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Linking With the Only One Called You (Chapter 1)

Amanogawa High School was for those who wanted to reach the stars. Ryuusei Sakuta wanted to be anywhere but, yet he finds himself transferring there anyway. After a whirlwind of a first day, Ryuusei finds himself as a member of the newly formed Kamen Rider Club, as Kamen Rider Fourze. As the Club gains new members and investigate the Zodiart appearances at the school, it becomes clear that not everyone at Amanogawa are what they seem, and even fellow students may turn out to be their enemy. Can friendship really endure when most of the Club has no interest in it?

And just what is the space loving Yuuki Jojima always up to?

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56095588/chapters/142483234

Everything about Amanogawa High School was too bright; its students, its faculty, even its uniform, with its bright blues and reds. Amanogawa was where you went when you wanted a bright future – when you wanted to go to the stars. In that regard, Ryuusei Sakuta was horribly out of place, he had no desire to go to the stars, and his new uniform felt more like a prison compared to his old, dull, uniform back at Subaruboshi. Though he’d shed Subaruboshi’s brown uniform for Amanogawa’s bright blue and red, he wasn’t happy about it.

Amanogawa was a step towards the stars, and Ryuusei wanted nothing more than to stay on Earth.

Where Jirou was.

As he walked past the gate of Amanogawa, his new school, he checked his watch. He still had plenty of time, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. His parents thought that a change of scenery would be good for him, leave behind his problems at Subaruboshi. Ryuusei begged to differ, though, as now he had to start at a new school and deal with the fact that his best friend was in the hospital showing no signs of waking up.

“Make sure to make a few friends,” his mother had told him when she’d seen him off that morning. The last thing Ryuusei wanted to do was make friends, at Amanogawa of all places. Not when he was more worried about the friend he already had.

The homeroom teacher of class 2B seemed nice enough, Ms. Sonoda. He didn’t get to talk with her much, before class, not that he particularly cared to. He wanted the next year or so to go as quickly as possible, so he could go back to Subaruboshi. The bell rang and the class began to quiet down.

“Everyone, we have a new student, through the exchange program with Subaruboshi High School.” Ms. Sonoda introduced Ryuusei, and now all eyes were on him.

It was fortunate, or unfortunate for Ryuusei, that Subaruboshi had recently begun an exchange program with Amanogawa. That program was the only reason he’d found himself at a different school, now. He had the grades for it, but it was his parents who’d practically forced him to apply. It was just his luck that Ryuusei was the one chosen.

“I’m Ryuusei Sakuta,” He hated that he had to be here. “Let’s get along.”

“You can take the empty seat there in front of Utahoshi.” It wasn’t like Ryuusei knew who that was, but it was easy to tell where she was referring to. There was only one open seat in the classroom, after all. He supposed that made the grouchy looking boy behind it Utahoshi. Not that it mattered much, Ryuusei figures as he heads to sit down. He’s not here to make friends.

The girl beside him smiles, “I’m Yuuki Jojima,” she seems too friendly for Ryuusei’s liking. Ms. Sonoda begins to talk, though Jojima doesn’t seem to pay her much mind. “I can show you around-“

“Please pay attention, Jojima,” Ms. Sonoda called out. Jojima winced a little, but turned her attention towards the front with a small frown.

The next few hours went by quickly enough, Ryuusei let the instruction hold his attention more than much else. It was still far too long for his taste, and he was relieved when lunch finally came. He had intended to make a beeline for the cafeteria, but was stopped by Jojima.

“Let me show you around,” Jojima insisted.

Ryuusei hid his grimace with a polite smile, “No thank you, I’ll be alright.”

She frowned just a little, before that smile returned, “Amanogawa’s got some interesting groups, you’re new here, so you’re probably not going to fit in with anyone…”

“I’m not too worried about that,” Friendship isn’t needed here anyway.

“Come on,” Jojima grabbed his wrist and began to drag him out of the classroom, barely giving him any time to protest further. He sighed, deciding it would probably be best to let her do what she wanted.

At the very least, she waited until he had gotten lunch to launch onto her explanation of Amanogawa’s cliques. “You’ve got the popular kids, the football jocks, the nerds, the delinquents, the occult goths…” She listed, gesturing to each group. “And then you’ve got groups like them. I don’t even know what their deal is. Just that Utahoshi probably spends more time in the nurse’s office than in class…” She gestured to where Utahoshi sat with another girl, who appeared to be something of a goth.

