#and when Looker left and passed on the job to the player I felt like that gave more closure to the game than I'd seen in Pokemon before

[froggyhopscotch]

I've been seeing people talk about their wishlists for Pokémon Legends Z-A, and a mixed reaction to the idea it'll take place entirely in the city. I'm actually really on board with the idea

I don't know how many people played/remember the post-game quest in Lumiose City for XY, where the player helps Looker with a case, but I remember really enjoying it and thinking it was the best post-game story I'd seen in a Pokémon game up to that point.

Looking back now, it was mostly fetch quest battles. Go find this out of the way place in the city, Battle The Mystery Person, rinse repeat until you get to the end of it.

But if they expand on that idea, perhaps in particular the idea of being the sidekick of a detective and helping people around the city, I'd be so excited for that game concept??

Like, not Detective Pikachu style exactly, but Legends Arceus fused with Detective Noir X)

[every1studio]

“catching their eyes” [ateez]

genre:  fluff + some mafia au  

ficstyle: bullepoints + reactions + mini scenarios (slightly long) 

requested: “Can I request Ateez reaction to when you look good and they are checking you out. You can do it normal or mafia. Whatever suits you 💯💓💯💯💯💯 Thank youuu “

note: first request I’ve done in a while~ enjoy~

HONGJOONG

besides of being a mafia leader on most days, that lifestyle gets stressful so Hongjoong will have specific times where he will take breaks 

on his days off, Hongjoong goes to the music store to browse 

today was no different

he was looking at the new selections of synthesizers and keyboards when you were wiping the dust off of instruments

he quietly eyed you as he smiled at your frame

you were definitely his type

he kept quiet as he watched you help other customers happily as you swept the hairs in you face out of the way

when you were by yourself, Hongjoong made his way over to you as he massaged his hands

but before he could make the first move, you spoke up, “how can I help you?”

Hongjoong reached his arm out

it looked like he was reaching to touch your face since his arm got closer to you

but he reached for the harmonicas right behind you, “how much are these?”

you felt a warm shade of pink wash over your face as your eyes frantically tried to look at everything but him, “that Suzuki SCX 64 is 250 dollars...” 

he walks over to the register when he looks up at you, “I’ll take it”

you nodded as you rang him up; this was a way for you to get distracted from his fiery gaze he kept on you  

you politely hand his card back and asked to sign the store’s copy of the receipt 

his eye contact does not falter as he signs away, “have an amazing day, sweetheart”

“uh..um.. you too...” you wanted to hit your head from being so embarrassing in front of such a good-looking customer who called you a fricking sweetheart

Hongjoong chuckles at your cute action as he left the store

never did you or Hongjoong could foreshadow that you both were going to be at Hongjoong’s club that night... (read this to find out what happens at the club)

that was when you realized that he was the same good-looking customer from the music store 

SEONGHWA

Seonghwa was shopping for an outfit 

he would never trust his mafia family members to get the job done for him; they have terrible fashion sense

he didn’t need anymore suits

he just wanted some casual yet classy clothes for days like these

just because he was a mafia leader didn’t mean that he had to look like one 

he was starting to get irritated by the newest collection of his favorite clothing line; there wasn’t anything that he liked that seemed kind of bland for his taste

that was until you walked into the store

he thought you were quite a looker 

although he thought you were beautiful, he only kept it to himself as he constantly look at you; making it as natural as possible

he thought it would be better not to have outside people be involved with his mafia lifestyle 

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” he turned to hear you yelling at some guy who was with another girl

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CHEATING ON ME?” 

Seonghwa looked at you and at the girl the guy was with; he could not understand how anyone could cheat on someone as beautiful as you 

the guy shrugged it off, “what does it matter.. it’s not like you’re gonna do anything about it anyways..” 

you knew he was right and you wanted to cry

but you felt someone snaked their hand around your waist, “lucky for you, they (you) are doing something about it” 

Seonghwa gave a deathly stare into your basically-ex-boyfriend’s eyes with the other girl eye-googling at Seonghwa

you didn’t know this guy but you didn’t mind his actions based on your ex’s expression and you played along

you pressed your body up against this good looking, unknown man, “guess we’re even and we’re over” were your final words

