#☆ trying to find the missing piece. ☆ ⸻ ic : nagisa

[requiemofrebellion]

@multianime - starter

A soft sigh left the blue haired male as he slowly stood up from the ground. His body was a bit sore from the training he was trying to do on his own before he had to reluctantly go home. Nagisa gathered up his things around the forest before heading out and back towards the class E building. He was sure a lot of the students had gone home by now. He wondered if the teachers even went home, knowing Koro-sensei though he was probably off across the planet to attend something. So, Nagisa didn’t think there was much use to check inside the building to say his final goodbyes until he saw them tomorrow. So, he turned away from the building, ready to head out towards the main campus when his eyes laid on a familiar redhead. 

“ Karma? ” At first it was a question, before a smile formed on his lips and he started up a walk to get closer to his friend. “ Hey, Karma. I didn’t think you’d still be around after school, what are you doing? ”

[muthaz-rapapa]

Idol Precure Series: A Gratuitous Costume Parade

Because that is literally what this is. An excuse to dress everyone up in cute clothes. 

Not complaining, though. The girls look fabulous~

Anyways, y’all aware they were grouped together because of what their civilian identities have in common, right?

Well, that’s how I see it so I typed this up so I can use it for reference later.

Initially, it was just a companion (?) piece to this StarPre prediction post (therefore, the StarPre girls haven’t been included yet so go check out that post until they are) but now I’ll come back to edit/update it again when more new stuff is released or I find better quality pictures.

I also have some ideas for possible new groups if they ever add or mix-and-switch the current ones but that’ll be on another post altogether to avoid confusing myself, ahaha~

Anata no kokoro o mitoshi-tai (Team “I see through your heart”)

Members: Yukishiro Honoka, Hanasaki Tsubomi, Tsukikage Yuri, Shirabe Ako, Yakushiji Saaya

At a glance, it seems like they put all the smart ones together but it’s really because these girls all wear glasses.

Yep, the meganekko group.

I mean, they are smart but the key point here is clearly the glasses. Which is a tad bit of a shame because I feel like that (moe aspect) takes away from recognizing them for their intelligence first.

On another note, interestingly enough, I believe there’s a play on words with their unit name. If you say it out loud without knowing the context, it really sounds like “I want to look into your heart”. Can someone confirm this? My amateur Japanese isn’t enough to explain it eloquently.

Others who can fit into this group: Hishikawa Rikka

Bunbu Ranbu (”Martial Dance”)

Members: Myoudouin Itsuki, Aoki Reika, Yotsuba Alice, Hikawa Iona

Martial arts practitioners.

Also, I’m pretty sure Reika knows some kendo along with kyūdō since we’ve seen her wielding a giant ice sword as Cure Beauty multiple times throughout the franchise. We just didn’t see her do it in civilian form. Hmm. :/

Others who can fit into this group: ...

Eternal Moment

Members: Higashi Setsuna (Eas), Akagi Towa (Twilight)

Former villainesses who turned good and became a main heroine.

I’m so glad they didn’t forget about their evil alter-egos cuz Eas and Twilight (or perhaps just Twilight) can be considered separate characters in their own rights so it’s nice to see them show up in advertisement again every once in a while.

Hmmm, their name though... it looks like this unit might only be intended for two people (”Eternal” for Towa and “Moment” for “Setsuna”).

That is, unless they add onto it like HNMH (see below) if they plan to include more girls into this category. If so, then...

Others who can fit into this group: Kurokawa Ellen, Lulu Amour

Mystic Diva

Members: Kurokawa Ellen, Kenzaki Makoto

Haresora Concerto (”Clear Sky Concerto”)

Members: Minazuki Karen, Hojo Hibiki

Haresora Concerto with Mystic Diva (collab?)

Additional members: Tategami Aoi

Girls with strong affiliation to music...I think?

We saw Karen playing the violin in Yes!5 Precure’s OP and her parents are famous musicians themselves (just like Hibiki’s) but I can’t recall if she ever played any instrument during any particular episode in Yes! 5 or Gogo(?). Anyways...

Mystic Diva contains those who are renowned singers from another world (I don’t think Ellen sang much after she sorta permanently remained in human form but as Siren, she was one of the top contenders next to Hummy to sing the Melody of Happiness so there’s that).

Haresora Concerto obviously are for those who practice classical instruments.

Finally, the collaboration...is it a collaboration or did they really merge the two units together? If not, then Aoi will still need to be assigned to a group and if we’re going by the above criteria, she doesn’t fit into either one (Mystic Diva isn’t really her style anyway and she’s long given up the violin to play the guitar).

Maybe they’ll come up with another unit specifically focused on the rock genre in the future cuz we have Emiru and Lulu now so that’ll be enough to start one.

Others who can fit into Mystic Diva: Lulu Amour (+ guitar) [??]

Granted, Lulu didn’t sing before she arrived in present day Hugtto but she did say she’s going to bring music back to the future so...why not count that and the future as “another world”, hmm?

Others who can fit into Haresora Concerto: Yotsuba Alice (piano), Haruno Haruka (violin), Akagi Towa (violin), Kaidou Minami (violin) [??]

I don’t really associate Minami with music even though she is skilled at playing the violin. It’s just that compared to Towa and Haruka where the violin played a significant part in their story arcs, Minami and the violin is more secondary (pfft, not even) to her connection with the sea. But then again...Karen is in this group so I dunno :S

Did I forget anyone else who plays a classical instrument? I feel like I’m missing someone...

Others who can join the collab: Everyone listed above + Kasugano Urara (singing), Aisaki Emiru (singing, piano, violin and guitar)

Haruka Nozomu Mirai no Hana (”Wishing for the Flower of the Far Off Future”)

Members: Yumehara Nozomi, Haruno Haruka, Asahina Mirai, Nono Hana

The dream chasers.

And by far, the unit I find the most aesthetically pleasing. ^^

Also, I feel like some people would try to argue that Mirai “didn’t have a goal and therefore, she doesn’t belong in this group” so as she is my beloved daughter, I need to make them eat the dirt of their WRONGNESS.

Because MahoPre’s epilogue obviously showed her trying to find a way to reunite with Riko and Ha-chan, aka bring their two worlds together again, so that definitely counts as her dream (not to mention, the most ambitious one out of everybody else’s in this group). Furthermore, if you actually watched MahoPre more closely, you would know her dream of the two worlds coming together came to her gradually rather than happening at a particular moment and was solidified after she had to separate from her team after the Big Boss fight in the finale.

And you know what? Her wish was fulfilled in the end so y’all can suck it. :P

Others who can fit into this group: ...

Home Maid

Members: Kujo Hikari, Minamino Kanade, Madoka Aguri, Omori Yuko, Usami Ichika, Arisugawa Himari

Cooking or maybe, more accurately, sweets enthusiasts? *makes side eye at Aguri*

Well, besides that, they also either helped out at a restaurant or provided a service that had something to do with food (tea ceremony in Aguri’s case).

Hence, the “maid” part, I guess...

...but if so, then this is a poster for a maid cafe, not an idol unit! :P

Others who can fit into this group: Hyuuga Saki (family runs a bakery) [?], Akimoto Komachi (family runs a Japanese confectionery shop) [?], Hino Akane (family runs an okonomiyaki restaurant) [?], Haruno Haruka (family runs a Japanese confectionery restaurant) [?], Kotozume Yukari (learned from her grandmother how to perform tea ceremonies) [?], Kirahoshi Ciel (owns her own sweets restaurant), Nono Hana (grandparents ran a Japanese confectionery shop)

With the exception of Ciel, a lot of “?” cases here because similar to the Karen/Minami in Haresora Concerto, their main interests don’t particularly lie in cuisine and most of them never stated any intention of carrying on their family business. So it’s really up to whether you want them in this unit or not. Personally, I think Home Maid has enough members already so...

Oh and Hana was crossed off the list since she became the president of her own company at the end of Hugtto.

M.V.P.