“All schools have their in groups of some kind,” Ryuusei responded. That was true even of Subaruboshi, though perhaps not as noticeably as here. Amanogawa appeared to allow a lot more leeway in their dress code. Well, Ryuusei had read the handbook, he knew for a fact their dress code was very lenient, not even requiring the school uniform. His parents had simply insisted he had to wear it, to his own dismay.

“Maybe…” She frowned a little again, before looking at the time. “Ah! Sorry, I have to go, I’m supposed to meet with someone!”

Ryuusei shrugged, “It’s fine.” He wants her gone, anyway. Something about her smile was starting to get on his nerves. She was way too earnest.

Oh, and that odd pair of Utahoshi and the goth had disappeared. They, like Yuuki, must have had somewhere else they’d rather be. Then again, so did Ryuusei, unfortunately for him, he just couldn’t go to where he’d rather be.

The rest of the day passed at about the same speed as earlier. Ryuusei didn’t mind per se, the lectures and assignments were a distraction from his worry. Still, he was relieved when the final bell rang for the day. He needed to try to figure out more about what happened to Jirou, he doubted Amanogawa had any information. He would head back to Subaruboshi to investigate further.

Along the way, he passed by where the football team was practicing, and he heard a commotion. It sounded… an awful lot like a fight, but not any kind of fight he was familiar with. He ducked behind a building and looking around the corner, he saw some monster attacking the football players. What the hell was that?

He might not care for the football players, but he couldn’t allow them to simply be attacked. Tossing his bag aside, he ran at the monster, kicking it away from one of the players. When his feet land back on the ground, he focuses. He has plenty of practice for this, and while the monster was clearly not all that hurt by his kick, he could be enough to hold it off until the all the players were able to escape.

As Ryuusei fought off the monster, he noted it had a weird pattern on it. Something about the locations and arrangement of the circles and lines felt… familiar, though he couldn’t place where.

His fist fight with the monster was interrupted by a bright yellow blur, knocking it away and sending Ryuusei awkwardly tumbling to the ground to avoid the blur. He blinked, and then he could see that the blur that had knocked the monster away was some kind of robot.

“Careful, Utahoshi,” A voice called out, “You’ll hit your new classmate.” Ryuusei glanced in the direction of the voice, finding the goth girl who had been with Utahoshi at lunch as the source.

From the yellow robot came a scoff, the only response to the goth girl’s observation. Frankly, Ryuusei would appreciate it if he – presumably Utahoshi in there – showed a little more concern about not hurting him. There were a lot of questions on Ryuusei’s mind, but he pulled himself up and hurried off to hide behind the corner of a building. He watched as the robot fought the monster, the goth girl watching as well.

She spoke again, “That seems to be the Orion Zodiart,” She glanced at the pages of a book, though Ryuusei couldn’t say as to what the book was about. “A hunter… and he seems to be hunting the students.”

“Now’s not the time for theories,” From the yellow robot came a voice, presumably Utahoshi’s. He sounded strained and out of breath.

It seemed piloting that robot took its toll on Utahoshi, as his movements became more sluggish, and soon the monster was able to get away. Out from the robot came Utahoshi, looking exhausted.

The goth girl hurried over to him, “Utahoshi,” She didn’t seem surprised, but certainly concerned. “Did you overdo it again?”

Utahoshi shook his head, “I’m fine.” Still, he was out of breath, and the goth girl didn’t even seem to believe him.

“Let’s get the Dizer back, then you can get some rest at the Hutch.” The goth girl helped him up.

“Yes… where’d that Sakuta go?” Utahoshi looked around, prompting Ryuusei to duck out of sight, hidden behind the building. He could still faintly hear the two.

There’s a moment of silence, and then the goth girl responded, “He ran off. Probably far away from here.”

“If he’s smart,” Utahoshi’s voice sounded almost dismissive. “But then again, he tried to fight a Zodiart, Nozama, I doubt he’s that bright.”

The goth girl, presumably Nozama, said, “Let’s just get going. It’s better not to linger here.”

Ryuusei waited a bit, until the sound of footsteps and machinery was fading. Utahoshi and Nozama obviously knew something about that monster – a Zodiart, Utahoshi had called it – and Ryuusei wanted to know more. He couldn’t be sure, but it wasn’t impossible that this monster, and by proxy Utahoshi and Nozama, were connected to that night with Jirou…

He’d know for sure if he saw one of those switches.

