#before he was not able to express his thanks directly but understood there was a bond but now he feels safe and comfortable enough | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

xximpressions · 3 months ago

Note

can u do another Kelly severide series or even one shot it don’t matter

You know what? Bet 😊👍

Hope

Kelly Severide x reader

Summary: Sometimes, we all need a little hope.

Word Count: 1,289

A/N: Thanks for sending in this request! It was the motivation I needed to start writing again and I couldn't be more grateful 💜

Chicago Fire Masterlist

_____________________________________________________________

It was just another day for those privileged enough to work at Firehouse 51.

Some members of Truck 81 were looking over and inspecting equipment. Those on Ambulance 61 were restocking supplies. Others, like the men of Squad 3, were sitting at their infamous table playing cards because there was a lull in between calls. Since the alarm had not gone off in a while, they were looking for a way to pass the time.

It truly would have been a day like any other, if not for the fact that you had just walked onto the apparatus floor minutes into their first game.

Squad 3’s Lieutenant, Kelly Severide, was forced to become curious enough to lower his cards and turn in his green chair in order to see what, or rather who, had inspired the various and amazed expressions on his men’s faces.

You had taken the last few steps to stand directly in front of their table, and you locked your gaze with the blue-eyed stranger once he had rotated around in his chair.

It was at that moment in which Kelly understood.

Simply put, you were beautiful.

As he tried to process the unexpected sight your arrival had created, you smiled and began to speak before he was prepared for you to do so.

“Hi, I’m here to see Chief Boden.”

You, and the rest of Squad 3, watched as their lieutenant unconsciously stared at you whilst being at a loss for words.

Unaware of his speechlessness, you waited another moment before following your previous statement up with,

“...Would you be able to tell me where I might find him?”

While looking expectedly at Kelly.

That seemed to snap him out of his trance long enough for him to give you the directions you were asking for.

Once you had thanked him, you continued on your way into the building oblivious to the eyes that followed.

However, once the door shut behind you, all eyes shifted to the Squad Lieutenant.

“So, Severide…” began Capp with an amused smirk on his face, “What was that about?”

Picking up and focusing on his cards once more in order to avoid the staring of his men,

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Was all Severide said as an evasive response.

After sharing humored looks of disbelief with his fellow colleagues around the table, Cruz decided to be the one to redundantly clarify,

“C’mon Lieutenant! I have never seen anyone make you go speechless like that.”

Wanting to discuss anything but this, Kelly all but growled out,

“Look, are we gonna play or not?”

His men quickly shared another glance amongst themselves before agreeing to drop the subject.

While the card game did continue, it now felt distracting as Kelly kept flickering his eyes to the door you had gone through as more time passed.

Because now, his mind wanted to focus on the kindness of your gaze.

The sincerity of your smile.

He knew, with absolute certainty, that these things would be forever imprinted in his mind even if he never laid his eyes on you again.

So it could be that he was getting antsy the longer you were having your conversation with the Chief because he definitely wanted a second chance at saying more than a few stuttered words to you.

Unfortunately, the odds were not in his favor as the alarm finally blared overhead for the first time in hours.

“Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, car accident at…”

Racing from their chairs towards their trucks, Squad 3, along with the rest of the house, hustled into their turnout gear and pulled off once everyone was seated inside their respective vehicles.

As the firetruck exited the driveway, Kelly’s quick glance into the sideview mirror on the passenger-side made him do a double-take as he caught a quick glimpse of you.

Having exited the firehouse with the Chief following just behind, Severide watched as you two shared a brief hug before you each said your departures which sparked his curiosity all the more.

Whoever you were, it was clear that his hope for a conversation would not be met on this day as the truck turned and sped off towards their destination.

Not wanting to dwell on the missed opportunity for too long, Severide looked forward in his seat and readied himself to handle the accident that was just ahead.

Luckily, there hadn’t been any serious damage done, so no one was hurt. That being said, the rest of the hours in the shift passed by relatively quickly once they returned to the house.

His two days off also breezed by, and soon he was once again seated in the briefing room on another Monday morning with Chief Boden making announcements and giving updates.

“...and finally,” he said in his gruff voice, “I would like to introduce you all to someone who’s going to be spending some time with us here at 51.”

Following the hand gesture Chief made signaling this someone over, Kelly’s eyes almost doubled in size when he recognized the mysterious person as you.

You were the one from last shift!

So surprised, Severide almost missed the reason for your being here as you began to speak.

“Hey everyone! I'm a contractor with the CFDs public relations team, and it’s my job to make you guys look as great as possible in the content we’ll be creating. That said, I’ll be taking some videos and photographs as I shadow you guys for a few shifts. So don’t mind me! I’ll be so invisible, you won’t even notice that I’m here,” you finished with an assured smile.

Kelly’s mind couldn’t help but to immediately disagree since he knew noticing you seemed to be all he could do at this moment in time.

Luckily, Boden started to wrap up the meeting by sending a brief thanks your way then also made sure to say,

“I expect all of you to treat our guest with the utmost respect. Her father and I go way back, so if there’s resistance of any kind, you will hear from me.”

Though your smile was a little more bashful now, you still took the time to say—to the room’s surprise,

“Thanks, Uncle Wallace.”

Sending a paternal grin your way, he easily replied,

“Anytime,” with a small nod before he turned back to the rest of the room and said, “Any questions?”

Of course, it had to be Herrman who raised his hand with a look of confusion on his face to ask the one question they were all thinking in a flabbergasted tone of voice,

“Ummmm…Uncle?!?”

Letting out an amused chuckle, you decided to be the one to answer for the both of you.

“Yes, Chief is actually my Godfather. That’s why your firehouse is the first one that I’m shadowing since I know he runs a tight ship. Like he said, he and my father go way back, so I’ve known him since I was a baby—

“—which makes her family,” Boden interjected with a note of amused, but serious finality before saying, “Understood?”

He sent his commanding gaze around the room to ensure his point got across and was met with multiple affirmings of,

“Yes Chief!”

“Then thank you all for your time this morning. That’s it for today’s briefing.”

Kelly was the first out the door once the meeting had concluded. Making it to the safety of the bathrooms, he hunched over the sink as he was hit with the startling realization that:

A) He had a crush!?

And B) It was on someone his boss saw as his niece!

Making eye contact with himself in the mirror, he had one thought going around in his head,

“Man, I am so screwed.”

#kelly severide fanfic #kelly severide x oc #kelly severide fanfiction #kelly severide imagine #kelly severide x reader #chicago fire #chicago fire imagine #chicago fire fanfiction #chiacgo fire imagine #chicago fire fanfic

67 notes · View notes

ilovetheriddler · 3 months ago

Note

Omg omg omg!!!

Data and horror movies and smut??

Or Riddler and horror movies and smut?? (Dano or Gotham Riddler preference)

Thank you for sending a request! I hope that you enjoy it!

Halloween Fic Event.

Fear of Rejection and Haunted Dolls.

(Edward Nashton x F!Reader)

Contents: NSFW 18+ 🔞🔞🔞 Smut, Kissing, Loss of Virginity, nervousness.

You were quite pleased when Edward invited you over to his place to marathon some horror films, as someone who enjoyed them, you saw this as a double win, you'd get to watch some hopefully good films and snuggle up with your boyfriend. Overall, it is incredibly ideal for a date in your opinion.

The first few hours of you being over there for the day was great. You had already watched Saw, the original Halloween, and now you were on Annabelle. Now, while you enjoyed horror overall and loved the amount of work that went into horror movies.... you weren't fond of haunted dolls. In fact, you were slightly afraid of them.

Edward couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle every now, and then whenever you'd jump or cling to him, he picked this film out, knowing how much it would make you jump. After a few minutes of simply taking in your wide-eyed expression, he spoke up.

"You know...... you look really cute when you're all jumpy like this...."

"I am not jumpy! I'm... reasonably afraid of haunted dolls.... is there something wrong with that?!"

"Not really.... I actually find it endearing that something like this scares you so much. It's interesting..."

The two of you sat in silence as you continued watching the movie, the tension building for two entirely different reasons, with You being nervous over the haunted doll film and him being nervous over the idea of making a move on you tonight.

It ultimately reached a breaking point. However, as you moved closer to him as a result of being startled, your leg just barely rubbed up against his crotch, but it was enough to set him off. You let out a surprised yelp as you were suddenly pushed back and pinned against the couch, his hands tightly grasping your wrists, keeping them pinned near the sides of your head. His gaze was intense as he stared directly into your eyes.

".....C-can I touch you? Please...? Would that be okay?"

"... Of course, I've told you that you can repeatedly now."

"I know that.... but... I um.... I've never actually... been fully intimate with someone in that way before... and I don't want to mess everything up..."

You felt your eyes widen as his words fully sank in and dawned on you. He was a virgin and was afraid of not being able to satisfy you. You found it slightly amusing how much Edward often worried about these types of things but also understood his anxiousness over it.

"Eddie.... I promise you that you won't mess it up, just do whatever feels right, and I'm sure it'll be perfect."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking over what he wanted to next, before he leaned down and pressed his lips softly against yours, choosing to take a cautious and gentle approach to showing you his affection. After a bit, he slowly began kissing down your neck, unbuttoning your shirt as he went.

Once it was off and thrown onto the floor, he quickly attempted to undo your bra's clasp, struggling with it for a few moments before getting it undone and off. He took in the sight of you underneath him, his breath already coming out heavy and labored.

"O-oh.... oh wow.... you're so beautiful...."

His hesitantly brought his hands up to your chest, cautiously moving one of his hands over your breast, giving it a light squeeze as to test the waters to see how you'd react. He took the pleased sound you let out as a sign to continue.

The next handful of minutes he spent paying attention to your breasts with his hands and mouth was heavenly. He had an excited, lustful, and needy look in his eyes as he went about him actions gleefully. However, once he moved down more and had taken off your pants and underwear, he was suddenly a lot more nervous again. You ran your hands down his bare chest, stopping at his waist and slowly unbuckling his belt. His voice carried an underlying nervous tone as he spoke.

"A-are you sure it'll be fine?"

"I'm positive, Eddie. I want you."

You quickly pulled down his pants and boxers, and he let out an embarrassed squeal, his face becoming horribly flushed as your gaze settled on his hardened cock, a generous amount of precum already dripping out of it, much to his embarrassment. You had a strong feeling that he wouldn't last long once he was inside of you, which you didn't mind since it would be his first time experiencing something like this.

He settled himself between your legs, his gaze meeting yours for a moment before he asked you something.

"Um... Should I... you know um... use my fingers first? Or... am I just supposed to... put it in?"

"Honestly, with I'm feeling right now, either is fine, whichever one feels more like what you can handle doing."

He thought about it for a moment, ultimately torn between the two options, but an overwhelming need to know what it felt like to be buried inside of you won out in the end, as he cautiously positioned his cock at your entrance, a shiver running up his spine as the tip rubbed against your folds just barely, before suddenly thrusting in without any hesitation, He immediately realized how bad of an idea it was to go all in at once with his lack of experience as his eyes went as wide as plates and his breathing became incredibly ragged.

"F-fuck.... Y-you feel so... good... A-ah... This is... a lot more overwhelming than I thought it would be...."

You drapped your arms over his shoulders as he remained still, attempting to adjust to the feeling and also calm down slightly, he didn't want to cum so quickly, he wanted to last at least a bit longer. After a few minutes, he slowly started moving, just barely at first before he eventually got into a decent rhythm, until he ended up Cumming only a few minutes later, much to his embarrassment.

You had to spend the rest of the evening reassuring him that it was really good and that it was okay that he came so quickly, he needed a lot of reassure, a lot of it, but that was alright, you didn't mind.

#halloween fic event #dano riddler #edward nashton x reader #the riddler x reader #edward nashton #x reader #fanfic

116 notes · View notes

fernsplaysthings · 7 months ago

Text

Oops, double sappy, soppy Birds. Started writing this a few weeks before TFS and wanted to sketch something that vaguely went with it.

I'm over here making some real self-indulgent oc x canon shit.

Kestral had been in some kind of way since Crow had declared - insisted - he was going into the Pale Heart alone. It made sense; the link he shared with his twin was about as unique of an advantage as the Vanguard was going to get and turning it down was akin to shooting themselves in the foot. Not that Kestral had disagreed out loud. They could be pragmatic, bordering on cold sometimes and he knew that was coming from a place deep down and centuries old. In fact he’d appreciated it at the time with Mara and Petra present because it meant he’d hold his resolve despite not quite being able to meet their eyes.

In the seconds after the Queen and her Wrath left that changed. A brief glimpse of an expression Crow knew he wasn’t supposed to see before the stoic facade slipped back on. Something like pain, fear, and heartbreak. Before he could breathe a word of reassurance they were gone.

He hadn’t seen them since.

Only twenty-four hours had passed but it was unusual for them to not spend their on-world time together at Kestral’s apartment or out doing what they liked to call ‘normal people things’. He hadn’t wanted to go without talking to them first. Giving something. Asking something. And as he made his way through the residential blocks of The Last City his heart sank into his stomach, a brown paper package clutched a little tighter to his side.

Kestral wasn’t angry, he knew that much. It was hard not to read their intentions quite so clearly after spending all that time around them and he didn’t doubt for a second that they had exactly the same sensitivity. After all they were both Hunters, known for a keen eye and sharp intuition. They were hurting and scared and they still couldn’t parse those heavy feelings into conversation as well as he could. Saint had told him he wore his heart on his sleeve and once he’d gotten close to The Young Wolf he understood exactly what that meant. He supposed if anyone knew about loving someone deeply reserved and so intricately tied to their image, their work, it was going to be Saint-14.

He tossed his keycard to Kestral’s apartment on the little table beside him, shutting and locking the door behind as he expected to be spending the afternoon alone. It wasn’t until he placed the package on the coffee table by their sofa and turned toward the kitchen that he saw them, hunched over the kitchen sink, face dripping, hair stuck to their cheeks where they’d obviously splashed themself.

And the red puffy eyes of someone who’d finally reached the raw part of their feelings.

He had to broach the topic now, even if he trusted them to reach it eventually. Time was running away faster than he’d anticipated and suddenly the end of the universe, daunting as it was despite his usual assuredness, seemed ever more looming.

He felt the same way, after all.

“Kestral.”

Their attention didn’t waver from their deep glare into the basin and Crow wasn’t sure if they’d heard him, their name little more than an exhale and all at once too loud. The need for immediate conversation and tender cautiousness battled in his movements, one step, a barely outstretched hand.

“Don’t,” they snapped, balling their fists against the counter, “I-I’m not ready.”

He wiped away a stray tear that had started forming on his cheek, another couple of slow, carefully placed steps towards them, resting his palm on their lower back. They tensed under his touch but didn’t reel away - thank the Light - but he didn’t push further.

“Not ready for what, love?”

Their response was punctuated by pounding their fists against the surface and turning sharply, his hand staying at their waist despite the sudden change in position, “This!” They gestured frustrated, unable to articulate the exact issue without speaking the words directly, “This. You.”

Kestral would get there. The feelings were front and centre but the words were delayed deliberately, pushed away in case that somehow manifested one of their deepest fears into a reality. A Guardian of legend brought to the edge of their nerve by the anticipation of a horrific loss.

Just a human, he reminded himself.

He couldn’t help but lift his other hand to their cheek as he’d done so many times before; gleefully and obliviously drunk around a makeshift campfire with freedom at his fingertips, just before kissing them for the very first time after a narrow miss with death in the Ascendant Plane, again with their eyes filled with tears once he found out who he had been and what they’d done.

Their hands wrapped around the forearm and wrist of the hand that cupped their cheek, holding it tightly to their face and huffing a breath until words formed again, somewhat soothed and yet clinging desperately, “I’m going to lose you, aren’t I?”

Closing the delicately maintained distance he pulled them against him, kissed their forehead and held them as tightly as they let him, “Not if I can help it. You’re gunna be right behind me.”

They both knew that wasn’t exactly true either, that it’d take a while to locate an opening into the Pale Heart that wouldn’t devour everything that entered it, and in that time anything could happen. All the Guardians that hadn’t returned…

“I can’t…”

With what felt like an immense effort he freed his arm from their grip and maneuvered them both onto the sofa, Kestral curled in his lap, arms wrapped desperately around his chest, using his breathing to settle themself. Grounding themself in the moment instead of the encroaching dread.

“We know I need to do this, this is the safest way possible. If I didn’t and you got hurt leading the charge then…”

Their grip tightened at his back, shirt bunched between both fists. He rested his cheek to the top of their head and sighed.

“Love, if I don’t…”

“Stop.”

He took a deep breath, cradling them gently, “If I don’t make it back I need to know you’ll keep going. This has been - is - the best thing that could’ve happened after everything. I have to do this and I need…”

“I won’t. You know I won’t,” their furious glare met his and through reddened bird-of-prey eyes they made it very clear there was no compromise, “Out of spite for your reckless, noble bullshit. Fucking damn you.”

His breath hitched and caught around the lump in his throat, fingers running through their hair in an attempt to soothe the defiance that flared even in their sadness, “I will do everything in my power to come back to you, you know that?”

It was the only reason they could spit something with so much venom and know it wouldn’t bite as hard as it seemed. They knew. They could threaten anything in the wake of losing him but it would never change the fact that he’d have fought anyway. It was just easier to fight the concept than face it down.

At least in the moment before their hands gradually relaxed against his back, arms snaking back to rest one palm against his chest and the other tucked up against their chin.

Their expression finally turned soft, bumping their forehead to his with a sigh. Of course they knew. There was the unspoken loyalty that had always been there, each of them would do whatever they had to for the other. If that meant defying some increasingly terrifying odds then so be it. Kestral would do all that and more, kill a God, destroy a planet, raze everything they knew to ashes, anything for him.

