Ao Jae

Artistry

Muse’s Kiss:

Cost: Imbue 1 Legend Duration: Indefinite Subject: One character Range: Short Action: Simple

You breathe inspiration into a character’s heart, granting them Enhancement 3 when they roll to create art, put on a performance, or some other creative and expressive activity. You can set a single requirement the character must meet to maintain your blessing, like “tithe a tenth of your earnings to my cult” or “spend eight hours a day writing,” which ends this Boon immediately if it is not met. This Boon is free to use on trivial targets.

Stars

Cosmic perspective:

Cost: Imbue 1 Legend Duration: One scene Subject: Self

Action: Simple

To look up at the stars is to peer into the past, witness- ing light that was shed countless eons ago. You can observe the past, specifying either a point in time or an event that occurred as far back as 1,000 years, but no more recently than the last dawn. If you use this Boon to make an interval roll for an investigation or a similar action, you can ignore up five points of Complication resulting from the passage of time since the event you view occurred. 

Stars

Cosmic perspective:

Cost: Imbue 1 Legend Duration: One scene Subject: Self

Action: Simple

To look up at the stars is to peer into the past, witness- ing light that was shed countless eons ago. You can observe the past, specifying either a point in time or an event that occurred as far back as 1,000 years, but no more recently than the last dawn. If you use this Boon to make an interval roll for an investigation or a similar action, you can ignore up five points of Complication resulting from the passage of time since the event you view occurred. 

Liminal

Experienced Traveler -

When you travel to a new place, no matter how remote, you quickly pick up the social mores and behaviors, along with enough of the language to get by. Add +1 Enhancement to any applicable rolls to blend into the culture, if the Storyguide feels a need to call for a roll at all. This bonus applies before you roll. Additionally, when you attend a social ritual (such as a wedding or a funeral or a birthday party) you always know exactly the right social mores to follow, and how to appropriately dress. Even if you were not invited, you will not read as out of place.

Leader

Good Listener -

When you make casual conversation with an SGC, that character will reveal information or an important detail that the Leader is looking for, if they know it. Before using this ability, tell the Story Guide what you’re seeking; if the SGC doesn’t know it, you immediately become aware that the character isn’t relevant to your quest. Even the most recalcitrant of characters eventually opens up and reveals a clue — this power requires no roll. 

Lover

For you, I will -

Regain 1 point of spent Legend when you perform an impressive feat that positively impacts a character whom you love (which express- ly includes the platonic bond of close friendship) — this can be a Story guide character or a bandmate, but the feat must be suitably impressive depending on the target. What impresses an ordinary mortal is not the same as what impresses a Demigod. 

-

I am the fire -

You stoke the affection one person has towards another — including yourself — which impels them towards a relationship. If it is between two Storyguide characters, work with the Storyguide to determine how their suddenly passionate relationship takes shape. If the target is one of your band- mates, this Knack does not work unless you obtain permission from the character’s player. If the target is yourself, you gain +1 Enhancement to all Social rolls involving your partner of choice until the end of the session.

-

Lover's Oath -

You and a consenting partner enter into an agreement to bind yourselves together for- ever as lovers. Both parties spend a point of Legend (if applicable). From that moment on, it takes only a moment’s concentration to know the location and general state (emotional wellbeing, health, etc.) of your partner. You have the option to accept Injuries for the other, and can imbue points of Legend for each other’s abilities (assuming your partner has a pool of Legend to pull from). This is a pact that binds you together by Fate, and while it does not necessar- ily have to be made out of romantic love, ill fortune befalls those who mistreat their partner whom they have sworn an oath to before the Gods. 

Li Bao - III enhancement 

Li Bao's parents - II Enhancement to INVESTIGATE

Jae doesn't take much pride in his van or how he got there in the first place.

It's something that only his closest friends are aware of (Hokulani and Kaholo) and even then Jae hardly likes to talk about it.

Being a child of the foster system was hard for Jae, as most people took him in for the sake of wanting more government funding only to use on themselves and not towards the enrichment of the child. Many homes were in bad blocks around the Honolulu area and Jae was more often than not moving from place to place in a trash bag as long as he could remember.

