I live in Springfield field IL, I live here in a nice community, a decent town with a mix of the city and being the capital. Honestly, I'd be happy to maybe move around, see the world, and maybe stay in another location. But with a local farming community and sometimes work taking me places near the big city of Chicago I'm just happy to stay in a place next to my family. They only live a mile or so away, and so I'd get to see my nephew and niece almost every weekend. Sweet kids, just wish they wouldn't tear up my place so much. But in any case, I'm rambling, my home is just a small apartment, two-bed rooms, and one bath, I keep a few posters of games I enjoyed playing when I wasn't so busy, and some art I made when I drew a lot, I don't keep a lot of furniture and I have a lot of the kid's toys in my closet. 

I work at a construction company for the state, we get hired to do road repairs, fix up homes, and do maintenance on bridges and other things. Typical contracting work. It's a bit bad on the back of course, but I'm hoping to earn enough with this job to move out and get a house of my own. I don't need the space but it would be nice to not be a wage slave and end up screwed later on in my life when I want some privacy and to be away from the inner workings of the city. Either way, I spend my money on just what I need, maybe I get some new shoes, but the rest gets saved up for a rainy day and to hit my goal.

My ambition? It's hard to say, I just wanted to not be in my shitty job and die due to it, I wanted a good house, for my niece and nephew to be well off. But now its changed, being rich seems almost comical with the powers that be, and can be. Now I want more, now I want to control things, maybe make a place for not only myself and my family, but for those who help me, and build an empire around it. How far would I go? Well, I've already destroyed creatures for it, killing people who deserve it isn't as much of a pain for me, and how close to death?

 

Well...this job will kill me eventually, leave me crippled and bored as I lay in a nursing home. If I die I die, at least my insurance will go to those kids, but maybe I can live long enough to find a way to cheat the system. Seems like a few people have found a way to do it already.

The most defining event in my life, I think it was about two years ago. I was on site for a job, this one was a standard mansion home, that had 8 bathrooms, 20 guest rooms, a pool, and the works. Was going to be a great contract for the company too, was thinking I'd maybe get a bonus for all my work. Long story short that didn't happen once it was all finished, but the main thing I took from it was the man who we built it for. He was a basic-looking guy, no older than me honestly, fairly young, and also really focused on his phone. But the main thing I talked to him about was what he valued, and it wasn't money, it was influence, power, and the ability to just get people to do what he wanted with as little as possible. 

 

Little did I know I was just that kinda person, giving my body and time to a man who didn't have to lift a finger about what he wanted. I wanted that, deep down, and saw my job as an eventual burden, I had back pain after that job, and immediately got checked out, looks like it's the first phase of bodily fatigue. So the downward spiral starts, or does it?

Ava Tisdale is my sister, she's kinda an ass but I care about her. She helped me out a lot in getting the job I have now since she works in FEMA and found a few companies looking for workers. I fit the bill and had been working in construction ever since I got out of high school. 

 

She has two kids, Nate, and Corina. Both are good kids and they like visiting me on the weekends, they like calling me 'Uncle Ric' and I spoil them occasionally. The boy is a bit rough, only 6 years old now, likes jumping on me and wrestling, lots of energy. The girl is only 3, she can talk but barely. She's not as rowdy but likes being picked up and carried around on my back, she's a sweet little muffin and calls me a 'panda' for some reason. I think its the TV shows they watch.

My childhood was hit or miss, I was bullied for half of it, fucked hated the kids in my grammar school for that reason. I learned at the age of 12 that humanity was horrible and no one will help you unless it services them in some way. I know, emo, but it was true and I hated how true it was, high school was different, I had a blast during it and learned that you can make up whatever identity you want to impress people. Especially teenagers who know nothing about life. My parent was Magret Miller, my father didn't exist. At least that's how I'll see it and will forever see his existence. 

 

My mother is still alive, she is sweet, and bad with money so she asks for some occasionally, she never married tho, so I kinda act like her husband occasionally. All because she relied on me more than my sister. 

Minus puppy love? No...