Members: Misumi Nagisa, Hyuuga Saki, Natsuki Rin, Hino Akane, Midorikawa Nao

This one’s self-explanatory. Athletes. Sporty types.

Not much else to say.

Others who can fit into this group: Hojo Hibiki, Kagayaki Homare (?)

Yes, while Homare does participate in a sport, singles figure skating is mostly an individual event so the MVP title can’t really be applied to her. I guess that was the reasoning behind why she wasn’t placed in this group even though that’s what she’s most known for.

Osha-Revolution

Members: Kurumi Erika, Shirayuki Hime, Kagayaki Homare

The fashionistas!

This is my most favorite idol unit name out of all the others not only because it sounds like the most cleverly thought out but also because just hearing the word “revolution” gets the legendary Utena Revolution OP playing in my head again. *jams to the beat*

Thankfully, it’s got no connection to this idol series cuz *GAAASP*......*whispers* no.

Anyways, I’m glad it’s universally agreed upon that Erika and Hime would get along like five runways crisscrossing simultaneously at Fashion Week. Adding Homare to this lineup is appropriate because she’s always being complimented for dressing so stylishly.

Also, having someone as tall as her stand in between Erika and Hime like a giraffe hanging between two Hyacinth Macaws, lol is really...picture perfect.

Others who can fit into this group: ...

Secret Lives

Members: Mimino Kurumi, Hanami Kotoha, Kirahoshi Ciel

Mascots who can transform and became one of the main heroines in their respective seasons.

I like their aesthetic, too. Even though they give off cute vibes as much as any of the other idol groups, there’s still a “mystery” air about them.

Others who can fit into this group: Kurokawa Ellen (?)

Ermmm...Ellen was a mascot but she wasn’t aligned with the good side in the beginning. And after she became a Cure, she didn’t revert back to cat form again... *shrug*

Soushi⇄Souai (”Mutual Love with Creativity”)

Members: Mishou Mai, Akimoto Komachi, Hoshizora Miyuki, Kise Yayoi

Those whose strongest weapon is the pen (or brush) in their hand. Or something like that? I was trying to go for something more artful but I guess not. :P

This group’s name gave me a little trouble in translating but I think what I settled for in the end gets the idea across well enough. They love creating so much that they’ll be rewarded in kind with lots of inspiration.

...which sounds a bit unfair for everyone else suffering creative blocks but okay.

Others who can fit into this group: Nono Hana

Triple Heart

Members: Momozono Love, Aida Mana, Aino Megumi

The love-obsessed.

Not much else to say here either.

Others who can fit into this group: ...

Up to Me

Members: Aono Miki, Izayoi Riko, Kotozume Yukari

The Ladies.

At least that’s what I like to think them as. “Up to Me” gives off the impression of a very decisive person. Along with how mature they act, these girls fit that description to their own special degrees.

Like, Miki is very focused on her modeling career and confident she’ll go far, Riko has good work ethic and always aims for her goals and Yukari is, well, good at almost everything and is also a very “my pace” kind of woman.

...they all have purple hair, too, so I’m wondering if that’s another prerequisite for being added to this unit.

Others who can fit into this group: Tsukikage Yuri, Kenzaki Makoto (?)

Yuri would fit in no problem but Makoto I’m still teetering back and forth on...

Urara*Kirara

Members: Kasugano Urara, Amanogawa Kirara

Ra♪Raa♪Raaa♪Raaaa♪Raaaaa♪ Suīto Suīto Puri-Kyu=AH♪

Girls who aspire for the stage (acting and signing for Urara and modeling for Kirara) and have “-rara” in their names.

If that’s the case here, guess this is another unit meant for anyone who fits those limited criteria. Otherwise...

Others who can fit into this group: Aono Miki (modeling), Kenzaki Makoto (singing)

White Coat Angels

Members: Yamabuki Inori, Hishikawa Rikka, Kaidou Minami, Kenjou Akira

Those with a future in medicine.

But Minami...hmm, well, though it was never clearly stated what her profession was (I don’t think?) when she grew up, she could’ve gone on to become a wildlife veterinarian after she achieved her degree in marine biology so yea, she counts.

Others who can fit into this group: Minazuki Karen, Yakushiji Saaya

Exclusive??

Kiratto! Open to All

Members: Kira Kira Precure a la Mode

Twin Love

Members: Aisaki Emiru, Lulu Amour

Pretty damn sure the first one was made specially just for KiraPre. No other girls sport blatant animal imagery on them. Plus, there’s no point in including anymore members than how many this group already has.

As for Twin Love, it’s a canon idol pair unit in Hugtto. Adding anyone else in it would not make it “Twin” Love anymore.

So that leaves the question of where Emiru and Lulu will go in the next series, I guess. Though I’m sure they’ll stick together wherever they’re assigned.

Side B

Royal Road

Members: Kokoda Koji (Coco), Natts, Ouji Masamune, Prince Kanata

Fairy Five

Members: Amai Shiro (Syrup), Pop, Raquel, Lance, Aroma

Did anyone else think that “Side B” also stood for “Side Boys” before Dark Party was released? (And yes, I know what a B-side track is so you don’t have to tell me)

Anyways, Royal Road is obviously for the prince characters (though I don’t think they really needed to add Ouji-senpai since he’s just a minor recurring character, not supporting but whatever) and Fairy Five is for the younger male mascots who can transform.

Others who can fit into Royal Road: Prince Zeke, Wakamiya Henri, Aisaki Masato (?)

If Dark Dream can join an idol unit despite being a movie-only character, then I don’t see why they can’t integrate Prince Zeke into this unit as well. All that matters is how popular or memorable he was in HaCha’s movie because everyone who was picked out for Side B had to have had an impact on the audience one way or another. But at least Zeke makes more sense than Ouji-senpai.

Henri needs no explanation as he is the “Prince of the Ice” but if you want a prince to accompany his occasional “princess” role, including Masato wouldn’t be a bad idea. Though I still think Masato’s more of a knight than a prince.

Others who can fit into Fairy Five: Kuroro (?)

Granted, Kuroro only got a human form by combining powers with Lock in the final battle of Go!Pri and hasn’t technically earned it yet since he only begun fairy training when the season ended...but if he can, why not?

The Enemy Boys

Members: Irisawa Kiriya, Luntarou (Wolfrun), Kurosu (Close), Rio (Julio/Pikario)

Off-White

Members: Soular, Westar, Phantom, Shut

“The Enemy Boys” ...more like “School Infiltrators” since they were the few among villains to pose as students in order to get closer to the Cures.

Off-White consists of bishounen villains who eventually came around to understanding and siding with the good side. Which explains the “off white” part, I guess, since it wasn’t an immediate reform for them but a more gradual one that needed a lot of persuasion and thinking.

Others who can fit into The Enemy Boys: ...

Others who can fit into Off-White: Charaleet

Precure Legendary Heroes

Members: Cure Fire (Ban Kenji), Cure Sebastian (Sebastian)

Dark Party

Members: Dark Dream, Dark Precure, Regina, Bibury Vibry

Legendary Heroes is clearly a parody of the Precure franchise itself but since we already grew out of those jokes thanks to Hugtto, I’m hoping I won’t see any updates for this group ever again. And I will be absolutely livid if they dare to put Cure Infini in this unit because that is not funny.

Dark Party needs no extensive explanation as they were former nemesis/rivals to the Cures who never really got a “good” form even after their Heel-Face Turn (Dark Precure didn’t even get one of these). Which is fine because that’s essentially their charm. What makes dark magical girls so appealing is how awesome they are even when they’re “evil”.

Also gotta love the gothic lolita clothes that a number of them usually wear. If they didn’t keep Side B separate from Side A, I totally would’ve liked to put Eas and Twilight in this group as well.

Others who can fit into Dark Party: ...

List of updates under the cut...

[1/29/19] - Post published.

TBA

TBA

[randomactuallywrites-57]

Enthralled

Title: Enthralled Author: RandomWriter57 Rating: G ,Word Count: 7,318 Event + Prompt: @reigisaweek day seven: Free! Pairings: reigisa Summary: Ice skating never interested Rei before now. Before he found Nagisa.