Carefully, he followed Utahoshi and Nozama. They stored the robot machine, the Dizer, away, and then reentered the school. This part of the school didn’t seem like it was often used, especially given the storage room that the pair had entered. When Ryuusei caught up, he found the storage room empty, no sign of Utahoshi and Nozama.

He investigated the room, though it wasn’t big. There wasn’t really anywhere for anyone to hide, save for a locker. And a locker wouldn’t be big enough for two people to comfortably, if fit at all. Still, there could be a sign of them in there, maybe their bags or something…

When Ryuusei opened the locker, he was met with a bright, blinding white light.

What was this?

He then realized that the white light appeared to be some kind of hallway. He thinks, at the very end, he can see some kind of door. Taking a breath, he stepped in, tightly holding the strap of his bag, and he shut the door of the locker behind him. Step by step, he traversed through the tunnel, seeming to be endlessly white in every direction, save for in front of and behind him.

Finally, he reached the door. It wasn’t like the locker door, or even a regular door. This one was metal, seeming almost like a hatch. Reaching out, he grabbed the handle and turned it, opened the door.

On the other side, the first thing Ryuusei registers is a lot of white. Not as blindingly as the tunnel, but certainly white. He could spy some English text on walls and machinery, but he doesn’t get a chance to try to make out what it says. Instead, he feels the eyes of Utahoshi and Nozama on him.

“What are you doing here?” Utahoshi is quick to ask, standing up from the table, where his briefcase was opened.

Ryuusei turned his attention to them, for now. “I followed you,” He answered plainly.

“Followed us…?” Nozama mumbled, a book clutched to her chest, her fingers covering the lower part of her face.

“That monster, what was it?” He leaned against the wall beside the door, eyes still trained on Utahoshi and Nozama.

“That’s none of your business,” Utahoshi answered, almost as soon as Ryuusei had finished his question. Obviously, he wouldn’t be all that forthcoming with answers. Still, Ryuusei wouldn’t give up so easily.

He frowned, “You know what it is, I heard the two of you talking about it.”

“It’s none of your business,” Utahoshi repeated, this time more forcefully.

Nozama watched them, carefully and curiously. She seemed mostly willing to let this conversation stay between Ryuusei and Utahoshi, and Ryuusei was fine with that. Utahoshi likely had more answers, based on what Ryuusei had seen so far. Though she obviously knew something about what was going on.

Recalling that fateful night, Ryuusei remembered the device in Jirou’s hand… “Does it have something to do with… switches?” That was the best way to describe the device.

That elicited a slight change in expression from Utahoshi, “How did you…?”

“I’ve seen it before, Utahoshi. And it wasn’t here.” While it wasn’t entirely true, Utahoshi’s reaction said enough that his hunch that the incident with Jirou and this monster at Amanogawa were somehow connected.

That statement seemed concern Utahoshi, who took a step back and paced just a little, in thought. “I hadn’t thought any Zodiarts had appeared outside of Amanogawa…”

“Maybe,” Nozama spoke up, taking a few steps closer to Ryuusei, examining him, “this is a sign, a fate that brought Sakuta to this school. Drawn to the Zodiarts.”

Her statement was… odd. Ryuusei wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it, though judging by Utahoshi’s expression, he was somewhat used to it, though still not particularly thrilled. “I doubt that’s the case…” He then turned his attention to Ryuusei, “You need to forget about all of this. It under control.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Ryuusei had seen their solution for that, hitting the monster – Zodiart – with that mech. It wasn’t an awful solution, but it clearly wasn’t the most effective, especially seeing how awful it left Utahoshi. He seemed better now, but it was obvious that piloting that thing left him very drained. It couldn’t be the most viable solution.

“Like you would know,” Utahoshi scoffed.

Looking between Ryuusei and Utahoshi, Nozama wonder aloud, “Maybe he’s the one who could use…” Her gaze then wanders over to a desk, where a strange belt sat.

“No,” Utahoshi shut down that thought before Nozama could elaborate any further. Ryuusei got the impression that, despite the amount of time that they spent together, Utahoshi and Nozama didn’t appear to be all that friendly with each other. “We don’t need anyone-“

Ryuusei decides he can’t upset Utahoshi any more quickly, so he asked, “Just what is that?”

“You ask too many questions,” Utahoshi snapped. “Leave.”

Now that Ryuusei knew the way into their little base, there was no harm in waiting until they were gone to take a closer look. It might even let him get a closer look at that odd belt. As it was, it didn’t seem likely he’d get any more answers from Utahoshi and Nozama, at least with how annoyed Utahoshi seemed.

