology to describe actual fighters, but it was true to some extent. He was very familiar with those kinds of Emitters whose main strategy was to use their Quirk to maintain distance from melee opponents and attack at range, his twin sister and primary sparring partner of 11+ years was one of them. "Only way to beat a zoner is to close the distance and force them into melee, seems like Bone-Blades is gonna get an early advantage there." He was immediately on-board with the 'bit' of Farrin's monikers for the two duelists, and laughed again at the names themselves, this time softer and quieter.
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 8, 2023 23:45:52 GMT
As Farrin introduced himself, Kupo realised 3 fairly simple truths at the exact same time: Farrin O'Rourke is an Irish name, English is spoken in Ireland, and he himself is more fluent in English than Japanese. Realising this, he pretty quickly shifted to speaking his first native language. Kupo spoke with a subtle Received Pronunciation accent, his voice just as high and childish (though not loud) as it was in Japanese. "Nice to meet you, Farrin! It's good to meet another student from the Isles! Though, there do seem to be a few of us. Pretty sure I heard Leonid muttering about it in class at some point." Kupo's sensitive hearing was often a double-edged sword, hearing things that'd usually be quiet enough for people to keep it to themselves. He often knew exactly what others thought of him, for better or worse. Speaking of, his attention snapped to the noise of the sudden sparring match about to begin, combatants standing just far enough away for their banter (or trash talk) to be indecipherable from where Kupo sat. He couldn't help but look over, but he still picked up the question from Farrin. "I've actually not been here as long as most, I was a week or two late cause of a holdup. As far as what I've seen so far though, it's all really big! Of course, I knew it would be, but it's always cool to walk through doorways and halls built to accomodate for people 4 times my height. I'm also really liking my classes so far, most of my Heroics electives are on the Rescue track. What about you?" He turned briefly to ask the question, then back to the other students as he noticed Farrin also watching them. "Wonder what their fighting styles are like..."
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 8, 2023 9:39:31 GMT
11:30. Status: Medication level low. 37.7°C (99.8°F)
The morning had passed quickly for Kupo. Free of any lectures or teacher-led training that day, he'd been free to rise at his usual early hour and get out onto the training fields for some independent training throughout the morning. It had rained earlier, keeping Kupo cool as he did some endurance running, but after his first break the sun had decided to come out. Now, he was doing some varied training of his fighting style. It looked somewhere between martial arts and dancing as he practiced the mobile, fluid motions, acrobatic jumps/rolls and impactful kicks that always ended a chain. He'd even then gotten a few footballs, which he folded into his routine by keeping them in the air as he moved around. They went flying at the climax of every motion, aerial kicks sending them a lot farther than his tiny body should've been able to. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, though, the medication and water keeping him from overheating had started to run dry, and Kupo stopped. He had found some shade in a perfect area for observing the other students' training, and sat there panting like a dog as his body produced not nearly enough sweat to properly cool him via evaporation.
Kupo performed the small routine of refilling his support device: He peeled off the small gauze patch covering a cannula on his left arm, wincing as he twisted it shut. He then opened the back of his device (similar in appearance to a smartwatch and insulin pump), unscrewing a small empty glass vial. Finally, he reached a hand into his fluffy (and currently very dusty) fox tail and retrieved another vial, this one filled with clear liquid. Kupo screwed this into the device and kinda reversed the process, twisting the cannula open and replacing the gauze bandage. With this, his body was coaxed into speeding up the process of releasing heat, and he relaxed into the tree trunk he was leaning against with a sigh. He took this brief period of being stationary (eating a small snack he'd make & brought) as an opportunity to look around for anyone else taking a break. Maybe he could make some more friends or training partners in this early period at UA, though he felt asking anyone currently training may just result in being asked to spar.
