That evening, Parsee stands on top of Satori Tower, enjoying the ebb and flow of jealousy through the city like a light breeze. She watches people walking by and cars zipping about, wondering what each person is envious for. Satori emerges and asks if Parsee is almost ready to go face the Queen. Parsees answers that she needs to get something from home first but otherwise yes. Satori then asks how Parsee plans to deal with the other Sins. Parsee shrugs and says she will probably just beat them up, but Satori admonishes her. Even if she's a Sin too, they still outnumber her four to one. Parsee rubs her chib, noting the legitimacy of that concern. Satori says that, fortunately, SHE at least is smart enough to consider these things. She returns inside, telling Parsee to be ready within the hour.
Satori walks downstairs to speak with Xavier. She asks if he has any way to contact the Queen. Xavier confirms that he can speak to her mentally if need be, which Satori tells him to do. Skeptical but willing, Xavier agrees and begins reaching out to the Queen. The moment a connection is made, Satori grabs Xavier by the neck.
"Gluttony, it shouldn't have taken you this long to dispose of a body. I should have just told you to eat her," the Queen growls.
"I'm sorry, but your Gluttony won't be eating anything again, Cassandra," Satori says, letting some smugness slip into her voice.
The Queen goes silent with shock. Anybody who knew THAT name should be dead or her servant. It doesn't take her long to realize who she's speaking to.
"ELISE?!"
Satori laughs. "Indeed. I've been hiding under your nose this entire time. It'd be hard to do considering how short you've always been, but your nose always was stuck up in the clouds, wasn't it? Anyway, I don't appreciate you killing my Kamen Rider, so I've decided to eliminate your Gluttony in exchange. Good bye."
Xavier's eyes bulge as Satori powers up a spell, trying to plead with her, but she refuses to listen as she sends a bright shaft of light through the Sin and...he is quite confused to find himself still alive. He asks for an explanation and Satori gives him one: she'd been researching a way to break the effects of the ritual and just used it. The Queen would no longer be able to track him and would certainly think he died. Xavier asks what the purpose is. Satori smiles and explains that he's now bait to draw the Sins away from their master. She then presents him with his armor, repainted to resemble Kamen Rider Pluto's colors. Satori explains that she has given Xavier his free will back...and that as he is still a Sage-in-training, he is now officially her apprentice.
As Xavier puts his armor on and practices with his sword, Satori heads downstairs to see her daughters putting on Riot Cop uniforms. Okuu explains that she and Orin want to help fight the Sins too even if they don't have super powers. Satori smiles and says she is proud of her daughters for standing up to evil, but then says they aren't going out in such meager protection. Orin stands up, getting caught in her half-donned armor and protests until Satori reaches behind her back, pulling out two Henshin Devices. She has negotiated a settlement with the recovering Amaterasu: it will lend them its power in the devices and continue to provide the city with power and in exchange Satori would encourage the citizens of Bridge City to say "Praise the sun!" in its honor or at least try to sneak the phrase into the city's vernacular so it would feel appreciated.
Back at Pandora, the Queen is busy ranting and raving at her remaining knights, demanding answers as to why none of them had any idea the her biggest rival was still alive and living right under their noses for so long. Wisely, none of them mention that the Queen couldn't detect Elise either. She paces back and forth, dark clouds forming above her head as she continues to lecture. Abruptly, she stops and turns.
"I know where Gluttony was when Elise killed him. Go there and kill her."
Pride protests sending all four of them, citing that if they are all gone, then who will protect her. She brushes aside his concern and commands them to go immediately. Reluctantly, all four leave the throne room and head to the portal to Bridge City. The moment they exit the portal, they see a large motorcycle approaching them.
"TURBO GRANNY RIDES FOR HER LIFE"
Palanquin Cycle, ridden by Kamen Rider Hime, plows through the assembled knights, scattering them on the ground as it drives into the portal. They scramble to their feet, but a massive heat ray scorches a line in the street as a green-and-white Kamen Rider interposes herself between the Sins and the portal.
"Kamen Rider Sol stands in your path!" she shouts, spreading black-armored wings.
"And Kamen Rider Pluto stands with her!" her sister shouts, also jumping in the way.
Xavier, clad in his own armor, stands with them. "I don't have anything cool to say, so I'll just ask you to stand down, my friends, before we do something we all regret."
Sloth, Lust, and Greed look hesitant to attack until Pride steps forward, loudly denouncing Gluttony as a traitor to the Queen of Sin. Xavier simply smiles and states that that is no longer his name, he was returned to being Xavier, just like Pride should go back to being his friend Alvin. Pride pauses for a moment, processing the idea, but ends up announcing the name means nothing to him now. Sadly, Xavier raises his sword and announces he won't let anyone reenter the portal.
Back at Pandora, Palanquin Cycle tears through the hallways, nobody to get in the way aside from zombie workers who either are in the way and are moved or weren't in the way to begin with as Kamen Rider Hime cruises towards the throne room.
The Queen is busy being bored and waiting for her knights to return when the doors to her throne room burst open.
"Excuse me, can Cassie come out and play?" Kamen Rider Hime says, revving her engine.
The Queen scowls and floats up from her throne, demanding to know who dares to burst into her chambers. Kamen Rider Hime stands up on Palaquin Cycle and bows, introducing herself as Envy, pleasure to make her acquaintance. The Queen clenches her teeth; the Rider is supposed to be dead. Hime laughs and remarks that she had Xavier wrapped around her finger; he intentionally avoided killing her. The Queen rages and hurls massive fireballs at Hime, who revs her cycle and begins riding on the walls, staying one step ahead of the Queen's blasts.
As Palanquin Cycle tears up the walls, Kamen Rider Hime leaps off, punches the Queen in the jaw, and then lands on her bike on the opposite side of the room, repeating this attack several times while taunting "Cassie" about how easy this fight has been so far. The walls suddenly erupt in bolts of lightning, knocking the Rider and her ride to the ground. The Queen cackles and asks what it just was that Hime was saying.
"I said, do you know any spells you haven't stolen from people smarter than you?" Kamen Rider Hime laughs as she gets up and throws an energy blast at the Queen.
The Queen deflects the blast easily and casts another spell, making spears of ice burst from the floor around Kamen Rider Hime. The Rider dodges as quickly as she can, narrowly avoiding all but one spike. She wipes her brow and uses the spikes as springboards, leaping off of them to deliver a kick to the Queen's chest. Hime follows up with one of her spell cards, raining flurries of energy upon the Queen.
"Something the matter, Cassie? I thought you WANTED me to become an Envy!" Kamen Rider Hime taunts.
"I wanted a loyal soldier, not a goofball on a motorcycle!" the Queen retorts, blasting Hime.
The Rider hits the ground...laughing. "You don't have any loyal soldiers now, why should I have been the first?"
"ALL of my Sins are completely loyal to me!" the Queen bellows.
"The original Envy wasn't. Gluttony wasn't. The rest would abandon you in a heartbeat without that spell on them," Hime counters defiantly. "In fact, the first thing I do once you're done for is get the last bit of that curse removed."
"NEVER!"
The room begins to quake as the Queen tries to bring the castle down around them. Chunks of ceiling fall from the sky, forcing Kamen Rider Hime to jump back on her Ride Machine to avoid being crushed. She begins wall riding again, going as quickly as she can to avoid chunks of debris that are being thrown at her. When a huge hole opens up in front of her, Hime leaps into the air, grabbing Palanquin Cycle and swinging it like a large club at the Queen, who manifests a long staff and blocks Hime's strike. The Queen parries and thrusts, breaking Hime's grip on her improvised weapon and then clubbing her in the face.
"Maybe now you'll shut up. I can't hear myself think around you!" the Queen says.
"I thought you'd welcome the chance to finally have something go through that empty head of yours," Hime counters. "LIKE MY FIST!"
A sickening CRACK rings through the chamber as Kamen Rider Hime lets the Queen have a taste of her Paru Paru Punch, leaving a dark charred circle in the middle of the Queen's face. Beautifying treatments like that normally cost thousands, Hime notes, but she'll do this one for free. The Queen sputters and rushes forward with her staff. Hime pulls a shield from behind her back and blocks the staff.
"Elise suggested I bring a sword, but I told her I didn't need it just for you, Cassandra," Kamen Rider Hime taunts.
The Queen of Sin howls and swings the staff like a berserker, pushing Kamen Rider Hime against the wall. Hime continues to block, but she is being pushed back hard enough to cause the wall to slowly crumble behind her.
