Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not ReservedsurpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:38:27 UTC
PLAYER INFO Name: Mii Main Journal: miishal Contact Info: AIM: miishal Played Characters: none AC Reminders: nah
CHARACTER INFO Name: Kazumi (Jyotaro Amagi) Age: 21 Species: Shota
Series: .hack//GU+ OU/AU: OU Canon Point: After Cubia eats him. NOM NOM History: Since there isn't a satisfactory source for his background (even the wiki WHY IS THERE NO LOVE) you get it all IN THE FACE.
WEEOO WEEOO SPOILERS ETC IF YOU CARE
Once upon a time in the future, there was a small company named CyberConnect corporation. They had splintered off of a larger company that had made the first standard operating system for the world after the global network crashed. C3's flagship project was an MMORPG, whose release edition was called "The World". Unbeknownst to basically anyone, "The World" was actually a secret creation program developed by man known as Harald Hoerwick, to develop an AI "daughter" who he called Aura. This, of course, caused problems when the system designed to create said AI daughter, named Morganna, decided it didn't want to "die" after Aura was "born"...
Through the efforts of several players, Aura was finally born and Morganna's functions were either absorbed into Aura's functionality or destroyed. Peace and prosperity reigned throughout the global network, and "The World" entered a golden age of crazy chibi characters and vaguely-hinted twincest. I mean...
However, there were still some fragments of Morganna kicking around. These were the remnants of what had been called the Eight Phases. Data-gathering utilities given life through the programming of the game world and motivation from their angry "mother", these entities had been the forefront of Morganna's assault against the system forcing her to follow her programming and then die. They were systematically destroyed, their data rewritten and core essences shattered and left to sink to the bottom of "The World" where they remained, inert and undiscovered and largely forgotten.
Then, one day Aura disappeared. Nobody knew how or why, but she was gone. While she had been rather fickle and unpredictable, she had also been the lynchpin of the entire net. Without her presence, there was a systemwide slowdown, and a great instability began to spread throughout the global network. Despairing that they would lose their largest source of revenue, C3 gathered those who were privy to the maintenance of the game, especially pertaining to the knowledge of the existence of the AIs. This group became the members of what was called Project GU. One of the key members of this group was a man named Jun Banshoya.
The ideal behind Project GU was to recreate Aura and thus restore stability to the network. However, the inner workings of the game itself were hidden inside the impenetrable Black Box of code left by Harald and normally only accessible by Aura. Thus, in order to try to create a new AI, the Project GU team was left to use what was readily available to them... which were the various remnants of Morganna, primarily the inert data of the Eight Phases. Ideally, if an AI like Morganna could be reconstructed, but with specific controls placed on her, then she would be completely manageable by the system and there would be little risk.
It was then discovered that not just anyone could wield an Epitaph PC. Only one specific person could control each one. Anyone else attempting to would begin to feel dizzy and sick. Jyotaro came to the fast conclusion that only a specific type of person could utilize each Phase's abilities effectively. A search was put out for the eight "chosen ones". In the meantime, the rest of the Phases were tracked down and placed into their appropriate Epitaph PCs. In order to retrieve the sixth Phase, Macha the Temptress, Jyotaro tracked down its current incarnation, an NPC named Mia, and destroyed her to harvest the data from her without even blinking. With the Epitaph PCs prepared, and the candidates located, preparations for the first test were underway.
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 2/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:39:54 UTC
At this point, however, Jun began to get cold feet. He knew a great deal about the previous history of The World, including the struggles with Morganna. A rogue entity known as Cubia, the anti-existence, had arisen as a means to counterbalance the great power of the infamous Twilight Bracelet. Jun was concerned that the imbalance of power presented by the Epitaph PCs would create an anti-existence. He did a bit of clandestine investigation and discovered evidence that an anti-existence even more powerful than the previous one was being created. He brought his concerns to Jyotaro, asking him to hold off on the R.A. Plan until they could find some way to keep the anti-existence under control or even nullify it, but Jyotaro laughed and claimed that there was no such thing. From his actions of late, Jun had begun to notice a certain mania to Jyotaro's actions. It seemed that Jyotaro was more obsessed with surpassing Harald than anything else, and that he would go through with the RA Plan with little regard to safety or risk. Rather afraid of Jyotaro by this point, Jun did the only thing he could think of that would stall the Plan: he secretly stole the Epitaph PC of the seventh Phase, Tarvos the Avenger, and hid it away on his computer.
However, Jyotaro was not called the genius of his age for nothing. He had begun to suspect Jun of treachery, and had prepared for such an occasion. He presented a backup plan, consisting of a dummy Epitaph PC for himself to use in place of Tarvos and its now useless Chosen One. With a now "complete" roster of Epitaph PCs, he began the execution of the RA Plan in earnest. Unfortunately, the RA Plan failed to get off the ground. To prevent the birth of the new anti-existence once and for all, Jun set a fire that quickly consumed the C3 building. Due to the fires, 80% of The World's data was lost, and six of the involved Epitaphs escaped into the game data. Accepting all responsibility for the incident, Jun disappeared from the public eye. Unable to accept that someone he had believed in so strongly could simply abandon their vision - and thus leave his own vision unfulfilled - Jyotaro began to question Jun's motives and actions so much that he drove himself insane.