Seonghwa didn’t give the guy a chance to speak as he pulled you out of the store

Seonghwa smiles as he sharply exhales; laughing at his actions and how he told himself he wouldn’t get involved

“thank you..” you whispered as you clenched the necklace that you were wearing 

he was no psychologist but he could tell that you were devastated, “did that guy buy you that necklace?”

you looked up at him as you gave him a quick nod before looking down again; he was INCREDIBLY good looking

he rips the necklace in one swift action and throws it in the trash

then he places his arm around your waist once again, “forget about him, I’ll buy you a new one and a better one”

you tensed up, you were kind of skeptical about this guy, “I just met you and you’re willing to do all of this.. for what? what are your intentions?”

Seonghwa asked himself the same thing in his head but he genuinely replied, “I’m willing to break my rules to make you the happiest girl/boy in the world..”

he pulls you in tighter and winks at you, “will you let me?”

YUNHO

Yunho was running late his scheduled hair appointment; his chauffeur was in a bar fight the night prior and Yunho had no driver for the following morning

he made sure to give the chauffeur a “nice, little talk” 

Yunho did not look or act like your typical mafia leader but that’s what made him scary was his duality, in and out of his dangerous lifestyle

despite of being late, Yunho took the escalators and that was when he made eye contact with you 

you were on your way to get coffee for your co-workers

you were probably the most beautiful being he’s ever seen and it made him miss the step of the escalator; which made you giggle

boy did he pretended like that never happened and looked the other way to hide his embarrassment

he hit his lackey for smiling at the situation

he would look back at you, one last time, as he made it up the escalator

“damn they’re fine..” he mumbles as he makes his way to the salon 

once Yunho sat down in the chair to get his hair done, he saw you come into the work area with a tray with an iced americano and a selection of pastries 

you placed it on the table next to his chair and smiled at him, “I thought you’d enjoy these complimentary snacks as I work on your hair.. since it seemed like you were having a rough morning..” 

usually Yunho would make a snarky comment back in situations where he was laughed at.. but he didn’t mind your laugh... or the snacks

“you’re not my usual hairdresser..” he manages to say

“they were unable to come to work since they got sick... I will do my ultimate best to make your hair look good~”

he just nodded and closed his eyes for you to start working  

he could just fall asleep to you working your fingers through his hair

but he would continuously opened his eyes to look at you but quickly closed them because you were literally hovering over his face

Yunho couldn’t help it, you were exactly what he would deem as the most beautiful person in the world, “I could fall in love with you right now...”

(that sounded louder than usual...) he thought when he realized that he said that out loud 

you didn’t know what to say or do but smile and nod as a sign of gratitude 

Yunho kept his eyes shut the whole time to refrain himself from seeing him embarrassed 

when you tapped on his shoulder to indicate you were finished, he kept his eyes closed until he sat up to see your finished work

he told the salon that he wanted something bright and fun but something that would make people take him seriously; you gave him a sapphire blue overall color that hovered over his eyes

he absolutely loved it

Yunho never actually handles transactions, he leaves it to his subordinates; he wanted to spend more time being in your presence as he was waiting for you to insert his card to pay for the transaction

“so um.. are you free?”

you looked up at him with confusion, “excuse me sir?”

you heard him but you wanted to be sure

he ran his fingers through his hair in frustrated embarrassment, he had to make it super clear this time to refrain from getting even more embarrassed, “you wanna go on date when you’re off of work?”

YEOSANG

Yeosang was on his way to meet up with his godfather’s

they were going to have discussions about future plans for the mafia families in the region 

his godfather was like an actual father to Yeosang to him since he brought him into the family when he was abandoned on the streets 

Yeosang was fidgeting the seat of the car as he saw you pass by on your bike

you had a tranquil aura about you; something that was the exact opposite to his dark, hectic life 

he could see how silky your hair was running through the wind 

how soft your legs looked pushing down onto the pedals

how beat

Yeosang finally got to his godfather’s house

he fixed his suit before walking in

nothing new was going on; it was just the usual conversations with him godfather

that was all when you burst into the room, huffing and puffing 

Yeosang was mesmerized by the strands of hair stuck on your lips as you brought a bag of baked goods to the table him and as godfather were sitting at 

“I brought you your favorite uncle!” you said cheerfully

you looked over at Yeosang and gave him a little bow

your uncle got up from his seat to introduce the both of you, “Yeosang, this is my niece/nephew, Y/N..”