Back in Bridge City, the Sins continue to fight viciously. Kamen Rider Sol is getting a rematch with Sloth and Lust, using massive heat blasts to keep them from coordinating their attacks and clubbing them with a huge cement boot when they get too close. Kamen Rider Pluto is much lighter on her feet than an injured Parsee and uses speed to keep Greed from landing a solid hit on her. Meanwhile, Xavier and Pride cross swords, sending sparks flying each time their blades hit. Pride angrily demands to know why Gluttony has betrayed the Sins and Xavier answers that he never owed Cassandra his loyalty to begin, none of them do after she enslaved them to her will. Xavier asks Pride to remember the days when he was Alvin, an intelligent man who was never afraid to boast of his accomplishments because he had the talent and intelligence to back up his claims. Xavier also asks his friend and enemy to remember when he also took pride in the accomplishments of others who worked hard to achieve things, whether Alvin had helped or not.
Pride falters for a moment, long enough for Xavier to tear off his helmet and look him right in the eye. Xavier pleads for Pride to remember his hopes and dreams, his plans to help build nations that came crashing down because they were all fooled by Cassandra into participating in that stupid ritual. Xavier throws down his sword and grabs Pride's shoulders, asking him to not be too proud to admit they've all been wrong these many centuries. Pride begins to falter, but his eyes harden, showing his resolve, to which Xavier rolls his eyes and headbutts Pride, knocking him out.
"Eh...Elise can sort him out later," Xavier remarks and grabs his sword.
Back in Pandora, Kamen Rider Hime and the Queen continue to tear the throne room apart with their duel. The roof and walls have mostly collapsed Neither woman is looking too good at the moment: the Queen is bloodied and bruised while numerous gaps have appeared in Hime's armor. The two pause for a moment to glare at each other, panting and gasping.
"Why won't you die? You were never this powerful the last time you were here," the Queen snarls.
Kamen Rider Hime crosses her arms and smiles. "It's all thanks to you, Cassandra. The one Sin you never needed was Envy because you have so much in the pit where your heart should be. You have so much Envy inside, over people being smarter than you, being more talented than you, getting more privileges than you. And Elise...wow...so much there! Is it because she's taller than you? Prettier than you? More popular than you? All of the above? All that and more, I imagine. And because of that, it doesn't matter how long we fight here for: you can never kill me because you give me strength!"
Kamen Rider Hime assumes a fighting stance as she continues speaking.
"Jealously guarding the bridge between life and death...
The envy of all hearts that yearn for justice...
When my gaze descends upon you, victory is mine...
I am the green-eyed defender of justice...
KAMEN RIDER HIME!"
Kamen Rider Hime charges forward as the Queen fires bolt after bolt of lighting. The Rider ignores the bolts, shrugging off their force as she delivers a crushing blow to the Queen, punching through her staff and into her face. Hime dances around the Queen's clumsy staff blows and endures flames, ice, and more as she continues to deliver a brutal flurry of blows, sending the Queen into the air with a fierce uppercut.
Bleeding and gasping, the Queen begins gathering her powers.
"Defender of justice? I spit on you! I am the Queen of Sin, the founder of evil in this world! You may THINK you know Sin, but I command it, bend it to my will! Now taste true Original Sin...
AND DIE, YOU USELESS WHELP!"
Kamen Rider Hime leaps up to deliver a finishing blow to the Queen, but it's too late as a dark, swirling blast erupts from the Queen's palms. The blast is immense, blasting through several floor of Pandora as the Queen maintains it, wanting once and for all to be rid of Kamen Rider Hime. The blast dissipates and, lying in a crater, lay the Rider. The Queen cackles and boasts that this outcome was inevitable as the body of Hime....disappears. Simply vanishes. All expect her helmet.
The Queen gapes, not quite expecting THAT. A clearing throat from above draw her attention.
Parsee, without her helmet, is grinning on the ceiling, admonishing Cassandra for killing a poor, helpless clone before powering up an attack and leaping towards her foe with a resounding...
"STARS...
ABOVE...
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK"
The Queen screams and tries to throw up a magical barrier, but the concentrated magical force in the Rider Kick easily overcomes any attempt at deflecting it. Parsee, glaring with all the hatred in her heart, and Cassandra, overcome with fear for the first time in centuries, look each other in the eye as they plunge into the crater the blast earlier made until they hit the bottom. Defeated, the Queen explodes, shaking the foundations of Pandora, bringing the once-proud institution crumbling around them...
In Bridge City, the portal to Pandora begins to waver and the Sins simultaneously convulse as their connection to their mistress is broken. Kamen Riders Sol and Pluto look at each other and stick their heads in the portal. They immediately leap back out, Pluto remarking that whatever's on the other side is falling apart! Xavier begins to run into the portal, but both riders hold him back, telling him it's a death sentence to go in there. Xavier asks them what will happen to Hime then? Neither sister has an answer.
Back in Pandora, Parsee manages to pull herself out of the pit with one arm, the other having been crushed by falling debris. She looks about her situation and groans, knowing she's too injured to run to safety and too tired to fly.
Palanquin Cycle picks that moment to pull up next to her, the Rider swearing she can hear her mother saying she'll guide her to safety. With no time to argue with her hallucinations, Parsee climbs on, revs the engine, and Rides...
A month later...
The convenience store has reopened! Xavier is busy working the counter, helping the Shine Maidens and asking them not to cause too much trouble while Alvin is busy muttering and mopping the floor. Xavier teases his friend and tells him to put some pride into his work. Alvin looks up and tells Xavier to stop sneaking backs on gum while on the job. The two manage to have a chuckle and Alvin remarks how it seems like so long ago when they were trying to destroy the city and now they were back to being apprentice sages. Xavier laughs nervously and agrees at how odd it feels.
Xavier sighs and says he wishes Parsee were there with them.
Unfortunately for him, she picks that moment to appear. Store manager Parsee tells them they can chitchat when the floor is clean and she WILL be docking Xavier's pay if he keeps sneaking snacks. She claps her hands, telling them she expects things to be in tip-top shape when Julie (Lust) and Percival (Sloth) come in for their shift and they can have their turn at Sage School with Satori.
Then an explosion comes from outside and the Kappa Mob's van drives by. Parsee sighs and mutters something about Riders Gonna Ride and goes back into her office. A minute later, Kamen Rider Hime on a new Envy Driver zips by the store.
The final panel shows Kamen Rider Hime kicking a Grim Reaper, Ni's new moll, in the chest while the Kappas lay on the ground with large lumps on their heads.
THE END....?
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
Kamen RIder Hime Vol 12
Xavier fidgets. He's alone in a room with his old friend Elise, now known as Satori, and he can feel her mental fingers reaching into his head, trying to pluck out all of his secrets. A lifetime of hiding his thoughts makes it difficult for her though and this duel has been going on for well over an hour after Parsee was taken to surgery. The real challenge though is who will break first and actually say something.
The silence is broken when Parsee enters the room with a large bandage across her torso and yells out for them to just kiss already. Xavier and Satori turn to glare, only to have Parsee glaring back at them. Parsee shakes her head and asks the big question: "What now?"
Xavier states that without any good candidates for Sins in Bridge City, the Queen will move on to another city to terrorize until she has a full group of knights so she can begin actively trying to take over the world. Parsee clenches her teeth while Satori looks unconcerned, almost bored. Parsee calls her out on this but Satori answers that as long as she's not in Bridge City, Satori doesn't care. Xavier remarks that Satori has changed since the days she was called Elise, but Satori says the same thing about Xavier.
Suddenly, Satori finds herself being glared at by someone else: Okuu. The Hell Raven calmly asks why Satori is so eager to defer yet another big issue, casually strumming on her chest for emphasis. Mother and daughter hold each other's gaze for moments before Satori flinches and asks if Parsee has a plan.
Of course Parsee does: go back to their castle school and start punching people!
Even Okuu is appalled by that plan. Satori asks how Parsee plans to do that without powers.
Now Parsee is appalled too.
Xavier speaks up with an idea of how to get Parsee's powers back: since she was born with them, they'll recharge in a few years! Parsee says that the Queen will be long gone by then. Xavier then suggests something more drastic: turn Parsee into a new Envy.
Parsee immediately gets in Xavier's face, shaking her fist and growling that she just avoided that happening. Xavier tips his seat over trying to back up and explains: the ritual does bind the subject to the caster, which is why Parsee would need to perform the ritual on herself, making her her own master.
