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[color=1E90FF][b]Level :[/b][/color] 9
[color=1E90FF][b]EXP :[/b][/color] 15/90 (+3 pts.)
[color=1E90FF][b]Location :[/b][/color] Esaka, the Tiered City
[color=1E90FF][b]Word Count :[/b][/color] 2,565

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Terry heartily snickered, his grip firm yet enthusiastic when he shook each and everybody’s hand, most notably the ones who greeted back and introduced themselves. [color=1E90FF]“Okay! It’s nice knowin’ you, Kim, Harry, Cap, and… erm… [i]Zenitsu[/i]?”[/color] Again, he misspelled somebody’s name like [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5610297]he did with the yokais the last time he talked about them with Richard[/url]. Even when he’d resided long enough in a Japanese city, Terry often struggled to spell a plethora of Japanese names and words. Funny since he could sound like a Japanese imitating an American when he shouted the names of his special moves. [color=1E90FF]“Oh, sorry, I mean, ‘Zenkichi,’ yeah…”[/color] he sheepishly corrected, scratching the back of his own head.

When Zenkichi brought up some of his companions who went to wander off early on, the hat-wearing bruiser shook his head, clearly having no hard feelings. [color=1E90FF]“And… nope! I don’t mind it just one bit. I get that it might’ve been their first time visiting Esaka. Honestly, if I were you guys, that’d be the first thing I was gonna do when I visited new unique places like this one.”[/color] He smiled. Considering that Esaka was modeled either like a layered cake or the multi-floored pagoda from [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Death]one of those classic Bruce Lee movies[/url], he wouldn’t be too surprised if it attracted new curious visitors unfamiliar with such a sight. Esaka was unlike any other cities in the country, after all—it was uniquely structured. And so, he understood why one would want to explore each level of the tiered city.

Speaking of a certain big three, it surprised Terry that he quite managed to [i]scare[/i] some new visitors away from participating in a gorefest that was the Mortal Kombat tournament. If Azuma’s prior elaborated explanation wasn’t already enough, it seemed that the hat-wearer’s graphical description only emphasized the brutality of the [i]kombatants[/i] competing in the tournament for these people. Well, he already saw some matches firsthand, after all, even though making every skilled [i]kombatants[/i] in the Mortal Kombat tournament look bad was never his intention.

[color=1E90FF]“Look, guys, don’t get me wrong. I respect all the good guys and girls joining this tournament, especially the ones who claimed themselves to be the ‘defenders of Earthrealm.’ I think they’re cool, especially guys named Liu Kang and Raiden. I just don’t respect the fact that the sponsor forces these good peeps to finish their opponents,”[/color] the hat-wearing bruiser admitted, then gave Captain Falcon a pointing thumb and a brief affirmative glance. [color=1E90FF]“But hey, to be fair, Cap here’s right. No matter what competition you enter, there’ll always be some ruthless stinkers running them from under the curtain. The other tournaments ain’t safe from those, either. Now, lemme tell y’all some lil’ known secrets…”[/color] His voice lowered and his blue eyes leaped from one side of the road to another, making sure that no other residents outside of the InvestiGator could overhear what he was about to tell the bunch. [color=1E90FF]“World Warrior’s run by a dictator, while KOF’s run by a cartel leader who has, like, a giant collection of human statues inside his headquarters.”[/color] He spread his arms widely, as if to emphasize the many unfortunate fighters Rugal had turned into a museum of statues. [color=1E90FF]“As for the King of Iron Fist? Welp, it’s even worse! Literally an entire bloodline of demons is rotting that shit, just feuding with each other and making it all about their family. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Kazama lady from the Homie Stock. She’s part of that family.”[/color] And the sanest one in the Mishima family besides [url=https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Jin_Kazama]her son[/url].

