Jolly Cooperation

Sally and Kaylee's Dorm Room, 1:00 AM.

Kaylee snored like she was cutting a tree down some nights, but Sally never really minded given her usual sleep schedule usually called for staying up to 1:30 AM. She quietly took out her laptop from under her bed and turned the brightness low to not tax her eyes too much while she grabbed her headphones and mouse. It drove her mad thinking about how easily Shiketsu's wifi could be snooped on so she usually kept her personal browsing to her VPN. It slowed her old hunk of junk computer down though, so she sat and stared at the loading icon for Quirkchan for a long time.

She spent an hour trawling board after board for any mention of pills for "power" in Kyoto. A lot of it was about bootleg Viagra or hippy potheads talking about expanding their minds the same way she'd to like to expand a hole in their fucking brains. It was 2:00 AM when she finally found something worth prodding at on the paranormal board.

Thread Topic: Weird unlabelled ghost pills in Kyoto
wtf are these things? I found them in a care package and even just a taste made me trip hard. Felt like I could do fucking anything. Might sell them at a rave if I can't get any info on the dosage from this board.

What did you see when during the taste?

(you)Some huge guy wearing all black, looked Asian but it was hazy, had a blue streak in his black hair and he seemed to be talking to me for a a sec.

Please tell me you heard what he said

(You)I wasn't swallowing that shit. Did that with dick pills from a gas station in Canada and I got fucked up doing that.

Well they were Canadian so of course they'd suck. Where did your guy leave them?

(you)lmao, fuck off fed

Sally closes her laptop a bit louder than expected as she seethes more on the insult than failing to find anything useful: "[Fucking druggies...]". She throws her covers over herself and gets what sleep she can.

On the boys' side of the dorms, the thread continues on Satoru's computer. His reaction image folder was a pain to migrate to a craptop but his 3 gigs of mocking images were the best for anti-fed and anti-normie purposes. He snickers as the thread lights up shaming the fedpost. The original poster goes on about his experience, assured the thread is going to get trampled by the morning.

I busted my table in half on the way down after taking it off my tongue. I hadn't used my quirk in ages but it felt just as strong when I used to break cinderblocks with my fists to win bets.

So its a quirk booster and a shroom?

(You)I guess? dunno why a rave drug would do that but maybe its a designer sorta thing.

How much are u planning on selling them for?

(You)10000 Yen a piece. Your just gonna have to wait for a good event to trip on it and go crazy though. Its never just one fed in these threads.

Not in the market anyways

(You)8000 if you can show me screenshots and admit you want it lmao

Satoru leans back onto his bed as he imagines what he could do on quirk enhancers....
He gets a DM from Tame that distracts him:

8 hours of sleep is the amount needed for full cognitive functions: make sure to get some sleep :)

He closes his eyes, sighs, and fails to open them again as he falls asleep with a warm laptop on his belly.


Luck was clearly not on Sally's side during the day. She woke up on time only to get practically scalded by the shower she chose, discovered she was out of toothpaste, and on top of that her hair needed to be braided to keep it orderly. She looked like a tired, grumpy mess as she met up with Noah in the lobby given a huge rainstorm had hit. Sally regretted not wearing tights of some kind as she found two other people waiting in the lobby by Noah.

Satoru does his dailies for some angel-themed schoolgirl gacha game using Tame's wide eyes as screens. It would be romantic if Satoru could stop bragging about managing to get the display to function correctly to Noah, who gave as much interest as he could to the clearly troubled boy.

"First thing I got working was Doom, the really ancient one, to work. Of course it's not as simple as just displaying the game itself on the eyes, but you have to reverse the image output so when you look into her eyes you're seeing things in an orientation which makes sense as an oncoming viewer" Satoru says as he uses a mini keyboard plugged to a USB slot on her right arm as controls.

"Wow! That's very technical!" Noah says cheerfully.

