Common Writer: Episode Two

Episode One: https://pastebin.com/xruy1p6U

>Rushing through the nearly empty halls with Sayori over your shoulder, you reached the classroom that the club was situated in and pushed the door open with your foot.
>The strength of your mighty kick pushed the already slight ajar door toward the wall, causing it to slam with a loud crash. The three girls in the room turned to face you, shocked at both the noise and the sight.
"Hello, ladies. Anyone mind telling me what the fuck is going on?" You say, coming into the room and gently laying your friend across the teacher's desk as the other girls rushed over to her side.
>"What happened to her?" Monika asks, parting Sayori's hair to check her head.
"Well, a giant bird monster attacked us. She put a pen in her belt here, and turned into some kind of weird robot. Then, after the bird chased me, she threw a bottle with this in it." You reach down and pull on your own belt, which undoes itself and comes up with your hand. "I transformed into a robot too, kicked the shit out of the bird, and when I came to her side she was passed out."
>"She... what?" Monika looked worriedly to your belt, then back to Sayori.
>"God damn, she can barely make a bottle of water without passing out and she made him a full on driver that actually works?" Natsuki asked, looking over the desk while Yuri felt for a pulse.
"Driver? She made this? What are you talking about?" You were getting more confused by the minute.
>"She's fine. Steady, she'll probably wake up soon." Yuri looked up from your friend. "Monika, do you want me to explain?"
>"Nah, I got it." She leans back from the desk and onto the whiteboard, looking towards you as Natsuki and Yuri try to wake Sayori. "Well, by now you might've figured out this isn't a regular club."
"Yeah, you got that right." You said, shifting to lean against the whiteboard with her.
>"It was until a few days ago! But then, something happened. See, my dad works for one of the top scientific firms in the city, and they were developing new technology for the military for use in combat."
"Okay."
>"That technology is the Author Driver, or that belt you have. Using it transforms the user into an armored warrior, known as a Common Writer. He planned on having me test it in combat against the monsters due to my athleticism, but some gene I was born with prevents me from actually using them. So he had me ask my trusted friends if they would be willing." She gestured to the rest of the club. "They said yes, so he had them each write a poem which he turned into a specialized Fudeformer for each of them. You saw Sayori's suit already, obviously. Oh, and Fudeformer is the name of the pen that goes in the belt."
"Gotcha. So why did she have a pen for me?"
>"Well, given that you liked the club, I took the poem you made for the second day and had my dad make you one. Then, Sayori begged me to let her give you the pen as a surprise gift, so I let her. You weren't actually supposed to have your Driver yet; that's in my book bag. This early meeting was actually to let you in on the whole thing, so..." She gives some jazz hands. "Surprise! And I guess I should ask if you're alright with suiting up to fight the monsters."
"Uh huh. Well..." You folded your arms across your chest and thought. You did like the club regularly, and you couldn't just let these girls fight monsters alone. Plus, kicking the shit out of that raven was pretty fun. "I guess I'm in. But! I do have a couple more questions!"
>"Shoot!"
"First off, how did you take my poem and make it into anything? It didn't really have anything to do with anything."
>"That's actually what I saw in it! See, everybody else here has a certain style; even me! But you didn't have one, no style, no certain flow or grace at all!"
"Gee, thanks."
>"Oh, I didn't mean it like that, sorry. I meant that you have technical skill there, but you haven't gone any way with it; you could theoretically take your writing in any direction you want, so you can adapt."
"I see. And how did that tie into the name it yelled?"
>"Acclimate?" You give her a questioning look. "Do you really not know what 'acclimate' means? Not trying to be mean, it's just kinda common; it means to adapt to a situation. It's why you can change how things work."
"No, no, I get that. It's just- wait, I can do what?"
>"You can change something's properties in small ways. For instance, making something slightly heavier or lighter! With training, you can make bigger changes, too!"
"That's sick!" She seems pleased with your excitement. "But, the belt didn't say 'Acclimate.' It said 'Acclim.'"
>"Really?" She was taken aback, her face scrunching. "Mind showing me?"
"Sure." Sticking the Driver back on, you flip the Fudeformer between your fingers, and raise it up to click it. "What did she say when she transformed?"
>"Henshin. It means to transform."
"Got it. Hen-!" You look toward your hand and a smirk crosses your face. "Penshin!" Clicking it and sliding it into place at your belt, you simultaneously hear one of your clubmates groan at your pun and the belt announce "A C C L I M!" as the light passes through and over you, leaving you in the jungle green armor.