Now, obviously, everybody who knew Terry knew that he was a fair man. He’d always been frank about a lot of things, especially when it came to the fighting business as a whole. Rather than shying away from talking about his flaws or his dojo’s flaws, he’d rather admit them, and he’d always be more than happy to admit others’ strength if proven. Having a strong sense of justice, he could often be vocal about the shady figures running the tournaments, often donating the prize money he’d earned from the sponsors to their victims even when he needed money the most. But that was just Terry, of course. Hopefully, he didn’t just give away more than he was supposed to, especially to some newcomers like these guests.

[color=1E90FF]“Seriously, we fighters don’t really have much choice,”[/color] Terry added with a faint shrug, [color=1E90FF]“but don’t stress out, though. I’m not trying to scare you guys away. It’s just a heads-up, so you guys can be careful when it’s time to join one of those tournaments. As long as you just wanna have some fun or get some prize money like the Zenkichi fella over here, you’re all good. Well, ’least for me, I also have other reasons to join other than having fun. It’s either some peeps underestimating my power or the so-called ‘Emperor of South Town’ involving himself. Gosh, that bastard…”[/color] Frowning, he rolled his eyes when Geese suddenly came across his mind. While he’d forgiven him, Terry still didn’t trust him enough. Thankfully, Geese didn’t have much impact on Esaka anymore now that Rugal had taken his throne.

Readjusting his cap, the blonde bruiser continued to wander the lower-tier side of the Japanese city, his steps still falling close to Azuma and the guests. More small-time dojos popped up, as they continued to stroll deep into the city’s barely regulated area. This time, though, the dojos had a bit more originality to them, instead of blatantly copying the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat dojo. Names like ‘Death Cargo,’ ‘Girl Fight,’ ‘Bio F.R.E.A.K.S.,’ ‘Mondu’s Fight Palace,’ ‘ClayFighter,’ ‘Ballz,’ ‘Divekick,’ and so many more greeted their sights with ‘Urban Street Fighter’ as the latest addition to the list of struggling dojos. Of course, each and everyone of them was listed by Roland after he finished his investigation and let the crew know what he found. As if to emphasize their struggles, the majority of the dojos even sent their fighters or owners to promote themselves to the approaching newcomers. The said fighters stood right in front of their respective dojos, shouting and endorsing them every time somebody or a group of people walked past the entrances.

“Oi, oi! Join this dojo ’ere, will ya? We have goths, ninjas, an’ Amazonians ’ere in Kazoomi Ninja,” shouted [url=https://imgur.com/a/AJ5CfY4]a redheaded Scottish man[/url], subsequently swinging his brightly colored kilt.

“Hey, you! Yeah, you! I’m talking to you! You think you have some guts destroying the forces of evil with ClayFighters!?” shouted [url=https://imgur.com/a/Zd2hS7v]an enormous snowman with a ferocious face and an impressively toned build[/url]. He struck a series of flexing poses, while trying to endure the morning sunshine. “Then, get over here, brother dude! Don’t be a wimp and join ClayFighter now because evil’s always just around the corner…”

“I am Mondu the Fat, Lord of the Fight Palace. Remember, only in this palace will you gain the key to promising high-tier dojos in the city. Prepare to sign up,” [url=https://imgur.com/a/RbSkceQ]a gnarly looking fat man with pale lips[/url] persuaded, sitting in his throne with what appeared to be a couple of concubines accompanying him.

Despite their loud, forceful noises, it didn’t seem that their persuasive approaches managed to attract the attentions of Terry, Azuma, and the guests that much, seeing as some of the guests like Zenkichi, Harry, and Kim had made their choices way earlier than the rest, while Terry continued to yap and yap about a lot of things, most particularly in regards to joining the crew. It was no secret that the hat-wearing bruiser loved to talk, and that he was an adventurer, so learning that it was the same crew who battled the yokais early on, it was no-brainer that he would’ve been interested to join them in their adventures. Especially when they seemed to know something that he didn’t know regarding his past life.

