I'm lying in my hammock with my phone shining on my face. It's about five in the morning. I expected the place to be alive by then but seems like a got a bit a time. Going back to sleep would just turn into a disappointment as I surely would hate to actually be woken up, so I just decided to see how everyone's doing. I first check my favorite group chat with the guys. I had actually intended to check earlier but never got around to it. I check what I missed.
Auxi: H-h-h-hey mah dudes! How was everyone's first day??
Samae: I'm tired.
Samae: It was fairly eventful. Did you guys know Gang Orca actually has a mouth?
Tojuta: You didn't know that?!
Auxi: Well duh! He's gotta have a mouth if he can talk!
Auxi: Oh yeah, that's who you're interning with.
Tojuta: So how'd it go?
Samae: It was all right. I trained with a buncha his sidekicks in skin suits. Turns out, I have trashy aim. On top of that, Orca said I'd be more suited for rescue.
Tojuta: I can see that.
Samae: I guess. He's trying to focus on how deep I can sink into my own shadow. Right now, I can go up to my waist if I really try in the noon sun.
Samae: Oh, and I've got an intern partner person. Some shadow controlling dude from 1b. Name's Kyor Yokuna. He's pretty sick! Turns out his quirk allows him to lay out shadows or something so we team up. He lays out the paths and I travel through them. It's really cool!
Tojuta: Cool! Keep it up!
Tojuta: What about you, Orika?
Auxi: Eh. First day was pretty much just first aid review. But Recovery Girl's talking about me using my bandages in a bit like Sero. Except, u know, not sticky.
Tojuta: Nice. Yurei? You wanna share?
Samae: I don't think he's on. So spill, pokey. Where are you again?
Tojuta: I'm interning at Mr. Snipe's agency. He's thinking about me using different throw styles and stuff. He's also trying to build my defense, speed, and predictions by shooting a bb gun at me.
Auxi: Holy crap?!
Auxi: Isn't that a bit much?!?
Tojuta: That's what I asked. I got a few sore spots right now, but I'm fine.
Me: Well a gun is kinda needed for his quirk.
Tojuta: Hey! There you are! How was your first day yesterday?
Me: It was fine. I went into a bar last night, but it was okay.
Auxi: What?!? Lucky!
Samae: Lucky?? Auxi, I have concerns for you.
Me: You guys know how to play Shogi?
Samae: Wat?
Auxi: lol nope
Tojuta: No. Why?
Me: That's the captain's method of making me smarter with my moves. I'm not good at all, but it's kinda my final exam, so I gotta get better.
Tojuta: Ya know, I think Tokoyami plays. And maybe Shoji?? Maybe you can talk to either of them about it.
Me: Alright. Thanks.
Tojuta: 👍
I leave them to their other topics and check some other contacts. I then notice a group chat I hadn't seen before. I open it and check the profiles in the chat dubbed Bakusquad. Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido are all in the thread and are already talking. I don't know for sure who pulled me in, but it definitely wasn't Bakugo. I ignore the conversations they had already started since I was put in and get to my point.
Me: Who pulled me in here and why?
Kirishima: Hey man! I was starting to think you gave us a fake number.
Kirishima: And that was me. Figured you could use spice in your life. 😁
Me: So you put me in a group chat with Bakugo? I think I already got a spicy life.
Kirishima: Well, Bakugo needs friends and you seem to be one of the few people who can stomach him. So this is for you and him.
Me: Believe me, Kirishima, I'm not a fan of being forced into group chats, but whatever. I'll stay. I'm looking at you, Ashido.
Ashido: That wasn't me! That was Orika!
Ashido: And good morning to you too😒
Kirishima: Sorry, dude. I'll remember that
Bakugo: Are you guys seriously texting at five in the morning??
Me: Yes. And so are you
Bakugo: Shut up and leave me the frick alone.
I was about to get off anyways. I close the chat and scan through more contacts until coming to Tokoyami's. We hadn't started a conversation over texts so might as well kick it off.
Me: Hey, this is Seshin. I know this is a bit out of the blue, but I was told you know how to play Shogi. See, that's sorta my training here at my internship, but I'm not doing so hot. When you can, can you send me some tips? Thanks.
