Tahn clears his throat for a moment. Then he begins to sing softly.
"If I could turn back time~"
The Queen and Zacharie look surprised. Both at the fact that Tahn is singing all of a sudden, but also because his singing voice is actually really smooth.
"If I could find a way... I'd take back those words that hurt you and you'd stay~"
Hugo isn't reacting yet, so Tahn starts singing a little louder.
"I don't know why I did the things I did... I don't know why I said the things I said~"
"Pride's like a knife, it can cut deep inside... words are like weapons, they wound sometimes~"
He starts clapping a little, and Hugo actually starts crying a little less, now hearing the singing.
"I didn't really mean to hurt you... I didn't wanna see you go, I know I made you cry-~"
Hugo now lowers his hands a little, which had been rubbing in his eyes as he was crying, and looks at Tahn with some curiosity. Tahn now stands back up and starts tapping his foot to the beat, showing Hugo a smile as he's singing.
"But if I could turn back time!... if I could find a way!...~"
He does a little spin.
"I'd take back those words that hurt you, and you'd stay~"
The Queen and Zacharie look really surprised when they notice that Tahn's idea is working. Hugo isn't crying anymore, now looking up at Tahn with more curiosity than before.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Majima's eye widens.
Criminal reputation, tragic past, a heart, song-and-dance skills - this kid! He's perfect!
If one saw him right now, they would notice a visible twinkle in his eye.
His whole body is trembling. He wants so very badly to join the fun.
Edited by KiriK on Jul 10th 2019 at 1:27:48 PM
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.""If I could reach the stars, I'd give them all to you~", he continues to sing, pointing at Hugo during those last words.
"Then you'd like me, like me, like you used to do...~"
He does another spin, overdramatic this time, which seems to make Hugo crack a small smile for just a moment.
"My world was shattered, I was torn apart~ Like someone took a knife and drove it deep in my heart~"
As he sings that part he drops to his knees and puts his hands on his chest as a form of theatrics.
"You walked out that door, I swore that I didn't care, but I lost everything, kiddo, then and there!~"
He gets back up, one hand raised in the air.
"Too strong to tell you I was sorry~ Too proud to tell you I was wrong, I know that I was blind~"
Then he smiles again and puts more energy into his singing.
"But kiddo, if I could-"
He then stops and points at Hugo, who's confused for a moment, until he realizes that the unknown boy in front of him is asking him to finish the sentence.
"... turn back time?"
Tahn spins again, once.
"If I could-"
"Find a way?~", Hugo says, his tone becoming a little more song-like.
"I'd take back those words that hurt you, and you'd stay~"
He then points up.
"If I could-"
"Reach the stars~"
Then at Hugo again.
"I'd give them-"
"All to you!~", Hugo says, starting to smile more and more as he's getting into it.
"Then you'd like me, like me-"
"Like you used to do~"
Edited by DevilPsyco on Jul 10th 2019 at 8:44:24 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Tahn continues tapping with his foot to the beat.
"If I could turn back time... if I could turn back time... if I could turn back time!~"
Hugo, now fully into it, starts clapping to the beat with his hands.
"Oh, kiddo-", he says, then waits.
"... Hugo!", Hugo eventually says when he realizes what Tahn is waiting for. Tahn claps once and smiles at him.
"Oh Hugo, I didn't really mean to hurt you...~ I didn't want to see you go, I know I made you cry-~"
He then jumps and starts dancing a little in place, making Hugo laugh a little.
"If I could-"
"Turn back time!~" "Turn back time!~", they now sing together.
"If I could find a way!~" "If I could find a way!~
"I'd take back those words that hurt you-~" "I'd take back those words that hurt you-~"
Yet another spin, as overdramatic as the last one, and Tahn ends his spin in a cool pose this time.
"If I could reach the stars~" "If I could reach the stars~"
They then point at each other.
"I'd give them all to you~" "I'd give them all to you~"
Tahn then stops singing, letting Hugo finish the song himself, only delivering some background singing at the end.
"Then you'd like me, like me, like you used to do!~"
"If I could turn back time"~ "Turn back time~"
"If I could find a way"~ "Find a way''"~
"Then maybe-~" "-maybe, maybe-~"
"You'd stay!" "You'd stay!"
