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vminity21 · 3 years

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Promise Me | pjm

Pairing: Actor!Jimin X Actress!Reader, ot7 featured, friendshiptolovers!au

Word Count: 17, 280

Genre: fluff/soft/angst/smut

Warning(s): mega-angst, family rivalry, eventual smut, losing virginity, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, nipple play, mild language use Rated: 18+

Summary: You and Park Jimin, two best friends who grow up together, pursue each of your careers in acting. Even after a horrible misunderstanding which then leads to losing contact, the two of you never give up on your dreams. Nor, do you give up on each other.

Credit to: @suhdays for making such an awesome cover!

He relies on his elbow while he slides to lay on his side, beat up converse crossing at the ankles while the loose scrape of his jacket sounds when greeted by the hardwood floor; his cheek brushes your shin once he makes himself comfortable. Your arms are folded across the tops of your knees where you rest your chin, staring at him fondly as you wait for his cue to speak, "You know you can trust me," he flashes a full smile- eyes disappearing into crescents causing your heart to melt at his overwhelming beauty.

"I know, I just... It's not you, it's me," you say, the cliché line sounding believable coming from your lips. Looking towards his clasped hands in response, he nods,

"It's not you, it's me... I've said that plenty of times in my life,"

"So, you understand me," you muse with the raise of your eyebrows hoping your stare exuberates your flirty side. When he returns to peer up at you, his thick lips poise with a slight twitch as if he's conjuring up a reply,

"Come here," he tilts his head up while you maneuver yourself to reach him- lips lock in the most passionate mold, and when he moves to where he can easily pull you closer, his kiss almost makes you forget where you are. Your hand trails to tangle with his blonde strands, getting lost in the movement he makes while he leans back, pulling you with him as previously practiced-

CRASH!

Jumping at the ear-piercing sound of shattering glass, wide eyes stare at the culprit of your piggy bank that fell from the pedestal he happened to lean against for support. Gulping, coins and dollar bills sparsely decorate the floor with the jagged pieces, but none of that is the reason why your heart is pounding with intense fear. There, lying in the jumbled mess of a pile is a couple of ID cards to cover your real identity.

He stands to his feet slowly, taking careful steps toward the muddle.

"I- I can-" You begin, trying to gather an explanation- watching him shuffle up the cards when a façade of shock covers his expression.

"What- what are these?" Anger darkens his eyes with the subtle rise of his voice.

"I can- I can explain-" tears brim the moment he halts your words by holding out his hand.

"No. Don't. I think I've seen enough," he tosses the cards onto your bed before stomping toward the door. Jolting to your feet, you mirror panic,

"No, Sam, please! Wait, please!"

Chasing after him, he spins around, "We're done, Kylee," he removes your hand that happened to reach his shoulder, "Or is that even your real name?"

"CUT!" The director, Steve Aoki, calls and with accomplished smiles, you and Jimin turn to face the cast and crew, "Wonderful, wonderful! Absolutely astounding!" Steve applauds, congratulating the pair of you while the two of you step away from the set. "I know this movie will make it to the big screen if the two of you continue performing like that!"

"Thank you, Steve," Jimin slightly bows forward with a sweet grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. He slips his arm around your waist with pride, "What can I say? I have a great co-star!"

"Ah, the chemistry!" Steve exclaims.

"Well, thank you to the both of you," you gleam with flattery, leaning into Jimin's side with the tint of a blush heating your cheeks, "I'm having a great time."

"We'll film more scenes with the two of you tomorrow. Right now, we need to film action scenes with the stunt doubles," Steve quickly kisses the side of your forehead before walking off, "Take five, everyone!" He shouts, clapping his hands to disperse the workers into a break.

"I must say, I'm really enjoying this movie with you, Chim," you compliment as he leads you to the refreshment table. Bottles of water sit in perfect rows in front of the snacks- cheese cubes and crackers tempting to relieve your growling stomach.

"I can say the same to you, [Y/Nickname]," Jimin reaches for two waters and hands one to you in which you take a few sips once you screw off the lid. As crazy as it sounds, Jimin has been your best friend for as long as you can remember.

Born to wealthy parents, a couple years after you came your sister. From the day you learned how to speak and understand the world around you, a dream was created that revolved around the career of acting. That's all you've ever wanted to do, and in elementary school, where you got to experience your first taste of this dream, you landed a role as Mrs. Scrooge in the Christmas play. Since none of the young boys tried out for the part, they changed the character to a woman the moment they discovered your talent. After your performance, you received numerous compliments that you were beyond grateful for, and since then you knew, acting was your definite calling. Sure, you had only been in fifth grade, but you loved being on the stage. It gave you a new perspective of every character you played- a new way of seeing life played out before you behind someone else's eyes. The stage – you were in your comfort zone. There, you felt home.

You had spoken to your parents about your dream to find that they were thrilled about your hope in acting. Your mom had warned you though that you needed to be patient; landing a show or movie role could be an incredibly hard task. Promising to be patient, like any kid would have, you kept your eyes peeled for any announcement of an audition. First, you started small- your mom had found auditions for commercials, and that was when you officially began the acting business. Three commercials down, and then you attempted in auditioning for TV shows which you hadn't had much success, and you wore the face of a broken-hearted girl. You figured you would never be good enough for the big screen with how everything was panning out, yet one day, auditions were being held in your city for a romantic comedy that was going to be filmed in the same spot also. A young girl was needed that would resemble the main actress in order to accomplish flashback scenes. Of course, you begged your mother to take you once you received the news.

Sitting in the waiting area the day of, your mother had driven you and your sister all the way to the location, and it felt like days when in all reality it had been three hours before your turn was called. The audition line was packed, and your sister had been growing anxious, wanting food or water, anything that would keep her entertained. Your mom comforted her by handing her a notebook and a pen from her purse, "Here baby, draw on this, okay?"

You remembered seeing a girl similar in age to you exit into the lobby with a confident smile. Your heart rammed within your chest as your sweaty palms rubbed against your jeans. Each child had been handed a script to study in the time leading up to this moment you were anxious to begin. C'mon... You can do this. Your eyes shot up in the direction of where a door opened, "Next!" A lady with long, dark hair smiled at you kindly when she caught your timid eyes, and out of habit, something you even did at doctor visits, you turned to your mother as if to ask for permission to follow what seemed to be a genuine woman.

"Go on," your mom said softly, "I believe in you."

Comfort eased your countenance and you left with a smile in determination of needing to nail this audition. If your parents, believed in you, then you knew that you could do it. The squeak of the chair sounded the moment you rose to your feet soon finding yourself inside the audition room where the only thing you could hear was the light thudding of your heartbeat. A red cloth adorned the table before you, where four judges remained seated. One male with gray hair chewed on the back of his pencil before looking up at you behind thick-rimmed glasses.