Of course, nobody knew or cared what happened to the Dummy Epitaph PC. It was just a placeholder, after all. Or was it? By the end, Jyotaro believed himself to be superior to Harald, who had managed to immortalize himself within the previous version of The World after a fashion. Jyotaro's goal was the same - or for himself to become the new "God" to manage the system in place of an AI. Jun believed that there was no place for technology without a heart, and that Jyotaro's failure came about because he did not "love" The World. Jyotaro disappeared from the history of C3 as well...
Merging the remaining game data with another one of their projects, C3 created The World R:2. At first it was rather buggy, but slowly C3 began to work out patches to help the system work. Unfortunately, strange issues beyond simple bugs began to arise. A mysterious entity consisting of fluid black dots, a character who could put PCs into comas by killing them in-game, and a mysterious player with an arm bound in a metal container... this was all part of the legacy that Jun left for his sister, Reiko Saeki. Determining that she was the chosen one of Tarvos, he sent her all his information and evidence, beseeching her to try to get to the bottom of the strange events and work to help stabilize The World once and for all. Upon learning of the story she took up his mantle, hiding her relationship to her brother so that she would be hired at C3 and recover the Tarvos Epitaph PC. With her newly-made Epitaph PC, Pi, she started working with C3's own internal Security Department, Safety Division 2 under an individual she knew only as "Kazumi", before she was transferred to something called Project GU, who worked solely with investigating the strange phenomena beleaguering The World.
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 3/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:41:35 UTC
Slowly the Epitaph PCs began to gather, some being controlled by the strange black dots that came to be known as AIDA and needing to be rescued, others of their own volition. Strife would split them apart, but eventually they stood united... all except for the character known as Ovan, possessing the eight Phase, Corbenik the Rebirth. Seeing that the only way to dispose of the AIDA threat was through sacrificing himself by using his Epitaph ability of Rebirth, he was lost, and The World was shaken to its core. He disappeared, and the Epitaphs scattered - except for that of Haseo, who possessed the first Phase, Skeith the Terror of Death.
Feeling that he no longer had any reason to play in The World, Haseo's player decided that he would not come back, regarldess of who tried to persuade him. Most of the other Epitaph Users felt similarly, now rendered useless by the lost of their Epitaphs. Only Pi, along with the leader of Project GU, Yata, continued on with her work. That is, until she and Yata got a surprise visitor... Kazumi, from Safety Division 2. Pi was not pleased to see him, and even less pleased to learn that he was evicting Yata and taking his place. Yata was removed by C3 bot-goons, while Pi was forced helplessly to watch.
Kazumi's plans quickly came to light as he barged in on Ovan's younger sister Aina and Haseo (who had decided to return briefly to speak with her) having a conversation. He claimed that he belonged to the "Original" Project GU and that the Skeith Epitaph belonged to C3 - or rather, to him. Before Haseo could do anything, Kazumi opened his right eye and started glowing with the tell-tale signs of an Epitaph User, then data-drained him. As Haseo hadn't protect broken, he was simply paralyzed and rather angry. Haseo attempted to call on Skeith, but just as he did, Kazumi stole Haseo's Epitaph. Before he could do any more damage, the hacker Zelkova warped the shattered character away.
Pleased with his initial success in recovering the Skeith Epitaph, Kazumi started to work on the next step in his plan: the willing accomplice. He explained that with the AIDA issue resolved, Project GU had been handed over to Safety Division 2 and that its new purpose was to revive the Ultimate AI to manage the network by means of the original RA Plan. He revealed that his PC contained the dummy Epitaph, and claimed it was "her brother's legacy." With the mention of the events her brother was involved in, Pi became concerned, as it was her brother's final request that she assist in the means of stabilizing the world network. Jun Banshoya's plan to stop the original RA Plan had failed in that while the physical aspects had been lost in the fire, the necessary information still existed - within Kazumi's mind. Pi agreed that network stability was a necessity and that she pledged to uphold her brother's wishes. However, she was concerned about the lack of necessary Epitaphs. Kazumi stated that they have his, and he revealed that he also had the Skeith Epitaph. Pi was horrified and expressed her concern for Haseo, but Kazumi corrected her, claiming that she needed to get her priorities in line. If she wanted to clear her brother's name she would have to dirty herself to do so. She eventually consented.
With the setup of the necessary protocols for the RA Plan, things began to get underway. The first phase went through without any issues, although Pi observed that all of the Epitaphs in this run were dummies. According to Kazumi, what they were recreating was similar to Ovan's Epitaph's Rebirth program, but Kazumi claimed that Ovan was too selfish and emotional and used it without thinking, so now they had to improvise a bit. Saying he'd had his fill of sentimental endings, Kazumi proceeded to rip out his right eye and replaced it with the Skeith Epitaph. Through the pain he claimed that with this program he would be the one to control the limits of things... but was interrupted by some security protocols with rather urgent news.
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 4/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:43:25 UTC
These security protocols had confronted several of the former Epitaph Users, namely Haseo, Kuhn, and Atoli, who were attempting to break in to interrupt the program. Haseo's character had been repaired by Zelkova and was full of cheats that broke the rules of the system. He was able to target the enemy attacks and Data Drains themselves rather than simply the enemies. With his abilities he froze the security protocols, and the group got past them, only to discover that they were too late and the RA Plan had already begun. Everyone attempted to talk Kazumi down or reason with him, but he thwarted their attempts with ease. Pi intervened as well, claiming that he only had the best interests of The World and the global network at heart with his plans.
