VSS - 2022-07
Tweeted story snippets using vssCollab and optional prompts.
1 - Moving to Kyuunan to be with my human boyfriend didn’t go smoothly. The job I’d been promised disappeared with an admission I was openly gay. But the town needed a clerk to solve a business’ tax discrepancy. A mystery I had expertise in! #366FF 2 - After accepting the new job, I snagged my trusty notebook and dug in to the business’ taxes. Then I visited the business for an audit. Such a mess! Did they not have an accountant? It looked more like a circus than proper paperwork! #366FF 3 - Digging through everything they presented, their local corporate taxes appeared mostly in order. But Something niggled at the back of my mind. I informed them I'd return. As I walked home in the cool twilight, there were foot steps behind me. 4 - I slowed as if lost. A powerful yokai, like me, had no reason to fear humans. A hand grasped my shoulder as I turned into an alley and a voice rasped, "Don't go back tomorrow if you know what's good for you."
Amateur. I let my human disguise fall. 5 - “Little bekeneko, you have no idea what you're digging into,” the man said. “Give up the hunt. If not for your own saftey, consider that of yoru boyfriend.” My tails flicked as I crouched to pounce. “I am not your threat. I came to warn you.” 6 - He was the very image of a yakuza. Why would he help me? “I don’t believe you.” He shrugged. “Because I lost my son to this mess.” Viable. “What happened?” “That company hired him. Said they’d give him a way out of the mob.” #BraveWrite 7 - In which universe did he think that would work? I pasted on my best concerned cat expression. “What happened?” “Shortly after, all communication stopped. No trace of him.” The mobster’s face turned dark. “You never heard from him again?” ”No.” 8 - This lane of inquiry sent a shiver all the way down my spine and through both my tails. Was it madness to continue? “Did he say anything before he disappeared?” “The last thing he mentioned was a glowing ring everyone had to wear.” #Weirdmicro 9 - The mobster continued, “Do you think it signified some kind of pact?” I shook my head, “Not likely. But something magical. Did he say anything about a kitsune or anything illegal?” Would I be able to sift through the mystery's strata? #vssnature 10 - “A fox?” His face screwed up. “No. What would that have to do with anything?” I huffed. “It’s elementary. A yokai, senses non-humans. A kitsune runs the business. Would your son recognize if the scourge was puppeteering her employees?” #WeirdMicro 11 - “My son wouldn’t be manipulated so easily.” His face darkened. “It’s not rocket science. A simple spell most yokai can manage easily. Unless he was warded against such magic, he would have been susceptible. Any human would. No need for offense.” 12 - The ink on his forearms showed when he put his hand to his chin in thought. “The ring. Would that have been the avenue for the control magic?” “Perhaps. Or a binding of some sort. Were there any other messages from him?” I asked. #366FF #inkmine 13 - “No. ” My boyfriend expected me home. I turned to go. “Thank you for your warning. I’ll keep it in mind.” “If you continue to investigate. I wonder if I might join you. You’d have someone to watch your back.” He sure was inquisitive. #inkmine 14 - “Are you working for anyone that might be involved in this?” I asked. That was the material point. A yakuza’s nature wasn’t to be open and honest. He followed me for more than a kind warning. He scowled. “No.” “Then work for me.” #inkmine 15 - His answer? Rapid blinking. “Che.” I huffed. “Helping me investigate is not profound. You have a driving reason to learn more and know the town well.” “The darkness has eyes everywhere. Will my family have protection?” He whispered. #inkmine 16 - His shuffling raised my hackles. “If anything happens to me, they need to be safe.” What makes a mobster afraid? A new part of the mystery’s maze to navigate. “What’s your address? My associates will need to be feed well and housed.” #vss365 17 - His scent switched from sickly fear to a catnip-like, sweet relief. The wail of a siren the next street over made both of us jump half a meter off the ground. #weirdmicro 18 - “Let’s get off the street.” He motioned toward the bar and I switched back to my human form. “Shimosaki is so small. It shouldn’t have much police activity.” He shook his head. ”Sirens became common recently.” I was partially right. 