Parsee asks if that could work and Satori, mildly peeved, states that it COULD work, but it would still be incredibly dangerous. Parsee grins and agrees to do it.
In Satori's basement, the team is busy setting up for the ritual: Parsee is drawing runes on her skin, Xavier and Satori are writing down the instructions for performing the ritual, and Orin and Okuu are busy drawing magical circles on the floor. The result looks inelegant and sloppy, especially Parsee's self-tattoos, but Satori deems it all adequate. She begins herding everyone else out of the room, turning and telling Parsee her mother would never be this impetuous.
Parsee smirks and asks if Satori is still missing a tooth. Satori blushes and leaves.
Now alone, Parsee grabs the sheets of paper with an incantation and other instructions written on it. She paces about the room, reading everything out loud. As she recites the magic words, the marks on the floor and on her skin begin to glow in a pulsating pattern. The pulses grow quicker and quicker the more she reads until they are just constantly lit. A shrill ringing suddenly rages through Parsee's head, causing her to drop the notes as she clutches her skull.
In an instant, a memory of every time Parsee had been jealous or envious ripped through her mind. Jealousy that work kept her mother from being home. Envy that her mother was better at riding motorcycles. Jealousy whenever she saw a kid who had a nicer outfit or cooler toys. Envy whenever she saw a happy couple come into her store. After awhile, thoughts and memories that weren't even hers flooded into her mind, the envy and jealousy of everyone in Bridge City.
With a scream, Parsee begins to stand, struggling not to be overwhelmed. A trickle of blood leaks from her nose and her legs tremble. She growls that she's been jealous her entire life, she's never NOT felt envious of something, but through it all, she never let herself be controlled by it. She never let some petty feeling stop her from wishing people well or fighting for justice.
The trembling stops as she grits her teeth, boldly declaring that SHE is the one who controls envy, not the other way around. SHE is the one whom others should be envious of! SHE...IS...ENVY.
And in that moment, the voices stop and Parsees finds herself in a barrel chamber instead of Satori's basement. A mysterious light from above casts its glow where Parsee stands, but nowhere beyond a few feet. Footsteps echo through the room and a knight in blue-and-tan armor steps into the light. Parsee asks if the knight is Envy, but the knight shakes her head.
"I was once called Envy. It was a terrible time," the knight says. "But now I am no longer that person. You have claimed the power and title of Envy for yourself, granddaughter."
Parsee quirks and eyebrow, about to speak, but more footsteps echo through the room. The light expands to show dozens of Kamen Rider Himes surrounding the two. One steps forward, speaking with a voice familiar to Parsee.
"She is more than just Envy. She bears the title of Kamen Rider Hime, successor to a heritage of justice and self-determination."
The Rider removes her helmet, exposing the long purple-and-gold hair of Byakuren.
"And a daughter I could not be more proud of."
Parsee rushes forward and embraces her mother. Byakuren smiles and continues.
"Through hardship and heartbreak, you have never given in to despair, my daughter. Your devotion to justice is unbreakable, as is my love for you. The enemy you will face is the greatest you have ever seen, but you have the strength and will to survive."
The two step back from each other as the room begins to fade. Parsee is slowly shaking off the strange effects of the ritual and watches her mother fade away.
"And remember, the Rider must always ride..."
The room changes back to Satori's basement and Parsee feels a severe case of motion sickness. She slowly stands up and wonders if that was actually helpful. Then she feels it...a whisper at first, but it slowly builds until she can hear the ebb and flow of envy in Bridge City, not a loud, uncontrolled roar, but a slow channel flowing into her, giving her strength. She grins, deciding to try something.
She reaches for her belt before remember she doesn't have the Henshin Device anymore, but she tries anyway.
"HENSHIN!"
The room crackles and shakes as the power of Envy flows through Parsee's body, the stream becoming a raging river as armor forms around her body.
Kamen Rider Hime is reborn.
The silence is broken when Parsee enters the room with a large bandage across her torso and yells out for them to just kiss already. Xavier and Satori turn to glare, only to have Parsee glaring back at them. Parsee shakes her head and asks the big question: "What now?"
Xavier states that without any good candidates for Sins in Bridge City, the Queen will move on to another city to terrorize until she has a full group of knights so she can begin actively trying to take over the world. Parsee clenches her teeth while Satori looks unconcerned, almost bored. Parsee calls her out on this but Satori answers that as long as she's not in Bridge City, Satori doesn't care. Xavier remarks that Satori has changed since the days she was called Elise, but Satori says the same thing about Xavier.
Suddenly, Satori finds herself being glared at by someone else: Okuu. The Hell Raven calmly asks why Satori is so eager to defer yet another big issue, casually strumming on her chest for emphasis. Mother and daughter hold each other's gaze for moments before Satori flinches and asks if Parsee has a plan.
Of course Parsee does: go back to their castle school and start punching people!
Even Okuu is appalled by that plan. Satori asks how Parsee plans to do that without powers.
Now Parsee is appalled too.
Xavier speaks up with an idea of how to get Parsee's powers back: since she was born with them, they'll recharge in a few years! Parsee says that the Queen will be long gone by then. Xavier then suggests something more drastic: turn Parsee into a new Envy.
Parsee immediately gets in Xavier's face, shaking her fist and growling that she just avoided that happening. Xavier tips his seat over trying to back up and explains: the ritual does bind the subject to the caster, which is why Parsee would need to perform the ritual on herself, making her her own master.
Parsee asks if that could work and Satori, mildly peeved, states that it COULD work, but it would still be incredibly dangerous. Parsee grins and agrees to do it.
In Satori's basement, the team is busy setting up for the ritual: Parsee is drawing runes on her skin, Xavier and Satori are writing down the instructions for performing the ritual, and Orin and Okuu are busy drawing magical circles on the floor. The result looks inelegant and sloppy, especially Parsee's self-tattoos, but Satori deems it all adequate. She begins herding everyone else out of the room, turning and telling Parsee her mother would never be this impetuous.
Parsee smirks and asks if Satori is still missing a tooth. Satori blushes and leaves.
Now alone, Parsee grabs the sheets of paper with an incantation and other instructions written on it. She paces about the room, reading everything out loud. As she recites the magic words, the marks on the floor and on her skin begin to glow in a pulsating pattern. The pulses grow quicker and quicker the more she reads until they are just constantly lit. A shrill ringing suddenly rages through Parsee's head, causing her to drop the notes as she clutches her skull.
In an instant, a memory of every time Parsee had been jealous or envious ripped through her mind. Jealousy that work kept her mother from being home. Envy that her mother was better at riding motorcycles. Jealousy whenever she saw a kid who had a nicer outfit or cooler toys. Envy whenever she saw a happy couple come into her store. After awhile, thoughts and memories that weren't even hers flooded into her mind, the envy and jealousy of everyone in Bridge City.
With a scream, Parsee begins to stand, struggling not to be overwhelmed. A trickle of blood leaks from her nose and her legs tremble. She growls that she's been jealous her entire life, she's never NOT felt envious of something, but through it all, she never let herself be controlled by it. She never let some petty feeling stop her from wishing people well or fighting for justice.
The trembling stops as she grits her teeth, boldly declaring that SHE is the one who controls envy, not the other way around. SHE is the one whom others should be envious of! SHE...IS...ENVY.
And in that moment, the voices stop and Parsees finds herself in a barrel chamber instead of Satori's basement. A mysterious light from above casts its glow where Parsee stands, but nowhere beyond a few feet. Footsteps echo through the room and a knight in blue-and-tan armor steps into the light. Parsee asks if the knight is Envy, but the knight shakes her head.
"I was once called Envy. It was a terrible time," the knight says. "But now I am no longer that person. You have claimed the power and title of Envy for yourself, granddaughter."
Parsee quirks and eyebrow, about to speak, but more footsteps echo through the room. The light expands to show dozens of Kamen Rider Himes surrounding the two. One steps forward, speaking with a voice familiar to Parsee.
"She is more than just Envy. She bears the title of Kamen Rider Hime, successor to a heritage of justice and self-determination."
The Rider removes her helmet, exposing the long purple-and-gold hair of Byakuren.
"And a daughter I could not be more proud of."
Parsee rushes forward and embraces her mother. Byakuren smiles and continues.
"Through hardship and heartbreak, you have never given in to despair, my daughter. Your devotion to justice is unbreakable, as is my love for you. The enemy you will face is the greatest you have ever seen, but you have the strength and will to survive."
The two step back from each other as the room begins to fade. Parsee is slowly shaking off the strange effects of the ritual and watches her mother fade away.