With a kiss to their hairline, trailing down forehead, cheeks and finally lips he leaned across to the package he’d placed down earlier, kissing them again when he had it in his grasp.

“I got you something,” he said, more breath than voice, “To prove I plan on coming back. Kinda.”

He pressed the package into their hands and watched as the shed paper revealed a plume of feathers or perhaps fur, metal attachments, and a long heavy draping cloak adorned with decoration that echoed those on Crow’s gear. He smiled as they felt the fabric, curiosity overtaking the bundle of feelings that had been wrenching at them, slowly working out what they were unraveling. When it clicked they looked back up at him with open adoration and he kissed them again.

“Here,” he took the metal attachments, swishing the cloak out so that the collar sat around their neck, a regal plume of dark iridescent feathers, “I couldn’t forget a signature piece.”

Despite being bunched up on the sofa together they still wore it well and Crow, compelled as he always was, pulled them into him and kissed them again.

“What’s this for?”

His cheeks warmed up, a royal purple shade touching his ears and neck, “I told you, a promise to come back to you.”

They’d started smiling now too, watching his flushed face with amusement, “It’s a very sweet gift, Crow. Us Hunters are silly-prideful about cloaks. Did you name it?”

Somehow his blush deepened, “I thought about it and I wanted to make sure it was OK with you?” Kestral’s perplexed look bought out a laugh and he stroked their cheek, “I thought about this a lot. Wanted it to mean something, you know? And I was thinking about the fact that we’re very different and falling for you was not as straightforward as a ‘normal’ romance. But we’ve got a lot in common too. Hunters and…not just the bird stuff but…I was thinking about the bird stuff.”

“Of course you were, darling.”

With a shy chuckle he continued, clearly nervous about what he was trying to say but pushing onwards, “Our namesakes, we chose them because our Ghosts offered them. They’re special in a way. We might not embody them completely all the time but there’s a reason they’re ours. And while they’re about as different as birds get, they still share a…trait…”

He stumbled over the beginning of his next sentence a few times, leaning back into the sofa with a groan, letting them fall against him with their attentive gaze watching his face with affectionate amusement.

“This sounded so much more romantic when-” he bit his tongue, “Look, they mate for life.”

They dropped their head, hiding their face in the crook of his neck, “Oh, shut up…”

“I made up a lot of really sappy names, love,” he laughed against the side of their head, muttering into their ear, “All the same sort of stuff; ‘Crow’s Promise’, ‘Corvid’s Oath’, honestly I’m not good at naming things. I got stuck on…it’s really stupid, you can call it something different…It sort of kept the name ‘A Bird’s Bond’...” He could feel their goofy grin against his collarbone, the heat from their cheeks, and he turned their face up to his to press a kiss between their eyes, “Don’t laugh. I put a lot of thought into it and…”

He paused, caught up in the other Hunter’s soft gaze, his breath caught again but not the choking, suffocating feeling before. Like the butterflies in his stomach had risen up and planned to burst out in a horrible mess of fluttering wings. Just the way they were looking at him, like he were the stars in the expanse of space and every beautiful place they’d seen across Sol, it would fulfill him forever, he thought. If they’d just keep looking at him like that, like he belonged, like…

Kestral tucked his hair back and kissed his jaw with a whisper, “I’m listening.”

He sighed deeply, holding eye contact, “When this is all over. Once we’re both back on Earth safe and together again, I want to marry you.”

They sat up straight, mantle still draped over their shoulders, expression bewildered and blushing, “Why? It’s not…”

“I know we talked about it. It’s not traditional Guardian stuff. I know,” he held them tightly around the waist, pulling them to straddle his lap to get a better view of their face, “I don’t even think I can do the old tradition of giving you my name. Mara probably wouldn’t let me and…well, you wouldn’t want to be a Sov.”

They batted at his chest with a grin, “Not in a million years, thank you.”

“Marry me anyway then,” he leaned up and kissed their chin and down their neck, “Even if it’s not a Guardian thing to do. Even if ‘until death do us part’ is just a technicality. I want to show you I love you in every way possible.”

With his lips pressed below their collarbone he could feel their racing heart, hands moving to hold their ribs and trace the bottom of their cropped sports top. They seemed to be contemplating or lost in the feel of his overflowing affections.

“Yes.”

“Yeah?”

“Anything for you, Crow,” they whispered, scratching gentle circles into his scalp, “Not that this is some kind of burden, but…anything. I’m yours. Always.”

He liked that, the sincerity with which they’d said it awoke something in the back of his mind, something safe and comforting and trustworthy, “Mine. As I am yours.”

They hummed an approval to his response and to the press of his mouth to their sternum and up the column of their throat, the feathers on their mantle tickling his cheek.

Attempting not to melt into his touch immediately, they gently cleared their throat, “So the cloak is an engagement gift?”

“Figured it’d be more meaningful than a ring,” he muttered against the mark he’d pressed to their neck, finding a new spot below their ear, “Doesn’t hurt that you look good in a regal cloak too.”

“Crow,” they hissed, stifling the laugh that followed, “You’re incorrigible. Love, you don’t mind who knows about us now? I know it wasn’t much of a secret anymore but…”

He chuckled, bumping his nose to their cheek, “I actually think, once we’re home, I’d like everyone to know. The wedding doesn’t have to be a whole thing, if you want to keep it quiet and Hunter-esque, but I will be telling everybody I speak to afterwards that you’re my wife.”

Kestral’s grin grew wider, eyes brighter and softly crinkled at the corners beneath their blush. They held his face, a palm on either cheek and pressed their mouth to his, kissing him slowly like they had all the time in the universe. Unlike them, Crow instantly melted into their touch, his hands finding purchase on their hips, pulling them as close as he physically could.

“My husband…?” The words on their breath were cut short by Crow’s eager mouth, his tongue meeting their lips, the buzz of his impatience seeping into their body, “How long do we have until you go?”

“About a day. Never enough time but we’ll have to make do,” he whispered with a self-confident smirk, hands kneading their behind as he lifted them, thighs around his waist, “Leave the cloak on for me?”

#destiny 2 #d2 #guardian x crow #d2 oc #d2 crow #kestral //#the birdfriends will always rule my traitorous heart

28 notes · View notes

evolnoomym · 7 months ago

Note

Hello friend! I'm popping in for Happy Pedro Hours and a fun question:

If your favorite Pedro boy saw you with your favorite drink (alcoholic or not), what would they say?

Have an awesome day!

Hello LJ 🩵

Thank you so much for popping in for Happy Pedro Hours and sending me a fun question.

My favorite Pedro boy as you might be able to tell is Joel Miller🥵🤤

OK, I gave it some thought and I think I came up with something that’s good and a lil dirty ooops

I love bubble tea, and if he would see me with a bubble tea well….

You’ve been home for about an hour after spending the entire day out with a good friend. Before going home you decided to treat yourself with a delicious bubble tea, you picked a honeydew green tea paired with mango bubbles. You just got up to retrieve it from the fridge and now you’re sitting on the porch overlooking the beautiful garden Joel helped you create. Speaking of the devil you can hear that he just got home from his day at Tommy’s house helping him renovate the new baby’s room. You wait for him to find you and when he does he scoffs at the drink in your hand. Joel never understood your love for the drink. Looking directly at you he says “Sweetheart if ya want to have balls in your mouth so desperately you shoulda just waited for me. I got two waiting for ya right here” now pointing a finger at his manhood, with a smug expression on his handsome face. That man and his dirty mouth will surely be the death of you one day.

I hope you have an awesome day as well 🩵

#joel miller #pedro pascal #joel miller x reader #happy pedro hours #ask

24 notes · View notes

anachr0nismm · 8 months ago

Text

I want to start sharing my headcanons more instead of just telling myself to write my nine chapter fic so people get it because. My writing isn’t the best and I just want to directly get my feelings and ideas across

So, here are my thoughts and headcanons on Brian and Jonny’s relationship!

I want to, as I most always do, give credit to @carmillatism. I get most of my ideas and headcanons, if not directly from them, then while in conversation with mech.

Warning for unhealthy relationships, both romantic (or queerplatonic, if you wish) and parental (between Brian and Jonny, Jonny and Carmilla, and Brian and Carmilla)

Brian was not the first to be mechanised under similar circumstances to the one in which he was, as I believe Brian was the last to be mechanised by Carmilla, so Jonny had definitely seen this before. Random person being picked up and brought back to life, or rather, having their life given back in full force.

I do believe, however, that he was somewhat jealous of Brian, and kept a close eye on him during the time in which he was being mechanised. It would have taken Carmilla a long time, which meant he would have had less of her attention, which came as both a blessing and a curse to him (thanks to trauma).

I think he would have been relatively nice to Brian at first, like he is with the other mechs, though more cautious as I imagine he would be around new people. He would have sympathised with him, and the whole ordeal of being mechanised, even if he couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be changed to the extent Brian had.

But, his feelings, I imagine, would slowly turn to malice as Brian starts to work as somewhat of an apprentice to Carmilla, learning about his and other’s mechanisms, assisting in surgeries, etc. (Side not, read carmillatism’s fic on this, it’s really good) he would start to see Brian in somewhat of the same light he sees Carmilla, as he would not be able to see the turmoil within Brian’s mind, and how internally wretched he had become.

Brian, meanwhile, would be quite fond of Jonny, though understood the other did not exactly like him. They could hold a conversation well enough, but not to the extent Brian wished they could. Most days Jonny was actively antagonistic towards him, some days worse, so he learned to keep his distance.

After Carmilla left, they started to find a good middle. Jonny did not forgive Brian yet for helping tinker about with his heart, but he couldn’t find it in himself to hate him when he had apologised so profusely and done anything and everything to gain his trust.

He still left Brian on Avalon until he couldn’t bare it anymore, missed him too much, and fished him out of that hell.

Brian, however, found himself becoming more and more spiteful towards Jonny while burning and burning day in and day out. When he was back, it seemed as though their previous roles were reversed. He was the one giving Jonny nasty looks, while Jonny hugged himself and mourned the time they, at least, semi- got along.

Slowly, gradually, they find a way to be healthy, to love each other and accept love in return. Jonny had always been unable to receive and express love like most would like him to. He hated being vulnerable, hated not being the all day actor, not keeping up facades that might not be facades. Brian was scared of being too much, and too little all the same.

It was never easy in the beginning of their newfound trust for either of them, but it ended up working out.

So, that’s my headcanons for their timeline and feelings. My brain fog is quite bad, so I feel as though im leaving much out, and couldn’t exactly get everything across the way I wanted.

If you find this interesting, please look out on my ao3 for my WIP fic ‘Our Lady Of The Broken Spine’, a nine chapter fic I’ve been working on since august, about Brian, his anatomy, timeline, feelings, and relationships. I am still working on the first chapter, but I only have a little bit to go, really.

Thank you for reading!

#long post #the mechs #the mechanisms #bear growls #jonny d'ville #drumbot brian #two of hearts #headcanon #headcanons #the mechanisms headcanon #the mechs headcanon

17 notes · View notes

cosmicjoke · 1 year ago

Note

hi there !! thank u sm for answering my ask about the whereabouts of the scouts hq! i guess it's open to speculation of the location prior to the fall of wall maria ( or as i'd liked to call it "free real estate" lol ). anyways, i have another question for you if you don't mind! i love your analysis on levi and how emotionally intelligent he is and how he's in-tune with his emotions. i was wondering, do you think levi is the type to outwardly grieve at all? perhaps in privacy of his own quarters? we seem some subtle moments like when og levi squad dies as an example and we never see him fully cry until the finale. aside those small, yet very impactful moments, do you think he shows his grief in a more expressive way? if so, how do you envision it?

personally, i dont depict levi to be the type to showcase anger through his grief ( i guess unless zeke is involved lol ), but i feel like some days would be extremely difficult for him as he carries around the weight of his dead comrades and friends, especially at night when he's alone. i don't think he cries often, most likely due to growing up in the underground and kenny's "parental teachings", but as i said, i believe there are rare days where it's just too much, ya know?

regardless of my opinions, i would like to hear your thoughts and viewpoint on this !! thank you <3

Hi there!

Thank you for the ask, and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help with your first! But this one hopefully I can give a better answer, haha.

We do have one, clear instant of seeing Levi express his grief outwardly, of course, and that's when Furlan and Isabel died. And Levi very much did express his grief through anger then. I would even say Levi was enraged, which we never really saw from him again. Even when Zeke forced Levi to kill so many of his own comrades, after turning them into titans, Levi's anger afterward was very controlled and measured, though still apparent. Maybe the closest we see to Levi becoming angry before then is the first time he takes Zeke down, in Shinganshina, after he cuts him out of his titan. But nothing really comes close to the outpouring of intense despair we see from him with Furlan and Isabel.

That probably has something to do with the fact that they were his family. I always say Furlan and Isabel were probably the two people who were closest to Levi in his life. The only two people who understood where he'd come from, because they came from there too. And also because they were the first, two people he really lost to the titan threat. He'd only seen one other person eaten by a titan before then. A soldier whom Levi likely had no relationship with at all. We have to remember, when Levi first joined the SC, he, Furlan and Isabel were outcasts. Nobody liked them, and nobody really talked to them or treated them kindly, outside of Erwin and Hange. The others he saw killed by titans, he only saw the aftermath of. But with Furlan and Isabel, he actually saw them directly eaten, right in front of him, and for all his great strength, he was powerless to stop it from happening.

For all the criticisms I often see lobbed at the anime adaptation of "No Regrets", I won't ever forget the raw emotion we hear in Levi's voice when he kills the titan that killed him family. We never hear Levi like that again. So enraged he sounds like he's on the verge of sobs. That was Levi losing the only two people he had in his life. His chosen family. His two first and best friends. That was Levi losing his whole world. His rage at Erwin afterward was also a manifestation of that pain. He was overcome by his grief in that moment.

I think, after that, Levi was able to form other connections, and other bonds. Especially with Hange and Erwin, and of course his own squad. And I think he felt the pain of their loss just as keenly as he did Isabel and Furlan. But by then, in order to keep moving forward himself, in order to keep fighting, Levi needed to learn to control that grief and keep it locked away. To not let it consume him or distract him. It's never been that Levi doesn't feel every loss with deep, genuine emotion, or that he's unaffected, or removed from the feeling of loss. He's always been, I think, more deeply impacted by the loss of life than anyone. He just learned to control that feeling, and more for the sake of others than for himself. He wants to stay strong so that he can do his job of protecting and fighting for others. He doesn't allow himself to wallow in his grief because he thinks it might compromise his duty to others. And that's Levi's selflessness again.

I'm certain there's been many, MANY moments in which Levi felt an overwhelming despair. I just spoke about this, in my post about how Levi more often looks sad to me than stoic. I think, when he's at rest especially, we see Levi's grief manifest on his face and in his body language. When there's nothing for him to channel his grief and despair into, it shows plainly on him. So I wouldn't be surprised if, when he had moments alone, he did give into it, if only a little. Levi doesn't strike me as much of a crier. I have a hard time picturing him really openly sobbing, for example. But he is capable of tears, and he may indeed have shed tears in private moments, when he felt sure it wouldn't negatively impact anyone around him.

There's of course something deeply tragic in that. In Levi feeling the NEED to hide his grief. To not let it show for fear of it somehow affecting others. That he feels his grief is less important than his duty toward protecting others. That he shouldn't be allowed to indulge in it. And we know this is an attitude with Levi only holds for himself. Because he never scolds anyone else for giving in to THEIR grief, and in fact does the opposite, providing them with what comfort and reassurance he can. The first time we meet Levi, he's comforting a dying soldier who's crying, wondering if he'd done his duty, holding his hand and telling him that he's done more than enough. Or with the soldier who lead the titans to them after the disaster with the Female Titan. Instead of scolding that soldier for allowing his grief to endanger the entire unit, Levi gave him Petra's patch, and told him it was his friends, just to comfort him. Or when Eren begins crying when they're all trapped in the cavern underneath Rod Reiss' estate, and while everyone else is yelling at him, telling him to man up, Levi doesn't yell at him at all, despite the peril they're all in. He instead tells Eren he's sorry to have to ask for his help again, and after Eren is able to save them, he's the only one to thank Eren and express his gratitude by telling him that it's thanks to his efforts that they'll be able to retake Wall Maria again. Or when he tells Erwin thank you, after Erwin confesses to his own grief and guilt. Instead of scolding Erwin for showing weakness in the face of catastrophe, he tells Erwin that it's thanks to him that the SC was able to get as far as it had. He tells Erwin he's been a great leader.

Even while Levi denies himself the comfort of his own grief, he never denies it to anyone else. And once again, that's Levi's selflessness manifesting. And it's heartbreaking to realize, because again, I think Levi probably feels things more deeply than anyone. I think he's more hurt by the loss of his comrades than anyone. But he won't allow himself to really process that hurt, or find any solace by giving in to his grief.

#Levi Ackerman #attack on titan #shingkei no kyojin #Furlan Church #Isabel Magnolia #Erwin Smith #Hange Zoe #levi squad

17 notes · View notes

hebuiltfive · 1 year ago

Note

::boils the kettle::

by your side: [character] is sick and wants company. Penny

This one was actually quite fun to write! I could have kept going but these are only supposed to be drabbles and it's already way too long. Hope you enjoy it @janetm74! 😊

By Your Side (feat. Lady Penelope)

She had always seen her ability to be as courteous and as generous as she was as a great, defining trait. Perhaps to some people, they’d might have seen it as more of a downfall. For once in her life, Penny was starting to think that maybe they were right.