The final stage of the RA Plan began, and Haseo felt a strange pulling inside of his character, only to realize that it was his connection to his Epitaph, now lodged in Kazumi's head. Kazumi could feel it responding to Haseo as well, but then the final stage of the Plan completed, and Pi's hand hovered over the control panel... then hit the execution switch, carrying out her brother's will. Atoli began to cry out, and one of the dummy Epitaphs began acting erratically. In annoyance, Kazumi activated his arm-gun and took aim at Atoli, but Haseo countered with a shot at him before he could react. The shot had minimal effect, and Kazumi claimed he could not be defeated so easily. Drawing on the improved power of the Skeith Epitaph, his abilities were now enhanced, and he fired off vastly more powerful attacks at Haseo. Atoli threw herself in front of the attack, but just in the nick of time her Epitaph, Innis, returned to her and the shot did no damage. Everyone was astonished as they did not realize that Atoli was an Epitaph User. However, the true Innis and the dummy version started overlapping and causing instabilities in the program. Kazumi ordered Pi to force the program to execute anyway, and in a final effort to dissuade him Kuhn told him that by doing this he would create a new anti-existence.
But, Kazumi was more than aware, as he knew what Cubia was and that it was the reason for the halting of the original RA Plan. Pi was horrified by this revelation, especially at Kazumi's harsh words regarding her brother's reactions to Cubia. Kazumi said that even if Cubia was recreated, all he would need to do would be to get Cubia to follow his whims. At that moment, the program executed and the room was filled with blinding light and began to fall apart. The air filled with swirling energy, focused on a platform where Kazumi was standing... transformed. He had finally achieved his desire, to be reborn as a god...
Unfortunately, his actions did result in the creation of a powerful anti-existence. While he did fight with it furiously in his capacity as god of the network, it ultimately overcame him... consuming him, power and all, in an attempt to balance out the imbalance he created.
Personality: Kazumi is certainly a rather genial person. He's polite, cheerful, and pleasant to be around. He rarely loses his temper or raises his voice, but by the same token he doesn't often get very outspoken. He's a good conversationalist, knowing a great deal about many classical subjects and weaving them into his words as metaphors or comparisons. To people he knows, he's friendly and helpful, going out of his way to help make ends meet. With friends he tends to be playful and likes to gently tease or otherwise have fun. He always seems to be on top of things, as if very little escapes his notice.
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 5/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:45:18 UTC
Then again, Kazumi is also hiding quite a bit. At heart he is a nice person, but that niceness has mainly become a facade for the madness that has been raging within him the past two years. Crazy is one way to put it. Strangely driven is another. He uses everything he can to further his goals. Being nice to people and making friends is actually cultivating potential pawns. While he smiles and nods, internally he's taking stock of who he can use, or what he must do to ensure cooperation. He is willing to exploit everything he can reach, and even some things he can't. People are simply tools, to be used as necessary and then thrown away. Thus, the people he charms, the friends he makes, everything he learns or works toward is simply for the means of completing his end goal.
This of course means that ultimately he's a very selfish person. But that selfishness he masks behind a semblance of caring. What he does is of course meant to help better the world! How could anyone stand against something so noble? Those who refused to follow through with the original plans were simply cowards who couldn't stand up when it came down to it. Due to these previous trust issues, especially with people he thought were his comrades, he keeps his cards close to his chest. He'll get people to help him, but will only reveal his plans when the time is right. Thus, those who get closest to him have the most likely chance of seeing the true side of Kazumi, the one that's succumbed to insanity - as well as to be used up and thrown away as he tries to better himself. Those who try to oppose him are also those who would go against the betterment of the world, and obviously lack the understanding to realize that what he is trying to do is for the good of the world and themselves as well! This lends him a slight paranoia, as he prefers to control when people discover his motivations rather than them finding out themselves. Everything he does is under lock and key, or password, or encryption.
Powers: I just pulled this straight from the old "strengths" section because honestly with just his powerz it would be a pretty short section and WE CAN'T HAVE THAT IN AN APP BY ME
Kazumi's primary strengths lie in his skills with technology. His programming and computer skills are first-rate, and he has a broad base of technical and security know-how, as well as basic government functionality and economics from his various jobs. Even if a system is unfamiliar, he can eventually get it under his control with a bit of practice, and trial and error. The more advanced something is, the more beautiful he sees it as, and thus his desire to master it grows.
Kazumi is also skilled at hiding his intentions and his true state of mind behind a mask of caring and friendliness. He's quite good at manipulating people once he learns their weak points, and will sweet-talk them or attempt to befriend them so that he can have potential allies or resources. He's well-versed in the classics, and can have a sophisticated discussion just as easily as a casual conversation. His knowledge of The World's history and systems first-rate, especially since he himself is one of The World's secrets. He also seems to be constantly on top of things, and capable of planning ahead for many possible outcomes.
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 6/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:47:22 UTC
While technically an Epitaph User, Kazumi doesn't get the full benefits that the others would, nor does he gain a special Avatar form. When he calls upon his Epitaph abilities, his right eye opens, and other Epitaph Users can see the patterns of lines glowing all over his body. He is capable of performing a data drain, holding his right arm across his chest while it pixelates, revealing the bracelet inside of it. This move can reconfigure data, but also will put the unprotected into a coma if used against them. He is also able to reconfigure his left arm into a large rifle that fires off energy blasts. This rifle is capable of a powerful attack called Waultraute which can do considerable damage to a target as well as its surroundings. He is also much stronger and faster than a normal person while using these abilities. However, he does not like to call attention to them, and will only use them if he is certain that no one will know, or it is absolutely necessary. In a pinch, he can punch with his metal hands, or slash with his claws.