"How are you today, Miss-" He looked over at a clipboard lying in front of the woman who led you to the audition room, "[Y/N]?"

"I'm good, how are you, sir?" You put on your best smile with pure genuine though your hands quivered at your sides.

"Good," he sounded cheery for that second, "Okay, Mrs. Yeun is going to read the lines which will be spoken by the character, Will." He gestured briefly to the left in introduction of a lady holding a clipboard, "And after she finishes her lines, that's when you'll obviously speak. Start your first line when you're ready,"

Looking back, you're sure he must have repeated himself a million times that day with each audition, yet you still felt as though you were the only soul surrounded by strangers though many mirrored the same feeling. Inhaling deeply, you closed your eyes while your fingers curled into your palms- releasing the moment you exhaled- gradually opening your eyes once you imagined yourself as the character you were supposed to be.

"Will!" You exclaimed whilst envisioning the highlighted lines you studied thoroughly- waving your arms frantically in the air as if to gain the fiction boy's attention, "Will! I- I found it! I found the treasure!"

"You did?" Though the voice of a woman read the part, you still pretended to see a messy haired boy with a galaxy of life behind his almond eyes while he rushed to see what you claimed you had found, "By golly, you did!"

The man then wanted you to read more of a serious scene between your character, Rose, and Will. Trying to think of sad things to keep your expression gloomy, forced tears welled within your eyes just enough to make your character compelling which resulted in applauding judges bidding a slew of congratulations after jotting down a few notes.

"We'll reach out if you make callbacks," the man nodded once and that's all it took before you ran out of the room with a smile from ear to ear. It took only a few days before you received a call back in which you were able to audition a second time but in front of the actual director of the film. You returned to Rose, the character you had grown to love already. This time, it took weeks before you had a callback, ending in nights of nervous tears that maybe your dreams wouldn't come true after all- your parents reassured you despite the inner angst of wondering the same as you, and told you not to give up no matter what the circumstances.

It was the call that changed your life forever. Dancing in the kitchen alongside your mother who was stirring the batter for some cupcakes, you remember as though it was only yesterday, small fingers gripping the device before greeting the person on the other end.

"Is this [Y/L/N] [Y/F/N]?"

Your mom mouthed 'who is it?' when she caught the way your lips had parted in confusion at the male voice you couldn't recognize on the spot, but you answered, "Yes, sir," anyway. It was the screaming in excitement that nearly knocked the bowl out of your mother's hands when you heard the man confirm the hope you've so desperately held onto,

"Well, [Y/N]! I am thrilled to say that you made the part of Rose!"

Arrangements were then made- the company in charge of the movie rented a home for your family to stay in while the movie was being filmed, and considering the duration of how long a movie can be to make, your mother began to homeschool you to keep you from falling behind. On your first day of work, the cast members had gotten together to review the script. Your mother was hesitant to drop you off at first without her being by your side, but with the assurance from the director of your safety, she reluctantly agreed to let you go. Teary-eyed from the anxious feeling pounding in your chest, you walked into the room where a table full of adults greeted you along with two teenagers scrunched next to three empty seats. Not one soul seemed close to your age just yet, but you were politely introduced to your fellow castmates which relieved you enough to promise yourself everything would be okay.

"Hi, you must be Ye-jin!" The voice of a young boy rattled behind you causing you to gasp softly before whirling around to face your intruder. Dark hair swooped across his forehead where almond eyes presented eager, brown irises that beamed with kindness; his wrinkled light blue t-shirt was loose on his tiny frame as well as his jeans, and he was not much taller than you from what you observed.

"Oh no, sweetie!" The surrounding table erupted in frilly laughter, "I'm Son Ye-jin!" The most lovely woman you had ever seen gushed at his widening smile.

"Oh! Well, I'm Jimin! Park Jimin!"

"Well, the two of you take a seat. The director will be here any minute," a handsome man nestled beside Ye-jin gestured toward the empty seats you and Jimin waltzed to occupy. A few minutes of chatter filled the room while your eyes scanned the scene before as any child would do when uncertain of what would be happening next, but that's when a poke on your shoulder disrupted your stares,

"What's your name?" Jimin asked the second your eyes timorously moved to meet his.

"[Y/F/N]. [Y/L/N] [Y/F/N]," You replied, "And you're Jimin,"

"Yes! I play Will! You must play Rose,"

"I do!"

The director and producers filed into the room before any more conversation could be continued, and for the next hour, the plot of the movie was further explained, though now, being an adult, looking back, you understand the synopsis much more than when you were ten years old first hearing it. The main characters discovered a treasure when they were children, unraveling secrets that could be worth a fortune. When the couple became adults, though had lost touch throughout the years, they never forgot about the treasure and the two individually set out to find it yet again. Unexpectedly, they bumped into each other and a love/hate relationship ensued until they found what they were looking for.

You and Jimin started filming different scenes together over the next five months after the script had been explained and reviewed. The pair of you became inseparable, growing closer with each scene finished. There was never a day that went by where you hadn't begged your parents to let him come over just for the two of you to practice your lines for whatever scheduled time for filming was planned next. Your father would bring home ice cream whenever he got off work to surprise you, your sister as well as your newfound friend, and you will never forget Jimin's melted chocolate smile or the way the ice cream would drip from his chin onto whichever shirt he'd claim was his favorite. Throwing a fit of giggles, he would chase you around the yard until he'd catch you- tickling your tummy until you took your outburst back. He also loved drawing with your sister, something he wasn't very good at, but he liked giving her company to prevent her from ever feeling left out.

Whenever the cast and crew had days off, Jimin would return to his hometown and you never could shake the loneliness you endured without him around. Though your sister enjoyed drawing or watching a movie, you more so preferred being outdoors, or practicing your lines which had been a daily chore since you became a part of this movie project, and of course, when Jimin would return, the pair of you would be driven to set to get back to work.

One particular scene, one you will never let be forgotten in your heart, is a moment where Will and Rose made an oath to be best friends forever. You and Jimin were directed to a swing set where the two of you took your seats, slightly swaying forward while the cameramen stood where assigned. Powder was dusted upon you and Jimin's faces to finalize everything before the yell of, "Action!" was voiced.

"You know, Rose?" Jimin became Will almost instantly, a talent not many ten-year-old children can perfect, but from what you remember, he had and has continued to blow minds away even from the beginning of his career. His expression was serious while his gaze remained on you as practiced. "I need you to promise me something,"

Looking at your black slippers, you noticed the swings were edging simultaneously, but you kept your focus solely on the words you were about to speak, "What is it, Will?" You tried to pull off your best curious face.