Tahn then claps, both to applaud Hugo for his singing, and to let him know the song's over, also taking this opportunity to catch his breath a little. Those exaggerated movements took a good bit of energy out of him.
Hugo, meanwhile, is laughing and clapping happily.
The Queen and Zacharie can only stare in astonishment that this kid, who just showed up out of nowhere, was able to not just calm Hugo down, but also make him happy again, all without even resolving the issue that caused him to cry in the first place."
"That was great, Hugo!", Tahn says, crouching down again to be at his eye level.
"Great? That was incroyable.", Zacharie says to Tahn. "Kid, who are you?"
He glances at Zacharie with a smile.
"I'm Ken Tahn, though I'm usually just referred to as Tahn-"
"Kentan!", Hugo then says, mistaking his two names for one. Tahn turns to him with an awkward smile.
"A-ah, no, it's two-"
"Kentan, hahaha!", Hugo happily laughs. Tahn sighs and then softly laughs too.
"Yeah, I've got a silly name, huh?", he says, not wanting to break it to Hugo that he's saying it wrong.
Edited by DevilPsyco on Jul 10th 2019 at 9:05:06 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Tahn starts talking more softly and understanding to Hugo.
"So, I know this situation kinda stinks, but hey, look at me. I'm in the same situation as you and your mommy."
As an example, he puts his hand on Hugo's arm and it phases through him. Hugo looks at it, his smile fading a little, but Tahn continues talking, getting his attention again.
"But I can still be happy right now. And so can you, right?"
Hugo looks back at him and nods.
"And, y'know, it won't be this way forever.", he says, then points at Galeem and Dharkon in the far distance, and Hugo turns to look at them.
"Do you see those two big monsters? They're the ones who did this to all of us. But some very nice and strong people are going to defeat them, and then we'll all go back to normal."
Hugo looks back at him, hopeful, and Tahn nods.
"Once those monsters are gone, you can be with your mommy again. So you have to be strong for just a little bit longer, okay?"
Hugo's smile brightens, looking overjoyed.
"Okay!", he says.
"Alright, that's the right attitude.", Tahn says, standing back up again, though mostly because his knees are starting to hurt a little.
"You're gonna fight too, right?", Hugo then suddenly asks, and Tahn pauses.
"I-I... um..."
"You said nice, strong people will fight the monsters. Are you strong?"
"Y-yeah."
"And you're nice too, so that means you're gonna help, right?"
"I... I'm not... that nice...", Tahn says, troubled.
"Yes you are.", Hugo says with a hopeful smile. Tahn looks down at the innocent little kid and eventually smiles again. There's some awkwardness in that smile, but Hugo doesn't notice it.
"... O... of course I am. Sorry, I was just being silly. Yeah, I'll help out too."
"Yay!", Hugo laughs.
"Haha... ha, yeah, yay indeed.", Tahn awkwardly says. "Now scoot off to your mommy and stick with her, alright? Then, the moment we're all back to normal, you can give her a big hug."
"Yeah!", Hugo says, and he starts crawling over to the Queen. Tahn turns to follow his movements with his eyes. The Queen looks down at Hugo, then looks at Tahn.
"I have never seen Hugo happy before. I must thank you, young man. You've helped us out greatly."
"Oh... uh, well... it was nothing.", Tahn says, his tone becoming more awkward and troubled as he speaks. "I mean... anyone would... help a crying child in need, right?"
The Queen tilts her head, and Zacharie appears to be worried.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes!", he immediately answers. "Yes. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just stay close to one another until this ordeal is over. I'm gonna go now, to... um, help... fight Galeem and Dharkon."
He crouches down one last time as Hugo looks back at him.
"Don't forget your promise, alright?"
Hugo shakes his head.
"I'll be strong."
Tahn snickers.
"That's good. Bye, Hugo."
"Au revoir, Kentan!"
Tahn gets back up, waves a little at Hugo, and then starts walking away. As Hugo eagerly waves back to him, the Queen and Zacharie turn to look at each other.
"I wonder how he knew to use a song to calm Hugo down?"
"I don't know either, your majesty. Maybe he's good with children?"
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Once Tahn is away from the group of three, and not having noticed Majima's presence nearby yet, he puts his hands back in his pockets and lowers his head again. Only this time, he isn't in a foul mood anymore, more a thoughtful one. He sighs.