Parker had only been gone ten hours when Penelope finally realised her mistake. When he’d first mentioned his idea of a trip to Scarborough for a long weekend, Penny had practically cheered him on. Even during the previous night, when her symptoms had begun to worsen, she happily waved him off as the taxi took him down the drive. No part of her had thought of asking Parker to cancel his trip because they didn’t seem fair. He worked so hard for her, the man was owed far more than a little trip to the Yorkshire coast, so she let him go without so much as mentioning her illness. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Except now, Penny had wished she had been a little selfish, just this once.

She had awoken from a very restless sleep at six, feeling far worse than she had done the previous evening, and had only made it two hours before she found herself calling John.

He answered almost immediately, which came as no surprise to Penelope. John was always on the ball.

The smile he had upon answering her call, however, fell the moment he took in her image. “Lady Penelope, are you alright? You look—”

“Is Gordon busy?” She asked straight away. In her mind there was no point in beating around the bush.

“Gordon?” John seemed confused, clearly still a little thrown by her appearance.

In only extreme cases, such as this, did Penelope not make an effort to look somewhat presentable. She could only guess what was running through John’s mind. With her hair still plastered to her forehead, with sweat still clinging to some of her clothing even though she’d already changed into fresher items twice this morning, Penelope knew she wasn’t looking too great. Her lips were dry and chapped, her voice weak and slightly croaky. She hadn’t yet had her morning tea, but finding the effort to actually go and brew one seemed like far too much for her. No, she’d much rather stay put on the couch.

“I wanted to ask you if he was busy. I don’t trust he’d be truthful with me.” Especially given the way she was currently presenting. Penelope had no doubt in her mind that Gordon would have raced over to her in an instant, regardless of whatever he was busy with.

“He’s.. uh, he’s not busy, no. Do you want me to patch him through?”

Penelope paused before shaking her head. She was never one to directly ask for something, especially if it was help. Having grown up in her world of high society and constant gossip, Penny found it difficult admitting when she was out of her depth. In the past, many men and women had used any kind of openness as an opportunity to take a strike, making her see her honesty as a weakness for others to exploit. That paranoia was still deeply rooted.

John understood exactly what the shaking of her head meant. Not only was he apt at being able to read people — given that was his job, it was no surprise he was good at it — but he was also one of Penelope’s closest friends. Words weren’t needed often to express what the other was feeling. Some days, when one wanted to hide a certain feeling, it might have been seen as a curse. Today, it was a blessing.

“I’ll ask him to come over as soon as he can.” John clarified. “Get well soon.” He then signed off the call.

Penelope sighed, thankful that the worst part was over for now, and allowed herself a moment to rest her eyes. She didn’t fall asleep, she only dozed, but the doorbell ringing after what felt like only a few seconds, had her jumping awake. She peeled herself off the couch, silently cursing the way her head span with dizziness as she stood. It took a moment or two to leave the drawing room and make her way to the front door. The bolts were unlocked, the security system deactivated and Penelope opened the door to the face of a very concerned Gordon.

“John said you were sick. I got Scott to drop me off.” Gordon began rambling, pushing himself past Penelope to enter the manor.

If she wasn’t so sick, she’d have playfully reprimanded him for his lack of manners, but her head was pounding far too violently to even consider any words beside, “You’re here.”

Gordon wheeled in a suitcase that he’d brought with him, sliding it along the marbled-floor entryway and parking it up to the side. “Of course I’m here. Did you think I wouldn’t answer the call?”

The heavy oak doors were shut. The sound of the wood coming to rest against the frame of the entryway echoed dully throughout the otherwise silent manor. Penelope swayed a little on her feet as she turned. Gordon caught her elbow, his eyes searching her face for answers.

“Jesus, Pen. John wasn’t kidding. You need to go and sit down.” He began to guide her back to the drawing room, his hand still gently gripping her elbow for support. “Where’s Parker?” He continued, as they entered the ornate space.

Penelope practically collapsed back down into the plush cushions, her fingers massaging both her temples at once. “He had holiday planned and left last night. I thought I’d be fine until this morning came.”

“I’ll go and get you some medicine.”

“No.” Penny reached out to catch his arm before he could leave. “Stay?”

“Have you even eaten anything this morning?” Gordon asked, though he didn’t move an inch.

She shook her head. Perhaps she would have felt guilty had her stomach not churned at the thought of food. “I couldn’t keep anything down last night and this morning… Well, this morning has flown by, I haven’t had the time to try and get anything.” Her free hand tapped the space beside her on the couch. “Sit. Please?”

There was a debate raging within Gordon, Penny could tell from the apprehension in his eyes. Part of him probably wanted to go and fetch her some breakfast, maybe a drink or some medicine, but part of him probably couldn’t bare denying her the simple request she asked of him.

In the end, he gave in and took the spot beside her. “Only for a minute.”

She could live with that. Her arm looped around his as he sat, hands joining and fingers intertwining. She lowered her head to rest on his shoulder.

“You’re burning up, Pen.”

“ ‘M fine. ’S just… ‘M fine.” She tried to convince him, but words were hard to form when she was so tired and his shoulder made the perfect pillow.

“Are you sure? I brought a med-scanner with me, I can—”

Penelope held him firmly in place and Gordon found himself unable to move without disturbing her. He ceased trying to reach his bags. “No. Just… stay.”

From his sigh, she could tell he was reluctant to give in once again, but he did. He unhooked their arms and looped his over her shoulders, pulling her in for a tighter embrace. “Okay.” Gordon softly spoke as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

“I feel awful, Gordon.”

“I know. I know. It’ll pass, Pen.”

“Thank you for coming. I didn’t want to be a burden.”

Gordon gently hushed her. “You’re never a burden, Penny. Now, try and get some rest.”

#i am a sucker for penink and i really need to write them some more #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #ask game #sickness prompts #five answers #lady penelope #gordon tracy #john tracy #five fics

27 notes · View notes

whiskeysmulti · 4 months ago

Text

Wait You Love Me? (KHR Flufftober)

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn Ship: 1859 (Hibari Kyouya/ Gokudera Hayato) Word Count: 1,009 Prompt: Wait, you love me? I always have. Event Host: @flufftober

"Wait, you love me?" Gokudera almost choked on his soda as those three words were not what he expected at all from Hibari. However it was the next three words to come from the Cloud guardian that sent his head spinning as he needed a moment to process what he'd actually heard.

"I always have." Hand in his pocket, Hibari walked closer to the Storm. They'd both grown up, they'd both become men in their own right, and they both were at such a low point in their lives they had nothing left to lose. Ten years ago this wouldn't have been as complicated as both men hadn't ever expected to live this long to begin with. It was a dangerous lifestyle in the Mafia and they were honestly both just thankful for every additional moment they had alive because they never knew when that fated day would come when only one of them would return from a mission, the other lost forever.

Hibari couldn't really blame Gokudera for not picking up on it before. The man was never good with his feelings as he'd always been taught that actions spoke louder than words and it was better to show it instead of saying it. And that was exactly what he had done. The last to arrive at the battle, but the first to cover them and make them actually feel safe, he fit the role of the Cloud guardian perfectly and then some. He often kept an eye on Gokudera from the shadows, knowing the Storm guardian's reckless nature he didn't want to take a chance and even had his birds spying on the Storm, reporting back to Hibari as soon as they found him in trouble so Hibari could get to him as soon as he could. Time wasn't to be wasted in their lifestyle, as one minute could often mean the difference in life and death.

This whole time Gokudera had blindly believed he wasn't desirable that there wouldn't be a single chance with Hibari and now in the starlight, on the roof top of Namimori, he found out the truth. He'd always been wanted by the Cloud, it just wasn't directly stated. For an idiot like Gokudera, sometimes it needed to be spelled out, he understood battle tactics and mathematics better than anyone in the Vongola, but when it came to a test in expressing emotions, he'd fail.

Hibari, however was no better at it. Tone often coming off cold, he wasn't exactly openly expressive either. If it wasn't his anger coming out in a fight, he was often quiet, distant and hard to read. Which was why when he actually said it, Gokudera almost fell over. He'd always prided himself on his perception skills and being able to read his enemy's movements, predicting them before they even happened, yet he'd missed this? No way in hell. This had to be a prank, this had to be a joke or even a dream and he'd wake up in a few minutes in his apartment alone and realize he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up to begin with.

Gokudera pulled out a cigarette and lit it, stepping back to try and process this as it wasn't connecting for him that he could be loved by someone that he'd once thought was untouchable, someone who had been there the whole time and he didn't even realize it. Neither of them could be blamed though for not realizing what was there in front of them. Gokudera had been told his entire life he wasn't worth it, he wasn't worth love. And Hibari had been told his whole life that love wasn't something to express publicly, it was better saved for privacy.

Now that the shock had settled and Gokudera was starting to process what the Cloud had actually said to him, there was that simple question. What did he feel? Were the feelings reciprocated? Could the two of them actually have a relationship safely in the Mafia? Could they be open about it as homosexuality wasn't often welcomed with open arms in many countries? Were they even willing to try, considering all the hardships they might face together, and the most important question between them, would it even be worth it?

The answer was a simple yes from both of them for different reasons. For someone who had tasted nothing but discrimination in his lifetime, Gokudera was ready to accept the fact someone could accept him and love him even with every flaw he thought he had. For Hibari it was simple as well. No matter what hardships they might face down the road, he was mature enough to understand those situations and was fully prepared to accept the inevitable if it did come along, and fully prepared to do everything in his power to fight for this if he had to, to protect Gokudera no matter what they went through.

It was a bit of an odd pairing, a stoic aloof Cloud Guardian who had learned that no matter how small, every creature on this earth has a valuable job in balancing ecosystems, and a reckless and hot headed Storm Guardian who had been told his entire life that he had no value whatsoever and would never have a place in the world he belonged, it was indeed a strange match up. But it worked well.

Love can find you when you least expect it and in some cases, it's right there the whole time you just didn't notice it because some people are more subtle in their expressions.

The air felt heavy with the silence between them as Hibari wondered if perhaps he should have kept his confession to himself as Gokudera hadn't really responded yet. Just as he was about to give up though, the state of shock wore off and the Storm pulled him close, a kiss between them to express everything. Hibari's words were not in vain, Gokudera had just been in shock and disbelief.

"I love you too, Kyouya. I always have."

#flufftober2024 #KHR fanfic #day 3 alternate prompt #ship; 1859 #prompt: wait you love me? I always have.

2 notes · View notes

altairtalisman · 1 year ago

Text

Boris' Bio

"Three, two, one... and you're dead."

Original design by @toastermart

More details on Boris is under the cut

Name: Boris Zhurov

Age: 43

Height: 185 cm

Birthday: 6 Vierum 1979 (Laintayra)

Orientation: Cisgender Gay Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Species: Chronoven (formerly human)

Title: The Twelfth Hour

Country of Birth: Zarov

Likes: Vodka, cup noodles, guns, smooth-sailing hits

Dislikes: Nantraxian cuisine, most beings (especially whiny ones)

Hobbies: Killing, housework, collecting guns, smoking

Personality: Sassy and unafraid of death, he makes the perfect hitman... unfortunately for him, he's now burdened with an extremely long lifespan that he can’t get rid off easily which makes him downright miserable

Style: Usually business casual, will dress formally for high-profile kills

Abilities: Able to freely cross between Ratein and the Astral Realm without the need of dimension gates. Is able to use cosmic magic, stop time, view events happening in the past, present and future, as well as cause anything that his weapon comes in contact with to 'dissociate' from existence (apart from chronovens, The Caretaker and The Artiste)

Like the rest of the Hourly Twelve, Boris is also able to open portals that allow him to travel anywhere. Also able to reverse time, but only once and at the cost of his life. Being a chronoven, he's only able to die either by his lifespan naturally running out, or by time reversal

Due to his training as a contract killer, he possesses an extremely keen eye that allows him to shoot fatally with perfect precision and accuracy. As a result of his job, he has gained the exclusive ability to turn invisible by reflecting light rays around him... though whether or not he actually uses it is a different story altogether

Background: Growing up with a contract killer for a father, Boris was naturally groomed to be one himself and started working as one when he turned 15 thanks to his father recommending him to the Vitaufero Association. When he was 22, he was contracted to assassinate his own father, which he accepted as he held no attachment to him and a job was eventually a job regardless his personal feelings on it

While working as a contract killer, he had tried to form friendships with others, only for them to either distance themselves from him once they learnt about his job, or end up dead at someone's hands, sometimes his own. Boris then understood that the life of a contract killer was a lonely one, and eventually shunned any attempts of connecting with others, be it with the association members or not

In 2017, he accepted a contract to assassinate a famous Syeoangi doctor. He didn't question it, and made his way to Syeoang in order to carry out the hit. He eventually got a hold of the doctor's schedule, and planned the assassination accordingly. On the day of the assassination, he directly shot at the doctor's heart, only for him to not be affected and continue to go about his day

Stunned, Boris continued his attempts throughout the day, but kept on failing despite shooting directly at areas of his body where it was sure to kill the doctor. Exasperated, he decided to go against what his father taught him and approached him in broad daylight, armed with his favourite knife. Before he could discreetly carry out the hit, the doctor suddenly turned towards him with a knowing smile and expressed his sincerest delight in finally meeting the one who had been trying to assassinate him all day

The doctor expressed that he was sorry to inform Boris that he couldn't be assassinated, and asked if there was any way he could help the contract killer avoid being placed on hits himself. Boris didn't believe him, and decided to stab the doctor in the head. The doctor laughed, easily pulling the knife out and returning it to Boris before explaining that his existence was intertwined with time and space themselves, and could only die by natural means or of his own accord

Before Boris could ask what did the doctor meant by the latter, they heard a loud crash coming from the roads. They discovered that a cargo hovercraft had crashed into a girl no older than nine, and the girl died on the spot. Boris was about to slink off into the shadows and report that he was unable to kill the doctor, but was stopped by said hit

The doctor then removed a meteorite necklace that he was wearing and put it around Boris' neck, telling him to swear to save the girl. When Boris asked what he would get in exchange, the doctor smiled wryly as the necklace glowed, blinding the hitman as he heard the doctor telling him that he would help Boris fulfil his contract in exchange for the girl's safety

When Boris opened his eyes, he was greeted by the same scene prior to the doctor confronting to him about the assassination attempts, but couldn't place a finger on why he felt as though he had been through this before. His eyes flickered to the roads where he saw the girl playing on, and was about to walk away before hearing a vaguely familiar voice telling him to save her

Boris was about to ignore the voice and walk away, but noticed the cargo hovercraft barrelling towards her. Against his better judgement, he rushed and saved the girl, noticing out of the corner of his eye that there was a corpse of an old man near where he once stood. After saving the girl, he returned to the corpse where he discovered an identification card in his pocket, the name familiar but one he ultimately couldn't remember

Boris then sent a letter to the association for advice about his predicament, who in turn reached out to the contractor in his stead, but his contractor couldn't remember who he wanted assassinated. With his contract dissolved, Boris then returned to where he was residing while in Syeoang, making plans to return to Zarov. Before he knew it, a shot was fired at his heart. He slumped against the wall, scoffing that had he known that he would've died that day, he would've spent the previous hours drinking and smoking his favourite brand of cigarettes

As his vision faded, he could vaguely make out the necklace that he didn't realise he had glowing, which he recalled that he had seen such a sight before somewhere. When he came to, he was greeted by Hadir of the Tenth Hour, who explained that he had became a chronoven and replaced the doctor

Boris let out a huge sigh, sardonically expressing his joy that he had went to heaven. Hadir then explained that chronovens weren't dead, and had abilities closely related to time. She also explained that chronovens had extremely long lifespans, so much so that they were basically considered immortal. This grabbed Boris' attention, who was dismayed at the fact that he would be forced to live for an eternity whether or not he wanted to

Hadir then clarified that Boris could die if he reversed time, but added that he wouldn't be able to smoke and drink prior to his death because Boris wouldn't exist to enjoy it. He then asked who made the rules, to which Hadir had no idea as no one truly understood how the necklaces worked, at most what abilities the necklaces granted as well as the chronovens' physiology

Seemingly to prove her point, Hadir shot him with a colourful gun. As Boris' colourful body fragmentalised away from where he was shot before quickly reforming back, she explained that he could only die from letting his lifespan run out naturally. She then informed him that apart from them both, there were ten others and with Boris replacing the doctor, the Hourly Twelve was whole once more and soon disappeared

Disgruntled by his new existence, he initially considered reversing time to before he saved the girl and allow her to die, but decided against it as it was too troublesome to do so just to end his life. Boris eventually settled on allowing his lifespan to run out naturally, even though he knew that it would make him absolutely miserable. To numb his misery, he took out a cigarette that was on his person and placed it in his mouth, smoking it as he thought about how tedious it was to live forever...

True Form:

#Hallowed Hotel #Boris Zhurov #tw eyestrain #tw scars #tw death mention #Altair draws

4 notes · View notes

fumiko-matsubara · 2 years ago

Text

Korosuu English Translation - Chapter 6: Sniper Time

Previous Chapter: Shopping District Time

Note: Although this was directly translated from Japanese -> English, I didn't write it word for word, and instead went with variants that flow better in the English language for a much easier reading experience. Raw scans were provided by the amazing @blazardragon, so a big thank you to them!

Along with Chapter 5, I actually finished translating this last year's summer. The initial plan was to wait for Nao to finish translating Chapters 3 and 4 before I post mine.

This is the chapter that birthed the joke that is Evil Enabler Chiba because... he is such a MENACE here, oh lord. Right up there with Karma provoking Grip at the hotel raid arc 😭

"Well sorry for the warning…"

After muttering that under his breath, Chiba leaned out of the window sill and looked around to see that there was a brand new round hole in the window frame.