 

There were times when I felt like I cared about someone, that I might love someone in my life, but after 4 failed relationships because of my need to be independent and work, it mixed horribly with everything else. Sometimes it wasn't my fault, just the people I wanted to date were just manipulative, other times I screwed up royally and ended up screwing myself over in the very end. 

 

Now? Maybe, I'd be happy to find someone, maybe see if we have something in common, enjoy our time together. Maybe talk about kids but I hate kids. I'm joking. Still, I'd be happy to be in a relationship, open, not open, or just getting to know someone, and being close to anyone who's not family would satisfy me. Have some close friends that don't vanish away over the years, etc. 

Being alone and powerless honestly, I had a dream when I was a kid, one where I was in a room by myself and I could hear the screams of my mom, sister, and my niece and nephew on the other side of a door. I banged and kicked on it, powerless to stop the noises and powerless to help them in some way. I had no clue what to do, or how to go about getting in, and as I hit the door I just felt numb.

 

Waking up I panicked, thinking something horrible happened, but now, there was just me there in my bed. At the time a small boy with no power to change anything, or the ability to help anyone, especially not myself from the bullies who tormented me for years. It sucked, and it made me angry, made me hate those kids harder by the day. I'm glad my anger didn't lead to me doing something horrible, but it made me feel one thing as I got into high school. The need to not be weak and powerless, the need to feel some form of agency. I lost that anger as high school turned out nicely for me. 

 

Now I'm starting to have it again, but that fear is still suffocating.

The things I value the most are my niece and nephew, they might not be objects or possessions, but I wouldn't trade them for anything, they're perfect and I don't really own much that would compare to them. My car is just a suburu, sure it's worth money but that's about it, it's a means of traveling around the place. As for something else? I mean maybe I'd say the old hate my grand pa gave me. I wear it all the time, it was a flat cap from the 1920's, things older than me by a large margin, and I keep it in tact because he's one of the only men I truly respect. It's all I have to remember them by, except pictures and all that, and I cherish it just as much as the kids honestly. So there are a few things I actually care about. 

My biggest problem is just my lack of motivation to continue in what I do right now, I enjoy construction work, it keeps me active, out of the house, and on my feet. But at the same time, I know its killing me, joint problems at my age are fairly common when in this line of work. Most people don't work with their hands when they reach older ages in this profession. That's why there's no one above the age of 50 on-site, and will never be, because by then their bodies have broken down and all this hauling, pushing, moving and deconstruction work takes a toll on you. For me, I'm only just starting to feel like an ass when I come in from work, feel like I'm working my life away. I want my life to be more than just the story of a man working till he passes away, I want to do more. 

I get up at around 5 am, put on my boots, and jeans, and fish out a shirt I don't too much care about before heading for my car. I take a modest drive, sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes an hour or two, depending on where the site is. I do stop and grab a coffee, but I make sure to eat and drink along the way if I get anything more. Once on site I fish out a vest and hard hat from the back of my car and get to work.

 

Typically if its road work then I'll probably just swing by the company lot and pick up one of those road-working trucks so I won't bring my Subaru, but if its a home I just park nearby. After that its pretty straightforward, I spend a few hours knocking down, bringing up, or just repairing walls, roofs, or gravel till around 6 pm then head home.

If I wanted to get all prim and proper for something I'd wear either a suit and tie, or probably like a nice blazer. But if it was something more casual then a dress shirt works too, with dress pants of course to match everything and nice shoes. It wouldn't take me long to get dressed as I don't have much in the way of hair, just take a bath, brush my teeth, and fix up anything that I saw was lacking in the mirror. 

 

Oh and of course try to smell nice, I do wear one of those scented rock things on my neck, my mother loves essential oils and got me one for my birthday some years ago. I ended up liking it and so now I just coat it in some nice scents that I enjoy and wear it everywhere, its been nice in calming me down or just making days feel a bit lighter than normal. Outside of this, I think I could work in any social scene.