"I guess I'm roped into this whole business now after all.", he says to himself, not feeling okay with the idea of lying to a little boy. No, he'd-'ll make good on his promise.
He'll help fight Galeem and Dharkon.
Spirit Acquired
Ken Tahn
Class: Advanced
Effect: PSI and Magic Resist ^
Edited by DevilPsyco on Jul 10th 2019 at 9:44:10 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Majima rises up to his full height.
"Hey, kid."
He sniggers to himself, glances aside and mutters, "Ken-tan," before clearing his throat. "Ahem!"
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."Tahn yelps, his voice rather high pitched for a moment, then turns around.
"What in the fu-"
He immediately jumps back a little to get some distance, instinctively reaching for his dagger, before being reminded that he doesn't have it, nor that it would do any good with him as a Spirit.
"How did you sneak up on me!?", he asks, glaring.
Edited by DevilPsyco on Jul 10th 2019 at 9:51:54 PM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.He narrows his eyes for a moment.
"... right... and what is it you wa-"
He then realizes.
"Hey, wait, I saw you a few hours ago! You're that guy who was amongst the group of people who had to fight us! ... Did you follow me!?"
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Majima remarks, "Nah, I left. I just came back to patrol the place, and then I heard singing - remember what I just said about what I do. When I found out it was you, the spirit whose showboating the other day managed to impress me, I had to investigate more closely."
He shifts his stance from side to side a little.
"So about that... while Dharkon was messin' with you, you said there were wanted posters all around town with your name on 'em, and although you were obviously tripping balls because this place sure as hell ain't a town, it came across to me like you were a wanted criminal. I'd like to know how a kid ends up with a 'Dead or Alive' warrant, because that just sounds wrong."
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."In another world...
In a luscious evergreen forest, Anthony
◊ sits underneath a tree near a river, practicing drawing his surroundings in a notebook. While there's definitely room for improvement, his sketches are actually pretty decent for an early attempt.
"Hmm... I honestly thought it was gonna come out looking much worse."
Smiling slightly, he stashes the notebook and pen away in his jacket, plucks an apple from the tree with a shadowy tendril, and bites into it. After everything he and Zola had been through, from their skirmishes with a certain time-stopping psychopath to pretty much everything to do with Killer Bat, he more than welcomed this new life of theirs.
He looks surprised, then, surprisingly, a little timid.
"Impress you? That's... not usually what happens when people meet me for the first time."
He crosses his arms.
"As wrong as it may all be, the world is cruel, and I intend to do anything I have to in order to survive in it. If that pisses off the cops to the point they don't mind if I die, then so be it."
A little bit further away, in that same forest, Zola
◊ is practicing her sword play against some trees and wooden mannequins she made.
She too is very grateful to the new, more peaceful life she has with Anthony. She wouldn't want to trade it for anything else in the world. But without Killer Bat, she sometimes feels defenseless, so she at least takes some time every day to practice her own skills to the point where she won't need Killer Bat to be a potent warrior.
When she reaches that stage one day, she'll finally be able to fully put Killer Bat behind her as a dark relic of her past, and the empty feeling of his missing power and presence will never get in the way of her happy new life with Anthony again.
She stops swinging her sword and sheathes it, done for the day. She's made some good improvements during the last few months, even developing a skill of her own that would come in handy with her fighting style.
Edited by DevilPsyco on Jul 10th 2019 at 10:16:14 AM
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Majima kneels down and sighs.
"Kid, that is a terrible way to live and you will 100% not get past the age of 30. Lemme level with you, I'm a yakuza boss - the Mad Dog of Shimano, they call me. I manage hostess clubs. I extort civilians for 'protection money'. I hold power in a criminal underground with more authority over Kamurocho than the Tokyo government. But I manage to be loved and respected, not loathed. Maybe I could teach you how to keep doing what you've been doing, but not have people considered 'good' by society's standards want to kill you. You won't even have to bloody your hands if you don't wanna."
Edited by KiriK on Jul 10th 2019 at 3:22:18 AM
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."There's a lot of confusion in Tahn's eyes, and he raises an eyebrow.