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 8, 2023 4:07:56 GMT
15:30. Status: Medication almost empty, please refill. 38.1°C (100.6°F)
An ultrasonic beeping from the medical device on Kupo's left wrist snapped him out of the focus he'd built up over this training session. He slowed and came to a stop on a long running track, where he'd been endurance running to build up his stamina. Now though, it seemed like he was gonna be forced into an early break. He looked at the small display on the dark grey device and turned off the beeping with a gasp. "Oh heck, that's a hyper! Better fix that~" He could feel the telltale signs of overheating now that he'd slowed down, the worrying lack of sweat as his medication ran dry.
Kupo collected his bag from the floor and ascended a small hill to the nearest shade he could find, waving to the other student up there who seemed to be watching the training. He sat down under the shadow of a tree not far from Farrin, and got to work. Kupo peeled off the small gauze patch covering a cannula on his left arm, wincing as he twisted the cannula shut. He then opened the back of his device (similar in appearance to a smartwatch and insulin pump), unscrewing a small empty glass vial and setting it aside on the grass. Finally, he reached a hand into his long, fluffy tail and retrieved another vial, this one filled with clear liquid. Kupo screwed this into the device and kinda reversed the process, twisting the cannula again and getting another small gauze bandage out of his bag. With that, Kupo breathed a sigh of relief, with the final step simply being taking a drink of water from a 1L (33.8 fl. oz.) bottle he'd had in his bag.
When he'd finished his little cooling down routine, Kupo looked over to Farrin with his normal bright green eyes and warm smile. "Hi! Sorry, that was probably a little weird to watch. I'm Jason Riviera, but most people call me Kupo! Pretty sure I've seen you in some Heroics classes, though don't think I got your name?" He had hopped the very short distance over, now sitting closer to make conversation less awkward. He (with a tiny amount of visible hesitation) offered Farrin a handshake (which allowed the fur-covered paw pads on his fingertips & palm to be seen). Similarly, his smile showed sharp & enlarged canine teeth, which stood out among his other teeth.
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 7, 2023 4:15:02 GMT
| ★Jason Riviera★ | @crystalprincekupo
Location: UAU, Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: Meeting Orion cousins at UA!
Currently Playing: Jordan Clarke - Freaks
Over a month had passed since Kupo made his first visit to the UAU campus for the entrance exams. His acceptance letter had come, much to his family's (and his) delight, and the expected first day at UA had passed too, with Kupo having significant difficulties securing a student visa to enter Japan. For some reason, the idea that someone who looked like a small child was attending University (least of all UA) was hard to believe. Kupo had finally managed to do it though, and so here he stood. He'd been smothered with affection, both literally and figuratively, upon leaving home and only his mother had accompanied him to the airport. Their exchange there had been mostly physical, with Kali holding on to her little light for as long as possible, but words had indeed been exchanged as well. "I'm so proud of you, Kupo. Every day. You're so much stronger than you think, and you've got so much more room to grow! Go show them all what you can do, who you are: a hero. My little hero, Kupo." She gave him an affectionate lick on the cheek, and then released him from the hug, as the plane began boarding. "Oh, and say hi to all your cousins in Tokyo for me! I haven't seen them all in so long!" She waved him off, and he waved back. "I will, Mum! Bye! I love you!" With that, he rushed on to his plane with hand luggage in tow.
The journey there had been just as much of an ordeal as the last time. He couldn't really blame most of the concerned passengers and staff who consistently mistook him for a child and inquired about his safety/parents, but he had really hoped they'd catch a hint after the fifth time of the flight. The flight, though long and boring, was at least comfortable aside from the occasional noisiness. No, the worst part was after his flight. Getting through customs and retrieving his luggage had been quite the ordeal, and it was around this time that he'd started texting Jack, the closest/most familiar of his cousins and his second most consistent training partner over their childhood (second to his twin sister, Maki).
Hey, Jack!
16 hours, but I'm finally here in Tokyo!
