#Kusanagi would be so pleased to have his kid back for a day though | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

willofhounds · 5 years ago

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I need to connect

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23330155

A/N Once again this will be another one-shot.

Warnings: No happy ending. Soulmate au. Aizawa/Izuku pair

"Speaking"

:Thoughts:

Aizawa's POV

Coffee in between hero work and before he was needed at the school was his usual routine. There was one shop in town that made the best roast. It was strong enough to keep him awake most mornings.

Shouta was more exhausted than normal, however. More than one cup was needed to keep him alert.

Heroes from all over the city were called in for a fight. Apparently, the Kings were at it again. Normally heroes didnt interfere with the Kings as they kept to themselves. However, the Red and Blue King were becoming increasingly public with their fights. It seemed almost as if a war between them was on the horizon.

Just before the appearance of quirks, there was a discovery in Germany. Scientists had found a Slate with unrecognizable carvings etched into it. They called it a relic and began to study it.

Germans and the Japanese thought it would create the next level of soldiers for war. Given the state of their world at the time it could have made the difference. If they could only learn how to forcefully activate the relic.

The relic was rightfully dubbed the Slate. By bringing mice as test subjects they found the Slate resonated with certain rats. When they resonated with it the rat would gain heightened intelligence or extra powers. Their powers were marked by a sword above their heads. It would be later named a Sword of Damocles.

Despite the scientists' best efforts, they were unable to get it to resonate with a human. Until a bombing run happened on their facility. More than half of the scientists were killed. Including a young scientist who was the twin sister of the head scientist.

Her brother was saved by the Slate's power and was given the power of the Silver Sword of Damocles. Adolf K. Weissman became the First and Silver King.

After that Japan took it back with them. A young Lieutenant became the Second and Gold King. With Weissman wanting nothing to do with the world any longer he took control over it.

As time passed it was revealed that there were 7 Swords of Damocles. Those who wielded the Swords and the powers that came with them were declared Kings. Kings only answered to themselves and in serious situations the Gold King.

Then came quirks and with the heroes. In the beginning heroes and villains alike fought against the Kings. It wasnt until the Gold King stepped in that peace between heroes and Kings resumed.

As long as innocents weren't injured the Kings would answer only to each other. Clansman had to answer to laws just like normal citizens. Though most ignored that rule. They felt the only ones they answered to were the Kings that commanded them.

Times were changing though. The Gold King was getting old and could no longer keep control over the younger generation. SCEPTER4 led by the Blue King stepped in when things got too dangerous. Or if the Red King was involved.

Heroes were beginning to be needed for rescues more often than before. SCEPTER4 could create shields to protect civilians but the flames of HOMRA were powerful. If the police even though it was HOMRA, SCEPTER4 would be immediately notified.

Heroes couldn't even put out the fire correctly until the Red King left. His mere presence was enough to keep the flames going.

Last night had been no different. Shouta helped rescue trapped civilians while SCEPTER4 tried to suppress HOMRA. At one point it appeared the Red King had lost control over his powers. Even at the first aid site half a mile away, they could feel the heat.

It was well after three am when the two groups dispersed. More than a dozen members of HOMRA were captured and arrested for their part in the destruction. None of them seemed particularly important and that frustrated the underground hero.

As he entered his favorite coffee shop he noted that it was mostly empty. A boy maybe in his late teens or early twenties was ordering at the counter. From the back all he could see was his green hair and that he was wearing a black t-shirt with jeans. The way he held himself spoke of quiet confidence.

The barista said cheerfully, "Its good to see you again, Midoriya. Your usual again today? How is Totsuka doing?"

Midoriya replied equally as cheerful, "I am well. Need Mr. Kusangi, Tatara, and Mr. Mikoto's coffee as well today. Mr. Kusangi was injured last night against the mafia group that's been causing trouble. Then the Blues showed up and only aggravated his injury. So Tatara and I will be running the bar."

There was a widening in the barista's eyes as she exclaimed, "Oh no! Poor Mr. Kusanagi. I know he means a lot to you guys. He's always looking after those of us who can't look after ourselves. Or those of us who are being bullied. Before HOMRA we had no one we could really go to for help. Heroes in this area are too overworked to help with anything like the mafia."

Shouta froze in surprise. HOMRA attacked a mafia group? That was why they were out last night?

That didnt fit their M.O. From what he learned they were a ragtag group who focused on their own needs. Heroes and the police never considered that there might be more behind the fights.

Midoriya answered, "We will always look after those that we can. If anyone else tries to let me or Tatara know. Or you drop by the bar anytime."

"Goodbye, Midoriya. Tell Mr. Kusanagi that we all hope that heals quickly."

Midoriya turned to face Shouta who stayed as relaxed as possible. He couldn't arrest this kid right now. Not only was he likely another small fry. Heroes and police couldn't take in a King or clansman unless they were committing a crime.

He was lucky that his hero clothes could be mistake for civilian clothes. Unless he pulled his goggles out from under his scarf then he wouldn't be seen as a hero.

Midoriya passed by him and because of the small space between Shouta and the door. Their shoulders bumped. Right where the soulmate mark that he had hidden every day since he decided he wanted to be a hero. The younger man didnt even pause as he went through the door.

Another thing that had appeared with quirks and King were soulmates. Most people had a soulmate and when they turned seven their mark appeared on their body. Shouta's was of a black cat with red eyes and a green bunny encircled by a red flame. Connecting the two animals were a white that looked like his capture scarf.

Something itched in the back of his mind. It felt off in a way but for the moment he ignored it. He needed information and this was the best spot to get it. A quick text to Hisashi asked his friend to watch his homeroom class.

With that done he approached the counter. The barista gave him a grin and inquired, "What can I get for you?"

Shouta replied nodding over his shoulder at the door, "Black coffee with two sugars, please. What can you tell me about that boy?"

"Midoriya?" She questioned absent-mindedly, "Honestly not much. I first met him when HOMRA first took him in. Word is that his mother was murdered by a villain. HOMRA took him in when his father abandoned him. Ever since that day he has not left them. Like most members, he is loyal to a fault."

"Do you know his first name?"

She nodded as she replied, "Izuku I believe. Izuku Midoriya."

That was all the information she could give on the teenager. It was enough however that he could start an investigation when he got back to the school.

As he expected both Hizashi and Nemuri cornered him as soon as he returned. They were curious about why he would be late. It wasn't often that he was late beyond a few minutes.

With some well-timed snaps, he was able to get then to back off. He didnt want to get them involved until he was sure about the boy. That would require research.

What he found was alarming. Izuku Midoriya was classified as a missing person but presumed dead. Inko Midoriya had been murdered by an unknown villain in their home when he was just 6 years old. Hisashi Midoriya had taken custody of the child for a short time before he disappeared.

Three months after the murder of his wife Hisashi filed a missing person's report on Izuku. The police searched but there were no signs of the boy. It was as if he disappeared off the face of the earth.

If he was picked up by HOMRA then that would make sense. If Midoriya was part of the fighting then the higher ranking members would protect him until he could protect himself.

Shouta's estimation of his age was right on the mark. Midoriya was 17 almost eighteen now. He had been with HOMRA for over a decade. That would make the bonds thicker than blood. It would also make him one of the first clansmen.

When the mother was murder Mikoto Souh had only been a King for a few months. Would a King mark a child as a clansman was the question. There wasn't enough information to answer it.

In the afternoon he took a nap in preparation for the upcoming evening. He awoken not by his alarm but by his soulmate mark burning like it was on fire. Anger that was not own coursed through his mind.

A moment later his phone went off. An officer said on the other side where explosions could be heard, "Eraserhead! You need to get down to the Southside immediately. Villains have acted HOMRA's base!"

Fuck! Absolutely nothing good could come of this.

Izuku's POV

He ducked behind Mikoto as a blue flamed villain rushed at HOMRA. The heat that his King gave off in response even made members of HOMRA flinch. They were strong and resistant to fire. That did not make them invincible, however.

There wasn't time to hide behind his King. He had a job to do that only he could perform.

Most of the clan were heavy tanks like fighters. There were three who preferred to stay out of the fighting.

One was Anna Kushina. She was the princess of HOMRA. Like Izuku she had been taken in when her family abandoned her. She was born a Strain. Someone who had abilities but they didnt come from a King. She could see the auras of Kings and clansmen. As a second ability given when she became a clansman, she gained a location ability. They thought she had a slight clairvoyance ability but it was hard to tell.

The second was Tatara Totsuka. He was a friend of Mikoto and Izumo before HOMRA was founded. Tatara held the ability to calm the hearts of those around him. In all the years he had known the older man he had never seen him fight. Always using his ability to stop a fight before it truly began.

Finally was Izuku. After his mother was murdered by a villain and his father abandoned him Mikoto took him in. With the help of Izumo and Tatara, he learned what he would in school. Through Mikoto, he learned how to fight.

Unlike the others, Izuku could use his flames in a fight. The difference was that he chose not to. He held the ability of barriers. Drawing runes in blood activated flame barriers. If you did not carry the mark of the Third King then you could not pass through the barrier.

It wasnt a perfect technique. The amount of time it took to create the runes in made him a target. Though he found out if they weren't removed then they could be used multiple times.

There were traps laid all around the bar for just such an event. Still, he had to set extra rune circles. That would make the barriers stronger. It also gave Yata and Rikio time to evacuate the civilians.

As he finished drawing the final rune he sat back on his heels. Blood dripped from his palm onto the ground. To get adequate blood to draw runes with he had to cut open his palm. He activated his red aura cauterizing the wound. Another pink and silver scar appeared on his palm.

Bringing up his wrist he tapped on his watch calling Yata. The younger boy answered, "Yo?"

"Are all the civilians evacuated? The runes are drawn and ready to be activated," he said watching as Izumo's flames struck out at the villains.

The villains were a tag team that he had seen before on the news. One had a size quirk that allowed his body to grow to enormous sizes. The other could shrink whatever they touched. Including organic materials.

It made sense that Izumo was the one fighting him. Izumo used his lighter to attack at long range. He was the strategist of HOMRA.

Yata replied, "All civilians are evacuated. We are ready for a full-on attack. Be ready to raise the barriers. Yata out!"

Izuku shouted disconnecting his phone, "As soon as Yata and Rikio enter the circle I'll activate the barrier! Anyone not suited for this fight fall back and assist the injured civilians!"

"Sir!"

Members of HOMRA sprung into action. The lower members ran towards the villains. They would keep the villains from escaping. The middle-ranked members were leaving the area to assist the civilians.

Two taps to his shoulder signaled that Yata and Rikio were entering the barrier site. A twinge of annoyance went through the back of his mind. It wasn't his own annoyance. This wasnt the time to think about such a thing though. He had to set the barrier.

Izuku put himself on the battle side of the barrier. Cutting open his hand again he placed his bloodied palm on the primary rune circle. A black shadow rushed across the barrier line into the fighting. It was already too late to stop him from activating his aura the circle's flames erupted from them. It formed a barrier of fire.

He shouted above the fighting, "King barrier is set!"

Mikoto only turned to give him a slight nod. Then nonchalantly joined the fight. Even against villains with quirks he never went all out. The only time Izuku ever sees him get serious was against Reisi Munakata.

Reisi and Mikoto fought like cats and dogs. It was because they were order and chaos in terms of their powers. Blue and red Kings were forever destined to clash. No one could say otherwise.

Izuku stood ready to join the fight when he found an unwelcome sight within the barrier. A man in black sweats with a scarf wrapped around his shoulders stood there. Covering his eyes were a pair of yellow goggles.

It took a moment for Izuku to recognize him. It was the man he bumped into at the coffee shop. Those goggles themselves struck a cord within Izuku. They looked just like the one on his soulmate mark.

His mind was racing. They bumped shoulders in the coffee shop. That was when he started feeling emotions that weren't his. The shoulder that he bumped held his soulmate mark.

The man asked watching the fights as they broke out, "What is going on here?"

Izuku pulled a lighter from his pocket as he said, "Villains attacked our home. Without heed of the civilian's homes that line our streets they attacked. Low and middle-ranking members kept them busy while everyone else evacuated civilians. HOMRA may seem like reckless thugs to you, hero but we care for those who cannot defend themselves. The barrier of fire was only set when everyone was gone."

Eyes widened behind the goggles. Izuku could feel the man's surprise and understanding. Everyone looked down upon HOMRA for being a gang of thugs. The lower-ranked members fit that bill more than the higher-ranked.

Outside of fighting with the Blues HOMRA tended to keep to themselves. It was only when one of their own was threatened that they picked fights.

Izuku was startled by a flash of movement that did not belong to the fighters. Just inside the doorway of the bar stood Anna and Tatara.

What in the twelve hells were they doing outside of the bar? Orders were to stay in King's room.

Mikoto snapped, "Midoriya! Protect Totsuka!"

That had him moving ignoring the possibility that he ran into his soulmate.

:No Blood. No Bone. No Ash,: he chanted within his mind.

The tiny embers that lay just beneath the surface of his skin erupted into flames. He didn't need the cadence for setting barriers. If he wanted to fight then he needed the embers ignited into a true flame.

Rushing to Tatara's side he checked on both he and Anna. They were in good health. Simply watching the fight between the clan and the villains.

The lighter in his hands was just like the one Izumo carried. In fact, most of the middle-ranked members and higher had one. It didnt matter if you smoked or not. The lighters carried the mark of HOMRA engraved into the metal.

They were a right of passage for every clansman. After serving the clan for a year each clansman was given a lighter and a pack of cigarettes carrying the mark. They would forever be a reminder. No matter where you went or if their paths strayed from that of the clan. They would forever be apart of HOMRA.

Izuku used him as a long-range weapon. The metal was strong enough to withstand the flames of his King after all. It would be a waste not to use it when he didnt smoke.

Watching the fight play out was just like the others. Misaki Yata the red-haired vanguard attacked using his skateboard for speed and extra power. Both he and Rikio acted as tanks. They hit hard and blocked attacks meant for the King.

Izumo was watching for any sort of opening to land long distant attacks. The stiffness of his posture spoke of the pain he was in. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even be in the battle but it was all hands on deck with this attack.

And the King... Mikoto was never one to go with any plan other than his own. The man had heat radiating off of him. Nearby metal object began to distort the closer he got to them. The two villains froze as Mikoto closed in on them.

Above their heads was the Red Sword of Damocles in its glory. Their fires were feeding off of its strength. Fires that were nothing in comparison to the King's.

A rough sounding unfamiliar voice said next to him, "So this is the power of a King. I have not seen this up close like this before."

It was the man from the shop. What was he doing following Izuku?

Izuku responded with a growl, "This is just Mikoto toying with them. Only us clansmen are truly giving it our all. We wish to end this before the Blues decide to make an appearance. Who are you?"

The goggle bearing man replied, "I am the underground hero Eraserhead. I've seen the destruction your people cause. It's hard to believe that you would be attacked without provoking it."

"You're just like everyone else," Izuku bit out scathingly, "You only see what we do in the present second. You don't see past that at why we do what we do. Or at what cost..."

A hand closed around his shoulder cutting Izuku off. A pleasantly warm and calming fire went through him. It calmed his anger at the man in front of him.

Looking back he saw the warm light brown eyes of Tatara staring at him. There was a slight shake of the man's head. Izuku took a deep breath to calm his anger.

Heroes were all the same. They looked down upon the clans. Thought so little of them that they were little more than villains. That wasn't the truth, however.

HOMRA took a lot of the blame for people just having fire quirks. It was easier to write off for the police than spending time actually investigating. They didnt deserve that kind of reputation. HOMRA looked after each other. The eyes were family. Sometimes the only family that they could count on.

Tatata said his eyes turning cold in a way that was rarely seen for the soft-spoken blond, "You should not underestimate a clan's determination. Or let what you see on the outside affect your judgment," then something shifted in his face and the Tatara so lover why the clan returned, "Come by the bar sometime. Find out who we really are and what it means to be HOMRA."

There was that gentleness that showed a scared child that there was still good in this world. With his insistence, Izuku was taken in by HOMRA. He became the youngest clansman of the red clan.

Eraserhead huffed and a flash of annoyance went through Izuku. It wasn't his own. The soulmate bond there was no denying it any longer.

Then suddenly the man leaped forward. Using his scarf he attacked the villain that had strayed to close to them. A quick knee to the face and the villain was out cold. It all happened in an instant. If he had not been watching he would have missed it entirely.

The second one who was already pinned to the ground painfully by the vanguards. Yata had his foot planted in the villain's back. The others had his hands tied so that he couldn't getaway.

Mikoto called out, "Brat, take down the barrier. We will hand these two over tonight," Mikoto bent down to growl at the one they had pinned.

It was too far for Izuku to hear but he had an idea. Most likely a threat for them to never return to the city. While not all of it was HOMRA territory they would know if these two came back. If they did they would not survive the second encounter.

Concentrating on the runes he destroyed the primary rune circle. The barrier fell with it. The flames dissipating almost immediately. The buildings and roads were scorched but without any permanent damage.

Almost as soon as they fell the area was swarmed with police, SCEPTER4, and heroes. Choosing to ignore them he went to check on members of his clan. A handful of lower-ranked members had some broken bones but nothing too serious. Izumo was by far the worst off. He tore his stitches in the fighting. Pale he was barely able to remain standing.

As third in command of the clan Izuku began barking orders. That had the ranks moving and taking the injured inside the bar. The uninjured formed a perimeter in order to keep out unwanted guests.

Mikoto and the higher ranking members faced off with SCEPTER4. They were tired from fighting with the two villains but they would stand their ground.

Eraserhead called out, "Heroes stand down," eyes turned towards the man questioning his order, "HOMRA did not start this fight. They were attacked by these villains. As is their right they protected themselves and subdued them."

Police and heroes alike gave them wary looks and a wide berth. The vanguard released the unconscious villain while Eraserhead put cuffs on his. Mikoto aided Izumo back into the bar followed soon by Tatara and Anna.

Izuku stayed to answer the police and heroes' questions as well as those from SCEPTER4. A small smile crossed his face when he caught Reisi glancing at the bar with carefully concealed worry. Only six people knew this but Reisi and Izumo were soulmates. Their soul marks were of the Red and Blue Swords of Damocles circling in harmony. An action very rarely seen in their time.

As much as he disliked the clan itself he would not deny the man information. If it was him he would hope someone would alert him on the changes of his soulmate.

As the heroes and police began to disperse the civilians returned to their homes. Many called out thanks to Izuku and asked him to wish his clan well.

He approached the Blue King cautiously eyeing the stiffening members of SCEPTER4. Reisi held up his hand to stop them from coming any closer then stepped so that he met Izuku halfway. A flash of jealousy went through Izuku but he quashed it knowing it was not his own.

Izuku said with a small smile, "He overextended himself," there was a furrowing of the King's brow as the only sign of his worry, "Don't worry he will be fine in a few days."

There was a near-silent sigh of relief and tension released from the other's shoulders. In a whisper, Reisi said, "Thank you. Look after him and Souh. Those two are always getting into some trouble."

Then he turned and began barking orders. Slowly even SCEPTER4 began to leave. Then only Izuku and Eraserhead were left. With a glare in the man's direction, Izuku turned to head inside the bar.

#my hero academia aizawa #my hero academia #aizawa shouta/izuku midoriya #izuku x aizawa #shouta aizawa #k proeject #mikoto souh #totsuka tatara #red clansman izuku #midoriya izuku

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vrainsrewatch · 5 years ago

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episode 19 thoughts

this is... the most screenshot heavy post i’ve made so far, lmao, so please bear with me. as i’ve said, this is one of my favorite duels, and there’s a lot that gets covered here. like, seriously, i haven’t written this post out yet but i can guarantee this will be my longest so far lmao.

the beginning of the episode starts off fairly standard, and mostly dueling:

i really do love the pacing of this duel. i was glued to the edge of my seat while watching these episodes. i remember it so clearly, too, because i’d been binge watching from episode 16 that day, and got to like, 24 by the time i stopped, lmao.

ai does a lot of cute/funny stuff this episode, to help break up some of the more dark tones of the rest of it, like this:

it really makes me miss hi in this form :( i really like his soltis form, don’t get me wrong, but i miss him on yusaku’s wrist lol. i would say when things were less angsty, but, well. lmao.

we very quickly get akira’s rad boss monster summoned out:

and seriously, i just love the animation for it. it’s so sick. the door, the fire, how it looms behind him at first.... aaaaaa. so cool.

and of course the classic:

the worst part about this line is it’s said so often (esp in arc v LOL) that i actually. have slipped up and said it in normal, day to day conversation before. my boyfriend looked at me for like a minute and gave me the deepest sigh i’ve ever heard the first time i did that pff.

also:

i couldn’t not screencap this, given what my blog is for LOL

every time something reminds me of that painful final duel, i have to screencap it and make you guys sad with me. if i have to be sad seeing all this stuff, knowing where their relationship goes and how the series ends, so do you.

also, though, i forgot how often this was brought up before the bohman duel lmao. it makes that theory look a lot more credible, so it’s cool that it had all these little hints towards it, even if it ultimately wasn’t true.

seriously, my heart. i don’t think i need to talk much about this scene to make y’all sad, but really. they went from this to i loved you. ugh, god, i’m so sad thinking about it lmao.

there is so much to talk about between akira and playmaker and even blue angel in this episode, so i guess we’ll start here.

it is hard to decide that you want to take control of your trauma and do something about it. it is not easy. to see yusaku fight for that right so thoroughly is incredible, and really, really validating.

more sadness! seriously, this is too much. this deck was created specifically for him by ai. i don’t like this anymore lmao

but even besides that, often times the protag’s decks mean a lot to them, obviously, but i love that it wasn’t built strictly by yusaku. his cards were literally made by ai, and i think that’s such a cool twist.

but then, akira’s speech:

i talked last time about akira wanting to handle things himself, and i briefly touched on him thinking he knows best...

but i really admire how calm yusaku stays at that tbh. he gets angry, reasonably so imo, but he takes this so well. i know i was a much more volatile kid then he is, so respect lol

i’ve spoken at length already about akira, but i also want to talk again about how oblivious he is. he is so blinded by his own thoughts and feelings on the situation that he doesn’t stop to think about how yusaku might be feeling -- and worse, honestly, how his sister might be feeling.

it was why he was so visibly shocked when emma mentioned a few episodes ago that aoi wasn’t just a little kid anymore. it’s so clear that he still, at the moment, sees her as the six year old girl he swore to protect, and not the sixteen year old person she’s become. he doesn’t think about how she might be feeling towards his actions, or why she does what she does.

this is highlighted as early as episode 6 iirc, when he asks her why aren’t you happy? as much as i, personally, dislike his character, i can’t deny it’s very realistic and well written.

speaking of aoi:

i love how she’s written in this episode, too. but her entrance here is great, and i love how she stands up to him about this. it’s minor, but it’s still a good step. when she’s blue angel -- or blue girl, or blue maiden -- she feels comfortable doing that. at least a little, and it obviously grows throughout the series. i hope that transfers over to the real world for her, too.

