Open Kimodameshi!

[Egawa Yuno]

..//Students, Genin, Chuunin, even Jounin are welcome to test your bravery at the academy tonight//..​

Yuno looked at the flyer for what seemed like hours. On one hand, he wouldn't consider himself brave, but this did introduce an opportunity he didn't have the time to make. Friends. Though Yuno had many friendly encounters with people, he could never quite make friends. He wrapped his mind about this, was it the mask being off-putting. Nobody would want to be friends with some weirdo wearing a bird mask. It could be because he never actually tries to talk to people, or that he can't carry a conversation in the slightest. No. Its definitely the bird mask.

After the events of out in Godsfall, Yuno lost contact with several of the people he had traveled with, and had hopped to one day meet them again. However, many of them were still students, and must work in different circles than Yuno, not like if they were genin he'd have more courage to really interact with them. That is what this will be, not a test of courage to face whatever "scary" things will be haunting the academy at night, the courage to break out of his shell and make some friends.

When Yuno got home he spent the rest of the day attempting to psych himself up. He had completely forgotten the real reason someone was hosting this test, and he had spent his time in front of a mirror. Practicing greetings, small talk, having full conversations with himself so that he could get rid of the anxiety he will definitely feel when he is in front of someone and actually begins to speak to them. He kept this up until the dead of night, and he left his home. On the way there he realized that maybe he should lose the mask, but it gave him pause. The mask definitely protected him from the sun, which wasn't an issue at the moment, but he never noticed how much he relied on the feeling of anonymity he received from the mask. He weighed his desire for friendship, and his need to hide behind the mask, and friendship won. The mask wouldn't be too far though.

He reached the academy, and there didn't seem to be a lot of people there. Maybe people thought it was too childish, after all, all shinobi face danger worse than a person dressed up as a zombie or witch. So there he stood, an average looking boy holding a bird mask at his side. At least he doesn't burn under moonlight, and maybe people will recognize the mask since nobody would really know what his face looked like.​

 

[Mugen Kei]

--test your bravery--

Kei certainly felt like he'd been doing plenty of that of late, yet the words from the flyer lingered in his mind like a nagging chore left unfinished. It seemed questionable at best, to host a haunted house at the site of a recent attack from an unknown force. Images of the creature that prowled the grounds of the Craemotaris invaded his vision of what exactly might have taken place here; it left him cautious, knowing full well that without a certain shinobi's involvement that things likely would have gone very differently at the burial grounds that day.

Still, Kei wasn't the type to let anxiety ruin a good time. So in spite of his apprehension and the injury from their most recent mission encasing his left arm in bandages, he told himself it was just a fun haunted house and that he was psychicng himself out over nothing. Lucky for him, he was already at the academy serving an after-school detention for "falling asleep in class" (if you could call it that when the professor used lullaby powder on him and left him there for Enomoto-sensei to find after the bell). He had hoped to catch a glimpse of people setting up whatever spooky encounters they might face, but no such luck. Oh well, that would ruin the fun anyway.

Detention took place in a smaller building adjacent to the academy, and so when he was finally released from his prison the redhead meandered his way toward where a group ought to start gathering soon. For now there was only one, and despite not recognizing his face he certainly recognized the mask in his hand. Bewilderment spread across Kei's expression as he raised his voice from across the compound to the older boy. "Who are you and what have you done with Yuno?" He chided with a playful grin, extending his good arm for a fist bump greeting. "Good to see you man - and like, all of you! I'm honored, this is so exciting." He hadn't been sure what to expect under that mask, but the average image of a teenage boy before him was perhaps far more amusing and interesting than anything he'd dreamt up, or perhaps even that awaited them beyond the academy doors.

 

[Goki]

[A little out of order, as was pre-written before Kei's post. Apologies, Kei, will acknowledge next post. Training deadline & all that.]

“To test your bravery” . . .

Amidst her studying period, Goki couldn’t recall much of anything one might have considered a ‘test of bravery’ outside of whom the entire curriculum seemed intended for—Academy Students.

Had the Headmaster updated the courses? And yet, as usual, no one bothered to inform her.

Two ponderings came to thought—well, more than two, given Goki’s mind never quieted—but, chiefly: One—would there be a reward? And, two—would there be strange things? ....Preferably inhuman.
Unsaid three—how would they smell? Yet, the latter was a question for nearly every instance: And thing. And person.

Now, the most recent invitation of this sort had been for an outing... mission... field trip—something, to Godsfall. Fulfilling in that the adventure indeed satisfied much hoped for. Yet, disappointing in that all following tasted bland in comparison: Like ordering a dish in a local foreign food restaurant, after having experienced its authentic taste through a visit to its country of origin.
Why this bravery test had been scheduled at night, the Hybrid couldn't be certain. However, if she’d had to guess—which, unfailingly, she’d frequently indulged liberties in—it’d perhaps been because many children, even adults, innately feared it. As if the veil of darkness itself served as stimulus, rationality aside: The incapability to clearly distinguish forms lacking illumination.
Yet, Goki pondered, if horrid monstrosities did present themselves—wouldn’t it prove less frightening to witness less of it? After all, how could it terrify you if you could barely even see it? Though, conversely, the less frightening must have only benefited from such: Like humans.
One thoroughly illuminated indeed proved less intimidating than whilst amidst shadows. Ah—maybe that’s why ANBU seemed to prefer night assignments. Now it was all coming together . . . Sort of.
Two loafers dug and crushed against sand amidst these musings, occasionally tapping where stone met whilst making way. Eventually closing outside the Academy, the girl would notice something familiar, yet unfamiliar—making this, in fact, unfamiliar: A mask of familiarity—yet a face of the exact opposite. Two fingers raised to thoughtfully rub the girl's chin whilst she, unreservedly, studied the boy; seeking to unravel this mystery.

Same height . . . Similar proportions . . .

There could be only one explanation.

Fearlessly, Goki started her approach. And here would exhibit a superb example as to why her guardians cautioned the Hybrid to respond to interactions, over initiate.
The courteous bow was, of course, first provided.

"Good evening," She’d begin. "Goki has a suspicion, concerning your mask - Have you digested the owner of it?"

Cannibalism in Kaze no Kuni, was indeed, a thing.

 

[Kureji]

-test you're bravery-

Kurejī's mind ran wild, this was a chance of a lifetime! Fight ghouls and zombies and monsters! Wait... Ghouls and zombies and monsters? A shiver was sent up his spine as he thought of what there was to face. He then shook his head and slapped himself and yelled out, all alone, "Get a hold of yourself Kurejī, it's only monsters! If anything you got Teddie!" He ran to where the flier said for the event to be, but he was getting restless, so he decided to summon Teddie and use his chakra threads to pick him up and set him on its shoulders as it does the leg work for him, all he has to do is use his chakra threads to control it.

As he made his way, he saw some other people standing around and talking, "WHAT'S UP EVERYBODY! Kurejī IS HERE AND-" He was too busy exclaiming that he didn't put as much focus into his chakra threads and Teddie toppled over. It would be a weird commotion, seeing an eight foot tall bear walking like a random person with a looking like a late teen boy on its shoulders falling and biting the dust. Falling face first, he felt a little bit hurt from the experience, but he got up fast and brushed himself off. "I meant to do that." He said confidently, acting as f that was no biggie that had just happened.

"So, are we banishing some ghouls or some zomblies away from this place?" His mask looked a little bit messed up, but otherwise still held fast to his face.