Yeosang proceeds to give you a handshake

“do you both know why you guys are here?”

you both shook your heads no

“well.. I’m planning to retire and, Yeosang, I want you to take over my establishment. I know that it’s selfish of me but I’m arranging this marriage between the two of you..”

it was already easy for Yeosang to agree to the arrangement since he found you really charming, but would you?

SAN

San was known at the high school for being a heartthrob; a heartbreaker 

not because he was a player

but because he didn’t want to be in a relationship with ANYONE

it seemed like he wasn’t interested in anyone

not until you transferred to his high school

he thought you were so hypnotizingly gorgeous

he almost forgot what it was like to breath as you walked near him to get to your seat next to him

he could tell at first glance that you were a shy and mysterious beauty 

you didn’t really talk to anyone and you seemed to be really smart when the teachers picked on you to answer questions 

you were different than any girl that he’s ever encountered 

at lunch, you didn’t know that the tables were separated into cliques until you found a hoard of girls surrounding you as were you quietly eating

“you’re in OUR seat and neither of us recall letting you sit here..”

you looked at them and smirked as you continued to eat, “I didn’t see a name or anything on the table...”

they shoved your food tray to the floor; taunting you

but you rolled your eyes as you looked at them, about to say something snarky as you weren’t scared of them

but San, saw the whole thing, and it would be a nuisance to have those girls ruining the cafeteria atmosphere into a rotten mess

he steps in and immediately the girls step back and adjust themselves to look “prettier” although nothing helped 

 “will you join us?” he nudges at his crew across the room as they waved their hands at you 

you nodded; anywhere was better than with those nasty girls 

San’s heart filled up with anticipation for the first time

(this is what love at first sight feels like?)

the girls glare at you as you walk alongside with San

“I’m San..” he could barely look into your eyes as he led you to the table

“I’m Y/N,” you smiled for the first time after walking into the school

(maybe this school year isn’t gonna be so bad after all) the both of you thought as you got comfy with San and his crew 

MINGI

Mingi was an owner of a restaurant, that was disguised as a meet-up area for his mafia and his friends/connections

everyone in the restaurant had something to do with the club, even the sweet waitresses were relatives of people in his mafia 

the front of the restaurant was just a normal eatery; but the back was where all the sketchy behind-the-scene actions were

you had no idea about this when your younger Tinder date invited you to eat at this highly-rated restaurant in the city 

actually, most people didn’t have any idea that the place was ran by a mafia 

anyways, your date wasn’t being the dreamy first date you thought it was going to be 

he was rude and clearly horny and only wanted one thing from you and that’s sex

you were getting irritated as he was trying to get you to pay for the bill

you rose your voice as Mingi was coming out to check on the restaurant, “I’m not your sugar mama/daddy and I’m not going to be one for anyone!”

Mingi always had an eye for a confident person; he instantly found you charming and extremely lovely in your attire

you got up to exit the restaurant but the guy grabbed your wrist as he mumbled under his breath, “stop embarrassing me and let’s go back to my place”

but you tried with all your might to break free

that caused you to fall back and into a sturdy chest

before you could say anything, your date huffed and placed his hands on his waist, “I’m sorry sir, they definitely had too much wine tonight. come on, Y/N.. I’ll take you home-”

“Y/N isn’t going to go anywhere..” you heard the voice behind you gently pull you behind him

your date scoffed, “who are you to meddle with our business?”

you saw some guys emerge from the sides of the restaurant but the figure in front of you raised his hand and they stopped in their tracks 

“well, you are in my establishment, so I’ll kindly ask you to leave..”

without putting up a fight, he left and muttered how you were going to regret it  

you never wanted to be in a position to be the damsel in distressed or to be saved by a prince charming 

you thanked him and he kissed you on your hand, “anything for milady/milord~”

you found yourself going to the restaurant to see him without knowing who he was and what he did

which was one step Mingi didn’t have to do

he’ll definitely find a way to swoon you if he hasn’t already 

WOOYOUNG

“WHAT ABOUT MY PASSION AND HAPPINESS?”