Weaknesses: Although technically an Epitaph User, Kazumi just isn't quite up to snuff in that regard. He can only surprise someone once with his limited repertoire, and after that any past/potential victims are more or less on to him. Although he can see Avatars he lacks one himself, instead simply becoming a much stronger normal person. He relies heavily on his words and his technical skills to carry him, which when taken outside of that scope leaves him mostly with just his charms. Similarly, while he's quite good at what he does, barring that he's rather limited. Everything about him is so focused on achieving his personal goals that while he can gloss over the gaps with social graces, when closely examined he falls short - although why he falls short may never be realized. Someone who never finds out the truth might just consider him an overly polite, overly friendly computer geek.
Perhaps his biggest weakness is his own psychosis. While he understands the dangers and risks of what he does, he simply doesn't care. To him, the ends justify the means. When focusing on his goal he often loses sight of the big picture. While it's fine to point out that reactivating the RA Plan will probably trigger Cubia, he's quite aware of that and wants Cubia to bring it regardless of what happens to himself or the system around them. He has a complete lack of true empathy, and thus is for the most part inhuman when finally revealing himself. He has issues with betrayal, as well, and does not take kindly to those who he deems cowards, or those who back out of things for "foolish" reasons. Those who do not share his desire to take whatever risk necessary to complete a task are pathetic, and barely worth more than rage, especially when their actions directly counter his own. His past is his biggest demon, in that it has consumed him to the point where there isn't anything more to him. Because of this, those who manage to learn the truth behind him may also learn the key to his undoing.
Also worth mentioning is his manual clumsiness. Due to his hands being -, and his fingertips being sharp talons, he lacks a bit of dexterity. He has difficulty with fine manipulation or holding small objects, making certain tasks such as writing or eating with cutlery difficult. He also lacks the ability to feel with his hands, which can be beneficial in regards to extreme temperatures, means that he can't judge things apart from how much resistance he's encountering.
Possessions: Skeith Epitaph (in his head lol), energy gun (in his arm lol)
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 7/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:54:08 UTC
DEAR GOD PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT I AM ABOUT TO DO
Miscellaneous:
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Mr. Amagi, thanks for coming to your performance review. Kaz: No problem. C3 High Muckety-Muck: So you're in charge around here, is that fair to say? Kaz: Absolutely, I'm the boss. C3 High Muckety-Muck: Ok, so take us through a day in the life of the boss. Kaz: Well the first thing I do is...
Talk to Yata (like a boss) Approve stalking (like a boss) Lead a takeover (like a boss) Remember coworkers (like a boss) Direct protocols (like a boss) My own agenda (like a boss) Data drain (like a boss) Exploit nostalgia (like a boss) Hit on Reiko (like a boss) Get rejected (like a boss) Swallow sentiment (like a boss) Send some emails (like a boss) Spy on Atoli (like a boss) Sulk invisibly (like a boss) Vow to watch her (like a boss) Dis Ovan (like a boss) Harass Chosen Ones (like a boss) Fire Yata (like a boss) Dummy Epitaph (like a boss) Molest Reiko's face (like a boss) Start my plan (like a boss) Get some pawns (like a boss) Oh, come on guys shut up and do it shit Go insane (like a boss) Make Reiko do my work (like a boss) Stand on a platform (like a boss) Bitch out everyone (like a boss) Start some shit (like a boss) Hijack Raven (like a boss) Be a sassy bitch (like a boss) Piss off everyone (like a boss) Rip my eye out (like a boss) Bleed everywhere (like a boss) Meet the anti-existence (like a boss) Get consumed (like a boss) Turn into Cubia (like a boss) Slap with dinosaurs (like a boss) Troll the whole world (like a boss) Now I'm dead (like a boss)
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Uh huh. So that's an average day for you then? Kaz: No doubt. C3 High Muckety-Muck: You rip out your eye and die? Kaz: Hell yeah. C3 High Muckety-Muck: I think that at one point there you said something about being a sassy bitch? Kaz: Nope. C3 High Muckety-Muck: Actually, I'm pretty sure you did. Kaz: Naw, that ain't me. C3 High Muckety-Muck: Ok, well, this has been eye-opening for me. Kaz: I'm the boss. C3 High Muckety-Muck: Yeah, I know, I got that. You said that 400 times. Kaz: I'm the boss. C3 High Muckety-Muck: Yeah, yeah I got it. Kaz: I'm the boss. C3 High Muckety-Muck: Ok great, I heard you, bye.
Like a boss
First Person:
I'm ever so pleased that you seem to know my name. It's a pity that I don't remember your face... although I'm sure the name will come to me soon enough. You don't seem to be willing to grace me with such information, sadly. If we've met before, it must have been a while ago, before everything happened. Perhaps we should convene at some point and do some catching up! I'm sure you have quite the story to tell, although judging by your expression it seems you'd prefer to kill me rather than speak with me further. That's quite a shame, I was hoping to see some familiar faces.
Oh dear. I would really rather not play this sort of game, but I will indulge you if necessary. After all, it's for the betterment of the world itself... just how well do you know me, my dear fellow? Not well enough, I would say... or perhaps too well, judging from your reaction. Were you there the day the world reshaped itself to my whim? Do I need to put you in line?