"And remember, the Rider must always ride..."
The room changes back to Satori's basement and Parsee feels a severe case of motion sickness. She slowly stands up and wonders if that was actually helpful. Then she feels it...a whisper at first, but it slowly builds until she can hear the ebb and flow of envy in Bridge City, not a loud, uncontrolled roar, but a slow channel flowing into her, giving her strength. She grins, deciding to try something.
She reaches for her belt before remember she doesn't have the Henshin Device anymore, but she tries anyway.
"HENSHIN!"
The room crackles and shakes as the power of Envy flows through Parsee's body, the stream becoming a raging river as armor forms around her body.
Kamen Rider Hime is reborn.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Kamen Rider Hime Vol. 11
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 20 years ago...
A woman with purple hair sits on her roof in the middle of a rainstorm. Byakuren Hijiri, member of the Bridge City council and single mother, takes a deep breath as she practices focusing with her mind, using meditation to remove the feeling of the rain from her skin. She chants gently as she expands her consciousness or something people do while meditating. Nearby, a young girl in a raincoat watches, waiting. After a few minutes, the girls walks over and opens an umbrella over Byakuren, surprising her out of her trance.
"Parsee, what are you doing up here? It's cold," she says, looking at raincoat girl.
"You'll catch cold if you sit in the rain, Mommy," young Parsee protests. "That's what you tell me when I put my coat on."
"This is different, sweetie. I'm training my mind to ignore the touch of the rain, to calm my thoughts."
"But you noticed as soon as I held the umbrella up."
Byakuren smiles and nods. "You're right. Mommy needs more practice. Later though; would it be smarter if we went in and had some chocolate milk?"
Young Parsee's eyes light up as she practically drags her mother inside for a glass of her favorite treat.
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 17 years ago...
Byakuren and Parsee are busy in their dojo practicing martial arts. Byakuren slowly goes through her routine so her daughter can follow. The elder keeps up an encouraging rapport even as some of the moves are too difficult for a young girl to pull off. The training continues for another half hour until the door opens, admitting one of Byakuren's aides.
"Ma'am, a call from city hall. The mayor wants to convene a special session of the council tonight to vote on the highway expansion."
Byakuren sighs and begins toweling off. "Damn. It's not the mayor calling for this, it's Satori. Nobody else would insist on relocating so many people just to expand a few blocks of road. Tell them I'll be there, of course."
Parsee grabs her mother's gi and tugs on it. "You'll be back tonight, right, Mommy?"
Byakuren smiles and tussles Parsee's hair. "It'll only be a couple of hours. Keep practicing, because I AM going to test you tonight."
"Can I listen to my music too?"
Byakuren nods. "You can, and if you need anything, just ask Puddington."
Parsee cheers and hugs her mother's legs before turning on some cheerful music to continue her punch and kick routine. Byakuren sighs happily before ordering someone to warm up her motorcycle while she gets changed.
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 13 years ago...
Byakuren sighs as she returns home. What a day...nothing but trying to keep the council focuses on working for the benefit on the city, trying to keep taxes from being cut in the wrong places, and another attempt by Satori to get her to advocate an expansion for the nuclear power plant. The thing produced enough power as is; why did it need to be bigger?
For now though, she had to prepare for tomorrow. She thought she'd gotten the agriculture debate settled ages ago, but someone read a stupid magazine and wanted to reopen the subject immediately. She begins walking to her office when she hears music. Parsee was training again, going through her routines again and again.
Byakuren heads downstairs and watches her daughter, drenched in sweat, go through the motions of attack again and again before turning off the music.
"How was work, Mom?" Parsee asks, chugging down some water.
"Bah...more of the usual," Byakuren says. "Every time I get them straightened up, they get bent out of shape again."
Parsee shrugs and sits down. "We're still going Riding tomorrow though, right?"
Riding. Capital R Riding. Byakuren bites her lip, remembering that she promised to finally start showing Parsee some of the family secrets, like the Henshin Device and her Ride Machine. Her daughter knew she was Kamen Rider, but Byakuren was careful never to actually transform near home for fear of drawing attention.
She nods. "Yes, we're still going riding. There's a special session of the council tomorrow, but I'll tell Ichirin to take my place."
Parsee whoops and cheers. "Finally! You're finally going to teach me the awesome stuff!"
Mother and daughter share a laugh before training together.
Downtown Bridge City, 8 years ago...
Kamen Rider Hime groans as she sits up. Too much time spent working on the city council, not enough time training herself or Parsee to continue being the Rider. Now she might not ever get the chance to finish what she started. She gets to her feet and watches the towering purple-skinned dinosaur man stomp towards her. It bellows in a strange tongue, waving its meaty fists angrily. A strange blue sphere hovered nearby but did little else. Hime gets to her feet and begins to strategize: frontal attack was no good, its hide was too strong, and it was surprisingly difficult to trick. The only soft spots the monster seemed to have were in its mouth and its eyes.
Kamen Rider Hime rolls to the side as the dinosaur man throws a car where she'd been standing, but she's hit when another car is thrown at her. She throws a pair of energy blasts that stagger the dinosaur man back long enough for her to mount her Ride Machine. She weaves back and forth as she is bombarded with concrete chunks and debris, but she continues gaining speed until...
"Highway Turbo Air Turn!"
Her Ride Machine, Palanquin Cycle, glows with energy as it crashes head-first into the dinosaur man. To the Rider's surprise though, the purple monster is able to withstand the attack, though he is slowly pushed back and his stomach begins to smolder. Two meaty fists smash the bike from both sides, crumpling the front end of the bike as Kamen Rider Hime takes the opportunity to deliver crushing punches to his face, snapping off some teeth but doing little actual damage.
Undeterred, Kamen Rider Hime jumps back and begins charging up another attack.
"Heaven Sign: Brilliance of Mahava-!"
She is interrupted as she is lifted into the air by the purple monster and has her midsection bitten down on. Strangely, despite being in great pain, she seems pleased to be in this position.
"Brilliance of Mahavairocana!"
Kamen Rider Hime's body glows like a miniature sun as she finishes her spell. The monster tries to drop her, but it is too late as massive beams of light erupt from the Rider's body...and right into his soft mouth. He howls in pain and fury as Hime wraps her arms around his jaws, forcing him to literally eat death as beam after beam fries his vulnerable mouth and up into his brain.
The beast manages one last strange utterance before dying: "Vacio..."
Kamen Rider Hime manages to get back on her bike and drive home.
The moment she arrived home, Byakuren announced her intention to step down from the city council. She managed to cover up her injuries as being caught up in the fight between the creature the news called Pteron and Kamen Rider. She spends a week recovering, hiring the best physicians to treat her wounds. Her training sessions with Parsee intensify, becoming more about being Kamen Rider than just focusing on martial arts. Philosophy, tactics, creating spell cards and a Ride Machine...Byakuren holds nothing back and Parsee passes every test.
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 6 years ago...
Byakuren smiles as she takes a handful of painkillers, grateful for the privacy as she watches a news report about Kamen Rider Hime fighting a local gang of thugs. Her heart swells with pride as the Rider rescues several hostages and drives off before she can give an interviews.
The former Kamen Rider Hime begins making her way downstairs to pour two glasses of chocolate milk. However much some things changed, there would always be something that stayed the same and Parsee would no doubt want to chat all night about how her first mission went...
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 5 years ago...
Parsee dries her eyes for the hundredth time since the funeral. Byakuren had looked peaceful as they sealed her coffin and lowered it into the ground. Having long been a popular and respected city council member, her colleagues insisted on paying the expenses and hosting a grand event. It hadn't mattered to Parsee, who still felt numb.
She looks at some papers labeled "autopsy" and mutters that she finally understands why her mother had insisted on intensifying her training. Pteron had left deep, lasting wounds despite the Rider's armor. Byakuren had seen the best surgeons in the city; it had been a matter of when, not if. Parsee cries as she remembers how Byakuren had insisted on the training, clearly wanting to spend her last years with her daughter to prepare her to be the best Kamen Rider she could be.
And that was the legacy Parsee chooses to honor: defending the city as Kamen Rider, not trying to take up her mother's other kind of civil service. That night, she takes her mother's things to the basement - including Palanquin Cycle, which Parsee has replaced with her own Envy Driver.
Parsee changes her name the next day to distance herself from Byakuren's council dealings. Parsee Hijiri is gone; Parsee Mizuhashi is here.
Satori Tower, Bridge City, present day...
Parsee awakens.