“YOU CAN ACHIEVE THAT EASILY WITH MY LEGACY!”

Wooyoung stormed out of the room as his father called out to him

Wooyoung was having a bad day

he told his father that he didn’t want to carry on the mafia legacy but his stubborn father wouldn’t listen to his opinions 

he went on a drive to cool his head

and went over things in his heart

maybe things will be easier if he did take over his father’s role

but if he does do that, he won’t be able to follow his dreams of becoming a performing artist  

he was having difficulty choosing between the two

Wooyoung stopped at the red light as he saw a crowd on the side of the street

the muffling sounds of music made him interested enough to park his car and make his way towards the music

that was when he saw you

you were singing with a guitar hung over your torso and you strummed it skillfully 

not only was he falling in love with your voice, he was falling in love when the way you smiled as you sang

and the way your jeans fitted your figure so nicely

he broke out of his daydream he had of you two when you stopped singing 

you wrapped your hands around the mic as you spoke into it, “I’m going to debut soon as a performing artist under KQ Entertainment. I would greatly appreciate it if you all could support me in the future!”

in that moment, it was so clear to Wooyoung

he was going to audition to be in the same company as you and that he would be closer to the girl he was smitten over 

JONGHO

Jongho was a rising rookie athlete representing South Korea 

he was the libero for the country’s male volleyball team 

he became known as the “Korean Hinata;” who is the skillful main character of a volleyball anime 

although his play style was like Hinata, his personality was more like Kageyama; had ice-cold glares and seemed pretty distant from everyone 

he was also known as the “Icy Sun;” contrasting the two character of the anime into one person

his team just won a game as you and your country’s team rolled into the gym to play against your respective gender’s bracket

all he knew was volleyball

he knew nothing of liking someone 

but when he saw you go through your warm-ups, he just stood there

obviously staring at you as your fiery personality shined through your play style

you were already the opposite of Jongho

but that’s what attracted him to you 

he sat in the stands to watch how you played

it was reckless yet calculated

you had amazing analyzing skills yet you seemed like you were having so much fun

that was the first time he’s seen someone smiled so much during a game

if his play style was like Hinata and his personality was like Kageyama

your’s would be the exact opposite; play style like Kageyama and personality like Hinata

he heard a couple of fans scream your name as you skillfully did an unexpected “dump” onto your opponents’ side of the net 

“Y/N!!”

Y/N.. that name was going all he thought about other than volleyball

he’s not good at meeting new people

but he’ll try for you 

~end

[hejin57-blog]

MUSIC MASTERS: CD ONE

Might want to rewind a bit...

-----

-----

RETURN OF THE SPACE COWBOY: PART SIX

-----

To any other person, today might seem like a perfect winter day.  There was but a light blanket of snow covering the streets and buildings in Akihabara, and even the normally noisy city ambiance was restrained in its intensity.

But all Arashi could focus on was that snide smirk on the face of the young man across from him.

They sat together by the window side in a small cafe, having ordered drinks and little else.  Arashi's remained untouched, but his companion had already taken a few greedy sips.

He was dressed in a nice chalk gray suit, hair slicked back and fingernails trimmed to perfection.  His aftershave reeked like gasoline, and despite all of his nice clothes, one could still see the fanged teeth of his dragon tattoo visible on the bare skin of his collar.

Arashi's eyes remained hidden as always under his sunglasses, and he held back any reaction as the man spoke.  From when he first arrived, he had originally introduced himself as Sho.

"This is a pretty nice neighborhood, you know?  I like it here.  I'd like to raise some kids here some day.  Get me a nice girl and have a nice little family." he remarked, looking on wistfully onto the street as people bustled on by.

Arashi said nothing in response.  Whatever games this man wanted to play, he would be no part of them.

Sho wasn't too fond of that, of course.  "Your sister is a nice girl.  I saw her once at the arcade.  She's really a looker.  She's, what, sixteen now?"

To Sho's surprise, Arashi didn't flinch.  He did, however, answer back.

"I'd like to think you called me here to discuss more than just my sister."