Ah! Perfect question, probably just sit in my house and not do much unless someone comes to visit me. Most of my friends are online and I'm not known for going out and doing a lot after I'm done with work given how tired I feel afterward. I could go out and get drinks with the boys but the best times I've had was just sitting at home for a full day, not doing much but sleeping half the day away and maybe ordering some not-so-good-for-me food straight to my door.

 

I have had times when the kids have come by, my niece and nephew, they would hang out with me and my sister got me a cake with my mom combing by to offer me some presents and what not. But that was a while ago, nowadays if they really want to celebrate it with me I go to their house and have a nice little party. 

My greatest regret was never spending more time with my grandfather before he passed, he was a good man, and was gone well before his time. He had cancer, and as a kid, I didn't really catch on as my mom never told me, just one day he was walking around and taking me fishing and all that and the next he was in a wheel chair barely able to move and in a nursing home. He wasn't even all that old, made it to the age of 60 before eventually one day I'd get the news that my grandpa was gone.

 

It hurt, because he was the only good male role model in my life, all the others were in jail or just dead beats with no life asperations besides eating, fucking, and being horrible fathers. I didn't choose that life all because my grandfather told me what was the better option. I miss him.

For me it seems as if I have a little friend with me, I later found out it's a Kamaitachi, or sickle weasel. Describing them, they seem like a normal weasel but with large bladed claws that they extended whenever threatened, otherwise, they would look 'mostly' normal with some obvious wtf features like being much bigger than a weasel. Either way, my gifts seem to focus on wind or have powers related to it, or even a bit of my own work in construction which is surprising to me personally. But I guess expanding my mind about the things I do naturally has its boons.

 

During or after every mission Kazarisu, the Kamaitachi with me, tends to go off and devour something or just fly into the air for a while. I think it pulls power from the supernatural events I go on and simply channels energies to improve itself as well as me. I haven't been oblivious to notice all the changes to my body, and honestly, at this rate I'm hoping it doesn't cause too much of a change, however, I worry that it may turn me into one of them at this point. 

I wasn't very religious growing up, sure my mother sent me to Sunday school church and wanted me to praise god and Jesus. Hell, even my grandpa did it and encouraged us to participate in the church, which was for ten bucks just to sing some hems and go up and babble wordlessly it was a nice gig when you didn't get an allowance. But...now with how things have gone I'm starting to think the concept of a 'god' is much less one in the bible or told about in some other book and more so something that could be a concept. 

 

A god in this world could just be someone who has gained enough power to which they are no longer a person or a creature, they empty concepts of life, death, love, hate, ideas, etc. It's hard to understand, but I just think there are no gods, but people with god-like power and people cling to those things to have some faith in this world. 

I felt like the world was a black-and-white nightmare, I believed I would just work myself to death to live a short life and end up in oblivion. Now? After the contracts I've gone on, I feel like this is completely untrue. That there could be a realm for me when I eventually die, that I could change my fate and not end up dying in some ditch somewhere because I drank the sorrows of my fragile mortality away. Or in a nursing home with maybe one or two family members by my side, hoping that the insurance money I left them would handle everything.

 

It has put my mind in a grander light, and I'm actually happy I get to see the world in this way. I will say I knew about mutants and alterations people have been given, I just thought we were finally jumping into the new age, but with these powers, with this ability I can gather, soon maybe I can change my own standing. Forever.

The other contractors that I've dealt with have been a mixed bag, to say the least. Some have been very skilled, useful, and overall powerful in their own ways. Liam Holloway was one of the first few I've met, he was direct and knew how to apply himself when things needed to happen. He had a kinda spooky gun that didn't kill and instead knocked out people. Tam Starling was another, she was able to ensure we all didn't just die from a contract right away, saved my life and I owe her a lot. Many of the others had a wonderful array of powers and abilities though, from telekinesis to being able to heal others with grime and dirt, or even causing others to obey them in some way. None of which I have any problems with, except Issac Norton II and his ability to pull my attention away from big bad monsters, none of the contractors I've worked with have been horrible in any way.