I close my phone and stare at the wooden ceiling. It doesn't take long for him to reply back. A bit unexpected, but it works I guess. I open the app back up and read the message.
Tokoyami: I pick my nose. Caw caw, little stinker!!
. . .
Me: Right. Thanks.
Before I close my phone, the sign indicating that my classmate is texting back shows up. I wait for a bit until the message appears.
Tokoyami: I sincerely apologize. Dark Shadow was up and decided to make a mockery of me by answering in my stead. He can be a nuisance sometimes.
Of course.
Me: That's fine. I was about to say... do you have a nose?
Tokoyami: More or less
Tokoyami: Anyways, advice on Shogi. I am experienced with the game and have some tips I can share. What I mainly use in this game are pieces that are difficult to keep track of. So I use the simple element of surprise. Say your target is surrounded by four other pieces but leaving the corners unguarded. This would be a good time to use your bishop from somewhere around your end of the board as your target can't move and your bishop most likely can't be reached. It could only be blocked then, so best to have your other pieces ready to seal your target off.
Me: Surprise pieces. Got it.
Tokoyami: Something else. It can be helpful to find a pattern in your opponent's favorite pieces. It's best to possibly take those out first before they launch a plan that uses them flawlessly. In turn, you should probably keep all your own pieces as your favorites, if you know what I mean.
Me: Yeah, otherwise, they'd probably use that same strategy on me. So I gotta jump around when I can.
Tokoyami: Precisely. That's also where back up plans come into play. Know what kind of pieces are required in your strategy.
Tokoyami: One last thing. Capture pieces whenever you can get away with it. Even something as lowly as a pawn can be an instant game changer when you pull it out yourself. That's about all I can give you. Good luck.
Me: Thanks, Tokoyami. Stay safe!
Tokoyami: Same to you.
I close out my phone and plug it in at my desk. I step out just as First Mate is coming out of her own room.
"Oh! Morning, Seshin!"
"Morning." We both walk through the building for the kitchen.
I'm not hoping to prepare something fancy looking. I just get myself a bowl of rice and grilled fish. First Mate doesn't say anything about it and just gets herself some miso soup. The morning is pretty normal. The captain eventually comes down from his quarters after eating in his office and greets us. Suka had been kicked out for losing his IQ in the middle of the night and doing his morning business on Shipwreck's desk. As the morning goes on, more and more employees of the agency report in for duty.
At around nine, I'm called to the captain's stern for another chain of Shogi matches. I come in to find the pirate pro has already set up the board. Suka's rocking back and forth on a perch connected to the pro's desk, eager to watch.
"Arh ya ready, kid?"
"Yes!" I yell, taking a seat in front of his desk. "I'm yelling like this because now there's no way you can carry on that joke!"
"Alright alright!" he laughs. "Can't blame ya. Let's get to it then." He gives me the first move, and I slide my far right pawn out. He does the same with his own.
My surprise pieces would be my bishop and knights. It would be best if I don't promote my knights to silver generals as to keep their movement. Also, I've noticed the captain likes to use his gold generals a lot while I've hardly used mine at all. It'd be wise to not capture those just to have them recaptured and taken back after the hard work of making a move that could take care of them. Let's do this.
I move a pawn that could unleash my bishop, and he does the same, but two spaces instead of one. I move my right knight forward and right in the space of where my far right pawn would be so that my lance would be blocked. The trap has been set.
"Ha!" he scoffs. "Putting out your pawns in the open like that. You're looking for exercises to do?" He moves his bishop out to where he can take out my pawn. He fell for it hard.
"No. Just for victory." I move my bishop out of my zone and kill his own that he had just set out. I know how to control bishop's well, so I set it on my capture table. As I planned, it's in line to kill the king. I flip over my bishop to promote it and cross my arms. "Check."
"Hm." The captain leans over the board with a finger stroking his beard. "Should'a seen that comin'. Rest assured," He moves his silver general to block my bishop. "it won't happen again. What dya plan to do from there?"
I slide my bishop to kill his lance in the corner. "That."
Shipwreck beats a fist on his desk in frustration. "Blimey!"