and then, we finally get the full story:

i remember flinching when he started talking about it, remembering the shots of yusaku getting electrocuted from his duel with revolver.

i really love this. i said it last episode, but vrains handles yusaku’s trauma so realistically and it’s amazing.

i remember originally staring open mouthed at my tv screen while this part played. we got a bit of it from the other episode, but the full context truly shocked me. where’s that post that says “who thought this was an acceptable backstory to give to a card game protag” bc honestly??? YEAH

it’s still hard to watch. it’s still hard to see play out, even if it’s only fiction. even though i’ve seen these clips so many times, and written about them in detail a few times too. doesn’t matter lol. watching it in context actually still made my stomach drop.

which leads me to talk about reactions to this, actually:

the two that vrains focuses heavily on are blue angel’s and kusanagi’s, and they contrast really well here imo.

blue angel’s is a normal reaction. it’s horrified, both at the thought of it happening and at the fact that someone would actually do that to another person -- a six year old child, no less.

kusanagi’s is strained. he is angry hearing about this, thinking about jin. we’ve been told, and have seen in the last few episodes, how much the lost incident impacted kusanagi and his brother, but i really love that the show tells us that here, too, and shows the difference between hearing about a tragedy and being involved in some manner.

i did not expect it at all when first watching vrains, and honestly, it still impresses me how gracefully they handled it coming off of arc v (cough, shun i love you but really cough cough). no hate on arc v at all, it’s my third favorite ygo very close behind gx, but the difference between the two on how they handle these things is staggering.

this whole section makes me thing that ryoken talked to yusaku fairly often, after the first time. which is something i don’t see brought up often? but that’s so important imo. it meant that yusaku had someone encouraging him not just once or twice, but on the regular, but also it meant that ryoken was constantly risking himself to comfort that child.

we don’t see too much of ryoken when he’s a kid, but we do see him scared and crying over the lost incident. the fact that he was able to talk calmly to this child so many times is really amazing. it also makes more sense as to why ryoken feels so guilty over calling the police -- he probably felt that maybe if he had just kept up his encouragement, the kids would’ve all gotten out okay and his father wouldn’t be in a coma.

this was so powerful. it’s obvious, and i think anyone with half a brain would understand that the LI isn’t something that a kid would recover from easily, but i love this anyways.

he wasn’t saved. and even if he was in body, it’s still something he and all the other victims will live with for the rest of their lives.

this also is something i don’t feel like people bring up enough, but does this mean that yusaku went around asking the kids at the hospital when he was rescued? it’s not hard to believe they were all put together, at least for a short amount of time, but it’s still something i feel like people overlook.

i also love this, because it’s nice foreshadowing to how revolver feels. he’s not captured, not like yusaku and the lost kids were, but he is a prisoner. and just like ryoken saved yusaku, way back then, he is determined to repay the favor.

not just because of that, either. because that voice meant so much to him. because that voiced saved him. because that voice understood him, and was there for him in his hardest moments. god i love them.

i love this shot. it’s so dramatic, how the match the drum beats with flashes of everyone’s reactions.

but it drives home his point, and while i know most of akira’s development came through emma and aoi, i’m sure this helped, too.

i’ve sung vrains praises this entire post, but i’ll do it again -- this is incredible. this is so realistic. it’s so well portrayed. and it’s really honest to god incredible that we got a protag in ygo who was shown going to therapy.

ygo has always dealt with some pretty dark subject matter, and it’s never really been shy about showing it on screen. i’m not saying that at all. arc v obviously dealt with some pretty heavy stuff, and while i haven’t seen zexal (keep shaming me please) i know it does, too. 5ds obviously has the dark signer arc, and the later arcs concerning bruno and also yusei’s father, and gx has... well, it’s entire third and fourth season.

but we see everyone healing via card games. we see those shows talk about these things, but kind of at the same time, skirt around the subject matter; or if they do go deep into it, they pull out (ie 5ds) or the characters don’t get resolved properly (ie arc v).

idk where i was going with this but i just really love that this happened, this was shown on screen, and they stuck to yusaku’s character. they didn’t just... up and make his trauma and his world view disappear at the end. he has a bittersweet ending, but it suited him and his development. a lot of people were mad about it, and i get it -- i wanted him to be happy, too.

but that’s not always the case, and it’s really important to me that vrains doesn’t pretend it is.

anyways, though, i’m almost done with this episode i promise lmao. before the episode ends, we get this:

and i think it’s honestly kind of cruel that akira says this, after everything, and still maintains his point of handling it himself. he has heard, first hand now, how horrible the incident has scarred yusaku for life. and yet, he still is stubborn in refusing to relate or at the very least empathize.

what i mean by that, since we obviously see him attempt to last episode, is he refuses to look at it from someone’s else’s perspective or in a way that might make him uncomfortable. the way my boyfriend describes these kinds of people is that they “haven’t had their bubble popped”.

everyone has a bubble when they’re born, and that bubble shields you from realizing that the world is a cruel and hard place. even if you go through hardships, sometimes your bubble stays put, and you think that is the worst of what can happen.

i’m explaining this very poorly, because i’m running on not much sleep and i’ve been typing about this episode for like, far, far too long, but essentially, he refuses to step out of his comfort zone and recognize, in playmaker’s case, that he doesn’t have a right to interfere and that playmaker’s desire to handle it himself is justified and helpful for his healing. and in aoi’s case, that just because he does a lot of good for her doesn’t automatically mean ignoring her for work and keeping her locked in their house is an okay trade off. and also that she’s not a child anymore -- she’s nearly an adult and she deserves to be treated as one.

those thoughts seem to unsettle him. you can kind of see it in how detached he is after hearing all that come from playmaker. blue angel is visibly shaken up by what he’s said. akira doesn’t even flinch, because he’s not really listening right now.

i’m glad he learns to, or at least learns how to start, later on.

anyways, i think that’s enough for this post lmao. this took forever to type up, so let’s hope i actually have time to cover up to 21 here today LOL. if you read all that, thank you for your time on my kind of dumb vrains thoughts :’)

#vrains #episode 19

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happythexceed · 6 years ago

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Summary of “K SEVEN STORIES Episode 5 K: Seven Stories “Memory of Red - ~Burn~”

Spoilers ahead. Sorry for any discrepancy. I tried to put in whatever I remembered I watched once and I’m not so good in remembering details. Some of the sub feels a bit vague.

The Idol K

The Silver Record Trio headed to the school island to pay the duo a visit. Kuroh wondered why they need to pay them a visit when their entertainment companies had agreed to help them. Shiro mentioned they were just going to tell them to “Please support them”. The school island had the sceneries suitable for filming.

The duo were filming special effect for a kid show where one is an ally of justice and the other is a devil who kills all people. Yeah, Yata is a hero and he gets a cape on screen on The Idol K finally. The two of them had a healthy rivalry relationship Shiro hoped Kuroh can have with Yukari.

Yata and Fushimi should have been over (the betrayal) as Yata is talking to Fushimi and getting along very well with him. During their break, Fushimi was grumbling about how lousy the script is written and Yata said he enjoyed it. Shiro greeted them and hope to get their support. They had both heard from their company about the charity event. Yata had no complaint if Kusanagi had agreed. Fushimi will just do his job.

Shiro presented them with the onigiri as the reward. Fushimi stared at it and Shiro replied that there’s only salt as filling. Yata teased that Shiro have even make the effort to research on Fushimi’s preference. They are going to have a wonderful performance.

Memory of Red - ~Burn~

The movie started off with the Damocles Down happening. The former Blue King Habari Jin couldn’t stop the former Red King Kagutsu Genji on time and his Sword of Damocles fell and he was caught in the blast. Various kids saw the Damocles down happening including Hisui and Tatara (if not Neko) who was hugged by his parents watching the blast intently. Young Iwa was shown at the scene.

The slate kid appeared commenting on the destruction. Kagutsu is the representation of it. What will the next Red King do? The next scene had a kid wearing his soccer uniform with the name “Suoh” on it witnessing the destruction from the Kagutsu crater. Suoh woke up from his nightmare. Anna who had been having a nightmare as well woke up and Mikoto wondered if she had a nightmare. Anna explained she could be affected by his dream sleeping by his side. Anna asked if Mikoto wished to be free.

Mikoto found himself in a cage with Totsuka and the rest of HOMRA members. He wished to be free but he doesn’t hate to be trapped.

It’s December and HOMRA members were having a discussion about Anna’s birthday celebration. Totsuka wanted to bake a 5 metres tall cake and everyone were like NO! This is only meant for her wedding. Everyone have their ideas which were scrapped until Kusanagi came up with the idea everyone to present Anna a rose and Anna would be able to form a bouquet from them. Anna overheard them and headed back to Mikoto’s room upstairs. She remarked that it isn’t a good time for her to go downstairs.

Totsuka shared his plan with Mikoto. He couldn’t stop harping on the 5 metres cake. He told King to present a rose and congratulate her on her birthday. They commented how time flies and they had taken in Anna when she was 7 and now she is 11.

There is a scene with Anna telling Totsuka he would not live long if he remains by Mikoto’s side.

The drinks arrived and Mikoto is staring why they have a “normal” drink and why is his drink so “girlish”. Red and with strawberry and suitable for King. “Strawberry fizz” was what Totsuka had ordered for King since he said he could decide for him and the red suits him.

They talked about their past how they started HOMRA with only the three of them at first. The man who was a supporter of Kagutsu caused Mikoto to become the Red King and what kind of destruction he could cause if he become the Red King instead. In the first place, they are already dead by now. (That make me wonder if Mikoto was not the supposed red king? He somehow took the power from that guy). People wanted to destroy everything surrounding them not caring if the world is destroyed tomorrow but doesn’t deny there are some good within it.

Totsuka waved goodbye to the two of them as he wanted to buy some stuff from the convenience store before going home. That was when he crossed his path with “Shiro” who was possessed by the Colourless King for the first time.

Preparation for Anna’s birthday is going on and everyone was busy. Chitose is flirting, Eric is looking at a necklace, etc. Totsuka showed everyone a dress and he wore a ribbon.

As for Mikoto, he passed by a shop and seemed to be having a debate in his mind. He gave up and walked into the shop. Mikoto was staring hard at a cute little teddy bear. He was like telling the bear to stop looking so cute, stay away from him, and he can resist not buying him. He gave up again and going to grab the bear. Little did he expect another hand grabbed the bear the same time as him.

That guy who is eyeing the same bear was Munakata. Mikoto wanted to leave and Munakata could have the bear. Munakata stopped him asking him didn’t he want to get the bear for HOMRA princess? Mikoto can’t deny. They talked how how they have their friends and family. They are Kings but at the same time they are both human. Munakata is in a cage like him. Munakata questioned if Mikoto wanted to leave the cage. The life outside the cage is too dangerous for human.

“Shiro” and Hisui in Kotosaka was having a discussion. “Shiro” thanked him for providing this body to him. This body is light and good. Hisui provides information about Totsuka and Kusanagi to him for him to plan his game. “Shiro” the new Colourless King using Weismann’s voice commented how he possessed many people obtaining their memories, how human are black and he is going to combine them together. First step he declared he would kill Totsuka Tatara who is the weakest.

Yata burnt the pot in bar HOMRA practicing his cooking for party food and heading home with Kamamoto (subs keep spelling his name wrong). Yata defended his fried rice is delicious ok? He just can’t manage party food. An airship passed by them, flying close. They noticed a girl using a candle app raising up to the sky aiming at the ship. To think people are still doing it now. Yata recalled how he went after it when he was still in middle school. He thought his world might change if he hopped on to it. Kamamoto added Fushimi was with him back then isn’t it? Yata changed the subject by demanding Kamamoto to lend him his kitchen to practice his cooking.

Totsuka is heading home from the bar and bumped into King who is going out to get cigarettes. He asked King to accompany him to the rooftop and showed him the night scene. Mikoto wondered about the red blinking light and Totsuka told him about the candle app. There is an urban legend that if people who feel down and out raised their device to the air with the app when the airship passes by, their troubles will be sucked in by the ship. Mikoto asked if he likes that. Totsuka replies that he didn’t need to as he had Kusanagi, Anna and him. He preferred to be grounded.

At the bottom of the building, “Shiro” is staring up at the rooftop where Totsuka and Mikoto are.

The night before Anna’s birthday, HOMRA alphabet boys had a talk among themselves after leaving the bar. Eric got a little sentimental and how happy he was taken in somehow and found a sense of belongings and the boys “beat” him up for spouting nonsense.

Totsuka asked Kusanagi if he needed help and Yata offered to help. Totsuka decided to head off to get Anna the “cake” instead. He reminded Mikoto although he can’t bake the real one, he wanted to film that same scene he and Mikoto saw that night. The blinking red light resembled that candles on top of the cake and he wanted to show Anna that. (It was as though everyone knows this was the last time they see Totsuka alive). Kusanagi tell Totsuka to take care, Kamamoto said he will pick up the cake from him tomorrow. They would see each other tomorrow. (Tomorrow never came).

Totsuka came to the rooftop and was shot by “Shiro” and he asked him why as he laid in the pool of blood. “Shiro” introduces himself as the Colourless King as he shot the camera Totsuka dropped. He declared to Totsuka on the Seven Kings and Seven Stories they have he wanted to take them all and make them all his. He raised the phone with the app as the airship appeared above him.

Totsuka wanted to go back to inform them but his body didn’t allow him to do so. He fell and laid on the ground in despair if he is going to die there. He is also worried that the rest of HOMRA friends will be targeted. Yet when he thought about the time he had with them he felt happy and peaceful. He took out his phone he wanted to call king. He wondered if he would be angry. He called Kusanagi. (The phone keep ringing and we wondered if he will answer). Totsuka told Kusanagi he was happy.

He saw himself on the speeding on the mountain road and met King who stood in the middle of the road. He thought of the past during school days how much fun he had.

Totsuka died in Yata’s arms later. Mikoto heard from Kusanagi and informed Anna who started to cry. She just woke up dreaming of Totsuka breaking into pieces like a marble.

The whole HOMRA grieved. Tears running down Eric’s cheek, Bandou burst into tear. Yata in bloodied shirt yelling why in frustration.

Fushimi went into Munakata’s office to report about Totsuka’s death and they had a meeting. Awashima mentioned Kusanagi contacted her and asked her and Scepter 4 not to interfere. It is between Red Clan and Colourless clan. How can Scepter 4 not get involved when it is clan related and they had the safety of people in mind. Munakata decided they will advance for their cause is pure.

Mikoto watched Totsuka’s body and Kusanagi noticed he got a new ear ring on his ear and recognized as Totsuka’s but didn’t remember it was that red. It’s hollow so Mikoto filled it with his blood. He wanted to remember Totsuka’s existence as there won’t be a grave or anything left of him when he burns him. HOMRA held the ceremony by the seaside. Anna left Totsuka a rose before Mikoto burnt the coffin. “No blood no bone no ash!” There wasn’t a trace left by Totsuka after the fire died out.

Mikoto sat quietly alone looking out at the sea when Kusanagi approached him. Totsuka lives his life the way he wanted and Mikoto decided he would do the same. Kusanagi would not stop him. It was payback time.

Hisui and Iwa discussed about the Colourless King. Hisui played a supporting role this round and he would not want to get involved in his game. The plan Colourless King has would help him to move his greater plan. Iwa can choose not to watch if it’s hard for him. Iwa after all witnessed the Damocles down and lost all his clansmen as the only survivor.

Neko as a cat came to Ashinaka Academy and slept when a boy fell from the sky and crashed.

HOMRA gang walked into the street. Mikoto signaled them to do their job as he walked on with Anna. Anna asked if he wanted to avenge Tatara. Mikoto thought about Totsuka’s words that he needed a place of belonging, Munakata’s words about the world outside the cage is not meant for human etc, Mikoto merely replied he would do whatever he wants.

Thoughts:

The life in the cage is the world the people involved in the Dresden slate is it seems. Yata and Fushimi used to be really normal wanting to change the world found themselves inside it. Mikoto wanted to get out yet he doesn’t hate to stay in the cage where people he cared and care about him are in. Life outside the cage is dangerous although they set themselves free. Hisui will want a life outside the cage. This is a movie setting up for Season 1. The bit and pieces of various characters getting together and their discussion will ultimately lead to the series of happening in season 1. I’m hoping for a miracle and a different ending to happen yet it won’t be nice if there is a major change changing what led to the end of season 2.

#k seven stories #k memory of red #totsuka tatara #suoh mikoto #setting up for season 1 #tatara witness the damocles down isn't it?#the kid looks like neko too #problematic when the kids look similar #can't differentiate by the colours #poor Kusanagi can't say anything to stop Mikoto #totsuka tatara was the character that brought me into K fandom #liking sarumi came later

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lily-liegh · 6 years ago

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for the drabble challenge: #111 for Datastorm, please :> (omg so many are just plain awesome x'D ooohh especially #136 *melts*)

#111: “You can’t just hug me and think everything is OK.”

note: set in Humans Givens verse, so Yuusaku and Ryouken are children having run away from Dr. Kougami and living under the guardianship of Kusanagi.

Yuusaku finds Ryouken with his knees pulled up to his chin, tucked at the furthest end of the park, at the back woods where the trees grow thickest and not a single voice breaks the shivering silence. Frost bites his toes, wrapped up in damp socks; he'd run out of the hotdog truck without even stopping to grab his jacket or slip on his shoes, and the damp morning air and dewy ground make quite an uncomfortable spot for him.

Carefully, Yuusaku crouches down in front of him, hands folding under his chin. Ryouken's long bangs swept over his eyes, with his face bent down towards his chest. If he's crying, Yuusaku wouldn't know—but he can't hear the sounds of sobbing, and Ryouken remains stiffer than a board with even his shoulders wobbling.

"Are you crying?" Yuusaku finally asks, leaning down further to catch even a glimpse of Ryouken's face.

Ryouken curls up tighter, scrunching his knees against his chest. "Go 'way."

"But we can't leave the van," he presses. "Kusanagi's going to say—"

"I don't care what he says."

Even the cold air feels warmer than Ryouken's words, crashing into him like an arctic wind.

"I don't care what he says about anything. He's—he's not my—"

My father. The words stick like hot tar on his tongue. Yuusaku only vaguely remembers Dr. Kougami, the Bad Man who put him in the Bad Room. It seems impossible for that horrible man to be Ryouken's father, but even after all the time they've spent at Kusanagi's, Ryouken still thinks about his father. He knows it. While Yuusaku feels safer each day at Kusanagi's side, he notices Ryouken straying away, wanting to spend more time alone with his thoughts or staring at the window watching fathers and sons walk to town together. Even when Kusanagi takes them out, each holding onto one of his weathered hands, Ryouken's gaze travels to the other pedestrians.

"We should still go back," he says, swirling a finger in the ground. He stretches a hand out to Ryouken, meant only to grasp the hem of his sleeve, but Ryouken pulls back as if stung.

"No."

"Then ..." Dropping to the ground, Yuusaku crosses his legs and plants his hands. "I'll stay here with you."

"Then you're just going to get in trouble too."

That will be fine, he thinks. Kusanagi won't get too upset with him. Worst of all, he'll be more worried than angry, and he'll make them take a bath to warm up and heat up brothy soup to drink.

The wet ground soaks into his pants and sleeves, and Yuusaku pulls himself back up onto his feet and crouches above the ground. He slips in next to Ryouken, so that they crouch side by side, shoulder to shoulder, with but a hair’s breadth of space between them. With each shaky exhale, Ryouken's arms brush against him. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuusaku sees his white face pinched together like he's trying to hold himself back from screaming and lashing out.

Gently, Yuusaku tips himself to the side. His shoulder touches Ryouken first, and then his body follows, until his entire weight rests against Ryouken. Ryouken feels even colder than the morning air, and his breath puffs against his cheek.

"I can't hold you up ..."

Yuusaku scooches closer, tucking himself against Ryouken, feet planted on the ground. He feels even steadier, and though his bangs he sees Ryouken's dry eyes peeking out. Not a single tears clings to his long, dark lashes.

"You can't ..."

His arm wraps around Ryouken's trembling shoulders.

"Y-you can't just h—hug me and t-think everything is OK."

"But everything is OK," he says.

"Says who?"

"Dr. Jin."

"He's lying."

"And Kusanagi."

"He's lying to us too."

Had Ryouken says those words to him so long ago, back when he would have been the one scampering out the door and cowering behind a tree in the park, he would have shut right out. He would have never even trusted either of them, and sometimes, when the world seems dark and bleak, he doubts their trust. But in all the time they've been together, neither Kusanagi nor Dr. Jin have ever tried to harm him or Ryouken. They're kind adults, grown-ups he can trust and rely on.

They wouldn't lie to him.

"Adults lie to kids," Ryouken says through his teeth, "so that we don't worry."

"But Kusanagi doesn't lie," Yuusaku says. He knows it.

"He tells lies that kids like me and you can't figure out—but he lies."

Yuusaku shakes his head, back and forth so that his bangs dust his cold cheeks. But he holds his tongue from saying anything further and nestles against Ryouken's side. He feels each of Ryouken's shivery breaths until they still in his lungs and he extracts himself from his tight cocoon. Limbs creak and groan as he settles on the dewy ground. One of his arms slips round Yuusaku's back.

"Kusanagi's going to be mad at us," Ryouken says at last. When he pulls himself up, Yuusaku sees his first proper look at Ryouken's face: watery eyes and nose, and cheeks pink and blistered. He gives his face a good scrub with his shirt sleeve and then rubs it on his pant leg. "Come on, we'll head back."

On the tip of his tongue is a longing to ask Ryouken just what happened—why he ran out in the first place and why he so readily wants to turn back. But he keeps the thoughts to himself as he follows Ryouken back through the quiet forest, unmarred by human voices.

Maybe Ryouken has secrets too.

Maybe Ryouken lies to him too so that he doesn't worry.

