How @NOTaHFfan realized Tone was @Toan
How I realized Tone was @Toan
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4 Likes
He he he.
Rukah? More like Fruitcup
I think it’s just a mechanical stomach. I think she went too fast, ran into something, and got hurt, nearly killed. They had to replace her organs.
4 Likes
I need a hero (factory) I’m holding out for a hero (factory) till the end of the night
so we’re just going to ignore how a sizable portion of the cast of BoR was dead before the book started
@atobe_brick post in togav
ok time to actually read the chapter 
nononono I can’t deal with more characters already please stop noool
do you guys get it he said mask and the story is called the wild MASKS! get it! wow!
so first we had kohaku and now fred; is this some sort of flashback to an older team? or maybe the team has a few people they switch in or out
or maybe it’s a different team entirely
or maybe it was all a book of dreams
ok wait a second if they’re surrounded by seafood does that mean that all of the fish are talking? or was that one guy from the beginning some magic fish
why so fish talk in this universe??
this implies that ren has skin which can change its color which means that he has skin and it is organic which means that REN IS HUMAN 
so here’s what we know so far: ren, some guy named fred and some lady named kohaku who seem to have a history together are in a supermarket for some reason
I am so confused
I googled kohaku and the “safesearch is turned on” message popped up
ghid are you sure you want your story to take place in japan you know that that’s where anime comes from right
just realized that ren and the other two work in the supermarket and are not doing anything devious there
why does ren work in a supermarket???
hmm so tone can’t take his mask off
strange
also, the team getting a call from corey’s school is interesting
either his parents aren’t around anymore and ren and the others took him in as their own, or they are his parents
second option is very very unlikely but still interesting to think about
oh ok so ren just has a job
y’know I’m really liking how this story is much more grounded and realistic than the books, even if there are still magical elements
corey goes to school, renner has a job, and the other members of the team probably do stuff during the day as well
or maybe not
it seems tone and rook just mope around all day
also why is tone’s mask stuck to his face hmmmmm
I’m not going to say that I called it but I totally called it
why is corey actually just me (minus the being an orphan part)
tone better speak like a reddit troll for the rest of the story
I really liked this chapter, there weren’t any big revelations or reveals but it makes the characters seem much more real and like actual people
This team has such great chemistry with each other and I can’t wait to see how they act when the action starts ramping up 
5 Likes
Sorry I didn’t realise I started writing in French here 
Will the real Slim (NOTa) Shady (HFfan) please stand up? i repeat, Will the real Slim (NOTa) Shady (HFfan) please stand up? We’re gonna have a problem here
Now what, you’re going to tell me that you don’t like tomatoes in your hamburger? 
And who’s the real American here after that?
They wouldn’t need to. Everyone already knows that you’re supposed to put pickles in a burger. Just ask Google
This is literally the first thing that comes up when you google “burger ingredients”. Checkmate 
No, me being taller than this completely fictional character who is not real and also me is an accomplishment 
You’re the one writing this book, not me 
My standards must have tanked because of BoT
I count that as a yes
It’s not like someone being dead from the very beginning of the story is unprecedented. Just look at Bird and N01 in BoR
Is he called NOTa because he’s HFfan or is he HFfan because he’s called NOTa?
Gosh I’m so good at this game
Noooo Ghid I’m not edgy, it’s all because of my tragic backstory 
Wow you’re actually fixing your typos this time 
The progress since BoT is huge
oh, you’re a Fan alright, just Not a Hero Factory one
Me neither lol. It’s a known fact that I write these by typing random buttons on my keyboard and hoping for the best
That’s the local Ghid self-insert
Alright folks it’s chapter two time
Apartments in the US be like
I read this whole exchange taking up the first third of the chapter with a huge grin on my face. The dynamic in the main group is immaculate. Their banter is so convincing, these guys actually feel like real people. The dialogue reads so much better when you have something to relate to. I’m loving how grounded it is, I think it’s a big step up from the Bo_ dialogue
Human Cordax isn’t something I knew I needed until the description stared me in the face
Completely white unfurnished room with no windows? Do they rent this place in an insane asylum?
Heh
So, his mask appears to be fused to his face huh. Quite an inconvenience
I feel so called out by this. I never seem to have any chopsticks at my place, so whenever I make myself instant ramen noodles, I’m forced to eat them with a spoon because I have no other choice. I know I’m committing a horrible crime, but there’s nothing I can do. I really need to stock up on chopsticks next time I do my groceries
I agree with Cordax on the theory that whatever happened to Race was caused by her going too fast, but I think that this is an ability exclusive to her
There he is
I’m loving this design, very wacky and whimsical, just the way I like it
Buuuut-
Teeth teeth
Krelikan
It’s interesting how the Ghid mask description didn’t mention the pair of side eyes. I wonder if that’s the eyes he’s after
I’m doubling down on my theory that Wild is the one who is dead, and the one who Ren wants to revive by striking a deal with the Ghid mask
Seems like he was killed by overusing the power of his mask, which is why Ren was so worried about Race
I think here’s everything we know about the masks:
Wearing them increases your physical ability and possibly gives you a special power
Race has speed, Tone has sound and Ren’s power is still unknown.