"I mean promise, even if you get tired of playing checkers with me,"

"Yes," you urged.

"And, if you get tired of playing tag even though you're always 'it,'"

"Yes," you dragged the word length in attempt to feign impatience.

"I mean you have to really promise me,"

"Okay, Will! I really, really promise," the wind calmed just enough to where your hair stopped tickling the sides of your face. Jimin hopped off the swing while his footsteps paused to face you completely. Even though you both were in acting mode, there was something serious behind his umber eyes that only you could see. One of the cameramen moved to film the side angles of you and Jimin's faces in order to capture the scene the way it had been imagined. Sometimes, with the camera being so close, it was hard to ignore, but at that moment, you were too absorbed with your character and Jimin's eyes to even glimpse in the camera's direction.

"Promise me that no matter what, we'll be best friends forever," the blurred sight of Jimin's pinky finger carefully raised in your line of vision, and for dramatic effect, you were told to count to three before your cue to say your line,

"I promise," you curled your pinky and locked it with Jimin's while a shy smile became present upon your lips, "Best friends forever."

"CUT! That's a wrap!" The director had said, but you vaguely remember that. All you had on your mind was the moment you and Jimin had shared. Though your lines had been written from a script, the two of you meant every word. That's why the scene had seemed so believable because there was truth in it.

Jimin was your best friend since that very day, and you pursued your dreams and have landed roles in plenty of hit movies since moving back to your hometown seven years ago. You're now a pretty well-known actress, but others find you humble in the fact that you never seem to show it off nor let the fame get to your head. Being seen in public has become one of caution, yet you adore every fan that comes your way asking for an autograph or a picture just so the memory of meeting you can be burned into their hearts forever.

Your dad, after your first movie, was transferred to officially work at a better job that happened to be in the same city that Jimin and his family lived in, which prompted your family to move being your mom as well as his became very good friends. You attended school with him at this point which he guided you due to you had been growing used to homeschool since your first movie. It was safe at the time to roam the halls of school- you and Jimin never became really famous, but your popularity gained with the pupils once joined the drama club resulting in auditioning for every musical or play the school had to offer. So, did your partner in crime, Park Jimin.

"You're doing it again," you snap back to the present with a sharp shaking of your head to dissolve the thoughts now scattering into your subconscious. Eyes clearing, you realize you've been zoned out for quite some time considering the subtle crease of worry tinged within Jimin's gaze.

"Sorry, Chim. I'm kinda-"

"Dazed," he finishes your sentence- his pink lips pressing into a tease of a smile.

"You know me so well,"

"I do," he winks taking a sip of his water bottle- swishing it around before swallowing, "Want to go out tonight? My schedule's clear for once,"

With busy lives of movies, sponsorships, premiers, cocktail parties, and anything revolving around this world of being on the go, it's hard to truly find the time to spend together which is something you've forced yourself to accept. But, miraculously, tilting your head, you comb back through your memory to realize you are, indeed, free this evening, "I would really like that, Chim. Thanks," you smile, excited to spend time by his side without cameras rolling in both your faces.

"No problem," he slips his hand in yours, carefully scanning behind you to confirm that not one person is watching. His warm fingers intertwine with yours while he leans closer, plush lips nearly tickling your temple, "Besides, I miss spending time with you," he whispers, you repressing the obvious tingles spreading across your skin- you turn in the direction of where the exit is visible, him following suit though hands remain locked.

"You're spending time with me now," you tease.

"You know what I mean," he rolls his eyes, yet his smile remains so wide, you feel the elevation of your heart flying. You love his smile, everything about him makes your head spin into a dizzy world of happiness. He's one of the biggest heartthrobs in the world; girls go crazy with his presence being in the same room as them; and, with many knowing him and his six best friends like the Bible, they don't really know Jimin like you do. It's the same for you, too. You love your fans more than life; you love reaching out to them on social media- signing at cons- meeting them in public when recognized and hearing the endless compliments on how wonderful you did in whatever movie has been released where you're the star of the plot. But as many times as he's said it, Jimin will always be your number one fan.

The fan who knows you.

Starring alongside him in the recent movie the pair of you have been working on was intimidating at first. You're not sure on how the press will react, or fans, or... the world. Jimin landed the role of Sam and nearly begged you to try out for Kylee who would in due course be the love interest for Jimin's character.

"Please! I'm begging you! You'll love it! It has action in it!" He nodded quickly while a ginormous smile with the shimmering pearl of his teeth nearly blinded you- his hands clasped together beneath his chin before he popped up and down in desperation, "Steve Aoki is the director and when I mentioned you to play the female lead, he freaked! He agreed that you should do it! C'mon [Y/N], please! You'd be brilliant!"

"Is this another excuse for you to kiss me again-"

"So, what if it is," Jimin's hands unlatched, "Are you complaining?"

Though it was merely a tease, your chest heated with a deep shade of red- your head shaking incredulously as you placed your palms upon your hips. You dragged on about another minute with skeptical eyes before lifting your hands in defeat, "Okay, I'll do it,"

"YES! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Jimin grasped you in his arms while he spun you around- laughter being the only sound filling the space of his apartment. When you auditioned, you landed the role on the spot which led to Jimin whisking you into the air out of a manner of rejoicing. Your family cheered you on as well, proud of all your successes in the career you've accomplished. After skimming through the script for Kylee, you called one of your good friends, Maeve, thrilled about your new job. Maeve had played your best friend in a movie about five years prior, when you were nineteen, resulting in the two of you becoming real friends instantly.

"You already know I'm going to be front row when it's finally released," she said. The plot is about a young girl, Kylee, whose parents are spies and so is she. But a fatal accident happens that causes her family to go into hiding, and one boy's father had to pay the price. Jimin's character, Sam, is the son and had seen the face of Kylee's father and figured out the last name he had used when his mission had turned into a mistake. But Sam doesn't realize who Kylee is until he sees the ID cards in her bedroom- which is the scene you and Jimin had officially filmed nearly twenty minutes ago.

The conversation with Maeve then turned into how things had been going for her- how her boyfriend wouldn't take the hint that she wanted him to propose to her, "I don't understand why he's so blind! Like, do you love me or do you not? It isn't that hard,"

"Ah, boys," you snickered, "Shame, shame, shame,"

"Speaking of shame. Don't you have to kiss your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend, Mae. It's just for the movie," your words came off nonchalant despite the nervous tension that traveled throughout your body, and there were some things you haven't found the courage to admit to Maeve just yet. Besides, it wouldn't have been the first time you and Jimin kissed.

Daydream grinning along with the squint of your hazy eyes becomes apparent while the memory leaves you.

