#pantherguise

[jokerguise]

Another normal day in school, or rather... as normal as it can get for Akira at this point. Being the outcast transfer student with dark rumors surrounding him did him absolutely no favors, but those weren’t exactly the things that he was 100% worrying about at the moment. Hell, even school by itself weren’t the things that Akira could say he was worrying about at this moment. At least not in the tradition way.

That castle. The one with the talking cat and the King Kamoshida... What was that? What in the world could that be? It wasn’t bad enough that he had gotten put on probation, no. Of course not. Stay out of trouble? This was the exact opposite. Akira is 100% in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. And already, he had seemingly gained the negative eye of Kamoshida at the school.

As a student, there isn’t anything he can do about it. He is trapped to deal with those horrible adults and their power over him. And while it is completely unfair, he has to play by their rules. That’s just how the world works. Unfortunately. Disgruntled and tired from his ‘school day’, Akira leaves the school grounds and heads on the trains to Aoyama-Itchome.

The chatter from the bustling people going to and fro was a bit different than Akira is used to, but in just the short amount of time he was here, the male has gotten used to it. Better to try to blend in with a crowd than to stand out. The words and murmuring from people were also overheard; lots and lots of talk about the psychotic breakdown and the fears of it happening again, frankly while they themselves were on the train. Such a scary thing indeed. And while the boy could sympathize, there really wasn’t any other way home from school on his own than train. Such a life when one didn’t drive or have any friends that did. Or friends at all (Ryuji, at the moment... was more of an acquaintance), for that matter.

Riding the connecting train to Teikyu Building for his transfer to his next train home to Leblanc, the male’s legs continue to carry him through the station and he keeps his head low and out of other people’s business. Truthfully, Akira isn’t the type of person to really do such a thing, anyways. At least, until he sees her again... And just like the first time, he finds himself awestruck.

Blonde hair, ponytails, red leggings, white hoodie... The girl that sits in front of him in his class. Ann Takamaki, correct? The girl that has rumors surrounding her about Kamoshida... But this time, before he could really get a look in, her voice was breaking the air, in anger.

“Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I’m not feeling up to it...”

Akira’s head turns to the girl and suddenly, he fixates on her, just like the first day he saw her. But instead of his eyes upon her features, his ears were the sense getting the stimulation.

“--wait, what?! That’s not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?!” The shock left her face and turned into anger again. “This has nothing to do with Shiho!!-- Ah...” What sounds like a dial tone is floating through the air, and then Ann’s body lowers itself in a huddle to herself, where she mumbles something out of frustration from her glossy lips...

“--Shiho’s... starting position...”

Without a single thought, Akira’s legs advance to the female, and before he could say anything, Ann looks up to see him hovering over her, much to her chagrin. Straightening up and backing away, she grits her teeth, pale in comparison from her normal complexion.

“Wait... were you listening?”

Fingers reach up for his dark locks between his eyes, lightly twisting them before dropping them and returning his hand to his pocket. Clicking his teeth, he speaks calmly. “...Not on purpose.”

Regardless, Ann’s reaction to him is responded back with anger about ‘lack of privacy’. Which Akira brushes off, honestly; it was a public area, what did she expect? But just as fast as she shot out the line, she retorts an apology, averting sky blues from silver-grays. A wrist raises up to her face and clear her visage for a moment, before she asks him another question.

“So how much did you hear...?”

Akira heard most of it, but for the time being, it was probably better than he abstain from revealing that. Pursed lips broke again to respond, just as quiet as before. “Something about a friend.”

Ann’s face returns to disgruntled as she murmurs but one word left her lips. Through faux frames, the male makes out the word: ‘Shiho’. Bright blues look back up at Akira.

“It’s nothing at all. Nothing...” Her arm comes across her face.

Acute pupils notice the droplets forming from her eyes before she wipes them away, taking off to the corridor behind her to escape the boy.

Watching her duck between numerous people rudely to escape him, she must have been desperate to get away from him, to hide. Once again, Akira’s legs move on their own, following after the blonde through the many people of Shibuya. While she is moving fast, it was a blessing that she wore such standout-ish colors (which, he internally sighed in relief about at this moment). She was moving much faster than him (is she moving that fast, or is he just that out of shape?).

After cutting off many people, cutting down a hallway, down an escalator and keeping his wits about him to catch her, he finds himself at the Underground Walkway near a support beam, where the girl is catching her breath from her game of tag.

“Stop following me... Just leave me alone,” she screams, glaring daggers at him. What seems like unbridled frustration and scorn, loses all effect from the rosy tint on her cheeks from whatever waterworks she had spilled. Akira just looks at her and asks a question with hint of concern.

“...are you okay?”