>"Huh. It did say Acclim. And... Hey, Yuri, Natsuki. Does he look different from your suits or is it just me?" The two at Sayori's side turned to face you.
>"Well, he doesn't have a skirt." Yuri notes.
>"What a shame, he would've looked cute in it!" Natsuki says, snickering. You look down and confirm that there is no skirt surrounding you.
>"No, I meant in like, the face and the book." Monika responds. They look up toward your face.
>"His poem is blank..." Yuri says.
>"Why is his face green? Can we change those?" Natsuki asks.
https://i.imgur.com/S31mmZl.png
>"The poems are supposed to be the ones I gave my dad. And they're supposed to be jet black, I thought." Monika brought a hand to her chin, before having a look of realization. "Anon, could you try holding this cup and changing it? Like, making it blue or something?" She hands you a mug from the teacher's desk.
"Alright. Do I just like, envision it as blue and focus?" You ask, holding it up in front of you in one hand.
>"Should do the trick."
>You do as she says, even going so far as to hold it with both hands and focus on your grip on it. No dice; the cup stays the same "#2 teechur" mug that it was before.
>"Huh. I think that Sayori making the belt for you may have messed with it in some way, since she didn't quite know how it worked other than that it transformed the wearer. You said you fought off the Shashairi after she passed out?"
"Yep. It kinda just burned away after I kicked it pretty hard."
>"I'd say the suit doesn't quite have the powers it's suppose to, but it still enhances your physical strength. Kinda interesting, though not super helpful compared to what you could have."
"Well, that's easy. Just give me the other belt you've got."
>"We could try it, but the Fudeformers usually bind to the belt you use. For instance, Natsuki's wouldn't work in Yuri's Driver. I think that'll be the case here since Sayori knew that, too."
"Damn. Any way to fix it?" You were kind of disappointed; that power seemed sweet.
>"I'd have to get my dad to make you a new pen, which shouldn't be a problem once he gets back, but he left on a trip yesterday and won't be back until next Monday. Until then, you'll just have to deal with only getting super strength." She says playfully, as the salmon one on the desk wakes up groggily, then shoots to a sitting position as she gets a look at you.
>"Woah, Anon! You look sooo cool! Wait, when did we get here?" She asks, seemingly indifferent to being out cold prior.
"It's a long story." You think for a second. "Actually, no it isn't."
>You exit your suit by taking the pen out of your Driver, and alongside your clubmates, sit at the student desks together and relay the story to your formerly unconscious comrade. The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the monster, and any other Shashairis that had sprung up nearby.

>Your school day wasn't too special. You thought about your new responsibilities, but figured that it wouldn't be too rough.
>You also thought about how you could use those powers once you got them! Like, maybe you could make food tastier, or your cellphone's batteries last longer! Truly, limitless possibilities!
>Time in the club was surprisingly normal, with talks of literature and the like. You followed the others lead; maybe it just wasn't time to talk about fighting monsters.
>After time was up, Sayori brought up the idea to go get an after-school meal as a club. It sounded pretty fun, all in all; actually getting further discussion about the monsters, and hanging out with some cute girls in a setting that wasn't just talking about books.
>You were slightly suspicious at your neighbor bringing it up specifically, and thought she might guilt you into paying, but agreed. And thus, the five of you went to a nearby diner, getting a table together and ordering your food.
>Monika played on her phone in between talking, Yuri and Natsuki got in a slightly heated debate about their fighting styles, and sure enough, Sayori had you promise to pay for a shake for her. Great times!
>Suddenly Monika spit out her drink, spilling the water onto the table.
>Turning to the four of you and in a hushed voice, she gulped down what little water remained in her mouth and began to speak.
>"Okay, everyone! There are reports coming in of Shashairi attacks across the city! Looks like there's a concentration of them nearby, and another downtown!"
>"I can get the one downtown!" Natsuki responded. "I'll be able to get there the fastest."
>"Good thinking, but you shouldn't go alone! Take Anon with you, okay?"
>The pink Doki turned and looked you up and down.
>"I can try, sure!"
>"Good! Alright, everybody go hide and transform, I'll take care of the bill! I'll contact you through your suit's communicators!"
>Natsuki, Sayori, and Yuri filed out of the booth and out of the restaurant, with you following closely behind. The group nonchalantly walked behind the diner, out of eyesight of the public.
>Simultaneously, the four of you produced pens. Standing beside Natsuki, you noticed her pose.