"My hardware is much more strict and complicated, keep in mind" Tame says
"But it was fun working out how to run programs like these! And by inverting how I perceive my own vision I can watch his gameplay and offer live advice as well!"
"This mission has enemies weak to fire, who will be arriving in densely packed formations according to a guide with over 10,000 views" The gynoid says with her usual gentle prodding voice.

Noah laughs awkwardly, not wanting to look at the combat on the screen. He sees Sally and stands up to be closer to her as she stands in tiredly in the elevator.
"Good morning!"
"How about a flight over to school?"

"In this weather?" Sally asks as she points outside.

"If you're worried about getting wet, Noah has an emergency blanket you could wrap yourself that's waterproof! It's for rescue work and it's really comfortable. Noah slept with it last night even!" He says with the enthusiasm of a child with a new toy they want to share.

Sally gives him a weary smile and nods: "Hey Sato-chan, do you have a hero-name yet?"

Satoru grimaces: "Haven't decided and I don't need to make an immediate decision so buzz off about it"

"Analysis of-" Tame starts as she raises her left pointer finger in the air like a teacher.

"Yeah, I know: blah blah hero branding and character. It can wait"

"Come on Sato-chan! Just use Dazzle like I keep recommending!"

"It sounds so GAY!, no!" Satoru says, looking over to the pushy American.

"It's a real term for a stunned combatant, not some weird homo slang! I don't give a shit what /lgbt/ says!"

"You're wrong, and Urban dictionary can prove it" Satoru says flatly. He tries to access the website, but Shiketu's wifi blocks the site.
He grimaces toward Sally.
"Well? Your lovebird is waiting"

Sally shakes her head and sees Noah waiting for her by the door. She drapes the comfy padded blanket over her shoulders and plays with the straps to adjust its length, wrapping it around her body like a cape.

Noah takes Sally in his arms in a princess carry (as she preferred) and lifts off with his 4 back wings. The seeping cold of rainwater hitting his wings is something he never quite got used to.

"Hey, Noah?"
"I... I've been doing more detective stuff" Sally admits in a guilty tone.

"And it's about the pills you found?" he answers, not wanting to know too much while letting Sally keep her promise to him.

Sally nods. She couldn't think of a way she could be spied on while in the air during a rain shower but still eyeing the passing birds with a paranoid eye.
"Some dealer in Tokyo has a bottle of them. If we can get more samples then maybe Hiro can actually figure out what they are"
"I know I can figure out when a rave will be happening and... I guess... rob him..." she says with guilt shackling her tone down.

Noah looks down on her with concern, gripping her tighter and closer to him.
"Noah....Noah..."
"I-I-I... don't want you to do that"

Sally looks up, surprised.
"And why not? It could save a lot of people to get those drugs off the street"

"It sounds like you're going to do it alone. Noa-I...." Noah says, followed by a frustrated sigh.
"I want to make sure you're safe. Legally, physically, and emotionally. You could get hurt all three ways doing this alone. I know I can't stop you, but I know the others will help you if you just ask"

Sally pouts, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms.
"It'd just be sealing all of our fates if we got caught anywhere near a bunch of drug dealers. I prayed and prayed last night.... and I heard God"

"What did he say to you?"

"To keep chasing the truth on the horizon, even if it hurts" Sally says in a grim tone.

Noah is quiet for a moment as he finds a spot to land. He.... disagreed with God? That couldn't be right, he had to be the one seeing this wrong, interpreting something wrong. Maybe she was just delirious or dreaming? He knew her sleep habits were bad so it had to be a nightmare she's misinterpreting.

As Noah stands stunlocked, Sally stands up in the grass. She takes the chance to move his hands into a prayer stance, and to encase them in her own.

The angel boy's eyes open as he sees Sally praying with him, her eyes closed and her hands trembling.
"Dear God, we offer thanks for your infinite love, that every doubt and misdeed will be forgiven. That we sinners can overcome the faults that bind us as chains, and be reminded there is always a light to look up to, no matter how far it may seem. I offer this in praise, that the way will always be lit for all people"

"Amen" they say in unison.

