(Splitting the baby a bit on the name vote. Will explain why at the end of the post.)
[8] Hotaru (Firefly)[1] Ryusei (Shooting Star)[12] Kosuke (Rising Sun){0} …The Great!
{0} …The Intrepid!
{0} …The Hero!
{1} …The Ingenious Gentleman of Gensokyo!
{1} …the Lunkheaded Fool!!!
{1} …DE LA MANCHA!
{11} …The, uh, ummmm… (MANY UNNECESSARY AND EVER SHIFTING TITLES OF VAGUE HEROISM AND HERALDRY!) (i.e he makes them all up on the fly)
{6} (Maybe I should wait. After all, normally it’s not the hero who comes up with the name, right?)
A name… a fluid thing, in many respects. It’s an old tradition in Japan for warriors to change their names as they grew in experience and status. Some of the most legendary figures in history, such as the three Great Unifiers of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu once had much less renowned names like Kipposhi, Kinoshita and Takechiyo.
Why should any NOBLE KNIGHT not follow in their footsteps? It was beyond time to cast off past titles. You would bear your past name no longer. You are now KOSUKE THE GALLANT, ready to begin your new quest.
You quickly don your HERO’S GARB, its viridian sheen having been your own request. You take a moment to examine yourself in the mirror. It’s only a few minutes more before all of your equipment is ready, even including a simple DAGGER. Of course, a DAGGER on its own isn’t enough to brave the wilds, but a more powerful WEAPON will have to wait for just a bit longer.
And with that, you stride out of your room into the LIVING AREA. You take a moment to examine your home one last time; though you will surely return in short order, this is the first time in a long while you’ll be setting out, alone. A great quest it may be, but-
Oh? There’s a WARRIOR’S KASA you haven’t seen before on the kitchen table. It’s got some quite lovely colours and patterns itself, almost perfectly complementing your HERO’S GARB. Headgear is of course an important part of safe travel, but you were actually planning to use a standard requisition model. Was this left out for you?
You step towards it with anticipation, lifting up the KASA to inspect it. Beneath it, you find a bento box, a few coins, and a note. You recognise the handwriting, of course…
Hotaru,
We’ll be there to see you off, but as you plan to get up early to start making preparations, we thought we’d leave these here for you. I made you some of your favourite snacks for the trip (including some for You-Know-Who); everything else was arranged by your father.
We can’t ever tell you how proud we are of all you’ve done and plan to accomplish. We’ll be rooting for you every step of the way. But make sure to contact us as soon as you can! I’ll be waiting for any piece of news.
With love,
Mom (and Dad.)
…You take a moment to inspect the KASA. In tiny writing, in a place almost nobody would see it if you weren’t looking, you can make out Hotaru in intricate calligraphy.
……………
W-well, you wouldn’t even consider turning down such a heartfelt gift from your closest supporters merely because they used a slightly older name than you currently bore. Besides, it wasn’t like KOSUKE THE GREAT was technically finalized or officialized, after all. And nobody should see it unless they’re looking - you’d never even think of leaving something so precious behind. Trifling matters like names can wait just a bit longer; your quest comes first.
You take a moment to integrate the new gifts. The BOX OF PRECIOUS DELICACIES is carefully stored in your INVENTORY, the KASA is equipped, and the FUNDS pocketed. Now, with nothing left to do at HOME; your final preparations can begin.
Where to start…?
[ ] The ARMORY, where you can acquire a more potent WEAPON. Originally you’d been expecting to requisition something more standard issue, but with your sudden influx of FUNDS you might be able to get something more exotic and powerful.
[ ] The MARKET is an essential stop. You already secured basic provisions, but if you wish to secure a trade route it will be easier to do so with TRADE GOODS in hand. The HAKUREI SHRINE MAIDEN may also respond more positively if you bring a gift as well.
[ ] The SHIPYARD; after all, travelling Gensokyo on foot alone would never be accurate if you intend to forge a path for traders and merchants. You’ve already requisitioned a suitable VESSEL, but you’ve yet to inspect the final result, and with your sudden influx of FUNDS you might be able to request some final attachments or improvements.
Apologies to the Kosuke vote winners. I thought I wouldn’t mind it being similar to Kosuka, but it turned out to bother me immensely. Also not helping matters is that the new digimon game that just came out has its own Kosuke, who is very different again from the NOBLE KNIGHT.
So what I’m going with to best honour the votes without completely messing with my head, is that Kosuke is the name he wants to adopt for himself, and the second place choice Hotaru is his actual birth name. This also means that, for those like >>31885, the barely-above-Moon Moon-tier name is entirely self-inflicted. I hope this works as a nice compromise.