Notes: This is my last reigisa week piece for this year! It's a little sad that the fandom is so quiet now, so we haven't had as much content, but it's really nice to have seen a bit more reigisa than usual this week! This piece is an ice skating AU! Disclaimer: I'm not a professional skater, so whilst I've tried to do my research and keep this as realistic as possible, please bear with me. I'll be happy to explain any terms you don't understand either in the comments or on any of my social media (links in the end notes as usual). Thanks for reading and sticking with me! Have a great day/night.

Also on: AO3

Every movement draws him further in. From the moment the video begins, Rei can’t look away. He’s too busy watching a story unfold before his eyes, told not through words but through actions. A toe caressing the ice. A hand falling through the air. An acceleration. A push. A body, spiralling.

Ice skating never interested Rei before now. He hadn’t spent time looking for it, and so didn’t think much of it. His heart lay with ballet, the sport of his choice. But the moment he opened that video, sent to him by a friend who was more interested in the sport, he fell in love. How could he not? It was ballet, but on ice. Graceful, elegant, beautiful. Everything that Rei loved.

The ice skater is not one he would have expected to like. He is young and boisterous-looking. Had they crossed paths in the street, Rei would not have taken any notice of him. Even his song choice matches what Rei assumes his personality must be - fun-loving and carefree. But somehow his movements are beautiful. The grace with which he lands from a jump, the speed of his spins. Everything about him is intriguing and entrancing.

Rei falls for him.

Once he finishes his first video, nothing can stop him from binging as many ice skating videos as he can find. Most of them are world-class skaters from different countries, especially Olympians. But time and time again, he comes back to the blond-haired skater he began with. He is certainly not perfect, not compared to the other skaters he watches. But this skater is beautiful regardless. Like a firework, he bursts into colour on the ice, every aspect of his performance alight and alive. What Rei would give to be able to see him live one day.

The opportunity comes a lot sooner than Rei expects it to.

His friend who sent him the video, Tachibana Makoto, buys him a ticket as an early birthday present.

“I’m going along too, of course,” he says. “I’d never miss a performance by Nanase Haruka.”

Rei understands why his friend is enamoured with Nanase. He’s cool and collected, flowing like a river across the ice. He is the most famous of the ice skaters performing at this particular competition. But it’s not Nanase that Rei is going to see. The skater Rei loves is performing there too.

By the time the day arrives, Rei feels he has educated himself enough on ice skating to be able to maximise his understanding and enjoyment of the event. Not only that, but he has also researched the skaters. The context isn’t necessary to enjoying their performances, but it gives Rei an excuse to look into his favourite skater’s background.

Hazuki Nagisa is a few months older than Rei and has been skating since he was eight years old, according to the JSF website. This is his third time competing in a regional competition. His goal is to aim for the Grand Prix Final, the most illustrious of the ISF figure skating events. This season, his theme is ‘happiness’. Such a broad and vague theme, and yet it seems to define everything Rei has seen him skate through online videos.

The moment Hazuki steps on the ice, Rei can feel his heart stop. Since it’s the short warm-up, he isn’t there for very long, and sometimes the other skaters get in the way, but most of the time, Rei gets a good view of him. His face doesn’t look as relaxed and carefree when he’s warming up. Maybe it’s because he’s concentrating on his programme, on the only jump he practises, which he lands without fail. Even so, his concentrating face is intriguing. Rei wants to know more of this skater’s serious side.

There are a few skaters before Hazuki. Of course, they’re all brilliant and Rei enjoys watching them. Nanase Haruka in particular is a crowd-pleaser. Beside him, Makoto looks like he might explode with excitement watching Nanase land a quad lutz. And it is amazing, Rei can admit. But it’s only when Hazuki’s turn arrives that his excitement blooms in his chest, his heart hammering.

On the ice, Hazuki does a quick lap to warm up. He waves at the crowd, and for a second, Rei swears he looks at him and smiles. But the moment passes, and Rei puts it down to coincidence. There’s no way that out of the whole crowd, Hazuki would pick one person to smile at. And in the case that he did, it’s unlikely he would choose Rei in particular.

The light catches the sequins on his costume in a stunning show of colour. It’s the waistcoat - gold and eye-catching, a bold choice for a bold skater. His shirt underneath is plain white, but it compliments the look perfectly. Hazuki looks as though he is glowing.

The music begins and he starts to skate. The piece is lively, paired with goofy facial expressions and slapstick dance moves, which merge seamlessly into awe-inspiring jumps. This boy manages to bring the arena to life. Everyone is clapping and cheering along. Even Rei feels like standing and cheering for him.

It is only halfway through the programme when Hazuki attempts his only quad jump, a quad toe loop. For a moment, when he’s in the air, it looks perfect. Then he mis-steps on the landing and falls, his hand stretching to catch himself on the ice. A half-second passes in which his face falls from its cheery facade into a grimace of pain. The moment passes, and he is skating once again, his grin returned to his face, though in a more forced manner. After that point, Rei notices he flourishes his hand less. He’s more careful with its movements.

Something cold runs down Rei’s spine, and he clutches the bouquet he brought to throw to Hazuki after the end of his performance more tightly. So much so that he doesn’t notice when the programme ends, and Hazuki has already left the ice by the time he returns to reality.

“I hope he’s okay,” Makoto muses. “That fall looked pretty painful, don’t you think- Rei?”

Rei is standing. He doesn’t know when he stood up. “I need to go.”

“At least wait until the end of the short programmes,” Makoto says, grabbing his wrist. “There are only a couple more skaters to go. Besides, you can’t just go and see someone you’ve never met, at least not until his hand’s been looked at.”

Begrudgingly, Rei returns to his seat.

The last couple of skaters could not have skated more slowly, in Rei’s opinion. But that’s his impatience showing, he knows this. The moment the final scores have been announced (Hazuki is in third place, but not here to celebrate it), Rei stands and heads for the steps leading out of the seating area. Makoto follows him hurriedly, grappling with his jacket as he walks.

It occurs to Rei when they leave the rink area that he doesn’t know where Hazuki might be. He finds a passing stranger and walks up to them.

“Excuse me, do you know where the infirmary is?”

The stranger turns around, looking blankly at him with intense blue eyes. It dawns on Rei a moment later that he accidentally asked skating star Nanase Haruka for directions.

Those blue eyes drift away from his, latching onto those of his friend for a second before returning to him. “Downstairs. There are signs.”

“Thank you very much,” Rei says, bowing. He moves out of the way, feeling kind of guilty for bugging the gold-medal winner of the competition.

But before he can walk away, he hears Makoto speak.

“Congratulations,” he says. “Your skate was incredible, Nanase-san.”

“Thanks,” Nanase says coolly.

“I’m a big fan of your skating.”

“Really?”

Rei shoots Makoto an apologetic look and heads in the direction of the stairs, leaving his friend to chat with the current holder of first-place, Nanase Haruka.

Luckily, Nanase’s directions were not wrong. Rei finds himself standing in front of the infirmary not two minutes later, the bouquet still clasped between tension-white fingers. He takes a deep breath, then knocks in three equal measures on the door.

A nurse opens the door. “Hello? Is something wrong?”

“I was wondering if Hazuki Nagisa is here,” Rei says, trying to keep his voice steady. His palms are a little sweaty. He wipes them on his trousers.

“Yes, he is. Are you here to visit him?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll let him know he has a visitor.” The nurse smiles before heading back into the room, closing the door behind her.

Rei tries to calm his erratic heart rate. This is nothing to be nervous about. He’s only visiting a figure skater, a few months older than him. It’s not as though this is a job interview or something. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine.

The door opens again. “Come on in.”

Shit, this is not fine.

Entering after the nurse, Rei finds himself in the infirmary. It’s much smaller than he would have expected it to be, especially considering they’re in a place where injuries must be commonplace. There is only one bed and a couple of chairs. The bed, closer to the edge of the room, is occupied by a blond-haired boy with his arm in a sling.