Sally steadies Noah's trembling hands: "I'll try to get help"

"Please... Noah... I...either of us can't lose you. Follow the light, even as it leads deeper into the darkness"
"But you don't have to walk alone anymore"

Sally squeezes his hand tightly before they have to part ways, both swearing they see a tear in the other's eye as they part.


Rosethorn sighed as she read the results of the raffle slips she pulled to decide who would be doing a PR presentation to Class 1-D.
Hoge, Minerva, and Sally. A bucket of crabs who rarely had anything to nice to say about the other. She watched as the three eyed each other around the room.
Hoge's analytical look was replaced with one of showy cheer. Of course she wanted to take initiative and be the one with the plan.
Sally's eyes looked like daggers, not directed toward her sensei but shifting between Hoge and Minerva like one was going to pull a knife on her.
Minerva sighs, lamenting getting stuck Ms. Law and Order and Ms. Loudmouth Troublemaker at the same time.

Rosethorn clears her throat:
"I know you three will be able to make something gripping and educational: Someday you'll all have to learn how to pass lessons down to others in some way" she said with her usual tone of measured confidence and cheer. It was progress that she only got an irritated stare from Sally as opposed to her openly asking to be traded class duties with someone.


The three girls meet in a room off of the library after school. They had a day to prepare since this was supposed to be simple and easy, but Minerva preferred the company of her besties group chat or some cute cat videos over meeting the stares of her two partners. Hoge and Sally fought over something as simple as the drawing tablet, seeming to see it as a symbol of leadership.

"Just let me have it! You always get your say in projects like this!" Sally says as she holds the pen behind her back and presses against the wall.

"I'm not having you embarrass us all in front of our Kouhai, no excuses" Hoge says as she raises the tablet above Sally's head, lording her height over the American in a display of dominance.

"What the hell do you even know about interviews anyway? Gonna make a slideshow presentation and give us not cards as a script like it's middle school?!" Sally asks in a challenging tone.

"Poor thing, your schools are so poor they still have analog slide reels..." Hoge says with sarcastic pity.
"I'll make one digitally so it looks nice and your going to stand up there, smile, speak, and bow when you're directed to"

"We had a class computer you racist bitch!" Sally says as her arm barrels extend, the distinct sound of a round being loaded inside them getting Minerva to drop her phone and cover her ears.

She stopped listening closely but the two just kept trading insults. It was like listening to a bad drama show and a part of her was out of patience to wait for someone to get shot or stabbed.
"How about this!? Hoge, you play a good interviewee who answers stuff calmly and concisely and McCathy loses her shit during a separate interview! Plays to both your strengths and teaches the Kouhai what they should and shouldn't do when a reporter is staring them in the face!"

The room is quiet for a moment as Minerva eyes her two "partners" with a very irritated look. Sally pouts because she clearly didn't actually have an idea and just wanted to lead to feel important. Hoge takes a moment to switch gears and listen to the less subhuman of the foreigners she was stuck with.

"...I like this idea" Hoge says, setting the tablet down.
"...I guess it sounds fun being able to cut loose..." Sally says as she puts the pen on a desk.
They avoid each other's eyes as Minerva straightens her skirt out and retrieves the symbols of leadership and works out the smaller parts of the skit, mostly just confirming the two can show up in costume as she wonders how fancy she should go for being a reporter. She absentmindedly draws outfits with Korean characters above them.

"There's no need to go so fancy as to wear a formal dress. A skirt suit with a nice blouse and jewelry should sell the role well" Hoge says.

"How-" Sally says before silencing herself.

Hoge makes a show of turning her way: "They're Korean characters, if you'd study more you would be able to at least know what you're looking at"

"[Suck my character]" Sally says as she gathers her things.
"Send me the script when it's done, I'll dump all your makeup down the bathroom drains if you make me look too stupid" Sally says in a blunt and angry manner as she storms out of the study room.

