They're in a good mood
They're in a Good Mood is an FLCL fanfic taking place a few years after Haruko left for space. Takkun's father, Kamon, becomes a fa/tg/uy, and Naota is eventually invited to join. The story drops in quality at times due to the writefag losing his touch, or something.
The story was inspired by the suggestion that Kamon would probably make a good mascot for /tg/.
Story[edit | edit source]
Session 1[edit | edit source]
"Something Amazing"
...Well, its been a few years since Haruko left, and Dad's been into these...weird hobbies lately. He's always asking me to join him...but I dunno. It just seems so...different. At least he's in a good mood.
The other day, he asked me to join him and Granpa for a game. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I decided to join them. I guess I thought he looked pathetic or something. Maybe I wanted to do something unusual. I don't really know.
Anyway, he said something about Grandpa being a wizard, and gave me this paper and a bunch of odd dice. I wasn't sure what to do.
"Okay, Naota, you're going to be playing a barbaaaaarian. Y'know, with the axes and the screaming and the wenches. Its got a certain feeeeeeel to it, so be sure to capture that, okaaay, Takkun?"
...I was already regretting this. "Yeah, sure, whatever."
And we started in some sort of tavern. I wish I knew why, really - I've never even heard of a tavern before. Apparently its a place to drink, or something. Grown ups are weird.
"Alright, Takkun, what do you want to do?"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"WhadyouMEEEAN? This is a FAAAAANtasy game, Takkun, use your imaginATION! You're a barbaaarian, what would a barbarian do? You have to think these things through, Takkun, or you just won't get anywhere!"
He sure was in a good mood.
"...Fine. I'm a barbarian, right? I'll ransack the place."
"Ohhhh, good choice Naota. That's a very barbarian thing to do, a very brutal, savage thing to do. How do you want to ransack it?"
I wasn't sure why, but I was sort of starting to get into this.
"I'll burn the place to the ground!" I said. "I'll grab a log from the fireplace and just throw it somewhere!"
"Ooooh, gimme a roll, Takkun!"
"A roll?" I wasn't sure what he meant.
"Roll, y'know! Roll! Didya know you had to roll to do things in D&D? Huh? Didya? Didya?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Its a gaaaaaming thing, a roleplaaaaaying thing. Its all a part of the experience, Naota kun! If you can't roll, you'll never be a MAN!"
"FINE! What do you want me to roll?"
"That round one! The d20! The twenty sided dice! Roll it, Naota! Roll it now!"
I picked up the dice, and tossed it at the ground. It bounced, and rolled, off the table. I went under the table, and saw a 6 facing up.
"Well? Was it a 20, Naota?"
...I didn't answer. I wasn't sure what to answer, but then he was behind me, his hands on the back of my head, his fingers wriggling.
"Didya, Didya? Was it a twenty, Takkun?"
"Ah, stop it! Cut it out! I rolled a 6."
"A 6, huh. Huuuuh. Huuuuuuuuuuuuh. I see, Naota. So you rolled a 6."
"Is that bad?"
"Bad? Is it....bad, would you say?"
"I'm asking you!"
"Ah, but isn't it the main character's job to KNOW these sorts of things?
"What are you TALKING about?"
He just started to babble, on and on. Dad was always like this.
"Its a GAMING sort of thing, you know. A dungeons sort of thing. A DRAGONS sort of thing. A traditional, roleplaying, adventuring sort of thing!"
I got up and left, then. Slamming the door on my way out, I decided to take a bath. Without me there, Grandpa suddenly became the "PC" again. Ugh.
They sure were in a good mood.
After I got out of the shower, Dad called me back into the living room. "Naaaaaaaaaao, its been your turn, y'know."
I sighed, and came back in and sat down.
"Fine, what's going on?" I asked, not sure if I should keep playing or just go to bed.
"Well, while you were in the shooower, Naota, your grandfather here decided to help burn down the place. After you threw the log, he cast a Flaming Sphere, you see, and now the guards are upset, and understandably so, don't you agree? Anyway, I need you to roll initiative."
"Initiative?" How many things did I have to roll anyway?
"Yeeessss, Naotakun, you need to roll initiative!"
"What do I roll? This round one again!"
"Yes, that's it Naota! The round one, very good!"
I sighed, and rolled a 17. "Alright, what does that mean?" I asked.
"It means you go first, Naota. Don't tell me you can't understand such a simple concept?"
"Simple? I have no idea what's going on here!"
"Well its quite simple Takkun. There are these guards here, see, look at the map when I'm talking to you, right here. There's 4 of them, all in the door. Its a guard thing, you see, a defender thing. They want to hurt you with their spears."
"Hey, hold on, spears? What am I supposed to do?"
Suddenly, Granpa finally decided to add to the conversation. "Hit 'em with your ax, dammit! Heck, I gave you two of 'em, dual wield! Hit 'em with TWO axes! Take their heads off, the bastards!"
"What? Gave them to me?"