Re: Kazumi || .hack//GU + || OU || Not Reserved 8/8surpraizepitaphAugust 12 2011, 10:55:18 UTC
Third Person:
Invisible mode was a privilege for moderator-level admins and higher, and it was one that Kazumi found himself using quite a bit for various reasons. Now, however, he had no time to enjoy the scenery as he stalked through Mac Anu, weaving in and out of the clumps of players with a practiced ease. He rolled the softly-glowing yellow sphere in the palm of his metal hand absently as whe went, staring at the town around him as though he could pierce the models and textures with his eye.
Where could the errant Epitaph User have gone? He'd had Haseo where he wanted him, but somehow the Adept Rogue had managed to escape. That was impossible, of course. Even so, he couldn't have gone far. Yet for all of the vast array of tools at Kazumi's fingertips, he could not locate him. That thought alone made Kazumi burn with anger, a faint bit of annoyance crossing his normally jovial features.
"Where did he..." Kazumi said to no one, speaking aloud. The filters on invisible mode would keep others from hearing him, and there were no other admins around to pick up on the filtered speech.
Still, it was no matter. The Epitaph in his hand was a far better prize than having Haseo under his thumb. With this, everything was starting to fall into place... it was just a matter of time. Plus, it would keep Haseo out of his affairs - having a do-gooder trying to disrupt things would be quite annoying. Without the Epitaph, the Adept Rogue was simply another player, and very much subject to the rules.
No, for the time being Kazumi would simply work on his unwilling coworker. Once she was on his side, then the plan could begin in earnest. So focused on things was he that Kazumi wasn't paying attention and nearly walked into a player. Strangely, she stopped as though knowing something was there. Kazumi felt himself freeze, concerned for the first time. Could she sense him even cloaked by the game itself? Soon enough she had moved on, but it was a rather strange moment and with a scowl he made a mental note to keep an eye on her in case of further trouble... after all, Haseo was on her friend list. There were very few coincidences in the infuriating system that Harald had created, and he knew this was simply a link in the chain of events that he would soon take control of and shatter to reforge in his own design.
Name: Mii
Main Journal: miishal
Contact Info: AIM: miishal
Played Characters: none
AC Reminders: nah
CHARACTER INFO
Name: Kazumi (Jyotaro Amagi)
Age: 21
Species: Shota
Series: .hack//GU+
OU/AU: OU
Canon Point: After Cubia eats him. NOM NOM
History: Since there isn't a satisfactory source for his background (even the wiki WHY IS THERE NO LOVE) you get it all IN THE FACE.
WEEOO WEEOO SPOILERS ETC IF YOU CARE
Once upon a time in the future, there was a small company named CyberConnect corporation. They had splintered off of a larger company that had made the first standard operating system for the world after the global network crashed. C3's flagship project was an MMORPG, whose release edition was called "The World". Unbeknownst to basically anyone, "The World" was actually a secret creation program developed by man known as Harald Hoerwick, to develop an AI "daughter" who he called Aura. This, of course, caused problems when the system designed to create said AI daughter, named Morganna, decided it didn't want to "die" after Aura was "born"...
Through the efforts of several players, Aura was finally born and Morganna's functions were either absorbed into Aura's functionality or destroyed. Peace and prosperity reigned throughout the global network, and "The World" entered a golden age of crazy chibi characters and vaguely-hinted twincest. I mean...
However, there were still some fragments of Morganna kicking around. These were the remnants of what had been called the Eight Phases. Data-gathering utilities given life through the programming of the game world and motivation from their angry "mother", these entities had been the forefront of Morganna's assault against the system forcing her to follow her programming and then die. They were systematically destroyed, their data rewritten and core essences shattered and left to sink to the bottom of "The World" where they remained, inert and undiscovered and largely forgotten.
Then, one day Aura disappeared. Nobody knew how or why, but she was gone. While she had been rather fickle and unpredictable, she had also been the lynchpin of the entire net. Without her presence, there was a systemwide slowdown, and a great instability began to spread throughout the global network. Despairing that they would lose their largest source of revenue, C3 gathered those who were privy to the maintenance of the game, especially pertaining to the knowledge of the existence of the AIs. This group became the members of what was called Project GU. One of the key members of this group was a man named Jun Banshoya.
The ideal behind Project GU was to recreate Aura and thus restore stability to the network. However, the inner workings of the game itself were hidden inside the impenetrable Black Box of code left by Harald and normally only accessible by Aura. Thus, in order to try to create a new AI, the Project GU team was left to use what was readily available to them... which were the various remnants of Morganna, primarily the inert data of the Eight Phases. Ideally, if an AI like Morganna could be reconstructed, but with specific controls placed on her, then she would be completely manageable by the system and there would be little risk.
It was then discovered that not just anyone could wield an Epitaph PC. Only one specific person could control each one. Anyone else attempting to would begin to feel dizzy and sick. Jyotaro came to the fast conclusion that only a specific type of person could utilize each Phase's abilities effectively. A search was put out for the eight "chosen ones". In the meantime, the rest of the Phases were tracked down and placed into their appropriate Epitaph PCs. In order to retrieve the sixth Phase, Macha the Temptress, Jyotaro tracked down its current incarnation, an NPC named Mia, and destroyed her to harvest the data from her without even blinking. With the Epitaph PCs prepared, and the candidates located, preparations for the first test were underway.