Sho smiled.  More than one of his teeth were clearly fake.  "Well, actually no.  God Symphony sent me to speak to you, that much is true, but Nami is very much the subject of today's discussion."

The man leaned in, clasping his fingers together.  There was something very uncomfortable about the knowing smile on his face.

"We'd like to offer her a job." he said, quite frankly.

"Really now?" Arashi replied, feigning just the slightest bit of interest, if it would end this infernal meeting any sooner.  Arashi had always despised these Yakuza and their underhanded dealings, but for them to be Music Masters as well just made the whole situation all the more unpleasant.

"Don't be so surprised.  I mean, let's face it, there's a lot of untapped potential there.  We could use a Music Master like her for some of the bigger stuff.  Plus, the big boss seems to be a fan of hers.  Says he goes to see her at Shori-Platinum once a month, at least."

Arashi's eyes narrowed under his sunglasses.  He understood the situation perfectly now.

"My sister in your organization?  Out of the question.  I'm sorry, but you've wasted your time."

Despite the sternness in Arashi's tone, Sho was far from finished.  "Oh come on.  The perks are pretty nice.  Good money, and just imagine the respect she'll get from those regular Yakuza who don't even know what we can do.  The job's to die for, I'll tell you."

By this point in time, Arashi was standing up.  He was in the process of counting bills in his pocket to pay for his drink when the man's tone changed from friendly to threatening.

"Did I forget to mention something?  I wanted to be respectful and come to you as a formality.  But if you're going to be like this, then I have no problem letting my men know that they can pick up Nami within the hour."

His snide grin was all too real for Arashi now.  Defensive words seemed stuck in his mind as the man continued.

"The bill's on me.  Sit back down and get comfortable." Sho assured, clearly in the position of power now.

Like a lapdog, Arashi slowly took a seat again.  Even with all the seething rage boiling inside him from this criminal's threats, Arashi's expression never changed in slightest.

"Now we're going to make this very simple." Sho explained, taking a wad of yen bills out of his pocket as he counted out the tab for their drinks.  "You're going to take me to your sister, and you're going to explain to her that God Symphony has offered her a wonderful position that you highly suggest she take.  She'll be going abroad for awhile per her assignment, but you'll see her again."

"And if I don't?" Arashi stated, not a hint of fear present in his tone of voice.

"Then I will personally find her, and I will personally drag her out of that arcade kicking and screaming.  And let me assure you that you won't see her again in this lifetime."

With that, the suit-wearing man put out for a handshake, basking in the power of his threat.

"Are we at an understanding, Nagataki-san?"

Many thoughts went through Arashi's head before he took the man's hand.

One thought surfaced among them as he replied.

"I'll take you to her."

Sho smiled, now clearly satisfied.

Arashi knew that he would have only one chance at this, lest Nami disappear from his life this very night.

-----

It was only a half-mile walk between the cafe and Shori-Platinum, but it felt like an eternity for Arashi.  Meanwhile Sho seemed to be talking with him as if they'd been friends for years.  Every laugh and joke were only made worse by the threat beneath them.  Still, it gave Arashi the time he needed to mentally plan out the situation.  Anything to stop this degenerate and his Ensemble from forcing his sister into their ranks.

They were only two blocks away when Arashi found the secluded alleyway he'd pictured in his mind while they shook his hands at the cafe.  As they passed it, the boy stumbled, pretending as if he dropped something on the ground.

"Excuse me.  Strong drink, I guess." he commented in his best joking tone.

His music player tumbled out of his jacket pocket, and through sleight of hand, Arashi subtly reached for it.  With his headphones already resting around his neck, he could have a song effect up in a few seconds.

His finger was just above the controls when he heard an audible click, and felt cold metal press against the side of his head.

"What, did you think I was born yesterday?  I might be a Music Master, but I haven't forgotten the good old-fashioned way of doing things." Sho declared, as he held his gun steadfast on the now kneeling Arashi.  "Or is this just your way of trying to say that you'd prefer to die in this alley, while your dear sister never finds out what happened to you?"

Arashi said nothing as the moment of tension held him in place.  He felt his own breath, heard each thump of his own heartbeat, but despite it all, he willed himself to remain calm.