Minerva sighs as Hoge tries to stifle a laugh: "I'll handle her-"

"Nope, just write your own. I'll write McCathy's so she's less of a pain tomorrow. I know it's just rich coming from me, but that bitch could go school quirker any day. It's why me and the other girls stopped picking on her as much" Minerva says

"She's incapable of stealing anything quietly and too self-righteous and self-abusing to kill any of us. Don't fall for her act of being some kind of... how would she say it..."
"[Badass]"

Minerva wanted to keep trading blows with Hoge but it was clear that it would be a huge waste of time. She checks her phone and sees that the whole thing somehow lasted almost an hour. She wanted a boba tea before she met up with the other girls.
"Whatever, just follow the script and we can get this stupid assignment over with" she says as she slings her bag over her shoulder and texts the group chat about finally being done.


Another boring day to smile and wave, that's what lay ahead of Southpaw as usual. Koroma, the time loop girl walks beside her with an excited look.
"Yagami, we're in for something really fun today!"

"Oh?" She says politely. How bad could it be, a presentation from Xpresso on latin-american culture?

"2-D is doing a presentation for us! There's this bug lady and that American and one of the other foreigners in that class projecting a newsroom backdrop!"

"A PR lesson then, I remember you doing quite badly on the last mock interview when Sensei said it was creepy that you used your "I know what you're going to say next" routine" Southpaw says.

The smaller girl pouts a bit: "Oh come on, you're so perfect at that stuff it's hard to compete. He told us to integrate our quirks into public appearances anyways" Koroma recalls.

"And mine makes a nice trick as long there's small objects around, so I suppose I'm cheating there too?~" She says with a sarcastic giggle to the retarded moron.

"Yeah, but this should be fun to watch!" Koroma says as she almost runs face-first into Sophia's horse body.

Southpaw takes her chance to find her desk and daydream for a few precious seconds before she sees a Korean enter the room in a skirt suit that was probably worth more than a few people in the room. Sensei sets up the screen to project a newsroom background and sets up a little stage in front of with his big desk and a 2 chairs. The girl sits down and looks over some papers in confusion before her phone distracts her and she frowns, probably griping to her friends.

Just as Koroma had predicted, Sally McCathy walks in in a pair of heavy-looking heeled boots and her modified nun costume. She'd not expected the girl to be as short as she was, but the way she carried herself reminded her of how the police profiled dangerous individuals. Even her smile and wave toward her juniors was just a mask to hide some deeper grudge she held just from having to be here. She takes a look at the pile of papers shoved toward her and looks at the Korean with a furious glare before promptly throwing the whole stack into a garbage can.

The Korean grimaces like she's taking a bandaid off:
"Welcome to the Shiketsu news network! I'm Correspondent Minerva Kim and my first guest for today is Last Rite!"
"Your Agencies most recent bust has had some controversy because the building the villain fled into was almost burnt to the ground. Thankfully nobody was inside but it's still-"

"Because it wasn't a hostage situation, Kim" Sally interrupts as she glares directly at her.
"And if I was more concerned for the building than the villain who had already torched a separate one a mile back he wouldn't have been caught!"

"Where are you-" Minerva mutters as she looks over her papers in desperation.

"And the MORALLY BANKRUPT Media tried giving me a SCRIPT! They wanted me to play nice and apologetic, as if that building was more important than the lives that would have been lost had I not focused on them!"
Sally looks toward the confused students and stands, trying to draw their eyes away from the newscaster shuffling through her script and giving up.
"Buildings can be rebuilt, but when people are in danger a hero's duty is to protect them, even if the expense has to be on yourself! In a perfect world people like us would not need to fight villains in the street, but this is a fallen world, one steeped neck-deep in its own sin and fighting the mire pulling it down with us as its weapons!"