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However, Jyotaro was not called the genius of his age for nothing. He had begun to suspect Jun of treachery, and had prepared for such an occasion. He presented a backup plan, consisting of a dummy Epitaph PC for himself to use in place of Tarvos and its now useless Chosen One. With a now "complete" roster of Epitaph PCs, he began the execution of the RA Plan in earnest. Unfortunately, the RA Plan failed to get off the ground. To prevent the birth of the new anti-existence once and for all, Jun set a fire that quickly consumed the C3 building. Due to the fires, 80% of The World's data was lost, and six of the involved Epitaphs escaped into the game data. Accepting all responsibility for the incident, Jun disappeared from the public eye. Unable to accept that someone he had believed in so strongly could simply abandon their vision - and thus leave his own vision unfulfilled - Jyotaro began to question Jun's motives and actions so much that he drove himself insane.
Of course, nobody knew or cared what happened to the Dummy Epitaph PC. It was just a placeholder, after all. Or was it? By the end, Jyotaro believed himself to be superior to Harald, who had managed to immortalize himself within the previous version of The World after a fashion. Jyotaro's goal was the same - or for himself to become the new "God" to manage the system in place of an AI. Jun believed that there was no place for technology without a heart, and that Jyotaro's failure came about because he did not "love" The World. Jyotaro disappeared from the history of C3 as well...
Merging the remaining game data with another one of their projects, C3 created The World R:2. At first it was rather buggy, but slowly C3 began to work out patches to help the system work. Unfortunately, strange issues beyond simple bugs began to arise. A mysterious entity consisting of fluid black dots, a character who could put PCs into comas by killing them in-game, and a mysterious player with an arm bound in a metal container... this was all part of the legacy that Jun left for his sister, Reiko Saeki. Determining that she was the chosen one of Tarvos, he sent her all his information and evidence, beseeching her to try to get to the bottom of the strange events and work to help stabilize The World once and for all. Upon learning of the story she took up his mantle, hiding her relationship to her brother so that she would be hired at C3 and recover the Tarvos Epitaph PC. With her newly-made Epitaph PC, Pi, she started working with C3's own internal Security Department, Safety Division 2 under an individual she knew only as "Kazumi", before she was transferred to something called Project GU, who worked solely with investigating the strange phenomena beleaguering The World.
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Feeling that he no longer had any reason to play in The World, Haseo's player decided that he would not come back, regarldess of who tried to persuade him. Most of the other Epitaph Users felt similarly, now rendered useless by the lost of their Epitaphs. Only Pi, along with the leader of Project GU, Yata, continued on with her work. That is, until she and Yata got a surprise visitor... Kazumi, from Safety Division 2. Pi was not pleased to see him, and even less pleased to learn that he was evicting Yata and taking his place. Yata was removed by C3 bot-goons, while Pi was forced helplessly to watch.
Kazumi's plans quickly came to light as he barged in on Ovan's younger sister Aina and Haseo (who had decided to return briefly to speak with her) having a conversation. He claimed that he belonged to the "Original" Project GU and that the Skeith Epitaph belonged to C3 - or rather, to him. Before Haseo could do anything, Kazumi opened his right eye and started glowing with the tell-tale signs of an Epitaph User, then data-drained him. As Haseo hadn't protect broken, he was simply paralyzed and rather angry. Haseo attempted to call on Skeith, but just as he did, Kazumi stole Haseo's Epitaph. Before he could do any more damage, the hacker Zelkova warped the shattered character away.
Pleased with his initial success in recovering the Skeith Epitaph, Kazumi started to work on the next step in his plan: the willing accomplice. He explained that with the AIDA issue resolved, Project GU had been handed over to Safety Division 2 and that its new purpose was to revive the Ultimate AI to manage the network by means of the original RA Plan. He revealed that his PC contained the dummy Epitaph, and claimed it was "her brother's legacy." With the mention of the events her brother was involved in, Pi became concerned, as it was her brother's final request that she assist in the means of stabilizing the world network. Jun Banshoya's plan to stop the original RA Plan had failed in that while the physical aspects had been lost in the fire, the necessary information still existed - within Kazumi's mind. Pi agreed that network stability was a necessity and that she pledged to uphold her brother's wishes. However, she was concerned about the lack of necessary Epitaphs. Kazumi stated that they have his, and he revealed that he also had the Skeith Epitaph. Pi was horrified and expressed her concern for Haseo, but Kazumi corrected her, claiming that she needed to get her priorities in line. If she wanted to clear her brother's name she would have to dirty herself to do so. She eventually consented.
With the setup of the necessary protocols for the RA Plan, things began to get underway. The first phase went through without any issues, although Pi observed that all of the Epitaphs in this run were dummies. According to Kazumi, what they were recreating was similar to Ovan's Epitaph's Rebirth program, but Kazumi claimed that Ovan was too selfish and emotional and used it without thinking, so now they had to improvise a bit. Saying he'd had his fill of sentimental endings, Kazumi proceeded to rip out his right eye and replaced it with the Skeith Epitaph. Through the pain he claimed that with this program he would be the one to control the limits of things... but was interrupted by some security protocols with rather urgent news.