“Hazuki-san, this is your visitor.”

Hazuki looks up at him, his burgundy eyes wide with surprise. Then he grins. “Hi! I wasn’t expecting any visitors, this is a surprise!”

“I-I’m sorry if I’m intruding,” Rei says, internally cursing himself for stuttering.

“No, no, it’s fine! I’m flattered that you would want to visit me. Especially after I messed up my jump like that.” Hazuki lifts his right arm, as though to scratch the back of his head, then stops, flinching in pain. The arm returns to its resting position in the sling.

“No, your performance was incredible,” Rei says. “How you were able to get up and keep skating after that, I have no idea. It was amazing.”

“Aw, thank you!” Hazuki beams. “I couldn’t give up on my skate, even if I’d hurt myself, so I’m glad it wasn’t for nothing. Too bad I won’t be able to compete in the free skate.” He looks down for a second, then returns to smiling at him. “Anyway, what’s your name?”

“Ryugazaki Rei,” he says. “These are for you, by the way.”

Hazuki gasps and takes the proffered bouquet from him with his good arm. “Thank you so much, Ryugazaki Rei-chan!”

Rei blushes a little at the familiarity of his honorifics, but doesn’t complain. How can he, to a celebrity? “Watching you skate has given me a lot of joy over the past few weeks, ever since I got interested in figure skating. I wanted to give you something to show my appreciation.”

“You’re interested in skating?” Hazuki says. “Watching it or actually doing it?”

“I’ve never skated in my life,” Rei admits, “so probably just watching. I do ballet, anyway…”

“You do ballet? That’s amazing! I’m sure you look beautiful when you dance, Rei-chan.”

The compliment makes Rei’s heart stop again, and he isn’t sure he can recover this time. He got complimented by Hazuki Nagisa. “N-no, I’m not that good,” he says, looking away and scratching the back of his neck.

“Aw, you’re just saying that,” Hazuki says with a laugh. “I’d love to see you dance sometime, Rei-chan. And if you like ballet, then you should give skating a try someday. I’m sure you’d be good!”

“Th-thank you.”

The nurse reappears. “Hazuki-san, we have the results of your x-ray.”

“Okay, thanks!” Hazuki says, then turns back to Rei.

Rei gets the message before Nagisa speaks it. “I should probably get going.”

He can’t tell if it’s his imagination or not, but Nagisa looks a little disappointed. “It was nice meeting you, Rei-chan. I hope we’ll meet again someday!”

“Me too,” Rei says, then bows his head. “Thank you. Please get well soon.”

The moment he gets out of the infirmary, he leans against the wall with a hand against his chest. His heart is pounding so quickly it feels like he might be back in the infirmary in a minute. He just met Hazuki Nagisa. Hazuki Nagisa complimented him. It feels like it must be a dream.

If it is a dream, Rei hopes it never ends. With a smile on his face, he heads back towards the stairs, part of him aching for the first time in his life to put on a pair of skates and hit the ice.

Never in Nagisa’s life did he expect someone to take over his life as quickly as Ryugazaki Rei does.

He’s been inspired by people before. The entire reason he decided not to quit skating after his disastrous first lesson is because Haru inspired him to keep going. All of his programmes are inspired by the fond memories he has with his friends. He’s spent his whole life surrounded by people.

But Ryugazaki Rei is different. Maybe the glimpse he catches of him in the crowd as he prepares for his short programme is the beginning of it. Ever since that glimpse, Nagisa has felt his eyes constantly drawn towards the man with blue hair and red glasses. The last thing he sees before he enters his quad toe loop is the light reflecting from those glasses. Even after he gets back up from his fall, hand hurting more than he knows is healthy, he finds himself looking over to where he sits in the stands. As though this time, he is skating to impress that stranger in particular.

As soon as his skate ends and he gets his score at the kiss and cry, he is ushered by his coach and Haru to the infirmary. Before they leave the arena, he looks back, trying to find that blue hair in the crowd. But he can’t see him.

Ryugazaki Rei is on his mind even as he gets his x-ray done, even as the nurse puts his arm in a sling to keep it elevated. The pain is starting to get to him, now, but thinking of Rei distracts him enough to numb it. That isn’t to say he’s not relieved when the nurse gives him pain medication, of course.

Then, as though it’s fate, the nurse tells him he has a visitor. Rather than another skater or a reporter, it’s Ryugazaki Rei himself, clutching a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

Their meeting is brief, but Nagisa can’t stop thinking about it after Rei leaves. Everything about it screams ‘fate’ at him. Maybe he should make that his programme theme next season. Fate. It has to be fate. Rei is the one he’s had his eye on all day, not to mention the fact that they both have girlish names. And he dances ballet, too! Oh, it has to have been fate. He hopes it is. That way, there’s more chance of them meeting again.

A few minutes later, Haru returns to see how he is. He catches Nagisa in the middle of taking a selfie, the bouquet of flowers balanced precariously on his slinged-up arm. He takes a shot. Deeming it acceptable, he flicks through the filters with one hand.

“Flowers?” Haru says in place of a greeting.

“Yeah, a guy called Ryugazaki Rei-chan gave them to me a few minutes ago.” Nagisa selects a filter which brings out the vibrancy of the flowers and his eyes, then starts typing a caption, each character taking an age to select. “How do you think that’s spelt? ‘Rei’.”

Haru shrugs. He’s never cared much about language or literature. If only Nagisa had thought to ask Rei which kanji his name uses.

“I could leave his name out,” Nagisa says, “but I want to mention him! We have to meet again, it’s fate!”

“Is that the guy you were staring at during your programme?”

“I wasn’t staring at him!”

Haru gives him a look which suggests otherwise.

“Okay, maybe a little. But how could I not? You must have seen him, Haru-chan, he’s gorgeous.” Nagisa goes on to gush about Rei; about his looks and his disposition, how cute his nerves were when Nagisa felt jittery seeing him walk into the room. In particular, he goes on at length about the fact that Rei dances ballet, and how that would make him perfect for figure skating, if he ever wanted to take it up.

“You really like this guy,” Haru observes when Nagisa pauses for breath.

Nagisa feels warmth rise to his cheeks and looks down at the flowers in his arms. “Yeah, I do.”

The picture, as usual, gets a substantial amount of likes as soon as he posts it on instagram. Since he doesn’t know the kanji for Rei’s name, he types the caption in English. He’s not quite an international figure skater yet, seeing as how he hasn’t been able to surpass Nationals so far - and it seems, once again, this isn’t the year in which he’ll qualify for the Grand Prix series. But at least using English might make him seem more accessible to international fans. Not only that, but it also makes it a lot easier to spell Rei’s name, using romanji.

He wonders if Rei has an instagram account. Rei doesn’t seem like the type of person to use social media much, but then again, how else would he have come across Nagisa’s skating before? He said he watched videos online, but he must have come across it on social media. He might not have instagram - but what about twitter? Nagisa hopes, if he does have an account, Rei will reach out to him at some point. Hopefully soon. Nagisa wasn’t lying to Rei when he said he wishes they can meet again someday.

Damn, he wants to skate. It’s too bad he can’t compete tomorrow. Getting injured was his own fault, of course, but he wishes it could have happened tomorrow, in his free programme when he doesn’t have another competition for a while afterwards. That would have given it time to heal. And considering his score today, he might have been able to reach the podium, this time.

Next time. In the next competition, he is going to give it his all. He is going to keep this motivation, given to him so kindly by Ryugazaki Rei, and he’s going to repay him with a beautiful performance. He wants to polish off his quad toe loop by that point, too. He feels the urge to improve, to practice, to come up with an even better programme.

“Don’t overwork yourself,” Haru says when Nagisa expresses this to him. “You need to rest.”

Resting has always been difficult for Nagisa, though. He’s always been a restless person. Always on the go, wanting to move. Skating is perfect for him, in that sense. You can’t stand still on the ice and expect a perfect score. Not that stillness can’t be used to your advantage, of course. But what pleases the crowd is the speed of your skating, the height of your jumps. And that’s Nagisa’s favourite thing about skating. The constant movement. Always having something to do, somewhere to be.