"So, what should we do then? Should we still proceed with what you said earlier?" Hayami asked.

Chiba kept silent for a while and shook his head.

"Thinking from the trajectory, I'm going to need you to stay close. No matter how good I am, I wouldn't be able to shake it off if I were to make a mistake even by a few centimeters in a place like this… But even so, I would like to be able to give back the same "warning" to that man, at least."

Hayami swore she could almost see a quiet flame being lit through Chiba's bangs. It was an expression she had rarely seen from him.

[Illustration] A hole was made as a result of sniping work by the Legendary Sniper. A mechanical pencil was inserted into the window frame hole to measure the angle at which the bullet flew.

"If you follow the trajectory with this-"

While saying that, Chiba took pictures of the mechanical pencil from directly above and the sides using a smartphone camera with a grid display on the screen. Then, taking an angle from the photo, he drew a straight line onto the prepared drawing.

Chiba's hand then stopped.

"What happened?"

Hayami immediately understood the reason for the sudden pause. Following Chiba's line of sight, what she saw was a pillar supporting the roof of the arcade. The problem was that the pillar was circular.

"Shit, that's right… We wouldn't know where the shot came from." Chiba realized.

The method that Chiba and Hayami came up with cannot be used if the ricochet location was slanted or curved.

"But you do know where the pillars would hit, right? And what about the vertical rays? Is that no good?"

Chiba pulled the elevation drawing map closer and quickly placed a ruler on it.

"Nah... It looks fine. We can follow it."

Fortunately, there were no curved objects like sloping walls or cylinders there.

"I wonder if we bounce the bullet from the ground or shoot it from the ground. There's no doubt that it'll hit the left side of the pillar… but that also means knowing that the bullet came from the left."

Chiba looked at Hayami while still following the drawn line with his finger.

"But if you bounce from somewhere else before that, then you wouldn't know where your opponent is anymore."

Hayami turned to the window sill. "The bullet that was shot into the window frame was quite powerful, wasn't it?"

Chiba followed along Hayami's line of sight. It was an old piece of wood, but as long as the rounded bullet had penetrated through it, it should be powerful enough to hit a human.

"That's right."

"If so, then I don't think you would need the bullet to bounce so many times. If you just wanted to give a little scare, I think all you need was to be pretty accurate about it."

Chiba reviewed the illustration.

"I see."

"And the bullets would pass through the feet of people walking around the shopping district. But is there any reason to go through such length if it's just to give back a warning?"

Chiba crossed his arms and pondered deeply.

It was exactly what Hayami said. There should be no reason to risk aiming at the feet of pedestrians who do not know where they are going. Regardless of aiming for the ultimate goal that is Koro-sensei, if an accident were to happen here, then everything they had prepared for would be ruined.

He has a reason to take such a risk, however. But he would rather avoid going through that length at all costs.

Hayami pressed a fingertip against a point on the drawing.

"This. Isn't it suspicious?"

Hayami was pointing at a box stationed just to the left of the building where the two of them are. It's the tonkotsu ramen stall that smells awful.

In the beginning, it was a prominent awful scent that made them want to pinch their noses. But as they checked the shopping district and began looking around, the two were so engrossed in what they were doing that they had forgotten about its existence.

"Well, imagine if you shoot from here."

"Huh?"

Now that he thought about it, there was something suspicious he noticed. A tall car model was used for the stall. But for some reason, it was fully wide open, and the old man inside was sitting cross-legged while preparing ramen, though a bit clumsily, and Chiba remembered that the man was in a sour mood the entire time they had been watching.

But earlier, it wasn't particularly on Chiba's mind.

"The food stall could also be helpful for us to move freely. Since the scent of tonkotsu ramen can cover us from Koro-sensei's strong sense of smell if it's a concern."

Chiba glanced at the ramen stall from the window.

"...No doubt about it. Except that car would be moving before you know it. So you wouldn't be able to see anything inside."

"That's true…"

Chiba clicked his tongue. "There's nothing we can do about this. Damn it, is there no better way to deal with that man?"

At that moment, the smartphone on the table began vibrating again. Chiba frowned a little and picked it up and thankfully, it wasn't an unknown number this time.

"Okajima?!"

"Yeah, I got a call from an unknown number earlier telling me that the sniper was working. So, I thought I'd try to assassinate Koro-sensei first because I'm a sniper too, you know?"

"Where are you right now? At a dining place?"

As soon as Chiba looked out by the window, he could see a shadow waving at him from his peripheral vision.

"Wait, is Takebayashi with you? I'm gonna need some help."

When Chiba shortly explained the situation, Okajima briefly laughed from the other line. "So in short, you wanna know what's going on with that stinky ramen shop over there?"

"Yeah, if that's alright with you. Also, if the distance is good enough, can the two of you guys show me the old man at the ramen stall through a video call?"

"I see, so you're going to triangulate."

At the same time Takebayashi's voice piped up from the other line, the phone screen was split into two, and the ramen stall was projected on them at different angles.

"Would this be fine?"

Chiba went to grab the rangefinder, answering yes. He measured the positions of where the two guys were and the position of the man making ramen using what was projected on the smartphone. Then he pulled the table with the illustration towards the window so he could determine the angle of where the two points would meet.

"Hayami, can you shoot as instructed?"

Hayami, who was already heading for the rifle, gave him a thumbs up in response.

"Horizontally: 12 degrees 22 minutes and 52 seconds. Vertically: 24 degrees 7 minutes and 21 seconds."

The moment when Chiba just finished talking was when the sound of firing echoed. Beyond the screen of the smartphone he's holding, Chiba saw a BB bullet graze a figure.

"Horizontally, you're about 30 centimeters off to the right. But vertically, it's fine. Do it again."

The instruction he gave was more of an estimation based on what he saw through the screen, but Chiba was convinced that Hayami had an accurate grasp of it.

Another sound of the gun firing.

"This time, about 10 centimeters to the left. The rest is fine."

Though the screen of the smartphone was a bit delayed by the firing sound, Chiba saw the BB pellet bouncing on an old man's shoulder.

The said old man, who was trying to calmly present a ramen to a customer, suddenly dropped the bowl in surprise.

From outside the window, the duo heard a small yet heavy noise… then immediately followed by screams and yelling. One of which they cannot make out what the word is as it was certainly not Japanese.

They saw a figure who appeared by flipping up the floorboard and was caught by the old shop owner who looked like a mess.

"Is it a hit?" Hayami looked back at Chiba with a relieved face and he smiled at her. Then she turned back to the rifle again, and after a short while, pulled the trigger.

BANG.

Beyond the screen, the foreigner-like man's face, perhaps the Legendary Sniper himself, was stuck in a surprised expression. The BB bullet that was shot by Hayami is firmly digging into his forehead. Chiba raised a small right hand. Then Hayami matched the lifted hand with her own.

Then, when he turned to look back at his smartphone, the sniper was stunned and wasn't even looking at the screen. He wouldn't have thought that he would be shot this way.

Chiba turned back to Hayami in delight. "Hey! There's no target we can't hit, right?"

Hayami laughed with a pleasant expression.

Okajima's voice suddenly echoed from Chiba's smartphone.

"I'm happy for you guys and all, but sorry. Koro-sensei's heading over there."

Tension returns to their facial expressions. Chiba, who was attached to the scope of the rangefinder, found Koro-sensei, who had just left the product exhibition, and was about to return through the arcade.

Chiba had set a target shortly before Koro-sensei arrived and determined the angle of the incidence from the drawing. Then he raises his face to give Hayami instructions.

"It's your turn this time." She interrupted, however.

Hayami's hands lightly touch his shoulders. Chiba, who changed places as prompted by Hayami, shut his mouth tightly and sat down in front of his rifle.

This time, I would have to finish it in one shot. The second Koro-sensei notices me, I know I wouldn't be able to hit him anymore.

Chiba could hear his own heartbeat from the back of his ears. This was not just a sniping assignment. It was a situation he created by working with Okajima, Takebayashi and others, and Hayami.

As he held still, he felt that the ambient noise disappeared.

He could hear Hayami's breathing, which helped him measure the time. As she unconsciously breathed in, Chiba felt like he could truly see what he was seeing through the scope.

He could see Hayami's right hand going up high. 2 meters left… 1 meter. It was as if Hayami was speaking out.

The arm swung down exactly the same time Chiba pulled the trigger. It was a feat that could have had absolutely impossible timing if he had instead reacted visually.

BANG.

The BB bullet released from the rifle reacted exactly as Chiba expected it to be and attacked Koro-sensei diagonally above from his left.

It was at that moment.

Hayami, who was looking through the scope of the rangefinder, suddenly withdrew. "Eh?"

"...He saw it."

Startled, Chiba instinctively leaned out the window and looked down at the street.

=0=0=

"Aww too bad."

Among the crowds in the shopping district, Chiba and Hayami stood in front of the usually smiling Koro-sensei.

The confidently deadly bullet was evaded by Koro-sensei, who withdrew his neck right on the verge of being hit.

"Sensei noticed that you were planning something."

Apparently, looking at Chiba's expression who was inspired by Okajima's failed mirror technique, Koro-sensei immediately knew that he would be aiming for a ricochet.

"It's a great pleasure to see my students voluntarily attempt to assassinate, let alone, look up, and come up with their own methods from what little information available they could gather." When Koro-sensei noticed the Legendary Sniper's gaze, the man stiffened then immediately jumped into the driver's seat and sped from the shopping district.

"Maybe I don't have to tell you this, though. You can only realize the growth of your students when you're a teacher."

After a deep emotional smile, Koro-sensei turned to the two again.

"This was your homework. Complete this sniper technique. While there wasn't a deadline, you weren't given any hints instead. This was something that you all would have to work on your own. And this isn't just only useful for assassination. What you get in the process of this homework will probably broaden your knowledge and ideas far more than you can imagine."

Then, with a smile on his face again, Koro-sensei lifted the manju he grabbed with the tip of his tentacles.

"Nurufufufufu~ Today is a really happy day. This way, you can feel the growth of your own students and taste the manju that you have been longing for. I thought I could relax today in the staff room while enjoying green tea, but it would be a waste if I couldn't enjoy it at such a wonderful moment."

Chiba felt uncomfortable at the sight of the light-coloured steamed bun. It looked like something round was digging into its surface. By the time he realized that it was the BB bullet he had shot earlier, Koro-sensei had already chomped down the steamed bun.

Koro-sensei's high-pitched screams echoed throughout the narrow shopping district.

The class of year 3-E is an Assassination Classroom.

Tomorrow, the morning bell will ring once again.

Notes:

My boy is a fear-inducing risk-taking menace and he ENABLED Hayami to do his bidding (aka get revenge on the legendary sniper) only because he didn't like to be called a hindrance. If that doesn't scream petty then I don't know what to tell y'all... 😭

I love how we got a great callback to chapter 4 where Chiba and Hayami talked about combining their contrasting efforts to make things possible. Because we first have Hayami with her great timing being meticulously instructed by Chiba so she could aim accurately. And then our ever so accurate Chiba, whose overthinking tend to distract him but Hayami was there to keep him grounded and get his timing on point.

Also, this kinda proves that Koro's unpredictably was what caused Class E to ulttimately fail their Island assassination attempt, not the snipers' own mild mishaps. With the support of Hayami's timing, Chiba's perfect shot should've done him in. But it didn't so... Blocking the bullet with the snack he's holding, it's exactly what happened to Red Eye's attempt on him during the Kyoto trip 😭

And the remaining bits of official content we have left has now come to an end! I hope you all have a good read because... we won't be getting any new official content any time soon, I fear 😭

#assassination classroom #ansatsu kyoushitsu #assclass #korosuu #chiba ryuunosuke #ryuunosuke chiba #hayami rinka #rinka hayami #okajima taiga #taiga okajima #takebayashi koutarou #koutarou takebayashi #korosensei #koro sensei #my translations

11 notes · View notes

lazysublimeengineer · 2 years ago

Text

garden of mediocrity

Summary: He won but the gaping hole inside his chest seemed to widen and Naruhaya’s gray shadow of despondency was looming over him like a curtain over his senses.

Characters: Isagi Yoichi & Naruhaya Asahi

(A/N: Out of all the side characters that I’ve encountered in this franchise, Naruhaya is probably my favorite and his match against Isagi will always break my heart a little because of the outcome. Some of the italicized dialogues are excerpts directly from the manga itself. Hence, I don’t own anything from the franchise except for this little one shot of mine. Without further ado here’s a little tribute to them. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did when I wrote it).

“Thank you Isagi… For taking me down…”

His words continued to haunt himevery now and then.

Isagi was lying on his bed and stared at the ceiling in the middle of the night wherein he should be sleeping like his teammates down there to prepare with their next match on the next day.

It’s as if Naruhaya’s voice and presence were a smog from the past that continued to wriggle around his consciousness when he’s not busy or anything.

Isagi remembered that day.

Remembered that time of a slip into an aching weakness.

He clenched his fists.

He knew that for them to move things forward and keep going up, he needed to get and ally himself with stronger teammates.

Choosing Barou over Naruhaya was a logical decision that he’d made.

But at the tip of his tongue, it was burning.

Burning to utter the words of Naruhaya Asahi to join their team but he quickly suppressed it.

He knew that look of despair in his eyes.

The crestfallen expression on his face was something he was familiar with before he joined the Blue Lock and he was a complete nobody in his school’s team of soccer who was striving to make a name for himself.

Isagi turned around bed and became face to face with a wall. It’s as if being face with another sight would make his mind quiet down in the dead of the night.

Only it wasn’t.

“I… will go win for you, too!”

“…What are you talking about? Isagi… Someone that naïve and kind will lose right away in here…”

Naruhaya was right. Displaying such naivete in the oppressive environment such as Blue Lock would expose his own weaknesses that could be his downfall in the long run.

He should be used to this.

There will come a time that he’ll probably face some of those familiar faces from Team Z and he’d encounter this scenario once again.

But why was his win against Naruhaya felt like an aching loss to him?

He won but the gaping hole inside his chest seemed to widen and Naruhaya’s gray shadow of despondency was looming over him like a curtain over his senses.

Was it because he understood the mediocrity that the other felt and the desperation of wanting to win and be able to go on toe on toe with the prodigies in Blue Lock which seemed utterly familiar to him?

They were flies in this environment.

An insect from which if you’ll remove from the equation, the rest can still go on with their daily lifestyle as if their existence was not needed in the first place.

In the end, they came from the garden of mediocrity where they were faceless husks of flies striving to the dazzling light of these geniuses.

Nevertheless, he was able to move things forward as a result and ended the journey of Naruhaya in that single moment.

But why was his soul crushing look of defeat continued to shadow his entire being in those endless nights of reveries and soliloquys?

(A/N: Reviews are amusing so let me hear them from you).

#blue lock #fanfiction #one shot #narusagi #narusagi if you squint a little harder #depends on the reader's interpretation #light angst #introspection #character study #relationship study #isagi yoichi #naruhaya asahi

4 notes · View notes

writingpaperghost · 1 year ago

Text

Without You (Chapter 23)

Chapter 23: Here's the Truth, Seek the Basement

Makoto and Tamaki discover what's going on with the Ushijima family.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43371954/chapters/133448311

“You’ve been distracted, today,” Sakura noted, looking pointedly at Hikaru. “Is something bothering you?”

He looked up, noting her expression of concern. Hana looked at him with a similar look, now that Sakura had pointed it out. “Ah, well… truthfully, there’s something I feel I need to talk to you two about. Especially Hana.”

“Really?” Hana tilted her head, “Well let’s hear it.”

Now that he was put in the position where he had to actually talk about it, Hikaru wasn’t really sure where to begin or what quite exactly to say. He knew, in theory, what he wanted to say, the points he wanted to get across. But he was less sure as to how, precisely, he wanted to say them.

“Well…” Where to start? Perhaps with Hana. “Hana, do you remember how we met?”

Confused, Hana nodded, “Yeah, karate. You recognized me from class and came over to talk to me and were like, actually nice.”

He took a deep breath, “The reason I went up to you that day was because… my parents had wanted me to befriend you. They- they’re my adopted parents, and ever since they adopted me, I’d been a part of this group – Weekend. For some reason, Weekend has an interest in your family. That’s why they wanted me to be your friend.”

Hana and Sakura took his words in, Hana seeming to need more time than Sakura.

Curiously, Sakura repeated, “Weekend…” saying the group’s name like it was some foreign and interesting concept. “Hikaru, would you mind telling me more about this… Weekend?”

“I can’t say much, they never told me a whole lot. I don’t know why they’re interested in the Igarashi family, for example.” He grimaced, “All I know is: when Giff wakes up, they intend to do whatever they can to deal with it and keep people safe. They know Fenix won’t. I can’t say to what extent, but they seem aware that it’s inextricably linked with the Deadmans.”

“How interesting…” She hummed, “And their leader? Do you know anything about them?”

Hikaru frowned, sighing, “Not much. My parents spoke about him, a little. Some kind of scientist, I think, but he was… injured or something. I think he’s technically dead – like legally?” He shook his head, “A lot of it was overhead, not something they directly told me. They probably know more, but they kept me in the dark.”

Finally, Hana interjected, “So the reason why you tried so hard to be my friend is because this Weekend has some weird interest in my family?”

“Pretty much. I figured… it’s about time I came clean about it, not that there’s much to be gathered about Weekend just from me.” He explained.

Hana thought for another moment, before saying, “Thank you for telling us.”