Tone is human, but his mask fused to his face for whatever reason
Rook’s mask works in a completely different way though because he is the mask. When the mask was removed from the body, it became a lifeless shell, but the mask was still speaking after being placed on the pillow.
The Ghid mask seems to be similar in nature to Rook, except it can move on its own by extruding root-like surfaces from itself
Hey I was going to use the same exact song in one of my future posts
I guess I’ll need to come up with something else…
I know this might be very hard to believe and might possibly be very shocking (shocking!) to you, but I really, really like this character
A huge surprise, I know I know
Okay so I guess we really are set in Japan huh. The comment about the size of flats in the last chapter makes a lot more sense all of a sudden. The direction of the story is getting more and more interesting with each passing chapter
A direct Ultimate Theoriser callout?
Again, another incredibly fun character dynamic. I can almost sense the amount of fun you’re having while writing these from here
I know that Kohaku and Fred are just side characters as they are not modelled after any users, but it’s still nice to see actual people inhabiting this story, apart from the main cast. I think that allowing NPCs to exist in the world of this book was a great move
I’m assuming that “frame” refers to the body that Rook is controlling. And they seem to have bought it from somewhere… very interesting indeed
Again, this feels like a direct callout
I haven’t been skipping meals because of the lack of time lately I swear
It’s so wholesome how much they all seem to care for each other. It’s a breath of fresh air after the Bo_ series where everyone were at each other’s throats all the time
So Tone’s sound abilities also extend to talking directly inside people’s ears
I’m really enjoying the vibes of this story so far. The main guys go to school, have jobs, go to events together… it all feels so lively. The all have actual lives and don’t simply exist in this story bubble devoid of realistic story elements, like certain other books on the boards
It’s a poor writing choice I’d say. It’s actually Fred speaking
You’re only realising this now? I’ve had this figured out since chapter one where his hair and the ability to feel pain were mentioned and chapter two where he ferociously devoured ramen
Safesearch is for the weak
I might have to actually look into these names when I get the chance
It’s also the place where all of Ghid’s favourite video games come from. I’d say that it’s a win-win situation for the both of us
You’re really making a lot of good points. I don’t even have anything to add.
Kudos to you for making my job easier 
8 Likes
–
Chapter Four
Fireworks
–
“That’s not the only reason we’re here.”
Race’s eyes slowly looked about the parking lot, her head refusing to move, her face remaining thoroughly uninterested. “Sell drugs?”
“Wh- No.” Wild pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. “Race, you really take all the fun out of these big reveals, you know?”
“Oh, so you got married?” She continued, just as unenthused-sounding. “Well congratulations, most people don’t have that kind of bravery in modern society, but I hope you and your minivan have a happy life together.”
Tone finally broke out into high-pitched squeals of laughter, earning him a shove from Ren. Rook looked about awkwardly, trying not to act like this was all about him, despite quivering with excitement at his suspicions behind the announcement.
“If it’s finally out of your system,” Wild sighed, having waited for Tone’s outburst to die down into barely-concealed snickering. “Rook, you’ve had enough time in the mask for us to know what your limits are, and we’ve unanimously reached our decision.”
“And?” Rook shivered.
“Welcome to the Renegade Masks, kid.” Wild held out an origami mask.
Before Rook could rejoice at the prospect, Wild continued. “It’s with good timing, too. I’ve heard rumors that tonight is the ceremony to invite the Demon across the plane. They’ve acquired his eyes.”
“No.” Tone growled. “If they’re able to complete that, then…”
“It’s all poppycock, anyhow.” Wild mused, feeling about his numerous pockets. “Why am I the only one here who wears a suit. Ah, there we are. They intend to perform the ritual here, in the convention center across from the cinema.” He unfolded a map, and pointed at the designated location with his pinkie.
“As for their claims, complete and utter nonsense. There’s no actual Demon in existence, like they claim, but ruining their precious little ceremony will cut their egos down a lot, and remind them that no one here is invincible. Are we all in agreement?”
Each member pulled out their respective masks. Tone’s was unique among the group, being made of various layers of metal, reportedly formed from a broken katana, with angular, slit eyes. Race’s didn’t cover her eyes, instead stopping just above her nose and wrapping around her jaw, looking almost motorized despite being made of wood. Rook’s was silvery, with five points fanning out from the center, like a peacock’s tail. Ren’s was also silvery, though more muted, and while resembling a wolf’s head and snout left his mouth and jaw completely exposed.
Smiling, the leader of the Renegade Masks took out his own - shaped after a viciously scowling Oni. “Alright, Renegades… Let’s light it up!”