"What?" Jimin chuckles, turning to face you fully once the exit stands between your frames and the outside world. Your heart skips a beat from the way his beautiful smile stares down at you, and deep down, you wish you can tell him that, but the pair of you have been friends for so long, you're uncertain if making these feelings known is a good idea. Despite everything the pair of you have been through, you can't help but wonder if a relationship will bring you closer, or just tear your hearts completely apart. And, even now, years later, you're not sure if you can handle losing Jimin again.

"Nothing," you reply tenderly, eyes checking to examine his worn-out converse he has had since high school, "Just admiring your... fancy footwear,"

"Hah!" He laughs once, laying his head back, "I already told you, I'm going shopping today. Besides, I need a new outfit tonight, so wear something pretty," he pulls you in for a friendly hug, rubbing his free hand slightly on your back, each of you still holding your water bottles, yet you maneuver enough to nuzzle your nose into his chest.

"Since when do you care about what I wear?" Your chin moves to plop upon his chest while your eyes peer up at him with the arch of an eyebrow, pulling your lips into a goofy, tight grin.

"I don't," Jimin chortles, "But I know you do," it's the way he brings the tip of his fingers to your forehead tickling your skin to move a strand of hair so he can see your eyes clearly, "You look pretty in anything,"

If your heart isn't already combusting enough, it takes everything in you not to kiss him right then and there, and with a small huff in frustration, you pull your arms from his frame to then rest by your sides. "Alright then... pajamas it is,"

"See you later, [Y/Nickname]," Jimin tries to say between laughs, leaning forward to press a small kiss to your cheek. The old nickname makes you giggle as you watch him step beyond the exit. Memories from high school present themselves almost immediately gracing the strange feeling of being sixteen again in your Junior year and auditioning for the spring musical where you and Jimin had landed the lead roles. Jung Hoseok, a mutual friend the pair of you gained, congratulated you both with a huge smile many knew him for. You played a fairy who happened to be in love with a human prince and of course, you and Jimin not only had to sing but had to dance, too, which led to Hoseok practicing dance moves with you two in effort to help.

Overjoyed was an understatement though dancing had always been something to hold you back. Jimin is a phenomenal dancer- raw talent to the point he makes it look easy with the way he poises his body so effortlessly upon the stage- swinging his limbs to the beat of the music, emotion etched on every inch of his face. You remember the endless pressure that seeped into your skin building anxious fingers that clasped tightly together when you were listening to the script Mrs. Lee had written.

Saying quick goodbyes to your castmates, the reminiscent disappears for a fractioned moment while you gather your items before sprinting to the limo where your driver, Stan, awaits you. Shouts of hundreds of fans boom instantaneously at the appearance of you leaving the set. Security surrounds the area in case of any danger, and though you reach to open the door, you turn to wave with the best Red Carpet smile you can muster- blowing a kiss to add to your appreciation.

The limo holds a haven you've grown to adore since your fame took off. Shutting the door, you slide to rest your head against the tinted window, politely greeting Stan before your eyelids flutter for the crave of sleep.

Jimin came over countless times just to practice dance steps; every now and then, Hoseok joining, despite the chagrin that haunted the crippling blushes dawning your cheeks. For the last musical number, the Grand finale, Jimin had to lift you in the air by the waist with you posing your limbs exactly how Mrs. Lee demanded leading Jimin to spin you around during the growing intensity of the belting harmonies before returning you to your feet. It hadn't been easy- something you'd grown to learn especially with the helpless moments of him firmly gripping your waist right when you'd jump sending the two of you tumbling onto the ground in bouts of breathless laughter. After weeks of attempting this one lift you couldn't seem to perfect, your parents happened to be out of town one evening for taking your sister to an art gallery about an hour's drive away. Your mother had been a tad iffy with leaving you and Jimin alone, but you assured her that it would be fine- just because he's a male didn't mean that she couldn't trust the pair of you to behave being you two had simply been friends for years, and nothing more.

Once your family left, Jimin arrived, setting the music in preparation for the mini rehearsal you'd been dreading for the thousandth time.

"Okay," you exhaled, carefully placing your hands upon his shoulders, "Now, lift me," Jimin obeyed, hoisting you as high as he could with a swift grunt escaping his pressed lips. His fingers dug into your sides unintentionally, and before you realized you'd closed your eyes, excitement showed in the widening of your smile- he was holding you up! Finally, longer than ten seconds you remained there,

"I. Got. You," Jimin said between clenched teeth, until suddenly, his arms shuddered beneath you ensuing the shape of an "oh" that formed on your mouth.

"GAH!"

Jimin fell backward onto the couch- your side bouncing off the cushion for your gluteal muscles to meet the wooden floor. Stunned, you'd never seen Jimin's eyes so enlarged, but before you could gather your bearings, you blew at loose hairs that were static over your eyes,

"Ouch."

"HAH!" Jimin let out a high-pitched, one-syllable laugh, already covering his mouth with both of his hands to stifle the chuckling, but it was no use. Clapping a few times, he buried his shoulder into the couch while a breathy snicker escaped your side smile. Tears flooded your eyes from the hysteria of the moment- springing to your feet to then fixing your wrinkled shirt.

"Okay, okay," you breathed, trying to resume composure just enough to stop giggling at yourself, "Let's do this one more time! Chop chop!" Hitting your hands together like how Mrs. Lee tended to do to receive her pupils' attention, Jimin pranced to plant his feet in front of you, repositioning his hands on your waist, "Wait," you paused, concern abruptly covering his eyes while he waited for you to speak, swallowing, you began, "Chim Chim, I need you to promise me something," Lips in a firm line, you held his gaze. It was hard to be serious at times with your best friend, but for right now, you rejected from breaking.

"Anything," he nodded once, searching your stare, lips parted, and realizing how close he was sparked a strange desire that you never wanted to reveal before.

"But you have to really, really promise me,"

When a knowing smirk twitched on his lips, his eyes now held the memory that you were trying to remind him of, "Okay,"

"Even," you continued, "If I love beef bulgogi a little more than I probably should. And-" you paused for effect.

"Go on,"

"Even if you laugh like a maniac and I can't take it," teasing had always been something you both loved to do, and bowing his head with more laughter, he returned even closer than before- his warm breath brushing your cheek.

"Alright, alright! I promise! I really, really promise,"

Eyes still locked, you slowly raised your pinky finger up to him, investigating his expression letting nothing but the sound of the starting air condition fill the space,

"Don't. Drop. Me,"

A soft chuckle enhanced his smile causing a pitter patter beneath your chest, while you joined him. He brought the back of his hand to his mouth- something that he does when he's really tickled, and the sight of it made your heart swell in ways you hardly understood. How could someone have such a strong effect on you?