“Fine then,” He shifted his bag on his shoulder and then turned and left. He’d come back later, when they were gone.

Once back at the school proper, Ryuusei situates himself in a nook by the hallway leading to the storage room, from here, he should be able to see Utahoshi and Nozama leave. Now it was just a matter of killing time, waiting until they finally left. Hopefully, it would be before it got too late, though Ryuusei could always tell his parents he was practicing, surely they’d believe at least one familiar routine was good for him.

Even if, truthfully, he’d kept her practice to places where he was alone and out of the way. He felt too uneasy practicing around others, since that night. A repeat wouldn’t even hurt that much, he just… couldn’t shake the feeling. The memory of that night stays with him, and all Ryuusei can hope to do is find a way to fix what happened. To wake Jirou.

His gaze fell to the watch that Jirou had given him, now a reminder of why he had to find a way to save him. And if that meant figuring out what was going on at this school with Utahoshi, Nozama, and these Zodiart creatures, then so be it. He wasn’t certain there was any connection with what happened to Jirou, but Utahoshi’s reaction gave him the most evidence he’d had yet, and he wasn’t letting go of a lead this easily.

His opportunity arose quick enough, as only about half an hour or so later, Nozama and Utahoshi appeared out of the storage room. Much like after fighting that monster before, Utahoshi looked worse for wear, Nozama helping him along. He can just barely hear Nozama mumbled, “You really are prince of the nurse’s office,” as they pass by. Based on that comment and Jojima’s earlier one at lunch, Ryuusei gets the suspicion that Utahoshi’s poor health was a repeating occurrence.

Regardless of the regularity, as soon as the two were out of the hallway, Ryuusei had a chance to examine their little base more closely. He slips out of his hiding spot and back to the storage room. With no hesitation this time, he opens up the locker and enters the white tunnel. Wherever this led, it certainly wasn’t in the school, he could gather that much even from his first visit. That, and the odd white tunnel certainly helped that theory.

On the other side of the door in that tunnel was where he’d previously spoken with Utahoshi and Nozama. Now that they weren’t here and he could get a closer look, he could see the words “Rabbit Hutch” written on the wall in English. The machinery that was present along the walls appeared very scientific, not something you’d find in an average high school – or even one like Amanogawa. Something about it seemed very… science fiction, in a way. The sort of thing you only saw in regard to space and such.

He didn’t know how much time he had, though. Nozama may come back once she’d gotten Utahoshi to the nurse’s office. He’d have to either be out of this place by then or find somewhere to hide away and avoid notice. So he turned his sights to the belt from earlier. Whatever it was, Utahoshi was adamant that it wouldn’t involve Ryuusei, and frankly, Ryuusei wasn’t sure why Nozama would even suggest that it might.

The belt was… odd. It looked a bit like a kid’s toy, in a way, a light blue color with a lever on the left side. There were four slots, two on each side of some kind of display that maybe showed the silhouette of a person, but it was hard to tell with the screen dark. He picked up the belt, and though it appeared light, there was a certain weight to it that half surprised Ryuusei. It was no kid’s toy, that was for sure.

No, there was this certain… sensation pulsing through it. The casing blocked a lot of it, but every few seconds, Ryuusei felt a tingle, a little jolt as if it was trying to tell him something in it was more than just a strange device. In some ways, it made him want to drop it, end any and all contact with it, but in others… in other ways, he felt like it was trying to tell him something. Trying to reach out and…

The door opened, snapping Ryuusei out of his thoughts. In walked Nozama, who didn’t show it if she was surprised to see him. “Sakuta.”

“Nozama,” He said, quickly setting the belt back down, the odd sensation ceasing. A phantom of the feeling still lingered on his fingertips.

She regarded him for a moment, her gaze once again covering him, searching him, like she was trying to find something. It made Ryuusei uneasy, prompting him to cross his arms. Her lips curved into a smile, “Welcome to the Rabbit Hutch, Sakuta. Something has brought you here.”

“Something has brought me here?” He was unsure what she meant.

“Yes… a cosmic fate, I believe, has brought you here. Your seeking answers, and the moon surely holds them.” She responded, showing him the cover of her book. The title read Astral Moon, the cover depicting a moon surrounded by odd symbols. It appeared to be some kind of fiction book, though knowing so little about Nozama it was hard to say much more. He was beginning to think she fell under the category of occult goth, though.

He blinked, realizing that she was just exaggerating. Of course she was, there was no way she could know anything about why he was so interested in this all or anything about a… a “cosmic fate”. Amanogawa High School is full of characters, it seems.