"Ya should'a just killed his bishop, cap'," Suka points out to him in a parrot sounding voice and motioning a talon at his knight.
"Shut up, bird!" Shipwreck swings his hand at Suka, who flies off his perch and finds another observance point from a coat rack.
I smile in pride. I've gotten him angry. That means I've gotten him scared and that I'm on par with his play style now. But I should still keep practicing. I didn't even see that knight until Suka pointed it out. It's gonna be tough when I play him. He is after all probably the best Shogi player around here with a quirk like that. Let's hope I can do it when the time comes. Right now, Captain Shipwreck is my opponent.
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The day is almost a repeat of yesterday. I'm proud to say I won that match and that I've 'leveled up' to having time limits on our turns. Out of the five matches we play this morning, I only lose once and that was because I misplaced a blocking pawn. I've definitely gotten under the captain's skin since then. I only owe a little over two hundred exercises afterward.
From there, the captain announces combat training to his crew and has everyone get ready for yet another intense training session. I'm almost found in the middle of it, but First Mate saves my butt. She reminds me and the captain what specific techniques I'm hoping to grow in with my quirk. I'm dismissed to my room so I can take the time to meditate and try to simultaneously give different commands to the three minions I can summon. Just to keep myself from giving in to temptation, I turn in my phone at the front desk for the time being. I'm a little slow with giving each command, but I'm getting there.
Afterward, it's lunchtime. As she had promised, First Mate teaches me to prepare a kind of ramen. It was actually really good. Each ingredient combined great with the others. After that, I played a few more games of Shogi, this time with First Mate. Shipwreck was busy with a call from another agency a few cities over. Something about.. there being a suspicious baldy coming in the building and leaving without a sane reason or.. whatever. Anyway, she's about as good as the captain.
I'm in the middle of winning my third out of the four matches when the captain comes down again and announces that it's yet again time to patrol. That too is about the same. Walking around the city, watch Shipwreck get some appreciation, and try to not get bored by talking to First Mate about random subjects. However, what truly becomes eventful is the visit to the captain's favorite bar.
Captain Shipwreck bursts through the door. "Ahoy, everyone!" He gets the same greets as he leads us to the same seats we had.
"Welcome back, sir. Miss Mate. Dutchman," Ranbona greets us. He quickly slides us some glasses of the same kind of drinks we had last night. "What'll it be tonight?"
"I'll stick with the usual," Shipwreck says. "What about you two?"
"Same."
"Sure."
"Sounds good," Ranbona encourages and salutes. "I'll have it out in a bit." He retreats back to the kitchen while I summon a flame and twirl it on my finger, and my coworkers get to their drinks.
I feel a rough hand on my shoulder. "Boy."
Oh my gourds. Again? I glance over my shoulder at the same mean faces I had come across previously.
"I thought ya learned your lesson?" he grunts. "This is mah seat."
"Can't say I did. I'm just listening to the people that brought me in here." I gesture my head to the captain, who looks over.
"Oh yeah?" he sneers. "Well I've been thinkin' about you and your nerve last night, and something hit me. How old are you anyway? You don't look like you belong in here."
"Just leave us alone, ya carousers," the captain calls. "He's with me and there's nothing you can do about it. You're too much a chicken to go into the police anyways! Scared they'll recognize ya and junk!"
"W-what makes you think I wouldn't? I got the guts! Just watch! Maybe I'll head down there now!" He turns to leave once again.
I'm about to get down from my stool when the captain stops me. "Now hold yer seahorses, Dutchman. He's just bluffin'. He's guilty of an overdue tab but too drunk to realize that it's not a major crime. He's just scared."
"Either way, he does kinda scare me," I admit. "Those buff arms look like he can karate chop a table in two."
Shipwreck laughs and watches the three near the door. "He wouldn't dare! He acts tough, but hardly lifts a working finger. He could hardly even touch ya when you got yer quirk and everything." His eyebrows then scrunch up as Ranbona comes out with our food. He looks at me and smiles deviously, catching mine and First Mate's attention. "Yeah. Hardly."
I stare at him confused while First Mate looks at him in alarm. "Captain. No!"