"First off, I prefer Kimchi stew,"

"Oh, you. Ham!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Jimin reached for your hand, hooking his petite pinky finger around yours to conceal the promise you had forced him to make, "I promise I won't drop you this time," he twirled you once like a gentleman, placing his hands back on your waist once you faced him.

"1, 2, 3!" Jimin, with all his might, boosted you into the air, immediately spinning you around. Now think ballet, you reminded yourself, holding your arms with elegancy. After four twirls, Jimin effortlessly set you down and overwhelmed with pure exhilaration, you couldn't refrain from rejoicing, "We- we did it! Jimin, we did it!"

Right then, you kissed him. Cupped his cheeks into your palms and pecked his lips. You hadn't been thinking entirely straight, but it all happened so fast that it took a second for you to comprehend. Hushed. Silence engrossed the room to the point that your heart throbbed in your temples mingled with the growing heat on your reddened skin- perspiration clammed your palms, yet the only thing frightening your state was the attempt on not panicking though you knew deep within your soul that you'd never regret it. Gulping, your eyes fell to the slow fall and rise of Jimin's chest- his gray shirt showing the iridescent silver pendant you gifted him for his past birthday staring right back at you.

You just kissed your best friend.

Jimin stood there, questions swarming full circle within your mind; feeling distraught, your lips pressed together to prevent the tears burning your nose. You remember figuring that he was angry with you, hence why he couldn't invoke any words to speak. But, unexpectedly, gentle fingertips lifted your chin, your eyebrows furrowed in surprise, but that's when your eyes met as if meeting for the first time, the innocence of the moment not once lost while you anticipated the sight of his nervous expression lowering to yours. You held your breath, eyes closing, every inch of the world disappearing. It was just you and him as it'd always been.

He kissed you. He kissed you right back.

With shivering arms, you wrapped them tightly behind his neck while he moved to encase you closer to him, bodies pressed into a blanket of warmth, you never wanted to uncover from. Feelings you had denied time and time again were showing in that kiss with Jimin- a surreal image you never dreamed you would experience, yet here he was, wrapped in your arms- lips moving to relock with yours so lovingly that your mind was rotating. Nothing could compare to the soaring of your heart, especially sharing something so passionate with someone you had grown to love so much, and this new feeling, one you'd never quite endured ignited a curiosity you couldn't withhold any longer.

The kiss grew aggressive, breaths increasing while dazed eyes remained shut, and though track of time had been misplaced, you no longer cared. Hands pressed against Jimin's chest, he gradually stepped backward until the back of his calves greeted the sofa- breaking the kiss, he swallowed anxiously, eyes never leaving yours- collapsing onto the couch before you propped either leg beside him in a perfect straddle. Snatching his kiss rapidly, your palms held his face while he finicked with where to place his eager hands, gliding up your back in awe of how beautiful you were to him.

You left him completely and utterly breathless, and you wanted this moment to last forever.

Everything had been going perfectly until your parents walked in-

SLAM!

The loud sound of the car door jolts you awake as you blink through the mild darkness. Previous memories fade for now, swiping the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand before thanking Stan for the ride. The white mansion stands tall beyond the gate where you punch in a code to then proceed onto the property. It appears your mother is not home momentarily, where as your sister and father are visiting an art show in another town, giving you time to prepare for whatever Jimin has in store for you later this evening.

There's a feeling of relief when kicking off your shoes, parading up the spiral staircase toward your closet that waits for your attention. Sifting through the rack of dresses, you close your eyes to randomly select from a hanger in a mechanism to prevent you from being in disappointment; yet, you find your shoulders dramatically dropping when you peek to see what is now hanging from your hand. You're uncertain of why you feel the need to judge every article of clothing you own, and you figure it has to do with impressing a guy, but you are aware that Jimin will accept you for who you are no matter what, so why are you so worried?

You love him- you wince, because that's something you are still struggling with confessing even though it has been blatantly clear since you were sixteen years old that you are wholeheartedly and irrevocably in love with Park Jimin. And, that never changed even years after losing him.

You remember that night like it was yesterday, the very first time you and Jimin kissed. Caught in the moment of what the pair of you secretly dreamed of with no recollection of how much time had passed. No bad intentions were going to be followed through, honestly no other thought from kissing him was even considered for you; all you cared about was how you never wanted him to leave.

But, your mother, unfortunately, assumed the worst.

There wasn't even a chance for you to stop what had already begun, it was too late- your parents walked right into the sight of you lip locked with your best friend, prompting you to immediately jump off him. The gesture was so quick that a slight headache thudded, and all that was flooding your widened gaze was your mother's horrified expression. She happened to be the first to enter the door while your father and sister lagged, luckily missing the already humiliating scene that nobody would ever want their parents to see. With gritted teeth, your mother's icy glower said enough, but she still voiced for Jimin to leave. Him flashing you an apologetic look while he stumbled to gather his things. Your father had no idea of what was happening until he heard your mother shouting at you for over an hour.

"I thought I could trust you!" Your mother jabbed a finger at you, pacing back and forth in front of you while you wailed into your pillows. "I can't believe you betrayed my trust!"

"I've already told you I was so-sorry-" You choked, wishing nothing more for this feud to end, begging the universe to turn back time, so you could have anticipated of when your family would have returned home- saving you and Jimin from this shame.

"What if we had run an hour late, huh!? For God's sake, [Y/N], you're only sixteen!"

"Mom! It-It wasn't like that!"

"Well, it sure looked like it!" Tears brimmed her eyes, because her heart was just as torn as yours, battling with what she should do as a parent, but also inwardly understanding what it was like to experiment in falling for someone at a young age. Something she hadn't really shared with her children. She had left the room for quite some time, trails remaining damp upon your cheeks before your mother returned with firmly crossed arms.

"Mom, I promise, it wasn't my intention," your voice broke, trying to gather whatever explanation you could, but she stopped you.

"I'm sure it wasn't, but I talked to your father and we came to an agreement. You will finish out the school year here, but once it's over, we're moving back home."

It was like your world shattered all at once in so many different directions, and there was no way to describe the abrupt halt of your heart mirroring in the way your eyes expanded in sheer dismay. "No! No, no, no- Mom, what about Jimin!? I can't just leave him!" The pain etched in your cries haunted your mother more than you'd ever know, but at the time she was doing what she assumed was the right decision.

"That's the point, [Y/N]. You're not allowed to see Jimin, speak to him, or even think about trying to see him. I've already spoken to his mother,"

"But- but what about the play?" You panicked, desperation clinging within your words, not wanting to process what was just demanded of you.

"I don't know. Right now, I'm too upset to decide."