Oh, baby! The perfect room would be an octagon, spaced out so that the corners would be around 2ft or so, the ceiling would be 8ft tall with enough space to fit some nice lighting and enough wall space to add posters, pictures, and other things. The room has two entrances, one for a front door and the other leading to a back door possibly. Furniture is a bit subjective but would have a comforter couch, a lazy boy off to the side with a fireplace near the middle of the room on the adjacent wall to the door. I'd have a counter in this room along the other wall, stools dotting them as here would probably be either a bar or kitchen, either works for me. Over all, I think that would be the best man cave possible. Oh! and a mini fridge and mixer, maybe even an indoor girl to make some sweet burgers. 

I've always been good at building things, as well as tearing things down, namely buildings. I've felt that both aspects of creation and destruction have a purpose, you tear down an old abandoned building to make something wonderful in its place- like a community center, a park, or housing for those in lower income brackets. I find that my work is not super appreciated unless it's on a more localized scale though, no one ever cares about the roads when driving from one town to another unless they're fucked up. However building a future homeowner's house from scratch has been some of the most rewarding work I've done yet, the family thanks me and my buddies, they get a place to grow their family, and I get a paycheck and some nice smiles to remember them by. Building things has been a calling of mine for a while, and although it is back-breaking work, I still enjoy it.

I'm as simple as any guy, at least I feel this is the case. Many contractors I've seen don't bat an eye when murdering someone when seeing disfigured bodies and all manner of horrible acts placed on a poor person. I'm just human, at least on the inside, many people have told me to start thinking differently, to see the work I do as just that: A job. Leave behind your morals, and just get the job done so that you may live to see another day and maybe- just maybe, get enough power to change things. That's what I want to do, gain enough power to stop all the horrible shit that happens, but from what I could see and tell, it's impossible alone. So unfortunately, what it would take for me to break these morals is just that- power, that hope that if I gain enough power I could very well end up changing the world in some small way and or finishing many of the things I wished to do now that I've become so much stronger in every way.

Where Our Blue Is - Tatsuya Kitani: I enjoy the cheerful freedom of the song and melody as well, it gives that burst of energy that feels like I need to act, it's something I like putting on if I need to force a situation.

 

Treachery - Bleach OST: Not that I betray people, or have an interest in doing it, but I've had so many enemies randomly attack me or go to ambush me that were disguised as a friendly person at first. 

 

Metaroom - God Race: Embraces the chaos that the contracts I've been on have been like at times, sometimes it goes smoothly, and sometimes I'm left almost alone to handle a situation, but in the end, it all comes to an ending point. Embrace the chaos, but try your best to make sense of it all.

 

BRODYQUEST: A normal guy going on a silly adventure, eventually becoming so powerful that they change reality? Almost hits too close to home, but also a catchy song that I enjoy listening to casually when driving my niece and nephew around.

 

FFXIV OST The Tycoon ( Locus - The Primals ): With how many robots I've had to deal with, it feels like I've destroyed so many that they might as well be a big mech at this point to up the ante. But it's a good kind of 'hunker down and think' type of song for me.

 

The Villian I Appear To Be (Diamond Jack): I may not be a villain, but sometimes these contracts do turn me into one, making me do things that I hate. Then when the mission is done I have to either live with it, or rectify it, and so far? I've rectified every contract I've been on, no failures yet, and as such this song fits me the most.

Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn: This one was just a personal favorite of mine, nothing too hardcore, and both had a vibe that would make me feel like I was a kid again. More so because how I want to go back to that time when I was a child, plus I like phonk and this is a nice aspect. 

 

My end will probably come eventually, and my goals? They're pretty mixed right now, I know I'll hit a point where I'll become a full kamaitachi, so I'll more than likely have to live with being a weasel. But for my end-game goals? Maybe settle down, maybe I'll retire or try to, but at this point, I don't think that's in the cards for me if I'm some odd spirit thing. Plus, who would want to fuck a weasel thing? Okay...maybe someone does, but that's odd, so I'll keep that out of my brain.

 

Anyways, that's avoiding the question, I want to go until I can change the features around me. Help someone, bring about some small change, and from there maybe Kazarisu will want something else from me. Who knows, but I for certain want to gain enough power to bring about change, REAL change, not donations to a company or corporation. Not some crappy attempt at making a difference by passing a law that will do nothing, I want to make a difference to people that won't be reversed easily. 