A woman with purple hair sits on her roof in the middle of a rainstorm. Byakuren Hijiri, member of the Bridge City council and single mother, takes a deep breath as she practices focusing with her mind, using meditation to remove the feeling of the rain from her skin. She chants gently as she expands her consciousness or something people do while meditating. Nearby, a young girl in a raincoat watches, waiting. After a few minutes, the girls walks over and opens an umbrella over Byakuren, surprising her out of her trance.
"Parsee, what are you doing up here? It's cold," she says, looking at raincoat girl.
"You'll catch cold if you sit in the rain, Mommy," young Parsee protests. "That's what you tell me when I put my coat on."
"This is different, sweetie. I'm training my mind to ignore the touch of the rain, to calm my thoughts."
"But you noticed as soon as I held the umbrella up."
Byakuren smiles and nods. "You're right. Mommy needs more practice. Later though; would it be smarter if we went in and had some chocolate milk?"
Young Parsee's eyes light up as she practically drags her mother inside for a glass of her favorite treat.
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 17 years ago...
Byakuren and Parsee are busy in their dojo practicing martial arts. Byakuren slowly goes through her routine so her daughter can follow. The elder keeps up an encouraging rapport even as some of the moves are too difficult for a young girl to pull off. The training continues for another half hour until the door opens, admitting one of Byakuren's aides.
"Ma'am, a call from city hall. The mayor wants to convene a special session of the council tonight to vote on the highway expansion."
Byakuren sighs and begins toweling off. "Damn. It's not the mayor calling for this, it's Satori. Nobody else would insist on relocating so many people just to expand a few blocks of road. Tell them I'll be there, of course."
Parsee grabs her mother's gi and tugs on it. "You'll be back tonight, right, Mommy?"
Byakuren smiles and tussles Parsee's hair. "It'll only be a couple of hours. Keep practicing, because I AM going to test you tonight."
"Can I listen to my music too?"
Byakuren nods. "You can, and if you need anything, just ask Puddington."
Parsee cheers and hugs her mother's legs before turning on some cheerful music to continue her punch and kick routine. Byakuren sighs happily before ordering someone to warm up her motorcycle while she gets changed.
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 13 years ago...
Byakuren sighs as she returns home. What a day...nothing but trying to keep the council focuses on working for the benefit on the city, trying to keep taxes from being cut in the wrong places, and another attempt by Satori to get her to advocate an expansion for the nuclear power plant. The thing produced enough power as is; why did it need to be bigger?
For now though, she had to prepare for tomorrow. She thought she'd gotten the agriculture debate settled ages ago, but someone read a stupid magazine and wanted to reopen the subject immediately. She begins walking to her office when she hears music. Parsee was training again, going through her routines again and again.
Byakuren heads downstairs and watches her daughter, drenched in sweat, go through the motions of attack again and again before turning off the music.
"How was work, Mom?" Parsee asks, chugging down some water.
"Bah...more of the usual," Byakuren says. "Every time I get them straightened up, they get bent out of shape again."
Parsee shrugs and sits down. "We're still going Riding tomorrow though, right?"
Riding. Capital R Riding. Byakuren bites her lip, remembering that she promised to finally start showing Parsee some of the family secrets, like the Henshin Device and her Ride Machine. Her daughter knew she was Kamen Rider, but Byakuren was careful never to actually transform near home for fear of drawing attention.
She nods. "Yes, we're still going riding. There's a special session of the council tomorrow, but I'll tell Ichirin to take my place."
Parsee whoops and cheers. "Finally! You're finally going to teach me the awesome stuff!"
Mother and daughter share a laugh before training together.
Downtown Bridge City, 8 years ago...
Kamen Rider Hime groans as she sits up. Too much time spent working on the city council, not enough time training herself or Parsee to continue being the Rider. Now she might not ever get the chance to finish what she started. She gets to her feet and watches the towering purple-skinned dinosaur man stomp towards her. It bellows in a strange tongue, waving its meaty fists angrily. A strange blue sphere hovered nearby but did little else. Hime gets to her feet and begins to strategize: frontal attack was no good, its hide was too strong, and it was surprisingly difficult to trick. The only soft spots the monster seemed to have were in its mouth and its eyes.
Kamen Rider Hime rolls to the side as the dinosaur man throws a car where she'd been standing, but she's hit when another car is thrown at her. She throws a pair of energy blasts that stagger the dinosaur man back long enough for her to mount her Ride Machine. She weaves back and forth as she is bombarded with concrete chunks and debris, but she continues gaining speed until...
"Highway Turbo Air Turn!"
Her Ride Machine, Palanquin Cycle, glows with energy as it crashes head-first into the dinosaur man. To the Rider's surprise though, the purple monster is able to withstand the attack, though he is slowly pushed back and his stomach begins to smolder. Two meaty fists smash the bike from both sides, crumpling the front end of the bike as Kamen Rider Hime takes the opportunity to deliver crushing punches to his face, snapping off some teeth but doing little actual damage.
Undeterred, Kamen Rider Hime jumps back and begins charging up another attack.
"Heaven Sign: Brilliance of Mahava-!"
She is interrupted as she is lifted into the air by the purple monster and has her midsection bitten down on. Strangely, despite being in great pain, she seems pleased to be in this position.
"Brilliance of Mahavairocana!"
Kamen Rider Hime's body glows like a miniature sun as she finishes her spell. The monster tries to drop her, but it is too late as massive beams of light erupt from the Rider's body...and right into his soft mouth. He howls in pain and fury as Hime wraps her arms around his jaws, forcing him to literally eat death as beam after beam fries his vulnerable mouth and up into his brain.
The beast manages one last strange utterance before dying: "Vacio..."
Kamen Rider Hime manages to get back on her bike and drive home.
The moment she arrived home, Byakuren announced her intention to step down from the city council. She managed to cover up her injuries as being caught up in the fight between the creature the news called Pteron and Kamen Rider. She spends a week recovering, hiring the best physicians to treat her wounds. Her training sessions with Parsee intensify, becoming more about being Kamen Rider than just focusing on martial arts. Philosophy, tactics, creating spell cards and a Ride Machine...Byakuren holds nothing back and Parsee passes every test.
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 6 years ago...
Byakuren smiles as she takes a handful of painkillers, grateful for the privacy as she watches a news report about Kamen Rider Hime fighting a local gang of thugs. Her heart swells with pride as the Rider rescues several hostages and drives off before she can give an interviews.
The former Kamen Rider Hime begins making her way downstairs to pour two glasses of chocolate milk. However much some things changed, there would always be something that stayed the same and Parsee would no doubt want to chat all night about how her first mission went...
Hijiri Household, Bridge City, 5 years ago...
Parsee dries her eyes for the hundredth time since the funeral. Byakuren had looked peaceful as they sealed her coffin and lowered it into the ground. Having long been a popular and respected city council member, her colleagues insisted on paying the expenses and hosting a grand event. It hadn't mattered to Parsee, who still felt numb.
She looks at some papers labeled "autopsy" and mutters that she finally understands why her mother had insisted on intensifying her training. Pteron had left deep, lasting wounds despite the Rider's armor. Byakuren had seen the best surgeons in the city; it had been a matter of when, not if. Parsee cries as she remembers how Byakuren had insisted on the training, clearly wanting to spend her last years with her daughter to prepare her to be the best Kamen Rider she could be.
And that was the legacy Parsee chooses to honor: defending the city as Kamen Rider, not trying to take up her mother's other kind of civil service. That night, she takes her mother's things to the basement - including Palanquin Cycle, which Parsee has replaced with her own Envy Driver.
Parsee changes her name the next day to distance herself from Byakuren's council dealings. Parsee Hijiri is gone; Parsee Mizuhashi is here.
Satori Tower, Bridge City, present day...
Parsee awakens.
Kamen Rider Hime Volume 11 Totally Legit Not SPonsored At all
Jumpropeman: *places ear up to it* "I'm thinking.... Arby's"
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Kamen Rider Hime Vol. 10
Kamen Rider Hime slips in and out of consciousness as she is carried to the Queen of Sin. To her surprise, the halls of her enemy's home are not the grim corridors of a castle or fortress, but almost artistic hallways carved of lightly-colored stone with frequent torches lighting the way. The only people she sees though appear like walking corpses, skin faded to the color of ash and the color on any of them were bright red cuts or puncture wounds, that go about cleaning tasks with barely any signs of acknowledging the world around them. These, Gluttony explains, are the dead who walk. The Queen of Sin needed her palace to be maintained, but she would never deign to workself nor would she ordered her Sins to do the work of commoners, so she used her magic to revive everyone they'd killed in the building to continue doing the drudgery they performed in life.