–
The burly enforcer easily towered over the other security personnel stationed at the convention center, glancing about casually. He was so bulky and muscular he had little to fear from typical threats, such as usually pestered him. Which is why the ringing that suddenly entered his ears was able to disorient him so - Tone walked in through the front door with his hands in his hoodie pocket, casually glancing at the reeling guard with as smug an expression under his mask as could be managed.
“Hey! This is a reserved engagement!” The other guards sounded, converging on Tone’s location. “Wait- MASK!! Down on your stomach, hands behind your head!! NOW!!!”
Tone obliged, lying down on his stomach, placing his hands behind his head just as a security van flew through the glass front of the building and decked every member of security present, including the large fellow. “Boss, I’m not sure this is entirely in line with your ‘no-kill’ rule. You sure everybody’s okay from that?”
Wild, not the most bulky fellow, stepped through the open hole, steam rippling off his excellent suit. “Get off the floor, Tone.” He growled. “This party’s only just getting started.”
Those of the security detail who had not been clotheslined by the massive flying vehicle raised their weapons and made very silly demands, like stand down and surrender and whatnot. Race replied by walking casually back to the Renegade Masks with her arms full of their firearms, and Ren lowered himself to the ground, bat in hand.
“Go for the guards.” Wild growled, the veins in his hands nearly popping out of his skin. “I’m gonna get the Demon mask. Tone, you’re with me.”
Darting forwards, Ren began flipping over the guards, buckling knees and bruising elbows as Race occasionally assisted as casually as possible. Tone ran forwards, but for all his muscular might, he could not keep up with the Oni, who leaped the entire stairwell in one jump.
“And I get the stupid noise mask.” Tone grumbled, running up the stairs as fast as he could. Rook, however, while comparatively smaller than most of his colleagues, simply floated directly upwards, and then directly forwards, bypassing all the combat and the physical exertion of climbing stairs.
“Game’s over, Rikuto!” Wild roared, the strength of the Oni crackling through his limbs. “Hand over the eyes, now! Or else we’ll be taking them from your battered body.”
Rikuto, who wore a rather elaborate ceremonial uniform, turned around, holding two small resin eyes in his hands, a wicked grin plastered across his aging features. “Ahh, Wild, so eager to keep the glory for yourself, then? Fine - have the full power of the Demon’s eyes!”
So saying, he clicked the two eyes together, causing a massive shockwave which threw Tone and the barely-landed Rook off the platform. “The Demon has not chosen you!!” The old man bellowed. “You cannot wield the eyes without his consent! Begone, you treacherous one, before I erase you from existence!!”
The Treacherous one responded by lunging forwards, ripping the eyes out from Rikuto’s fingers. Instantly they pulsed, vibrating with an agonizing energy, which would have crumpled the senses of anyone holding them. But the strength of the Oni mask powered through, even as the pulses grew so strong they caused Rikuto to faint from the force of them.
“Boss!” Tone yelled, his cry grabbing enough of Ren’s attention to draw him from the fight. Tone bolted back up the stairs, motioning with his hand for an ascending Rook to stay put.
“Boss, what’s happening?” Tone bellowed, but Wild was too absorbed to hear him. “There’s so much power, Tone… But I can handle it… I WILL!! NOTHING CAN OVERCOME THE ONI!!!”
With a furious roar, Wild’s entire body glowed a bright white for a moment.
–
Ren shook his head, trying to recall how he ended up on the sidewalk. The flaming building in front of him was a clear enough answer, illuminating the vague silhouettes of his friends. Tone’s body was still being licked by flame, prompting Ren to scramble awkwardly to his feet and rush to his friend’s side.
“IT WON’T COME OFF!!” Tone screamed, pulling violently at the metal mask, now fused to his face from the heat. “IT WON’T COME OFF!! I CAN’T GET IT OFF!!”
Ren smothered the fire as best he could, hoping Tone’s smoldering clothes hadn’t melted into his skin at all. Race made a bubbling noise, drawing his attention once more - she was lying on her back, her stomach a pit of twisted blacks and reds, seeping into her shirt.
“Tried… To outrun the blasts, inside…” She gasped. “I couldn’t… my body… couldn’t go that… fast…”
Ren could only stare down in horror, slowly removing her mask and his own as the sounds of sirens approached. “It’s okay, Race. We’ll be okay. Everything’s gonna be alright, you got that? Just stay with me. Just stay…”
“Ren!” It seemed he could stay by no one’s side for very long, as yet another voice cried for help. Ren silently approached the silver mask of Rook lying on the ground, jumping suddenly as it began to speak. “Ren! Oh, there you are. Look, I- something happened, and I can’t feel my legs anymore. Is my spine okay? Is Wild alright? What’s going on, Ren?”
“Ren?” Rook’s voice grew grave as Ren picked him up, slowly looking at the door of the building, where a wooden mask was flaming. The police and medical responders who arrived tried to get information out of him, but he ignored them all, simply staring into the building, into the lifeless eyes of the Oni mask, which sat in the middle of the ruin, slowly reducing itself to ash.