It was the worst night of your life. One thing you never expected throughout your friendship with the one person who mattered most to you, was losing Jimin, especially knowing that once school ended, you would move back to your hometown, far away out of his reach. Your cellphone was already locked in your parent's room, and any form of technology, you would no longer be in possession of if your mother could help it. Bawling uncontrollably, you cursed fate for taking away what could have been.

The spring musical was the only time you and Jimin were able to truly see each other amongst rehearsals; and the night the play began, the pair of you performed with all you had, trying to mask the hurting as if it hadn't existed, portraying as though all was well when really your world was falling apart. Even when the evil fairy sprinkled dark magic upon the Prince's Kingdom, Mrs. Lee flew her fingers speedily along the piano enhancing the volume, imaging the chaos felt beneath your chest. The Prince and evil fairy battled it out until the enemy was defeated, the piano softening to a more pleasant sound that eased you enough to force your face into a loving grin.

The cast crowded around the both of you, but you hadn't noticed, because the only person you longed for, getting lost in his shining eyes was Park Jimin's. "Fairy, my love, listen to the sound of my voice," he bowed, reaching his hand toward you- hands collided tenderly, "Whether ye stay or whether ye go, you have a choice." You yearned for it to be real, that you had a choice- that you could stay with him. Stay with him there in this city where the two of you could remain best friends and possibly become even more. "Just promise me, as each day passes, that ye will never forget thy love or my Kingdom as long as ye live." You swallowed the lump in your throat, fighting tears at the finishing of Jimin's final line.

"My prince, in every dream I dream, I choose thee," though not within the script, Mrs. Lee always preached improvisation, and lightly, you touched his cheek, him flickering his stare between yours whilst leaning into your palm, the Kingdom rejoicing when Jimin pulled you into a crushing hug. The faint smell of his cologne met your nostrils causing you to memorize this moment as best as you could, so you'd remember everything about him. His touch, his hold, his smell, his smile. Anything you could take with you in hopes of getting to see him again one day.

When the intro of the duet is keyed from the piano, hand in hand, you and Jimin faced the audience, smiles as heart stopping as could be, belting harmony from beginning to end, both capturing the audience with every word. Blended voices were breathtaking when the cast joined in, finalizing the night with dancing eyes and goosebumps across the theater, and even more applause when Jimin effortlessly succeeded in the originally dreaded lift where he spun you in the air, returning to plant your feet upon the stage. While the crowd stood to their feet in an ovation, the cast had you and Jimin hidden enough, and although time was ticking, Jimin hadn't cared. His palms cupped your cheeks while you tried to read his hurried eyes, the tip of his nose brushing yours before he captured your quivering lips. The kiss was soft. So soft, and when it ended, he whispered through the loud whistles of the audience to where only you could hear, "I love you," he breathed.

"I love you," tears fell from your cheeks, and he gripped your hand as soon as the cast dispersed into a line, uncovering the pair of you as rehearsed, leading to everyone bowing while the clapping continued to reverberate throughout the building. Although, beyond proud to be a part of such a successful production, nothing could take away the pain hounding your heart when your hand had to ghost Jimin's to find your parents. Your mother refused to let you out of her sight, and whether your parents were proud of your performance or not, you never knew, because not a single member spoke on the way home. Instead your mind replayed the secret kiss Jimin gave you over and over to the point it welcomed you in your dreams. It was hard not to cry when you had awoken, eventually breaking into a fit of sobs wishing Jimin had been there to hold you.

Depression was evident in your demeanor, and there was nothing anyone could have done to 'fix' you, or the situation you felt so hopelessly in bondage by. When the last day of school arrived, it had been the worst, and you and the person your heart belonged to had not spoken in months. Times where he would glimpse your way in drama class, you just couldn't bring yourself to face him, because it hurt way too much to accept the reality that you were leaving. You figured his mother informed him of your family moving back, especially since he never seemed to give up on trying to get you to at least look at him.

That last day of class, you cuddled your music binder to your chest, backpack straps hanging loosely from your shoulders, and you strolled upon the sidewalk to wait for your father to come pick you up. It was a sudden moment, when you curiously turned to lock eyes distantly with your best friend. You both stared, yet the way your heart sank to the floor, all you wanted more than anything was to run to him, embrace him in all entirety, kiss him for what you presumed would be the last time, and savor the moments you would have had with him. But, you couldn't, and you didn't; instead, you mouthed three words that you meant with all your soul, 'I love you.' Jimin bit at the corner of his mouth as fresh tears pooled- he looked down momentarily as if destiny had betrayed him before returning his eyes to yours, 'I love you, too.' As if it could have been anymore of an opportune time, your father arrived right then to pick you up, and in fear that he had seen Jimin, your head whirled to look back where your best friend had been to see he was gone, prompting a painful, long sigh of relief.

It had only taken a week for your family to officially move, finding a much larger home which happens to be the mansion your family resides in now. Although the space was nice, it still took months until you forced yourself to move on from the dancing boy that had appeared in your dreams almost every night. The boy who had stolen your heart when you hadn't realized it. There was an attempt, when you were allowed your cellphone back, that you tried reaching out to discover his number had been disconnected, and despite the gnawing of confusion, you guessed his mother must have changed his number, the same as your parents had changed yours.

Eventually, after a year of returning to your hometown, which included graduating high school, your mother convinced you to get back into acting, to audition for as many things as you could until you found a job. So, that's what you did to keep your mind busy, scouring any information you could get regarding auditions for tv shows, movies, commercials, absolutely anything that would just keep you going. Sporadically, you landed the lead role in two separate movies, gained a celebrity friend, Maeve, and continued into the years piled immensely with interviews, traveling, movie premiers, award shows, your fame skyrocketing to the point millions knew your name.

And just like that, your world became brand new. Became a clean slate. Your past buried behind you while you sprung forward. Your success in the acting business brought numerous calls pleading for you to audition for their movies; businesses were begging you to promote their products; magazines arranged for your photoshoots where you appeared on a myriad of covers- you rarely had a clear schedule, and you liked it that way. Lights, cameras, paparazzi, meeting other famous individuals as well as meeting your fans, you were becoming happy again, you were finally returning to having a steady relationship with your parents, and your sister improved in her artistic ability. You were slowly forgetting about the boy you once knew.

You made callbacks for yet another movie at one point, but unfortunately, had not gotten the lead role as hoped for, rather, you played a minor character which ultimately gave you a break from the consistent moving. Your body needed a break; your mind needed rest, and so you decided to take a short break until you found the motivation to search for another job. The movie merely didn't make it far- critics claimed the plot had been too predictable, but it made it to the big screen regardless, and for that you were grateful. Another year passed, now being twenty-two years old, you and Maeve went on a shopping spree throughout the streets of your favorite city, sipping frappuccinos in the smothering heat of summer, a poster happened to catch your eye. Stopping to read it, the straw of your drink pressed to your bottom lip, Maeve's furrowed eyebrows veered from you to the poster.