“That’s…” He struggled to find the words to respond to her with.

She walked over to a lever, “Let me show you where we really are.” She pulled it up, and the shutters that previously covered the windows along the top of the ceiling pulled up, revealing the outside. The very dark and star filled outside – and most notably, the Earth.

He could see the Earth.

“…What the hell?” If he could see the Earth, then he wasn’t on the Earth. The Rabbit Hutch was not on Earth. How? How could two high schools students be hanging out on something in space?

Nozama had an amused smile, “The Rabbit Hutch is a moon base,” She said, “Utahoshi’s father used to work here.”

“Utahoshi’s father?”

She nodded, “He was a scientist. He created that device,” She pointed at the belt he’d been holding, “The Fourze Driver.”

That explained why Utahoshi reacted so oddly. He was probably protective of his father’s work. But just what even was this… Fourze Driver? He looked between the window and Nozama, “Why are you telling me about all this?”

“Neither Utahoshi nor I can use the Fourze Driver, he says it must take a certain person…” Her smile faded, just a little, forming into a small frown.

“And you think I might be that person?” Ryuusei couldn’t imagine why she’d think that. They’d just met and have interacted only twice now. He hadn’t even really known about the Zodiarts until an hour or so ago.

Nodding again, Nozama said, “Your arrival is a sign from the stars-“

He shook his head, “I really don’t think that’s the case.” The stars were sending no signs, and certainly not about him. She’s way too into that occult stuff.

“And yet… you’re one of the few to know about the Zodiarts, and on your first day…” While he might have been one of the few to know what they were called, he doubted so few else had seen them. Even the one earlier would have been seen by the whole football team, and if there had been more of them before, they certainly would have been seen by at least a few more people.

Before they could continue the conversation further, one of the computers beeped, pulling both of their attentions. The screen turned on, displaying that Zodiart from before, seemingly attacking students again.

“The Orion Zodiart,” Nozama observed, eyes darting between the screen, Ryuusei, and the Fourze Driver.

It didn’t seem to be outside this time, so it must be a different attack, one occurring now. “That’s the school’s hallways…” He said, then dashed out the door. Utahoshi’s mech wouldn’t be able to fight inside, and it seemed he didn’t exactly have a plan for that. If it took a certain kind of person to use the Fourze Driver, then they were better off just finding another way to deal with the Zodiart.

And maybe it knew something about what happened to Jirou.

“Sakuta!” Nozama called out, but Ryuusei was already out the door. He was wasting no time in finding where that Zodiart was.

He ran through the halls of Amanogawa, searching for the one from the video. That, and for the fleeing students. Whatever direction they were going, he knew Orion must be in the opposite. When he finally found Orion, he kept behind a corner, watching. It seemed like Orion was after something – maybe the football team? Or his previous attack on them could have been coincidental. It was hard to say yet, but figuring it out might give an advantage against Orion.

While he was watching Orion, Nozama caught up to him, holding the Fourze Driver. “Sakuta,” Her voice was quiet, clearly aware that it was possible for Orion to hear them. “If you can use the Fourze Driver, you’ll be able to fight Orion.”

“If it’s so picky, then it probably won’t like me either,” He responded, looking away from over the corner and over at Nozama.

She held the Fourze Driver out to him anyway, “There’s only one way to know for sure.” There were devices slotted into the holes now, seeming like some kind of switches, but different from the one he’d seen Jirou with. Orange, blue, yellow, and black. She practically shoved it in his hands. “Flip the switches in the belt, then pull the lever. If it doesn’t work, nothing will happen.”

He takes it, begrudgingly, “And if it does?”

“You’ll know,” She smiled, taking several steps back.

Ryuusei sighed, but she wouldn’t be happy until he gave it a try. He placed the belt on his waist, straps coming out and locking around him, fitting perfectly. Then, going across, he activated each switch.

3…

2…

1…

It was quite noisy, a glance around the corner shows that it caught Orion’s attention. “Nozama,” He said, hurriedly.

She smiled, almost disturbingly, “It’s working. Pull the lever and say transform.”

“What?”

“Do it!”

With little else to do other than run, Ryuusei complies. He reached down for the lever and pulled it, “Transform.”

And a sudden burst of steam appeared from the Driver, obscuring him. Then armor appeared, most of what Ryuusei can make out is white. Somehow… it seemed Nozama was right, the Fourze Driver did work for him, though how she knew that was beyond him. It must have been a coincidence.