>She pointed the pen to the sky with her other hand thrown out behind her, twirled it downwards while clicking it, and with a mighty "Henshin!" she slammed it into it's holster.
>There was a cacophony of belt sounds and henshins, but you made out the one closest to you.
>"E X P R E S S!" It rang out, as the blinding lights of pink, green, blue, and purple engulfed all of you.
>Standing next to you was the short woman, now clad in pink and red armor. The helmet was styled after her hair, as was the case with Sayori prior, with a black visor and pink eyes.
>Her chest plate had a red 'X' across it, with a pink glass heart shining in the center. Her skirt was now metal and grilled, and her shoulders held what seemed to be pipes.
>And at her ankles were what seemed to be wheels, spinning slowly in place. She stepped forward in front of you, and knelt slightly.
https://i.imgur.com/RyPHYQx.png
>"Hop on!" She said, gesturing for you to mount up on her back.
"Uh, really?" You felt oddly flustered; you'd never imagined this tiny person to be the one to give piggyback rides to anyone.
>"Unless you wanna walk to the next fight, yeah, really!" She rolled her shoulders forward, as if to signal you to hurry up.
>And hurry up you did, awkwardly wrapping your legs around her body. After doing so, she brought her arms back around and held onto your back. You brought your arms down and around her chest to stabilize yourself.
>"W-woah, there, loverboy. I know we're in armor but you can't just go and do something like that!" She said, swatting your arm away with one free hand.
"Shit, sorry. Uh, is this fine?" You grabbed onto the pipes on her shoulders.
>"Yeah, that's alright." She sighed. "You ready?"
"I guess." You imagine what comes next; her just running with you on her back, or something. You giggle to yourself as the pipes you're holding onto suddenly shoot out steam.
>Suddenly, you're rocketing forward out of the alleyway, the wheels on Natsuki's boots having popped out to make the equivalent to rollerblades. They were now spinning rapidly, making the Doki and thus, you shoot down the road at blistering speeds.
"Holy shit! This is so cool!" You say over your communicator to your partner.
>"Right? It's probably the coolest ability any of us have! Well, aside from the one you were gonna get." She responds.
"Yeah, mine does sound pretty neat. Say, I got a question, maybe you could answer it."
>"Go for it!" She said, weaving through traffic.
"Why do we all say henshin? Seems kinda weird to announce that."
>"Huh. You know, I'm not sure! Monika taught me that's how it was done, so I guess she did that for the other girls, too. Oh, and don't think no one caught what you said at the meeting this morning!"
"Yeah? Did ya like it?"
>"It was lame as fuck! ...but kinda funny."
"I thought so too!" You laughed, and she did too. Then, another voice.
>"Anon, Natsuki, can you hear me?" Monika asked.
>"Loud and clear!"
"Yep!"
>"Good! Looks like the police scanners are saying there's a mob of Shashairis near the old movie theater!" The president spoke.
>"Got it! We're on the way!" Natsuki responded, taking a sharp turn at the next intersection before rocketing forward.
>As you approached, you saw citizens running away from the commotion, as well as red and blue lights signaling a police blockade around the entrance to the theater. You felt the arms around your back push upward.
"Woah, Natsuki, what are you-"
>"This is our stop!" The arms flung you upwards into the air, and you thought fast.
>Pushing your weight around, you managed a flip before landing in a sort of tripod stance facing the theater, while Natsuki skid up beside you.
"Next time, let me know before you toss me!" You exclaim with a tone of anger, standing up beside her and bringing a finger up to point at her.
>"You were fine, right?" She responded. "Besides, if I did that skidding thing with you on me, I'd probably flip over and we'd both be knocked out before we even got any fighting done!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Your gaze turned to the theater. Scattered around the entrance were several unconscious officers, and inside you could spot a mass writhing.
>Rather, multiple masses. You could hear their demonic chorus, amidst the hee's and hoo's.
>"Are those clowns?"
"It would appear so."
>"I fucking hate clowns."
"Yeah, I never found them very funny either. Looks like we're going to get to beat some up, so that's good, right?" You turn back to your partner, who is patting a large hammer in her hands. "Woah, where the fuck did you get that?"
>"Oh, it folds out from a hidden compartment. You don't have a weapon?"
"I, uh, don't think so." You pat down your legs.
>"Damn. Guess you better get to punching if you wanna beat up some clowns, then!" She charges forward into the theater, and you give pursuit.
>Standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon the mass of jesters, you wonder how to exactly start fighting a group like this, as the group turns to face you.
>"Hoo?" Half of them begin.
>"Hee!" The other half responds, and the crowd descends upon you.
>As well as ascends, because they're bouncing in their weird fuckin' clown shoes.
"Nat? Where do we exactly begin?" You say to your left, staring into the crowd.
>Your questions are answered as several clowns dissipate into the air above the rest of the crowd, and you look toward the source, seeing the pink Writer spinning wildly on her heels and smashing a wide swathe as she goes.
>The crowd distracted by the assault, you decide to launch your own offensive and give a mighty punch to the clown nearest you, striking him square in his dumb rubbery nose.
>Your punch ringing true, the clown vanishes in a cloud of letters. Seems like these guys aren't as tough as that bird on their own.
>Time for the only real way to have fun with clowns!
>Erupting in a whirlwind of blows, you effortlessly defeat your opponents as you fight your way through the bog of bozos.
>And then, you're blindsided, being tossed around like a ragdoll!
>But not by the crowd, no. It seems that your partner accidentally carved her path into your own, and you were now on the business end of her hammer.
>"Fuck, Anon! I'm sorry!" She shouts, slowing down her movement.
"Nah, it's fine! Actually, speed back up, I've got an idea!" If you could see her face through her visor, it would show confusion.
>"Alright!" You shift around on the hammer, and as it reaches high speeds you push yourself off, using the momentum to deliver a clothesline to the rest of the clowns from your position to the concession counter.
>Crashing down behind it, you find some civilians as well as your weaponry. This is an older theater; one with hard plastic trays for the food, and here was a stack of them sitting behind the people.
>The man and woman behind the counter cower as you approach them, shouting.
"Hey, settle down! I'm your friend, I just need to borrow these to beat up these idiots. Is that cool?" You point to the trays.
>"Y-yeah, go for it! Just please, get rid of them!" The man says.
"Already on it!" Grabbing the stack, you hop up onto the counter and take one from the top in your dominant hand.
>Quickly, you take to throwing the trays like frisbees through the crowd, taking out line after line until none remain while Natsuki continues to mop up the rest. You stand with your hands on your hips, watching the pink blur work.
>And then, it happens, as it usually does when clowns are involved.
>Blindsided with a giant custard pie, Natsuki is buried underneath. You look toward the cause, and see a giant jester moseying in your direction with another pie in hand.
>Looks like he's the last one, too. Time to end this!
>You brace yourself as he arcs back, and as he throws, you launch off of the glass countertop toward him, your feet breaking them as you jump.
>A flip in the air and a foot forward, you shatter the pie into a fine mist of crust crumbs and custard. Your assault unrelenting, you continue forward through the air and your foot connects with the large rubber nose.
>A comical squeak echoes as your foot pierces the ball, and the clown explodes into an alphabet breeze.
>You land behind where the clown was, and turn back to your partner's position, where the pie is shifting. Rushing over, you pull her out of the mess and help her to her feet, propping her up with her arm around your shoulder. She looks up to you.
>"Anon?" She asks.
"Yeah?"
>"That was fucking stupid."
"Yeah. But we got it done!"
>"I guess so. Hey, think fast!" She swipes her gooey hand over your visor, blocking your vision with custard.
"Hey, cut it out!" You say through laughter, returning the favor.
>"Um, excuse me." A womanly voice says. You wipe your visor off with your clean arm, looking towards it. It's the woman from behind the counter!
>"My husband and I just wanted to thank you two for saving our business. We don't have much, but we'd like to give you these." She presented two cards, with 'unlimited pass' on them.
"Oh, thanks!" You took them and handed one to Natsuki, then returned your gaze to the woman and saw the shattered glass behind her. "Uh, sorry about the counter."
>"Don't worry about it. It could've been a lot worse if those monsters kept up the way they were." She smiled sweetly. "It makes me feel safe, knowing that such a perfect pair is protecting the town!"
"Aw, shucks, it was nothing." You say, smiling to yourself and putting your hands on your belt.
>"Y-yeah, nothing. Anyways, we should probably get back to the group, An-Acclim!" Natsuki says, stashing her card away in the folds of her Driver and moving into position.
"Huh? Oh, right! They're probably wondering how it went, or they might need help!" You hop onto her back. "Thanks again for the cards! Catch ya around!"
>The couple wave to you as you and Natsuki rush off through the door of the theater, and back towards the others.

Episode Three: https://pastebin.com/P76F8PGY