"What is it?" She asked, ears perked to the sound of clicking cameras though the pair of you have learned to ignore it. Mumbling the words along with you, Maeve leaned forward, "Auditions being held for a romantic comedy this Saturday.... 9am to 3pm... Oh wow! You should audition!"

"What? Why me? Why just me?" You turned your head abruptly while studying your giggling friend.

"You said so yourself that you wanted to be in a comedy! And, there ya go, how much more of a coincidence can this be?"

"A poor one," you took a long sip from your drink quelling laughter from the incredulous gape Maeve flashed you.

"Are you not going to at least try? You are [Y/L/N] [Y/F/N] for crying out loud!"

You were tempted, and you honestly hadn't been in a comedy since you were... Ten years old. Chick flicks had mostly been your calling though funny moments of course were mingled amongst the seriousness. "That I am, but I don't sit on a throne, Maeve, I'm just as normal as it gets."

"If you define normal as putting your potato chips in your sandwich then I guess you're right,"

"It gives it a lil' crunch," your mouth missed your straw awkwardly, but you swerved just enough to catch it, "you should try it sometime."

"I'll try it when you audition for this movie," Maeve teased, "Which you will even if I have to drag you there myself,"

"You have much faith concealed in that tiny body, but okay,"

So therefore, you auditioned. It was the lead role you applied for which was about a character who caught the eyes of two guys the second she stepped into the school. The movie seemed hilarious from what you could collect, and you were shaking your head in laughter when you called Maeve exclaiming how you had gotten the part as she predicted. Although, she squealed in glee, she was dreading the idea of adding potato chips to her sandwich as she promised she would if you made the part.

The following week, you couldn't wait to meet your co-workers as well as the rest of the crew, and as much as you hated to admit it, you were immeasurably curious of who would be casted as your character's love interests. Though numerous options, it was hard to guess, though your mind filtered through familiar faces in the acting business. The producers and director filed into the room when chairs began to fill, slapping a thick script in front of everyone.

"There's been a slight change of plans for the story," the director said, prompting your eyebrows to knit together as you wondered what he could potentially mean, "Instead of two guys fighting over you," he pointed in your direction, "there will be seven!"

Interested grunts and 'awes' echoed in the space, and you nodded in surprise; seven? Seven men wanting you all at once? That would sound farfetched to any woman, even in the position you're in as an actress, it remained unbelievable. The director rubbed his hands together, "They couldn't make it today, but we will officially meet them tomorrow to finish looking over the script."

It seemed as if all you did was blink when you made it to set the next day, dressed in your favorite boot heels and casual wear- you weren't paying a bit of attention when you suddenly smacked dab into someone who happened to over tower you.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Ma'am!" He said, his fingers tickling your arms from where he hoped you would stay steady.

"It's fine! I'm sorry, I should have been watching where I was going," you chuckled against the chagrin burned red upon your chest, and you couldn't help but be starstruck by the incredibly handsome face staring down at you. Noticeable dimples rested on either side of his grinning cheeks, and the coffee color of his eyes radiated kindness, and of course, you wondered innocently if he was one of the potential love interests the director mentioned the day before.

"I'm Kim Namjoon," he offered his hand which of course you took, enchanted by his smile, but you scolded yourself interiorly due to the obvious fact of not knowing him personally enough to care on whether he was available or not. There seemed to be a recognition in his countenance that you typically notice when people realize who you are, and you couldn't help the flattery when his hand still latched to yours picked up the pace while shaking it. "Oh my gosh! You're the [Y/L/N] [Y/F/N]! My girlfriend loves you!"

"That is so sweet of her," you were still blushing, but deeply touched by his words. Namjoon, dropped his hand in embarrassment from how long he had shaken yours, mumbling an apology, he slid his slim hands within his pockets.

"I must say, I am very honored to meet you. I've seen two of your movies with her and you were phenomenal!"

"Thank you very much, Namjoon! That means a lot. I hope I get to meet your girlfriend soon, she sounds like such a sweetheart," you tried to think if you had seen him in anything that had come out recently, but couldn't place a thing. You continued into the same room as yesterday, pulling your script from your bag, you settled into a seat before observing your surroundings, noticing in your peripherals Namjoon taking a seat beside a guy who appeared very quiet. Long, straightened blue strands spread upon his forehead while his dark eyes scanned the room. His lips were thinner compared to Namjoon's, and they rested contently while he leaned back in his chair. You tried not to stare too much, but when he caught you, you grinned instead of averting your eyes, relief flooded your senses when his lips raised into a side grin in return- his nametag reading 'Min Yoongi.'

When the seat on the other side of Yoongi skidded against the concrete floor, you instinctively looked to the sound, beyond amazed at the sight you saw. You weren't one to spike perspiration on the lining of your forehead just from seeing a man, but with the way his bandana complimented his brown tendrils neatly stacked on his head, you were beside yourself. His square jaw was locked in concentration while his petal pink lips pursed- his chocolate eyes rushed over the lines where he opened his script.

"Kim Taehyung?" A staff member asked, Taehyung nodded in reply, the worker placed the nametag before him, rounding the table to set yours before you. You would honestly never get used to people knowing who you are prior to an introduction considering the staff member had not questioned if you were indeed you. Thought aside, you were very taken aback on how sculpted this man was to a heavenly perfection.

"No, I didn't mean to trip the guy, I just wanted some food!" You vaguely identified the male whose windshield wiper laugh pleasantly greeted your ears while he found a seat, "Seriously, I hadn't seen him standing there." He poised his head enough to lock eyes with Min Yoongi, and you tilted your head curiously with question if they happened to know each other. But my, so far, who you assumed were going to be the men who were going to fight for your love, you were quite mesmerized by their beauty.

"Hello, my name is Chan-ri, I'm a huge fan of yours, how are you?" The exquisitely rosy cheeks of a red headed female entered your vision, and hearing her name, you remembered her from a TV show you binge watched with Maeve before. Genuinely, you offered a handshake, her comfortably taking the seat beside you. After you thanked her for her compliment whilst answering her question, she leaned in closer to your ear, "Is it just me or are these guys ca-ute?"

"The one in the bandana is looking better and better," you winked.

"Gosh, I couldn't agree more. And, I don't know if you've heard the rumors. But, the singer Jeon Jeongguk, apparently auditioned for a role,"

Eyebrows raised when you heard his name, "You're kidding!" You gasped in excitement. "Euphoria is literally my favorite song by him!"