---

Makoto is happy to finally be able to help again – technically, he wasn’t allowed to use the Anomalocaris Vistamp again, but if he needed to fight, he was tentatively given the okay to use the Squid and Marlin Vistamps as usual. As far as anyone knew, the issues arose from the Anomalocaris Vistamp, so he should continue to be fine with the other ones. Hopefully. Makoto didn’t want to end up super sick again.

He and Tamaki arrive to the dismal sight of Papillion – Hikaru – standing alone. No demon, no Jeanne or Aguilera, he didn’t even have a Vistamp in his hand. His clothes had changed since last they saw, this one now fitting more in line with what the rest of the Deadmans seemed to wear – likely like Hana’s Aguilera clothes.

“Hikaru,” Tamaki said, frowning.

Makoto had expected Hikaru to correct him, but he didn’t, “I’m not here to fight.”

“Then what are you here for?” Makoto asked.

Hikaru took a step towards them, “I’m here to tell you: you should ask my parents about Weekend.”

Tamaki scowled, “What the hell is ‘Weekend’?”

“Weekend,” Hikaru said, “Is what’s in the basement.”

“The… basement?” Tamaki seemed confused.

But Makoto understood. There was something in the basement of the Ushijima family’s home. He’d always wondered, and now Hikaru was pointing them in the direction to get an answer. Whatever it was, Hikaru wanted them to know.

Weekend.

“Tell me, Hikaru.” Makoto began, “Why do you want us learning about Weekend?”

Surprisingly, Hikaru smiled, “Because I’m done playing their games, and I think you deserve to know. Weekend has an interest in your family. I don’t know why, but I bet my parents do. I bet you could get it out of them, if you’re willing to try hard enough.” It seems Hikaru has already picked up on some of Jeanne’s mannerisms – that smile was something she’d do. Yet here, Makoto wasn’t concerned.

“Come on, Tamaki. I think we should pay the Ushijima family a visit.” He turned to leave.

Tamaki grabbed his wrist, “Hold up! We can’t just-!”

Makoto shrugged, “He isn’t going to fight us, he’ll likely leave as soon as we do. I’m more curious about this Weekend.”

“We should report back to Fenix.”

“What’s one more thing we brothers can hide from Fenix? We find out about Weekend, then when we go back to Fenix, we tell them just that it exists and that the Deadmans likely know something about it.”

For a moment, Tamaki look conflicted, before sighing, “Fine, let’s go.”

It really hadn’t been too long since Makoto was last at the Ushijima family home, though last time it was to deliver the rather unfortunate news as to what had happened to Hikaru. He hadn’t gone again to let them know Hikaru was alive, he suspected it was better on all fronts, at the time at least, that they didn’t know, and Fenix had wanted it kept secret. Makoto was expecting not to be keeping it secret much longer and hoped Hikaru wouldn’t mind too much.

Beside him, Tamaki was uneasy. He was obviously less curious about this all than Makoto was – but Makoto had always known something was up, had always wanted to find out. This would hopefully sate his curiosity. Without hesitation, Makoto knocked on the door and waited. Soon enough, it opened.

“Oh, Makoto, Tamaki, what brings you here?” Mrs. Ushijima asked.

Makoto gave a polite smile, “There’s just some things we’d like to talk about – not like last time I showed up, I promise. Can we come in?”

She moved back, allowing them through the door, “Of course, wait in the living room.”

Finally, Makoto would learn about what was in the basement. The question had plagued him for a long time.

“Now, what’s this about?” Mr. Ushijima asked.

Smiling, far more than his previous polite smile, Makoto said, “We’d like to know about Weekend.”

“Weekend?” Mrs. Ushijima echoed, “We… don’t know what that is.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why not?” Mr. Ushijima demanded.

“Because Hikaru seemed pretty convinced you did know. Something about whatever it is you keep hidden in the basement…?”

Both Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima were quiet, for a moment. Quietly, Mrs. Ushijima asked, “What do you mean Hikaru…?”

Tamaki sighed, “We’re not supposed to tell them about that.”

Makoto scoffed, rolling his eyes, “I don’t care what Fenix wants me to not tell people.”

“Makoto…”

He ignored Tamaki, “Hikaru is currently with the Deadmans – it seems, despite the severity of his injuries, they were able to treat them. It was he who told us to ask you about Weekend.”

“He’s alive?” Mrs. Ushijima asked, sounding both hopeful and relieved.

Mr. Ushijima frowned, “With the Deadmans.” Something of a worried expression crossed his face, though was quickly replaced with something else, something more disgruntled. “And he wanted you to learn about Weekend…?” He added, quieter, but Makoto had still barely heard it.

As Tamaki had likely heard it too, it was probably the reason for Tamaki’s concern being replaced with a curiosity. Even he had to be wondering just what Weekend was and, like Mr. Ushijima probably was wondering right now, why Hikaru wanted them to ask about it. By now, even Tamaki must have realized something was up, must be convinced that both Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima know something about Weekend, not just because Hikaru seemed insistent that they did.

“How did you get in contact with him?” Mrs. Ushijima asked, seemingly ignoring her husbands worry on other topics.

“He came to us,” Makoto answered, “The Deadmans don’t seem to hold too tight of a grasp on him.” While it was perhaps a low blow, given how there was a degree of worry evident in Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima’s behaviors, the simple fact of the matter was that Makoto held little sympathy for them. Hikaru, one way or another, chose not to come home, and Makoto really couldn’t blame him in the slightest. Hana’s disappearance had been a terrible blow to him.

Mrs. Ushijima didn’t seem to understand that quite so well, though, “But why wouldn’t he come home…?”

This time, Tamaki speaks up, “I’m sure he has his reasons – the Deadmans have Hana, after all, and we all know he’d do anything for her.”

“And let’s face it,” Makoto added, though Tamaki shot him a glare, “he has little reason to want to come back here.”

“This is his home,” Mr. Ushijima responded, coldly.

Bitterly, Makoto couldn’t help but laugh, “This place is as home to him as the apartment I lived in with my father was to me.” He shook his head, “Don’t delude yourselves, he never loved you – how could he? You never gave him any reason to.”

“Makoto,” Tamaki hissed, frowning.

“Now,” Makoto crossed his arms, unbothered by Tamaki. “Tell us about Weekend.”

Mrs. Ushijima looked contemplative, hesitantly saying to Mr. Ushijima, “Maybe we should…”

Mr. Ushijima shook his head, “No. There’s nothing for you to know about Weekend.”

They wouldn’t tell them. Makoto had considered this possibility, though he’d hoped to avoid it. Hoped that riling them up might make them spill their secrets more easily. But he hadn’t gotten his hopes too high, and he’d made a plan for if they wouldn’t tell.

“Very well, then. Hikaru said that this Weekend had an interest in our family, so I can only assume that, whatever the reason for the interest, I should consider this Weekend an enemy to watch out for. And I will not simply allow my family to be hurt.” Makoto spoke, words careful. “Thus, I would suggest you not show yourselves at Happy Spa. I don’t believe that you know nothing of Weekend and your secrecy does little to help your case.”

Tamaki didn’t protest, listening to Makoto’s words and watching him carefully. Even he couldn’t argue that Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima were being rather suspicious right now. And if Hikaru was telling the truth about Weekend’s interest in their family – something neither thought he was lying about, then that meant they had every reason to be wary of Weekend as well. For all they knew, they could have some terrible plan for their family, or were secretly in league with the Deadmans.

Knowing nothing about Weekend, save for the Ushijima family’s involvement and their interest in the Igarashi family, meant that they could only assume the worst of Weekend. Makoto didn’t exactly think they were truly so bad – at the very least, he doubted they were currently much of a danger, but he had little proof either way. And there was no telling whether or not that could change with time.

“We would never hurt you or your family,” Mr. Ushijima said.

“Pardon me if I don’t believe you,” Makoto snapped, “But you tell us nothing and have attempted to insert yourselves in our family’s lives for years. Likely even before Tamaki, Hana, and I came along. Just because mama and papa didn’t notice or think anything of it doesn’t mean we didn’t.”

Hesitantly, Tamaki added, “Makoto’s right. From our point of view, you’re looking very… suspicious. Like it or not, there’s too much going on right now for us to be willing to trust you.”

Mrs. Ushijima said, “We truly mean you no harm.”

“If we did,” Mr. Ushijima added, “We probably would have already done something.”

“How reassuring,” Dryly, Makoto commented. He tapped his fingers on his arm, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “You’ve done little to prove yourselves trustworthy, especially now.” Neither said anything, though Mrs. Ushijima glanced at Mr. Ushijima, and Mr. Ushijima appeared to be thinking. Makoto turned, looking at Tamaki. “Now, I believe we should be leaving… you have a report to make to Fenix, don’t you, Tamaki?”

“Er, yes…” Tamaki answered, seeming confused by Makoto’s behavior.

Makoto begins to walk back towards the front door, Tamaki moving to follow behind, still somewhat unsure. Before they can make it far, Mr. Ushijima called out, “Follow us,”

Tamaki appeared unsure, but Makoto couldn’t help but smile, turning on his heel back towards the Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima. Together, they followed the two towards the door to the basement. Makoto was nearly grinning now, an expression that clearly made Tamaki uneasy. He was well aware this could easily be some kind of trap, but they’d likely have to be crazy to try to take on two Riders. So it wasn’t very likely it was a trap. No, they were going to find out what hid in the basement.

The door to the basement leads to stairs, which lead further down to another door. This door appeared locked, but Mr. Ushijima unlocked it, then opened it. On the other side was a few hallways, which the two lead him and Tamaki down, until they came to a more open room. A few stairs lead down to a floor, there were some pipes about, but the primary point of interest were the computers, monitors, and chairs on the other side of the room. The backs of the chairs were high, but Makoto can make out a figure seated there, dressed in primarily black, with some kind of hood. He’s working at one of the computers.

“This,” Mr. Ushijima said, “Is Weekend.”

“So what do you do, exactly?” Makoto inquired, doing his best to hide his smile as Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima turned back to face him and Tamaki.

“When the time comes that Giff might awaken, we hope to do whatever possible to protect people,” Mr. Ushijima answered.

Makoto hummed, “I take it you don’t trust Fenix to do a very good job of it?” That question caused Tamaki to bristle.

Mr. Ushijima hesitated for a moment, gaze lingering on Tamaki. Obviously, he was wary of speaking ill of Fenix with Tamaki right there. Or perhaps there was simply something he didn’t want getting back to Fenix. Makoto suspects that they don’t want any word of Weekend to make it way to Fenix – Makoto would like Fenix to stay in the dark about them too, so he’ll have to convince Tamaki to keep quiet about it.

It's the man in the back who speaks, the chair he sat in moving backwards and slowly spinning around. The man wore a black and white mask – between that, the hood, his clothing, and his gloves, there was not an inch of exposed skin. It would be impossible to identify this man outside of these clothes by anything other than voice. “Fenix will not seek to protect humanity, nor will it try to defeat Giff.”

Though Makoto wasn’t going to believe the man’s words at face value, of course, but he didn’t doubt there was some truth to them. He’s never trusted Fenix that much, certainly, he’s simply stuck with them, and they have resources that make the situation a bit more bearable. Makoto could see just a bit of what lay beneath Fenix’s pristine white exterior, and he didn’t like it in the slightest.

Tamaki, though, was rather loyal to Fenix. He’d trained there, worked hard to become a Rider, and had always believe that Fenix would protect people. Fenix were the heroes, and if he worked hard enough, he could be a hero too. Someone people would look up to instead of fear and scorn. If Fenix wasn’t what he thought it was, then there would go all of his hopes and dreams that he’d placed in Fenix.

“That’s not true,” Tamaki protested, sounding annoyed.

“Perhaps not entirely,” Makoto conceded, “but there’s no telling for certain how Fenix will respond to Giff’s awakening until it happens – and ideally, it would not happen at all.”

That didn’t seem to soothe Tamaki’s irritations, “Are you listening to that guy, Koto?”

Makoto grimaced, “Yes, but perhaps now would be a good time to inform you that, from the start, I have trusted Fenix about as far as I could throw Hana. Which is to say very little, as Hana would stab me multiple times before I ever got close to trying to throw her.”

Looking baffled, Tamaki said, “Fenix’s job is to protect people.”

“Fenix is an entity with a none too small amount of power, and right now we know that there’s someone sufficiently high ranking who is in league with the Deadmans.” Makoto pointed out, “Who that is should not be so hard to track down – why, it’s almost as if someone is deliberately interfering, ensuring that the culprit is never found…”

“You can’t seriously be implying-?” Tamaki growled.

He was obviously very upset, and Makoto needed to be careful – poking an angry wolf is not necessarily the greatest idea, brother or not. But the sooner Tamaki accepted that Fenix was not some saintly entity, the sooner that he could see the truth. The sooner he could be prepared for whatever may come in the future, when what he thought of Fenix would be irreversibly damaged.

Carefully, Makoto said, “I am only stating the facts. Whatever implications that come with them are not my fault.”

Again, Tamaki growled, before storming away in the huff. By the sound of it, he likely left the building entirely. Still, Makoto would have a while before Tamaki would try going back to Fenix, so he could question Weekend further. Then he’d have to go and make sure Tamaki didn’t tell Fenix about them.

“Perhaps you should go after him?” Mrs. Ushijima said.

Makoto shook his head, “No, he’s going to need time to cool down before he heads back to Fenix. I’ve got a bit, and I’ve still got questions.”

Mr. Ushijima frowned, “We’ve told you of Weekend.”

Rolling his eyes, Makoto reminded, “I still want to know why you all are so interested in my family. I don’t believe for a moment that it’s a coincidence.”

It was the man who answered, “We simply wish to ensure their safety.”

“Why? From what? Sorry, but last I checked mama and papa were not the type to even make enemies.” Makoto watched the three. With the mask, it was impossible to make out any of the man’s expressions, but he could see Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima clearly.

“Your parents…” Mr. Ushijima began, clearly unsure how he wanted to answer the question. Makoto didn’t think that he didn’t know, he almost certainly knew. No, there was probably just something or other he didn’t want to say.

“We want to make sure your father’s past doesn’t come back again, as it already has once before,” The masked man answered.

Once before? Curious, but what could he be speaking of? And what about Genta’s past? He was… boring, if goofy, wasn’t he? Makoto pursed his lips, “Papa’s past? And once before, do you mean… when their children were kidnapped?”

“Yes, their children. Weekend was not strong enough, at the time, to protect them and prevent that from happening.” The masked man said, nodding, “But now we are.”

He notably only answered one of Makoto’s questions. “I take it you’re not going to elaborate on papa’s past very easily?”

Noticing the masked man’s hesitation, Mr. Ushijima said, “I don’t think now is the time for that information.” Something told Makoto that he didn’t know whatever it was, either, but was simply defending the man’s choice of not saying anything.

“And… who are you trying to protect my family from?” There were a lot of possibilities, but Makoto really didn’t like any of them.

This question was answered more readily than before, again by the masked man, “There are still people from his past who would use him… or his children.”

“So you’re saying the ones who took their children eighteen years ago.” Did Genta and Yukimi even know anything about that? Or were they as in the dark as Makoto had been and still, in some ways, was?

“Exactly,” Mr. Ushijima nodded.

But their children had already been taken, “Do you think those kids are still alive, if it was these… people, who took them?”

“It’s possible,” The masked man said, “But in all likelihood, they are dead.”

Makoto figured as much. He would never tell such a thing to his parents, especially not right now when they were already dealing with so much. He knows they still hope for their children to come home, even if they made peace with not knowing whether or not they were even still alive. They may still never know – even this man wasn’t certain.

He nodded, “Alright, then, I believe I have just one last question.” He looked at the masked man, curious, “I know Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima, but who are you?”

The masked man hesitated, for a moment, before answering, “Masumi Karizaki.”

Masumi Karizaki? Makoto knew that name, but that should be impossible.

Unable to help himself, Makoto burst into a fit of nearly hysterical laughter. It startled Mr. and Mrs. Ushijima – possibly Karizaki too, though his face is hidden.

Warily, Mrs. Ushijima called out, “Makoto?”

He laughed and laughed, until finally it mostly made it out of his system. Out of breath, he said, “A dead man, then. Though you don’t appear so dead.”

Right here, standing before him, was a man claiming to be Karizaki’s – the annoying one’s – father. A man who supposedly died twenty-five years before. The man who was responsible for the prototypes of the Vistamps and for the Demons Driver. A man who, somehow, knew something about Genta’s past and was worried about it.

“No,” Karizaki said, “I’m not dead.”

“Well,” Makoto said, recovering more, “Now I’m even more curious as to why you want to protect my family.”

Karizaki didn’t answer that, instead he said, “I hope you will be willing to not tell George of this.”

“As much as I would love to see the look on his face, finding out his dearest father has been alive all this time, even I can agree that it’s probably best no one at Fenix hears a word about Weekend. That includes him.” As glorious as his expression would be when he found out. The time would likely come, sooner or later, and Makoto just hoped he’d be there to see it.

“Good,” Mr. Ushijima said.

Makoto clapped his hands together, “Great, well, I should be going and tracking down Tamaki. I assure you none of this will get beyond us.” And perhaps Hana and their parents, at some point or other. But for now, only them.

He hurried out of Weekend’s base, retracing their steps from earlier. He needs to find Tamaki and convince him to keep Weekend a secret from Fenix. He’s not sure which will be harder, but knowing Tamaki, he’s probably hanging out not far from Fenix. He’ll want to be able to go straight there once he’s finished calming down.

So that was Makoto’s search area, and sure enough, he found Tamaki perched on a bench, in an out of the way spot. He wasn’t likely to be seen unless you were really looking for him, like Makoto was. With little hesitation, Makoto sat himself down beside him.