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The final stage of the RA Plan began, and Haseo felt a strange pulling inside of his character, only to realize that it was his connection to his Epitaph, now lodged in Kazumi's head. Kazumi could feel it responding to Haseo as well, but then the final stage of the Plan completed, and Pi's hand hovered over the control panel... then hit the execution switch, carrying out her brother's will. Atoli began to cry out, and one of the dummy Epitaphs began acting erratically. In annoyance, Kazumi activated his arm-gun and took aim at Atoli, but Haseo countered with a shot at him before he could react. The shot had minimal effect, and Kazumi claimed he could not be defeated so easily. Drawing on the improved power of the Skeith Epitaph, his abilities were now enhanced, and he fired off vastly more powerful attacks at Haseo. Atoli threw herself in front of the attack, but just in the nick of time her Epitaph, Innis, returned to her and the shot did no damage. Everyone was astonished as they did not realize that Atoli was an Epitaph User. However, the true Innis and the dummy version started overlapping and causing instabilities in the program. Kazumi ordered Pi to force the program to execute anyway, and in a final effort to dissuade him Kuhn told him that by doing this he would create a new anti-existence.
But, Kazumi was more than aware, as he knew what Cubia was and that it was the reason for the halting of the original RA Plan. Pi was horrified by this revelation, especially at Kazumi's harsh words regarding her brother's reactions to Cubia. Kazumi said that even if Cubia was recreated, all he would need to do would be to get Cubia to follow his whims. At that moment, the program executed and the room was filled with blinding light and began to fall apart. The air filled with swirling energy, focused on a platform where Kazumi was standing... transformed. He had finally achieved his desire, to be reborn as a god...
Unfortunately, his actions did result in the creation of a powerful anti-existence. While he did fight with it furiously in his capacity as god of the network, it ultimately overcame him... consuming him, power and all, in an attempt to balance out the imbalance he created.
Personality: Kazumi is certainly a rather genial person. He's polite, cheerful, and pleasant to be around. He rarely loses his temper or raises his voice, but by the same token he doesn't often get very outspoken. He's a good conversationalist, knowing a great deal about many classical subjects and weaving them into his words as metaphors or comparisons. To people he knows, he's friendly and helpful, going out of his way to help make ends meet. With friends he tends to be playful and likes to gently tease or otherwise have fun. He always seems to be on top of things, as if very little escapes his notice.
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This of course means that ultimately he's a very selfish person. But that selfishness he masks behind a semblance of caring. What he does is of course meant to help better the world! How could anyone stand against something so noble? Those who refused to follow through with the original plans were simply cowards who couldn't stand up when it came down to it. Due to these previous trust issues, especially with people he thought were his comrades, he keeps his cards close to his chest. He'll get people to help him, but will only reveal his plans when the time is right. Thus, those who get closest to him have the most likely chance of seeing the true side of Kazumi, the one that's succumbed to insanity - as well as to be used up and thrown away as he tries to better himself. Those who try to oppose him are also those who would go against the betterment of the world, and obviously lack the understanding to realize that what he is trying to do is for the good of the world and themselves as well! This lends him a slight paranoia, as he prefers to control when people discover his motivations rather than them finding out themselves. Everything he does is under lock and key, or password, or encryption.
Powers: I just pulled this straight from the old "strengths" section because honestly with just his powerz it would be a pretty short section and WE CAN'T HAVE THAT IN AN APP BY ME
Kazumi's primary strengths lie in his skills with technology. His programming and computer skills are first-rate, and he has a broad base of technical and security know-how, as well as basic government functionality and economics from his various jobs. Even if a system is unfamiliar, he can eventually get it under his control with a bit of practice, and trial and error. The more advanced something is, the more beautiful he sees it as, and thus his desire to master it grows.
Kazumi is also skilled at hiding his intentions and his true state of mind behind a mask of caring and friendliness. He's quite good at manipulating people once he learns their weak points, and will sweet-talk them or attempt to befriend them so that he can have potential allies or resources. He's well-versed in the classics, and can have a sophisticated discussion just as easily as a casual conversation. His knowledge of The World's history and systems first-rate, especially since he himself is one of The World's secrets. He also seems to be constantly on top of things, and capable of planning ahead for many possible outcomes.
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Weaknesses: Although technically an Epitaph User, Kazumi just isn't quite up to snuff in that regard. He can only surprise someone once with his limited repertoire, and after that any past/potential victims are more or less on to him. Although he can see Avatars he lacks one himself, instead simply becoming a much stronger normal person. He relies heavily on his words and his technical skills to carry him, which when taken outside of that scope leaves him mostly with just his charms. Similarly, while he's quite good at what he does, barring that he's rather limited. Everything about him is so focused on achieving his personal goals that while he can gloss over the gaps with social graces, when closely examined he falls short - although why he falls short may never be realized. Someone who never finds out the truth might just consider him an overly polite, overly friendly computer geek.
Perhaps his biggest weakness is his own psychosis. While he understands the dangers and risks of what he does, he simply doesn't care. To him, the ends justify the means. When focusing on his goal he often loses sight of the big picture. While it's fine to point out that reactivating the RA Plan will probably trigger Cubia, he's quite aware of that and wants Cubia to bring it regardless of what happens to himself or the system around them. He has a complete lack of true empathy, and thus is for the most part inhuman when finally revealing himself. He has issues with betrayal, as well, and does not take kindly to those who he deems cowards, or those who back out of things for "foolish" reasons. Those who do not share his desire to take whatever risk necessary to complete a task are pathetic, and barely worth more than rage, especially when their actions directly counter his own. His past is his biggest demon, in that it has consumed him to the point where there isn't anything more to him. Because of this, those who manage to learn the truth behind him may also learn the key to his undoing.