Whilst his wrist is injured, he is forbidden from skating. It pains him, watching his friends glide across the ice and not being there with them. Seeing their scores climb the leader-board, watching his own fall, marked in grey to signify his being out of the running due to injury. Even when Haru wins, the gold medal gleaming against his chest, Nagisa can’t feel fully happy for him.

A week or so after his injury, Nagisa skates. He has to take it easy and not use his arms, because of his injury. But he skates regardless. Glides along the ice without direction, practises his step sequences. No spins or jumps. That doesn’t mean he can’t practice anything, though. He needs to stay close to the ice, or else he’ll fall out of practice, fall behind.

He glides to the edge of the rink for a drink, stopping beside where Haru is standing. For once, Haru is using his phone, texting someone.

“Who are you messaging?” Nagisa asks before taking a swig of his water.

“No one,” Haru replies, closing his phone. “Just taking a break.”

Nagisa knows Haru is lying, but he doesn’t get the chance to press him for answers. He skates away to practice as soon as Nagisa goes to speak.

Frowning, Nagisa looks at his own phone, devoid of messages. He wishes he had asked for Rei’s number. That way, he could have been much further into a friendship with Rei at this point. Maybe he could have convinced Rei to take up skating. Somehow, he finds himself navigating to his instagram account, finding the selfie with the bouquet. Four hundred likes, and he has no idea if any of them could be Rei. The comments don’t give any explanation either.

One clue. One indication. One way of contacting him. That’s all he’s asking for. All he wants to do is talk to Rei, get to know him. If fate would grant him this one wish, he’d ask for nothing more. He can’t let this person slip through his fingers.

Renewed with energy, Nagisa slips his phone back into his pocket and returns to practice, launching straight into a step sequence.

When Rei first decided he wanted to learn to skate, he understood the implications of such a venture. He is an adult, after all, already in university. He knows that ice skating lessons are not targeted at people in his age group. The fact that he’s able to find adult skating classes at all feels like a miracle.

Still, as glad as he is not to make a fool of himself in front of children, doing so in front of adults is intimidating on a whole other level.

As he ties his skates, he tries not to look at the other adults waiting in the prep area of his local ice rink. From a quick glance as he walked to and from the skate hire booth, he knows that only a few people are around his age, the rest being years older. The fact doesn’t intimidate him in terms of their skill levels - this is a beginner’s class, after all. He knows he won’t be the only one unable to skate at all.

But who knows what the difference in their skill levels will be after this first class.

Yanking the laces on his skates, he brings himself back to reality. This isn’t the time to be worrying about what others think of him. He needs to remember his resolve, he reminds himself as he double-knots the laces. If Nagisa knew he was thinking like this, he would be disappointed.

Rei finishes tying his skates and picks up his phone to check the time. There are still five minutes until the lesson’s starting time. He glances up, trying to avoid other people’s eyes, and notices the lockers at the other side of the room.

‘Shoot, I forgot to store my phone and coat in a locker.’

Well, there’s no time like the present.

Shakily, Rei stands on two thin blades, trying to focus his weight on his centre. As much as being a ballet dancer helps with this, he still stumbles like a newborn fawn on his way to the lockers. He keeps his head held high and tries not to think about the staring of the others in the room. With the help of some hand rails meant for kids, he makes it to the lockers and stores his belongings, popping a coin in to pay the fee before locking it and taking his key.

“Can group three enter the ice please?” a voice calls from the other side of the room, where he’d been sitting a moment ago.

‘And now for the journey back,’ Rei thinks with a grimace. He steels his resolve and walks to the other side again, managing not to break his ankle as he does. Honestly, how he is going to manage on the ice at this point, he has no idea.

His class group consists of around ten people, none of whom have familiar faces. The two coaches split them into groups of those who can skate and those who cannot. Rei joins the latter group on the ice, clinging to the barrier in what he hopes is a dignified manner, but knows is not. Beneath him, his feet slide around on the ice.

“We’re going to start by marching on the spot, keeping a hand on the barrier,” the coach taking his group says, demonstrating the movement from where she stands a few feet away from the barrier.

The movement is easy enough. It takes only a minute for Rei to feel comfortable doing it.

But then the instructor tells them to move.

At first it’s fine. He’s allowed to grip the barrier for support. It feels safer, this way, like he’s less likely to fall. But then the instructor tells them to let go of the barrier, if they’re comfortable enough, and to try to cross to the other side of the rink. In only a few minutes, Rei is the only one left clinging to the barrier he started at.

‘This is fine,’ Rei tells himself, even though he knows the opposite to be true.

The instructor is patient with him, at least. They tell him it’s fine for him to be unstable, considering this is his first time on the ice. Still, when at the end of the lesson he’s still marching along the same stretch of barrier (without holding on this time, at least), he can’t help the shame which colours his cheeks. It had been stupid, for him to feel so confident when he was booking the class. Now, as he follows the others off the ice, he only wants to stay on the ice and improve more, if only so he doesn’t look like so much of a fool next time.

So that’s what he does. Over the next week, he goes to the ice rink a few different nights and spends an hour marching along the barrier, legs growing more stable on the ice. By the next lesson, he impresses his instructor with his ability to go from one side of the rink to the other with such stability. After that, he is able to join the other beginner skaters as they learn how to march backwards, do bubbles across the ice, and the proper way to get up after falling. He is still slower at getting used to the manoeuvres than the others, but now he can reassure himself with the fact that he’s not still clinging to the barrier, at least.

When it gets to the fourth week of lessons, however, he begins to wonder if he can pull this off. There are only a couple of months left until the time when he wants to show Nagisa his skating, and he is still only a beginner. There is no way he’s going to be able to skate as beautifully as he wants to, at this rate. Especially not when he wanted to show Nagisa a routine of his own.

‘But,’ Rei thinks, heading to the dance studio for ballet practice one morning, ‘I can show him a routine on land, at least.’

It won’t have the same effect as being able to skate it would. But if he manages to choreograph a dance which he could eventually learn to skate to, then surely that would impress Nagisa, right? After all, the blond wanted to see his dancing. What was it he had said? That he would look beautiful when he danced, right?

Well, if he can’t skate his routine, then he might as well rely on his better skills and wait to show off his newer ones when they are more refined.

Pulling his ballet slippers onto his feet, Rei heads to the barre to stretch, a new resolve filling his veins.

By the time Nationals arrive, Rei is relieved to find himself armed with a basic proficiency of skating and a ballet routine practised to perfection. Having this gives him some assurance as he enters the arena where Nationals are being held. There’s no way he will disappoint Nagisa, surely.

The arena in which the Nationals are being held is packed, surprisingly. Rei wonders if it’s because Nanase Haruka, the silver-medal winner of the Grand Prix Final less than a month ago, will be competing here today. He knows that’s why Makoto is here, at least. The two of them make their way to their seats, chatting between themselves about what they’re expecting from today.

Today is the free skate for men’s singles. Unfortunately, Rei hadn’t been able to get tickets to the short programme event, but that doesn’t matter. As long as he’s here today, he can get his message to Nagisa.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Japan Figure Skating Championships,” a lady says over the loudspeaker. “Tonight is the men’s singles free skate event. Please welcome the competing skaters to the ice.”

The audience applaud with vigour as the six skaters take to the ice, waving up at the crowd. It doesn’t take long for Rei to spot Nagisa, standing out in a pink outfit which looks almost like something a fairytale prince would wear. The blond scans the crowd as he waves, and for a moment, Rei is convinced that Nagisa’s smile grows when their eyes meet.

Then the announcer begins introducing the individual skaters, and Nagisa is facing the other way again.

Rei is here. Rei is here.

Nagisa can’t stop thinking about it. About him.

He’s here.

It’s been almost half a year since their last meeting, and he’s here. Finally, he can see him again. After his free skate, he hopes he can catch Rei before he leaves. There’s a lot he wants to talk to him about.