People who cause pain, and suffering, my boss at work? Jokes aside I hate how the world is, how many people suffer because people with power or people with connections and capabilities can cause as much suffering as they like. Half the time unabated, and without any repercussions that would go against them because they have that much power under their belts. Corruption, lies, all that stuff that pisses off a prepper kinda gets to me as well, just I know the truth of it all, how hopeless a guy with a gun is compared to someone with superpowers or the ability to take over minds with just a simple snap of the finger.

 

It makes me annoyed that just being an overall evil bastard has way too many upsides in this world, that justice isn't a real concept for those who demand it, and if you do seek it out you'll be put in the ground harder and faster than how we treat protests in authoritarian countries. Maybe I'm being too good of a person, or trying to be, if I am I can at least say I kept some morals along the way, but as I do this more and more I lose a bit more of myself over and over again. I feel my mind slipping back to that hatred, and when I see more people getting hurt it doesn't string as hard as it once did.

 

I feel like I'm becoming less human, both literally and metaphorically, and this is what I truly get mad about. That one day I just won't care any more, and I'll simply think of people like the elite do, like the powerful tend to treat them...

 

I had gotten into a fight with 3 normal people, before all this I would have been a bit scared since they had knives, and I could never handle all three at the same time. But now? They came at me and I felt invincible, they attacked and did nothing to me, I struck them down in one or two blows, easily. Like crushing ants. I don't want to see people as ants...but it becomes more and more apparent that they have little they can do against people like me, is it wrong to welcome that feeling? To become so powerful that humans can do nothing but grovel and beg I don't kill them? There has to be another way, and if not, then I hope I can become the same man I was back then as I am now.

Honestly, this contracting work has been the biggest secret I've kept from everyone I know, including my family. I tell them I just go out on business trips every month, that it's not super odd or dangerous in any way. But it's the opposite, every contract is more dangerous than the last, more painful, and more likely that I would get hurt or murdered by some unknown force or monster lurking around a corner. That the allure of power is never enough, even though I risk leaving my niece and nephew without an uncle to care for them. It would be a horrible ending for me, to die in one of these contracts, but that is only one aspect of all this, my real secrets are just the horrible things I've done in the name of such power. Getting stronger, getting more and more abilities, all for the sake of a little bit extra. All for the sake of killing and murdering more people, monsters, and other things.

Pff, if I did I'd go by Mr. X, nothing too fancy, as for what kind of contracts would I run? I'd try to keep morals out of it too much given I want to stay a good person, but overall I'd want to offer those who came after me contracts that would probe the mind. Something both fun and engaging them on a mental level. At the same time give them the chance and resources to improve in their ways. Whether it be making new friends, defeating the evils of the world, or maybe finding a workaround for the problems that plague our world. Hell...maybe I'd want them to just make an even better world someplace else. After all, if you can't beat them, go someplace they haven't touched yet. 

 

Regardless, if I was a harbinger I'd do all I could to both promote a contractor's interests, as well as a bit of my own, after all- if I'm helping them gain power I'd like a cut of it all too.

If I could bring them back I would, if I survived I'd set up a memorial for them so that everyone could know who they were and what they stood for. Even if they might be an ass hole, you build a bond with the people you see a lot of, for me? I've nearly met someone new on every contract so far, but for taking their items I'd only do that if they didn't come back and it would be better to take it rather than not doing so. After all with the powers we get and the abilities, artifacts, and other things we collect, we get stronger in our own right. But we also have the ability to just attack each other, let others take the fall, or become that much stronger by taking the many things our fellow contractors have. As such it makes trust difficult, but also a priority of who has the biggest guns, and sometimes it's better not to be on someone's bad side if they're holding a mega-buster at your head.