"He rolled up your character, Takkun. Characters don't just grow on trees, you know! They take a lot of hard work!"
"They do?"
"Yesss, Takkun! Your grandpa spent hours on that character, making it perfect, just for you, Takkun! His wizard took him almost a day, just to roll his stats!"
Granpa butted in again. "Don't listen to him Nao, your father is full of shit."
"...Okay, whatever. Just let me hit something with my ax."
"Gimme a roll, Nao." Dad added with a smile.
"...Is it the round one again?"
"Yes Naota. It is the round one again."
This game was getting pretty predictable.
Well, the combat went pretty smooth, Dad's antics aside. Granpa seemed to like burning things, or making them explode. We beat up the guards, and I got to roll the diamondy dice too. Dad was pretty descriptive about all of it, but we decided to call it a night then - I had school the next day. But...surprisingly, I had fun.
The next day, Granpa showed me this Player's Handbook, and went over some of the basic rules with me. Apparently I was already 4th level, and I could go into this rage to make me stronger, but only two times a day.
"Why can I only get angry twice a day, Granpa?" I eventually asked. It seemed kinda silly, to me.
"Because Barbarians don't just scream at things all day, Nao. They rape 'em, too. You can't be angry during the rape, or you'll break everything, and my wizard does NOT want to clean up YOUR shit."
...Grown ups were weird sometimes.
Well, anyway, he showed me some of the other stuff I might be later. Spellcasting seemed cool, but Granpa said my barbarian was "damn near retarded, you can't do magic." So I figured I'd just stick to my double axes for now.
Session 2, Part 1[edit | edit source]
"Swing the Bat"
That night, we started where we left off.
Dad began: "Okaaaaay, Nao, lets start with you."
"Why is it always me?"
"Because Granpa would burn the town to the ground."
Granpa: "I don't have enough spells for that."
Nao: "Isn't that what I did too?"
"Quiet Nao, you're ruining your chance to do something amazing here. You have to take the lead sometimes, you're the meat shield! The wizard can't be the meat shield!"
"Meat shield?"
"You'll understand when you're older, Takkun."
...This game was so confusing.
"Fine. What should I do?"
"Well, what do YOOOU think you should do, Takkun? Gaming is all about the freedom, the opportunity! Its a realism thing, you see. You get to do what you want to do!"
"...Alright. I ask the wizard what to do."
Granpa: "About damn time! I think we should skip town, before the fuzz comes down on us!"
Dad: "They weren't called the fuzz back then, you know."
"Quiet! Let's hoof it, now. Expeditious Retreat!"
We were out in these woods now. Dad kept saying something about these "spooooky sorts of things" that we kept seeing, but it was no big deal. We never ran into anything. We camped for the night, and I got some of my HP back. Granpa said he studied or something. Whatever it was, he got his magic again.
We decided to travel onward, apparently we knew about a town or something farther ahead.
...The town had a giant iron rising up over it, and was shrouded in steam, according to Dad.
"No. Nuh uh. Nothing amazing happens here." I said, right then.
"What ever do you MEAN, Naota? Lots of exciting things happened while Medical Mechanica was in town. Or did you forget all about Haruko?"
"Of course I didn't forget! Every time I think of her my head hurts! We are NOT doing this!"
"But Naaaaaaaota kun, I spent so much time on this city!"
"Nuh uh, no. We are not going in there. My barbarian is afraid of giant metal things."
Granpa laughed. Dad looked angry a moment, then smiled.
"Nicely played Takkun. Bringing roleplaying into the story. A very clever sort of thing. A very sneeeaky sort of thing, a barbaaaaric sort of thing. A gaaaaaming sort of thing, you know? Well, alright then, you're afraid of big metal things."
...I was wondering if I was going to regret this.
"Okay, Takkun. Now that you aren't going in to town, what AAAAAARE you going to do? Since you're so set AGAINST actually doing anything story-wise tonight, we might as weeeell do something character wise, you know?"
...Huh. What WAS I going to do. "Um... I'll ask the wizard again, I guess."
Granpa: "Ha! I like this guy. He lets me run the show! I say we go in to town!"
Nao: "Ah! But, but..."
Granpa: "If your pansy-ass barbarian wants to stay out here in the friggin wilderness, eating beetles or whatever, that's fine. I am going to rest in an inn."
Dad: "Try not to burn this one down, granpa. You might need to be in this town for a while."
"All the more reason to burn it in the morning!"
This was getting out of hand. I was starting to like my barbarian, I didn't want him to just vanish from the story line. "Wait, what about me?"
Granpa: "What ABOUT you? You can come with me, or rot out here."
"You should probably go with him, Takkun. Rotting is generally pretty bad for you, you know. I've rotted once before, you see, so unlike many people, who have never rotted before in their lives, I can tell you it isn't something you should look forward to, and -"
"OKAY I GET IT. I'll head in to the stupid town."
"Excellent Naota! Give me a will save."
"...A what?" A will save? That didn't sound too good.
"Roll the round one."