Also worth mentioning is his manual clumsiness. Due to his hands being -, and his fingertips being sharp talons, he lacks a bit of dexterity. He has difficulty with fine manipulation or holding small objects, making certain tasks such as writing or eating with cutlery difficult. He also lacks the ability to feel with his hands, which can be beneficial in regards to extreme temperatures, means that he can't judge things apart from how much resistance he's encountering.
Possessions: Skeith Epitaph (in his head lol), energy gun (in his arm lol)
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Miscellaneous:
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Mr. Amagi, thanks for coming to your performance review.
Kaz: No problem.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: So you're in charge around here, is that fair to say?
Kaz: Absolutely, I'm the boss.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Ok, so take us through a day in the life of the boss.
Kaz: Well the first thing I do is...
Talk to Yata (like a boss)
Approve stalking (like a boss)
Lead a takeover (like a boss)
Remember coworkers (like a boss)
Direct protocols (like a boss)
My own agenda (like a boss)
Data drain (like a boss)
Exploit nostalgia (like a boss)
Hit on Reiko (like a boss)
Get rejected (like a boss)
Swallow sentiment (like a boss)
Send some emails (like a boss)
Spy on Atoli (like a boss)
Sulk invisibly (like a boss)
Vow to watch her (like a boss)
Dis Ovan (like a boss)
Harass Chosen Ones (like a boss)
Fire Yata (like a boss)
Dummy Epitaph (like a boss)
Molest Reiko's face (like a boss)
Start my plan (like a boss)
Get some pawns (like a boss)
Oh, come on guys shut up and do it shit
Go insane (like a boss)
Make Reiko do my work (like a boss)
Stand on a platform (like a boss)
Bitch out everyone (like a boss)
Start some shit (like a boss)
Hijack Raven (like a boss)
Be a sassy bitch (like a boss)
Piss off everyone (like a boss)
Rip my eye out (like a boss)
Bleed everywhere (like a boss)
Meet the anti-existence (like a boss)
Get consumed (like a boss)
Turn into Cubia (like a boss)
Slap with dinosaurs (like a boss)
Troll the whole world (like a boss)
Now I'm dead (like a boss)
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Uh huh. So that's an average day for you then?
Kaz: No doubt.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: You rip out your eye and die?
Kaz: Hell yeah.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: I think that at one point there you said something about being a sassy bitch?
Kaz: Nope.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Actually, I'm pretty sure you did.
Kaz: Naw, that ain't me.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Ok, well, this has been eye-opening for me.
Kaz: I'm the boss.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Yeah, I know, I got that. You said that 400 times.
Kaz: I'm the boss.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Yeah, yeah I got it.
Kaz: I'm the boss.
C3 High Muckety-Muck: Ok great, I heard you, bye.
Like a boss
First Person:
I'm ever so pleased that you seem to know my name. It's a pity that I don't remember your face... although I'm sure the name will come to me soon enough. You don't seem to be willing to grace me with such information, sadly. If we've met before, it must have been a while ago, before everything happened. Perhaps we should convene at some point and do some catching up! I'm sure you have quite the story to tell, although judging by your expression it seems you'd prefer to kill me rather than speak with me further. That's quite a shame, I was hoping to see some familiar faces.
Oh dear. I would really rather not play this sort of game, but I will indulge you if necessary. After all, it's for the betterment of the world itself... just how well do you know me, my dear fellow? Not well enough, I would say... or perhaps too well, judging from your reaction. Were you there the day the world reshaped itself to my whim? Do I need to put you in line?
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Invisible mode was a privilege for moderator-level admins and higher, and it was one that Kazumi found himself using quite a bit for various reasons. Now, however, he had no time to enjoy the scenery as he stalked through Mac Anu, weaving in and out of the clumps of players with a practiced ease. He rolled the softly-glowing yellow sphere in the palm of his metal hand absently as whe went, staring at the town around him as though he could pierce the models and textures with his eye.
Where could the errant Epitaph User have gone? He'd had Haseo where he wanted him, but somehow the Adept Rogue had managed to escape. That was impossible, of course. Even so, he couldn't have gone far. Yet for all of the vast array of tools at Kazumi's fingertips, he could not locate him. That thought alone made Kazumi burn with anger, a faint bit of annoyance crossing his normally jovial features.
"Where did he..." Kazumi said to no one, speaking aloud. The filters on invisible mode would keep others from hearing him, and there were no other admins around to pick up on the filtered speech.
Still, it was no matter. The Epitaph in his hand was a far better prize than having Haseo under his thumb. With this, everything was starting to fall into place... it was just a matter of time. Plus, it would keep Haseo out of his affairs - having a do-gooder trying to disrupt things would be quite annoying. Without the Epitaph, the Adept Rogue was simply another player, and very much subject to the rules.
No, for the time being Kazumi would simply work on his unwilling coworker. Once she was on his side, then the plan could begin in earnest. So focused on things was he that Kazumi wasn't paying attention and nearly walked into a player. Strangely, she stopped as though knowing something was there. Kazumi felt himself freeze, concerned for the first time. Could she sense him even cloaked by the game itself? Soon enough she had moved on, but it was a rather strange moment and with a scowl he made a mental note to keep an eye on her in case of further trouble... after all, Haseo was on her friend list. There were very few coincidences in the infuriating system that Harald had created, and he knew this was simply a link in the chain of events that he would soon take control of and shatter to reforge in his own design.
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