Still choosing to fight back, Ann glares and poses her next questions of why he kept worrying about her. But she couldn’t hold the facade any longer, as she then choked a sob up, and the water she was so desperately trying to hold back become crystal clear to anyone with eyes. It was pretty apparent that at this point, she wasn’t okay. 

“--let’s go somewhere safe,” comes the voice of the transfer student, looking at her with his hand held out. Hopefully, she’d take him up on it. 

“What the heck...? I really don’t get you...”

Holding her hand in his own was a sensation that the boy had never really experienced before in his life; it was soft and warm, albeit a bit wet from her own tears. It didn’t take long for them to reach a safe place; Big Bang Banger is the choice (it was the only thing that the male knew in the area off the top of his head).

Sitting at a table in the corner by a window, he orders them both a glass a water. While the water was for her sake due to her tears, he is a bit winded from his run (he has got to get into shape...), Ann instantly returns to her brash tone, rejecting his comfort.

“I don’t have anything to talk about with you,” she spat, glaring daggers at him. But once again, Akira doesn’t flinch. “It was just an argument...” Perhaps if he were daft, he’d believe that and let it go. But he’s not, and calls her bluff.

“--with Kamoshida?” Her face is as flush red as her leggings, dejectedly looking away. Akira’s almost certain she’s distressed from whatever she’s bottling up or hiding away. Before he can question any further, her voice breaks through and cracks as she explains.

“--you’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you? About Mr. Kamoshida... Everyone says we’re getting it on... But that’s so not true...!” Digits fidget with the napkin, trying to find the words to say and also not fumble over them. Akira keeps focus, so he doesn’t let a single word slip, eyes looking at her face as she continues. “That was him on the other line... I avoided giving him my number for the longest time... he told me to go to his place after this... you know what it means...” Her fist curls up tightly to crush the paper she was fiddling with. Upon hearing that, Akira’s own face turns into a scowl of disgust, anger seething through every pore in his body. But all he can do at the moment is grip his pants in frustration, trying his damnedest to keep a straight face. “If I turn him down, he said he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team. I’ve been telling myself that this is all for Shiho’s sake...” She sinks back into her seat. “I can’t take it anymore... I’ve had enough of this... I hate him!!”

The water breaks through and falls into the lap of the distraught, leaving her eyes in soft pitter patter fashion before her face looks back up at him. Finally, her voice shatters like glass on the sidewalk, in a shrill of anguish and despair, desperate for an answer -- any answer -- that she can get. “But still... Shiho’s my best friend... she’s all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me... what should I do...?”

Ann’s face is visibly hurt, emotionally and mentally. Unable to bear the sight, silver greys close, as the fool couldn’t hide his emotions from the situation any longer, gritting his teeth in pure hatred from the advantage the other two have been getting abuse for. But before Akira can give an answer, she speaks again, trying to keep her strong facade, like before.

“Sorry... I shouldn’t have asked... it’s not your problem...”

Silence befalls the pair for a short moment before Akira opens his eyes and looks at her, who has dried her tears and speaks again in bewilderment of the situation.

“What... What am I saying...? I’ve barely even talked to you before...”

“Maybe that’s why,” he speaks solemnly, looking over at her with a reassuring smile and soft eyes. He fixes his glasses and nods his head, hoping that it does something for her. Lo and behold, a chuckle leaves the girl’s lips.

“--you might be right,” comes her voice again, returning to it’s normal tone as she shakes her head. “You’re so weird... usually everyone just ignores me. Are you really a bad person like the rumor says? You just don’t seem like it...”

Akira straightens up with the most innocent, puppy dog, lost look on his face as she speaks of ‘rumors’. He hasn’t been there a week yet and there were rumors? “...what rumors,” he asks, fixing his glasses.

“That you assaulted someone... that you almost killed them. I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations. You seemed lonely... almost like you didn’t belong anywhere... We’re the same in that regard. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for me to talk to you.” Ann’s face looks down at the table and her hand moves up to her face, holding it up in disdain. “Is there really no way for me to help Shiho...? I wish he’d just change his mind... Like, forget about me, and everything...” Falling back against the booth, she speaks back into reality. “As if something like that would ever happen...”

Akira’s eyes light up for a moment before he plays with his hair again. Despite his lack of knowledge of the situation, he still tries to cheer her up, giving her the answer he knows she wants to hear, hoping and praying that it continues for a positive boost in her morale and spirits. “It could happen.”

Another chuckle comes from those glossy lips, and she smiles at him. “I wasn’t asking for a serious response.” She straightens herself up. “But I do feel a bit better now. I’m going to head home.” Grabbing her water from the table and her school bag, she steps forward to next to him, and looks down towards him.

“--Don’t tell anyone what I told you, okay? I’ll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida.” Silver eyes look up at her with worry and a bit of guilt.