Nearby, the sound of a dog barking distracted Sho for but a moment.  He turned his head expecting bystanders, and in that split-second, Arashi reacted.

There was a loud crack as the gun went off, but Arashi had been fast enough to knock Sho's arm aside and avoid the bullet by a hair.  He pushed forward with all his might, slamming Sho into the brick wall of the side street.  Having clicked play on his music player, all Arashi needed to do was hold him down for but a few seconds more.

Arashi felt a punch across his face, and a kick to his stomach, causing him to stagger back.  Sho's snide smile was now gone, replaced with an expression of pure rage as he closed his fists in preparation for a beating.

"Or maybe shooting you is too easy.   Well, I haven't gotten my hands dirty in awhile, so I'll make sure to take my time." he assured the Japanese teen through his teeth, not initially aware of the music now playing in the air.

-----

-----

It was when he tried to take a step forward that he realized something was very wrong.  His arm wouldn't move from the wall, as is someone was physically holding him in place.  Sho tried his legs but they too were stuck, firmly grappled into position.

Arashi stood up, shooting back at Sho a cold stare, as the former Yakuza realized that large, red-fingered hands emerging from the wall itself were what was keeping him still.  They manifested from heart-shaped graffiti now sprayed all over the wall, and their grip was seemed unbreakable no matter how hard Sho struggled.

The music was so inconsequential to Arashi, and he addressed Sho with the same lack of emotion even as Concept of Love played in the air around them.

"I would tell you to inform God Symphony that my sister won't be accepting their offer, but I sense you won't be seeing them again in this lifetime." Arashi told him without mercy, mentally pushing his song effect to finish its deadly task.

Sho could only scream as he felt his entire body being pulled back into the street wall itself.  

There was no blood, as each of his particles seems to de-atomize as they were painfully integrated into the matter of the brick and mortar.  

Sho's hands grasped out weakly as the tiny graffiti-hearts with their red-fingered hands pulled him into the wall as if was the depths of hell.

But a few seconds later, and the wall itself now showed only an extravagant graffiti design of red hearts and arrows.  No sign of Sho remained beyond the silver handgun he'd left behind.

Holding it in right hand, Arashi held the piece of evidence forward.  Like urban gremlins, the red-fingered Sentonals grasped at the silver weapon, deconstructing it into the wall in the same manner as the human before.  

Satisfied now, Arashi stopped his music, and in response, the graffiti design disappeared.  Now all that remained was the blank alley wall that Sho had been standing in front of just moments before.

The transition from having just killed someone to thinking about his sister took but a second.

Nami was probably hungry by now, Arashi thought, from all her dancing at the arcade.

He would make tonight special for her.  A new ramen shop had just opened by Shori-Platinum, and knowing his sister's childhood love for the dish, he had a feeling she would be more than happy to try it out.

She wouldn't leave his side just yet, no matter who God Symphony sent.

-----

Arashi's eyes snapped open.

He remained sitting cross legged among the detritus of Semi-Sound, having been pondering their situation for almost an hour.

The memories of his encounter with Sho over a year ago never became any less real.  

The true reason behind their issues with God Symphony, the fact that their debt to them was Nami herself, was something that still remained with him and him alone to this day.  

And though God Symphony never did make the connection between Arashi and Sho's disappearance, they had only backed off so much from their pursuit of Nami.  With that old man appearing at the arcade so brazenly, Arashi knew it was only a matter of time before they made their move and took her by force if necessary.

And he could never tell Nami a word of this.  It would only cause her to act rashly and take her focus away from the task at hand.

Realizing his mind was wandering too long, Arashi physically shook himself.  Clearly the time for thoughts was over.  He lifted himself up, suddenly feeling somewhat naked without his sunglasses.

He mentally noted to pick up a replacement pair before he tracked down Nami to the nearby arcade.

With so few of them left in this country, it fortunately made it relatively easy to pin her down.

All Arashi could think of now was how he would reconcile with her.  Apologizing had never been his strong point, and right now he needed Nami to be in top form if they would have but a chance at tracking down Rob Prototype.