–
6 Likes
Okay now that the obvious joke has been made this was a very nice chapter, pacing worked, fight sequences were all around good, and there’s some fantastic ideas on display here.
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The average camping experience (no one thought to bring a pad for the sleeping bags and instead chose the lumpiest place to set up the tent).
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Hey look, I appeared!
Oh
I died
Been quiet so far, but I do want to write up a proper response sometime, probably after I get my Tempest character in
Edit: oh yeah and pickles on burgers is good and normal
kraut on burgers is good too, though a bit less common, as I was telling Nota
7 Likes
oh I'm a creeeeep (nota hiffan) I'm a weirdooooo (nota hiffan)
check again
prison
ok so maybe the statue that ghid mask wants is the same sort of frame that rook has 
that might mean that it could eventually try to kill rook in order to steal the frame hmmmmm
so this makes a lot more sense
maybe race’s mask was inherited from the dead friend (possibly wild?) and that’s why they have similar powers
or maybe ghid mask doesn’t want a frame who knows
I was pretty sure that he was human since all of the other characters seemed to be but then rook became slenderman and I started having doubts
the animatronic characters here do tend to get a bit quirky at night
nota I have news for you
you were right
also yay flashback time
ok so ghid mask needs its side eyes in order to be summoned into the real world
though I do wonder where the other side of the so-called plane is; maybe some sort of BoL-like dream world?
wild is british confimed?
so tone’s mask wasn’t always fused to his face but it is now
hopefully how that happened is explained, but knowing ghid it probably won’t be
ok cool we know that it’s a wolf’s head and not an entire wolf phew
so this confirms that the masks give the users different powers and don’t all do the same thing/amplify existing powers
after the kohaku situation I’m a little scared to google this
edit: it’s fine
these names probably mean something though :P
I wonder why these eyes are so powerful; we know that ghid mask wants them, supposedly so that it can gain a physical presence in the real world
this line makes it seem like ghid mask is able to control the eyes in some way (or maybe they have a mind of their own oooOOoo)
I guess wild didn’t die by going too fast…
also, this might have something to do with race’s glowing from chapter one, which could explain ren saying that he didn’t want her to die the same way
wild’s body glowing white and race’s body glowing orange could be connected we still don’t know why she has a metallic digestive system though
aaaaand there it is. now we know how tone got his mask stuck to his face
this explains so much
so basically, race went too fast and got her intestines smooshed around, which meant that she needed to get a cyborg stomach
that also shows why ren said “the same way as” because he wasn’t referring to wild dying he was referring to race almost dying
so somehow the blast trapped Rook inside of his mask (whose powers we still don’t know yet). I’m hoping there’s some sort of explanation for this, because otherwise it doesn’t really make much sense
aaaaand that’s another amazing chapter finished! This one was great for explaining some strange things but still leaving a lot of room for us to theorize. I really like how the mystery comes less from confusion and more you leaving small clues to pick up on (at least for me). These characters feel a lot more fleshed out than the majority of the Bo_ cast even after just a few chapters. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next 
6 Likes
Ghod you are too fast, I haven’t even read chapter 3
3 Likes
I’ve got a lot to respond to
He's gotta be strong (its about drive its about power) and he's gotta be fast (like Race) and he's gotta be fresh from the fight
Yes
Fred and Kohaku are now at your home 
yes the flashback to his elite team of fishmongers
bruh this is his dayjob
wow good job
I’m not going to cross-check the names I use with every anime in existence to make sure there’s no crossover maybe notahffan can do that for me
How do you expect me to make Notahffan interested in this if he isn’t suckered in
uh, what I mean is, I have a funny idea that has no animes and is therefore inherently better
Why do you not? 
You did read the second chapter right 
ok Imma confirm and/or deny that right now no they aren’t his parents that’d be wack and cringe no
Ghid being Winger’s dad was called into question a number of times in the Bo_ story to account for that, and that was an already well-established bit before it showed up there, so if that were to happen at all it’d be in the also already established bit of N01 being your dad
relatable
If I can’t trust Cordax, who can trust?
Cordax I’m good at this business
I'm beginning to feel like a Rap Ghid, Rap Ghid
No of course I like tomatoes in my hamburger
I just hate pickles in general
And why would I ever trust Google?