“So this is Fourze…” Nozama breathed, amazed.

He glanced back at her, “Fourze?”

She nodded, “Yes, Kamen Rider Fourze!” There was an unusual excitement in her voice.

Kamen Rider Fourze, huh? Well, Ryuusei could work with that. If what Nozama and Utahoshi had implied was right, then he should be able to deal with Orion easy. The armor still felt strange on him, pulsing and jolting just as the Fourze Driver had, but he could ignore it. He had a Zodiart to deal with, after all.

“Right, then,” He turned his attention to Orion, “This is between you and me.”

Ryuusei ran at Orion. Fighting wasn’t a new thing to Ryuusei, but this was different than anything before. Spars weren’t intended to be full out fights, weren’t intended to be stopping someone from hurting others. This was a fight, between Fourze and Orion, one that Ryuusei wouldn’t lose. The armor might be new, but the movements needed weren’t, they were practiced, like second nature to him.

His first order of business was to get Orion out of the halls and into somewhere more open. That would be tricky, even with windows, he’d still have to get Orion through…

“Fighting in here will be too hard,” Nozama called out, “Use the Rocket Switch to get him outside!”

She said that like he had anyway of knowing which of the Switches in the belt was which. “A little more description would be useful!” He called back, blocking a swing from Orion.

“The one on the far right,” He ducked to the side and flipped the Switch she said to.

Rocket on!

Out from the Switch came a bright orange rocket that attached itself to Ryuusei’s right arm. “Is this actually-“ Before he can finish his question, the rocket’s thrusters activate. Though it took him a moment to get it under control enough, the rocket gave him enough force he could grab on to Orion and let the rocket take them through the ceiling and out of the building.

They land roughly on the ground, the rocket still blaring. The momentum keeps pushing Ryuusei, forcing him to keep moving around. Maybe he could use it to help him fight, though. After weaving through a few attempts at attacking him, he manages to land a hit on Orion and gets a moment to turn off the Switch. His arm hurt from having a rocket on it, even if the effect was lessened by the suit.

He and Orion resumed their fight. While the rocket was helpful and all, Ryuusei was far more comfortable using his fists, it’s what he knew best. They trade blows until they push each other back, giving some space, and the Switch on the far left began to flash and beep. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he flipped it on anyway.

Radar on!

From his left arm came a panel and a satellite dish. Out came an annoyed voice, “Use the other Switches, for goodness sake.”

“Utahoshi?” Sure enough, that was Utahoshi’s voice, and on the screen was him, seemingly in the Rabbit Hutch once more. He must have hurried there when he realized Orion had appeared.

“Yes,” He said, still sounding annoyed, “If you use Radar, this Switch, together with Launcher, the one on the middle right, you’ll be able to aim missiles at Orion.”

Utahoshi would probably know how these Switches work best, and given this is a fight, Ryuusei figured it would be best to listen to him. “I’ll take your word for it.” He reached and flipped the blue Switch on the middle right.

Launcher on!

He pointed the dish on his arm towards Orion, watching as the screen changed until it seemed to have found its target. He planted his right leg down and the blue apparatus that had attached itself there fired missiles at Orion. Each landed on him, just as Utahoshi said they would.

“Good,” Utahoshi said, “Now you can go back to close combat. Change the Launcher Switch for the other one you have.”

“The other…” Sure enough, he found a Switch of a lighter blue than the Launcher Switch. “Alright, then.” Again, he’d have to take Utahoshi’s word on it. It flipped off the Launcher Switch and swapped it out for the lighter blue one, activating it.

Chainsaw on!

Replacing the launcher on his right leg, now a light blue chainsaw appeared. At this point, it wasn’t even a surprise. It wasn’t exactly Ryuusei’s style, but he could make it work. Now his kicks with that leg would simply… have a bit extra blade to them. Though he attempts to kick Orion, Orion blasts at him, keeping him from getting close.

What a pain. He deactivated the Chainsaw Switch, it wouldn’t do him any good if he couldn’t get close. Well, he’d just have to be faster…

Rocket on!

With the Rocket Switch, he had both more speed, as well as the ability to take to the sky, allowing him to weave between Orion’s blasts. Now how to deal with Orion… he recalls the one Switch he hasn’t used yet, the yellow one. “Let’s see what this one does.”

Drill on!

From the Radar, Utahoshi called out, “What are you doing? Don’t-“ but Ryuusei just rolled his eyes and flipped the Switch off. Utahoshi’s advice was helpful, sure, but Ryuusei could handle it from here. He knew what each of the five Switches he had did, now it was just a matter of using them to defeat Orion.