19 - “I’ll work for you, if you tread lightly. There’s more than our lives at stake,” He said. We took seats in the back corner and kept our voices hushed. “Any word about what the police reports say?” “I kept my head down. But I’ll find out.” 20 - The next day, he brought copies of the police reports. I didn’t ask how he obtained them. Each officer dispatch found piles of ash. They assumed a perpetrator was robbing graves. Something niggled at the back of my mind… the rings! 21 - We met at the bar again that evening. The navy noren waved in the blessed breeze that kept the temperature from melting us. Haruki-san, the yakuza, was positively apoplectic. Someone had dropped his son’s belongings on his doorstep. #bravewrite 22 - I kept his sake cup filled as he vented his grief. His motive now? Revenge. “This happened before we met, didn’t it?” A vein protruded from his forehead as he nodded and tossed the ring to me. “Will this help? Is it cursed?” #vssNature 23 - “You haven’t put it on, have you?” Haruki-san leaned in. “No.” “Good. This ring may lead us to dark enough places. My assumption is a binding. A specific one. To an oni.” The yakuza’s eyes scrunched shut, his hand crushed his sake cup. #vss365 24 - The blood welling from his hand only magnified his pain. Perhaps I should have spared him the truth. “Haruki-san, you need to see a doctor for those cuts.” He muttered as stood, “No one cares what happened to my son.” Only a few would. 25 - “What was his name?” I held out my handkerchief. He took it to bind the wound. “Taka. Thank you for asking. I’ll get this taken care of.” He didn’t show up the next day for an assignment. The hospital had no record of anyone with his description. 26 - I slapped my forehead. The 'Taking care of it' story line meant he did something stupid like go after the kitsune alone. Now, I’d have to rescue a yakuza. Che. When I returned home, I found a carelessly tied bundle on my doorstep. #WeirdMicro 27 - Tell me this isn’t what’s left of Haruki! My heart was in my throat as I unwrapped it. Inside was a similar ring and a note that said, ‘Underground for own welfare. Got too close. Isolate list of victims by disappearance from payroll.’ #bravewrite 28 - Returning to Tech Magi to finish the audit at MagiSecurity took gall. Even my boss seemed hesitant to pursue. The fall out from this could be costly. I ensured I had backup. Fellow bakeneko waited in the shadows. #WeirdMicro 29 - One of the troupe, in human disguise, accompanied me inside. I looked at many aspects. A change of employees every few months was glaring. Those former ones were on the police record’s missing persons list. Haruki’s logic was spot on. #366FF 30 - The enigma wasn’t that ex-mobsters were victims, but how the company had kept this hidden. My bakeneko companion clued me in. He pointed, unable to tear his eyes off the security cameras. MagiSecurity had spies all over town via recordings. #vss365 31 - Haruki, my bakeneko friends, and I had solved the mystery. But we had work to do. Even after we shut down MagiSecurity, we weren’t safe. Something else was out there. I was determined to bring it down.
Kyuunan Mystery
When Nabeshima Yoshi moves to a small town, things aren't as peaceful as they first seemed.1 - Moving to Kyuunan to be with my human boyfriend didn’t go smoothly. The job I’d been promised disappeared with an admission I was openly gay. But the town needed a clerk to solve a business’ tax discrepancy. A mystery I had expertise in! #366FF 2 - After accepting the new job, I snagged my trusty notebook and dug in to the business’ taxes. Then I visited the business for an audit. Such a mess! Did they not have an accountant? It looked more like a circus than proper paperwork! #366FF 3 - Digging through everything they presented, their local corporate taxes appeared mostly in order. But Something niggled at the back of my mind. I informed them I'd return. As I walked home in the cool twilight, there were foot steps behind me. 4 - I slowed as if lost. A powerful yokai, like me, had no reason to fear humans. A hand grasped my shoulder as I turned into an alley and a voice rasped, "Don't go back tomorrow if you know what's good for you."