"Yo-ho, yeah!" He excitedly turns back to the counter and places down a twenty on the counter in front of Ranbona. "Here, old salt. In advance." He then turns back to the three who have just reached the door. "Avast ye, grog blossom and crew!" They turn in annoyance. "Me lad, Dutchman, here just said that you and yer pals are so hung over and stupid, that you couldn't land a bloomin' hit on 'im within three minutes!"
"WHAT!?!?" both said drunk and I yell, but for different reasons. Him: hurt and furious at the statement. Me: shocked and scared out of my shoes.
"Yeah-hah! That's right! Ya wanna settle it here?!"
The drunk roles up his sleeve and stomps to the middle of the room, growling in rage. "You pint-sized brat; you better take that back!"
First Mate grabs her lead by the beard and yanks his head down to hers and mine. "Are you stupid?? He's gonna get rekt! What are you doing?!?"
"He'll be fine," the captain chuckles then looks at me. "Dutchman's got his phasing, so that does make him untouchable. And Dutchman, consider this yer combat training. You missed out this morning, so this is make up. Do this and I'll let ye off at combat training for the rest of the week like this morning."
"Suppose they discover my weakness!" I quietly freak out. "With the challenge here, I'm sure they'll find out that my flames can be extinguished!"
"Man up. You know what you can do, so do it right. Oh! Just don't use your quirk on them at all and you'll remain innocent in the eye of the law, savvy?" He escapes from First Mate's grasp and climbs over the counter to join Ranbona on the other side. He raises his hand in the air to call for the other customers' attention. "Taking bets over here!"
I face palm myself and look at First Mate with a panicked expression. "First Mate!"
"Sorry, dude. Good luck." She steps behind the counter.
Well dang. Consider me toast.
I put my bandanna over my mouth and tug at my hood to make sure it's still on. I then slide off my seat and meet my opponent and his accomplices in the middle of the room. I gotta find a way to drag this out without relying on my phasing for the entire fight. Maybe a feint threat. That should work. As far as they know, my flames are just floating fire balls. However, if any of these guys touch me, I lose. Plus, they could possibly counter me like crazy and I don't know it. I gotta think about what kind of quirks these guys have.
At first glance, one of the big guys have a pair of ram horns spiraling out the side of his head like it's a permanent viking helmet. However, neither the other dude or the leader aren't showing any signs of their quirks.
First Mate holds up her phone with a timer on it. "Here are the rules! This fight will have a time limit of three minutes. If any of these three land a hit on the challenger, they win. If the challenger somehow manages to go through the three minutes without getting hit, he wins." She taps the start button. "Begin!"
I don't plan to fight back since I can't use my quirk on any of them, so I wait for them to make the first move. As soon as they get close enough, I ignite all six of my flames and have them orbit me. They all step back in surprise as I swing my arm and have my flames fly out and return back.
"Watch yerself, boys!" the leader yells. "He's got fire!"
"I don give a darn!" the goat yells in a gruff voice, wildly waving his fists over his head. "This is a timed match, so we gotta get it over with!" He faces a muscly arm toward me and charges forward.
"Wait, Tsunari!"
The ram races at me, ignoring his boss. I wave my flames in his face just to blind him and twirl to the side. He crashes into the wall behind me and starts pushing on it to get himself unstuck. That was fast. I look back at the other two and phase myself just as I see a chair fly at my face. And that was way too close. I observe in alarm the many objects floating around the second henchman with a weird aura. Telekinesis? This just got difficult. Better keep myself phased for now.
"It passed through him?!?" the grunt yells. "What is he?!"
"There's gotta be a limit!" the leader calls. "At least get his disguise down. Once you do, we'll know what we're dealing with exactly."
What's that supposed to mean? I ready myself and, just for the sheer fun of it, make poses like I'm actually dodging. I finally duck under an incoming beer glass and throw four unused flames at the two, who again jump back in fear.
"One minute has passed!" First Mate announces.
"Tsunari! Get over here!"
In response to the command, the ram yanks his face out of the wall and roughly slides his boot on the floor, ready to charge. I glance at the telekinesis dude and see him readying another glass to chunk at me. I solidify myself again and change my flames to their levitation properties. I then angle myself just right and try to keep my timing.