"... what's a 'Ja-cu-za? Is that, like, the 'bubble bath for rich people' thing? And a hostess club? Is that a club for women who like to invite people over for a drink?"
He then glances away and shrugs, not appearing very interested.
"That lifestyle may work for you, Maji, but I don't really care what people think about me. Not to mention that I always escape anyway. 'Sides, why would I trust you?"
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Majima raises an eyebrow at Tahn. Then he snorts. "First of all, please call me Maji-san. It's an honorific thing. Second, the yakuza are an organized crime syndicate in a nation called Japan. They control the populace through extortion, illegal supply, violence, and occasional good deeds that make people trust them more."
"You always escape now, but you're going to become more and more well-known, you're going to become less and less acute as you age, and people will be more and more ready for you. As someone who got thrown to the bottom and climbed my way back up to the top, I know what it means to be sold out. All it takes is one henchman who doesn't like that you're in charge getting in touch with the cops, and you're locked up in jail for anywhere from ten years to the rest of your life."
His expression suddenly turns serious. "And you can't always trust me, but you can trust that I have been betrayed just like that," he says with a snap of his fingers. "Made to question everything I thought was right, not just by subordinates but by my superiors. After all I've been through, I want to guide my successors along the path I couldn't walk. It's not a righteous one, just a safe one."
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."Another World
Once he's finished devouring his apple, Anthony turns to watch Zola as she trains to improve her swordfighting abilities. Strong, clever, beautiful, damn skilled with a blade... meeting this amazing girl really was the point where his life had taken a turn for the better. He couldn't have asked for anyone better to spend his life with.
Once Zola had wrapped up her practice session for the day, he rises to his feet before walking over to her, clapping and offering her a smile.
"Have I ever told you how much I love watching you work?"
Tahn appears interested for a moment.
"An organized crime syndicate with an actual trustworthy reputation? That sounds like total bull, but I can't say I'm not intrigued."
He then shakes his head.
"I have powers, Maji. Sorry, but 'san' after that just sounds weird to say. Anyway, as long as I have my powers, I can get out of any situation I want. ... this Spirit business doesn't count, it's supernatural and s***."
He then looks bitter.
"I already got betrayed a little while before Galeem showed up. I was gonna share my riches with these people that worked for me, but then they left me behind in a burning building. If I ever get my hands on them..."
He then narrows his eyes again.
"Successors, huh? And you think I could be one?"
He looks away, looking troubled for a moment.
"... you ever heard of the name Carlos Tahn?"
Zola turns to him, looking surprised, then smiling.
"Every day since the day we first came here.", she says, looking happy as she approaches him too.
"I thought you were drawing over by the riverside though? Did you stop early? .. or did I lose track of time again?"
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.

Tahn walks up to the Queen, who eventually notices him and turns to look at him.
"Hm? I'm sorry, we're a little busy right now."
"I can see that.", Tahn says. The Queen appears a little offended by the way Tahn speaks, but before she can express that anger, Tahn looks at Hugo.
"Why is he crying?"
Zacharie now turns to look at him as well.
"He finally got reunited with his mother, which he wanted to happen for so long now, even before this whole attack, but they're both Spirits, so she can't embrace him. And... and it's too much for the little guy right now. I'm trying to cheer him up, but-"
Tahn shakes his head and motions with his hand for Zacharie to get out of the way. When Zacharie stays, questioning his intentions, Tahn sighs.
"I'm a Spirit too. By what I know about this state, I wouldn't be able to hurt him even if I tried, so he's safe. Now..."
He does the motion again, and Zacharie reluctantly stands up and moves aside. Zacharie looks at the Queen, confused, and the Queen looks back at him, feeling the same way.
Tahn then walks to Hugo, crouching down in front of him. He's still silent, and Hugo is still crying, not even having noticed Tahn yet.
At the portal back to the Arena, Masc and Claus turn to the Masked Man.
"Are you sure about this?", Claus asks.
"I want to put this whole affair behind us as fast as possible, and I have no business with your family. So you two can head on back and rest too. I'm going back to that cloudy area."
"... Be careful, man.", Masc says. The Masked Man does not verbally reply, just turning around and taking off. Claus and Masc look at each other, actually worried for their more vicious self now, but they decide to trust his judgement, and head back to the Arena.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.