Wail til Nota hears about how tall he was when he was younger
And you’re the one drawing the inference
Glad to know that’s why you’re complementing it
I can’t look at Bird he’s stuck in a closet
Is he scared of women because he’s single or is he single because he’s scared of women?
alright Oisli calm down
Hello everybody it's me Markiplier
Depends on where. But yeah the difference between renting an apartment and renting an entire home is actually fairly minimal in most places
That’s because they are. I visited an Indian burial ground and have trapped their souls in my fingertips so they actually sound real when I type
Nota I hate to spoil this for you but Cordax is actually a human typing at a computer
That’s what Japan is, yes
wait you haven’t read chapter 3 yet
No one cared who I was until the mask put on me
Wait’ll Nota learns about forks
Bingo
Sorry I should’ve said gnashy chompy crunching munchy munchers
What
Chapter four when it
I can neither ceny or donfirm aggelations thadnm,t abnajkdbasf sr fhajkljkc jsrefbs,sbe fsjh j
No wait uh I mean it’s supposed to get boring wait no
I cannot confirm or deny…
Couldn’t be me
Don’t get used to it
no the fish is named ryuko and he has a wife and kids
whoops they all get teleported to finland woowzers how did that happen
I don't belong here (yes I do)
You goober he’s using the French version
Ohr ohr ohr ohr ohr ohr ohr ohr ohr ohr
he keeps doing that
hope he gets better
wow ok 
they’re Ghid’s eyes; what other reason do you need
welcome to the bait and switch
Cordax it’s a Ghid story it’ll never make sense
ohhhhh how I want to destroy a laptop
I think this’ll be just about the last time I respond in spoiler form; my fingers hurt from typing in all the details panels over and over
me after holding the taco bell in
7 Likes
Made some low quality artist’s renditions based on the descriptions of a few characters in ms paint chrome canvas
6 Likes
Very nice!
That’s what I like to see
And you even managed to get Ren’s overall design pretty close to the original, on which the book character is mostly based on, even if I never publicly revealed it outside of the cropped version in my pfp
Well, considering that Ren made a deal with the Ghidicious mask to revive him, it’s not for long
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight (I just fought the voices in my head again {they are winning})
It should have been me, not him
Oke
I haven’t been able to find any connections with Kohaku, at least not at the top of my head. Maybe there’s something extremely niche and irrelevant, but I really doubt it.
As for Fred, unfortunately, you are not as lucky with him
There is huge overlap with a very famous character from an extremely popular anime:
I don’t know how you’re going to recover from this
Ghid do you really have such a low opinion of me?
Anime is not the only thing on my mind at all times you know… there’s also the series of half-dead RPs… what I’m going to have for dinner this evening… how many hours of sleep I’m going to get this night… women who can deadlift me and break me in half with ease… you know, the usual stuff
I can’t wait for the party to get time travelled to feudal Japan, where anime isn’t real and immediately get slaughtered by a mob of angry fishermen
They are just like me fr fr
Guess who’s back, back again? Shady(NOTa)’s back, tell a friend
Yes I am the one drawing from reference. Doing it really improves the quality of your art, you know. I recommend you to try it as well
I know it’s the wrong bird, but @Atobe_Brick post in togav
You win this time, fiend. But you’ll pay for this, you have my word 
There is no Easter Bunny, there is no Tooth Fairy, and there is no Chapter Review Tomorrow
I like how this is as much of a megamind quote as the one I used in my previous post
Yooooo you do that as well?! That’s how I make all of my drawings! We truly live in a small world 
How can you prove that Cordax and everyone else on this site are real people and not just products of my imagination caused by sever damage of my frontal cortex?
That’s what the entire world in 2024 is, yes
I think that’s a legitimately underrated movie. A flawed but solid finale for the Dark Knight trilogy
I am trying a new practice of writing these on the go, with no prep. Allows my impressions on the chapters be more fresh and raw (just like that beef I ate in a restaurant that one time)
Okay, imagine this situation. You see someone order a burger in McDonald’s, right? You watch them go to their table, unwrap the burger, pull out a spoon, and start eating the burger with a spoon. What do you do?
Rookie mistake
KreliKahn
The h is silent, so it fits perfectly and I already figured out your naming scheme for this book
Don’t try to gaslight me into thinking that I did not just figure out a huge plot twist
HA!
I am not going to say that I called it, but yeah I am totally going to say that I called it
POV: Ghid has a stroke mid-sentence
Why you staring at me like that? You know very well what my tastes are like
There is a difference between the characters hating each other from chapter one and drama in a group of friends gradually arising as the situation worsens
I can already see foreshadowing for it actually, and have an idea what’s going to cause it:
I am 100% sure that Ren’s friends have no idea about his bargain with the Ghid mask and that he has plans to revive Wild, and once the secret slips out, funny will ensue
And he just got decapitated haha 
His wife is now a widow and his kids are now fatherless 
How do you plan to keep the story grounded and relatable if you’re changing the setting to a fictional location?
I don’t care if it hurts (I have been typing for four hours), I wanna have control (over myself, I should really stop doing this and switch to something more productive {never gonna happen})
Haha cordax you fell straight into my trap!
I specifically gave wrong info, so that somebody would attempt to fact check me and reveal even more pictures of burgers with pickles in the process
While trying to undermine my point, you only ended up reinforcing it hahhahahahhahahhaha
Boys we’re winning the argument with this one
I’d love to try that actually. Next time I visit Germany, I know what I’m going to do
Kohaku, don’t leave me here! KOHAKUUUUU!