During the warm up, when Nagisa stops to take a drink, Haru joins him at the edge of the rink.

“He’s here again,” Haru says.

“I know,” Nagisa replies, unable to contain the grin which stretches across his lips.

“Don’t get distracted by him this time.”

“I didn’t get distracted by him!” Even as he says this, he knows it isn’t entirely true. But this time, he’s going to keep his thoughts on the ice. On the emotions of his performance.

“Be careful,” Haru says, putting down his water bottle and returning to the ice.

Nagisa is going to be careful, sure. But at the same time, he feels like his programme will be anything but careful. He isn’t going to hold anything back. This time, he’ll make sure to earn a spot on the podium. This time, he’ll earn Rei’s awe. He’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.

Nagisa is the last to skate.

Sitting through the other performances is stress-inducing. He enjoys watching the other skaters, of course, but he wants to see Nagisa skate. And the standard is high already, watching everyone who skates before him. They’re barely making any mistakes at all. It makes Rei worry that Nagisa might be feeling nervous.

When Nagisa enters the ice, Rei’s worries are dispelled. Looking at him, Nagisa knows this is where he is meant to be. Soaking in the atmosphere, dancing on the ice. And when Nagisa’s eyes meet his, wide and bright and filled with life, Rei smiles back at him.

Nagisa skates to the centre of the ice after a short warm-up, takes a deep breath, in, out. Then he enters his starting position, arms loose by his side, head facing down. The crowd goes silent.

Music swells through the speakers, and Nagisa blooms.

This programme is like nothing Rei has seen from Nagisa before. It’s as though he is an entirely different skater. Not that the components are much different, of course. But the emotions and sentiment running through the piece are different. Deeper, somehow. He is seeing a new side to Nagisa, a more mature side. One which is sorrowful, casting longing gazes across the arena, as though searching for something.

For the first time in a long time, Rei’s heart is full.

The piece is about longing.

Nagisa searched and searched for a piece which would suit his programme theme for this year - fate. He wouldn’t settle for any random piece. It had to be the perfect piece. His coach was going ballistic by the time Nagisa found this particular song. But it is a match made in heaven. He wouldn’t have been able to skate this programme to anything else.

In the story he has crafted for the programme, a young man (i.e. him) searches for love, but can’t find it anywhere. He constantly finds partners, then loses them. It’s never love. Until one day, he meets someone who turns his world around, then disappears. From that moment, he searches for this person desperately, until at the end of the programme, he finds the one he loves and pulls them close.

Haru and the other skaters he trains with constantly tease him for the programme. It’s too cheesy, they tell him. He’s being too obvious about his feelings for this guy he’s only met once. But Nagisa doesn’t care. He wants to make his feelings obvious. He wants Rei to watch this programme and know it’s being skated for him.

For the first half of the programme, he intentionally keeps his eyes away from Rei. It’s difficult, since his heart pulls him in that direction, but he resists. After all, this pining adds to the mood of this part of the story. It also makes him more determined as he enters his only quad, the quad toe loop he fell on the last time he saw Rei. He makes the landing, hears the crowd cheering, and tries to refrain from smiling. Only a little longer.

Finally, the music flutters into a major key, strings building up the atmosphere. Coming out of the step sequence, he looks over to Rei.

That momentary glimpse of Rei is all he needs. Those lilac eyes are filled with awe, glistening even from so far away. His lips fall open when their eyes meet. Nagisa feels his heart burst.

He skates into his combination spin, falling into a dizzying love.

Nagisa is beautiful.

The moment their eyes meet, there is no denying it. Not that he would have denied it in the first place, of course. Nagisa is beautiful, and has been since the first time he saw him. But it’s only when his face lights up, catching Rei’s eye in the middle of his skate, that it really strikes him. This boy is so, so beautiful.

From that point on, Nagisa doesn’t shy away from looking at Rei. He gestures in Rei’s direction, opens himself up and lets his feelings flow. At one point, he looks lost, as though he has misplaced something. Chasing around the rink, he holds his hand out, reaching for something invisible. He speeds into a combination jump, triple flip, single loop, triple toe. Still searching.

The climax of the programme arrives with tremendous percussion, strings lifting them into another realm of being. Nagisa enters another spin, the sequins on his costume casting light across the room. Finally, he stops spinning and looks up at Rei again. Eyes brighten, and he smiles, more beautiful than any other smile Rei has ever been given. He ends the programme with his hands outstretched, head tipped back as though in relief.

Despite the noise of the crowd cheering, everything feels silent to Rei. He is numb. All he feels is the constant beat of his heart, and the rush of affection in his veins. Standing, he throws his bouquet of flowers onto the ice, where they land almost perfectly in front of Nagisa, who is taking his bows.

Nagisa gasps and picks up the bouquet, giving them the same affectionate look as he gave the ones from half a year ago. Then he looks up to Rei, puts a hand to his lips, and blows a kiss in his direction.

Rei’s breath hitches.

A moment later, Nagisa is at the edge of the rink, putting on his skate guards as a few young girls pick up the other flowers and memorabilia that have been thrown to the ice for him. Now is the difficult part - waiting for Nagisa’s score and praying that he makes it onto the podium. After a flawless performance like that, Rei is sure he will get enough points. He has faith in Nagisa.

“Looks like you’ve got an admirer,” Makoto teases him.

Though he rebuts his friend’s joke, he can’t help the smile which crosses his face at the thought of being someone Nagisa admires.

Meet me at the public rink after the closing ceremony.

Most years, Nagisa would not have time to fulfil such a request. Especially after earning a bronze medal. After all, there are still press conferences and interviews to do before he can get ready for the post-Nationals banquet later on. But today, he is making the time.

After begging his coach to let him go, Nagisa rushes out of the arena, disguised in a cap and sunglasses, and runs in the direction of the public rink. It’s only a five-minute walk from the arena, making it easy for him to get there. In his head, he thanks Rei for choosing somewhere so close by.

Nagisa’s mind is bursting with questions. As much as he wants to see Rei, he wonders why Rei picked the public skating rink, of all places. He wonders if Rei understood the message of his free skate. (It wasn’t exactly subtle, as his rink mates constantly remind him.) He wants to know if Rei feels the same.

Part of him wonders (and maybe dares even to hope) if Rei wants to show him something on the ice. Maybe he’s learnt to skate something - it’s only been a few months, and Rei had said he hadn’t skated before, but he seems like the type of person who could easily learn a new skill in an incredibly short amount of time. Or maybe he thought Nagisa would feel more comfortable at an ice rink, one which will be quiet at this time of the evening.

For the most part, he doesn’t worry too much. He lets his elation carry him into the foyer of the rink, where a receptionist smiles knowingly and points him towards the arena.

The double doors are already open when he reaches them, so his entrance goes unnoticed by the sole person forming figure eights on the ice. Nagisa simply stares, for a minute or two, entranced by how gracefully Rei holds himself on the ice, how natural his movements seem even though he’s still a newcomer to the sport. It’s as though he was born to be on the ice - or maybe it’s the way he holds himself, drilled into him through years of ballet classes.

Still, the moment cannot last forever. Eventually, Rei looks up and notices Nagisa. He startles and falls back onto the ice in surprise.

“Rei-chan!” Nagisa says, hurrying to the side of the rink. Rei is already picking himself back up, probably used to falling from months of practising. “You can skate now?!”

Smiling a little, Rei looks down at his snow-covered thighs. “I got lessons, after I met you. You inspired me.”

“That’s amazing, Rei-chan!” Nagisa beams, pride filling his every bone. “You look like a natural.”

“I’m not that good, honestly,” Rei says, waving the compliments off. “I actually wanted to be better, by this point, but it was too much to achieve in such a short time.”

“Well yeah, you’ve only been skating for three months, right?” Nagisa leans on the barrier separating them. “Even what you were doing is pretty good for three months.”

After a moment, Nagisa remembers the bouquet. “Oh yeah, is this why you wanted me to come here?”