Tamaki glared, “Makoto…”

“Just here to talk,” Makoto said, “Listen, I don’t know about Weekend, still, but I think… we shouldn’t jump to conclusions, about either Weekend or Fenix.”

“What’s your point?”

Makoto drummed his fingers on his leg, “I propose we treat this like Hana. Keep this information between us – if Weekend proves a problem, I got plenty from them I can spill, and if Fenix is as Weekend claims, well Fenix is none the wiser about them, at least for now.”

Rolling his eyes, Tamaki protested, “But Fenix isn’t like that.”

“As far as we know, but we could be wrong. Or Weekend could be wrong. We don’t know, and here’s the thing…” He didn’t look at Tamaki, but he smiled, staring at the sky, “In games like these, knowledge can give you an edge. We don’t know what game we’re playing, yet, but for all we know… being one of the few outside of Weekend to know of them could be an advantage.”

Tamaki grumbled, “Fine, fine. I guess for now…”

“Thank you, I just want to be careful…” He glanced over at Tamaki, “But that means keeping it from both of your captains, too.”

“I know, I know! Though I’d really rather tell them…”

He trusted Mr. Kadota and Daiji far too much. Makoto could understand why, but even telling them could be trouble – especially when neither could be excluded from the possibility of being the mole. It wasn’t necessarily likely, but they were both on the list of people who could get into Karizaki’s lab and the room that the Vistamps were kept in. Makoto certainly didn’t want to suspect either – especially Mr. Kadota with the kindness he'd shown Tamaki, but they were both still possibilities.

Tamaki would want to suspect them even less – not only did he respect them, given they were his captains, but he held a lot of fondness for Mr. Kadota. That kindness that had earned Tamaki’s trust so easily could easily be a weapon against Tamaki. If something happened to Mr. Kadota especially, or if he turned out to be the mole, it would devastate Tamaki. Not to mention Makoto had little faith that Daiji would react well to such a thing, either.

Mr. Kadota wasn’t Makoto’s primary suspect, though. Not that Makoto would ever tell who any of the people he suspected were. There was little real evidence, and making accusations could only cause trouble.

“For now, this is just a secret between brothers,” Makoto said.

“…I guess so.” Tamaki sighed.

Now if only Makoto could figure out what it was in Genta’s past that Karizaki and Weekend wanted to protect the Igarashi family from.

#kamen rider revice #kamen rider #my writing #without you

0 notes

skvaderarts · 1 year ago

Text

Petrichor Chapter 50: Comradery

Chapter 50: Comradery

Note: I missed you all! I really did. Thank you so much for your support during my treatment. It means the world to me. And now for your reward: 4.6K of well-earned feels.

(-~-)

The cool air that filled the dimly lit space that they occupied was thick with pleasant scents. Somewhat worn but well cared for leather booths occupied the space along the wall where they sat, the thick curtains pulled over the arched windows on the far side of the building, blocking the only outside source of light available to them. Exposed dark red brick and original timber floors gave the entire space a cozy, intimate feel that was hard to express in words but a pleasure to experience. A medium-sized metal table sat before them, large enough to eat a meal at, but its obvious purpose was to be a receptacle for drinks, the cork coasters that sat in a neat stack on top of it making that all the more clear.

Across from the booths was a long bar with several tufted stools. The ones that had either broken or gone missing over the years had been replaced by metal and wooden ones that still matched the style, giving the bar a charming if not cobbled-together style that only added to its appeal. And off to the side of it spanned a small sitting area with round barrel-like tufted leather chairs, a small table sat between each set of two in staggered intervals until it reached the stage at the back of the space. The space was narrow, but it didn’t feel crowded in the slightest. He’d never been anywhere quite like it.

V and Sirrus sat somewhere close to the back just adjacent to the bar, not quite in the middle, but not quite in the very back of the booths, either. There were two other booths behind them, neither of which was occupied. Probably because everyone was sitting closer to the stage. But considering the construction of the building and the depth of it, that wasn’t necessary to be able to hear the music.

On the stage directly ahead of them was a jazz band playing contemporary urban jazz using a mixture of modern, old-fashioned, and less conventional instruments. And while the duo understood the appeal of being closer to the stage, they were just more comfortable back here, waiting for the food that they’d ordered to be ready while they sat and took in the visual ambiance and acoustically charged atmosphere that the venue provided them. It was the kind of place where you could fall asleep despite how noisy it was because, despite the volume, the vast majority of the sound came from the music and not from the yelling and screaming of the other patrons.

A moment later their number was called and Sirrus excused himself for a moment to go and receive their order. They’d been there for about forty minutes now, just enjoying the music and the company they provided one another. V honestly couldn’t say that he knew of any better way to spend the evening. This was… he couldn’t quite explain it. He just felt comfortable here. He was having a lot of fun today.

For the first time in forever, he genuinely felt like his life had actually returned to some semblance of normality. It would never be totally normal like it had been before, and it was going to take some adjusting, but if he had more days than not sprinkled in that were more like this one, he was okay with that reality.

There had been a lot of challenges and sacrifices along that road that had led her, but he was now certain that this had been what he was missing in life. He understood that now. Fully. And as a small, slightly drowsy smile spread across his face, he felt a lot of the dread that he’d been feeling about tomorrow dissipate. He didn’t welcome it, but he was certain that he was ready for it.

V leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, settling in. He was content to stay here a while longer. They had food to eat, after all.

As if he’d read V’s thoughts, Sirrus returned less than a minute later and placed his food on the table, opting to not disturb him. He knew that V could sense his presence. There was no need to pester him. After all, they’d had a long day. He couldn’t blame the young white-haired summoner for being worn out and in need of a break.

“I like it here. Do… you think we could afford to stay just a bit longer?” V asked, not even opening his eyes as he spoke. He did so slowly after, although he never bothered to do so fully. He could see just fine as he was, and the regional pub food that he’d challenged himself to experience this evening looked utterly delicious. He liked it here. There was no reason to hurry home.

Sirrus seemed to look for a clock or some other device with which he could discern the time for a few brief moments before giving up that pursuit and simply looking at V. He seemed to consider how comfortable his friend looked for a time before just smiling softly and bowing his head, reaching over to steal a fry from V’s plate, an action which received a playfully raised eyebrow from the descendant of the Dark Knight Sparda in question. But the fact that no other part of him moved even slightly, and that he made no attempt to stop him at all was enough to get a deep chuckle from them both.

“Yes, V. I think we can.” He smiled softly, stealing another fry. “As long as you like.”

(-~-)

The unmistakable scent of seafood and saltwater permeated the air as a cool evening breeze blew through the open-air restaurant. Dishes consisting of succulent seafood, soups, stews, salads, and fresh slices of bread made their way through the restaurant as dutiful waitstaff saw to the needs of each table, the overhead fans circulating the cool air and the scents respectively. This wasn’t a place you went to eat out of boredom or convenience… unless you liked to burn money or just had that much of it to spend.

But it was just what the occasion called for this evening.

“Thanks for inviting me to go out and eat with you,” Lucia said pleasantly, comfortable in the new outfit that the girls had recommended to her when they’d gone out shopping to blow off some steam earlier that day. It was far from her typical style, but the fabric was comfortable and easy to move in. And she did love red and grey, so the grey sweater and dark red pants were a comfortable fit. “It feels good to do something… normal again after everything that’s happened since I arrived. This is nice.”

“It’s been a crazy few weeks, right? I can’t believe how much happened in such short order.” Trish said, brushing her long blond hair out of her face and tossing it over one shoulder. It was annoying to try and eat soup when your hair kept getting in the way. This restaurant had been her idea. She’d been here once before and simply had to share it with her two friends. They had the best wine and cocktails here, too.

Lady sat across from the two of them, the trio occupying a round table with three seats that had been spaced more or less equally apart, the white tablecloth decorated with little seashells as a fresh arrangement of citrus and flowers sat at the center of the table at just the right height to keep it from obstructing their view. The citronella candles were a nice touch as well, providing a nice ambiance as they enjoyed their food and conversed. And speaking of food, it was time for another round of bread and broth, courtesy of the waiter who seemed to notice that they were running low. He exchanged their baskets with a polite bow before returning to the kitchen, much to the delight of the three ladies at the table. The only thing better than the food at this restaurant was the customer service, and even that was up for debate considering how delectable everything they’d eaten so far had been.

“Yea… You’re right, it has.” Lady said with a nod as she took another bite of her food. She wasn’t sure what they’d put in that pasta, but it was good.

“Something bothering you?” Trish couldn’t help but notice that something was a little bit off about her longtime companion, but she couldn’t quite place what it was. She wasn’t used to seeing her off her game, so this was unfamiliar territory as far as she was concerned.

Lady shrugged as if she were going to brush the question off before pausing and seemingly considering something. She then turned back to her two friends, nodding in confirmation. She was just going to have to take the risk here. What harm could it do? Well, expressing how she felt honestly might totally kill the mood of the evening and mess up everything, but this was important, so she hoped that they would forgive her if that was what came to pass. They were all adults here. She thought better of them than that. This was just hard to do. Always had been. Feels were difficult.

“... Do you think it’s gonna stay calm a little longer, or are we just getting too comfortable? Are we becoming complacent?” Lady sighed, a look of discomfort on her face. Everything about her body language expressed concern, exhaustion, and exasperation. “Because I feel like something’s coming, and I don’t like that. Not at all.”

“So that’s not just me. What a relief.” She exhaled heavily as though a great weight had just been lifted from her shoulders. Lucia was starting to think that she was the only one who hadn’t just walked off the recent events and gone on with their lives. She wasn’t lingering on it every second of every day or anything like that, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was a little bit… off. “Thank goodness.”

“Yeah, I noticed that, too,” Trish said, agreeing with both of them. Something just wasn’t right. She was glad that she wasn’t the only one to notice that. It was nebulous and vague, but there was just this uneasiness in the air, and she couldn’t tell if it was them or something else causing it. And that bothered her.

But as she looked out over the dimly lit waters of the harbor that their restaurant sat upon, something suddenly occurred to her in her silence and she felt a jolt of something overcome her. Something very important had completely slipped her mind.

“Oh, damn it! How did I forget?” Trish said suddenly, taking both of her companions by surprise. It had been so quiet for a moment there. And although she hadn’t shouted it or anything, it had been very sudden. “We forgot to mention it.”

Now both Lady and Lucia looked a bit concerned, not for the sanity of their friend but for what had been collectively forgotten amidst the havoc of the last few weeks. They were worried about what she might say, even if only a little.

“What is it?” Lucia said hesitantly as she looked between Lady and Trish. She wasn’t sure how to interpret this situation. She didn’t know either of them well enough to be able to tell if she should be slightly concerned or deeply worried. What was going on?

“I just realized- we didn’t tell Dante about the demon in the harbor! Should we… “ Trish looked out over the water again. If not for the fact that they’d decided to come to this particular seaside seafood restaurant, she might have forgotten entirely. That wasn’t like her and she didn’t like it one bit. Everyone forgot things sometimes, but she was typically the exception, especially when it was something important like this.

Lady exhaled slowly, somewhat relieved. Yea, that was bad, but for some reason, she’d been convinced that it was going to be much worse. This was demons. They could handle demons. So long as it wasn’t another demon prince from hell that was trying to kill them all so that it could enslave, destroy, or devour the entire world, she was okay.

“That’s… a problem for later. He’s not even at the office right now, according to Morrison. Let’s wait until he gets back.” Trish said, quietly agreeing that the situation could use some resolving, but aware of the fact that that was a problem that they couldn’t solve at present. They couldn’t even find the demon, let alone get rid of it. Who was to say that it was even still down there? Or that Dante and Vergil could do any better in this situation than they could. That was a lot of cold, deep, dark water. This would be a challenge.

“Yea, you’re right. There’s nothing either of them can do about it right now.” Lady said with a tinge of resignation. She was capable, but she wasn’t honestly sure how to handle an aquatic demon. What was she going to do? Rent a diving suit and try to shoot it?

“I guess we have a lot of problems for later, don’t we?” Lucia Shrugged somewhat nonchalantly, concerned but aware that there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. There's was an unpredictable future for certain, but not one that they could influence in any meaningful way currently. “Potential problems, at least. But maybe we should just… enjoy ourselves for once. If it happens, it happens, right? We can handle it.”

“You know what, Lucia, your right. We can. What are we so worried about?” Lady said with the same self-assurance that she always had, her confidence contagious. Maybe she’d been stressing herself out over nothing. Sure, there were always going to be new challenges ahead of them, but maybe the next world-ending catastrophe was actually somewhere long off and that sinking feeling she had was just understandable exhaustion from everything they’d done in the last month or so. They’d earned this downtime, and then some.

“Speaking of that, when are you headed back, Lucia? Home, I mean. I know you have to have important things to take care of back where you're from. You’ve got family to worry about, right?” Trish asked before taking a sip of her drink. Lucia didn’t recognize the drink, but it looked cool and refreshing.

She lingered on the questions for a moment, her mind struggling to come up with a satisfactory answer. She’d thought about it a few times now, but hadn’t come to a definitive conclusion just yet. She wanted to go home, but she liked it here. All of her friends were here, but a part of her did miss her mother.

“My mom is there, but she’s probably more worried about me than I am about her at this point.” She giggled to herself ever so softly. Her mother could handle herself, but she knew that she worried about her daughter when she was gone for longer periods of time. But she trusted the notion that her mother knew that she was alright. She would call her again later just in case, though. It was always nice to hear her voice and make sure that she knew that she was thinking about her. No amount of water and land would be enough to keep Lucia from Matier. She would be home soon enough.

Lucia thought about it a little longer, a bit more sure this time. Agitating her side of soup and enjoying the aroma it produced. It had been a good recommendation. This place was fancier than she was used to. The devil hunter then looked up at both of her companions before nodding, more to herself than to them. “A few goodbyes are in order first. Then I’ll say my farewells.”

“Just make sure you add us to that list, okay?” Lady said with a playfully serious look on her face as she pretended to scold her companion. Of course, she knew that Lucia would never do something like that, but it was entertaining to poke fun at her for it.

Trish shook her head at both of them, remembering for the first time in that evening that she didn’t know a single completely sane person. Did those kinds of people even actually exist? It remained to be seen. But then again, that would be so boring, wouldn’t it? Who would want to hang out with normal people? Could never be her. “What she said. Don’t make me come all the way to Vie De Marli to give you a hard time. I’m a busy girl.”

At that, the three of them started to laugh, taken aback by the ridiculousness of the entire situation. Gods, they were all just a mess, weren’t they? But at least they were a fun mess. Better to be that than stable, typical, and utterly droll.

Lucia giggled to herself as she finally managed to stop laughing with her friends, a soft smile on her face. She needed to spend time with Lady and Trish more often. This had been good fun. She needed more of that in her life. Moments like this would’ve meant the world to her in darker times. And to think that there had once been a time when she hadn’t thought that she deserved things like this because of what she was. She… was glad she’d been shown the light and that she’s pushed forward. She was glad that she was here right now with her friends. She was happy. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

The trio returned to enjoying their meals in relative silence for a few minutes after that, the only sound present being the clinking of silverware against porcelain dishes and the quiet background drone of other patrons conversing and devouring their meals. But after a few moments, Lady looked out over the water and sighed, shaking her head.

“... We really do have to do something about that demon in that harbor though.”

Both of the other ladies currently sitting at the table looked out over the dark water before nodding in agreement with conviction. No doubt about it. That thing needed to go.

“Yea.” Trish and Lucia said in unison. Sooner rather than later. But not before dinner.

(-~-)

The building was silent all but for the sound of the old elevator as it ascended the floors of the building, reaching the top with a soft thud. The car took a moment to settle, not due to its construction so much as it was a safety feature. And then the folding metal doors opened, allowing access to the landing on the top floor as V and Sirrus stepped off, the man with the mostly red hair allowing his companion to exit the contraption before him. He was clearly tired now, and although it was only half past 10, something told him that he knew exactly where his friend would be headed once they made their way inside.

“I would like to go back there sometime,” V said as the duo stepped off of the elevator and onto the landing, his slightly clumsy footing betraying his mounting fatigue. He wasn’t ready to collapse on the floor or anything of that nature, but it was most certainly time to put his feet up and relax for a while before drifting off into dreamland. Hopefully not literally. V didn’t exactly have the most normal experiences with dreams and unconsciousness. “It was fun.”

Sirrus stepped forward and unlocked the apartment door, holding it open for his companion as the gatefold door to the elevator shut behind them, the car likely descending the floors back down to the lobby. They were more than likely the only ones still coming in from the street at this hour, although he didn’t exactly know any of his neighbors except for maybe one or two of them so he could be wrong. It was simply a hunch, but one he just had the feeling that he was right about. He’d never so much as heard a peep from the majority of them. One of the many wonderful perks of living in this building. Considerate neighbors.

“They actually host poetry slams there on Tuesday nights. I’ve gone a handful of times and I genuinely think you’d like it.”

V watched as Sirrus stepped through the door behind him and closed it, locking the latch at the top. The odds of someone managing to break in were next to zero, but it never hurt to be cautious. He felt safe up here, but it wasn’t because of the lock, if he was being honest. V was just certain that this place was safe. You just got a certain feeling when you walked through the front door. And V was certain that he could handle himself, but it also helped that Sirrus was around as well. Nothing was going to take them both out of the equation.