But as Arashi walked along, his foot nudged a seemingly innocuous instrument nearby.  There was a sound of strings being strummed as they popped against the ground, and Arashi's eyes now focused on the white bass guitar that laid on the floor beside him.

That would have been it, until he saw an unmistakable detail on its pristine white surface.  In the shape of a small thumb print, fresh blood stained the bass guitar's painted surface.

In the span of a few seconds, the entire fight with Rob Prototype and Michael seemed to playback in front of his eyes.  He remembered each movement from the afro-headed teen, and noted his dripping blood originating from both of Nami's previous attacks.  

Though he hadn't seen it, Arashi quickly inferred that even in his weakened state, Rob had attempted to use this very same bass guitar.  And in the chaos, some of Michael's blood had gotten onto him, leaving physical proof of his contact with the instrument.

And physical contact for a Synkronized Music Master meant everything.

But rather than destroy it, Arashi picked up the bass in his hands, marveling at the beauty in its craftsmanship.

Suddenly this guitar had become very important.  

Like some sort of glowing lure to a starving fish, it was something that even the stoic Rob would never be able to resist.

-----

Michael couldn't remember the last time he gotten so little sleep and felt this good.

For almost four hours he'd remained alone inside of the sound studio, practicing with a new song effect that he'd only decided on using out of desperation.

But there had been no fear in him when he'd Harmonized, and luckily it didn't kill him in the process.

When Michael finally emerged at 3 AM, there wasn't a single drop of sweat on his body despite the hours of dancing.  

Expecting to see Colleen waiting with her arms crossed as he entered the living room, Michael kept any grin or smile off his face in an attempt to seem somewhat regretful.  Anything to lessen the blow of having to explain everything.

Instead, Michael was met with the sight of his older sister fast asleep on the loveseat.  She looked peaceful and uncharacteristically relaxed.

Next to her, Rob was breathing normally, now sitting up and awake.

Michael was about to open his mouth and loudly exclaim his relief, when Rob quickly put a finger to his lips.  Thankfully, that was enough for his nephew to remain silent.

Motioning for his nephew to follow him, Rob walked with slow and clearly weak steps towards the soundproof studio.

When they were finally inside, and Rob clicked the door locked behind him, Michael's words seemed to come out all at once.

"Look Rob, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean any of it.  Please, please don't leave again.  Colleen's already going to ki-"

Rob put a hand over his mouth as quickly as he could, though it was a somewhat joking gesture.

"This place is only so soundproof, Michael.  You really want to wake her up already?" he said, before taking his hand away and brandishing a smile.

"Good point." Michael replied, now clearly more relaxed.  "You feeling any better?"

"Still alive, it seems.  You pulled some stunt back there." Rob commented, but Michael seemed steadfast in his defense of himself.

"Hey, if I could bamf my way out of there, I would have.  You're one amazing Music Master."

As Michael smiled, Rob began to stagger.  Grabbing onto his nephew, he found himself sliding down onto the polished wood floor to rest.  Michael knelt down as Rob took in each labored breath before finally speaking.

"Not without my bass.  That guitar...I've had it since before you were born."

Michael searched for any hint of reassurance on his uncle's face, but it was always hard to tell what he was thinking under his wide-brimmed cap.

"It can be replaced, right?  Maybe if we got to Audio Empire, we can fin-"

"No!  It can't be replaced!" Rob said as he cut him off.  "But the next best thing is waiting for me at Semi-Sound.  And the longer I spend away from it, the worse these spells are going to get.  When you're Synkronized, your body craves a musical connection.  If I can just get my hands on that white bass..."

Michael stood up quickly now, realizing the magnitude of the situation for once.  "Are you crazy?  You want to go back to the place where we both almost got killed?  Tell you what, why don't I text Calvin and tell him to go get the bass for you.  He'll answer once he figures out this is an emergency."

"You're the crazy one if you think I'm having any of your friends getting involved in my mistake.  Besides, I still have my cassette player.  I'll be fine." His uncle assured, putting his hand on Michael's shoulder as he began to stand up.

It seemed Rob was perfectly fine for the moment, his posture strong and confident.  Unfortunately, it only took a few seconds for his legs to begin to buckle and Michael was holding him up for support.