“Well... thanks,” she says quietly to him as she walks off, disappearing from the restaurant and into the crowd of Shibuya. Even if she told him not to say anything, he knew for a fact that this was going to be on his mind... and he knew for a fact that Kamoshida had to be stopped, even if it meant the worst for him. Not just for Shiho’s sake...

But for Ann’s too. // @pantherguise​

[jokaito-aa]

@pantherguise said, [ gift ] for your muse to surprise my muse with a gift

pen twirled betwix his fingers, hands rap against his cheeks and some hums here and there; ren is focused on his current project. morgana is watching for him if somebody comes up in the attic in case anyone like akechi comes upstairs. his trance is broken when he hears an excited meow and a greeting from the same cat. it seems ann has arrived. no one else could get the feline to be this happy.

he puts his pen down and gives ann a smile. his hand is raised for a simple wave to follow along with a gentle hello. curiosity rose in his eyes when he sees her hide something behind her back. he is told to close his eyes; that he does.

a moment passes by and he feels something in his hair. he opens his eyes, blinks and before he could grab his phone ann showed hers to reveal the camera. in his hair he sees hair clips; one that keep his hair more tamed and allowed for more sights. “ you got those for me? ” a pause. he chuckles. “ is this a sign i need to get a haircut - i’m kidding; thank you. i’ll be sure to use them a lot. ”

[jokerguise]

she says nothing, simply wiping the blood and sweat off his face, his arms.... the bruises color his pale skin blue and purple. it takes ann all of her power to not cry in frustration, in /anger/, at the people who treated him so disgustingly. and he looked so tired... oh, so tired. she presses her lips against where his cheek was free of any injury, in fear of hurting him further. ‘ ...i was so scared i wasn’t going to see you after that. ’

Consistent stings and aches happen all over the male’s body, his nerves screaming in constant pain from the amount of absolute torture that he went through. His cheek was swollen and the bruises almost seemed to multiply every time someone else looked at him.

Akira winced just from the delicate touch from the other, eyes dull from the extreme aggression that came from the corrupted officers. He reached up and pulled his hood down, and then closed his eyes in a bit of essence to relax. At least he could do that now. But he could see the disdain from Ann’s face – the venom she was holding back.

“–sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you…” It’s all he can manage to get out before he finds himself over the booth’s table in exhaustion. “I’m just glad to be home…”

[jokerguise]

“ are you going to kiss me, or am i going to have to lie in my journal? ”

SEND ME A BAD PICK-UP LINE

Silver grays looked over to the lovers, widened in surprise from the words that leave glossy lips. Lie to her journal? Ann kept a journal? He didn’t think that she was one to do such a thing (it seems way too… proactive, for her tastes), and takes him for a bit of a shock. Taking his glasses off, he sets them on the table and gives a chilling smirk.

“You’re going to have to lie anyways,” he starts, being coy about it. “You know damn well we didn’t just kiss on this vacation to America.”

Picking his frames back up, he sets them on her face before leaning in and giving her a small peck on her nose. “You wanted a kiss, you never said where.”

[jokerguise]

“ is she reaching a higher plane? what is happening? ”

Things My Roommate Says Sentence Starters (Part 1)

Akira turns his head and eyes from the attention of Ann for a second in the diner of Big Bang Burger, looking at the woman doing the Big Bang Challenge. In actuality, Akira had actually done that challenge before (not that he’d ever admit that to Ann herself), but this was a… more grotesque sight to behold. Even Morgana was giving the disapproval sounds from his bag, from how disgustingly sloppy the person was eating.

His eyes look down to his fries and he eats them one by one (he normally ate a few at a time), his eating speed slowing considerably from what it was before. A strong and slow gulp happens before he decides he’s through, pushing the platter of food to the center of the table.

“–that’s what you wanna call that?”

It’s clear that the male had obviously lost his appetite… the nasty noises that came from the other table as she continued to devour the burger with devastating speed was almost unholy. Were they even sure that… this… person was human? This was something you’d probably see on Tanaka’s Believe it or Not.

“…Yeah, uhh, I’m… leaving now,” Akira states as he stands up and grabs the bag from the chair next to him to head out. “I feel like I need to bathe now.”

[jokerguise]

“ can i get a picture of you? i want to show my parents what my spouse looks like.~ ”

SEND ME A BAD PICK-UP LINE

Rolling his eyes, the male gives a soft sigh and just huffs at the female. Only Ann could say something so… absurdly silly, but still manage to get a smile from the trickster. Pulling out his phone, he steps up to her and pulls her into a light headlock (not too tight now!) but pulls her head underneath his chin as he snaps a quick selfie.

“–we’re already married, you dork.”

[jokerguise]

tag dump, part 7. relationships.