Amateur. I let my human disguise fall. 5 - “Little bekeneko, you have no idea what you're digging into,” the man said. “Give up the hunt. If not for your own saftey, consider that of yoru boyfriend.” My tails flicked as I crouched to pounce. “I am not your threat. I came to warn you.” 6 - He was the very image of a yakuza. Why would he help me? “I don’t believe you.” He shrugged. “Because I lost my son to this mess.” Viable. “What happened?” “That company hired him. Said they’d give him a way out of the mob.” #BraveWrite 7 - In which universe did he think that would work? I pasted on my best concerned cat expression. “What happened?” “Shortly after, all communication stopped. No trace of him.” The mobster’s face turned dark. “You never heard from him again?” ”No.” 8 - This lane of inquiry sent a shiver all the way down my spine and through both my tails. Was it madness to continue? “Did he say anything before he disappeared?” “The last thing he mentioned was a glowing ring everyone had to wear.” #Weirdmicro 9 - The mobster continued, “Do you think it signified some kind of pact?” I shook my head, “Not likely. But something magical. Did he say anything about a kitsune or anything illegal?” Would I be able to sift through the mystery's strata? #vssnature 10 - “A fox?” His face screwed up. “No. What would that have to do with anything?” I huffed. “It’s elementary. A yokai, senses non-humans. A kitsune runs the business. Would your son recognize if the scourge was puppeteering her employees?” #WeirdMicro 11 - “My son wouldn’t be manipulated so easily.” His face darkened. “It’s not rocket science. A simple spell most yokai can manage easily. Unless he was warded against such magic, he would have been susceptible. Any human would. No need for offense.” 12 - The ink on his forearms showed when he put his hand to his chin in thought. “The ring. Would that have been the avenue for the control magic?” “Perhaps. Or a binding of some sort. Were there any other messages from him?” I asked. #366FF #inkmine 13 - “No. ” My boyfriend expected me home. I turned to go. “Thank you for your warning. I’ll keep it in mind.” “If you continue to investigate. I wonder if I might join you. You’d have someone to watch your back.” He sure was inquisitive. #inkmine 14 - “Are you working for anyone that might be involved in this?” I asked. That was the material point. A yakuza’s nature wasn’t to be open and honest. He followed me for more than a kind warning. He scowled. “No.” “Then work for me.” #inkmine 15 - His answer? Rapid blinking. “Che.” I huffed. “Helping me investigate is not profound. You have a driving reason to learn more and know the town well.” “The darkness has eyes everywhere. Will my family have protection?” He whispered. #inkmine 16 - His shuffling raised my hackles. “If anything happens to me, they need to be safe.” What makes a mobster afraid? A new part of the mystery’s maze to navigate. “What’s your address? My associates will need to be feed well and housed.” #vss365 17 - His scent switched from sickly fear to a catnip-like, sweet relief. The wail of a siren the next street over made both of us jump half a meter off the ground. #weirdmicro 18 - “Let’s get off the street.” He motioned toward the bar and I switched back to my human form. “Shimosaki is so small. It shouldn’t have much police activity.” He shook his head. ”Sirens became common recently.” I was partially right. 19 - “I’ll work for you, if you tread lightly. There’s more than our lives at stake,” He said. We took seats in the back corner and kept our voices hushed. “Any word about what the police reports say?” “I kept my head down. But I’ll find out.” 20 - The next day, he brought copies of the police reports. I didn’t ask how he obtained them. Each officer dispatch found piles of ash. They assumed a perpetrator was robbing graves. Something niggled at the back of my mind… the rings! 21 - We met at the bar again that evening. The navy noren waved in the blessed breeze that kept the temperature from melting us. Haruki-san, the yakuza, was positively apoplectic. Someone had dropped his son’s belongings on his doorstep. #bravewrite 22 - I kept his sake cup filled as he vented his grief. His motive now? Revenge. “This happened before we met, didn’t it?” A vein protruded from his forehead as he nodded and tossed the ring to me. “Will this help? Is it cursed?” #vssNature 23 - “You haven’t put it on, have you?” Haruki-san leaned in. “No.” “Good. This ring may lead us to dark enough places. My assumption is a binding. A specific one. To an oni.” The yakuza’s eyes scrunched shut, his hand crushed his sake cup. #vss365 24 - The blood welling from his hand only magnified his pain. Perhaps I should have spared him the truth. “Haruki-san, you need to see a doctor for those cuts.” He muttered as stood, “No one cares what happened to my son.” Only a few would. 25 - “What was his name?” I held out my handkerchief. He took it to bind the wound. “Taka. Thank you for asking. I’ll get this taken care of.” He didn’t show up the next day for an assignment. The hospital had no record of anyone with his description. 26 - I slapped my forehead. The 'Taking care of it' story line meant he did something stupid like go after the kitsune alone. Now, I’d have to rescue a yakuza. Che. When I returned home, I found a carelessly tied bundle on my doorstep. #WeirdMicro 27 - Tell me this isn’t what’s left of Haruki! My heart was in my throat as I unwrapped it. Inside was a similar ring and a note that said, ‘Underground for own welfare. Got too close. Isolate list of victims by disappearance from payroll.’ #bravewrite 28 - Returning to Tech Magi to finish the audit at MagiSecurity took gall. Even my boss seemed hesitant to pursue. The fall out from this could be costly. I ensured I had backup. Fellow bakeneko waited in the shadows. #WeirdMicro 29 - One of the troupe, in human disguise, accompanied me inside. I looked at many aspects. A change of employees every few months was glaring. Those former ones were on the police record’s missing persons list. Haruki’s logic was spot on. #366FF 30 - The enigma wasn’t that ex-mobsters were victims, but how the company had kept this hidden. My bakeneko companion clued me in. He pointed, unable to tear his eyes off the security cameras. MagiSecurity had spies all over town via recordings. #vss365 31 - Haruki, my bakeneko friends, and I had solved the mystery. But we had work to do. Even after we shut down MagiSecurity, we weren’t safe. Something else was out there. I was determined to bring it down.
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