Will take a while to get oit of the airport
I think
Idk what the problem is this time, can guess though
Guess it's hard to believe I'm an adult when I look like this
[He sends a selfie of himself in the airport waiting area, he's wearing a onesie designed to look like one of the cuter monsters from a recent monster tamer game (Eevee or Alolan Vulpix, for reference), which he presumably wore for the flight.]
lol :p
looking forward to seeing you!
I'll be moving in my stuff to Dorm [number]
Sure enough, a short while later, he had escaped Tokyo Haneda Airport's clutches. Despite the draining experience and bad sensory environment, Kupo was still ecstatic up to the moment he stepped onto UA campus and found his dorm. His joy was evident in many places: wide, green eyes; quickly-wagging tail, energy manifesting as bouncing on his feet, and most of all the beaming smile on Kupo's face. He had begun the task of moving his few boxes of pre-moved stuff and suitcase of luggage into the dorm room, though soon to be interrupted.
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
|
Post by Kupo on Jul 6, 2023 21:54:39 GMT
Kupo signing up for some sportsball!
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I'm on my way!
ALIAS
Snow Fox
OCCUPATION
First Year Student
EVENT TOKENS
0
QUIRK
Arctic Fox
Student
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Post by Kupo on Jun 25, 2023 2:56:05 GMT
[Late Night, London Heathrow Airport, UK.]Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe and 8th in the world. Even so close to midnight, thousands of people are still coming and going from its terminals. In one of these, there stand a rather odd collection of 4 people. The tallest stands at least 6' tall if not taller, and were they not all similarly bleary-eyed and inattentive then a good deal of the other English travellers may have recognised the rather imposing man as Nathan Riviera, the pro hero known as Crystal King (and Kupo's father). The two next largest figures were Kali and Maki Riviera, Kupo's mother and fraternal twin sister respectively, both in the ballpark of 5' and possessing (to different extents) various mutations reminiscent of canine animals. Then, dwarfed by all 3, was Kupo. Of the 4, he was the only one who appeared to be carrying hand luggage of any kind. "Are you sure you're alright, prince? This will be a big step for you, alone on the other side of the world taking one of the most competitive entrance exams in Heroics. I just want to make sure you're 100% on this, it's not too late to-""Dad! Kupo's been working so hard for this! You should know better than anyone else, Rivieras don't give up!"The two are about to launch into an argument, thin lines of a crystalline substance spreading like fissures across their arms, but luckily the tension is cut through. "Hey, it's okay! I'll be fine, Dad, I promise. Plus, there's no harm in trying, right? Either I get into UA, or I take a confirmed place at any of my UK choices. I'm 100% sure! You trained me well~" Kupo stood between them with a warm smile, hoping to avoid further conflict. "-and Maki, please don't shout...""Attention all passengers! Flight 209 Connecting to Tokyo Haneda will now start boarding its first class and business class passengers!" As the announcement goes out, 3 heads adorned with canine ears all instinctively turn to the source of the sound, prompting laughs from the group. Kupo's mother bends down to his height, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You've come so far, my little kit, and I'm already so proud. Go show them what you're really made of. Last hug!" Kupo is quickly embraced by his mother (who gives him an affectionate lick on the cheek), then his sister, then his father, who picks up the trio in a bear hug. With that, Kupo boards the plane.
[Early Morning, Helsinki Airport, Finland.]After 3 hours of flying, Kupo had a brief layover in the much smaller Finnish airport an hour shy of sunrise. He could not count on two hands the number of times even in that brief journey that concerned passengers or staff had (easily) mistaken him for a young child and, concerned, offered assistance. Luckily, he spoke enough Japanese and Finnish to reassure people of his safety, if not his maturity. After this brief stop though, he was on the second leg of his journey, headed straight for Tokyo.