Predicting Wild’s death having only read chapter one, where he hasn’t even been introduced yet is probably my new record for the most epic gamer theorising moment
It’s flashback time
Race is absolutely wilding with these lines lol
She should be the one called Wild if you ask me
Honestly, respectfully, this name sucks.
I’m glad they renamed it after Wild’s death. I guess it was a good thing after all huh
So I guess these little origami masks, one of which was mentioned in ch1, are like their business card of sorts
So that’s why they all are wearing suits now. To honour Wild
Heyyyy Tone and Race mask reveals. I like how you were able to give them unique descriptions, despite the fact that originally they are both a kakama.
And lit up they did. Literally
So, let me muse about Wild’s mask power a little bit. It seems to be greatly increased physical power that goes hand in hand with rage/or a big physical toll on his body, as it was described that his veins popped out of his arms. It heats up his body, as after throwing the car he was literally steaming. And this heating up thing is what ultimately led to his death
Also, I’m changing my interpretation of how these powers work, they do not everyone more athletic, like Cordax and I assumed at first. The increased athleticism is the power exclusive to Ren, while Race only has speed, Tone only has sound and Rook only has… well, I’ll elaborate on that later
This is what solidified my impression:
He wouldn’t be complaining like this if it also made him more flexible, allowing him to scale those stairs easier
Looks like the eyes are a powerful artefact that greatly increases the power of your mask if you have them on you. This is what ultimately led to Wild overloading and blowing up.
It gives masks their full potential power, which is exactly why the Ghid mask wants them (he mentioned that the eyes would allow him to use his full power or something like that in ch 2)
And from that we can deduce what kind of power the Ghid mask has. Considering that Ren wants to use it to revive his dead friend, it’s probably some type of necromancy or reanimation power.
Or, in a more wacky fashion, time travel power, which ties scarily neatly in my joke comment from earlier in the post where I said that the group is going to get transported to feudal Japan
Now I wouldn’t be so sure about that
The characters’ names seemed to be directly tied to their mask powers (Race=speed, Tone=sound, Wild=rage), but I wasn’t sure what a Rook’s power would be, until I read this sentence. His power is moving in straight lines on X,Y and Z axes in an imaginary grid established by the mask, bypassing all laws of physics, like the chess piece rook, but in three dimensions
This is such a stupid power. Exactly the type of stupid I like
And Ren’s is just “become athletic” 
although I am sure that he and others will get more wacky as the story goes on
I am still not sure how that happened, but considering that all of the damage done to the cast was exclusively caused by the explosion, it must have been caused by it as well. My theory right now is that if you die while wearing a mask, your consciousness gets infused with it, trapping you inside an inanimate object, which would also explain the existence of the Ghid mask.
So TLDR of what happened to the group just to make sure that we all are on equal ground here (apart from Ghid, he’s cheating and already knows what’s going to happen in future chapters):
- Wild blew up after getting overwhelmed by his power
- the explosion vaporised Rook, who was the closest to it
- melted Tone’s mask to his face and gave him severe burns
- prompted Race to try to outrun it in an attempt to save her friends, resulting in her pushing herself too far and going through a rapid weigh loss program
- hurt Ren emotionally
Cordax, you’d better read through all of this. I’m addressing many of your questions in there, and possibly give correct answers to a few
Real? It didn’t inconvenience it in the slightest. How did you manage to make a task unnecessarily more complex than it’s supposed to be this time? (I am not projecting)
I can neither confirm nor deny allegations that you just revealed the location of my IRL workplace
9 Likes
–
Chapter Five
Nerve
–
“What day is it?”
“It’s monday, duh.” Race responded, muffled by the density of the door. “C’mon, Tone’s gonna need a ride today.”
Groaning, the disheveled Ren pulled himself horizontally off his cot until he ran into the wall. Fumbling upwards, he adjusted his attire to not look like he had been hit by a rhinoceros before folding his cot up, the pillow and blanket falling down by the hinge and preventing it from collapsing completely.
“I’m up.” Ren opened the door, rubbing his eyes as he leaned his elbow on the frame. “If barely… Where is he?”
“Out for his run again, why?” Race asked, leaning out of the restroom door as she adjusted her tie in the mirror. “You know this is the only time he has to go running, since we’re so busy at nights.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Ren ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes trying to fight against the glaze atop them. “…You need help?”
“No.” Race bit back, but shortly after threw her hands down in protest. “Yes. I blame both You and Wild for making me wear a stupid tie. That’s a guy thing, I’m not supposed to be the one doing it.”
“It’s part of the getup.” Ren argued, trying to pretend to remember how to tie a tie not currently on his own neck. “And you forgot to blame your news station too, since they also make you do this.”
“I’m still convinced you hired them to do it.” Race responded, her sarcasm so perfectly delivered that it almost seemed serious. “Alright, kid, the bus will be here any minute. You there?”