#datastormshipping #vrains #yugioh vrains #ryoken kogami #yusaku fujiki #lily writes #thank you very much for the ask!#breakdawn avenue #lily answers

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tomorrowfortoday · 5 years ago

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So You Had a Bad Day

I may have been a little inspired to write a Mikane OneShot. This will only be available to read here on tumblr, so enjoy :3 *Warning: Foul language, violence, and sexual/abusive themes ahead* *But also good, happy stuff*

Just another beautiful day in the life. That’s what they all say right? People. The same people that just won’t leave her alone day after day. Today included. Oh especially today. Between having to put up with cat calls during her work hours, which she thought would give her at least a decent amount of professional respect, and being shoved shoulder to shoulder in the busy Shizume subway, Akane Himura had had enough. Even without all the antagonists she was having a bad day. Headaches, natural bad temperament which had gotten her into trouble several times that day already, and hallucinations that put louder than normal whispers in her ears and made her feel like she was under a blaring spotlight. Some days as a schizophrenic were better than others. This wasn’t one of them. Although, she would start to be a little more alarmed about it if the severity had made her call in sick. She wasn’t quite in that condition yet luckily. Every bump, every little shove of the people around her set her on edge and made her bite down on her cheek or tongue to keep from screaming at them. Or worse. It was like she could feel the heat coming off of them all. The filth, the sweat of the hot day, the stench of the auras of strangers. She hated it. It all made her want to jump into a pool of ice, just to rid her mind of any thought of them. Their suffocating heat. It was almost dark out but still it seemed as though the sparse clouds were trapping the sun’s rays in the earth’s atmosphere. The stars gave her none of the freedom she often sought from them as she left the underground station to finally breath semi-fresh city air. Her anger worsened slightly when the heavy feeling in her chest refused to dissipate. The walk home wasn’t long. The bar Homra was in an ideal spot for business, in a location easily accessible by basically all means of transport in the big, bright city. In her current state of desperation to be on familiar, happier grounds, Akane made the mistake of deciding to take a shortcut. She could handle herself, as she had proven time and time again. The thought that she shouldn’t be putting herself in dangerous situations in the first place didn’t even cross her mind. Well. Maybe it did. But nothing stopped her from ignoring and forgetting it altogether. She simply pulled the hood of her sweater up and tugged her backpack, which had her work uniform and wallet in it, closer, and tried to look as dark and invisible, or hopefully at least as scary, as possible. It didn’t work. “Hey there, whatcha got in the bag?” The man’s sticky, ill-smelling breath wafted over her and she tried to walk past without a word. “Oi, I’m talkin’ to ya!” “Yeah, and I’m ignoring you, fuck off bucko.” She flipped him off as she quickened her pace in the shadows, only to be yanked back by the wrist as the guy suddenly grabbed her. “Well well well, you’ve got a nice voice under all that. What else are ya hiding from me, sweetheart?” His eyes slowly creeped over her form and she cursed at herself for wearing shorts that day. Thoughts of what he was planning to do to her made the bile rise in her throat. Her heart rate increased and she fought off the flashbacks. Panicking wouldn’t do her any good. Panicking would only get her hurt again. The pressure on her arm built up and she yelped slightly as he tried to pull her closer, already reaching his other hand out to grope at her. And then she snapped. She used his own strength against him and used the momentum, along with her own force, to slam him against the wall behind them. A knife, which she had hidden in her pocket, was pressed against his throat and the fear that he had intended to be on her face now adorned his own. “You are fucking around with the wrong bitch on the wrong day, asshole.” No-one would notice. He looks like a nobody. A sexist, disgusting nobody. Kill him. You know you want to. You know you miss the smell of blood. Kill him kill him killhim killkillkill. She shoved the voices away, desperately trying not to give in to their urges. Akane got right up in his face and whispered menacingly, bright grey eyes piercing into his very soul, “Don’t. Touch. Me.” She fire in her words must’ve burned him to the core because as she practically tossed him away he ran like a madman to god knows where to do god knows what. The red subsided from her vision and she looked down at her hands. Giving a tired sigh, she retracted the knife and put it back into her pocket, continuing on her way like nothing had happened. It was the best defense mechanism she had. If she pretended that nothing had happened, then it was like nothing had happened. At least... not until she was in a safe enough space to deal with it. Only for a split second did she stop to look up and wonder, would they care if something bad happened to me? Thoughts like these often crossed her mind lately. She finally had something like a home. She felt a connection with all the wonderful, albeit at times annoying, people that had welcomed her into their lives. Yata had accepted her again, or at least she hoped. Tatara fussed over her like a mother hen, or at least she thought. And Kusanagi always kept a distant but watchful eye over her to make sure she felt safe. And happy. Or so she dreamed. With her condition it was nearly impossible to get a definite read on people, so she often had to question herself, she couldn’t help but occasionally doubt them. And it wasn’t something she could be blamed for. She continued on in silence for the rest of the short journey. “Akane! Thought I’d catch you around here.” She saw Yata approaching from a little ways down the aisle of buildings and quietly cursed when she looked down at her arm. A purple bruise was already forming from where she had been grabbed, and it traveled down her hand far enough that her sleeve wouldn’t be able to hide it. She did her best anyway and put on a happy mask. “Sorry you had to take the late shift today, how was it?” The events of the day echoed through her mind at light-speed but her face remained unchanged. Horrible. Terrible. Worth forgetting and incinerating from my frikken head entirely. “Eh, you know. The usual. It was fine.” She shrugged and continued to lightly smile at him. She felt bad for it, for how frequently she used this tactic on him. But he almost always bought it so she continued to use it. “I figured. Look, me and the guys were thinking that-” he put his hand on her shoulder as she walked past, something he had done many many times before, only this time she jumped and even swatted it away. They both looked at each other in confusion. It had been entirely reflexive, Akane hadn’t even expected that from herself. “S-sorry. I... didn’t mean to do that.” “You ok?” She had made the mistake of letting the mask slip for only a fraction of a second when he touched her. Even her best friend had put her on edge and the contact made her cringe without warning. “Um, yeah. Long day. I’m just-I’ll just go home.” “Want me to walk you? You’ve been kinda on edge since this morning. It’s a bad day isn’t it?” He knew that the condition would affect her in waves. He was used to it and knew that, although it was often difficult or awkward, he had to force her to communicate so that he wouldn’t make it worse. She shook her head, “I just wanna be alone for a little while.” He frowned, obviously not liking the idea but also knowing he didn’t have much of a say in the matter. “Ok.” She smiled at him appreciatively. “Just text me when you get there.” “Yeah. Sure thing mom.” But the words didn’t have quite the same humorous ring to them. The same life. He frowned in worry but watched as his friend walked off towards their base, alone against his own better judgement. Finally, she was standing at the front door, and thanking the stars that Yata hadn’t noticed her arm in the darkness. Time for round two. It was colder than she had expected inside, and the burst of conditioned air even made her shiver at first contact. But that didn’t slow her from her newfound mission. Upon entering the building, Akane headed straight for the kitchen. She didn’t see anyone awake, which was probably the most shocking thing that whole night. The bar was closed, but it wasn’t even that late yet. Someone was definitely still up at this hour. The girl decided not to worry about it yet, and simply tugged at her sleeve just in case, finally making it to the back room with all the food. Somehow it was even colder, and she found herself wishing she had been wearing a thicker sweater. This one had mostly been for aesthetic purposes rather than functionality. Please be in here please please- aha! Tatara, you’re a lifesaver. She searched through the fridge, racing the effects of what had just transpired, to find what she had asked for. A giant jar of pickles. Some girls had chocolate or ice cream, but for some reason, whenever she had a mental breakdown or the insatiable urge to cry, pickles were the only thing that could quench her sorrows. She blamed it on probably being dropped one too many times as a kid. “Oh fucking hell, why can’t I just have one goddamn thing?!” Tears of frustration began to build up in her eyes as she struggled to open the jar. She grumbled and swore as she battled with the metal lid. She tried everything. Running it under warm water, using a dish towel, she even bent a poor, unsuspecting spoon trying to pry it open. Finally, she went back to trying to use plain old brute force. And proceeded to hurt her wrist. In a burst of fury that had built up over the last couple of hours, she raised the glass above her head, ready to just smash it on the ground and risk eating broken glass shards with her snack. But as she went to swing her arms down, the weight of the jar disappeared. She looked at her hands in confusion and jumped as someone cleared their throat behind her. Akane spun around like lightning and came face to face with none other than Mikoto Suoh. Holding a jar of pickles, which he easily opened with a satisfying pop of the lid. She refused to meet his eyes, past the emotional point of being able to fake anything. He placed the lid back on and screwed it back only partially so she could get it off again, and handed it back to her with one hand. Akane reached out to take it, and his other hand gently caught her own before she could react. The confused look hit her again when her reflexes didn’t kick in. She didn’t jump back, she didn’t smack him. Nothing. She just sat there and let it happen. She nearly broke into tears at the first comforting warmth she had felt all day. His hand was surprisingly soft and gentle as he turned hers so he could see the bruise on the back of it. It was clearly fresh, so she wouldn’t be able to lie about getting it a few days ago or anything. His aura didn’t infuriate her, didn’t make her want to rip his throat out. If anything it only served to weaken her resolve, to bring her closer to breaking down. Don’t. You’re fine. Crying is for children. Nothing even happened so stop being a baby. It doesn’t matter that his hand is warm and comforting and feels like home so suck it up and deal with it. “What happened?” She carefully, softly pulled her hand back, instantly missing his touch. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” She said quietly. He sighed and reluctantly handed over the jar. She gladly accepted it and turned away from him without another word, even more desperately trying to fight back the sobs that were attempting to choke her. Trying to ignore the emptiness she felt as she tried to put physical distance between them. They’re all the same. He’ll only hurt me if I trust him. I’m just tired and weak. People are all the same. They’ll all only betray me. They don’t care. They’re just... horrible and cold. His footsteps took him a few feet away, but then stopped. Mikoto halted in the doorway and looked back at her. It would have been funny, a girl cradling a jar of pickles like it was a child, if she didn’t look so heartbroken. The day must’ve really kicked her ass. She didn’t deserve that. He knew it. He caught slight movement in her otherwise motionless body and realized she was shivering. He never felt the cold, always able to produce more than enough of his own heat to maintain comfort. But she was different. She was fragile. She had to be taken care of, no matter what she said or how much she protested. The man frowned as she sniffled, fighting a losing battle against her own overpowering emotions. He knew she wanted to be more, or less, than human. That she did her best to fight emotions altogether. But underneath it all there was only so much she could take. He only wished he could protect her from everything that seemed to try so desperately to push her past the breaking point. Akane hugged the jar to her chest like it would stop her heart from exploding. There were too many emotions. She couldn’t deal. Not alone. Her own burdens were crushing her in the isolation she had created for herself. Then, out of nowhere, there was safety. She turned in surprise, just in time to see Mikoto exit the room, leaving behind his jacket, which was now wrapped around her shoulders. It was still warm from his touch. It created a shelter around her that, instead of separating her from the world, protected her from it. And for the first time that night she felt safe. She wiped some of the tears from her eyes and pulled it tighter around her, a small smile forcing its way to her lips, and a mild but persistent heat rose to her cheeks. Well... maybe not all of them.

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darkzorua100 · 6 years ago

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I have to give it to episode 64. Not only did we get the first half to the backstory to how Yusaku and Kusanagi met and teamed up, this episode was just hilarious in general, even during times when it was supposed to be serious but I still got a good laugh out of them for the Easter eggs and just how ridiculous some scenes were.

For example, the beginning of the episode. Takeru’s expressions to Naoki just appearing out of nowhere while Yusaku goes from “I have to deal with this on a normal bases. I’m honestly just used to it by now.” to “Boy, if you start talking sh*t, I will flat out murder you.” Then we cut to Ai flying around the city and what does Kusanagi do? He takes advantages of it and makes Ai a living advertisement. I feel like this is A.I. abuse but this is kinda what they are made to do so...you’re the one that decided to turn Yusaku’s duel disk into a helicarrier, Ai. You really should have known better if you thought that Kusanagi wasn’t going to use that to his advantage against his competition XD

Speaking of which, Takeru goes out of his way to buy Kusanagi a thank you meal from a hamburger place for saving him from Blood Shepherd only for Ai to crash land right into him and I love how Takeru and Flame’s first reaction to this is “Huh, duel disks fall from the sky here! No wonder everyone is a duelist here!” But after finding out that it was Ai, and that he upgraded Yusaku’s duel disk to be able to fly him around, Flame gets the bright idea to turn Takeru’s duel disk into a vehicle. Takeru’s reaction to that was basically mine. Thanks Ai, you gave Flame ideas. I won’t be surprised if he somehow is able to actually do that in the future. Also interesting thing to note, it looks like Takeru might still be living with his grandparents after all since Flame says that if they turn his duel disk into a vehicle, he wouldn’t need to take a train home anymore. I know Japanese schools work way differently then the ones in the U.S. so him going to a different school to improve his education greatly after slacking in it for so many years seems like a good excuse to actually go to Den City to help Yusaku but wow, I have to give Takeru so major credit. He really is going out of his way to help Yusaku since he’s going through all the trouble to what I assume is back and forth trips each day from his home town to Den City. We don’t even know how far these two places are either so that train fare can’t be cheap. Where is he even getting the money for this anyway? Well I guess his grandparents I should assume. Since he’s finally going to school again, and making friends since I’m sure he told them about Yusaku, they probably pay as much money as they can to keep Takeru happy like this after so many years of being completely shut off from the world. Just something I found neat.

And then we cut to this and I seriously just want to know what was going through Yusaku’s head when Naoki said this. Apparently murder judging by his facial expressions he made during this scene. Naoki, Yusaku already has to explain the whole Takeru situation when him and Ryoken meet back up. You really need to stop trying to make this whole thing into a love square because it seriously is never going to happen. I do like how the show is just running with the whole soulmate line now. Sure they weren’t being settle before about Naoki being super gay for Playmaker but now they are just not even trying anymore. And what did I tell you guys about the Naoki blackmailing Yusaku should he find out he was actually Playmaker? He actually would do it apparently. Does he actually know that Yusaku = Playmaker though? Hell no. I’m sure this is just going to end in another fake out just like the Go situation, which now thinking about it we never actually got an answer to that question, and Naoki is just going to pull a fast one on Yusaku and states that he knows that he is actually Playmaker’s number 1 fan or something. In which case, yep totally, Naoki. He loves Playmaker so much that he dresses up as him in his free time. You discovered Yusaku’s dirty little secret, please don’t tell anyone!

So we start getting the backstory part of the episode and wow, Jin was so messed up when he was rescued. Completely shut down. The human mind processes things differently between humans but it really is so fascinating how out of the four kids we know about, they all took in this experience differently. Like I said, Jin’s mind completely shut down, Spectre got a kick out of it and wanted more, Takeru had no drive to do anything and became depressed, and Yusaku tried to move on with his life but when that didn’t work, he sought out revenge against the people that did this to him. I just want to know who the last two kids are now just to know how they reacted to the Hanoi Project. But yeah, after realizing that Jin wasn’t going to get better, Kusanagi took it upon himself to find out what happened to his brother. In doing so, his career plans changed a lot. Apparently he wanted to be an athlete at one point, then became a hacker, and now he owns a hot truck. This guy is all over the place.

We find out that these flashbacks take place during when the Knights of Hanoi were out destroying the Cyberse cards. Revolver said it himself, when Playmaker showed up and he saw that he was using Cyberse, he was shocked by this since he thought his organization had wiped them all out but the question I have to this is just how did Link Vrains get access to the Cyberse-type in the first place? Five years before the start of the show, Ai sealed the Cyberse away and he was on the run since. We learn in the preview for 65 that Yusaku found his Cyberse deck in the ruins but in answering that question leads to even more questions. What are they doing in the ruins? Who was using them before Yusaku got his deck? The Ignises, who created the Cyberse-type, didn’t interact with humans before Revolver showed up but they were clearly in a duel disk, not just laying around on the floor. What kind of aztec stuff is this? There seriously has be a seventh Ignis, the divine one, we don’t know about yet because I don’t know how this is going to be explained otherwise. Add in Yusaku’s Link Sense and how he felt like he has done Speed Dueling before it was even a thing again...oh this is hurting my brain.

Kusanagi ends up witnessing a murder happen and is about to get murdered himself by some Knights of Hanoi goons but is saved by Playmaker...well Unknown at the time. Yusaku didn’t name Playmaker yet in these flashbacks which really makes episode 65′s title make sense. I very much want to see how that name was chosen since Playmaker is a pun of Yusaku’s name and I’m pretty sure at realizing that, Kusanagi is going to suggest the name for him. Because if you are going to be the hero that Link Vrains needs, you need something better then “unknown”. Also, I just loved how much Playmaker was just done with anyone in these flashbacks XD He just wants his revenge but instead he has to save people and beat up goons who can’t tell him anything.

So against his warnings, Kusanagi returns to Link Vrains and ends up getting into trouble, again, and Playmaker has to save his ass. Kusanagi logs out and Playmaker ends up out right destroying a Knight of Hanoi with a starter deck. Before he used Cyberse, he used the 2018, I believe, starter deck and just wow. Revolver, how bad are your henchmen if they are getting OTK by a starter deck?! Like I said, this episode was just so funny, even for serious moments like these. Also buy the new starter deck apparently. But yeah, afterwards, Playmaker gets outnumbered, even though I pretty sure he can take all of them at once, but just doesn’t because they know nothing that can help him in his quest for vengeance, and this time Kusanagi is the one to rescue him by getting him a way out and afterwards tells Playmaker to meet up with him at Cafe Nagi. And right after that, we get the real life meeting between Yusaku and Kusanagi and can I just say I love Yusaku’s outfit! I’m a sucker for hoodies, what can I say (also copying your boyfriend much, Yusaku? You and Ryoken even have similar ways to approaching others who you wish to team up with (Ryoken to Spectre and Yusaku to Kusanagi) but boy, why can’t you wear this more often or at all?! You look out right ready to shank someone and it is amazing! I also just loved the way Kusanagi convinced Yusaku to team up with him.

“If you’re the strongest spear to fight the Knights of Hanoi, I’ll be the strongest shield to protect you!” I really like this quote for some reason and perfectly sums up their partnership. What does that make Takeru then? The armor? Since time and time again, he goes out of his way to protect Yusaku from dueling Go and Blue Girl so he wouldn’t have to worry about them and out right protected him from Blood Shepherd’s trap. I think it makes sense.

And yeah, the episode ends with them agreeing to work together. Like I said before, the preview shows them working together in their first real mission to get Yusaku his Cyberse deck. Overall, I’m surprised how much I enjoyed this episode. It was just funny and the backstory was just good and gave us answers to questions we needed answers for. I hope next week’s episode is just as good and I really hope we do get a Ryoken/Revolver cameo during it because it makes sense to throw him in there just to foreshadow what Yusaku and Kusanagi have to face off against together in the future.

#vrains #vrains spoilers #Thoughts #theories

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misakiyata-karasu · 6 years ago

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hello! Can I ask you some SukuAnna headcanon?

I finally did it! I’d honestly never really thought of a lot of head canons for them before since they are kind of one of my lesser ships in the fandom. I feel like their relationship would be very cute ‘puppy dog love’ though!

- It takes a while for them to progress from platonic to romantic. At first, they are totally cool just being pals until they both get slapped in the face with feelings.

- Anna is pretty mature about handling her feelings when she realizes that she has them.

- Like, oh, so this is what it feels like to have a crush on someone. This is different, but it feels so warm and nice.

- Sukuna, on the other hand, is a fucking disaster.

- He tries to flirt, but just ends up blushing and stuttering because he swears he just had something charming in mind to say, but then Anna looked at him and holy shit she is so pretty and he forgot how to speak.

- “I’m totally subtle about my feelin- asdkfjdnf h-hey Anna!”

- Anna ends up confessing first.

- Sukuna tried to confess on multiple occasions but just failed

- Poor Sukuna has to deal with all of Anna’s big brothers who don’t trust him very much and only tolerate him because he makes Anna so obviously happy.

- Misaki throws a fit when he finds out that they are on a date from Kusanagi.

- No way in hell can he let Anna date that sketchy green punk! Does noone remember what that kid did to everyone?! What he said about Mikoto and Tatara?! That he was going to kill Saruhiko?!

- He storms out to find them, but when he does he just stops and stares because It’s been so long since he has seen Anna look so happy. She actually seems like a normal kid for once and he can’t bring himself to ruin that

- So he begrudgingly accepts their relationship

- That doesn’t mean that he and the rest of the guys don’t drill into Sukuna whenever they get the chance.

- Izumo is more reserved about his - well - reservations about Sukuna. He trusts Anna enough to let her make her own decisions, she is too mature and has been through too much for him to be able to get away with treating her like a child after all, and he knows that she could probably kick the kid’s skinny ass anyway.

- He keeps an eye out though and makes some lowkey threats while smiling.

- He waits up whenever they go out on dates later in the day, not able to sleep until she gets back because he’s gotta make sure their princess gets back safe.

- Anna just sighs and only interferes when it gets to be too much because she understands that they are just doing it out of love but pls stop harassing my boyfriend, guys. please.

- Sukuna feels really guilty about what he put Anna through when he was in JUNGLE even though she insists that it’s all in the past. It takes a long time before he can hear about Mikoto or Tatara without the biggest pit in his stomach though

- They start going to school together and Sukuna has to take a couple minutes to calm his heart when he sees her in her uniform

- It doesn’t help when she tells him that he looks very handsome

- Anna gets confessed to multiple times a week even after they start dating. It made Sukuna a little jealous at first, but he trusts in Anna’s feelings for him enough at this point that it’s not a huge deal for him

- “Heh, I bet my girlfriend holds the high score for the most confessions in a school year!”

- Sukuna tries really hard to plan dates that he thinks that she will like. Anna is honestly happy doing pretty much anything as long as she is with him.

- He won’t admit it but he asks Yukari for advice on dating and usually gets his help when picking out an outfit for fancier dates.

- Yukari can’t help but tease him about it a little bit

- But young love really is just so beautiful~

- For her birthday, he gets her a bouquet of red roses.

- She cries and he panics thinking that he fucked something up, but she shakes her head and smiles at him, telling him that they’re beautiful and she’s really happy

- Sukuna says “I love you” first. He’s all excited about something and it just kind of slips out. It takes a good few seconds before he realizes what he has done and part of him wants to die. Just like, ‘this is it. Game over. I ruined everything.’

- When he realizes, he gets really embarrassed.

- Anna just blushes and says it back.

- They help each other so much growth wise. Anna helps Sukuna to be a bit more mature while Sukuna helps Anna to act her age more.

- Anna is very insistent on taking videos and pictures of him.

- He doesn’t get it, but he lets her.

- She ends up putting pictures of them together on the HOMRA cork board of memories though and he is so touched

- Sukuna is the little spoon. You can fight me on this if you want.

——

That’s it! I hope this was enough to make up for how long it took to do this! Oh, and this isn’t really a head canon, but whenever I hear the vocaloid song ‘The Wolf That Fell in Love with Little Red Riding Hood’ it makes me think that it would be cute for them. I dunno why. I tend to project ships onto songs that I like onto ships though. Maybe one day I’ll post a list of songs I fantasize about my ships to…

#SukuAnna #sukuna gojo #Anna kushina #k project #k project imagine #k project imagines #k project headcanons #sukuanna headcanons

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emeraldwaves · 7 years ago

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Title: Last Regrets, Chapter 2 Requested by @munakatareishi, Thank you to @its-love-u-asshole for betaing! Mikorei Week 2017 Day 5: My Heart Aches for You Pairing: Mikorei Rating: M WC: 4,606 Ao3 Summary: "Munakata had known they'd never be together. They were too opposite, too different, and Suoh now had too many ghosts haunting him." “Just as they seemingly haunted Munakata as well."