[color=1E90FF]“Hey, anyway, thanks for having me in the team! I think you guys are cool and all, so I do plan on sticking around with y’all a bit longer. Thought I could help recommend some of the best dojos and hangouts around the corner. And besides, it seems that we could’ve known each other, couldn’t we?”[/color] Terry asked with a raised eyebrow, specifically glancing at Nadia since she was the one who welcomed him to the crew with open hands. [color=1E90FF]“Y’know, I guess I got a lotta stuff to find out now that Pit told me that. Actually, he did give me the same earpiece that he gave y’all, too. Dunno if it means that I’ve been recruited, but, jeez, I feel honored!”[/color] He snickered heartily, absentmindedly readjusting the golden pearl plugged to his ear. [color=1E90FF]“So, we’ll reunite at Pao Pao soon, huh? I can show you guys the way. But anyway, what’re y’all supposed to be? The Ikari Warriors? Delta Red? Tekken Force? Special Forces?”[/color]

Not long after he asked so, most of the crew had departed to their dojos of choices, finally making up their minds. So, now, Terry was left with Captain Falcon, as the latter expressed his interest to partake in the KOF tournament with him. Not only that, the Captain seemed to be interested to know which dojo was the hat-wearing bruiser a member of.

[color=1E90FF]“Actually, it’s the KOF dojo, Cap,”[/color] he elaborated. [color=1E90FF]“It’s always up for new applicants, but man… you still have a long way till you can get to my dojo. Though, I could help persuade the oldheads to give you a try-out if you wanna, but even then, I’m not too sure if they’re gonna approve it. They’re quite strict when it comes to rules and stuff, y’know.”[/color] He shrugged in defeat, but then gave the Captain a reassuring smile. [color=1E90FF]“But hey, don’t you worry about that, okay, pal? Judging by your look, I got no doubt you’re gonna graduate from every smaller dojo in no time. Once you get to the higher tier of Esaka, I can make sure that you’ll get accepted there, and that you’ll be my teammate for the new KOF tournament. How does that sound?”[/color]

Something was telling Terry that Captain Falcon, despite being a racer, had the look of a fighter—a competitive one at that, possibly. Appearance-wise, he could just fit right in at a city full of athletic fighters like Esaka. However, before he could help inform the Captain further, [url=https://imgur.com/a/9fEnrHW]a wild cowgirl[/url] lunged in his direction. She stopped Terry in his path with a leap, surprising him with a hug.

[b]“Ahh…!! Terry!!”[/b]

[color=1E90FF][b]“GWAHH—!?”[/b][/color]

It seemed that she came from the ‘Dong Dong Never Die’ dojo standing next across both Terry and Captain Falcon, who sounded oddly similar to at least two female fighters he knew from his own dojo. Too flabbergasted, the hat-wearing bruiser didn’t do a thing to reciprocate the hug. He just blushed and snickered sheepishly, keeping his hands raised next to his blonde temples. 

[color=1E90FF]“Oh, um… hi!”[/color] Terry hesitantly greeted, faintly trembling. [color=1E90FF]“Sup?”[/color]

“Big fan!” the cowgirl exclaimed, pulling her arms away from Terry’s taller figure. She gracefully landed on both feet, swaying back the loose auric brown strands of her hair. While tilting her head and smiling from ear to ear, she handed the hat-wearing bruiser a picture of himself and a pen in her hands. “Can I ask for your autograph, please? Please~?”

Hearing the cowgirl’s cute begging, Terry shook his head and chuckled. [color=1E90FF]“Alright, alright…”[/color] He accepted both the picture and the pen, drawing the scratchiest signature ever by the corner of the picture. [color=1E90FF]“Okay, here you go,”[/color] he said, then nodded, grinning in amusement. [color=1E90FF]“What’s your name, lady?”[/color]

“It’s YĪN YĪN,” the cowgirl introduced, then bit her lower lip, placing a hand over her hip.

[color=1E90FF]“Ah, I see, I see… ‘Yin Yin,’ right?”[/color] Terry repeated, still keeping both the picture and the pen.