“Hhhuuh?” Corey responded, having stared into the blinding blue glow of the screen he was seated in front of, almost collapsing his face into a bowl of cereal repeatedly. “Nuuh, I’m awake, I didn’t fall asleep again…”
“He fell asleep again.” Rook replied, still seated on his pillow.
“Snitch…” Corey grumbled, feeling wearily for his spoon.
“Whoever said that kids only need eight hours of sleep is a sadist. No wonder everyone my age has sleep issues.” Ren sighed, feeling about for his phone. “Okay, Corey, up and at 'em. We can’t stick around forever waiting for you to crawl out of hibernation.”
“Fine…” Corey practically fell out of his chair, slumping across the room and grabbing a pile of school uniform attire before attempting to slam the restroom door, which softly closed on its own.
“When did Tone leave for his run?” Ren asked as he threw a dress shirt overtop his own.
“About thirty minutes ago.” Race replied. “Why?”
“If Corey takes no more than five minutes to get dressed, I know exactly where to meet him.” Ren grinned. “I’ve timed his runs before. He’s a very consistent fellow, Race - never changes unless he has to.”
–
“So…”
Race abruptly stopped eating, turning after a moment’s pause to glare at her coworker. “Well?”
“…You know…”
Race set her chopsticks down with as visceral a motion as she could manage without being loud. “For your information, Ayumi, the fact that I was registered at the hospital that night is public information, and you’re not the first person who’s tried to make something more out of it.”
“But you didn’t even answer my question.” Ayumi replied, turning her chair to face Race. “Why were you out there in the first place? I know you’re a film buff, but-”
“Firstly,” Race began, somehow looking even more tired. “Don’t believe a single word of what Fumihito tells you, because you and I both know he’d be working janitorial here in the building if he wasn’t the boss’ son in law.”
“I didn’t say that he-”
“It reeks of his low creativity.” She spat, picking up her chopsticks again and trying ineffectively to pick up a cherry tomato with them. “And secondly, I was there to report on the ceremony happening there. Everybody knew that.”
“But the hospital-”
“Happened to have lost some of the files on that night, I know.” Race growled out a sigh, growing increasingly frustrated with the questions asked of her. “All the doctors and first responders on staff that night will tell you the same thing: I showed up with minor bruising from the blast and was discharged after about four hours.”
“But how did you find out it was happening?”
Race managed to hold a dead stare directly through Ayumi’s soul for at least ten seconds before replying. “You don’t phone the office at eleven at night to ask if a hot scoop is hot, you investigate. It’s no wonder you’re still running coffee after five years with that kind of work ethic.” She stabbed the tomato with one chopstick and ripped it off with her teeth.
“Okay people, five minutes 'til we’re live.” Fumihito sounded, walking through the building with a stack of paper in his hand. “Honey, you’re up first, wrap up lunch. Ayumi, I need that presser ready for three, okay?”
“Everybody has their secrets, Ayumi.” Race sighed, abandoning the rest of her salad. “But most of those are awfully boring on the inside.” She stormed off to the restroom, locking the door behind her.
“Eh, you’re too inquisitive Ayumi.” Fumihito mused. “It’s like I told you: she was involved in a secret espionage mission for the government to stop a giant irradiated lizard monster from making landfall. She used something called an oxygen destroyer to make it asphyxiate and die.”
“But that’s just-”
“It’s what they based it off of.” Fumihito grinned, walking away at the same time and immediately running into a partition.
–
“I don’t think you remember I can’t drive, Ren.”
“Huh?” Ren turned with raised eyebrows to Tone. “Oh, you won’t need to drive back, I can handle that.”
Tone glared at him for almost five seconds before Ren broke into a chuckle. “All right, mister receding hairline, what’s so hilarious that you’ve got concocted now? You wouldn’t have forgotten about my inability to drive so conveniently.”
“I’m sorry, I’m the one with the receding hairline?” Ren smiled, combing his fingers through his substantially present silvery hair while looking at the top of Tone’s beanie-covered scalp. The reply of another five second glare convinced Ren to relent. “Okay, okay… I got you a job.”
“Huh. How’d you manage that one?” Tone implied a devious grin, rubbing the chin of his metallic mask. “Decapitated swordfish head on your boss’ bed, maybe? Or did you pay that firebrand Kohaku I’ve heard so much about to key his car? You know, I’ve heard a lot about Kohaku recently, Ren, and-”
“Do you want the job or not.” Ren’s face was flat, but Tone raised his palms and looked away in amusement at the sight of a vein popping out of Ren’s temple.
“Okay, alright, fine. Anything’s better than being cooped up in that awful apartment all day. And, I’m sure that you’ve had to pull a few strings to net me the job, fishing reference by the way.” He made a mock jab with his elbow, earning him another glare. “So it’d be rude of me to not at least give it the time of day.”