Just as the ram charges, the psychic throws the glass. With my flames active, I push myself off the floor and quickly land past the speeding sheep. His face is met with the object, but he sharply turns to me and swings a fist. I just barely have enough time to duck backward and dodge the blow. My hood falls off due to gravity and I roll away to get my distance. I swiftly stand back up, accidentally letting my bandanna fall around my neck.
"There!" the leader yells as his irises shine red. I get back in stance and wait for something to happen. Just for my safety, I phase again and pull my hood back over my head.
As soon as I do, he blinks and shakes his head. "Darn. I didn't get a lot, but listen." He points to me. "That fire is harmless! It's the support point of his obnoxious quirk!"
What the-?!?
"Aim for those with some water or something then the boy!"
"One minute left!!" First Mate cries.
"Uh-oh, the lad's weakness has been exposed." Shipwreck commentates to his betters. "Who wants to raise the stakes?"
"Just one minute left!" The leader yells. "Get him!!"
My eyes widen as the telekinesis guy grabs drinks from around the bar. Gotta rely on flight to drag this out now. I get ready to run as the ram comes back. I use my flames to give myself a sort of boost as I sprint out of the way. I immediately extinguish them as soon as I spy a wave of water slashed at me. I get wet of course but at least I was prepared for it.
I keep up my strategy. I even try to parkour off the unused tables to escape the wrecking ram. Things get more tight when the telekinesis dude starts hurling stuff at me again. I don't care about the mess I'm leaving around me, only my safety.
"Thirty seconds!!"
I'm just barely out of breath, but I keep running and dodging. I don't even know how I'm remaining untouchable this far!
My path is cut off when the next table I'm running to is destroyed by an incoming bench that was thrown by the psychic. Having no other option, I leap over the charging ram and end up back in the middle but behind the other two.
The leader screams in surprise but thrusts an arm at my face, missing terribly. I glance to the side again and spy my pursuer coming back. I'm cornered!
"Time!!"
I cringe as the ram is inches away from me but then stops abruptly. I look up at him to see he's being restrained by Shipwreck's anchor.
"YA-HAHA-HAR!!" he laughs. "Well done, Dutchman! Well done! Now all of you, hand over yer booty!"
While the captain argues with some of his competitors, I collapse to the floor, exhausted. That was way too close. Sure, it was only three minutes, but I'm tired just the same.
I'm nearly beat up by my sore loser challengers when they're stopped by Ranbona and get tossed out. Once Shipwreck is satisfied with his earnings, everyone else leaves while the three of us stay behind. Ranbona kindly asks that we help him tidy up from our unnecessary fight, to which Shipwreck and First Mate gladly do so, but First Mate insists that I sit down and have some water.
——————————————————————————————————————
After the captain and First Mate finish cleaning up, First Mate grabs my untouched food to-go and we head out. Even though I wasn't hit at all, I'm sore and cranky. I throw on my hood and shove my hands in my pockets.
"Ey, thanks again, Ranbona! This boy will be a pro yet!" the captain calls inside.
"Happy to help, hero. I guess. See ya tomorrow?"
"Maybe. Fair winds!" The captain turns and we walk down the lamp lit sidewalks. I can hear the jingles and clinks of the bet money he won. "Well done, Dutchman! I'm mighty proud!"
"You're mighty rich. That's why you're proud." I bluntly retort.
"As promised, you'll get yer time to yerself in place of combat."
"Captain," First Mate begins in a stern tone. "That was out of line and illegal. Do not ever do that again."
"Ha! Oh come now, I said it would turn out fine, and it did. Besides, Dutchman didn't use his quirk on any of them, so therefore it was in line and legal."
"Again! He's fifteen! Not supposed to have been in there in the first place!"
"Bah, who cares? Dutchman enjoyed it, didn't ya, lad?"
I don't make eye contact and keep staring ahead in a bit of anger. "Remind me to never go in there again."
"Ha! Alright, that's fair. Next time you can go back to the agency with Suka, and First Mate and I bring ya back what you've been ordering. Sound good?"
"Whatever."
I swear, his reckless greed will be the end of me.