“It’s [b]YĪN YĪN[/b]!” the cowgirl exclaimed, the tone of her voice high and flat. She pouted. “All caps.”

Terry laughed. [color=1E90FF]“Alright, alright…”[/color] Then, he started writing something for YĪN YĪN on the picture she handed him—a motivational message or some sort. He read it out loud. [color=1E90FF]“Dear YĪN YĪN, say your prayers, eat your veggies, and keep on fighting. Much love, Terry.”[/color] As he finished writing, he handed the picture back to the oriental cowgirl, jokingly winking at her. She shrieked enthusiastically, shook her head, and hugged the picture, quickly losing her cool at the wink. [b]“Ahh…!! Oh my God, oh my God! Terry’s giving me an autograph! KYAHHH—!!”[/b]

Her shriek alone quickly attracted a wave of female fighters from a myriad of nearby dojos. They gathered around Terry, handing him their own collection of pictures of himself. It surprised him that he had that many fangirls in this side of the city, believing that there were more male fighters more attractive than himself from the KOF dojo. They shrieked and lost their cool just the same, trying to reach Terry with their hands. 

“Ahh..!! Terry-san!” shouted [url=https://imgur.com/a/umoESjx]a tomboyish girl sporting a red headband and a torn jeans jacket[/url].

“Aww… Aren’t you as precious as a jewel?” asked [url=https://imgur.com/a/1G3RUtj]an Egyptian woman decked with flashy eyeliners[/url].

“Will you marry me?” asked [url=https://imgur.com/a/ocgFNUt]a towering woman with a striking mohawk[/url].

“Be my king, Terry!” urged [url=https://imgur.com/a/2UZHSpR]a tribal woman with an [i]interesting[/i] choice of outfit[/url].

“Wish you were a real wolf, Terry,” said [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5610297]the fox girl from the ‘Brutal: Paws of Fury’ dojo from early on[/url].

Seeing their reactions, Terry swallowed hard, his eyes wide and his cheeks as red as a tomato. He wasn’t expecting himself to be surrounded by rabid fangirls while casually strolling by the street with some new guests. Trying to maintain his composure, he took a deep, deep breath, then motioned his opened hands down to calm the hysterical crowd.

[color=1E90FF]“Alright, alright, just relax now. Everybody gets an autograph,”[/color] Terry reassured, while getting himself pushed around and slowly pulled out of his initial position by the fangirling bunch. Their number grew bigger and bigger, and he was forced to stray further and further away from the Captain. He glanced at the helmet-wearing racer past his shoulder. [color=1E90FF]“Hey, Cap! Sorry, but I gotta go,”[/color] he exclaimed as loud as he could, becoming more and more separated from the latter. [color=1E90FF]“If you’re looking for a decent small-time dojo, just give the [i]Psycho[/i] dojo a try, okay? My friend Robert’s running that one. He can help promote you to the KOF dojo.”[/color] As expected, he misspelled the ‘Saikyo’ dojo and mistook Dan for [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_Garcia]a fellow KOF participant[/url] with similar appearance. [color=1E90FF]“Or Breakers. Yeah, Breakers! That, too, could help promote you to the KOF dojo. Breakers and ClayFighter are the better ones around this side of the city.”[/color]

Eventually, Captain Falcon became more distant, as the fangirls continued to surround and pull Terry to a less crowded spot in the lower-tier side of Esaka. It wasn’t actually that far from any of the dojos that the crew had signed up for. The gathering bunch felt more and more suffocating, as he responded to their autograph requests person by person. Sometimes, he wished he could’ve pulled out a Power Geyser and escaped the crowd, but as a real man, he knew that he had to treat the ladies gently.

[color=1E90FF][i]Oh, God, please help me,[/i][/color] he begged inwardly. [color=1E90FF][i]Mary’s sooo gonna kill me if she finds out about this…[/i][/color]

[b]FIN.[/b]

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[*] [@Lugubrious]
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