Hime shudders.
The walk seems to take an eternity as they pass through an entire university of undead maintenance staff and immaculate, identical halls. Finally, they reach a set of large double-doors that a couple of servants are opening. Gluttony sighs inwardly, having entered these doors hundreds of times, but never regretting it so much as this time. Seated on her throne in the old school headmaster's office was the Queen of Sin herself, Pride standing respectfully close. Kamen Rider Hime looked at her, amazed that her greatest enemy was such a small-looking person who, on fairy wings, immediately flew over to examine the defeated rider.
The Queen began to cackle and boast, declaring how easy it had been to trap the Rider. Kamen Rider Hime counters by asking the little girl if she was lost and needed help finding her mommy. The Queen shrieks, countering by placing a hand on Hime's chest to begin draining her Sin power from her. After a minute, Kamen Rider Hime is turned back into Parsee. The Queen cackles boastfully and taunts the Rider, explaining that there will be no more Kamen Rider after today; just another Envy. She scurries off, ordering Gluttony and Greed to prepare her for "The Ritual."
Gluttony begins strapping Parsee to a chair while Greed begins to draw a ritual circle around it. The entire time, Parsee glares at the knight she once thought was her friend, berating him for betraying her, for using her. Eventually, Gluttony tries defending his action and Greed tells him to stop arguing with the prisoner. Parsee tells him to mind his own business and Greed complies, finishing up the ritual circle.
In the hours leading up to the ritual, Parsee struggled with the straps holding her in place. She tries talking to the servants, hoping to convince one to let her go, but she goes completely ignored. What else is new, she wonders as she continues her efforts.
Preparations for The Ritual are complete. The Queen is now ready to turn Parsee into her new Envy and bring her elite troops one step closer to full. The knights stand respectfully outside of the circle as the Queen begins her incantation. Towards the height of the ritual, she stands in front of Parsee, smirking arrogantly. To her surprise, she finds herself being punched in the face. Parsee has managed to free one of her arms, her wrist covered in blood from wiggling it so much. She quickly undoes the other restraint and punches the Queen again before running out of the circle.
The Queen howls, firing off a spell that hits Parsee in the back. She staggers, a massive wound in her side weeping, but gets up and keeps running. The Queen howls for her knights to stop her and they draw their swords. Parsee is almost to the door when she finds a sword suddenly coming out of her chest. She mutters something akin to "just like in the movies" as Gluttony removes his blade and grabs her by the shoulders.
The Queen is on him in an instant, berating him for killing her new Envy. Gluttony quickly kneels and begins explaining that he was mistaken, that Parsee was a poor choice, that she was disrespectful to her rightful queen, and that he should be punished for being so mistaken. Placated, the Queen agrees; he shall be punished with no food for a month and he shall go dump the body back in Bridge City. She sighs and orders Pride to begin looking for more potential Sins while she goes and naps. Gluttony continues kneeling as the other Sins pass him by scowling as he remains kneeling.
With a stiff gait, Gluttony carries the dying Parsee back to Bridge City and begins to wander aimlessly. He tries desperately to remember things he and Parsee had spoken about, reliving their times together as he searches for the other Kamen Rider, the one who helped her against him in their first fight. Looking up, he sees a familiar tower, one he had sent Crabmelt to attack. He walks in its direction, loudly shouting out for Kamen Rider.
Unsurprisingly, not a single Kamen Rider shows up. Instead, Kamen Rider Pluto's motorcycle shows up with a pink-haired passenger. Satori gets off the bike and confronts Gluttony. To her surprise though, he instead takes off his helmet and, with reasonable urgency, steps forward. Satori and Gluttony look at each other with surprise for a moment before each saying a single word.
Satori: "Xavier?!"
Gluttony: "Elise?!"
Satori knocks Gluttony out with a spell and loads him onto the back of the bike and looks at Parsee.
"So...Byakuren's daughter is the Rider. Interesting."
She drives the two back to her tower. Okuu and Orin strip Gluttony of his armor and lock it awhile while Parsee is taken to surgery. Satori looks at the Sin fondly and waits for him to awaken.
Hime shudders.
The walk seems to take an eternity as they pass through an entire university of undead maintenance staff and immaculate, identical halls. Finally, they reach a set of large double-doors that a couple of servants are opening. Gluttony sighs inwardly, having entered these doors hundreds of times, but never regretting it so much as this time. Seated on her throne in the old school headmaster's office was the Queen of Sin herself, Pride standing respectfully close. Kamen Rider Hime looked at her, amazed that her greatest enemy was such a small-looking person who, on fairy wings, immediately flew over to examine the defeated rider.
The Queen began to cackle and boast, declaring how easy it had been to trap the Rider. Kamen Rider Hime counters by asking the little girl if she was lost and needed help finding her mommy. The Queen shrieks, countering by placing a hand on Hime's chest to begin draining her Sin power from her. After a minute, Kamen Rider Hime is turned back into Parsee. The Queen cackles boastfully and taunts the Rider, explaining that there will be no more Kamen Rider after today; just another Envy. She scurries off, ordering Gluttony and Greed to prepare her for "The Ritual."
Gluttony begins strapping Parsee to a chair while Greed begins to draw a ritual circle around it. The entire time, Parsee glares at the knight she once thought was her friend, berating him for betraying her, for using her. Eventually, Gluttony tries defending his action and Greed tells him to stop arguing with the prisoner. Parsee tells him to mind his own business and Greed complies, finishing up the ritual circle.
In the hours leading up to the ritual, Parsee struggled with the straps holding her in place. She tries talking to the servants, hoping to convince one to let her go, but she goes completely ignored. What else is new, she wonders as she continues her efforts.
Preparations for The Ritual are complete. The Queen is now ready to turn Parsee into her new Envy and bring her elite troops one step closer to full. The knights stand respectfully outside of the circle as the Queen begins her incantation. Towards the height of the ritual, she stands in front of Parsee, smirking arrogantly. To her surprise, she finds herself being punched in the face. Parsee has managed to free one of her arms, her wrist covered in blood from wiggling it so much. She quickly undoes the other restraint and punches the Queen again before running out of the circle.
The Queen howls, firing off a spell that hits Parsee in the back. She staggers, a massive wound in her side weeping, but gets up and keeps running. The Queen howls for her knights to stop her and they draw their swords. Parsee is almost to the door when she finds a sword suddenly coming out of her chest. She mutters something akin to "just like in the movies" as Gluttony removes his blade and grabs her by the shoulders.
The Queen is on him in an instant, berating him for killing her new Envy. Gluttony quickly kneels and begins explaining that he was mistaken, that Parsee was a poor choice, that she was disrespectful to her rightful queen, and that he should be punished for being so mistaken. Placated, the Queen agrees; he shall be punished with no food for a month and he shall go dump the body back in Bridge City. She sighs and orders Pride to begin looking for more potential Sins while she goes and naps. Gluttony continues kneeling as the other Sins pass him by scowling as he remains kneeling.
With a stiff gait, Gluttony carries the dying Parsee back to Bridge City and begins to wander aimlessly. He tries desperately to remember things he and Parsee had spoken about, reliving their times together as he searches for the other Kamen Rider, the one who helped her against him in their first fight. Looking up, he sees a familiar tower, one he had sent Crabmelt to attack. He walks in its direction, loudly shouting out for Kamen Rider.
Unsurprisingly, not a single Kamen Rider shows up. Instead, Kamen Rider Pluto's motorcycle shows up with a pink-haired passenger. Satori gets off the bike and confronts Gluttony. To her surprise though, he instead takes off his helmet and, with reasonable urgency, steps forward. Satori and Gluttony look at each other with surprise for a moment before each saying a single word.
Satori: "Xavier?!"
Gluttony: "Elise?!"
Satori knocks Gluttony out with a spell and loads him onto the back of the bike and looks at Parsee.
"So...Byakuren's daughter is the Rider. Interesting."
She drives the two back to her tower. Okuu and Orin strip Gluttony of his armor and lock it awhile while Parsee is taken to surgery. Satori looks at the Sin fondly and waits for him to awaken.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Kamen Rider Hime Vol. 9
As heartwarming as Satori and Okuu's reunion is, it has left Kamen Rider Pluto - revealed to be Orin, Satori's other daughter - powerless. It falls once more to Kamen Rider Hime alone to defend Bridge City against enemies. The next week after the plan to turn Okuu into the new Wrath failed, monster attacks intensified, sometimes with two Sins appearing in one day. Abruptly though, the monster attacks completely cease. After several monster-free days, Parsee finally gets more than four hours of sleep.