5 years ago

"Munakata Reisi, let's work hard and do our best." He says the words and they're filled with hope--Hope for his future. In the brief moment he's standing, he glances around the classroom at the people who will be his peers for the next three years. One blond woman looks excited, her blue eyes twinkle with adoration, and while he's grateful, he finds his eyes are drawn to the red-haired male in the corner of the room. He's looking at him with a passive stare, and yet, their amber color pulls Munakata in.

The moment is over before it begins however, and Munakata is back to his seated position. It's the first day of high school, and Munakata is ready for this high school life to begin. He'd always been a hard worker, and that hard work had finally paid off when he got his acceptance letter to Shizume Academy, one of the premier schools in the country. He had been ready for this for as long as he could fathom having memories. High school meant more responsibilities, being more adult, and growing closer to his goal-things Munakata had been ready for for quite sometime now.

"Suoh Mikoto," the red-head says. He's standing, hunched over, hands in his pockets. It looks as though just standing alone has been far too much effort for him. Munakata notes his name, as he has been doing for all the students, but he takes particular note of this one, his pen staying on the paper in front of him. After saying his name, Suoh sits down.

"You don't wish to say anything else?" the teacher asks, tilting his head.

"Nah," Suoh says, though the response is barely audible and seems like a displeased grunt.

Munakata has a guess about what kind of person Suoh is-uncaring, unmotivated. Makes him wonder how Suoh even was accepted into the school, though usually people like him were rich with connections-probably grandfathered in due to his name. Munakata decides to google it later.

This is the first time they see each other. The first time they indirectly meet.

No matter, Suoh's life doesn't affect Munakata's.

That is, until it does.

As far as Suoh is concerned, Munakata Reisi is the type of guy he wants nothing to do with. Uptight, maybe a little pretentious. One of those kids who raises his hand just to remind the teacher it's time to turn in the homework even when the teacher himself has forgotten. Suoh hates that shit.

It doesn't really matter after a while because Suoh decides class is for idiots. Idiots he doesn't feel like dealing with. He's too tired for that, and he'd rather sit on the roof and smoke. Just as he is now. He's not "supposed" to smoke, but that's what makes it taste even better. It fills his lungs and makes his blood tingle, a rush he's needed all morning.

It's usually lunch when he can slip away, but today he's lucky. P.E is in the morning on Wednesdays which means he can duck out early. If it wasn't for the damn attendance passes they had to scan upon entry to their classrooms in the morning, Suoh would've gone straight to the roof immediately. However, to be counted on time, he had to show up for at least one class.

He's staring up at the sky, the white clouds rolling against the light blue blanket. It's quiet, minus the occasional distant honking of a horn, and the blustering gust of wind here and there. This is where Suoh loves to be. Hell, he would've lived on the damn roof if he could've. Then maybe he wouldn't have had to go to school any longer.

"As long as you're under our roof you will be attending and participating in school..."

"Think of your grandfather, he would be so disappointed to hear his grandson is failing at his alma mater..."

"And what about your future, what exactly do you plan on doing with your life? You will not be a freeloader forever, Mikoto."

School is filled with far too much responsibility, life is full of too much responsibility, something Suoh has never wanted.

"Ah, I knew I'd find you up here!" A familiar voice calls from behind him. Suoh doesn't need to look to know Kusanagi's come to join him. He always does for lunch, and if there's nothing going on in any of his subjects, he'll occasionally cut class. He's a second year, and he's damn smart, so he can get away with shit like that.

"Mmm..." Suoh mumbles, twisting the end of his cigarette onto the ground.

"How long have you been here?" Kusanagi asks, taking a seat as he pulls out two bento boxes. One for himself, and one for Suoh. Kusanagi likes cooking, making food and all that. Says he wants to own a bar or restaurant when he's older.

"Since P.E."

"It's a wonder you haven't been expelled," Kusanagi sighs, unwrapping both of the boxes. Suoh pushes himself up, taking the chopsticks from the small bag.

"...They won't," Suoh mumbles. Not when his grandfather practically owns the school.

"Yeah, yeah," Kusanagi chuckles, lighting his own cigarette. Suoh likes Kusanagi because he doesn't try and talk to him when Suoh's not talking. There's no need for either of them to fill the silence, and that's the way Suoh likes it. Silent.

But silence rarely lasts forever.

When it came to choosing clubs, Munakata had zero hesitation, and becoming part of the student council was practically decided for him. He is organized, poised, confident, he fits the stereotype insanely well, and the senior members are thrilled to have him, ready to groom him for higher positions as time goes on.

Munakata is happy to see a girl from his class, Awashima Seri, join with him. She's loyal, dependable, and he enjoys the thought of working with her, especially when the 3rd years give them an important assignment.

"It has come to our attention," the president begins, "that many students, especially 1st years, have decided it is okay to cut class. I do not know if they believe the hard part is over by successfully passing the entrance exam. But this is high school, and we hope for them to take this seriously. Many people were turned away from our prestigious school. We must take the opportunities presented to us, and do what is best with them. High school isn't the end of the line, and the school wishes to keep the percentage of students who attend university upon graduating high. This is why, we would like you to assist us. Please make sure any problematic students attend class. We believe you are capable of handling this."

Munakata's mind immediately rushes to the red haired boy in his class; Suoh Mikoto.

Munakata doesn't think about Suoh much. Occasionally he finds him to be deplorable with the way he stares out the window for the majority of class. His red hair curls over his brow, and falls just above his bored looking expression. His golden eyes look exhausted, as though he’s an elderly man who has seen his fair share of the world. He's oddly beautiful, Munakata thinks, though his attitude ruins any attraction Munakata feels.

But usually, Munakata doesn't think about Suoh because Suoh is never there. He's rarely in class, and every morning Suoh trudges through the door, dragging his feet against the tiled floors. Munakata thinks it's nothing short of a miracle Suoh hasn't been expelled by now.

It seems Munakata has his work cut out for him. He knows just where to start on this project, with Suoh Mikoto.

"What is your plan, sir?" Munakata isn't quite sure why Awashima Seri feels the need to call him sir simply because his position in the student council is a bit higher than hers, but he doesn’t complain. He respects the girl, and feels honored she is willing to follow him so diligently.

"Are you aware of Suoh Mikoto? The red haired delinquent in our class." He spits out the word delinquent, as though it tastes horrible in his mouth.

Awashima nods. "The one who never shows up. He seems like a good candidate."

Munakata smiles. "Indeed. During lunch, I will trail him to see where he goes. Once I am armed with that information, we can take steps towards convincing him to return to class. I will not take no for an answer."

And so, that afternoon, Munakata presses his glasses up the bridge of his nose, feeling like a spy as he stands by the door, watching Suoh round the corner. He carefully walks down the hall, trying his best to not drawn any attention to himself. Though it seems Suoh isn't the type to notice him anyway. It's no surprise when the man pushes open the door to the roof, and Munakata sighs. Does the other boy spend his entire day sitting on the roof? Given how he always looks as though he's about to fall asleep in class, Munakata wouldn't exactly be surprised.

Swinging the door open, Munakata sees Suoh Mikoto, laying on his back, and an older boy wearing sunglasses is kneeling next to him holding a few bento boxes.

"Hiya," the boy with glasses says, waving.

"Mmm? Who is it?" Suoh mumbles, Munakata can barely hear his voice.

"Munakata Reisi," he states, stepping towards both of them. "I'm hear to speak to Suoh Mikoto about an important matter."

"Hah?" The red haired boy sits up quickly, probably the most intense movement Munakata has witnessed from Suoh thus far.

"Are you planning on skipping class again, Suoh?"

Suoh lets out a long sigh. "None of your business."

"Oh but it is," Munakata begins. "The school has tasked the student council with getting problematic students to be more attentive in class. It's imperative to them that you keep up your grades, and continue onward to a good university."

"Why the hell do they care about that?" Suoh snorts.

"Probably looks bad on their numbers if you don't graduate," the other boy chimes in.

"You are correct," Munakata admits.

"Forget it," Suoh mutters, and lays back down.

"Do you not care about your future, Suoh?" Munakata asks, folding his arms as he watches the other lay down.

"Do you?" he scoffs. "You're the school's lap dog."

"In fact, I do care. Do you really wish to throw away your future, sleeping your life away? Learning is one of the most important things we do in this life and you are giving up the opportunity to do so at a very prestigious academy," Munakata explains.

"Mmm," Suoh grunts.

"Maybe you should listen," the other boy says. "I have been kinda worried you're going to get kicked out. What will you do then, Mikoto?"

"Shut it, Izumo," he growls.

"What choice will you make, Suoh?" Munakata asks, glancing back towards the door. Their lunch break won't be lasting much longer.

There's silence, and neither of the boys answer Munakata. Pressing his glasses up yet again he sighs.

"I won't give up until you come back to class one of these days." Turning on his heel, he heads away from the two.

It's the first real conversation he and Suoh share. It's the first, but it won't be the last.

Suoh quickly learns Munakata is true to his word, and everyday the jerk is up on the roof too, bugging him to come back to class.

"It's your future."

"Your grades do matter you know."

"Don't you wish to learn more about the world around you?"

"How great is sleeping so much, don't you get bored?"

Suoh could practically mimic Munakata completely now, he knows every goddamn line the blue haired bastard uses. None of it matters. Suoh never listens to him. He has no desire to go back to class. His grades matter to others, but they don't matter to him. He has no idea what he wants to do for his future, and yeah, sleeping is pretty damn great.

But Suoh sure is getting damn tired of listening to Munakata. He's not sure why the other cares so much. At first, he thought it was because Munakata was simply 'doing his job', and yet he takes it far too seriously for it to only be that. No one could possibly be that serious about the student council could they?

Though Suoh admits he watches Munakata more when he is in class. When Suoh arrives every morning, Munakata is already there. He has a notebook out on his desk, surrounded by a pen, pencil and eraser. Everything seems to have a set spot on his tiny desk. It's kinda endearing, kinda obnoxious. Suoh can't quite decide.

It's been over a week, maybe almost two now? Suoh's lost count of how many days Munakata has come to the roof in an attempt to get him to return to class.

He recognizes his footsteps now, they're lighter than Kusanagi's. He walks daintily, as though he doesn't wish to press all his weight against the ground. Still, Suoh doesn't flinch, stays in his spot, ready for Munakata to give his lecture.

"I suppose I don't really need to say anything," Munakata says. Suoh opens one eye and sees Munakata standing above him, arms folded.

"Why do you care so much?" Suoh asks finally, pushing himself up. Taking a seat, Munakata folds his legs underneath himself and rests his hands in his lap.

"Mmm. It is hard to describe. I wish to see people succeed. I do not think you are an unintelligent man, in fact I think you must be quite smart. However you are lazy. I wish to push you to not be."

"Ah, and here I thought maybe you had a crush on me," Suoh smirks, making Munakata's face light up red. Cute. Cuter reaction than Suoh would ever expect from him.

"Of course not. I wish to succeed in my mission of seeing you succeed," Munakata says, clearing his throat.

"You're not going to stop until I say yes and come back," Suoh states, a small groan escaping his lips.

"You are correct. And that doesn't mean come back for one day. I will make sure you come back everyday," Munakata explains.

"You're a stubborn idiot," Suoh grunts, rolling his neck around.

"The same could be said for you," Munakata hums, closing his eyes.

"Fine," Suoh growls. "You win. I will come back to class if it will get you off my ass."

Munakata smiles, and Suoh's heart skips a beat. He always found the blue haired boy too stuck up, obnoxious...and yet, when he smiles, or blushes, Suoh can't help but stare at how goddamn beautiful the man is. He could only imagine how popular Munakata would be if he wasn't such a goddamn asshole.

Reaching into the bag next to him, Munakata pulls out two notebooks. "Splendid! I've spent the past two weeks compiling and taking extra notes to get you up to speed on what you've missed in the afternoon. If you would like, we could hold study sessions to go over all the material?"

Glancing away, Suoh grabs the notebooks without looking. "Thorough."

"Indeed!" Munakata is still smiling, the wind blowing his blue bangs across his smooth, pale forehead.

"And you're just gonna keep buggin' me until I say yes to studyin' right?" Suoh asks, turning towards Munakata. The assholes smile is wider now, almost evil, and Suoh can't quite figure out what he's thinking.

"Of course, Suoh," Munakata says. "Of course.

Munakata is actually a little surprised Suoh agrees to come back to class, and study with him, but he supposes he wasn't giving him much choice.

Even the teacher seems a little surprised when Suoh walks in the room, but Munakata smiles smugly, knowing it was all his doing. Suoh takes his seat, and though he looks as bored as all hell, and like he's about to fall asleep at any moment, he's still there, writing things down every so often. Munakata considers that a success.

Suoh gives him his address and tells him to meet him at his place once his student council meetings are done. Munakata was going to suggest a library, but Suoh insists. Apparently his parents are never home anyway, so his house is usually quiet. Munakata doesn't ask any more questions, knowing it isn't his place to do so but he still agrees. Though he has to wonder if Suoh's poor morals and motivation come from a lack of parental influence. He thinks of his own parents, loving, kind, supportive. They're proud of him, and know Munakata is an independent, responsible young man. Suoh's parents must think he is independent, but Munakata wonders if they know how irresponsible he is.

He follows his GPS, making his way towards Suoh's house. The houses are bigger in this area, gated off, and Munakata cranes his neck, wondering which house is Suoh's, but his question is quickly answered when he sees Suoh crouched down in front of a gate. Munakata opens his mouth to say hello, but freezes when he sees how intently Suoh is looking at the plant. Tilting his head, he waits, wondering to see what exactly he's doing. Suoh seems to have something in his hand, and just then he places a small bowl down, and a tiny, fluffy cat comes out of the bush.

Suoh lips curl up into a gentle smile, and his eyes don't look so tired. The cat rubs its head against Suoh's hand, but starts munching on the food.

Munakata feels his cheeks grow red. It's such a soft, gentle moment. One where Suoh seems like a kind soul, a generous, loving person, and Munakata feels a bit blessed to have witnessed such a sight.

"Oi, Munakata," the boy says, standing up. "Ya just gonna stare or what?"

Clearing his throat, Munakata feels momentarily caught, shocked Suoh even knew he was there. "Evening Suoh," he bows. "Are you...ready to study?"

"No," Suoh grunts. "But guess I have to be, right?"

Munakata chuckles, "I expect nothing less from you."

The two of them head inside, and Munakata isn't surprised by the size of Suoh's house. After googling his name, he learned that his parents were quite well off, Suoh's grandfather practically owning Shizume. "Your house is quite lovely," Munakata says softly, admiring some of the paintings which adorn the walls, the red carpet feeling plush against his feet. The chandelier above his head wis far more ornate than anything he'd ever seen.

"S'fine," Suoh shrugs, and clearly this is a subject he does not wish to speak on. Not that Suoh is much of a talker anyway, but his response is so curt, Munakata decides not to say anything further.

He leads him to a large room with a big wooden dining table, and he takes a seat at the head, pulling out another chair for Munakata. He pulls out his notebooks and his books. "Let's get started then. Do you have the notebooks I gave you?"

Suoh nods, pulling the notebooks from a desk in the corner of the room.

At first, Munakata isn't sure how much information Suoh is actually retaining. He rarely speaks, mostly only grunting or nodding when Munakata explains things. He seems to be taking notes, but his handwriting is next to impossible to read, so Munakata isn't quite sure he'll be able to read it.

Still, Munakata is...proud; happy Suoh is actually trying.

Really the most impressive thing is Suoh doesn't seem to fall asleep when he comes over to study. They meet about twice a week, maybe three if there is a test coming up and Munakata wants to push Suoh to do well. The red head has stopped complaining, and just assumes Munakata will be over. Occasionally, they walk together, if Munakata doesn't have student council meetings, though it's always in silence, or Munakata will do all the talking, explaining about something they learned in class.

Suoh seems to be full of surprises, Munakata has realized. There are constant unexpected moments. Sometimes he's already finished his homework before Munakata even arrives at his house.

But the biggest surprise is Munakata's growing adoration for Suoh, which he realizes is getting out of hand when they share an umbrella walking to Suoh's place one afternoon.

Munakata is never forgetful, so it's not as if he forgot his umbrella, but the forecast hadn't called for rain. Now, Munakata realizes he's stuck in quite a predicament as he stares at the water rushing from the sky.

"I suppose I'll just have to get wet," he sighs, before a shadow crosses over his head. "Oya?" he mutters, and looks to his side, seeing Suoh.

"Suoh?!" he exclaims, his eyes widening. "You're still here?"

"Yeah, I, uh, did a make-up test," he says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Munakata beams. "You did!? Wonderful! I bet your grades will be seeing much improvement."

"Alright Dad," Suoh teases and Munakata scoffs. "Look," Suoh says, pushing the umbrella towards him. "Use it."

"But you don't have two," Munakata states.

"So? I'll change at my place."

"But...well...why don't we share?" Munakata suggests instead, and Suoh shrugs.

"Suit yourself."

Together, they walk in silence, the pittering of the rain tapping against the umbrella. Their bodies are surprisingly close, and Munakata can smell the scent of musty cigarettes on Suoh's clothes. It's oddly comforting...a smell Munakata has grown used to over the last few weeks. The longer they walk, the more Munakata realizes how...romantic this is, sharing an umbrella, and his face grows red.

Suoh is so much more than Munakata ever expected.

So much so, his heart pounds faster and heavier in his chest whenever they are around each other. A feeling he doesn't quite understand. A feeling he likes to bury deep inside and ignore. They're here to study, to help Suoh maintain good grades...that is what matters.

"It seems things are going well with you and Suoh," Awashima comments, when they walk to a meeting one afternoon. He's been praised quite a few times by other members of the student council for getting one of the most problematic first years back on track.

"Indeed! He's actually been studying! He's...not as bad as I initially thought, and as I suspected he really is quite intelligent," Munakata smiles.

"Wonderful!" Awashima says. "You are a model student council member, sir. Certain to be president when we're third years."

Munakata cannot deny that is his goal.

And yet, he can't stop thinking about Suoh. He probably should move on, help other students, and yet, he feels content, doing this. And spending so much time with Suoh, he's starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe...they're slowly becoming friends?

The problem with studying with Munakata is that it has become exponentially more distracting as time has gone on.

At first, Suoh only studied just to keep the guy off his back, but now there's a small part of him that enjoys his company. Hell, he could study on his own, he doesn't need Munakata's help, but he sure as hell wants it.

The guy is so interesting. He has zero flaws, as far as Suoh can tell. He's incredibly athletic (or so he's notice in P.E.), insanely intelligent, and though he's snarky and an ass, Suoh knows Munakata is actually a pretty nice guy. A patient one too, at least with Suoh, somehow, by some miracle. He also seems to know everything about everything. He's a master at traditional tea ceremonies, he's insanely good at archery and martial arts. It seems the only thing he can't do is act, as Suoh discovers when their class performs a play for a day. Even still, Munakata is basically Mr. Perfect. Suoh isn't jealous, but he does feel...some form of adoration, or maybe he's impressed?

He finds himself staring at Munakata more often than not when they study together, his eyes analyzing every part of his face. When Munakata thinks really hard, his brow occasionally twitches, and his lips purse tightly. Sometimes if he's lost in concentration, one finger will twirl a small piece of his blue hair around. If he's frustrated, his nostril flare, and his eyebrows furrow. His purple eyes twinkle with true excitement when he solves a tricky puzzle or helps Suoh in some way he didn't expect.

Really these study sessions are mostly for Suoh to watch Munakata's face.

Not that he thinks that means anything.

Exams are coming up, and Suoh and Munakata are studying harder than ever. Munakata ends up at the top of their class, which is really no surprise to anyone, teachers included. Suoh however is a surprise. He's not the top of the class, but he does pass, allowing him to move onto his second year once their break is finished.

"I'm proud Suoh," Munakata smiles. "I knew you could get your grades to where they needed to be. See, now I do not have to worry about your future. At least I hope I do not," he smirks. "Shall I stay your tutor next year too?"

Suoh scoffs. "Thanks Dad," he teases yet again. "Let's see if we're in the same class."

Munakata chuckles. "I have faith you could handle it alone."

"Maybe," Suoh grumbles. "Y'wanna come over and do some of your tea shit?"

"'Tea shit'?" Munakata raises an eyebrow. "I will come over and provide you with a celebratory tea ceremony."

"Yeah, that. Or just tea. We don't gotta do the whole ceremony."

Munakata pouts. "Suoh, how uncouth!"

Suoh rolls his eyes, and shrugs. "Fine, but you can't yell at me if I fall asleep while waiting for you."

Which, to no one's surprise is exactly what happens. Munakata brings the tea to the table only to find Suoh, head on his arms, fast asleep. His body rises and falls with the motion of his breath, his soft breathing the only noise in the quiet room, his mouth slightly open.

Munakata wonders what it would be like to kiss him. Would his lips be soft? Dry? He can imagine Suoh probably tastes a bit like smoke, maybe sweet from the pastries Kusanagi seems to feed him constantly. His red hair has fallen over his eyes and Munakata reaches forward, about to brush the red locks away from his forehead, but he quickly stops.

The feelings, the thoughts he often pushes aside seem to bubble up inside of him from his stomach, as though he is about to emotion vomit. His heart throbs in his chest and the feeling gets caught in his throat. Why is he thinking these things about Suoh? He's attractive, in a gruff, handsome sort of way, and Munakata really has been proud of him lately.

But it's more than that, and Munakata knows it.

He shakes his head. They're friends. Suoh has developed so much as a person over these past few weeks, and Munakata cannot do anything to risk what they've done, what they've accomplished. If he says anything, tries anything, there's absolutely no way Suoh could reciprocate these strange...feelings he keeps hidden and protected.

He clenches his fists, his face flushing even more, as he presses his hands against the table, his body trembling with the intense realization.

Munakata Reisi loves Suoh Mikoto, and he will never let him know.

#mikorei #mikoreiweek2017 #munakata reisi #suoh mikoto #k project #k project fanfiction #lasting regrets #AU #angst #High School AU #day 5 #my heart aches for you #request

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ridiasfangirlings · 2 years ago

Note

After joining Homra, Yata decides to start smoking because after all, Mikoto-san and Kusanagi-san do, among others. Fushimi can't get him to stop (even though Yata can't breathe because he's too busy coughing his lungs up) so he calls Yatamama and rats Yata out.

Saru you tattletale XD Imagine this fairly soon after they join Homra, Yata really wants to become a respected member and help Mikoto and he feels self conscious about being one of the youngest members of the clan. I could see this happening shortly after he has Fushimi give him a new haircut, like this all part of Yata’s plan to become More Mature. He can’t drink because Kusanagi categorically refuses to give him alcohol but he does manage to get some cigarettes, the bar is probably littered with random packs just in case Mikoto needs some. Imagine Yata sitting on his bunk in the apartment all look what I got and Fushimi gives him this disgusted look because those are cigarettes. Yata’s like ‘exactly!’, all the Homra guys smoke so he should start smoking too, he’ll look cooler that way (is it peer pressure if Yata is pressuring himself).