Rei nods, moving a little closer to the edge of the rink. “Yes, partially. I wanted to show you that I’ve learnt to skate, because you inspired me to do so. But there’s something else I want to show you, too.”

“Ooh, what is it?”

“Give me a minute to take off my skates, and I can show you.”

Nagisa bounces on the spot as Rei skates off the ice and removes his skates - pristine black skates with sharp blades, certainly not rental ones. His smile grows at the idea that Rei is taking this so seriously. Mind wandering to daydreams of skating alongside him, he doesn’t notice Rei standing up until he says his name a couple of times.

Rei takes him into an exercise room within the ice skating centre. It looks like it’s usually a weights and fitness room, but a large space has been cleared on the centre of the floor. At the far end of the room, where Rei takes Nagisa, there is a sound system and some chairs. Nagisa takes a seat and watches as Rei changes into ballet slippers. The dancer then navigates to a song on his phone and hooks it up to the stereo, handing it to Nagisa when he’s done.

“Can you press play for me?”

Without a word, Nagisa nods, eyes never leaving Rei as the dancer moves to the centre of the room, taking position with his head hung low. Nagisa presses play.

The humming of violins comes through the speakers, drawing Rei upright. This time, though, he is different - not only because he’s taken off his glasses, though. His entire demeanour is lost in a story Nagisa is only now being told, his face filled with sadness. Arms circle in languid movements, and he rises into an arabesque, pausing as the music does.

Then it picks up. Something catches Rei’s eye, and he dances to follow it, every movement graceful and precise. He begins to smile more, eyes alight with something which flares inside of Nagisa. The dance feels like a direct response to his own free skate, if that’s even possible. Could this be Rei’s side of the story?

As the music progresses into its final coda, Rei slows down with it. His movements flow once more with slow elegance, but this time, they are filled with something like hope. He finishes on his knees, arms outstretched towards Nagisa, eyes burning with emotion.

The music ends, but the atmosphere hangs in the air for a long time afterwards. It takes a minute or so for Nagisa to react, and when he does, it’s immediate. He stands and launches himself into Rei’s ready arms, tears welling up in his eyes. Rei catches him, arms encircling him with so much care it almost pains him.

“You’re so beautiful, Rei-chan,” Nagisa gasps through his tears.

Rei’s reply is almost inaudible, but Nagisa catches it regardless. “You’re the beautiful one, Nagisa-kun.”

They stay like that, caught in each other’s embrace, for a while, unaware of time passing around them. When they untangle, it takes only seconds for laughter to fill their lungs, giddiness finally seizing them. Finally, both of them have found the things they were searching for.

And later, both Nagisa and Rei will know that this is something they will never let go of. From the beginning until the end, every movement will draw them in, enthralled until the final curtain is drawn.

[requiemofrebellion]

“ An arcade nearby? ” Nagisa questioned, pondering about it. 

He honestly had no plans on where he was headed to after school, anywhere was perfect as long as he didn’t go home. His mother was in one of her moods again before he left for school and seeing the texts she sent him throughout the day, he just wasn’t ready to face that just yet. So, he was glad he actually caught Karma like this, he was slightly nervous with nothing really else to do by himself, he might have just lurked around some shops before it ate at him that he should check on his mom. 

“ Yea, I’m down. Ahh, it’s probably crowded but nothing he can’t handle. ” Nagisa smiled up at him. “ I’m so ready for the challenge, the question is, are you? We also gotta not get kicked out. ” He laughed, just thinking of how wild they could get. “We should also go in and quickly decide which game we should go after.” He lifted his free hand to place it under his chin in thought, his mind reeling with planning their ‘attack’. “ Want to do fighting games or racing? ”

Ah, right—-Koro-sensei would likely nag him endlessly if he saw Karma walking in the rain without an umbrella, unbothered by the droplets gradually soaking his hair and clothes. Chilly or not, he'd be fine as long as he took a warm shower once he arrived home; all the concerns that one would catch a cold if they did this and that and whatever else were all overblown anyway. So the thought honestly hadn't crossed his mind until Nagisa called him out.

"There's an arcade nearby," he recalled with a nonchalant shrug, a smirk tugging at his lips. No doubt, his thoughts were shifting towards competition. "Though—-it's hard to say whether it'll be deserted or crowded with it raining like this. We may have to win some fights before we even get the the games. What d'ya say, Nagisa? You up for the challenge?"

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― * ― It's raining, and sender's muse forgot their umbrella. Send 🌧 for receiver's muse to find sender's muse in their predicament.

[Karma to Nagisa] 🌧

“ Let me guess, you didn’t bring an umbrella. ” It was a statement more than a question. 

Nagisa had walked up next to Karma as they were leaving school grounds, his body moving closer to Karma’s side so the umbrella would be partly over Karma and partly over him. He didn’t have a big umbrella but this would at least keep Karma a bit dry. Nagisa looked up at his classmate with a soft smile. 

“ What would Koro-sensei say if he saw you without an umbrella? ” He gave a soft laugh. “ Do you wanna hangout somewhere until the rain stops? I wasn’t planning on going home just yet. ”

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― starter

They had a new assignment; survival and to try to kill their target, Koro-sensei. The class was separated into teams of two or three depending on numbers. Nagisa and Karma got paired up as a team and were given supplies: a tent to fit them both, a backpack each with other supplies like a cooking pot, first aid and some food. In each pack was a rolled up sleeping bag and a pillow. Then, they were sent off into the woods, each group in different directions so they couldn’t all migrate together.

They had been hiking for a little while, trying to find a good spot to set up camp. They were told this was going to last at least three days, two nights in the woods. But, for emergencies, they did have walkie talkies to contact the teachers if something happened. Their cell phones were taken, but the two people on Ritsu’s team were able to keep theirs. The blue-haired boy finally came to a stop.

“ Hey Karma, do you think this is a good spot? It’s right next to the river, so if we do need more water we can always boil some to drink. ” Nagisa turned his attention to his classmate, gesturing with his hand to the river he spoke of. “ And the land here is mostly even. ” He dug out the map he had in his pocket, opening it up to take a look. “ Plus, by the location Koro-sensei gave us, he’ll be about a mile away. Not too close to where he can hear what we are planning, but not too far to get to him, right? ”

[requiemofrebellion]

@starsoath ⸻ 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐄 .

[Karma to Nagisa] ❛ you aren't getting rid of me that easy. ❜

Footsteps stopped when he heard Karma’s voice, stealth mode paused as he slowly turned to the redhead male. Black clothes were worn and a hood over Nagisa’s head. He had accidentally run into his old classmate while on a mission. It was a dangerous one, one where the security was tight around the building his target was in. He had told Karma to go but he should have known better than to think Karma would have listened. He knew Karma too well for that, but a frown was on his lips as it seemed like Karma was now following him.

“ Karma, this is dangerous. ” He says in a hushed voice. “ What are you even doing out this late? ” He shifted on his feet, eyes darting around them, yet there was nothing to worry about. They were outside the large gates and hidden within the shadows.

A sigh finally left the blue haired male, a shake of his head following. A soft smile on his face, what did he expect from his best friend though? He really was the type of ride or die. Yet, Nagisa wasn’t even sure if Karma would be up for this, and he really couldn’t get distracted on this mission.

“ I’m not trying to get rid of you… okay well maybe I am right now but it’s cause work calls, ya know? Can we catch up after I do this? ”

[requiemofrebellion]

@starsoath ⸻ STAYING THE NIGHT PROMPTS.

[Karma to Nagisa] ❝  do you wanna stay with me tonight?  ❞

Nagisa had been avoiding heading home. He just couldn’t, he needed a break. He didn’t want to go back home knowing his mother was in one of her moods. The ones where Nagiisa dreaded being home, wishing to not exist or be seen. He had been hanging around Karma, but also been keeping an eye on his phone blowing up with text messages. He just felt like he couldn’t escape. 

When Karma asked the question, Nagisa looked up from his phone in surprise. He didn’t expect Karma to offer for him to stay over. Yet, it was a welcome, letting out a big breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He placed his phone back into his pocket, so he could fully focus on Karma.