Well, I've never been in trouble with the law, at least enough to warrant needing to 'cover my tracks' so to speak. Honestly how I'd do it is maybe getting rid of the evidence, taking out possible people who might be involved, or at the very least making sure I don't show up on any cameras and feeds, that way I can get what I need to do done and not have to deal with the pesky laws that govern the world. Overall though I try not to kill people if I have too, and as I'm doing more of these I'm seeing a lot more creative solutions to problems that could be fixed by simply working a different angle or not just kicking in the door. I will say that I hope I can get some contacts in the law just to leverage my side of things, the more I gain power in this world the more I'm just happy to be more daring. Which is NOT a great combination to live by.

If its gruesome I'd need to know exactly what it could be, but just off the top of my head, if it's something horrible I may have to do it, especially if it's not for any reason but to cause harm or suffering. Basically, if it's such a horrible thing and they're doing it just for 'fun', yeah I'd be down to call the cops on them. Besides we do contracts for power, not to fuck around and make things insanely more stacked against us, and so if some dumb ass starts ripping the heads off babies and decorating people's homes with them, or wants to force themselves on a series of women before disemboweling them for some sick 'pleasure' they'd get from it all then hell no. He needs to be put down, for good, and I might just get my friends to want to take them down just for being such a horrible piece of shit. 

 

Because that shit hits the news and guess what? It emboldens others, it makes them feel like it's good to hunt people like me down and kill me without a second thought. So if you're knowingly trying to piss off the world I'd be happy to join the world in getting rid of you.

Hm, well I haven't met many if I'll be honest, there's been a few who were cool or nice enough to let me go and do stuff first before kidnapping me. I do enjoy The Tallent, he was obviously the one who introduced me to all this and helped me to get set up in this world, there was another who gave me Macie, my current adopted 'daughter' so to speak. He was all digital and coded, but in a fun computer-style of way, maybe I'll meet them again I hope. 

 

Outside of those I barely meet with any Harbingers, and for those that I do they tend to be pretty plain or just uninteresting, and super invasive. Like- they really enjoy just jumping into your house and causing all manner of horribleness on a whim, but when you have that kind of power most people would probably do the same. 

The only enemy I have is the SOS (Sons of Salem), they don't know about me much, besides what's on the news, but given their MO is to kill and or subjugate all supernatural I think I'd count them as a personal enemy of mine. I've run into them only once so far, had a large fight on one of their compounds and they seemed to be ready for even a surprise attack in the spend of 10 seconds.

If I were to take this at face value I'm pretty sure I'd just treat them as already ready for anything for the sake of it, hit them from the air with as many bombs and munitions I could take, or better yet just develop my powers even more in order to ensure they're wiped off the map in some capacity. But that's wishful thinking, for me honestly, I think the best way to handle them is building public opinion about the supernatural, making them normalized, or you hit that zero-sum level.

 

What do I mean by zero-sum? Well as a famous cartoon once said "If everyone is super, no one is." If we could turn everyone into supernatural to some degree, even if mundane or just them glowing in the dark, people will understand the plight a bit more if bigots want to be dicks to them. If it spreads heavily enough to the population positions will make laws, people will adapt and the world may be a better place. 

 

But between those options turning everyone into supernaturals would be the most difficult, so killing the SOS seems more grounded and hell maybe logical. But if things go south in our world I'd be down to do something else if someone gave me an idea for what could be done. After all they're religious nut bags who had supernaturals but are fine using weapons and what not related to them if it means getting an edge, I'd wager to guess that if we just atomized anyone related to them we could very well just "persuade" less of them to join their ranks. 

Damn, well...the best thing I could say was it was fun while it lasted. I hope I made some impact on the world with all the crap I did, and even if it was just saving a few people, making sure a fire didn't burn down an entire state, helped my daughter Macie leave that horrible realm, or any thing else. I did what I did for the sake of myself, and those who I cared about, so I have no apologies for what happened along the way.

 

I will say though for all my contractor friends who I worked with- I'm glad to have worked with you and kept most of yu alive when things got real. Some of you didn't even need my help and that just means your much better than I am, but in the end if I'm kicking the bucket the only thing I'd ask for if for someone to take care of Macie. Make sure she has a normal life at least, that's all.