Sally turns to Minerva, who looks at the American vengefully:
"So yes, I burned a building down doing my duty to society: Any other points in your script?"

"Yes, the part where your agency answers for your willful destruction of property" Minerva says with a sly tone
"You just admitted it so boldly, so give us a statement on why burned down someone's livelihood and home, I assume it's your salary taking the cut to pay for their living expenses?"

"What?! That's not the point-" Sally says with a stammer.

"We're live for all of Kyoto Last Rite, even the studio audience is begging for an answer! You have a lot to answer for after all!"

A shining steel barrel pops out of Sally's right arm before her hand can claw over it as she makes a low, animalistic growl before getting a better grip on herself.
"Yeah, they can have whatever they need to live out of my salary and savings. Anyone in my position would offer that much" she says in a voice like cold steel and eyes of barely contained wrath.

"Then I think we're out of time" Minerva says with a face of begrudging submission.

Sally steps to the side and leans on a wall, looking away from the class of students who watch her in amazement, a few giving applause while some others eye her with disdain.


Minerva comes back after a 7 minute "commercial break" refreshed and calmed down. Sally probably typed up this terrible script last night and somehow snuck it into Smokin' Sexy's hands before Hoge could correct the swap. How the brash, loudmouthed, bitch did something that delicate without anyone noticing wasn't on her mind as she walked back 1-D's classroom. Hoge was already in position, Sally tapping on her cell phone to avoid even acknowledging the girl's presence.

Hoge sat with her costume on, save for her helmet which sat on her lap. She had to admit the killer nun in the background was the better eye candy, and since the script was already thrown aside she saw no reason not give her kouhai a reality TV show and play into her character at the same time.
"Last Rite, we're almost on" she says with a smug smile.

"Kim-san, she did her job already-" Hoge starts

"Oh no, I think you should give your partner a nice, long lecture about her conduct, Maru-Maru"

Sally eyes Minerva and growls:
"I did my part, let Hoge moralize so we can pack up!"

Hoge is about to agree with Sally, before she notices the Smokin' Sensei chuckle a bit from the edge of the room. She's not the joke here, McCathy was supposed to look ridiculous in front of the class as an obvious show of how not to talk to cameras!
"Last Rite, I think she's right: Join us."

"I'm fine, Maru-Maru" Sally says with spiteful venom in her words.

"Come on, you already defended yourself Last Rite, there's no need to be too prickly about this" Smokin' Sexy says, seeming to revel in the show.

Sally looks at him grits her teeth: "Fine"

She sits down in an extra chair as Smokin' Sexy counts down from 5, Minerva readying herself to be a newscaster again.
"Welcome back everyone!"
"We have both Maru-Maru and Last Rite, here to speak further on the recent restaurant fire and the subsequent arrest of a certain villain who had been terrorizing Kyoto. Just earlier, Last Rite had insisted on the necessity of her actions to see justice done and prevent further harm. What is your take on this, as her colleague, Maru Maru?"

Hoge keeps her cool much better than Sally as she looks toward the news host with a strong posture and a friendly smile to avoid escalating the situation:
"Were I in her shoes, the target would have been apprehended in the streets with the aid of any other members of our agency on call at the time. Our response time is under a minute and our arrival to scenes within the Kyoto metropolitan area is within 2-4 minutes as per the Hero Ascociation's "great" standards. Last Rite had neglected to call for backup, as she often does, and attempted to take down the target on her own"
"This would result in much less of a time and property loss, and less of a strain on public emergency services as well. It is better to use your own time than to waste someone else's" Hoge says confidently. She pauses as if expecting applause, but none comes.

Minerva nods: "Well spoken, but it's been quite public that your Agency is losing quite a lot of money and has had many walk away from it. Come the next review of your response times will you be able to make the same grade?"