Kamen Rider Hime, now using Kamen Rider Pluto's motorcycle, patrols the city for danger and, when things are peaceful, places with "Help Wanted" signs in the window. Only the usual rabble like the Kappa Mob and the Shine Maidens were still appearing. Hime shakes her head and shrugs before heading to see Satori for some insight.
Back at the castle of the Sins, now shown to be their old academy of Pandora, the Queen is busy debriefing Sloth and Lust for failing to capture her new Wrath. A debriefing that involves lightning and shrieking. Gluttony and Pride wait outside, listening to the combination lecture/torture continue until, finally, the Queen stops and shouts for Gluttony to enter the chamber and Pride to drag the crispy-but-alive Sloth and Lust out of her sight.
With a loud sigh, Pride complies. Gluttony steps forward and kneels. The Queen paces back and forth, raving about how many resources have gone to waste because of the two failures she just had ejected. Gluttony nods at the right places until she stops. She announces that at least one Sin hadn't failed her, precious Gluttony who discovered a new Envy. She also decides that it was Kamen Rider's fault for foiling her plan to obtain a new Wrath, so she would need to die too at some point.
She tasks Gluttony with both of these tasks and orders him to get started. Gluttony bows and leaves.
The Queen calls in another knight, 15 feet tall and armored head-to-toe in ornate gold, and states she wants him, Greed, to follow Gluttony and make sure he fulfills his mission. She has been getting a strange feeling from him and wants his loyalty assured. Greed nods and vanishes into thin air.
Back in Bridge City, Gluttony resumes being Xavier and gets out a cell phone to call Parsee to arrange a day. After a short conversation that leaves him a bit flushed, he heads off to find potential candidates to turn into Sin beasts. That evening, he and Parsee have dinner at a small Chinese place.
Day 2: Kamen Rider Hime fights a ninja that uses kitchen utensils for weapons. That night, Xavier and Parsee visit a Teppan grill.
Day 3: Kamen Rider Hime fight a huge plate that splits into several "Side Dishes". A few hours and some makeup to cover her bruises, Parsee meets Xavier for dinner and a show. She doesn't completely conceal a black eye though and Xavier grows concerned.
Day 4: Kamen Rider Hime and Crabmelt, Gluttony's large crab made of slime, get a rematch that almost results in a draw, but Hime manages to lure Crabmelt into a construction site to contaminate the monster with bag of cement, making the monster solid enough to be destroyed with a Stars Above Kick. Parsee cancels dinner that night to get her foot fixed by Satori. Xavier, dejected, begins planning an even better monster.
Day 5: No monster appears as Gluttony is busy preparing two excellent monsters to finish the Rider off for good, but cheers up when Parsee is able to meet him for pizza. The dinner goes well, with copious amount of smalltalk, until the pizza is actually brought out and a towering golden hulk enters the pizzeria.
Greed accuses Gluttony of not taking his mission seriously as he draws a sword. Parsee looks at Xavier in disbelief. She doesn't sit still though, running for the back door on her injured foot as Greed cleaves the table in half. He shoots the shocked Xavier a look of disdain before also heading out the back. Fortunately, Parsee doesn't need her foot too much to climb up a fire escape and heads for the roof. Greed grabs the fire escape at the bottom and pulls it down just a moment after Parsee reaches the roof.
Parsee limps towards the other side, somewhat content that she's escaping until Greed leaps up and onto the roof in a single bound and takes a swing that, were he not intent on her capture, would've taken her head off. Instead, she is sent rolling across the roof, but lands on her feet. She transforms into Kamen Rider Hime and throws an energy ball.
The resulting battle is not exactly one sided, but Kamen Rider Hime can barely go toe-to-toe with an Original Sin even when she can put her best foot forward. Fighting with an injured foot toes the line a bit too much and she gets a kick to the teeth. Greed is about to lift the beaten Rider when Gluttony, back in his armor, intercedes. The two Sins stare at each other for a tense moment before Gluttony bows and says credit for the capture belong to Greed, offering to carry the prize so that Greed need not sully his hands.
For a moment, Greed could almost be Pride and accepts, opening a portal back to Pandora. Kamen Rider Hime looks up at Gluttony. The next panel dramatically styles the shot as Xavier holding a battered, wounded, still-defiant Parsee, glaring at him with the intensity as she says but a single word.
"Why?"
Kamen Rider Hime, now using Kamen Rider Pluto's motorcycle, patrols the city for danger and, when things are peaceful, places with "Help Wanted" signs in the window. Only the usual rabble like the Kappa Mob and the Shine Maidens were still appearing. Hime shakes her head and shrugs before heading to see Satori for some insight.
Back at the castle of the Sins, now shown to be their old academy of Pandora, the Queen is busy debriefing Sloth and Lust for failing to capture her new Wrath. A debriefing that involves lightning and shrieking. Gluttony and Pride wait outside, listening to the combination lecture/torture continue until, finally, the Queen stops and shouts for Gluttony to enter the chamber and Pride to drag the crispy-but-alive Sloth and Lust out of her sight.
With a loud sigh, Pride complies. Gluttony steps forward and kneels. The Queen paces back and forth, raving about how many resources have gone to waste because of the two failures she just had ejected. Gluttony nods at the right places until she stops. She announces that at least one Sin hadn't failed her, precious Gluttony who discovered a new Envy. She also decides that it was Kamen Rider's fault for foiling her plan to obtain a new Wrath, so she would need to die too at some point.
She tasks Gluttony with both of these tasks and orders him to get started. Gluttony bows and leaves.
The Queen calls in another knight, 15 feet tall and armored head-to-toe in ornate gold, and states she wants him, Greed, to follow Gluttony and make sure he fulfills his mission. She has been getting a strange feeling from him and wants his loyalty assured. Greed nods and vanishes into thin air.
Back in Bridge City, Gluttony resumes being Xavier and gets out a cell phone to call Parsee to arrange a day. After a short conversation that leaves him a bit flushed, he heads off to find potential candidates to turn into Sin beasts. That evening, he and Parsee have dinner at a small Chinese place.
Day 2: Kamen Rider Hime fights a ninja that uses kitchen utensils for weapons. That night, Xavier and Parsee visit a Teppan grill.
Day 3: Kamen Rider Hime fight a huge plate that splits into several "Side Dishes". A few hours and some makeup to cover her bruises, Parsee meets Xavier for dinner and a show. She doesn't completely conceal a black eye though and Xavier grows concerned.
Day 4: Kamen Rider Hime and Crabmelt, Gluttony's large crab made of slime, get a rematch that almost results in a draw, but Hime manages to lure Crabmelt into a construction site to contaminate the monster with bag of cement, making the monster solid enough to be destroyed with a Stars Above Kick. Parsee cancels dinner that night to get her foot fixed by Satori. Xavier, dejected, begins planning an even better monster.
Day 5: No monster appears as Gluttony is busy preparing two excellent monsters to finish the Rider off for good, but cheers up when Parsee is able to meet him for pizza. The dinner goes well, with copious amount of smalltalk, until the pizza is actually brought out and a towering golden hulk enters the pizzeria.
Greed accuses Gluttony of not taking his mission seriously as he draws a sword. Parsee looks at Xavier in disbelief. She doesn't sit still though, running for the back door on her injured foot as Greed cleaves the table in half. He shoots the shocked Xavier a look of disdain before also heading out the back. Fortunately, Parsee doesn't need her foot too much to climb up a fire escape and heads for the roof. Greed grabs the fire escape at the bottom and pulls it down just a moment after Parsee reaches the roof.
Parsee limps towards the other side, somewhat content that she's escaping until Greed leaps up and onto the roof in a single bound and takes a swing that, were he not intent on her capture, would've taken her head off. Instead, she is sent rolling across the roof, but lands on her feet. She transforms into Kamen Rider Hime and throws an energy ball.
The resulting battle is not exactly one sided, but Kamen Rider Hime can barely go toe-to-toe with an Original Sin even when she can put her best foot forward. Fighting with an injured foot toes the line a bit too much and she gets a kick to the teeth. Greed is about to lift the beaten Rider when Gluttony, back in his armor, intercedes. The two Sins stare at each other for a tense moment before Gluttony bows and says credit for the capture belong to Greed, offering to carry the prize so that Greed need not sully his hands.