“Let’s end this fight,” Using the rocket to speedily propel him towards Orion, Ryuusei held the foot that the drill was on out into a kick. He flew through Orion, causing an explosion as the drill dug itself into the ground.

Turning to look at where Orion once stood, he couldn’t see anything. Maybe the Zodiarts weren’t related to that switch Jirou had…

“You did it!” He heard Nozama call out, finally catching up to him. “The first Zodiart defeated by Kamen Rider Fourze…”

Ryuusei sighed, “I guess… what even is a Kamen Rider?”

“Well, urban legends but… they’re heroes who fight for justice!” Nozama quickly pulled something up on a tablet she held, showing him videos of various masked and armored people fighting monsters.

“Heroes who fight for justice…” Well that was not how Ryuusei would describe himself at all. Then again, it seemed likely Nozama had given Fourze that title herself.

Before their conversation could proceed, along came Utahoshi in his mech, “Ryuusei Sakuta.” He said, voice dripping in anger.

It seems Ryuusei had really pissed him off. Not that he thought it took a whole lot to get on Utahoshi’s nerves. “Utahoshi, it seems we’ll be working together from here-“

Utahoshi cut him off with a vicious “No,” and grabbed him by the waist, lifting him up.

“Utahoshi!” Nozama called out, obviously not pleased by this turn on events.

“I’m not working with you, nor am I letting you be Fourze.” Utahoshi said, the mech yanking the Fourze Driver off of Ryuusei as it set him on the ground. Ryuusei stumbled, but was thankful Utahoshi at least wasn’t trying to hurt him. With that mech he certainly could.

Talk about grouchy.

As the mech took off, Nozama called out Utahoshi’s name again, but he obviously wasn’t listening. Her frustration with his actions was evident.

Ryuusei turned and began to walk away. He’d figure something out, he knew how to get to the Rabbit Hutch, after all. Utahoshi would have a hard time keeping him from the Fourze Driver, and Ryuusei didn’t really care all that much what he thought of him.

What an exciting first day at his new school.

---

“So Fourze has appeared at my school,” A man with red eyes sat in a dark room, pondering the most recent events. Mitsuaki Gamou was a patient man, his plan had been in motion for eighteen years, he could wait a while longer. Especially as Fourze’s appearance would surely usher his plan along faster than he could ever otherwise dream of.

And, of course, he had his Horoscopes to aid him. Leo, Virgo, and Libra stood waiting for instruction. And though Scorpio had yet to be graced with his presence, he was being instructed by Libra. There was another he had high hopes for, but the time hadn’t come to give her a Switch, yet…

Yes, his plan was coming along wonderfully.

#kamen rider fourze #roleswap #kamen rider #my writing #linking with the only one called you #eternity will never fade in our hearts carry on

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andthebeanstalk · 3 days

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Uh-oh! You are like, SOOO awkward!!

You're so awkward that it is occasionally mildly uncomfortable for people!

You're so awkward that sometimes people are confused by you and then there are awkward silences!

You're so awkward ...... that ultimately no one is harmed!!

Oh damn!!! What a vile crime you have committed! What an unforgivable thing it is to make a fellow human briefly confused!

Why, if *I* were ever briefly confused and kind of uncomfortable as a result, I'd be devastated.... by the absolute net zero change in my happiness and health! - From which I might never recover!! Yes indeed! No punishment can ever be enough for you!!

So you better absolutely hate yourself for it.

Better be SO MEAN to yourself about every single missed social cue so you don't forget your horrible crime! Meaner than you'd ever dream of being to someone else for the same thing! This is YOUR responsibility!

Better accept that idea that bullies carry like guns in holsters - the idea that people who have trouble with social cues should suffer. Better carry on the burden they placed on you. Aid the cause of the callous by enforcing shame and suffering upon yourself extra hard; try your best to do their work for them. They're very busy.

Better not recognize that you need patience and kindness to heal from your trauma. Better not find out that it was trauma rather than personal weakness filling your head with self-hating thoughts. Better not find out it wasn't your fault.

Better not find out that awkwardness is not inherently harmful or unkind, and, in fact, the people who act like it is *are the ones enacting harm and being cruel.*

Better not get righteously angry when you realize just how much unnecessary damage this has done to you. After all, if you get mad, you might realize you deserve better. You might even feel brave enough to DEMAND better! You might build boundaries that keep you safe! You might make other people think they deserve to feel safe too! And we obviously can't be having that, so...