Sally grasps at her chance to twist the narrative herself: "No, because if our only tactic is to mob a single enemy then that says we're deeply unskilled as an agency in the first place. We'll get no applicants besides people just looking loot our sinking ship, and then they'll happily leave us when they can get a better gig."

"But we have more-" Hoge tries to retort.

"No we don't. Your answer to everything is to have someone play bait so you can sneak behind the target and get the glory!"
Sally stands up, firing herself up:
"Nobody else is allowed to have the credit! You're the one who does all the interviews, all the press conferences, leads all the events! You have no faith in anyone but yourself and you'll use anyone as a pawn as long as you know they won't fight back!"

Hoge remains seated as Sally's vengeful glare is on her, and she just looks up with a disappointed face: "And speaking about this on live television is going to solve any of it? Showing the whole city exactly the kind of professionalism they can expect out of you?"
"There's a reason I don't-"
Hoge catches herself when she see's Minerva filming the scene on her phone.
"Please sit back down so the show can continue, Last Rite"

"I don't think I will Maru Maru. I think I'm going to stand right here, and stare at you until you start being honest with the people we're supposed to be protecting"

Hoge makes a performative sigh as she grabs a pressure point in Sally's neck and drags her over to her seat, sitting her down harmlessly (at least in terms of her physical body).
"And on another note, please don't neglect your martial arts training so much: not everything will be 1-100 meters down range with a clear line of sight" Hoge says Sally grits her teeth.

"....Anyways! The situation is already resolved given Last Rite's generous pledge to cover the living expenses of the victims of the explosion, so congratulations should be in order!" Minerva says with false positivity. The whole of 1-D was engrossed in the theatrical drama and whispering to the other about who is right and who is wrong. Smokin' Sexy, seeming happy with the result of the exercise, steps forward.

"Now, as many of you might have figured out the original scripts that Hoge-san wrote were swapped out, but it was me who did it" Smokin' Sensei says.
The class exclaims their confusion in a great "huh?" audible in the in the next room over.
"Yes, I know, but most news crews don't use scripted interviews unless it's very, very important. For cases written like Hoge-san's, they're looking for a deep apology which makes the presenter look more heroic as the one who kept the loose cannon in line rather than letting the actual heroics shine"
"All three did well improvising when they realized they were being given bad lines. McCathy-San would court lots of controversy but earn fans for her fiery rhetoric, Hoge-san logically defended her whole agency without letting the host lead things too much, and Kim-san did well to capitalize on the mistakes they did make"
"And it was my idea to swap the scripts out, Rosethorn wanted to go more vicious and have me try and bribe someone"

"That's not like her at all!" Sally objects loudly.

"The media can be vicious, even to a top 10 hero McCathy" he says with more familiarity and second-hand spite in his voice.
He reaches instinctively for a pack of cigarettes that would normally be in his pocket, stopping himself as the bell rings for lunch.
"Already huh? Class dismissed!"
The students pour out, Minerva and Sally grabbing the props and hoofing them away to whatever storage room they'd borrowed from. All except for Hoge, who stares at him with crossed arms.

"I know, I'm sorry but you wouldn't have taught anything with a script" the teacher says

"I would have appreciated a warning at least, Sensei"
"You shouldn't leave it up to interpretation as to what's right and wrong, especially when McCathy is speaking"

"What is your problem with her?" he asks, cutting to the heart of the matter.

"Did you not hear how she spoke? She'd be fired the next day if I was in an agency with her after an interview like that"

"The people like a daredevil in the right doses, Hoge-san. When the government and the cops can't help, they want someone who's larger than life on the screen reminding them they'll be safe even if everything else fails"
"Especially right now, people want to believe heroes can sweep away the Wild Hunt and clean up Kyoto again. In bad times when the cops and government fail, people look to heroes to fill the void of trust"

Hoge look at the man with thinning eyes, but nods respectfully. She had better hills to die on.

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Pub: 01 Apr 2025 05:36 UTC

Edit: 05 Jun 2025 16:32 UTC

Views: 288