“ I would like that... ” Nagisa replied with a soft nod. “ Sorry if I seemed off. I just... it’s just my mom and I really didn’t want to go home. ” He was honest, feeling like he could talk to Karma about anything. “ She’s in one of her weird moods and... ” He trailed off with another sigh and a shake of his head. “ It’s nothing, I’ll text her back in a bit letting her know I’m staying with you. ” He didn't want to make their hangout depressing, so he chose not to continue it.

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― * ― 🎃HALLOWEEN SENTENCE PROMPTS !

[Karma to Nagisa] ❝ i thought we agreed to stay in and have a horror movie marathon. ❞

“ We did but... well I figured we could do this first. ” Nagisa said, hand holding onto Karma’s wrist to drag him where they were going. “ Besides, I know you and you’re probably just going to have fun jumpscaring me in every scene of the movies. So, since you’ll have your fun tonight, I’m gonna have my fun now with you. ” 

He came to a stop outside of the city’s halloween festival. Booths were up, decorations as well. Some places were turned into little haunted houses, photo booths everywhere and lots of food and games. Nagisa turned to Karma then, slowly letting his wrist go and he smiled at him. 

“ Just humor me please? You owe me for agreeing to watch all those horror films later. So just spend like three hours here with me and then we can go back to your place to watch whatever you have picked out. ”

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― * ― unprompted.

[Karma to Nagisa] "So, which part of what I said earlier was incorrect? I was certain I had everything figured out, but I suppose even geniuses are wrong from time to time."

“ A genius huh? ” Nagisa turned to his classmate with a slight raise of an eyebrow before laughing very gently. “ Okay, I guess out of all of us here, you would rank genius. ” He shifted where he stood outside of the classroom. “ As for what was incorrect... it wasn’t entirely wrong but... I’m just not sure if I want to be a teacher after school you know...? ” The shorter boy shifted once again, blue eyes dropping to the ground in thought. 

“ Koro-sensei told me to think about it, it was my choice to decide and he would support me either way. I was leaning towards being a teacher but... ” He trailed off before shaking his head. He lifted his gaze back up and put on a smile, eyes closing to try and make him seem like he wasn’t worried about anything. “ Well, anyways you are slightly correct I just don’t know if you’ll stay correct on what I decide to be after this, that’s all. ” Being an assassin was really heavy on his mind but he felt wrong to dare say it, even though that’s what they have been trying to be all year. He figured it was different though since his targets wouldn’t be Koro-sensei and it would be actual people, and actual murder... Yet, it still intrigued him.

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― * ― unprompted

[Karma to Nagisa] "Do what you think is best, but count me out of this one."

He knew that him and Karma didn’t always agree on things but hearing Karma say to count him out, came as a shock to the blue haired male. He stared at him in silence for a moment. He wasn’t going to twist Karma’s arm in this, make him do something he wished not to but there was something in him that had hoped that Karma would have stood by him on this. His gaze lowered to stare down at his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “ Yea, okay. " He finally replied, slowly looking back up with a soft smile. “ Thank you for not standing against me on this. ” Even if Karma was going to sit this out, at least he didn’t have to fight him over it. He appreciated that.

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― * ― An Extremely Self-Indulgent Meme

[Karma to Nagisa] ❰❰ FREE ❱❱ sender frees the receiver from restraints

Nagisa stared at the ground, sitting in a chair tied up. He had already tried wiggling his way to try and get out but the ropes were tight and he wasn’t able to move much. It just hurt him more than not moving. So, now he was sitting still, trying to think of a way to get out. He tried recalling everything that was in the big book Koro-Sensei gave them, it had a section on what to do if you were captured and restrained, but nothing was coming to mind. He should have studied it harder, why didn’t he study the section more? 

He didn’t know how long had passed but he heard a vent pop out, listening to the clunk noise as soon as the metal of the vent hit the floor. Nagisa slowly lifted his gaze, turning his head as much as he could, straining to see who it was. Blue eyes slightly widening when he saw Karma and a wave of relief washed over him. 

“ It’s good to see you, Karma. ” Nagisa stated softly, trying to muster up a smile. He felt stupid for getting captured and wasn’t even able to escape. 

He looked ahead of him again to the door. He just hoped his captures didn’t hear the vent fall. He felt the tug of the rope on his hands, breathing out slowly as Karma untied his hands and then his body. Nagisa moved his arms to be in front of him so he could bend down and untie his ankles. His shoulders aching from the position he had been held in. His arms shouldn’t have been behind him like that for so long. Once all the ropes were off of him, Nagisa got up hastily, looking back at Karma, trying not to move his shoulders too much, so his arms tried resting at his side. 

“ Thank you. We should get going. The men that took me are armed. ” He stated, looking back at the vent. He’d have to suffer through the pain to crawl through that. “ You ready to go? ” He would ask how Karma found him once they were to safety.

[requiemofrebellion]

@petalbound ― *  ―  𝑮𝑹𝑼𝑴𝑷𝒀 𝑿 𝑺𝑼𝑵𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

[Karma to Nagisa] ❛  can't you just move on and forget about it already?  ❜

Nagisa shifted his weight onto his right foot, holding onto his small notebook to his chest. Blue eyes downcast to the ground for a brief moment in thought. Then his eyes lifted just a bit to look at Karma.

" No. " He says plainly, taking a step toward his classmate. " It's not that simple, Karma. You know that, don't you? " Eyes stayed on the redhead male, studying him, trying to get a read on him. " We should talk about it... We shouldn't just bury it and forget about it! "

[requiemofrebellion]

Nagisa was about to open his mouth to repeat himself but closed it when Karma suggested moving further up. Blue eyes moved to look ahead of them, surveying the area up ahead of what he could see. Then eyes were back onto the map he held, looking at what the map showed on what was ahead. They’d still be by the water and it did look a bit clearer. Karma was probably correct that they didn’t want any blind spots. Who knew if the others would try and sabotage them. 

“ That’s probably a better idea. We don’t only have to worry about Koro-sensei but we have to worry about the other teams, and if we have blind spots that could really mess with us. ” He agreed. 

He folded the map back up and put it back into his pocket. Hands lifted to adjust his backpack straps as he turned to head further ahead. Eyes scanning around them as he walked, he was on alert for anyone else that may be around them but so far he couldn’t hear anyone else nor see anyone. He hoped they weren’t going to run into any of their other classmates. 

“ I guess we should set up camp when we get to the perfect spot, get some food and then talk plans over? ” He looked over his shoulder at Karma. “ Hopefully we won’t run into anyone... though we should scout around before we talk plans in case anyone does find us and wants to eavesdrop? ”

What a stacked team the two of them made—-which, given their target, ultimately made little difference. Karma trailed behind his friend, and at first glance, he appeared entirely indifferent toward their current endeavor; sharp eyes, however, were carefully surveying their surroundings, picking up on every detail that couldn't be found on a map. Each rock, tree, incline, all cataloged and committed to memory for later use. And the longer this hike lasted, the more his thoughts drifted from their actual goal to how they could sabotage their peers.

Koro-sensei would never lower his guard when he expected an attack, but as assassins, they needed to learn to overcome such challenges. A plan might work if it included a sufficiently surprising element, and some in-fighting could be a nice starting point.

Well, they had a couple days to figure it all out. Perhaps he could even make use of the spices he'd smuggled from home despite not being permitted to bring anything aside from the provided gear. ( Naturally, he ensured the containers were airtight, so they wouldn't be discovered before he wanted them to be. ) A strong sense of smell could be a weakness just as easily as a strength, after all.

"...hm, what?" For a second, Karma feigned ignorance, as though he'd completely missed what Nagisa said—-when on the contrary, he heard and considered every word. Halting in his step, he cast his gaze around their current spot, then peered ahead. "We should try a bit further up," he suggested. "It should still be even enough, and there may be less blind spots; a better vantage point, in other words. If not, then we can come back here."