“And I agree with you. I would.” His lack of hesitation in regards to agreeing with him seemed to both surprise and amuse Sirrus as he made his way to the kitchen. It wasn’t something that he’d probably ever mention out loud, but he’d always wanted to attend something like that. He’d heard of them and seen articles about them from time to time, but he’d never been lucky enough to be able to find out where they were hosting them. Not that he would have been able to work up the courage to go back then. Slowly but surely he was developing a tolerance to being stared at, but when he’d been an awkward teenager and a frightened young adult fresh after the events that had taken place in Lympha? A crowded building was a no-go. And so was socialization. “Wait, people go to establishments like that on weeknights?”

“No,” Sirrus said with a straight face only to immediately fail to keep his composure. He didn’t laugh this time, but the amused scoff that he released was a dead giveaway. “That’s why they host them that day. It’s niche. Most people don’t show up to listen to poetry at an underground jazz club at midnight. They close the club two hours early that night specifically for the readings and then shut down two hours later to clean.”

V took a moment to process the information he’d just been given before filing it away for later. He then nodded in confirmation and joined Sirrus in the kitchen for no other reason than to finish speaking with him. Sirrus had poured a glass of water, but V just wanted to say something to him.

“I had a nice time tonight, Sirrus,” V said with a bashful sincerity that immediately grabbed Sirrus’s attention. V clearly wanted to say more but was unsure as to how he could express his immense gratitude and fondness. He hoped that one day he would become better at verbally and physically expressing his affection towards others, but he’d still come a long way from the days when being hugged by his infant nephew had caused him to nearly fall apart from the flood of emotions it had caused him.

He couldn’t help but be momentarily stupified by that notion. That felt like a lifetime ago, but it had barely been a few months. No wonder he felt so tired. He’d done a lot of growing and changing in a very short time. Perhaps it was best to remember that this was a marathon and not a sprint. He didn’t have to become a completely different person overnight, and many aspects of his personality were worth preserving completely unchanged as they already were. And that was without taking into account the things about himself that were wholly and completely out of his control to begin with. He was learning to cope with many of them, and others he was learning to accept. The hard part was being able to discern the difference between it all, but he was nothing if not an eternal student, always willing to learn more.

The adjudicator blushed ever so slightly, attempting to hide it behind the clear glass drinking receptacle he was using. He only turned redder in the face upon realizing how ridiculous that probably looked. And that he’d used a decanter glass to drink water out of. That was perhaps the most accidentally posh thing he’d done in a long while. Despite appearances, he did own regular glasses. He just hadn’t been thinking clearly.

“Thank you for taking me,” V said to further emphasize his point. He really did mean it.

V had always longed for even a single friend growing up, someone to experience the little things with. He’d yearned for it deeply. There had been few things he’d ever wanted that badly in his entire life. And he’d found Nero, but there’s was a different type of bond. Much more familial. They were the closest of friends, but they were still siblings at the end of the day. They shared blood. But when it came to himself and Sirrus… V didn’t even know where to begin. He didn’t know what he felt for him; how to describe it other than to say it was immense and overwhelming. They just meant the world to one another. It was as simple as that, despite how complex that still made things between them. As standard as it could be, all things considered. At least when it came to the two of them. But nothing was ever that easy when it came to bonds as strong as the ones they’d forged between one another.

Perhaps it was like a flower. Always blooming and changing. Or maybe it was more like the tide. A calculated push and pull that tried it's very best to be in mutual harmony with everything around it. Maybe it was even a little bit of both. But whatever it was, V treasured it and wouldn’t sacrifice it for a thing. He had come to genuinely care for Sirrus. He truly had. And he was invested in their friendship. It was like a garden the two of them had curated together from the ground up: rewarding. Thorns and all.

“And thank you for letting me take you. I get the impression you don’t enjoy crowded places. I didn’t want to push you too far out of your comfort zone.” Sirrus said as he sat his drink down and walked over to him, his feet making next to no sound as they pressed against the concrete. He extended his hand to him, an invitation to receive a hug that he accepted without hesitation as the young summoner pressed his face into Sirrus’s shoulder and simply allowed his friend to hold him there, his arms around his shoulders and his head resting upon the top of his. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

V wanted to do this more often. For this moment to last longer. Today had been the best day he’d had in a very long time. And this moment in particular might have been the highlight of it all. He’d made a litany of precious memories that he would treasure forever, but this one was genuinely something special, no doubt about it.

V was glad he’d met Sirrus. And he knew in his heart that Sirrus felt the same.

(-~-)

You're all going to laugh at me, but I couldn't remember for the life of me whether I had sent Lucia back home! I reread a bunch of my story and didn't couldn't figure it out, so I'm sorry if accidentally caused a giant plothole! If any of you remember and I made a mistake, I'll fix it. I just didn't have the time to reread 50 chapters smh! I think I'm going to make a spreadsheet with everyone's location on it for the time being! I'm trying to streamline things a little better so that I know what I'm working with. You know, tying up loose ends and everything. Thanks! Let me know what you think about this chapter, and I’ll see you in the comment section! I hope you’ve all been well! Talk to you soon, and I’ll see you next week on Friday the 18th! Bye, everyone!

1 note · View note

heiseidominantation · 2 years ago

Text

Heisei Dominantation 02 Chapter III "Conversion and Conflict"

Mikage and the others returned to their hiding place for the time being.

She told Deyssel, who was taking care of Kagura, that she encountered Sakuhi on her way home and was told to come to the 〔Sanctuary〕 if she wanted to see Rei.

As soon as Sakuhi's name came out, Deyssel's shoulders trembled slightly. But it was impossible for Mikage to know the reason why.

"...The 〔Sanctuary〕, huh?"

Toki groaned with his arms folded, as if something had occurred to him.

"That's a prayer-house in the 〔Reverse World〕, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I thought so, too."

Everyone who worked in the church facility heard the name at least once. At the same time, they also knew bad rumors that for some reason even the church was forced to give it up.

"Does that mean we should go back to the 〔Reverse World〕 now?"

Kureha also joined the conversation.

Meanwhile, Hirokina and Toki were preparing an IV drip for Kagura. Toki was wide-eyed at Hirokina's unspoiled movements.

"I didn't know you had such a talent."

"As part of my swordplay training, I learned general treatment methods. It's not perfect, but I think it'll do for the time being."

"You really can't judge a book by its cover, huh."

"I could say the same about you."

Fortunately, Kagura's condition was stable. He still wasn't waking up, but his breathing was back to normal levels.

"Change the bandage to a new one every half day."

"Understood."

Deyssel nodded mysteriously. On the other hand, Mikage and Kureha continued to discuss the location of the 〔Sanctuary〕.

"...I'm sure there's a place in this world the same as the 〔Sanctuary〕."

The conclusion that Kureha eventually drew was exactly the same as Akari's. It happened that Toki brought a map from the store, so they spread it out and identified the coordinates.

"Right here."

With confidence, Kureha pointed to a point on the map where 〔Mechanical Life Laboratory〕 was written.

"It's different from the 〔Sanctuary〕..."

Mikage looked up from the map and observed Kureha's expression. But Kureha's confidence remained unshakable.

"Doesn't it just have a different name? Furthermore, this is the only clue we have, so it's not like we have any other choice, do we?"

"...That makes sense."

The opinions of Kureha, who was the most intelligent of Dominant, were always worth listening to. If they followed her, they would save themselves from making a big mistake. Although she had never said so directly, Mikage was grateful to have met Kureha.

"I'll go wherever there's a possibility Rei might be. And if that's the case, then I'll head out at once."

"Right now? Isn't that a bit reckless?"

Kureha took control of Mikage, who was about to stand up.

"It's already midnight, you know. You stayed up all night last night, so you should at least rest before we head out."

"But Rei might be waiting!"

"Calm down, Mikage."

In contrast to the screaming Mikage, Kureha was as cool as a clear stream.

"If you don't rest your mind, you won't be able to use magic at the crucial moment. You're worn out from using a lot today, aren't you?"

"...Well…"

Mikage admitted reluctantly. In fact, her neck still felt a dull pain.

"Then we'll depart at sunrise tomorrow. That way it's alright, isn't it?"

"I'm glad you understand. Thank you, Mikage."

"Cut it out. I'm the one who wants to thank you."

Mikage placed her hand on Kureha's head and ruffled her hair.

"Hey, stop that. Honestly, Mikage! What are you doing!?"

While apologizing with a "My bad" to Kureha who puffed up her cheeks, Mikage realized that she was blessed with friends.

Not only Kureha, but Toki, Deyssel, Hirokina, and of course Kagura, who had suffered a deep injury. Everyone is so kind.

If I were all alone, I wouldn't have been able to follow Rei here.

They're all really precious comrades. That's why I don't want to lose any of them.

"Deyssel, please stay by Kagura's side tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We can't leave Kagura alone."

"I'm in your debt."

Deyssel, scratching his legs, put his hands down, and bowed to Mikage.

"The wound isn't as deep as I thought. At this rate, he'll regain consciousness tomorrow."

Hirokina, who was measuring Kagura's pulse, gave a happy report. For the first time in a while, an air of relief flowed into the room and Kureha's stomach growled loudly.

"Oh no, I'm sorry."

Kureha, whose cheeks were dyed red, was definitely a maiden. She was usually cool, so the gap was cute.

"Come to think of it, we haven't eaten much since we came to the 〔Surface World〕."

When Mikage muttered, Toki clapped his fingers as if he had been waiting.

"Then it's my turn to bring out the good stuff!"

Toki proudly took out the canned food from his bag. The floor was instantly filled with colorful cans.

"Mackerel, salmon, sausage... There's plenty, so eat whatever you want!"

"So this is how food is stored in the 〔Surface World〕? Fascinating."

Kureha took one can and observed it carefully. However, Toki soon laughed at her.

"Hey hey, that's not something you should be thinking about now, is it? After all it's not your brain that needs to be fed, it's your mouth and stomach, right?"

"Ah... w-well… I suppose you're right."

Kureha purged her cough deliberately. Perhaps she really wanted to open the cans first and dig in, but trying to be modest and worried about what the others would think, Kureha said something she didn't have in mind. However, the act was broken by Toki.

"It can't be helped. Then I'll eat first. Here!"

When Toki opened the canned food near the others, the smell of fish wafted in the air.

"Ooh, it looks tasty. Then, I'll dig in!"

He grabbed the salmon slice with his hand and threw it into his mouth. Not only Kureha, but also the other members leaned forward and watched for his reaction.

Toki, frightened as if to savor it slowly, exclaimed loudly.

"...Delicious~!"

"Really!?"

"It's the best! I didn't know food in the 〔Surface World〕 was this good!"

After Toki's exclamation, Mikage and the others reached out for the same can in unison.

"Ah, I was aiming for that teriyaki one!"

"And so was I. Besides, Mikage already ate at that convenience store earlier!"

"Can I have one, too?"

"Don't hesitate to eat as much as you like. There's a lot more to come!"

The canned party started unexpectedly. Mikage and the others were fighting fiercely over cans, but they were shut down by Deyssel.

"Stop shouting in front of Kagura. Be quiet!"

"M-My bad. I got a little too excited…"

Deyssel gave constructive opinions to Mikage and the others, who drooped as if they had cold water being poured over them.

"Wouldn't it be better to take one bite at a time instead of one can per person?"

At his words, Mikage and the others let out an "Ohh!" sigh of admiration.

"I see. Then everyone could taste all kinds of foods."

"Nice idea. As expected of Deyssel!"

"We almost broke our friendship…"

"Then let's try it right away… Mmm! It's delicious! "My cheeks are falling off with happiness!" That's what a bite feels like!"

Kureha squinted enrapturedly while eating a cut of squid, apparently very hungry.

"But the canned food isn't enough."

"That's right. There was sake, too!"

In response to Kureha's request, Toki took out a bottle of wine.

"Hirokina looked over me and brought some of the finest wines. Let's make a toast!"

When he brought out the glasses he found, Toki poured wine around everyone. As the glasses spread, the atmosphere naturally became like the others were waiting for Mikage to make a speech.

"Ah, um…"

Mikage stood up with a glass, but couldn't say any smart words because she was a poor speaker.

"Take care of yourself today, and I'm counting on you tomorrow."

Please lend me your power and help me find Rei.

Even if she didn't add that, everyone had understood it.

"I promise to do my best."

Kureha held up a wine glass.

"We'll follow you anywhere!"

Toki beat cheerfully on his chest. Next to him, Hirokina silently expressed his approval.

"There are seven members of Dominant. And that will never change." Deyssel said as he fixed the sleeping Kagura's blanket.

"...Thank you. Everybody."

I will definitely save Rei for the sake of my friends who have been with me so far.

Mikage made up her mind again.

"Take the lead, Mikage."

Encouraged by Kureha, Mikage nodded softly.

"Here's to success tomorrow... Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

With the chanting of her friends, the glasses touched and a cool sound was heard.

The wine, which had been drained in one gulp, was sweet and strong, and made Mikage's heart flutter.

Tonight's dinner is wonderful.

And if we save Rei, tomorrow will be even more luxurious. Surrounded by Rei and my allies as we drink together…

Mikage thought that nothing would be more wonderful than that.

And the night went on—.

After everyone had fallen asleep, Kagura's eyelids trembled slightly.

"...Ugh…"

Even Deyssel beside him didn't notice that a small voice had come out of Kagura's mouth.

"Today is... You can't…"

Kagura muttered repeatedly, clenching the blanket with his nails.

"You can't go... You can't… Everyone... Heisei Snipers... Sakuhi…"

Maybe he was having nightmares, but his nonsensical words continued forever.

※

"Is this… the 〔Sanctuary〕?"

Mikage gazed keenly at the place where they had finally reached through the forest.

It was similar to the prayer center in the 〔Reverse World〕, but it seemed that the material wasn't stone. It must have been built with the technology of the 〔Surface World〕.

"It took more time than expected."

She looked up at the sky with Kureha. Even though they had left early in the morning, the area was covered in twilight. Night would soon come.

"My apologies. I'm not familiar with the geography around here."

"It's not Hirokina's fault. Rather, I'm grateful you showed us this far."

It would have been impossible without Hirokina to read the map of the 〔Surface World〕. Perhaps they would have wandered through the forest even after the sun went down.

"That being said, who woulda thought there'd be a Magic Beast here?"

On their way there, they were taken by surprise in the forest by a steel crocodile that attacked mercilessly against those who broke into the territory. It nearly bit off Kureha's arm, but Toki scattered its body with a Division Bomb.

Since then, Toki hadn't let go of his rifle and gun. He was alert in all directions so that he could respond at any time.

"Magic Beasts from the 〔Reverse World〕 in the 〔Surface World〕… Is this also Sakuhi's doing?"

"We won't find out just by standing around. And more importantly than that..."

"We need to find Rei-kun, right? I know."

Kureha nodded to Mikage and checked the surroundings of the building again.

Only four Dominant members were there. Mikage, Kureha, Toki, and Hirokina. Kagura was still asleep, and Deyssel was caring for him.

"Look, the door is torn."

Kureha pointed to the front iron door. The thick two doors with rivets on the surface were sturdy, and if locked from the inside, they were unlikely to be opened. Nevertheless, it was forced open. The door on the left was bent, leaving enough room for people to pass through.

"This is… magic!"

Mikage, who crawled her fingers on the edge of the irregularly wavy door, concluded that it was by magic. The natural flow reminded her of the Heisei Snipers.

"Are they here, too…?"

Mikage clicked her tongue a little.

"Haku and the others… You just have to keep getting in my way forever."

Fine. Then we'll settle things here.

But the surface of the door was still slightly heated. In other words, it hadn't been long since Haku and the others invaded.

"I'm coming after you! Just you wait!"

The hinges must have melted when Mikage kicked them up screaming. Without any resistance, the door fell down easily.

As soon as the entrance inside was secured, Toki shot a Division Bomb through Mikage's back toward the passage leading in front of him. The gunfire faded away, echoing through the narrow passageway and ceiling.

"We don't know what lies ahead, so just in case of an ambush."

"That's a good decision, Toki."

Mikage nodded to Toki and looked inside again.

"...There's no one here."

The passageway was a single road, and there seemed to be another door at the end.

"Mikage, the floor."

Kureha's voice made her bend down. On the white tiled floor, there were distinct traces of muddy shoes. There was no doubt that the Heisei Snipers had invaded.

"Don't let your guard down."

Mikage tried to take the lead, but was stopped when Toki grabbed her by the shoulder.

"We'll go first. Mikage is our leader, so please stand behind us!"

Before Mikage could make a counterargument, Toki edged forward, pressing his back against the side of the passage. When he reached the door without incident, he searched the surroundings without using his hands directly. He seemed to be checking for traps.

"I'm grateful to have Toki with us."

Kureha whispered in Mikage's ear.

"It better be worth something."

It may have sounded cold, but Mikage believed in his ability more than anyone. She was bad at paying close attention like Toki. If Mikage were by herself, she would have only thought of rushing in.

Then Toki raised his rifle. He concluded that their safety had been secured from the entrance to there.

"Let's go!"

Mikage walked into the facility with Kureha, Hirokina following close behind. When they caught up to Toki, the door had already been opened. Unlike the iron door at the entrance, it was a marble door with sculptures of gods and beasts all over it. The scar on a part of it was probably the mark of the Division Bomb shot by Toki.

"We're going in!"

When they nodded to each other, Toki slid in first again. Mikage and Kureha went in, but the moment Hirokina tried to follow, the door returned to its original state.

"What!?"

They tried to grab the knob in a hurry, but the door itself disappeared as if it were melting in. There was no room for a finger, and the smooth wall continued.

"They got us… Even though it's a facility in the 〔Surface World〕, we were distracted by a trap!"

"Hirokina, hey, can you hear me!?"

Kureha bit her lip and Mikage called out while banging her fists down, but there was no response.

"Hirokina... Damn it!"

The Dominant members were divided. And it was only the beginning of the slaughter.