For a moment, Greed could almost be Pride and accepts, opening a portal back to Pandora. Kamen Rider Hime looks up at Gluttony. The next panel dramatically styles the shot as Xavier holding a battered, wounded, still-defiant Parsee, glaring at him with the intensity as she says but a single word.
"Why?"
Monday, April 10, 2017
Staff Meeting
Staff Room, King of Beasts, Kuwahawi Island
Borodan looked at the clock once more as he shuffled his stack of papers about. This was to be the first official meeting of the King of Beasts' facilities department and the members on staff were already making more of a mess than they were going to clean up. The seconds passed agonizingly slow for the hunter-turned-administrator until, at long last, he could call this meeting into order.
"Lady and gentlebots, thank you for coming on short notice," he announced, clapping his hands together. "Let's do a quick roll call even though I know we're all here. Halfshell?"
"Yarr!"
"Scylla?"
"Here, darling."
"Coelagon?"
"Eh? Speak up!"
"Good enough. Terrormander?"
"Gimme a minute. A Lapras just popped up."
"Oh, really? I mean, er, Sea Phantom."
"I'm ready to go, boss!"
Borodan nodded. "Very well. As part of our...ahem...'rehabilitation' we have been assigned to work here at the King of Beasts for one of their seasons, after which our parole officer, Groundbreaker, will decide if we are free to go or if we need to work here another year.
I'll be fulfilling the role of Assistant Manager during the night shift while you five will be acting as groundskeepers and, if need be, maintenance staff since the last repairman retired and went to work with Kawashiro. Any questions?"
A shark with legs, Sea Phantom, stood up. "Aye! Will we be fightin' anyone? The Kobbers are always fightin', right?"
Borodan nodded. "In addition to our hotel duties, we are allowed - in an extremely limited capacity - to do security functions. Basically, if you see two guests getting into a fight, you may break it up - GENTLY - if no full-time security staff are on hand.
But we will not be allowed our swords or laser pistols without permission from Groundbreaker."
Halfshell, a big turtle, stood up. "But what about God Neptune, matey? Can we be formin' him?"
Borodan shook his head. "Not unless our parole officer permits it. We need to play this EXTREMELY straight, do what we're told, and get out of here."
The hunter perked up though, having an idea.
"My previous duty, enforcing the Brandes Accord, is technically still in effect. I shall petition to allow you to join me on my hunts if rogue Decepticons come to the planet. Then you shall be allowed to fight and make some possible bonuses in the process. Sound good?"
A round of hardy "Aye aye"s answered his question.
"Very well then. We will meet again tomorrow to discuss more specific duties, work schedules, and the like. Dismissed."
Borodan stood and left the office in just shy of a rush. He had to meet with the other hotel managers and then with Groundbreaker to discuss his proposal. Back in the staff room, the Seacons huddle around and began to weep tears of joy.
"This is the break we've been waiting for, mateys!" Halfshell cheered. "We'll work hard, get our ship back, and then find all kinds of treasure in this world's seas!"
"Why wait that long, boss?" the squidlike Scylla asked. "An island chain like this will likely have many wrecks we can plunder to build our fortune."
"Aye! As long as there aren't handsome sea folks for ye to woo, lass," Sea Phantom noted, only to get slapped with a tentacle.
"I don't know about treasure, but at least we can get our ship back and get in some scraps," the manta ray, Terrormander, added.
"Have heart, lad! We'll have all that and more by the time we're done here!" Halfshell said. "Ain't that right, Coelagon?.......Coelagon?!"
The eldest of the Seacons sat in the corner, snoring gently. Halfshell bristled. "WAKE UP, MATEY!"
The fish monster Deceptacon awoke with a start. "Oh, is it time to eat?"
Halfshell thought about it for a moment. "Aye, it be a good time to eat. And then...THEN...we be gettin' to work! Learn the lay of the land, go visit that library lass Koakuma to start findin' some leads, and then...er...then..."
"Then we go to the beach!" Scylla added.
"Aye, then we can go to the beach," Halfshell agreed, nodding.
Borodan looked at the clock once more as he shuffled his stack of papers about. This was to be the first official meeting of the King of Beasts' facilities department and the members on staff were already making more of a mess than they were going to clean up. The seconds passed agonizingly slow for the hunter-turned-administrator until, at long last, he could call this meeting into order.
"Lady and gentlebots, thank you for coming on short notice," he announced, clapping his hands together. "Let's do a quick roll call even though I know we're all here. Halfshell?"
"Yarr!"
"Scylla?"
"Here, darling."
"Coelagon?"
"Eh? Speak up!"
"Good enough. Terrormander?"
"Gimme a minute. A Lapras just popped up."
"Oh, really? I mean, er, Sea Phantom."
"I'm ready to go, boss!"
Borodan nodded. "Very well. As part of our...ahem...'rehabilitation' we have been assigned to work here at the King of Beasts for one of their seasons, after which our parole officer, Groundbreaker, will decide if we are free to go or if we need to work here another year.
I'll be fulfilling the role of Assistant Manager during the night shift while you five will be acting as groundskeepers and, if need be, maintenance staff since the last repairman retired and went to work with Kawashiro. Any questions?"
A shark with legs, Sea Phantom, stood up. "Aye! Will we be fightin' anyone? The Kobbers are always fightin', right?"
Borodan nodded. "In addition to our hotel duties, we are allowed - in an extremely limited capacity - to do security functions. Basically, if you see two guests getting into a fight, you may break it up - GENTLY - if no full-time security staff are on hand.
But we will not be allowed our swords or laser pistols without permission from Groundbreaker."
Halfshell, a big turtle, stood up. "But what about God Neptune, matey? Can we be formin' him?"
Borodan shook his head. "Not unless our parole officer permits it. We need to play this EXTREMELY straight, do what we're told, and get out of here."
The hunter perked up though, having an idea.
"My previous duty, enforcing the Brandes Accord, is technically still in effect. I shall petition to allow you to join me on my hunts if rogue Decepticons come to the planet. Then you shall be allowed to fight and make some possible bonuses in the process. Sound good?"
A round of hardy "Aye aye"s answered his question.
"Very well then. We will meet again tomorrow to discuss more specific duties, work schedules, and the like. Dismissed."
Borodan stood and left the office in just shy of a rush. He had to meet with the other hotel managers and then with Groundbreaker to discuss his proposal. Back in the staff room, the Seacons huddle around and began to weep tears of joy.
"This is the break we've been waiting for, mateys!" Halfshell cheered. "We'll work hard, get our ship back, and then find all kinds of treasure in this world's seas!"
"Why wait that long, boss?" the squidlike Scylla asked. "An island chain like this will likely have many wrecks we can plunder to build our fortune."
"Aye! As long as there aren't handsome sea folks for ye to woo, lass," Sea Phantom noted, only to get slapped with a tentacle.
"I don't know about treasure, but at least we can get our ship back and get in some scraps," the manta ray, Terrormander, added.
"Have heart, lad! We'll have all that and more by the time we're done here!" Halfshell said. "Ain't that right, Coelagon?.......Coelagon?!"
The eldest of the Seacons sat in the corner, snoring gently. Halfshell bristled. "WAKE UP, MATEY!"
The fish monster Deceptacon awoke with a start. "Oh, is it time to eat?"
Halfshell thought about it for a moment. "Aye, it be a good time to eat. And then...THEN...we be gettin' to work! Learn the lay of the land, go visit that library lass Koakuma to start findin' some leads, and then...er...then..."
"Then we go to the beach!" Scylla added.
"Aye, then we can go to the beach," Halfshell agreed, nodding.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
March 2017 RP Ticker Quote Archive
Within her World Progress Alliance base on Kuwahawi's main island (really basically just a clubhouse)
Penny whispered, as if her not knowing the fish would offend it.
"A giant salamander...?" "SHOOT IT!"
He was playing against himself. He never invited her to play.
Even with their combined powers, though, it surely isn’t enough to stop 100+ bears from shoplifting $500 dollars’ worth of merchandise!
"we can at least look into the validity of the claims, right?" "By throwing yourself into a trap?" "...Yes?"
Death sat in a small glade
Penny whispered, as if her not knowing the fish would offend it.
"A giant salamander...?" "SHOOT IT!"
He was playing against himself. He never invited her to play.
Even with their combined powers, though, it surely isn’t enough to stop 100+ bears from shoplifting $500 dollars’ worth of merchandise!
"we can at least look into the validity of the claims, right?" "By throwing yourself into a trap?" "...Yes?"
Death sat in a small glade
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