Better not show yourself even a little kindness a little bit at a time.

Better not make a habit out of it after all that practice.

Better not get confident.

Especially if you can't first wipe out every trace of awkward. (And you probably never will. Because people who experience absolute social certainty at all times tend to be insufferable assholes that enforce the status quo. And you just don't have the stock portfolio for that.)

Better not be confident and awkward because then you might confuse and delight people

- you might accidentally end up making other people feel less shame for their social difficulties

- you might make isolated, traumatized, and shy people feel like they deserve to be included in social situations

- you might even make them feel they can be themselves around you

- you might start loving the effect you have on a room

- you might enjoy conversations more

- you might forgive yourself and bounce back from shame more easily and frequently

- you might come to enjoy some of those moments of harmless confusion you cause because NOBODY expects the Confident Awkward, and that can genuinely be an advantage in social situations

- you might stop apologizing so much.

- you might find that socializing is like a video game: it requires practice but also a safe space for it to be fun and positive.

Or if you can't become assertive and confident, better not remain awkward and shy and quiet, and then love and forgive yourself anyway!

Why, it would be carnage!!

In either scenario, you run the risk of finding out that it's not your fault that safe spaces full of kind people can be really hard to find, create, and nurture. You could end up building a skillset that helps you do those things!

- You might realize that it was never your fault that it took so long to like yourself.

- You might realize that you were always worth talking to, even when you didn't like yourself and communication felt impossibly difficult.

- You might realize that you'll still be worth talking to even if communication becomes harder as you age and/or experience disability.

- You might know that you deserve to be heard even on bad days when words come slow and blurry.

You might discover that you were always deserving of kindness, first and foremost from yourself.

So. As you can see, it's FAR too much of a risk to take to cut your awkward self some slack for your many heinous and harmless crimes. Better to just leave it there.

#social skills #i have a few posts now in my ' social skills' tag #original #maybe eventually I will compile them and polish them in some meaningful way. I know what I want to call the book title #in big text it'll say 'I'M AUTISTIC' and then beneath that in smaller text 'And I Have Better Social Skills Than You'#or something to that effect. and the cover of the book will be me making an exaggerated smug face like the little rascal I am #challenging the viewer to pick up the book and see if they can prove me wrong.#and then the entire first section of the book is about how actually the issue with our society's social skills is the harsh judgment #for people who have trouble communicating and not the other way around. I don't actually think I'm the #most charismatic person in the world by a very long shot. but i do know that I have put more thought into my social skills than #most allistic people and frankly i have surpassed most of them. not because i am more persuasive or smooth or funny #(tho i am persuasive and funny lol) but bc i have questioned which social functions are more restriction than utility.#and instead i have focused my energy on actively learning how to make people feel safe. i feel social rules would benefit all people by #being a little more autistic tyvm. i don't think every person should dedicate themselves to being better at communicating #i think people should dedicate themselves to being kind and patient to everyone regardless of their ability to communicate #I think our society wrongly links communication ability to intelligence and intelligence to level of humanity.#when in fact all three of those things are fucking unrelated and connecting them inevitably leads to #really fucked up views on disabled people that hurt us. and then with that aspect of the book firmly understood and established I would #go on to recommend some ways to make socializing easier and more fulfilling (and less shameful and terrifying) for all kinds of people #it wouldn't be a book about Leaning In To Succeed in Business or 'here's how to avoid being the awkward loner at a party'#it'd be a book about how if you see someone alone at a party here's how to invite them to join your group without pressuring them #stuff like 'hot tip! if someone takes a while to type or speak a full sentence - talking over them b4 they can finish makes u an asshole!'#I know that a lot of people cannot or don't want to dump a lot of skill points into socializing like i did and they shouldn't have to in #order to experience basic dignity and respect. if we treat people like that then we just validate that people - especially #autistic children and elders and disabled people of manu varieties - have to suffer unless they learn all these arbitrary bullshit rules #and a lot of them are arbitrary bullshit! one of the reasons I throw people off so much is because I harmlessly break a lot of social rules #but I know I'm doing it and I'm not ashamed and people just don't know what to do with that! but a lot of them like it actually!!#i think it's a relief to be around someone so openly and unrelentingly weird bc what am I gonna do? judge you for being weird??#I only care if you're kind. not necessarily 'nice' or passive. Kind. Brave enough to care about people being treated well. Kind.#also I recognize that at least some of my ability to be openly weird is white privilege so that's important to acknowledge too

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