When he was sixteen he seemed to have finally found a family who had more than enough resources to take care of him alongside the two other teens already in the household. They lived closer to the beach and lived in one of the houses that many of the locals considered far too ritzy for anyone who was actually native. Despite the family relocating from L.A, Jae was surprised by this new family that would have even selected him. 

And for a moment, everything was good.

Jae got accustomed to this new family and sooner got close to one of the teens in the household by the name of Sydney. At first, Jae was more than willing to show her what he knew about the island as it was a fun activity for the two of them. After all, he knew all of the local hang out spots and besides, it was the only thing he had to offer to the girl who came from Los Angeles.

Jae's friends began seeing him bringing her around more often. She would make slip-ups about pet names and would be generally affectionate physically. This was all new to the teen, who didn't think he was really worth much affection up until now. He fell deeply in love with Sydney despite his cautionary warnings from his friends that he shouldn't be with his foster-sister. If she said she loved him, then it was all he needed. Because no one else did.

A year passed and the mystique of island life wore off.

Sydney, who seemed to be constantly chasing the dragon's tail, pushed for more 'things' from Jae; that he was holding things back from his friends and that she could handle the 'dark underbelly' of what Hawaii had to offer. Not wanting to say no to her and with a potential adoption in the wings with his new parents, the now 17-year-old had little to no problem introducing her to other people he knew. People who could get Sydney the 'nostalgia' she had in L.A.

Sydney's grades tanked and Jae found himself in his own substance abuse. They got into fights, mostly involving Jae being worried for her and quickly apologizing when it came to 'ruining her fun'. This hurt the teen immensely, especially when it was caught she was sleeping with other people and spent less time with him. This is what led Jae to self-harm, as a venting mechanism and as a cry for help to see if Sydney noticed or cared. She did when it suited her.

The breaking point was Jae catching Sydney in a drugged haze threatening to jump from a high cliff down into the ocean with some of her other friends. Worried she'd kill herself, he intervened. She threatened that she'd ruin his life if he stopped her from having fun and he said it was better than her being dead. Sydney didn't jump and instead, went home. 

After a little while, he went home as well, only to find his future parents waiting for him at the door, telling him to get out.

Sydney had spun a wild tale to her parents involving Jae taking advantage of her, forcing her to do drugs and other things she wanted 'nothing' to do with. The person he wanted safe above all else had done exactly what she said she'd do.

She ruined his life.

With the adoption and the prospects of a new family gone, Jae spent the remainder of his seventeenth year in juvenile detention and was released with nothing. He was surprised to see his two friends there, Hokulani and Kaholo, who knew the real story, had saved up enough money with some of the locals to get him a van so he could move around and have a roof over his head.

Even up until now, Jae blames himself for ruining what he had with Sydney and often rebuffs people who try and defend his honor.

I've tried to recover from the times I've looked forward and into the past. It's been hard. I don't like seeing people die and almost every time I use these powers, I realize someone else has or is going to die. At least what is supposed to happen in Belfast isn't my fault, but knowing what can happen and not knowing if I can stop it? That's just as bad, you know?

So instead, I mostly spent my time trying to help Puck understand she has so much more potential than just being a kitsune who hangs on a human's coattails. I think she's getting it, but there's a lot of work still to be had. I don't know if she wants to be noticed by Inari. And I can only push her so far.

Li Bao. I... I feel really bad for him. Johnny or I couldn't get the collar off him and the fact the Kami are using him as some sort of political chess piece makes my stomach turn. A lot. I can't help but feel like with my one vision from the past... that the two of us are more alike than we might think. I've tried my best to make sure he's comfortable and he helps me with what I ask of him. Which isn't much. I don't know what Sydney was saying about me not being able to 'do this'. If you just show someone kindness, they're willing to work with you, yeah? Or so I think.

I haven't done much else outside of watching things move in the background and money get pushed around. I feel like I'm not even really doing anything for Tsukiyomi but my financial 'advisors' are. Maybe that's why I haven't heard from him in all of this time. Gods are busy, I understand that. And maybe I'm just an idiot for thinking that whatever we pledged together is just words. I don't even know how to get people to worship the moon over the sun and he doesn't even have an agenda for it.

Was I wrong?

I hate second-guessing myself. But I'm just... lonely. 

But I can't worry about those things now. Not when the battle of the bands is right around the corner and there are so many other people who need help right now. Because if I don't do anything, more people are going to die.