Yata lights a cigarette and puts it in his mouth and immediately starts hacking. Fushimi gets this disgusted expression and waves the smoke away as he tells Yata to just give it up but Yata is determined, he’s going to learn to smoke even if it kills his lungs. I imagine maybe he doesn’t smoke much at Bar Homra (since I think if he did Kusanagi and Totsuka at least would try to get him to stop and wait until he’s older), like he’s determined to get the hang of it first so he just smokes in the apartment or when he’s out. with Fushimi. What this means is that Fushimi is getting the full force of Yata’s new ‘habit’ and he is not pleased by the smell and the constant smoke and Yata coughing all the time, Fushimi I think would not be a fan of constant smoking and especially since Yata’s determined to use Mikoto’s brand so he’s smelling like Suoh Mikoto all the time.

Fushimi keeps telling Yata to give up but Yata is super stubborn and says he’ll have it figured out any day now. Finally Fushimi can’t take it anymore, he’s annoyed that Yata’s being an idiot and that Yata won’t listen to him, and besides Fushimi’s delicate lungs can’t take much more of this either. He has no choice, he has to use the nuclear option. A couple days later they’re hanging out together in town and Yata’s trying to light a cigarette and that’s when they hear this stern voice yell ‘Yata Misaki what do you think you’re doing?’. Yata’s immediately like ‘wait, Mom?’ as his mother strolls up just in full disapproving parent mode.

Yata probably like ends up in a headlock as she takes the cigarettes from him and lectures him on the dangers of underage smoking, like I let you go live on your own and this is what you’re doing if Saruhiko-kun hadn’t told me about this you would have ruined your health. Yata can’t believe Saru snitched on him to his mother and Fushimi’s just sitting there with this exaggerated look of innocence as he shrugs. Yata’s mom is super heated about this and she takes all his cigarettes and makes him promise never to smoke again at least until it’s legal to do so (and if he tries again she will know so he better not even dare). Yata’s all I won’t do it again I definitely won’t, just right back into the mode of a kid being scolded. Afterward when they’re back at the apartment Fushimi’s all smug, Yata’s trying to play it off like yeah I decided smoking isn’t for me and Fushimi’s like yeah because you got yelled at by your mother.

#sarumi #Talking K #Saru you sneak XD #he knows what works though #if Yata won't listen to him then he has no choice #he has to bring in the big guns

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chilly-territory · 8 years ago

Text

K ~ Four Seasons of K: Like flowers in a storm

Thanks to the wonderful blueseraphima who I can never thank enough, I have the texts of GoRa's currently ongoing series of short stories 4 Seasons of K, subtitled ~Seasonal short stories that might have happened~ and published monthly. This is the third story of the series, about Homura's flower viewing experience.

Like Flowers in a Storm [*] by Azano Kouhei

"You kno~w, I ended up wandering as far as the riverbank yesterday after a long while, and I have to say, the sakura there really is beautiful. Right now is the perfect time to watch it bloom."

The one to make this utterance, cheerfully like spring itself, was Totsuka Tatara who sat at the counter, gracefully enjoying his black tea. Unfortunately, the bar's master, Kusanagi Izumo, was out shopping at the moment, but, surprisingly, the tea Totsuka made himself turned out pretty good. Although if Kusanagi saw him making it, he would probably give Totsuka an earful about how wasteful he was using more tea leaves than was necessary, in Kusanagi's view.

It was half past 4 in the afternoon, and bar HOMRA wasn't open for business just yet. Through the wide open windows languid spring air was seeping in, drifting across the bar. The faint sweet smell it brought with it was probably that of the flowers found in the flower beds on the street outside. Mingling with the aroma of the freshly brewed black tea, it tickled one's nostrils pleasantly.

"Ohh, sounds good." It was Yata Misaki, occupying a seat on the couch with a bottle of Cola, who swooped in on Totsuka's suggestion. His eyes sparkled as he jumped up out of his seat, "Actually, I was thinking the same thing. Especially considering that sakura in the city is almost in bloom already. The riverbed is sunny, so I thought that sakura there might've gone into full bloom already." "Ohh." Totsuka's gaze, focused on Yata's eager facem sounded teasing. "Now, that's a surprise." "Eh? What is?" "The fact that you would pay such close attention to how much sakura's blooming advanced. Since it's you we're talking about, I was sure that you would always unfailingly prefer dango over flowers, Yata." [**] "Wha...! Please don't assume things about me like I'm Kamamoto or something, Totsuka-san! And anyway, so what if I'm interested in sakura. It's not a big deal." "It is though, because you really strike everyone as someone who would chose dango over flowers, Yata-san." "...I thought so, too..." "Not you too, Anna! Sure, it's not like I hate dango, but come on!" Yata lamented pitifully, and the bar got filled with familiar laughter on the cue.

Even Anna, sitting by Totsuka's side, snickered, shoulders shaking. In her small hands, too, was grasped a cup of black tea that Totsuka made.

For a while, a frown was scrunching Yata's face, until he finally snorted. "Anyway," he got back on track, "we were talking about the sakura by the riverside, remember? Within this district, that's gotta be the best place worth seeing, right? It has a lot of sakura trees, their shape is good, and you can come there freely all year long. The way it blooms there, all huge and flashy and stuff, gotta feel really nice, too!" "Yeah. I agree. Yata is right. That riverbank has a nice view to begin with. It'd be most enjoyable to come there on a day with good weather like today." Lips on the edge of his cup, Totsuka glanced at the scenery outside the open window.

Even indoors, you could tell how pleasantly the gentle caress of the sunlight must have felt.

"Actually, Totsuka-san. Since we're discussing this seriously and stuff, let's just go proper flower viewing." "Oh, I'd like that! Let's all have a blast while watching sakura bloom! And bring lots of yummy stuff along, too!" "Heh, just listen to yourself, Kamamoto. I knew it, you're the first on the list among those who'd take dango over flowers." "But of course!" "...Hm?" "What, please cut me some slack, Yata-san. Like I'd be on the fence over something like that! Flowers over dango! But I'm not one to complain if I can get both flowers and dango, y'know? To elaborate on the topic, if you ask me, the optimum balance would be dango, flower, dango, dango!" "R-Right... I see." In the face of Kamamoto's impressive vigor, Yata, who started it in the first place, got humbled.

"Sounds nice to me~" came from the side from the always positive Totsuka. "Should we ask Kusanagi-san to make us some bentos then? Something like futomaki and inari-zushi." "In that case, I also want potato salad with fried eggs. And no matter what anyone says, fried chicken is a must!" "That's Kamamoto for you. So very particular about his dango, eh." "That's because for flower viewing, food is crucial. Is it OK for me to arrange for alcohol and drinks? Rest assured and simply leave the lead to me!" "Hey, don't put yourself in charge without asking!" "No, no, this is one thing I won't budge about." Although Kamamoto rapidly heated up all of a sudden, that careful and somewhat meddlesome side was what made him reliable in these situations.

"Decided, then," Totsuka smiled. "We'll refine the details once Kusanagi-san is back. ...No objection, I trust, right, King?" Totsuka turned to the farthest from the counter end of the room - to Suoh Mikoto - to check it with him.

But there was no answer.

"Huh?" All the present shifted their gazes to Suoh. "...King?"

"...Mn," Suoh finally responded halfheartedly after nodding his head back and forth. Then he slowly raised his arms and stretched, taking out a cigarette with a sigh, putting it between his lips and lighting it. Taking a drag with a drowsy look, he blew out the smoke.

"Hey," he voiced again. "'In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn,' was it," Totsuka commented, suppressing a giggle. "...It's already evening though," Kamamoto remarked in a whisper, but Suoh simply continued smoking his cigarette, showing no sign of caring any about the two's exchange.

Except when he noticed the black tea that Totsuka and Anna sipped, he ceased all movement for a second, raised one eyebrow and, taking one more drag of his cigarette, put out the barely touched stick on the ashtray.

"...So? What's this all about?" Suoh asked. "As I was saying..." With that, Totsuka summed up for Suoh the flower viewing discussion that took place just moments before.

"Do whatever you like," Suoh finally said rather disinterestedly. Though his lack of interest wasn't anything new, if anything, it was his normal state. Only, not outright refusing anything was what was good about Suoh, too.

"King, don't treat it like it someone else's business, you've got to participate as well, okay?" "If I feel like it." "You and your halfheartedness again. Come on, don't be difficult. All you'll need to do is just lie around on the riverbank, is all, anyway." Totsuka was his usual self as well, speaking cheerfully whatever was on his mind.

Still, clansmen be clansmen, and that was enough to get them thoroughly excited now that their king's approval had been secured.

"We gotta let the other guys know, too." "Yeah, let's have fun all together!"

Both Yata and Kamamoto didn't bother to hide how overeager they were. But the most delighted person was...

"...It will be my first time going flower viewing..."

...Anna, putting this muttered confession into words.

"Eh? Really?" Yata asked back.

Kamamoto looked surprised, too.

"Ah, but now that I think about it... Right, a kid wouldn't be interested in something like flower viewing. Sure, they go if their parents bring them along, but... ah no, it's..." Yata got flustered and didn't finish his sentence. "Anna," Totsuka smiled at the girl. "Can you see the color of sakura blossoms?" "...Yes. It's a sakura red, very pale though. Like it's about to vanish any moment... but yes, I can see it. Flecks of it floating in the air is what it looks like to me," Anna said haltingly, her eyes on the cup in her hands. She rocked the red of her black tea and swished it in the cup. "Being under it with everyone... I can't wait," she added delightedly, gazing down at the cup's contents.

All of a sudden Yata sprang up to his feet, pumping his fist excitedly, "Alright then! Count on us, Anna! We'll give you the taste of the best flower viewing experience ever!" "Let's do this, Yata-san! I'll make sausage octopuses! And apple rabbits!" "Hm, then what should I make, I wonder. Anna, what would you like?" "...Tom yum goong." "For flower viewing? That's sure original."

Suoh meanwhile put his elbows on the counter, watching his comrades talk excitedly. Sighing at the sight, he reached for the cigarette, then remembered he had put it out and stopped.

That's when the doorbell came to life, announcing the arrival of Kusanagi with an armful of shopping bags. "I'm back~" Jacket on his arm, he commented with a lopsided smile, "Today's so warm that I should've left the jacket home."

"Kusanagi-san! We got something to tell you!" "What is it, Yata? Got in another fight again?" "Not that! It's about flower viewing! We were talking about how it'd be nice to go flower viewing!" "Huh? It's a problem if you spring it on me on such short notice. I can't close the bar today." "Well, it doesn't have to be today. Besides, the place that we chose doesn't have street lighting, so it'd be really dark after sunset. But the earlier we can go, the better. So how about tomorrow? What do you say, Totsuka-san?"

Totsuka nodded, agreeing with Yata. Needless to say, neither Kamamoto, Anna or even Suoh had any objection, either.

The only one who looked troubled was Kusanagi. Sweeping all the present with a gaze, he finally said, "...Well, guys, hate to break it to you, but tomorrow..."

...it rained.

Or rather, it stormed.

By 10:10 a.m., pitch black clouds that had appeared at dawn, had covered the sky completely, and a strong wind blew in violent gusts, making the window panes of bar HOMRA rattle. The rain proper had yet to start falling, but large drops of it did hit the walls of the bar from time to time. According to the weather forecast, by noon a downpour was expected to hit in full. A real spring storm indeed.

"I told you, didn’t I? Oh well, this is one thing that we can't do anything about." "..." Yata and Kamamoto exchanged awkward looks, Totsuka smiled a strained little smile while tenderly stroking the head of a depressed looking Anna.

Even after hearing the weather forecast, the members assembled in the bar, hoping against hope that maybe it was wrong, but unfortunately for them, it wasn't. What's worse, because of the strong wind and torrential rain, sakura blossoms in full bloom had no chance to hold out through the day without scattering their petals prematurely. It was only reasonable to assume that this weather put a resolute end to sakura's blooming this year.

Kusanagi, standing deep behind the counter, glanced at Anna to check how she was doing. He had already heard why Yata and Kamamoto were so excited when he came back yesterday. It was the best opportunity they had in a long while, and they wanted Anna to enjoy it. That said, as he had remarked earlier, weather was the one thing that nothing could be done about.

"C'mon, Anna. Cheer up," Kusanagi called out, putting a multi-tiered bentou box on the counter. Despite knowing about the bad weather - or rather precisely because he had been aware - Kusanagi poured all of his skills and talent into making a deluxe flower viewing bentou.

With a soft click, another something was put onto the counter - a little vase. In it, lovely pink flowers were arranged. And their petails were...

"...Sakura?" "Or so they look like. Actually, it's primrose. Let's make do with these for today's flower viewing." Kusanagi winked playfully at the thoroughly surprised Anna.

Totsuka bowed his hear to Kusanagi in admiration. "Nothing less from you, Kusanagi-san. That consideration you show towards girls is why you're so popular with them, I guess." "As someone who calls himself the bar's master, I have the duty to soothe ladies' grieving hearts." "You're so cool, Kusanagi-san! Please soothe my grieving stomach next!" "Hey, no devouring this, Kamamoto. Lunchtime is still ways off. You're not supposed to be in a hurry when eating this," Kusanagi mildly admonished, and the mood in the bar brightened somewhat.

Anna seemed to bounce back, too, answering Kusanagi's consideration with a smile.

Only, immediately after...

A boom resounded as a loud clap of thunder exploded in the atmosphere somewhere very high above. Belatedly, torrent-like rain started rapping against the windows with almost enough force to break them.

Anna shrank with a start, while Yata and Kamamoto yelped.

It was dark outside like it was night. The storm had finally arrived in all its glory.

The cheerfulness that had finally returned to Anna's features earlier disappeared and her expression got clouded again. Kusanagi and Totsuka, faces tight, exchanged glances.

And then...

"...Well then." Suoh, who was sitting silently at the counter until then, got up slowly. "I'm going out. Make sure to leave me some alcohol," he threw curtly Kusanagi's way. "Huh? Out? What for?" "A walk." "Huh?" "To the riverbank. Sakura'll fall off, right?" "No, no, no, no." Kusanagi shook his head like he had no idea what country's language he should speak to get through to Suoh.

All the others watched Suoh in shocked silence.

"It's a storm outside, I told you." "Yeah, looks like it, but that’s not a good enough reason for me not to go out." "Maybe, but with a strong wind like that...!" "I'll just get blown away, is all." "There's also rain. And with how things are looking, soon it will turn into a s---" "...So I'll get soaked, so what? Is that a problem or something?" Suoh replied calmly. And then flashed a tiny grin.

Kusanagi found himself lost for words.

Anna, who watched the exchange with wide open eyes, shook slightly. "...I'm going, too!" "Wait, Anna?!" Kusanagi cried out, but she only had eyes for Suoh. Suoh snorted. "...An umbrella won't do. Go put on a rain coat. And don't let go of me under any circumstances, got it?" he said.

Anna nodded energetically and rushed with small steps to get the rain coat.

"I-I'm going, too!" Yata shouted once he came to his senses. "Me, too," Kamamoto hurried to back him up.

Totsuka, unable to keep a straight face any longer, burst into laughter, while Kusanagi rolled his eyes at the ceiling, still dumbfounded. "I'm just no match, honestly." "No sweat. It's going to be very Homura-like flower viewing, no? How about coming along, Kusanagi-san?" Totsuka smiled a carefree smile at the grieving Kusanagi. So it appeared he intended to come along, too.

Before long, Anna returned with the rain coat. Her cheeks were colored with a faint blush and her eyes were sparkling just like they did yesterday when the group was making plans to go flower viewing.

At the sight of that face, all power got drained from Kusanagi, and he smiled the same smile as Totsuka. "Can't be helped. How can I not." "Okay." "...Let's go, then." "Yeah!" Yata and Kamamoto yelled, following their leaders.

Anna nodded energetically.

And so, Homura departed for the riverbank in the storm mounting from every direction. Having experienced the drumming downpour of the torrential rain and the blizzard of falling sakura blossoms with every inch of their bodies, all of them to the last one got themselves dripping wet. Despite being soaked, they laughed in loud voices, thoroughly appreciating the sakura trees in full bloom as they got illuminated with flashes of lighting.

It was 3 hours later that they made it back to the bar. While Anna was off taking a hot shower, the rest, dripping on the floor, started the banquet. The merrymaking had lasted late into the night.

As a result, though. at least two participants came down with a cold...

But to Anna, it became a flower viewing experience, as beautiful and intense as blazing flames, that she would never forget.

T/N:

[*] The title itself 花に嵐の ("hana ni arashi no") is the beginning of a Japanese toast, originating in Chinese poetry and sounding like 花に嵐のたとえもあるぞさよならだけが人生だ ("hana ni arashi no tatoe mo aruzo, sayonara dake ga jinsei da" - Like flowers scatter in a storm, life is filled with farewells). The common interpretation of it goes as follows: it's not unusual for transient flowers to get scattered by a sudden storm, so you've got to appreciate the people you meet and the time you spend with them while you still have the chance.

[**] 花より団子 ("hana yori dango" - Dango over flowers) is another famous set phrase, a proverb meaning that people are more interested in the practical over the aesthetic/ in material things over the soul.

#k project #project k #short story #k translation

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shidoukanae · 7 years ago

Text

Wraith (ShoichixEma fanfic)

Summary:

He's heard of her. The wraith of the VRAINS. He's just never expected to meet her firsthand.

In which Shoichi's life coincides with that of the mysterious Ema Bessho and with that of the phantom of the VRAINS.

Pairings: Shoichi x Ema, hinted Yusaku x YellowBirdChild

AO3 Link for notes: here

@insanitytragedy here you go, the finished product. I hope you enjoy~

Playmaker was hurt.

He saw it. He saw the way the Knight drove him into a warehouse, sending the building toppling down upon him. Playmaker had cried out, angry and shocked and startled as his arms flailed before him. The sickening thud of flesh hitting wood had echoed on the TV screens and it takes all Shoichi has to not dissolve into a panic attack.

“Please be alright!” he snatches off a duel disk from a nearby desk and hurries into the secret VRAINS compartment he has in his hotdog truck. “Yusaku, please be alright!”

He slides the device over his wrist and holds it up. “Into…Into the VRAINS!”

Blue and white lines surround him, forming a little sphere that compresses down upon him. His avatar forms around him, a mask covering his face and a suit taking the place of his hoodie. He emerges from a portal, arriving at coordinates approximate to Playmaker’s last known location.

As expected, there are news reporters swarming the area. The avatars of animals flood the streets as well as faceless newsman like himself. They’re eager for a story, pushing and pressing up around a warehouse that has collapsed upon itself. Shoichi searches the outskirts for a way to get in, for a way to merely look and see if Yusaku is still alive and well. However, the mass of news media representatives blockade his way.

“Come on, come on!” he says, anxiety building into his legs and fingers. “Yusaku, where are you?”

The sound of bells.

“Are you looking for Playmaker?”

He stiffens at the sound of a female voice, spinning around to see a masked lady staring at him. Silver eyes bore into him, her gaze fixated upon him. The expression she wears is guarded, her stance protective, but there is something about the way she studies him that makes him become on high alert.

He bristles. “Who are you?”

There’s the slightest raise of an eyebrow. “Do you want to see him again or not, Shoichi Kusanagi?”

He’s on instant alert. “How do you know my name?”

“Is that really what’s important right now?” Her eyebrow ascends slightly more and it is beginning to look like she is mocking him. She turns away from him and then begins walking away. “If you want him back, follow me.”

He narrows his eyes, gaze tossed between the woman and the warehouse behind him. Should he trust this vixen? The crewman and reporters behind him are clamoring, gazing at each other with confusion and surprise. A frog looks at a pigeon and then they nod, departing from the scene. An eagle follows afterwards, swooping away.

Shoichi turns back to the woman. She is perched on the edge of a roof, sitting on the ends of blackened tiles. Her gaze is cast out, forward, staring into an endless space of gray towers and purple streams. When he comes to her side, she doesn’t even look at him. Instead, she slips off the roof, falling to the ground.

Shoichi lingers for a moment before jumping after her.

She guides him without looking back, her steps confident and quick but not so quick as to elude him entirely. He follows after her, stumbling and tripping like a drunken man. Yusaku! He thinks, clenching his fists as the woman tiptoes forward. Yusaku, Yusaku, Yusaku!

The stranger continues forward, seemingly unaware of his following and yet Shoichi suspects she’s well aware of his pursuit. It’s almost like she’s enjoying having him tail her. A strange conclusion, he knows, but he simply can’t fathom why she is always steps ahead of him instead of keeping pace. She is much too fast for him and yet she has the decency to always keep herself in view.

Finally, she stops in front of a dilapidated house and beckons him inside. He follows, uncertain and wary, but finds all suspicions dissipated when he sees what’s inside.

A bed manifested inside the VRAINS world sits in the interior of the house. On top of it rests Yusaku, eyes closed and bruises marring his skin. Shoichi runs to him, hands grabbing at his shoulders and shaking him. Hard.

The boy doesn’t wake up.

He whirls around to face the mysterious woman, snarling and accusations already flying in his mind. “What did you do to him?”

She stares without flinching. “I found him. You should be grateful I did; the news would’ve been all over him had I not. He’s likely in a state of shock right now. That fall hit him pretty hard.”

“Why would you do this? You don’t even know Playmaker. Why would you help him – us – out?”

She laughs as if his question is the most hilarious thing in the world. She keels over, clutching at her stomach, and he is left staring at her with extreme puzzlement. When she recovers, she pulls herself back into a state of utter calm. In some ways, she reminds Shoichi of a light switch. Cool and intimidating one moment and laughing over something so stupid the next.

“I help because I want to,” the woman tells him, playing with a strand of her silver hair. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not the cat who killed your canary; I’m here out of free will. I wouldn’t have saved your son and guided you to him if I had other intentions.”

He narrows his eyes, backing up and grabbing Yusaku’s body in his arms. He glares at her, uneasy in her carefree presence. His lips curl and he bares his duel disk at her.

“I don’t trust you,” he says.

“As expected,” she shrugs as if it is the least of her worries. “Go on, leave. He’ll be fine in the meantime.”

Shoichi triggers the logout mechanism for Yusaku. The boy vanishes from his hands, disappearing into specks of light. The man regains himself, Yusaku safe, and tilts his head up at her.

“What is it you want from us?”

The woman glides forward, fingers touching the bottom of his chin. “Ghost Girl.”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. Her skin burns on his and he winces in surprise. “Ghost Girl?”

“Ghost Girl,” she nods and removes her teasing hand from his face. “My name - remember it.”

“I won’t need to,” he snaps, lips curled and eyes wide with hostility.

She tilts her head and frowns at that; the first sign of discontent she’s shown since his meeting her. But, she shrugs and walks away, seemingly unconcerned.

“You owe me,” is all she says. “You owe me big time, Shoichi Kusanagi.”

