#poor Kusanagi can't say anything to stop Mikoto

[happythexceed]

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

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

The Idol K

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

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

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

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

Memory of Red - ~Burn~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thoughts:

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

[ridiasfangirlings]

How do you think a time loop would work in k project? Like which point would you choose to start the loop at and which character out of the entire cast excluding yata and fushimi would you pick to be stuck in the time loop? Im writing a fic with this premise and ive chosen chitose and im thinking of either the day totsuka dies or the day after with the loop concluding every time mikoto dies lmao so im interested to see what youd pick for yourself.

'Excluding Yata and Fushimi' how dare you put this in hard mode D: The start of the time loop would I think depend on whether you want Totsuka's death to be avoidable or not. If the loop starts on the day of Totsuka's death, and by 'day' that would mean morning before, then obviously the first step in trying to change things would involve keeping Totsuka from going to that rooftop. While obviously my bias would be to have someone from the Blue clan doing the loop I think if we're putting the start of the loop in a spot where Totsuka's death is something of a catalyst then it would make most sense to have a Red clan member be the one starting the loop. I'm thinking either Kusanagi or Anna would probably be my pick, Kusanagi for the 'time loop to avoid all your friends being dead' end of things or Anna because of how things go in Missing Kings and how close she is to Mikoto and Totsuka. In both cases I can imagine the loop having two main points that need to be avoided: Totsuka needs to survive and then, by extension, Mikoto needs to survive, but at the same time they can't lose any other members either, like say the loop covers the time from when Totsuka originally died to when Mikoto died on the island. Actually rather than a Groundhog Day style loop it could be interesting to follow something similar to how Summertime Render's time loop works, where the character who's the main point of the time loop can 'reset' things by dying themselves but the catch is that the start of the loop continually shifts forward with each subsequent loop, so anything that's happened prior to that loop is now set in stone and can't be changed.

In this case I think I'd choose Kusanagi for the time looper (because Anna's a kid and has had enough trauma), like maybe when the time loop starts he decides to go to the roof with Totsuka in order to shuttle him away before Colorless can get there. Unfortunately Colorless still meets them coming down from the building, Kusanagi pushes Totsuka out of the way and ends up getting shot himself. Poor Totsuka is obviously upset, calling Mikoto and a little frantic as he tells Kusanagi to hold on while Kusanagi tries to tell Totsuka to make sure Mikoto doesn't do anything drastic this time, like at the very least if Kusanagi can change things so that both his friends survive then he'll feel like this death was worth it. Moments later though the loop restarts and now Kusanagi and Totsuka are on their way to the roof, Kusanagi stops Totsuka and suggests they go get a drink first instead. Kusanagi convinces Totsuka to stop at this nearby late night cafe and they stay there until it's past the time that Colorless left the rooftop, thus avoiding Totsuka's death in this timeline and Kusanagi thinks everyone's been saved. But then maybe this starts a whole new mess of problems, like Colorless still has interest in Mikoto and isn't going to just give up so he keeps trying to target Mikoto's people and say other characters end up dying as a result. Maybe in this loop Colorless crashes Weismann's airship directly into Bar Homra killing half the Homra members including Anna and Yata, and severely wounding Kusanagi. Kusanagi dies again but the loop starts once more, now the start point being when he and Totsuka are about to enter the cafe from earlier, and Kusanagi starts to realize what's going on here.

So from this point it's basically Kusanagi just desperately trying to stay ahead of what Colorless is doing at any given moment and doing his level best to keep Totsuka and Mikoto from dying (and imagine Totsuka in particular keeps dying pretty constantly, like the universe is just out to get him that way and Kusanagi is affected each time but then at the same time there's this exasperated 'not again' aspect to it too). I imagine he would try to keep this to himself just because he doesn't want to dump these worries on everyone else but it would be nice if he had allies too, like Anna figures out what's going on due to her powers and decides to help him in whatever way she can. This could actually be a good point to bring in the Silvers too, like particularly I'm thinking if the original loop started maybe right after Mikoto died in S1 originally while Kusanagi knows more or less what's going on with Shiro there was a lot he wasn't privy to as well. So while Shiro, Kuroh and Neko are running around trying to avoid Scepter 4 and Homra, Kusanagi is trying to find them and broker some kind of truce so that they can help defeat Colorless and keep Mikoto and Totsuka alive. And every time Kusanagi loops his time moves up, so he's also just trying to keep a step ahead of his own fate, knowing that at some point everything will be set in stone and once again lose things that he can't afford to lose.