[Late Night (the next day), Tokyo Haneda Airport, Japan.]After quite the long haul flight, due to jumping forward 8 time zones, Kupo had managed to arrive in the world's largest city at almost the exact time he had left his home city, though a full day later. Excitement (and noise) had prevented him from sleeping for the whole journey, and he was kept going through the exhausting ordeal of Customs (as could be expected for a very small boy trying to acquire a Visa to enter Japan for a university entrance exam) by the overwhelming elation that he was finally about to take his biggest ever step towards his dreams of being a Hero. He left the airport eventually, and got a taxi to the closest hotel room to the exam site he had been able to book. Luckily, it being very early morning, there was a much less (though non-zero) chance of being harrassed by fans of him or his family.
[~10:00, USJ, Japan.]After getting a decent amount of sleep, and giving himself a pep talk on the way from the hotel to USJ, Kupo was as literally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever, with the latter wagging like a dog's would. He had decided to take a rooftop route to the site of his entrance exam as this both provided a good mobility workout and minimised his chances of being caught by any of his not insignificant number of Japanese 'followers'. Kupo was wearing the outfit he'd taken to be the first draft of his hero costume, given it also served fairly well as athletic wear. He also, as was medically required, sported a dark grey support device around his left wrist.  He had been part of the few 'early' examinees first in to their waiting area in what (unbeknownst to him at the time) was just outside the urban environment area of the large facility. Most of the other high school seniors (and other miscellaneous 18-year-olds) didn't pay him much mind, but his sensitive hearing proved to be a double-edged sword as he couldn't help but hear the few who made deriding comments about the "kid" who thought they could make it at UA. Kawaii~ had never seemed like an insult before. He wished he didn't hear their quiet laughter or whispered remarks. He wouldn't let them break his spirit though. He was here, and he was gonna speak aloud the poetry they'd missed by only judging the cover. Smiling face, swaying tail, keep up the confidence! As the waiting area gradually filled, soon it was due time for the practical exam to begin. He had some relief in that the crowd was (mostly) quiet as Mr. Finesse started explaining the exam's rules and workings, which enabled him to focus in on strategy. He'd done his research prior to the exam, and so Kupo knew the environment and objectives of the exam could have been any of the many possible combinations, unknown until the day. How fortunate then, that this configuration of the exam seemed almost tailor-made for him. 1 - Urban Environment Kupo's 3D mobility granted by powerful leaps and acrobatic skill was his greatest asset, and a city district? Well, this was his preferred playground: compact buildings and elevated structures. 2 - Rescue Points Adept at both finding endangered civilians and at quickly escorting them to safety, Rescue techniques had formed the bulk of his prior Heroics studies. This was Kupo's forte, which meant he would not be as limited by his strength in combat as he would otherwise be. 3 - Enemies The Harasser: a fast and lightweight aerial enemy. Hopefully within his range to pounce on from the ground or an elevated perch, and with any luck he'd be fast enough to outpace the turning of its guns and propellers. The Bandit: big, dumb and slow. The exact type of enemy he'd trained his whole life to overcome despite his size disadvantage. The Rex: canine-modelled pack hunters. Being as small and light as he was, Kupo could move very quietly and hide in small spaces should he need to evade something. Plus, he was familiar with the behavioural patterns of this genus from Quirk-centered research, so hopefully the Rex AI had been modelled on their animal counterparts. The icing on the cake was the presence of the BBEG - the Villain - to distract the more reckless combatants of the group, keeping them away from rescue objectives as they chased a chance to show off. This left Kupo's strategy pretty clear: race out in front of anyone he can, using the concrete jungle landscape to get places the others can't, and rescue as many people (civilian or fellow examinee, it didn't matter to him) as he could while taking out any of the smaller robots that crossed his bounding path. No plan survives contact with the enemy, but hopefully his would last long enough to improvise a new one along the way. As the speech drawed to a close, Kupo readied himself. Crouched down, predator-like leg muscles coiled tightly, he waited. Then, as the horn sounded, Kupo let his body take over. He leaped forward, over as many of his taller competitors as he could, and bounded out into the cityscape in something between running and all-fours pouncing. He didn't get to see the faces of the few vocal doubters, nor did he want to. He wanted to get into UAU. |
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