Her voice echoes in his ears as he logs out.

~~~

He’s heard of her. This wraith of the VRAINS.

An enchanting mystery, a widely-spread rumor that merges into the depths of ‘myth’. A strong female duelist who wields monstrous cards and who terrifies the hearts of all those who meet her. A shady individual, one whose mere presence invokes the word supernatural to mind. She is nameless, a mere rumor on the tip of one’s tongue. Yet, she spreads like wildfire, ever omnipotent in the underground world of the Link VRAINS.

Shoichi ponders a white ceiling, staring up at a ceiling fan that spins round and round. He’s debated about the mysterious woman for ages, uncertain and uneasy about what her assistance means for him. She’d put him in her debt and, while Shoichi was most definitely not the type to fulfill his debts he was not one to ignore them either. Her saving Yusaku, much less bringing Shoichi to him, places him in a position most unwanted.

At one point, Yusaku takes notice of his silence, peering down at him with mild interest. “You’ve been in here all day,” he notes.

He sits up from his position on the floor and gives a faint smile. “How are you doing? Are the bandages doing okay for you?”

Yusaku touches the strips of white cloth that line his skin. “Yes, I think so.”

“Good, I was afraid I was going to have to take you to a hospital.”

Yusaku scowls and then takes a seat beside him, a soda can in hand. “How’d you know where I was?”

“I didn’t.”

“Hmm?”

Shoichi frowns at the floor. “I…had help.”

Ignis takes this time to elaborate. “Some creepy lady led him to your unconscious body. Best of times, right? She was carrying you in her arms aaaalll the way over to some strange house in the middle of the VRAINS.”

“That’s not at all alarming,” Yusaku notes in a deadpan.

“It gets better, master. Apparently, she was able to recognize Master Kusanagi in his disguise. She’s a tricky devil, that one.”

“Who was she?” Yusaku sips from his soda, carbonation echoing in the wake of his words.

“That’s just the thing, Yusaku. I don’t know.” Shoichi stretches. “However, somehow, she knew that you and I were related. She brought me to you under the suggestion that you were my son.”

Yusaku furrows his brows and he fidgets with the can in his hands. “She doesn’t sound like she’s an ally.”

“But she’s not a foe either, huh?” the purple lines of Ignis’s eye move in a thoughtful circle. “Well, whatever. We’ll see her again, won’t we? We’ll get answers then.”

“Are you sure about that?” Yusaku glances at it.

Ai huffs. “Well, no. Humans are unpredictable. You’re about as likely as to get answers than to not.”

“Mm,” Yusaku looks over to his friend and frowns. “You should be careful if she shows up again.”

“I’ll be fine,” Shoichi sighs.

“She knows your real identity.”

“I’ll be fine,” he reiterates, though his words are less sure.

Yusaku backs off, standing back to his feet and taking his leave. “If you say so.”

Shoichi watches as the door slams shut and then muses to himself:

“I hope so.”

~~~

The next day, a peculiar woman shows up at his hotdog stand.

Shoichi is used to strange customers. He gets them all the time. There are people who are extremely finicky with their orders, those who nitpick every drop of mustard and ketchup (and who get on Shoichi’s nerves because come on kid, just eat your damn hot dog already). There are people who have to count out their change one-by-one even though it’s just fifty cents come on just give him two quarters and you’d be done already. Still, in a way, he thinks this lady takes the cake.

There is something bizarre about her, something that Shoichi can’t put his finger on. It’s not the pink hair or the elf ears (elf ears?) that distract him but the way she words her order. Her voice drips with thorns, poking and prodding into him even though all she is asking is for a single hot dog. Her sentences fluctuate with mystery, silver polishing her tongue to the point of dripping down her chin. She draws his attention from her words to her eyes, keeping him on his toes. There’s something oddly eerie about her presence, of the way she flicks out her tongue and coils around him like a serpent. Amusement flickers in amethyst eyes as they make an exchange – one hot dog, one plate of nachos, one soda please – and Shoichi is inevitably ensnared.

She takes her order from him, laughing a bit too gaily for someone who’s just grabbing food, and offers him a goodbye. Her voice echoes of wind chimes and Shoichi hears the clattering in her words as much as he hears its sparkle.

“Thanks for the meal,” she tells him, giving the slightest bow of her head. “I’ll definitely be back tomorrow.”

She vanishes without a trace. Shoichi half suspects she’s set-up base on one of the tables behind his wagon but he doesn’t bother to check. He has a gaggle of girls who are arguing over their recent test scores to bother with.

Yusaku appears beside him, his faithful ally pulling up a chair to watch as Shoichi manages to dissuade the group of girls from bickering and onto ordering. He sends his companion a spiteful look and Yusaku merely shrugs, unwilling to dip his head into anything he doesn’t need to. Shoichi takes care of the girls and sends them on his way, taking a seat beside Yusaku with a huff.

His friend sips from a glass of milk freshly prepared. “So, that woman,” he begins, gaze watching white ripple across a transparent surface, “did you know her?”

“No?” Shoichi turns to him. “Why?”

The boy gives a nonchalant shrug that is half-hearted at best. “It seemed like she knew you.”

“Did she now?”

He nods.

“How odd.”

Yusaku peers at him. “If she shows up again, be careful. We don’t know what she wants.”

“Don’t scold me. I know that already.”

A ghost of a smile appears on Yusaku’s lips. “Do you really?”

“I get the feeling you’re mocking me.”

“No. I’m not,” Yusaku tilts his head towards a pair of boys who approach. “I’m merely concerned. It’s possible she wants something to do with me too. We both have to be on our guards from now on.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” Shoichi sighs and then greets his clients with a wide grin. He feels Yusaku’s gaze travel on his backside before drifting off somewhere else.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Shoichi catches the faintest hint of pink disappearing into the void.

He frowns.

~~~

Playmaker is cornered, entrapped in a cage of light. The boy struggles against it, ramming into bars of white, snapping and snarling at the shadow that leans over him. The emergency cameras shake and tremble, following Playmaker’s movements as his arms slap against virtual pixels and as his legs collapse beneath him.

Shoichi tries his hardest to program an escape. This monster before him gloats, blackened hands yanking Playmaker’s face forward. They laugh, smiling and playing with the boy as he glares up with bitter defiance. He spits something back at the figure, struggling to escape, but finds coils of luminance keeping him in place.

“Hold on, Yusaku!” Shoichi mutters, bringing up several windows to type a series of code into.

His fingers fly across his keyboard, blurring into rhythmic movements that echo with the sound of tapping and clicking. The shadow kicks at Playmaker and the boy kneels over, saliva escaping and dripping down his cheek. The boy attempts to snarl in protest but is silenced by a blow to the leg. He screams and Shoichi’s heart hammers with panic and fury. How dare they, how dare they, how dare-!

In his agony, another window appears alongside his. It is foreign-looking, a lone sheet of white space, and he eyes it with mild concern before closing out of it. He doesn’t need a blank page to distract him from his job. Why’d he even summon one in the first place?

It vanishes and he returns to his work, typing furious codes that scramble across the screen in his haste. He needs to worm his way through, to create a route of escape but there’s no way to wiggle around the firewall…

Another square of white appears and Shoichi growls in frustration. He tries to close out of it when he finds his mouse swatted aside. Baffled and somewhat surprised, he tries again. His mouse stays in place, frozen, and glares back at him with spiteful restraint.

“What…?” he asks, shaking his mouse with vicious movements. He checks the bottom to see if it is still alive. A red light beams back at him and he winces. Nope, still working.

From the corner of the current screen he is working on, an avatar appears. It is humanoid in appearance, with the colorful depiction of an anime character. Large silver eyes look up at him and he watches as it gains the appearance of someone quite familiar.

Ghost Girl.

Obviously, it isn’t exactly her. The eyes are way too big, the hair a bit too colorful, and her body is way too small in comparison to her head. Still, the resemblance is there and hard to deny.

“Hello!” she says, placing her tiny arms behind her back. “Miss me?”

He narrows his eyes. “Why are you here?”

Her avatar spins, ascending up his screen and over to the blank page that had been opened seconds ago. Only, it wasn’t blank anymore but a section of zeroes and ones that made up half the page’s visible length. “I’m here to help,” Ghost Girl’s computer avatar says, winking at him. “You need to get past that firewall, right?”

“And should I really trust you?”

“Nope,” she tilts her head as if his suspicion is the least of her concerns. “I’m acting on my client’s orders. Now, do you want to bicker or do you want some help? Playmaker’s looking pretty pitiful right now.”

Shoichi’s gaze flicks to Yusaku and he notices the boy curled up on the floor of his cage, eyes closed and seemingly unconscious. He tightens his fingers into a fist, glares at the avatar and shakes his head. “Fine.”

Her avatar nods her head and then more lines of code appear on the newly-opened window. He types in his own set of commands, eyes scanning for details while his fingers continue to add more and more. Occasionally, he’ll notice Ghost Girl float over to his section of code, smirk, and then correct the errors that he himself cannot catch. He ignores her smug looks, knowing better than to inflate the ego of someone who’s already gloating. He needs to pay attention to Yusaku, to know that he’s okayand that everything will be fine and Ghost Girl mocking him does not help whatsoever.

The shadowy villain on-screen offers another laugh, reaching down for the Duel Disk where Ignis is hiding. The AI screeches and rants, cursing and spitting and going overall berserk while his master lies on the ground but is quieted by the figure’s foot over Playmaker’s head.

“Done!” Ghost Girl chimes, and her code integrates with Shoichi’s.

There’s a pause, a moment in time in which Shoichi is unable to comprehend the large mass of data that strings itself through, and then a pool of blue particles opens up underneath Yusaku. The boy is dragged into it, falling through liquid tiles as the shadow hisses and screams, reaching through bars of light to snatch at his collar. They miss, fingers gliding through air, and Yusaku disappears from the VRAINS.

Shoichi immediately sends his chair flying, rushing to the backroom where he knows Yusaku’s body lies. He swings open the door, rushing to Yusaku’s side and shaking him awake.

Green eyes flutter open and Yusaku wipes at his bloodied lips. “I’m fine,” he says, before hacking up a mixture of saliva and crimson.

“You are not!” Ignis huffs, orange eyes watching him with a pitiful attempt at concealing his concern. “Master, you’re in bad condition!”

Shoichi lays him on his side and grabs at a nearby phone. He dials the emergency number and calls up an ambulance as Yusaku clutches at his chest. Red seeps through white and Shoichi applies as much pressure as he can.

“Bandages, Shoichi!” Ignis snaps. “He needs bandages!”

Shoichi nods and disappears from the room to grab at his emergency kit. Hold on, just hold on!

He returns to the room, flitting past the screens that have led to Yusaku’s escape. He pauses, spares the screen he’d been working on a second glance, and then rushes forward.

A single thought whispers past his mind.

Ghost Girl’s avatar has disappeared.

~~~

He brings Yusaku a batch of flowers and a get-well card the next day. The boy protests such an action, groaning and fussing over money better well-spent, but Shoichi hears none of it. He presses them into the boy’s care, watches as the boy’s eyes alight with joy despite the scowl he wears on his face, and then stares at the ground.

“If only I had been sooner…!” he laments, fingers digging into the legs of his pants. His shoulders shake and he tries not to get emotional. Not in front of Yusaku.

The boy says nothing. But, he doesn’t have to. His face expresses it all. His furrowed eyebrows speak of confusion. His smile speaks of forgiveness, mercy. His eyes are shining, narrowed in concern but still able to suggest Yusaku thinks his own fate was unavoidable.

Yusaku reaches a hand onto his own and winces as if the very movement pains him. Shoichi opens his mouth to protest but Yusaku shakes his head and the man closes it.

“I’m alive, alright? That’s all that matters.”

“I…”

“Don’t fret over it. You got me out on time – that’s all I care about.”

Shoichi draws in a shaky breath, remembering Yusaku’s pained face and his tortured screams. He shakes his head, stands up and Yusaku reaches for him.

“I wasn’t able to save you without help.”

Yusaku’s hand pauses mid-air. “Help?”

“The woman from before. She helped me code the program to save you.”

“Ah,” Yusaku breathes.

Shoichi suffocates with knowing and leaves before his friend can offer up another word. The door shuts behind him and he leans on it, staring at the door across from him with shaking hands.

He would have failed.

He can already taste it on his tongue. Self-loathing stings at him and he shudders, looking at his fingers as they twitch with his frustration and disgust. Had Ghost Girl not helped him, he knows he wouldn’t have made it. Shoichi knows better than anyone, remembers the way his own manifestation of a program had paled in comparison to Ghost Girl’s quick typing. He hadn’t wanted her help and, had he refused her assistance, he was certain that Yusaku would have been sentenced to a life of ‘damaged beyond repair’.

The door in front of him opens and he hears bells in the back of his mind. A voice of wind chimes echoes in the wake of such an action, and he sees a figure emerging.

“I’ll be back to visit tomorrow!” a woman chirps, humming to herself as the door shuts behind her.

Amethyst eyes meet with storm gray ones.

“My,” the lady says, twisting a lock of pink in-between her fingers, “fancy seeing you here. Aren’t you the hotdog vendor at Den City’s plaza?”

There’s a nervous edge to her words, a kind of blade that sparks with alarm and panic. The newcomer stands in front of the door, letting it close behind her before resting her elbows on the palm of her hands.

He notes the way she stands in front of the door, her shoulders raised and her body language suggesting the need for his distraction. She presses closer, a little too close, and observes him with a forced smile.

He stutters despite himself. “R-Right, I run the shop there.”

“Oh?” she chitters. “And why aren’t you there right now?”

“My friend was injured.”

“Friend?”

He nods. “He’s distant family. I’m taking care of him for the moment.”

“Ah.”

They stand in the middle of the hallway, unsure and uncertain.

“Why are you here?” Shoichi asks.

Her eyes widen by a fraction and she drops the strand of hair she is playing with. “My nephew,” she says. “He’s bedridden right now so I’ve come over to visit him.”

“Ah, that’s not good. Is he sick?”

“Yes. He gets sick quite frequently so you can say I’m a constant guest here.”

He shifts a foot to the left and she mimics the movement. He turns away from the door she has exited from and she relaxes as he steps away. She trails after him and offers a hand.

“Ema.”

He pauses to look over at her. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s my name. I figured I would introduce myself.”

He takes her hand and shakes it. “Shoichi Kusanagi.”

There’s a secretive smile on Ema’s face. “Such an interesting name. Shoichi means the first son of Sho. Kusanagi is a reference to one of the three sacred treasures of Japan. Perhaps you are the first son of such a relic?”

He stares at her like she is speaking nonsense and he is almost certain she is because her mouth rambles on while her eyes dart away from his. He knows she’s hiding something but what, exactly, that is something he himself cannot figure out.

Ema leads him to an elevator full of people and they squish themselves in, ignoring disgruntled complaints as the doors close behind them.

“What are you going to do now?” he asks her.

She brings out a phone. “I have a couple of jobs I need to fulfill,” she looks up at him and gives a sour smile, “gotta pay those hospital bills one way or another, right?”

Shoichi nods. “What type of jobs, if I may ask?”

“Freelance stuff,” she waves a hand. “I collect information on what my client’s want and give it to them.”

“Like a private investigator?”

“Something along those lines, yes,” she eyes him as the elevators doors open and they depart together. “How about you?”

“Mm?”

“Would you like to hire me sometime? No, wait,” Ema pulls out a business card and presses it into his hands. “Take this.”

His fingers curl around it and he brings it to his eyes. Ema Bessho. Information hunter, phone number and email provided below. He looks at her.

She winks. “I need to leave now,” she tells him. “But keep this in mind. I’ll always be available to help.”

He watches as she walks away, uneasiness still evident but surrounded with an aura of confidence nonetheless. A mystery, that one. Intriguing and yet with so many questions left unanswered. Shoichi pauses, contemplates upon their encounter, and then shakes his head.

Back to work.

~~~

The next day, Ghost Girl pops back on his screen.

It’s nearly midnight when her avatar appears. He’s sitting on his keyboard, his wagon flickering in the light of his computer screens as he surfs the web for information. Yusaku is still in charge of the hospital and while Shoichi does worry over their bills (hospitals were pricey, after all. But, for Yusaku, he was willing to pay anything) he knew it was better to let the boy rest in safety than in the dismal enclosure of Shoichi’s hotdog wagon.

At first, she is silent. She pulls herself out a cartoon portal, a nice animation which catches his eye the moment it appears on-screen. She stands on his internet browser icon, teetering back and forth in interest while he contemplates a nearby web page. Question marks appear over her head and he wonders how she had managed to create a program so sophisticatedly life-like.

Finally, she decides to speak, jumping over to his webpage and sitting on the bottom. “Hello?” she asks, voice sparking with static. “You there?”

He pulls back and glares at her. “Of course. What do you want? To harass me?”

Her icon giggles and so does she. “No, I’m merely curious. You’re Playmaker’s caretaker, right?”

“Should I even deny it at this point?”

“Mm, I thought you’d sound much more angry.”

He scoffs. “And why’s that?”

“You seemed pissed at me when we first met.”

“And I had good reason to – you’re not someone I trust.”

“Oooh, ouch,” her avatar winces. “Not even after I helped you?”

“That’s because it overlapped with your client’s interests, right?”

She jumps up and down, playing hop-scotch with the various files that

the bottom gray bar of his mac computer. Her feet glide over his various icons, gaze tossed to the bottom of his screen.

“Oi.”

She looks up at him and pauses in her game.

“Answer me.”

Ghost Girl’s avatar gives an exasperated sigh, shoulders slumping and she sits down over the icon of a trash bin. “Right, right,” she shrugs at him. “Yes, my client sent me to save Playmaker. He wanted me to repay a favor that Playmaker had done for his sister. Me helping you just coincided with that.”

He raises an eyebrow. “And?”

She peers at him. “And what?”

“Why are you here now?”

“To talk, I guess.”

“Weaseling out information from me?”

“I don’t deny it.”

“Then why should I say anything?”

“Because I’m bored and I don’t have any jobs to run right now. Talking to you sounded like a fun idea.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” he moves his mouse over the top of her head and clicks. He drags up and the icon goes with it. At first, she stares, baffled by the apparition above her head, and then she crosses her arms and glares at him.

“You’re very rude, you know that?”

He moves her into the trash can. Moments later, a window opens up and she climbs out of it, crossing her arms and glowering at him.

“I don’t care.”

He picks her back up again and she fights against it, arms reaching up to swat at his mouse. She drops from his grasp and he tries again, frustrated. She dances away, laughing as she slips through his metaphorical fingers.

“Good luck with catching me!”

He manages to snag the ends of her avatar’s ponytail and holds her up. She turns to him with an aghast expression, tears bubbling on the ends of her eyes.

“Ow,” she says mockingly. “How dare you.”

She struggles out of his grasp and then hops around to grab the mouse icon. She clasps it in both of her hands and shakes her head at him.

“Game over,” she tells him.

He laughs despite himself, amused by the shenanigans that have just taken place. “Alright, you win.”

“Good,” she lets go of the mouse and it hovers in front of her. She peers at it and then looks at him. “Try that again and I’ll make you pay.”

“How threatening,” he replies. “I’m scared.”

She laughs at that, her avatar tucking her arms behind her back and grinning. Ghost Girl spins and then smiles at him. He rolls his eyes, knowing that she is unable to see him do so (the camera option isn’t blinking with its normal green light, after all), and crosses his arms at her little spectacle.

Then, she pauses, perking up. “Ah, sorry,” she says suddenly, her gaze looking back at his screen saver. “I need to go now. I think a client’s calling.”

At midnight? He wants to ask, along with the question: just what kind of job do you work? But, he merely sighs.

“Alright.”

Ghost Girl peers at Shoichi and laughs. “See you tomorrow?”

“Are you planning on coming back?”

There’s half exasperation in his voice.

“Of course.”

She disappears into her cartoon portal before he can say another word.

~~~

For the next couple of days, Ghost Girl keeps him company. Yusaku is still in the hospital’s care, tending to his wounds and internal injuries while Ignis keeps the boy company. Shoichi visits him on rare occasions (he still feels swallowed by his guilt) and, when he leaves, he’s always left to stare at the door that keeps Ema’s nephew enclosed. Sometimes, he reaches for the knob. Other times, he pulls away without a second glance. He can’t deny the curiosity that itches at his mind but he isn’t nosy enough to prod into someone else’s affairs.

Regardless, the woman from the VRAINS appears before him every day just as the cool night air settles in. Her avatar greets him, and they banter back and forth, forming a routine in which she teases him and he grouses about her constant interloping. He begins to adjust to her nosy presence, finding himself aware of her visits during his nightly web researching trips and almost expecting them to occur day by day. He won’t deny that he’s developed an interest in her, but the coffee that burns at his throat as the moon dances overhead suggests that his interest is a bit more complex than he wishes to believe.

On occasion, he sees Ema too. The woman greets him in the mornings, ready to prepare for her normal order, and while they don’t talk as much she always seems to be beaming in his presence. There’s something oddly innocent about her, something that, though devious and cunning, makes Shoichi wonder. In a way, she seems familiar, aloof but playful. She is much like a cat, he thinks, toying with the canary. He doesn’t know why the comparison comes to mind but it fits her perfectly.

Both women intrigue him. On one hand, Ema is a real-life person. There is something alluring in the way her body language speaks, the way her shoulders have gone from up in discomfort to relaxed and how her smile speaks of more clarity than before.

Eventually, Yusaku returns and, as if the boy has triggered a catalyst of some sort, Ema and Ghost Girl become less frequent in his life. He wonders Ema’s disappearance is due to the door opposite of Yusaku’s which had been left open and empty. He wonders if Ghost Girl’s disappearance is due to the sudden increase in jobs that she has complained of.

Regardless, he has to adjust to the normal pace of his life. Yusaku visits after and before school, enjoying a hotdog here and there while Shoichi attends to his customers. It’s almost nostalgic, in a way, and he must admit he’s missed the child’s constant presence.

However, as his eyes scan client after client, he finds himself missing the familiar weave of pink and gray that approaches his stand. He finds himself missing the anime caricature of a woman from the VRAINS. He finds himself missing them both (though, mostly the latter) and he wonders if they have suddenly lost interest in him.

Does he want to know? Maybe. Maybe not. But his heart clambers with concern, unsure and uncertain as their visits become less and less. Yusaku notices, of course, but if the boy is worried he shows no visible signs of agitation. Instead, the boy is as cool and calm as ever, gaze sharp but words nonexistent. Shoichi’s half-tempted to tiptoe around him for fear of being investigated but the boy doesn’t press or even ask. Instead, there is only a knowing smile that alerts Shoichi to the idea that Yusaku already knows.