"This is all my fault, Michael." Rob admitted as the weight of the situation dawned upon him.  "It's my problem, and I need you here, so Colleen at least doesn't completely freak when she wakes up."

But his words just bounced off Michael.  His nephew looked back at him with confidence in his eyes.

"I haven't seen you for ten years, Rob.  You really think that I'm going to let you walk to your death, just like that?  I know everybody thinks I'm dumb, but I'm not that dumb."

Rob said nothing in response.  He had forgotten in all these years what it was like to have people by his side like this.  Faces like Seth and Lex felt like they belonged in another lifetime.

"You need backup, and you know it.  So either we go together, or I go by myself." Michael declared as his ultimatum, though he was only somewhat sure Rob had no way of stopping him in this state.

If Rob was debating this decision, then Michael sure couldn't tell.  

"I've been practicing all night with a new song.  I think I can take that girl now." the boy added.

Rob simply adjusted his cap as he forced himself to stand up straight.

"Then we should head out now.  It's our best bet at avoiding them." Rob suggested, much to Michael's happiness.  He grinned wide as he opened the door to the studio.

Michael was smart enough to whisper as they quietly checked for Colleen.  Thankfully, she was still fast asleep as before.

Words seemed to just roll out of Michael's mouth as they left through the lobby of Rob's building.  Talking had always been his stress reliever, and this situation was no different.

"Just wait until you see this new song.  Those two won't even see it coming."

Rob nodded as he allowed his nephew to continue, ignoring the pain of keeping his movements as consistent as possible.

"That girl was all talk anyway.  I mean, I didn't actually fight her now that I think about it, but really, just how bad can she be?"

-----

Nami shook her head as the competition walked away.  She could feel frustration building even more inside her even as she stared at her perfect score.  Her former opponent, meanwhile, hadn't even come close to an eighth of her points, and they weren't even playing on Heavy difficulty.  Worse yet, they didn't even look the least bit affected by their loss.  

This so-called St. Marks Place Arcade had turned out to be a nest of clowns.  In addition to the fakes that called themselves players, there were no people to cheer her on, nor were there any adoring fans to ask her for dance lessons or signatures on their body pillows.

As Nami sat down at a booth nearby, she buried her face in her arms.  Their poor excuse for ramen remained untouched once she'd taken the first sip.

All in all, this had been the worst day ever in quite some time.  As she looked up, she found herself actually missing her annoying spectators and fans.  She missed Japan, she missed the lights and sounds of Shori-Platinum, and she even missed her ungrateful brother.

But most of all, she missed winning.  To lose against Rob Prototype was a personal affront, and even here against these losers, victory felt beyond meaningless.

Nami hid her face back into her arms, silently praying that they had never taken this job in the first place.

An answer to her prayer came from across the table, from a voice she knew better than anyone else's.

"All is not yet lost." Arashi said in Japanese.

She looked up, narrowing her eyes angrily.  Her brother sat in front of her, arms laid out in front of him and a shiny new pair of black sunglasses on his face.

"I'm sorry, Nami.  I should have started with that." he admitted with his best apologetic tone.  It took a few seconds, but the frown on her face shifted to a smirk.

"Eh, I was getting bored of beating everyone here anyway.  So did you take out Prototype-san all by yourself?" she joked, as she chuckled through the gap in her teeth.

"Of course not." Arashi replied, his tone shifting back to be more serious.  "But I need you back at the store with me.  I sense he'll be back sooner than we think."

Nami was looking off into space now, joy beginning to rise in her chest as she began to fathom the thought that they might not have lost just yet.  "How can you be so sure he'll be back?"

In response, Arashi picked up the white bass guitar from underneath the table.  Nami's eyes widened as she noticed the spot of blood upon it, but she quickly grinned with satisfaction once the dots connected in her mind.

"This should be proof enough.  I have a plan, Nami.  And it accounts for his nephew, if he shows his face as well.  I'm going to need you to keep him busy so I can handle Rob uninterrupted."

At the sound of her brother's words, Nami was now truly listening.

She leaned in close as she made a joyfully devious declaration in response.

"Keep Afro-kun busy?  Oh Nii-san, I'll do a lot more than that..."

Fast forward to the next track...