“So I’ll try it out. But what is it I’m supposed to do?” Tone leaned towards Ren, a dangerous look in his eyes. “I can’t be seen y’know, not even by my new employers… What’s that face for? C’mon, would it kill you to tell me?”
–
“I’m gonna kill him.” Tone growled over and over. “I’m gonna kill him. I’m gonna kill him. I am so going to kill him.”
Granted, being a sign spinner meant that physical contact with the sign in his hands was very limited, and the sigh was comparatively light as well. No, it was the massive cartoony fish mascot costume that really made his blood boil, with the added little dance necessary to market the brand serving as the infuriating icing on top of the hate cake.
“Sono kōdineeto, kakkoi!” A driver yelled, barely rolling down the vehicle window enough to yell it out before speeding suddenly into the parking lot.
“Bakugan Gundam to you too… Ugh.” Tone swung the sign around, scratching another tally into the ground. “That’s sixteen people in the last two hours who feel the need to talk about my prison uniform. Thankfully, I can’t understand any of them, or this would be much worse.”
“You look so stupid!!” A woman jeered, her rather expensive-looking car screeching to a halt in the driveway. “No wonder you took the job, if you were that desperate!”
“Lemme guess,” Tone trudged over as Kohaku rolled down the passenger window and then crawled into the adjacent seat so she could lean both elbows against the door with a mischievous grin. “You’re the one Ren won’t shut up about.”
“Wait, I’m using that.” She reached behind her and grabbed a pad of paper, quickly scribbling down Tone’s last remark. “…shut … up about… okay! So what’s your deal then, anyhow? You look big enough to land just about any job. Definitely one much better than this for a guy as built as you are.”
“Heh.” Tone couldn’t help but look at his wide, muscular shoulders in reply, even though the costume restricted him from actually seeing them. “I like to stay active. Unfortunately good physique and even better looks hardly constitutes for job recommendations these days.”
“You’ve gotta be smothered in there; I can barely hear you.” Kohaku sighed, shaking her head. “I’ve complained about the working conditions here for a long time, but it seriously sounds like you’ve got metal strapped to your face.”
“Uhh,” Tone shifted his weight. “I think it’s just reinforced, is all. Look, you’ve got a line forming behind you, you should probably move along so they can get through.”
“Look.” She leaned even further out, her stomach almost entirely resting on the window. “I want you to know that Ren is a good kid, okay? He really is. Even though he’s older than me. He’s well-meaning, and doesn’t have an evil bone anywhere in his body. I just want you to know that.”
Before Tone could reply, she promptly crawled back in, hitting her head on the top of the doorframe as she went and growling at it in return. “The line.” Tone chuckled, jabbing a costumed fin at the five or six cars lined up behind her.
“Let’m wait.” She waved at him, sidling back into the driver seat. “What do you think they’ll be doing in there?” With a smirk, she unparked the car, and took off at high speed into the parking lot.
“Uhh…” Tone looked back at the line, all of which had quickly filed in behind her, with only one vehicle remaining. It was a minivan, idling quietly, in the otherwise fairly quiet driveway. “You need something, sir? ma’am? Please don’t know how to speak english,” He sighed as he trudged over to the passenger window again. “Look, I’m just the sign guy, I don’t have a map of the parking-”
A silencer was pointed through the open window.
–
6 Likes
as an average gundam enjoyer I can confirm that this is the extent of my knowledge of japanese
5 Likes
me to my carpal tunnel
Since NOTa is mean , I’ll be putting everything in one dropdown so I can still keep it in a dropdown but not type fifteen morbillion of them
I really hate you stop getting in my waaaa-aaaaayy I've lost my patience when are you gohnnah dee-kay
So he chops fish heads and splits crabs in a… restaurant named after his coworker?
Making me not absolutely roast you and ruin the rest of your life is a difficult task 
By pointing to the existence of Velma as proof that the Scooby-Doo franchise is in the toilet and that my Fred is inherently superior now
I miss togav @Winterstorm345 please come home , food I hope, none, unfortunately Napoleon’s the average frenchman so good luck
Oh come on this isn’t the Batman 3d anime
I know it
218218 Surrender Ln., Paris Sewer System, Paris, France
I look forward to it
why is the hand pointing emoji on a white box
Yes that was the intent
I didn’t know the american indians were blue, 7’ tall, and had four arms
French
N-Nothing because that person definitely isn’t me 
Because I hate McDonald’s
Very well, have your brainrot
Which gives me all the more right to stare like this
Nota nothing about this story is reasonable
Way to dunk on the dead guy dude
Way to dunk on the dead guy dude
Bingo
Bingo
Bingo
Mans picking up all the bones I throw for him
They do not everyone more athletic indeed.
Nota I am not inserting time travel into a story that’s already on a hot streak do I look insane
don’t answer that
Bingo
I’m surprised it took that long man you gettin rusty fr
I don’t want to do the theorizing work for you
why don’t you “become athletic” but in real life
And Wild?
look behind you there’s a woman over 6’11"
6 Likes