He’s just not sure how he feels about that.

~~~~

One day, Yusaku goes missing.

How or why, Shoichi doesn’t know. He just understands that it’s not ordinary. His classmates report nothing out of the ordinary. There was no paranoia, no shifty glances or any other outward expression to suggest that boy might have been submerged into danger. Aoi Zaizen and Naoki Shima, perhaps the only people considered the closest to Yusaku inside of school, indicate no present suspicions.

“He was fine last I saw him,” Naoki says with a shrug when Shoichi inquires. The two are on relatively relaxed terms considering Naoki is a frequent visitor and thus there is no suspicion present on why Shoichi is asking such a question.

Aoi Zaizen, however, is more guarded. “Who are you to Yusaku?” she asks, a lilt of danger in her voice. Her eyes narrow at him, distaste clear in her voice. She doesn’t believe him or anything he says.

“I’m a family friend. His parents couldn’t come to investigate so I’m doing it for them.”

“Are you now?” her chin raises and a cold chill permeates his body as frost reflects in amber pools. “Because Yusaku has told me he has no family.”

Damn you, Yusaku. “Fine, fine,” he puts his hands up and an eyebrow raises on her part. “I’m his legal guardian. A friend first, but a legal guardian second. I’m the hotdog man, if you must know.”

Something about that clicks and Aoi’s eyes widen. “Oh, you’re…!” she takes a breath and then releases it, her attitude switching from suspicious and distrusting to understanding and relenting. “I’m sorry for my doubts. I find it hard to trust people.”

“No worries,” he tells her. “I just need to know when you last saw Yusaku. I can’t find him without any leads.”

Aoi shakes her head. “I don’t know. I saw him in class just after the bell rang. We talked a little bit about our latest exams and then he left. There wasn’t anything that I felt was wrong or weird about him. Are you sure you have no other leads?”

“No. I don’t.”

She frowns. “Then I…and no one’s seen him since?”

He shakes his head.

“Maybe,” she rubs her chin and then looks at a nearby wall in contemplative thought. “I know this might sound weird, but my brother often hires a private investigator when he needs help finding something. She’s an information hunter – Ema Bessho.”

The name clicks in his mind and he pulls out a crumpled card from his wallet. Aoi’s eyes widen and she looks between it and him. “You’ve already met her?” she says and then shakes her head. “She gets around, why am I even surprised?”

“And she can help?”

Aoi nods. “She’s very reliable. Very pricey but reliable. Well, about as reliable as you expect for the price but outside of the job itself she can be an interesting individual.”

“I…thanks. I think I’ll call her.”

She looks as if she’s expected this outcome and gives him a nervous wave. “I’ll look into it too. Yusaku being gone for even a day worries me. Especially if it worries you as well. I’ll contact you if I find anything.”

“Thanks.”

She leaves and he is left to stare at the card. He takes in a breath and pulls up a phone. He dials a number, the same number on the card, and awaits a response.

“Hello?”

~~~~

He steps into the VRAINS.

The coordinates he’d typed in lead him to the roof of a tall, imposing skyscraper. His shoes clatter against concrete and he looks around. No one is around him. Nothing is around him except for a cube structure holding a staircase and a few potted plants. He peers at the pieces of flora, surprised that anyone would be tending to virtual objects inside the VRAINS. He knew gardening was possible - it was hard to accomplish and rather tedious – but it was definitely possible.

“Like what you see?”

A female voice chimes and bells ring around him. He straightens up, watching as a figure appears from melted shadows.

“The wraith of the VRAINS,” he whispers, words flying from his mouth as his hired help appears. He corrects himself when her form becomes fully visible, the light of the VRAINS glistening upon silver and pink hair. “Ghost Girl?”

“Nice to see you again, Shoichi,” she says, nodding her head. It is stiff and informal, uncertain and unsure.

“You’re…Ema?”

“Oh?” her eyes widen in surprise and she pauses. “You hadn’t noticed?”

“…No?”

She giggles at his startled expression. “I thought you’d figured it out. Yes, Ema Bessho and I are the same person. Ghost Girl is my VRAINS persona. I’m a treasure hunter, if you must. And, obviously, it looks like you’re my client this time. Let’s talk about that. Your son is missing, I believe?”

“My friend.”

“Ah, right, your friend. Could’ve fooled me,” she steps closer to him. “Now, where did you last see him?”

“Before he left for school. His classmates said he was with them up until school ended.”

“Any normal hang-out places?”

“Just a house. I checked before I called. He’s not there. He’s been missing for a day now and it’s not like him to do that.”

She nods, and then props her chin on the palm of her hand. She paces around him, eyebrows furrowing. “Is it possible he’s in the VRAINS right now? Did you check to see if it’s possible he’s in there right now?”

“I…no, I didn’t. But if he was there, he’d been making a sensation on the news.”

She smiles. “Playmaker, huh? Yes, no doubt the news would be up and screaming about him if he was in the public eye. Still, perhaps, is it possible there could be a way to tell where he is if he was indeed here? A tracking code or anything?”

“I…have emergency cameras on him. Back-up cameras in case he needs help. And I have his duel disk’s ID. I can try pinging it to see if there’s a response but…”

“Do that. Or, rather, do both of those things. It might help if he’s actually here.”

He nods, bringing up several screens to check around. A keyboard appears before him and he clicks in multiple lines of codes.

A screen of pixels appears before him. A square of black sits before them, glaring and waiting. Ghost Girl peers at it curiously.

“Disconnected?” she asks. “There’s no sound or anything.

He shakes his head, gesturing to a green circle just above the feed. The symbol for ‘active’.

“Then where?”

“I don’t know.”

“Try connecting to his duel disk.”

He brings up a separate window and tries to get a response. He waits, a circle of dots spinning, and all he hears is the blood in his ears and Ghost Girl’s careful breathing. Moments later, he gets a response.

“Can you track it?” Ema asks him.

“I’ll need help.”

“Consider it done,” she smiles and opens up her own window that is shared between them. He nods and then follows her lead, typing in a collection of codes. Fingers move across virtual keyboards and, after a few minutes of time, they draw up a location.

“Interesting,” Ema says, peering at the coordinates. “Nice hiding place.”

“Where is it?”

“It’s a hacked zone from one of the latest cyber attacks. SOL’s put a ban on it for the moment but that doesn’t mean they’re keeping it under locks. There’s no one guarding the area while they’re waiting for repairs.”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “How do you know this?”

“I have a friend at SOL. He tells me things and I piece two and two together. Trust me, I’m not at all surprised that anyone would hide Playmaker there. It’s as abandoned as a graveyard.”

Shoichi nods. “So, how do we go about this?”

“Well, it’s likely your friend is trapped in that area. We’ll need to investigate, scope things out. But, we’re going to need help. We could be walking into a trap and having some back-up will always prove useful. I could contact Blue Angel. She’s a distant friend of mine and a close friend of Playmaker’s - she might help us out.”

“I could call up Go Onizuka,” Shoichi says. “I’ve worked with him before and he’d definitely be available if he hears Playmaker is in danger.”

“Good. Call him. The more the merrier,” she pauses and then hesitates. “I…might call up someone else too. But, I can’t guarantee anything. For now, let’s just get those two here and on our side.”

He nods and opens up a screen, calling up Go’s number. Ghost Girl does the same, no doubt calling up Blue Angel.

Both agree to their demands without a second’s hesitation.

~~~

They sit on the edge of a cliff, looking down at a section of rocky spires that burst out of porcelain sand. Foaming waves of storm gray splash and sizzle, the faint cries of seafowl echoing overhead.

“He’s down there?” Blue Angel asks in disbelief. “In the rocks?”

“More like in a cave,” Ghost Girl says, pointing to the dot on her screen. Her voice crackles as she speaks as if her connection is breaking. She points underneath her. “There’s undoubtedly a tunnel beneath us. We’ll need to investigate.”

Go eyes the spires beneath him. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It doesn’t seem safe,” Blue Angel echoes.

Shoichi turns to her with a laugh. “You have wings, what are you worried about?”

The girl rolls her eyes. “They’re there for aesthetic purposes. They don’t actually fly.”

“We could hoverboard down,” Go offers. “We all have hoverboards, right?”

“No,” Shoichi and Ghost Girl instantly chime. Both adults look at each other and then smile.

The children before them give exasperated sighs. “I’ll take Go’s board,” she tells them. “And you can take mine in the meantime. The boards should be able to support two people.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’ll be fine,” she reassures him and nods to Go.

The boy summons his board and he climbs atop it. Blue Angel beckons to the air and a white hover board tinged with pink manifests itself before her. She picks it up and hands it to Ghost Girl, winking. The woman raises an eyebrow but her cheeks go pink. She shakes her head and turns to him, settling the board before her. It hovers in place, ready and awaiting for footsteps to appear on its surface. Ghost Girl hops on and then beckons to him.

Shoichi follows her lead, stepping behind her. She moves forward and he jerks back in surprise, teetering nearly the end without balance. Ghost Girl huffs, grabbing his arms and wrapping them around her waist. “Hold on,” she tells him.

“A-Alright.” His grip tightens and she seems to stiffen.

Go’s hover board moves up into the air and they wait for Ghost Girl to do the same. She ascends and then leans forward, dragging Shoichi forward as well. Their board lines up with Go’s and then they descend over the edge of the cliff.

“You’re a natural on the hoverboard,” Blue Angel tells Ema. “Good job.”

“Thanks,” Ghost Girl shrugs and then follows them down to the ground. A section of sand opens up before them and they land upon it without much effort.

Shoichi immediately uncoils his arms from around Ghost Girl’s waist and she peers back at him. There’s an expression on her face that suggests she’s close to pouting and he flushes in embarrassment.

“Let’s go, you two,” Blue Angel says, pushing them forward and into a cluster of spires. She leads them to the mouth of a cave, peering in with apprehension. “So, who wants to lead?”

“I’ll go,” Go says, head raised, and then brushes past her. Blue Angel nods her head and trods after him. Shoichi falls behind the pair, Ghost Girl at his side.

He turns to the woman and frowns as he squints through the murky darkness. Damn, too bad he didn’t have a virtual flashlight on him. They were impractical in the VRAINS but, as it was right now, they would be a good tool to have on hand right now. “Do you happen to have a map of this place?” he asks.

Ghost Girl takes moment to bring up a bluish screen with blue-white outlines. It reminds him rather oddly of the video games he used to play in his youth. The woman points to a section that winds its way down, separating her screen into three separate layers that, inevitably, indicate three separate floors.

“And Yusaku?”

“I can’t tell where your so-friend is at. I’m trying to establish a connection with his duel disk but it looks like there’s a signal interfering. I can’t do much more at this point.”

“It just means we’ll need to be careful,” Go says from over his shoulder. “Stay close, everyone. We don’t know what kind of enemy we’re dealing with.”

“You don’t need to tell us that,” Ghost Girl says and Blue Angel nods in agreement. “We’re already well aware.”

“I’m just saying that I’ll protect you all if need be…”

Blue Angel pokes the boy in the ribs and grins at the wrestler. “We can handle ourselves,” she tells him, “but thank you anyways.”

Shoichi laughs as the boy blushes, pleased but nervous nonetheless. Ghost Girl’s giggling intertwines alongside his and both children send them scowling looks.

Footsteps bounce off of rocky paths and Shoichi watches as stalagmites and stalactites unfurl out of the ground, sharp and jagged and an easy death sentence. They spark with red light, bleeding blue particles that echo of the virus that had rooted itself here days ago.

“I’m surprised SOL hasn’t repaired this area yet,” Go says when the silence stretches out too long. He steps around a spire of rock and they all repeat his movements, avoiding impalement. “It’s been inactive for a week now.”

“It’s a very popular dueling spot,” Blue Angel chimes in. “Or, more like, it was a popular dueling spot. After Playmaker brought about speed-dueling, it’s fallen out of favor.”

“A cave?” Shoichi wrinkles his nose as a drop of water lands on his head. For a second, he swears he hears footsteps. “Why would a cave be a popular spot to duel?”

“It has an underground lake,” Ghost Girl says with an off-handed wave. “I’ve heard it can look quite pretty when SOL puts the effort into fixing it.”

Blue Angel frowns. “They can’t maintain it all the time. Especially after the latest virus attack, which wiped out more areas than this one. SOL is doing everything they can to fix the problem.”

The woman glides forward and pats the girl’s head. “Alright, alright, don’t fuss about it. I meant no offense by my comment. You’re over-reacting again.”

Blue Angel nods. “Right. Sorry.”

“There’s no need to-!” Ghost Girl pauses midsentence and then pushes Blue Angel away. She darts to Shoichi’s side and drags him to the ground as she falls to the floor of the cave.

Go, on instant alert, spins around and Shoichi watches as knives slide past his face. The wrestler dives away and Blue Angel looks up from her position on the ground, purple eyes cold and calculating. She points to a ledge above their heads where five shadows lurk. Another round of knives is thrown and Blue Angel rolls to the side, wincing as a knife slices into her arm. She hisses, snarling, and backs away behind a stalagmite. Go follows her lead and so does Shoichi, grabbing Ghost Girl’s hand and then leading her to a pair of malformed calcium mounds.

“What now?” Go asks, eyes kept warily on the battle-field.

Blue Angel tilts her attention in Ghost Girl’s direction. “Aren’t you the expert on this kind of stuff? Do you have a plan?”

“Not really – I didn’t expect to see assassins here,” she shrugs nonchalantly and they all balk at her.

“Assassins?” Shoichi questions, breathing in sharply. “What do assassins want with Playmaker?”

“Do I look like I know the answer to that?” he shakes his head and the woman continues. “I can write up a program to immobilize them and keep them trapped. It’s going to take me a few minutes, though. You two can act as distraction while I write it up.”

“And me?” the dark-haired man asks her.

Ghost Girl smiles at him. “Would you mind helping me with the coding? It’ll go much faster with the two of us. I’ll show you the basic layout and then we can go from there.”

He nods while Blue Angel and Go Onizuka stare at them in exasperation. The two children share glances with each other, look out into the darkness of the save and the sound of knives hitting calcium, and then they shake their heads.

“Now,” Ghost Girl cracks her knuckles, “let’s get started.”

~~~~

Within five minutes, the program is completed.

Ghost Girl beams as their project comes to a close, manifesting in the form of five silver roses – one for each shadow that haunts the area behind them. She hands him two, simpering as they face the battlefield that Blue Angel and Go Onizuka dance upon.

“How does this work?” he asks, holding a rose in each hand and marveling at the realism of them. The petals feel soft under his finger, the thorns sharp and irritating but not so sharp as to piece the skin they tread upon.

“We need to throw these at the assassins – one per person. Then, the trap should activate and entrap them.”

“Do we need to draw them out, then?”

She nods. “Yes, most likely. Although,” her gaze sweeps around the cave to where five different shadows have slipped along, separated from one another and yet intent on the idol and wrestler before them, “it looks like those two are doing a good job of that.”

He holds a rose before him and looks at her. “Good luck?” he suggests.

The woman laughs at that, holding one of her own flowers beneath her nose. She closes her eyes, breathes, and then faces him. “Good luck to you too. Let’s hope we don’t get caught.”

And then she dashes off, roses in hand. He follows her lead, jumping out from their hiding spot to advance upon a rather slender assassin. They peer at him, make a disgusted sound, and then pull out a selection of knives. Shoichi dodges just in time, ducking as he throws the rose to the ground. His opponent stares at it, laughs, making a move to advance-

And vines appear to wrap the stranger’s arms and legs around their body. They curse, spluttering and yowling as they struggle against their binds, but find themselves steadily locked into place. Shoichi huffs at their display of anger, moving on to his next victim – the man behind Blue Angel.

It seems Yusaku’s friends has put herself in a bind, distracted with chasing one shadow while another pursues her from the darkness. Shoichi’s half-tempted to call out to her but he stays low, moving forward with careful steps until the man before him notices his presence. He spins around and Shoichi sees the glint of metal but it is far, far too late. The rose lands at the stranger’s feet and he goes down shrieking in agony.

Damn. It looked like that rose had had a hint of malicious coding.

Blue Angel nods at him, grateful, and then holds up a rose she must have gotten from Ema. She chases after the third shadow, pauses, and then throws the faux flower at the assassin’s feet. They howl and scream, twitching and writhing before they lapse into unconscious.

Hot damn.

Blue Angel doesn’t seem the least surprised, taking a deep breath to regain herself. “Now,” she says, “what about the other two roses? Or does Ema have them?”

He blinks for a second and then nods his head. “She does.”

“Then where is she?” Go appears beside them, looking dazed and confused. “I can’t find her.”

Shoichi’s heart suddenly speeds up and he twists his head back and forth with desperation. “Ema!” he shouts. “Ema?”

A scream and then he sees Ghost Girl flying into a stalagmite. Her body hits the calcium mound and she slumps to the base of it. Shoichi rushes over to her, hands held above her and shaking. “Ema? Ema? Ema, wake up!”

She opens her eyes and attempts to stand up but crumbles before she can even lift her head. A cackle sounds behind him and Shoichi spins around to watch as the last assassin approaches. Behind him sits a silver rose that lies on the floor, alone and trampled down upon.

“How sad,” the man says, static seeping through his voice, “to think I’d see you in such a state, Ghost Girl. Well, better to have one competitor knocked off the food chain than having myself kicked off it. Your little flower trick won’t be the end of my today.”

He draws out a gun and points it in Ema’s direction. However, Shoichi jumps in front of her, blocking the gun from direct fire towards her body. The man snickers at such a display, obviously amused. He advances, staring Shoichi straight in the eyes and then aims for his forehead.

White flashes at his feet and a giant flower manifests beneath the assassin. Petals the size of horses spread out and then close up, swallowing the man into a cocoon of white. The man shrieks and, moments later, Shoichi hears the sounds of gunshots echoing from inside. The flower gurgles, tightening around the man until it outlines the distinct shape of a human being. Then, the flower constricts and blue particles release from its center, spreading up like pollen. It lingers for a moment and then disappears into the void.

A boy stands behind it. His clothing glints with gold, sweat on his face and breathing hard, but he greets Ema with light in his eyes and a smile on his lips.

Ema tries to regain her self and manages to come to a sitting position. She looks at the boy and beckons him closer. He manifests from the shadows and offers her a hand. She takes it and he pulls her up.

“You came all this way, huh?” she tells the newcomer. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“You’re the one who asked for my help, auntie,” the boy laughs and then turns to Blue Angel and Go Onizuka. “It’s nice to see you two again.”

They nod, obviously familiar with him. “It’s been awhile,” Blue Angel says.

The boy peers at Shoichi and then offers him a hand. “You’re the hotdog man, right? My aunt has told me all about you.”

“Your aunt...?”

“Ema. Ghost Girl.”

Ema looks up and laughs at the baffled expression on Shoichi’s face. “He’s my nephew,” she tells him.

The boy nods and Shoichi shakes his hand. “Consider myself your future nephew-in-law,” there’s a grin and Shoichi pulls away with eyebrows raised. The newcomer switches his gaze to Ema and then snickers. Shoichi follows his gaze and finds Ema standing beside him, wobbling but with her hair over her face. She grabs onto Shoichi’s shoulder and he yelps as she tries to steady herself.

“Are you sure you’re fine?” the boy with the gold outfit asks. “If you want, I can escort you out…”

She waves him off. “If anything, it’s you who should go. You’re still sick.”

There’s a look of hurt that passes on the boy’s face. It passes by so quickly that Shoichi almost thinks he hallucinated it. “I’m fine,” the newcomer says quietly. “Come on, we need to find Playmaker, right? Let’s keep going.”

He joins up with Blue Angel and Go and the trio lead the way through the maze of rocks and calcium deposits. They ignore the screaming that echoes behind them, more concentrated on the way the shadows bend and break.

“Do you think there’s any more of them?” Shoichi asks Ema.

“What? Assassins?” she rubs her chin. “Maybe. It’s a possibility.”

“Shouldn’t you code more roses then?”

“I have it pre-programmed. We’ll be fine.”

He nods and they hurry along. They wind their way through the cave’s calcium formations, following the trail to the second floor and then to the third where a giant lake greets them.

At first, Shoichi is stunned. The lake is lifelike, almost realistic down to the flow of the water as a waterfall fed into it from above. Glow worms illuminate the area below, providing just enough light for them to see the island in the midst of the lake. On it, a familiar form laid, slumped and unconscious.

“Oi, oi!” Ignis shouts. “Idiots over there! Yes, you guys! Come here! There’s an invisible bridge just to your left! Or, is it your right? No, it’s definitely to your left!”

Blue Angel beckons them forward. “I know what bridge he’s talking about, come on!”

They follow behind her as she leads them to a ledge edged with stone. She taps her foot forward and everyone tenses, expecting her to plunge face-first into the water. Instead, the girl glides forward, unworried as she takes step after step. Go follows after her and then Ema’s nephew behind him. Ema falls behind them and Shoichi goes behind her. They traverse the bridge with caution, following Blue Angel’s lead as she takes them from one end of the lake to the other.

Ignis greets them with a huff. “Took you idiots long enough. Master Playmaker has been suffering for hours now because of your incompetency.”

“And yet you seem relieved,” Blue Angel shoots back at the AI.

Ignis rolls it eye. “Me? Relieved? All you’ve done is saved me from living by myself on an island with an unconscious boy.”

“What happened?” Go asks, bending down to inspect coils of rope that keep Playmaker unable to move.

The boy with the gold outfit pulls out a pocketknife and begins to saw away at the offending item, fibers fraying underneath the sharp blade. “Hold on, Yusaku,” he says, amber eyes watching the boy with teeth biting into lips.

Shoichi bends down beside him, hacking in a knife of his own. He begins working on the same area Ema’s nephew is, careful not to inject the blade into his fingers. He peers at the boy in the meantime. “Did you know him?”

“Playmaker? Yeah,” the boy’s gaze softens. “You might recognize my name. I’m one of the ones he hangs out with.”

The boy says his name and Shoichi nods.

“I’ve heard of you,” the man says. “I’m just surprised you and Ema are related.”

“Mm,” he replies with a shrug. “Most people don’t believe we’re related. Mostly because I don’t look anything like her.”

The rope begins to pull apart and they begin to work at it at a more furious pace, desperation easing way to strength. Yusaku sits still beneath them, unconscious but breathing, according to Ignis. The AI keeps watch over him, monitoring his heart rate and keeping check in case Yusaku decides to jump awake.

Finally, the rope gives way and they untangle Yusaku from the mess. Shoichi brings up a window and logs him out, watching as he disappears.

Blue Angel looks around. “Should we go now? This place is beginning to feel creepy.”

Go and the strange boy nod. “I need to get back to the orphanage,” the wrestler tells them.

“I’m beginning to get a headache again,” Ema’s nephew says, looking over at Ema. “I hope you don’t mind if I leave now?”

“Go, you need rest.”

The three children disappear from the VRAINS. Shoichi turns to Ema. “And you? How much do I owe you?”

Ema – Ghost Girl – gives him a half-hearted wave. “Consider this occasion free. You’ll still owe me some favors though.”

“But will I see you again?”

She pauses, staring at him, and then she bursts into laughter. “You sound like the love interest of som dumb chickflick movie.”

Shoichi stares at her, baffled and gaping. Ema giggles, leaning forward and touching her forehead to his. His face flares red and he can feel his ears burning as she pulls away.

“I’ll keep in touch, I promise,” she touches his nose with a finger and then strolls away, arms behind her back. The woman pauses, closes her eyes, and then waves goodbye to him.