※

Kagura opened his eyes gently.

It's cold. My body refuses to move.

But Kagura lifted the blanket off and rose to his upper body, suppressing the pain.

"Have you woken up!?"

Deyssel, who was by his side, exclaimed in surprise. He asked Kagura, holding his back.

"Where is everyone else?"

"They went looking for Rei."

Deyssel summarized what had happened so far.

"Then I must go, too... Please, Deyssel. Take me to everybody."

"Don't be unreasonable. There's no way you can move like that."

"But I have to go, and I have to stop everyone!"

Kagura was shot by someone during a battle at the Heisei Snipers' 〔Base Camp〕. Mikage and the others thought it was the work of Kyou, but that wasn't true. Kagura clearly remembered a girl who looked very much like Rei holding a gun in the distance when the burning iron was pressed against his back and the pain ran like that. She must have been the Sakuhi girl who attacked Haku and the others.

Sakuhi created a misunderstanding between Dominant and the Heisei Snipers in order to make them fight each other. Probably because they were the biggest obstacles to Sakuhi's plan. Mikage and Haku were the representative mages of their respective worlds. And If that was the case, then they were clearly the next targets. With Rei as a decoy, Sakuhi called Mikage to the 〔Sanctuary〕. It made perfect sense.

"I can't sleep here after all... I have to go tell everyone... Ugh!"

The burning pain came back after waking up.

"And I'm telling you not to push yourself too hard. All you have to do now is heal your injuries."

Kagura desperately resisted Deyssel, who tried to put him to sleep.

"I'm a member of Dominant, too. I can't be the only one sleeping when everyone's in danger!"

"Kagura…"

Deyssel stared breathlessly as if he had been pressured by Kagura's scream. It was the first time Kagura had shouted so loudly.

"At this rate, Sakuhi will hurt everyone. I must stop her!"

"Sakuhi, you say!?"

Kagura's remark seemed to shock him, and when Deyssel folded his arms, he stopped moving.

"Deyssel?"

There was no answer when Kagura called. Deyssel seemed to be thinking deeply about something. After a long silence, Deyssel finally opened his mouth.

"Are you saying Sakuhi was involved in the incident that took place the day before yesterday?"

"This scar of mine is the best proof."

Deyssel turned away and groaned painfully. Then he nodded as if he had given up.

"...It's going to be a tough road ahead. Are you sure?"

"I'm prepared."

"Alright."

Deyssel lifted Kagura and ran out of the house.

"I can show you the way to the 〔Sanctuary〕 with Telathika. So let's hurry!"

"..."

Deyssel said nothing.

Instead, he increased his running speed. But Kagura thought it was still too late.

"Faster! We have to go faster!"

He spoke to Deyssel many times, and prayed earnestly for Mikage and the others' safety.

※

An hour before Mikage and the others broke into the laboratory.

The Heisei Snipers, who had forced open the sturdy entrance with a Flamegia of Haku's, wandered through the lab in pursuit of Sakuhi=Rei, and reached an unexpected place.

"This is…?"

Haku, who opened the door with caution, stared breathlessly at the mysterious sight behind it. It was a green space, unlike the corridor where the inorganic white walls continued endlessly. The space was so spacious that she couldn't believe it was indoors, and it was about 50 meters deep. The metal supports radially extended toward the glass ceiling which was shaped like a bowl, perhaps to take in plenty of sunlight. A well-maintained lawn was planted on the ground. Artificial hedges and fountains were built, and already extinct plants such as morning glory and sunflowers were blooming here and there, and butterflies were dancing.

"Is this… the botanical garden greenhouse?"

Liz's words brought back memories for Haku.

When the world was "normal", didn't my parents take me to hang out there?

But this wasn't such a comfortable place like that.

"Be careful, we don't know what's going on."

As soon as Haku called for attention, Sana pulled out Izanagi. The sacred sword, in an arc, stopped at the right rear of Haku. The tip was pointed at the stranger's throat.

"What…!?"

Haku was at a loss. No matter how out of sight they may be, it was unthinkable to allow someone to approach her without her knowledge. There was no sign of their presence at all.

"A ��Deviator〕!?"

When Akari's pearl-colored pistol appeared, she took aim between the man's eyebrows. There was no response when confronted with two weapons: a gun and a sword. He just stood still with a ghostly expression on his face.

"What's with this guy?"

Kyou gazed around from head to toe with a creeped out look. The man was only wearing a light green overcoat, and nothing else.

"There seems to be no hostility."

Fuyuto said, looking carefully at the man. In response, Haku carefully reached out to the man's arm.

"Be careful, Haku."

"It's alright."

In response to Akari, Haku gently gripped the man's wrist. Immediately, an ice-cold feeling came through her fingertips.

"—This is!?"

She felt only a slight pulse, but the man had lost all other emotions and magical powers. Even if Haku grabbed his wrist with all her might, his mask-like expression didn't move, and he didn't show any signs of resistance. It was as if he was growing roots on the ground.

"It's like a plant."

Akari's face was pale, too pale. Sana almost stopped, perhaps judging that there was no danger, but on the way he gasped.

"Look, over there!"

There were similar men at the end of the finger-point, hidden among the vines along the wall, which they hadn't noticed. Dozens of people, like algae growing on a seabed, were staring blankly at Haku and the others without moving. Liz let out a little scream.

"What? What the hell is this place?"

"This is the 〔Sanctuary〕."

There was an echo from the ceiling. Haku looked up as if she had been played. But the sky, tinged with twilight, could only be seen through the glass ceiling.

"Fuu—"

The cat on Fuyuto's shoulder bristled.

"Who's there!?"

Haku pulled out her pistol, and she instinctively sensed that someone was far more dangerous than the man beside her.

"It was the answer to your question. I named it that way."

"So this is the 〔Sanctuary〕 after all."

Fuyuto let out a sigh of relief, but immediately twisted his head as if a new question had arisen.

"Then, are you a member of the Church?"

"No. I am not like those fools."

"Fools!?"

Fuyuto seemed to be shocked by the bad words of the church he had served. Liz hurriedly supported him as he staggered with a pale face.

"Tch, show your face!"

Kyou clicked his tongue abhorrently. Even his favorite Kill Sniper was useless if he couldn't see his opponent.

"Do you wish to see me? Then I shall grant your wish."

The twilight sky turned golden after the voice spoke. Haku closed her eyes in spite of herself, opened her eyelids again, and found someone near the ceiling of the building.

Their long hair, like the flame of a red lotus, was impressive, and she couldn't tell whether they were a man or a woman. With their hands spread out from side to side, they were floating softly in the air. Their body was distorted and shaken here and there, as if it had been noisy.

"Welcome to the 〔Sanctuary〕."

The voice echoed throughout the room, and Haku thought it was coming from another place. Akari whispered to support this.

"That's holography."

"Holography?"

Haku didn't take her eyes off the person and asked back quickly and quietly.

"It's a technology that's already lost in this world. It's supposed to be incredibly sophisticated."

"Is it different from magic?"

"Yes. It's like an illusion, but you don't have to use magic. In any case, that isn't their main body."

"What the hell are you!?"

Liz cried, cuddling up to Fuyuto. There was a slight fear in her voice, though she was trying to be strong.

"I am KIKI."

It wasn't known whether Liz's tension was conveyed, but KIKI replied haughtily. Liz became more and more hesitant, hugging Fuyuto with all her might as if he were her dependency.

Meanwhile, Sana was casually moving to the front of the door where they had entered. He must have been trying to secure a way out. Sana's calm judgment helped Haku and the others many times. But Fuyuto was sweating on his forehead as if he couldn't afford to notice Sana's movements. He opened his eyes as if he were looking at something unbelievable.

"KIKI... That's impossible… There's no way…"

"What's the matter, Fuyuto?"

There was no response to Liz's call.

"Keep yourself together, Fuyuto!"

When she shook his shoulders, Fuyuto finally came to his senses. Then he showed his trembling fingertips.

"But you were supposed to have been expelled from the Church... so why is that you're here in the 〔Surface World〕?"

"The Church did not banish me. For I have deserted the Church."

"What did you say…!?"

"I was fed up with those fools who were worldly and did not want to lead the world to what it ought to be. Therefore, I had no choice but to change the world myself."

"You, God, will change the world?"

"What do you mean by that, Fuyuto?"

Akari casted a keen glance. Fuyuto began to whisper, staring at KIKI with anxious eyes.

"KIKI... That's a contraindicated name in the 〔Reverse World〕."

"God? That's God?"

Haku tilted her head slightly. Her impression of the word "God" was quite different from what was currently being associated with it.

As far as I can see, they're no different from an ordinary person. I'm a little worried since I can't feel anything emotional from them at all…

Haku grabbed the pistol in her hand tightly.

"The Creator of the 〔Surface World〕 and the 〔Reverse World〕. The God who once created these two worlds… That was what we called KIKI."

Fuyuto's story continued. Instead of reacting to it, KIKI looked down silently.

"But thousands of years ago, its faith was cut off, and the prayer-house was abandoned as decayed, because the Church recognized that KIKI was evil to humans."

"God is... evil?"

I don't understand the meaning of Fuyuto's words. Isn't God supposed to save people?

"That is why I say they are foolish."

Until then, KIKI's silent voice echoed into the room again. It was somewhat artificial, as if it had been mechanically produced.

"I wish for peace in the world to the bitter end. Those who do not understand it and live a life full of greed and vanity should be frightened."

KIKI's eyes glowed red.

"At the head of it all is the Church of the 〔Reverse World〕. Therefore I have made it so they will atone. Those who disturb the tranquility and order of the world as it ought to be shall atone with their souls."

When KIKI raised their right hand, a shining sphere appeared in front of them. The sphere, similar to the crystal ball used by astrologers, showed another world that Haku and the others didn't know. But that world was burning. She wondered which church it was. Against the backdrop of the Red Lotus Forest and the jet-black night sky, the stone spire collapsed and the stainless steel glass crumbled. An old man in a robe running about underneath, shouted something with a face distorted with fear, but not hearing his voice made it more frightening. Then the old man disappeared under the collapsed roof of the church.

"The Pope!"

Liz desperately grabbed Fuyuto by the back as his knees were about to collapse.

"Ah, why… How could such a thing… happen…?"

"Keep it together, Fuyuto!"

Liz tried to calm him down by stroking his head, but Fuyuto's lips were trembling. He was as pale as a dead man, and seemed to have lost his proper thought.

"Now the church is burned down, and the root of evil is gone."

When KIKI waved their hand satisfactorily, the sphere and the nightmare of misery both disappeared. However, there was no doubt that the scene Haku and the others saw was a reality that just happened in the 〔Reverse World〕. As long as they were in a place where it overlapped with the 〔Reverse World〕, their instincts would know that it was true.

"Why on earth did you act like this?"

Haku's voice was quivering. She tried to control her emotions, but it was impossible. If she didn't feel angry when shown such a scene, she wouldn't have been qualified to be a member of the Heisei Snipers.

Haku concluded that KIKI was "evil". Even if the other person was God, "evil" had to be destroyed by "justice". But KIKI responded to her as if they had read the movement of her mind.

"I wish for a peaceful world. In other words, I share the same will as you. Let us work together to make the world right."

"What?"

"Don't listen to them, Haku!"

"I know."

Haku immediately nodded back to Akari's warning. She was so angry that she felt nauseous at the idea of having the same aspirations as a person who was willing to burn down a world without hesitation.

"I want a peaceful world."

KIKI repeated like a mechanical device. Then they spread out their arms and pointed to the robed figures below them.

"These are the ideal apostles of peace. The ultimate person without 〔fluctuations〕."

"I don't understand what you're saying!"

Haku barely stopped just before she pulled the trigger on her pistol.

KIKI's substance isn't actually here. Shooting here would only consume my magical powers.

"You just tried to use magic."

In some way KIKI sensed it. They cast their eyes at her from a height as if to see through Haku's feelings.

"Magic without order only increases the chaos of the world. As I thought, I should not have caused 〔White Noise〕 after all."

"—What did you just say!?"

She couldn't ignore KIKI's remark. Ten years ago, magic appeared in the 〔Surface World〕 and the world declared itself to be the cause of its devastation.

"So you're the one who caused it…"

The core of Haku's head burned hot. The scene of the day, which she had innocently believed would last forever, came to an end, and she flashed back for the first time in a long time to the moment she was plunged into a whirlpool of fear and despair.

"〔White Noise〕 was your doing!"

"I affirm it."

"For what purpose on earth…"

Haku's voice was drowned out by the sound of gunfire. Akari fired at KIKI. The Noise Shutter slipped through just by distorting KIKI's face, which was a three-dimensional image, and smashed the glass on the ceiling. Shards of broken glass fell like showers. To avoid it, Haku hurriedly jumped back.

"Akari!?"

"I'm sorry. I knew by reason that I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't stand it any longer."

Akari was quietly angry, with her red eyes boiling. It had been a long time since Haku had seen her like this. She could see how much anger she had towards KIKI.

Woosh—

KIKI's body was distorted and blurred with noise.

"The two worlds must always be in equilibrium. Because if the balance is tilted to one of them, both worlds will collapse."

But only that voice could be heard unchanged.

"At first, magic had only existed in the 〔Reverse World〕. But that does not balance the two worlds. As the released magical powers accumulated in the world for thousands of years, the 〔Reverse World〕 sank into the air and began to separate from the 〔Surface World〕."

The story was completely incomprehensible to Haku. However, in order to find out the cause of 〔White Noise〕, she tried to suppress her emotions and listen.

"The separation of the world would mean the collapse of equilibrium. In order to prevent this, I have penetrated magic into the world. I hoped that the magical powers of the 〔Surface World〕 would be brought back together with those of the 〔Reverse World〕."

"And that was 〔White Noise〕..."

"But the penetration of magic produced unexpected by-products, and those who indulged in magical powers used it to cause destruction and conflict. It was the opposite of my will to have a 〔Peaceful World〕. It was a painful, very foolish act."

"Quit acting like you regret things. If you hadn't done anything unnecessary like this in the first place, none of this would have happened!"

Kyou's spat-out words were the same as what Haku was thinking. But KIKI spun words calmly without responding to them.

"So I was forced to make a new choice. What should be done to prevent the world from collapsing and create a permanent state of peace? It took me a long time to think, but I finally came to a conclusion 43,000 hours ago. If magic is a hindrance to order in the first place, then it should be completely erased from both worlds."

"Magic… erased?"

"The result of the experiment is the 〔Sanctuary〕."

Haku looked around again. In a room full of plants, people who had lost their emotions stood like reeds.

"...There's no way..."

The moment she found out the truth, Haku got goosebumps behind her neck.

KIKI, by erasing the magic power of those present, had taken away their emotions as well.

"The source of magic lies in the 〔fluctuation〕 of human emotions. It is unnecessary for the emergence of the 〔Peaceful World〕 that I wish for. If I take away the 〔fluctuation〕, the magic will disappear."

"Is that Sakuhi's role?"

Haku remembered that she had just been strangled by Sakuhi=Rei earlier. At that time, she felt suffocated, and at the same time she also felt as if her whole body was losing strength because her magic had been absorbed.

"Then all the people here are…"

"Sakuhi's victims."

Akari answered the timid Liz with a brutally clear response. The head of her nose was wrinkled, perhaps because of her dislike of Sakuhi.

"But that's horrible... Is there no way for them to go back to normal?"

"What do you say, KIKI?"

"Sakuhi absorbed their magical powers, and Rei consumed them. There is no other use for them."

"...So you mean you don't intend to return their magic. Then I'll take it back with all my might!"

For the first time, KIKI's voice was confused by Haku's unhesitating declaration.

"I do not understand. Did you not seek peace? Why will you not cooperate with me? It is a very illogical act."

"Peace? Ha, don't make me laugh!"

Kyou thrust his gun at KIKI.

"That's not the peace we wish for!"

Everyone nodded at this remark.

"So the negotiations have fallen through? I understand you have made your choice."

The dim figure of KIKI melted completely in the air and disappeared. Haku and the others couldn't even hear their voice anymore.

"KIKI is going to use Sakuhi to make everyone look like that."

Haku saw people dressed in green headgear. If left unchecked, the number of victims of KIKI's experiments would increase further. Moreover, KIKI themself said that the magical powers accumulated by Sakuhi were used in some attempt.

"Let's hurry. We can't afford to slow down!"

"I think KIKI is probably underground, because the prayer hall in the 〔Reverse World〕 also had a statue of God in the deepest part of the earth."

Fuyuto spoke up. The shock of seeing the decline of the church he served seemed to have not yet escaped him, but he seemed to have recovered enough to speak.

"I'll show you that far."

"Don't push yourself too hard. You've done more than enough already. You should head back home first."

"Thank you for your concern, Haku-san."

Fuyuto thanked her and then shook his head in contempt.

"But now that I've come this far, I'm a member too. As a messenger from the 〔Reverse World〕, I have an obligation to see this through. Please allow me to go with you."

"...I understand. Then, I'm counting on you."

After nodding to Haku's words, Fuyuto ran through the greenhouse.

There seemed to be a different door along the opposite wall. Haku, Akari, Kyou, and Liz followed Fuyuto, but Sana was the only one who wouldn't move.

"I'll secure our retreat here."

"That's…"

Haku was about to ask him to go with them, but Sana's argument was reasonable.

"That makes sense. Then can we leave it to you, Sana?"

Akari also supported Sana, so Haku ended up pushing those feelings down.

"...Understood. Then, we'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Sana raised his right hand lightly. Haku also raised her hand before turning her back and running off.

That was her last conversation with Sana.

#heisei dominantation 02 #heisei project #heipro

1 note · View note