She disappears into specks of light.

~~~

“Haruko Yamamoto.”

Shoichi stares at his screen, squinting at the picture Ghost Girl – Ema – has sent him.

“Who?”

Her anime depiction dances. “The guy who kidnapped Playmaker. He was apparently willing to put the kid on the black market or what I assume was the black market. The assassins being there suggests something shady was occurring.”

He leans back in his chair and Yusaku passes by, pausing only to look at the avatar on Shoichi’s screen.

“Hello, Ema,” the boy says.

The avatar jumps and frowns at the screen. “Yusaku?”

“Yep.”

“Shoichi, isn’t he supposed to be in school?”

There’s a moment of silence and then Yusaku knows he’s been caught. He vanishes from the truck without a word, closing the door behind him and making a dash for it.

“…I’m surprised you didn’t say anything,” Ema snickers.

“He knows he’ll get punished later. He’s just avoiding his fate but as soon as he gets home I’m banning his VRAINS privileges.”

“You sound just like his father.”

“Hah, if only. I’m way too relaxed with the kid. I know he means well but sometimes I wonder.”

Ghost Girl’s avatar plays with a strand of hair. She fidgets for a second, unsure, and then glances up at him. “Hey, Shoichi?”

“Mm?”

“You know how I said you owe me?”

“You’ve said it at least two times now. Why bring it up?”

“I want you to repay me now.”

He squints. “How?”

The avatar version of her puts her arms behind her back and blinks up at him. “A date?”

For a moment, all is still. Then time suddenly slaps him in the face and he’s left staring flabbergasted at his screen. His face becomes a full imitation of a tomato and he’s left stuttering as question marks appear over the avatars head.

“Oh dear, did I break you?” Ema sighs and then begins to tease him, “look, we can start off small. Go somewhere nice, talk, have a cute little meal. Bring your kid and I’ll bring mine or something. Hell, I’m pretty sure they think we’re dating already.”

He stares at the screen for a few more minutes.

She rubs her forehead and shakes her head. “Come on Shoichi, a girl just asked you on a date. Are you going to accept or not?”

He pulls himself together. “O-Of course,” he says. “Where do you want to meet?”

Ema’s avatar smiles.

“How about your hotdog stand?”

#vrains #yugioh vrains #Ema Bessho #Shouichi Kusanagi #Shoima #Yusaku Fujiki #Naoki Shima #mentioned Akira Zaizen #Blue Angel #Go Onizuka #Yellow Bird Child #headcanons abound #this is 32 pages kmn #i never intended for it to go beyond 15 pages whoops #rip my hand #for putting up with me for five days straight

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hisazuki · 8 years ago

Text

Yona ch.137 spoilers

Akatsuki no Yona chapter 137 “To our allies” summary with pics

Please don’t repost/reuse my scans and translations without permission. Tumblr reblog is fine.

Do not use the raws or translations for scanlations and don’t upload them on other websites. If you need watermark-less images to make graphics, send me an ask (not on anon) and I’ll give you a link - you can only request 3 images per chapter.

The Wind tribe soldiers are observing Shin. They’ve noticed their army is gathering near the border: war will probably start soon. Han-Dae asks Tae-Woo if they’re going to obey Soo-Won’s orders. The general replies their tribe lives right next to Shin’s territory, so it’s a given they were called to fight. They must be ready for when the Sky tribe comes, that’s when the fighting will begin.

Han-Dae isn’t really happy about the war. Saki doesn’t understand why: didn’t he choose to go to Sei and fight the last time? Han-Dae says it’s because he had heard about Lili being captured (the rumor said she was weak, but he quickly changed his mind when he saw her ^^;). They both agree wars won by hurting people are difficult to come to terms with.

Back to Yona’s group. Ogi says he sent a messenger to the Wind tribe and that he should reach them in half a day. He asks Hak if “avoid battle” was really the message he wanted to convey. Hak says their priority is to buy time, even if Shin might start attacking in the meantime. Voldo suggests they hurry to the border as well.

Min-Soo rushes in and tells them about what he overheard: the Sky tribe will head for Shin in 3 days, and they have about 20000 men. Everyone is worried, the war will break out earlier than they expected.

Yona tells Hak to go to the Wind tribe first. She will try to slow down Soo-Won’s army. She plans to talk to a certain ally of theirs... Hak doesn’t want to let her go without him. Ogi offers to send a messenger instead, but Yona says she wants to meet that person herself, even if it might be difficult. Min-Soo is willing to accompany her.

Again, Hak says he won’t let her go alone. Argila will go with her, then. Yona tells Hak to go. The Wind tribe is waiting for him. She doesn’t want to have any regret, so she’ll do what she can on her own. She’s confident buying time and waiting for the right opportunity will allow them to find a way to end things peacefully between Kouka and Shin. Then they’ll all be able to go to the dragons, Yoon and Ao.

Hak says he understands and he’ll be waiting.

Yona realizes what she’s done, hides her face with her coat and leaves with Argila and Min-Soo. Hak is still stunned.

Hak: ...What was that?!

Voldo: She already left.

Hak: Hey, wait.

Voldo: I told you, she left.

Hak: Nononononononono it’s weird it’s weird it’s weird pukkyuu!

Ogi casually remarks things have turned pretty bittersweet in here. He’s having fun (and put Yona’s kanzashi in his hair :D).

Hak is upset. He can’t let himself be caught unawares by everything the princess does, but for her to do such a thing just like that... can’t she give him a break?

In the carriage Ogi lent them, Yona’s buried her face in her arms, blushing furiously. When Hak told her “I’ll be waiting” with his worried look, she felt she didn’t want to part with him. She talks to herself in her head: “Yona, there are things you should and should not do, you know?” “What are you trying to do, Yona?”... She has to forget and put it out of her mind. She must focus.

Han-Dae has read Ogi’s message. He wonders if it’s really from Hak. Tae-Woo recognizes Hak’s handwriting. The soldiers are confused: should they obey Soo-Won’s command to wait for the Sky tribe and fight with them, or listen to their former general? They turn to Tae-Woo for answers.

Tae-Woo reminds them they’re all from the Wind tribe, and from Fuuga. Kids from Fuuga have had something etched in their souls since very young. No matter how great the Heavens are, no matter how admirable the king is, there’s only one person standing at the top of the Wind tribe.

Tae-Woo heads to Shin army’s camp with his small group. Meanwhile, he tells his soldiers to have fun, they’re not going to fight. Han-Dae is worried: their leader told them not to fight, but is it really alright to go to Shin like that?

Apparently there was a 2nd page to Hak’s letter. It said to get along well with people from Shin. Problem: soldiers from Shin aren’t friendly at all! Han-Dae wants to give them some wine, but gets almost shot with an arrow.

Tae-Jun is in the castle’s courtyard, all muddy. Kyo-Ga scolds him for playing in the mud at his age. Tae-Jun says he’s been harvesting iza crops in a nearby village. Kyo-Ga is still angry: what good will it do him to learn agriculture? He’s his assistant now, can’t he see how much effort Kyo-Ga put into learning various things, obeying Soo-Won and trying to rebuild the Fire tribe?

Huk-Chi arrives and tells Tae-Jun he has guests waiting for him. Tae-Jun runs away from his brother and later thanks Huk-Chi for coming up with this lie to save him. But his aide tells him he really have guests, and they’re envoys from Hiryuu castle. Tae-Jun freaks out: did he do something to anger the king?

The first person he sees is Argila, a scary-looking guy who looks like he’s a seasoned warrior. Then 2 hooded figures... Min-Soo asks Huk-Chi to leave the room. Tae-Jun loses it: they’re here to kill him, right? Oh no, he has been traumatized by mean-looking warriors in the past! And he feels like he’s become a better person lately, but that doesn’t prevent him from still doing bad-ish things from time to time!

Voice: Tae-Jun...

Hisa’s thoughts on the chapter:

Well well, it was high time we saw Yona pulling strings to achieve what she wants without relying on the dragons. Not only has she decided to use her influence to stop the war, she’s also “decided” to move forward on a more personal level (although her kiss with Hak was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing).

There are several things to discuss in this chapter, so I’ll just address the topics as they appeared.

1) Soo-Won. He’s still proceeding with his war plans, as he told Yona in the previous chapter. However, there might be something suspicious in the place he’s chosen to discuss this topic with Kye-Sook. It's an open room with no doors, and looks like a storage area. Obviously that’s where Min-Soo was headed, as he was pictured carrying books. No doors means Soo-Won didn’t care about being overheard and his war plans aren’t a big secret, or he purposefully brought Kye-Sook here knowing Min-Soo would be around to hear them. Was it his intention to have Min-Soo report back to Yona all along?

2) Min-Soo. What are you doing, Min-Soo? I can’t understand you. Rather, I don’t like this sort of redemption arc so late in the game. Kusanagi dumped his backstory on us last chapter, explaining why he was loyal to Soo-Won while still inclined to help Yona. Why is it now okay to defy SW’s orders even though he couldn’t a few months (?) ago when the king saved his life? Did something happen to his mother, has he found other powerful allies, or does he just not care anymore? I’m confused -_-; He’s like a convenient newfound ally that I want to trust but can’t.

3) Hak and the kiss. Yona asks Hak to go to the Wind tribe. I don’t really see what he can achieve over there that he couldn’t do via Ogi’s messengers. They know Soo-Won will arrive in 3 days, it feels like he only goes there to confront him and take the blame all on himself for the Wind tribe’s treason (which might be an admirable thing, but what can he hope to do against 20000 soldiers?). That’s where the kiss comes in. As I said when I first read the chapter, to me it was a non-event. Not because it doesn’t mean anything for Yona and Hak, but because the chapter has been constructed such as to place that kiss in the middle of the chapter, and not at the end like you’d expect for a meaningful, heartwarming confession. Just as Hak said, he mustn’t let himself be overwhelmed by what the princess does. That kiss might’ve been a pleasant surprise, but Hak didn’t even question it (like, does it mean she likes me? was it just a parting kiss? etc). It wasn’t romantic, and there were onlookers. Hak and Yona didn’t really get to enjoy it - it’s not the usual “I love you” shoujo kiss. Which brings me to point 4).

4) The Wind tribe. What the hell was that about Hak being their god and standing at the top of everything? Sure he’s powerful and played with the kids and probably attracted their loyalty, but... how blind and lovestruck can they be with Hak? From what we know, when Hak was young Mundok was the true leader of the Wind tribe, and Hak was the nice big brother everyone could annoy and train with even if he was reluctant, and he didn’t like going to the castle to perform his duties (partly because of Yona). He became their general at a young age, yet it was during King Il’s reign: during his time as a general, did he get to lead soldiers to battle or make strategies or anything that would justify being elevated to god-like status among the Wind tribe? Is Mundok such a doting grandfather that he’d let everyone worship Hak like it’s no big deal?

I fear this kind of buildup is a bad omen for what’s to come. The goodbye kiss + the Wind tribe saying they’ll blindly follow Hak to the ends of the Earth? This definitely smells like a bad-things-ahead/death flag. Only I don’t expect Hak will die, but I suspect something might happen to Tae-Woo or Han-Dae. Idk, the kiss upset me, and maybe that’s why I’m seeing bad vibes in the Wind tribe’s loyalty.

5) Tae-Jun. He’s back! And somehow he made up with his brother, seeing as he is his assistant/lieutenant now. I can’t wait to see how he’ll react to what Yona tells him. I was expecting Kyo-Ga to still be studying at Hiryuu castle, because he clearly will be an obstacle to defying Soo-Won’s orders. Maybe that’s where Min-Soo will come in handy, if he can lie and say he’s here as the king’s representative.

Next chapter will be titled disturbance/perturbation. I’m hoping we’ll get to see a bit of Kouren’s side of the story, but it will likely be the continuation of Yona’s talk with Tae-Jun and the confrontation between Soo-Won and the Wind tribe.

#Akatsuki no Yona #Mizuho Kusanagi #Hana to Yume 07/2017 #chapter 137 #spoiler pics #my AnY scans

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happythexceed · 7 years ago

Text

Translation: “Mothers” by Yellow (GoRA)

Decided to translate the whole short story since most of it was done. Sorry for the grammar errors.

“Misaki, can you accompany me to buy some flowers?”

Anna asked Yata stopping by a florist in the street.

“Flowers?”

Yata questioned in doubt unconsciously in his rowdy tone. His voice caught the attention of the male florist who was watering the plants in the florist.

The shop was full of flowers. Out of which, Yata could not name nine out of ten of them while Anna could not make out anything other than red flowers.

“It’s the florist’s favourite season of the year. There are many colourful flowers.”

Yata spoke even more softly than usual as Anna stepped into the florist. Yata followed after her. The florist was taken aback by Anna who resembled a delicate beautiful doll surrounded by flowers, his tone became gentle as he greeted her.

“Buying flowers for your mother?”

Yata who was always overlooking the English words finally noticed advertisements and billboards with “Mother’s Day” written everywhere.

There was also a drawing of red carnation that stood out through Anna’s eyes.

“Today is the day, isn’t it?”

The second Sunday in May.

“You can choose any colour you like to make a bouquet. We have red, white and orange to choose from. Purple is rare but it’s in fashion. Which colour does your mother like?"

“Which colour?”

Anna looked lost. She did not know what to do with the large pail of flowers before her.

Although she used to be able to control enormous power of fire as the Red King, she was still a normal twelve years old girl who liked flowers.

Perhaps she did not have experience in selecting flowers, with that in mind, Yata said out loud to bail her out of this situation.

“Red, all red!”

“When comes to carnations, of course we have to choose red! “

“Er… this is… there’s no problem, but pink is more common, there are also other kind of flowers which are popular…” The florist suggested. “As long as it’s red will do.” Yata raised his voice, “Give us a bouquet of red carnations!”

“There’s no need to raise your voice to scare him.” Anna chided.

“This is so embarrassing.”

Yata lowered his head muttering under his breath. It had been three months since the destruction of the Slate. HOMRA was no longer a gang of hooligans hanging around the street.

“But still, thank you, Misaki. I’m very happy.”

Anna smiled looking at the bouquet of red carnation she carried on her arms. It was not a bouquet Anna could not hold on to despite its size with ten stalks of carnations bundled nicely together.

“Let’s give this to Izumo when we get back, shall we?”

Anna suggested in a whim. How would Kusanagi who was always standing behind the bar counter react if he received the bouquet? Yata could not help but to shiver thinking about it.

“Er… er… if… if we see Kusanagi-san as mother, he will certainly reprimand us for messing with him.” But since it was a present from Anna Kusanagi would still be happy… he guessed. Yata on the other hand would most likely be beaten up for this.

“I see… then let’s give this to Rikio’s mother, shall we?”

“Oh, I think that should be okay, his mother will be happy to receive this.”

During the period Kusanagi had shut down his bar and went abroad (Yata was the only one who didn’t know Kusanagi’s objective was left alone in the bar), Rikio’s mother was the one who had been taking care of Anna.

“How about Misaki? Aren’t you giving flowers to your mother?”

“Me? Forget it. My mum will prefer dumpling instead. Or should I say she will prefer to have dumpling for dinner.”

Before Minoru matured, Yata had been racking his head every year just to think of a gift which would please his mother. As his brother grew up, his little sister was born, he was still having headache about it. After that Yata went into rebellious stage and he washed his hands off such matters as he found this ridiculous. He had ever folded some paper flowers for his mother as he could not afford the real carnations. His mother accepted them happily. She was not just happy with the flowers she received but rather she was happy with his effort to please her.

Yata finally understood now that she was touched by his sincerity back then. Since he left home with Fushimi when he was fifteen, he could count how many times had he went home to visit with his fingers… He decided he would not give her the flowers.

Rather than giving her flowers, she would be happier if he’d find some time to visit them back home.

“…Eh?”

Something caught Yata’s attention as he was considering of going home. He turned his head.

Major roads in both directions were lined up with cars, it was a person in a well-polished Mercedes-Benz which just passed by a high-end boutique that caught his attention. The first thing that came to his mind was Fushimi’s name, why would he think of him suddenly. They were two different people, isn’t it?

“Ahh!” Yata finally realised something and his gaze was fixed on her once again.

Yata threw out his skateboard as a reflex and went after the car.

“Misaki?”

Yata left Anna who let out a surprise voice behind. The honks by the cars were loud enough to burst his ear drum as he sped in between the cars.

Yata was only focusing in catching up with that car. In order to catch up with the person in the car, he stopped the car.

The chauffeur looked very shocked to see a person appeared so suddenly before the car. He stepped on the emergency brake abruptly and the car was stopped with the force coming from Yata when he stopped the car by pressing on its bonnet with his bare hands. The chauffeur with white glove alighted from the car.

“You, you, are you alright? How can you rush to the front of the car like this?”

“Ah… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m fine…”

“But, what about the force I felt earlier?”

Yata retracted his hands from the bonnet of the car as though nothing happened, his line of sight fell on the person at the back of the car.

A lady with high heels, stockings, tight fitting dress alighted from the car. She gave her order to the chauffeur calmly, “Contact the police immediately.”

“We can’t have the President’s car getting involved in an accident.”

“It will only worsen things if we keep this a secret. Let the kid on the car and take him to the hospital immediately.”

“Ah, I’m really not injured. I’m stronger than normal human now. Rather, you are… Saruhiko’s mother, right? Fushimi Saruhiko’s…”

The lady widened her eyes as she scanned Yata’s face. At the same time, Anna had come to Yata’s side running all the way from the overhead bridge.

“Ah, you’re… I remember you.”

The lady had a surprised expression initially had reverted to her usual self.

“Yes, I’m Yata. … Long time no see, Aunty.”

Fushimi’s mother took them to a hotel lounge making them comfortable.

Yata’s eyes popped out just looking at the menu. Even the normal coffee cost 1,300 yens at least. Anna on the other hand had ordered a seasonal limited edition of “Cherry Parfait” that cost 2,300 yens a set. The parfait was presented before Anna in a short while. It was indeed a luxury … 2,300 yens… yeah as expected Yata could not accept that kind of luxury.

“How can hotel lounge charge something this expensive?”

“There is no difference with what Izumo is charging…”

Anna whispered to Yata while glancing at the lady sitting opposite them, She is called, Kisa, right? Fushimi Kisa. Yata had remembered clearly, this was how Fushimi’s father addressed her.

Yata went to Fushimi’s place to play often during their middle school days but Fushimi’s mother was rarely at home. Fushimi was always trying very hard to prevent him from meeting his father, hence he hardly saw his father, but still compared to his father, it was even harder to see his mother.

“How are you doing now? Are you still in school?”

“Me? I… I’m working part-time… Ah, but Saruhiko has a full time job, he is working for the government. Near his place, there is a gate that looked really grand, isn’t it? He is working there, working really hard with enthusiasm. Even though he is the youngest member there, he is already No. 3, they will entrust him with important mission…”

Yata was sharing with Kisa earnestly about how Fushimi is doing currently but was interrupted by Kisa abruptly.

“Is it? Although I didn’t ask about how is that kid doing?”

Yata was shocked by Kisa’s cold reaction. He lowered his head to the cup of coffee in front of him before raising his head abruptly.

“He, he is your son, isn’t it? I’m saying he is really awesome and really active, won’t you feel happy for him?”

“I have no right to praise that kid, because I have not done much for him.”

Yata was shocked at her cold tone. He did not know what should he say next despite feeling a sense familiarity.

“As for who has the right to praise him, they have to be those who are truly close to him. You can continue to praise him as though you are doing it for yourself. You are the one who has the right to compliment him, isn’t it?”

“It isn’t just me alone. That guy was complimented by many. His supervisors acknowledged him. Maybe, I’m saying maybe, even his subordinates admired him a lot!”

“I didn’t say I don’t believe you. Why are you trying so hard to tell me all these?”

“Compared to my compliment 100 times, a compliment that come from his mother could be much more special to him, I feel.”

Kisa was too stunned to talk after hearing Yata was saying so passionately.

I thought he was the kind who would say this, this was why I found this familiar sensation but in actual fact, he didn’t.

He said this before but I feel.

Even though he resembled his father a lot, inheriting most of his feature but actually, as expected he also took after his mother.

“President, it’s about time.”

The chauffeur who was not there earlier had appeared behind Kisa carefully spoke up.

Kisa sighed and stood up.

“I have other work arrangement and have to go. You can take your time to eat.”

At this moment, Anna stood up and ran after Kisa who was about to leave.

“Please, please accept this.”

Anna held out the bouquet of carnations.

“Because it’s Mother’s Day.”

“I have no reason to accept this.”

“Because Saruhiko is a friend I’m proud of… I’m giving this bouquet to his mother.” Raising her head and holding out the bouquet with two hands, Anna looked up to Kisa with her bright and clear eyes.

“……Is he? Thank you.” There is a tinge of guilt seen in her eyes when she accepted the bouquet.

The sound from Kisa’s heels faded with the rhythm of the music playing as she left the lounge. She wanted to tell her more about Fushimi and wanted to hear more from her to tell Fushimi about, but she was unable to say anything meaningful.

Anna came back to her only spoon of parfait left.

“The flowers we’re supposed to give to Rikio’s mother is given out.”

“That lady, she is a person who needs more flowers to decorate herself… even though the bouquet is gone, if it’s Rikio’s mother, she will be happy if we help in her shop, right?”

“Yes, she will be really happy. She will be really happy with Anna around.”

Yata returned to his senses and smiled warmly.

“Let’s eat. It would be a waste not to finish up the very expensive parfait. After that let’s head to Rikio’s place.”

“We had met your mother today, ah, really it’s a coincidence. Anna is around as well too.” Yata stopped typing halfway through his smart watch.

Compared to when he was 15 to now when he was 20, Yata’s opinion of his mother had changed. Fushimi who hated of his parents back then probably changed his opinion about his parents now right?

Because his father had left for another world, at least his relationship with his mother will improve, right? Yata thought.

“Mind your own business!” He would scold him angrily this way, he definitely will… “

Yata could imagine clearly how pissed he would look clicking his tongue.

“But she was still his mother right?” I just don’t get it!”

Trying to understand Fushimi based on his own assumption was not the way to go. Because he assumed this way back then, they had missed one another for so many years. Guess that guy would still need some time.

Yata reactivated his watch and deleted the earlier draft. He started a new message.

“Hey, come to think of it, you ate a green pepper when we had a meal together last month. You are awesome!”

Yata came up with anything that came to mind as long as he could compliment him, on behalf of his mother, let him praise him 100 times.

“I’m busy working overtime, don’t send me a meaningless message like this!”

“Oh?” It was a quick reply. Fushimi was typing vigorously on his keyboard quickly before his PC at work.

“Even if it is meaningless…”

Yata turned his head and noticed there is another line at the end.

“You are too slow with your compliment.”

#k short story #k seven stories #K Return of Kings #kushina anna #yata misaki #fushimi kisa #fushimi saruhiko #imagine if Izumo is called the mother of homra #kusanagi is the mother hen of course #homra are filled with a bunch of kids #fushimi is loved by everyone

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