"I could rave about his music all day long!" His presence entered the room as if on cue, hushing you and Chan-ri into bottled-up giggles, her winking at you in a way to say, 'we will talk later when the coast is clear.' A man with even redder hair than Chan-ri followed behind the well-known singer, and your lips parted in a silent gasp along with your amplified glance. "H-Hoseok?" He immediately sought for who said his name, and when he realized it was you, he couldn't help the smile that decorated his face.

"[Y/N]!" He greeted loudly, shuffling to collide into your hug, "Wow, how have you been? I haven't seen you in years!"

He helped you with dance moves for the spring musical sparking memories you hadn't reminisced in what felt like a lifetime ago, but here he was, in the flesh. "What a small world, I've been wonderful! How are you, Hoseok? What have you been up to? Look at you! So handsome!"

Hoseok thanked you before catching up with his life- he decided to go into acting when he graduated from Konkuk University with his soon-to-be fellow co-stars Seokjin and Yoongi which all made sense as to why Seokjin seemed comfortable talking to Yoongi earlier. Due to the encouragement of an individual he befriended, in high school, Hoseok explained how it stemmed him to chase his dreams, and here he was, auditioning for his first movie, excited to reunite with a familiar face from his past. He sat on the other side of Chan-ri, making conversation with her while you focused on the twiddling of your fingers. A poke on your shoulder made you jump an inch,

"Excuse me, is this where we meet?" A lighter voice spoke, but there was a distinct familiarity to it. When you faced the direction of where the question came from, the first thing you visualized was a silver necklace holding a pendant you hadn't seen since you were sixteen- one that you gifted someone as an emblem of your friendship- you were confused because not many people owned this specific piece of jewelry, and when your eyes slowly made the adventure to the individual's face, the rigidity paralyzed your frame faster than you could anticipate. Those eyes.

You knew those eyes. Better than anyone.

There was no stopping the intense hammering of your heartbeat; your temples pounded profusely, and he was frozen in place at the sight of you, because of your eyes. Neither of you moved, because there was disbelief at who either of you were looking at- his hair, now dyed, gleamed sleek blonde tendrils parted but long enough to tickle the lateral canthus' of his eyes, face thinned in a mature eloquence. It had been nearly seven years since the last time you ever saw him, and even then, he reflected your confusion, anxiously collecting whatever jumbled words he could form into sentences, but it was too late. The director enthusiastically entered the room, dispersing the moment just as quickly as it came.

"Greetings everybody! I see you've met our seven new cast members!" He grinned ear to ear, gesturing his hands toward all the guys. Shivering, but trying to keep it maintained, you watched your long-lost friend take a seat across from you next to Jeongguk. "Oh, and here's your nametag," the director plopped one in front of Jimin, you swiftly dropped your gaze, gritting your teeth in reaction to the strong waves of shivers plaguing your body. He was there. Park Jimin, as though you were acquainted with a ghost, was sitting right there in the midst of the small crowd, but with the way your muddled state was feeling- it had been only you two.

"Alright, let's open our scripts to page three. We need to review some main points of the story line." The director informed, but you were hardly listening, yet you kept your eyes zoned upon the booklet before you, only flipping pages at the sound of others doing so. Too many memories spun nonstop like a whirlwind, and you could sense Jimin glimpsing at you in the same wonderment as you were.

The trips to Mcdonalds where you both would split a large fry and dream about the future; the afternoon at school when the pair of you laughed about some cocky kid who face-planted in PE while playing soccer; the days you'd go jogging together and joke about anything under the sun; the moment when you two were drawing with your sister, and you thought Jimin's cow doodle was a duck. One of your fondest memories was your fifteenth birthday when Jimin, even Hoseok, along with your parents planned a huge surprise party just for you; the get-togethers with the drama club; auditioning for the lead roles in the spring musical and landing them. And the grand finale, when Jimin kissed you on what had been a final goodbye before exiting the stage that very night.

Nobody, other than Hoseok, in that room knew of the friendship you and Jimin once had. Nobody in the world would have known except the pupils the two of you attended school with. You were aware that if Jimin were to become famous, people would dig deeper to find that the both of you were in a movie together at ten years old, and all the other evidence that would explode within the media. You, to this day, will never forget the anxiety shooting through your figure while you pretended to review the script wishing you had the guts to just look at him.

The meeting ended in a blur, and you slung your bag over your shoulder, death gripping the script, and rushing out of the room where you felt as though you had been suffocating. You did not want to relive the heartbreak, so in desperation, you wanted to run.

He stopped you before you could even make it halfway to the entrance.

"Wait!" He bellowed. People were bustling by without any concern, but with the risk of a paparazzi capturing this moment you knew would need to be private, you ducked into the other side of a large staircase that appeared vacant aside from a tall plant, and Jimin followed suit- you spinning to see him sprinting toward you. For once you then understood when people described something to relate to a scene from a movie, because there was the love of your life, as if in a movie, running until he reached where you were. He was breathing heavily from the frenetic gesture, and understandably speechless, the pair of you weren't sure where to remotely begin. Swiping a slow hand through his hair, he looked so exquisite as he always had, and though you didn't want to revert to staring at the tiled floor of the opposite side of the lobby, you did. Carefully, he slipped his hands into his pockets, pressing his lips together in apparent worry.

"You're- you're blonde now," though small, a hint of a smile tinged your lips, a breathy laugh broke through Jimin's tight-lipped grin that infamously made his eyes disappear.

"Yeah," Jimin whispered tenderly, "Felt it was time for a change, ya know? Have been getting it colored since my twentieth birthday," breaking the ice enough, you found the strength to meet his gaze. His lips parted to then close multiple times, until he wetted them, "As you can tell, I honestly, don't know what to say, but, my God, I am so proud of you,"

"Jimin-" your voice broke, chin trembling from the burning tears when you knew that he was referring to your success, and the woman you have become. He stepped closer, releasing one hand from his pocket holding it out as if to calm the nervous tension.

"Really, [Y/N], I- you-" stammering through his words, you could see that he was blatantly in as much shock as you were, processing the fact that his long lost love was standing before him in all your glory. "I gave up acting in high school," he swallowed roughly, "as you can imagine, I was going through a rough time." He had been terrified to admit the reasoning considering the pair of you had no idea what had happened personally in each other's lives in the time between, and though he battled with what to say, he found the courage to just say it regardless, "When I lost you, I felt like- I just felt like there was no reason to really try anymore."

"Jimin," you whispered as if pleading with him, "I tried reaching out to you, but your number was disconnected- it was, it was disconnected, I-"

"No, [Y/N], please, don't cry- it's not your fault- Please," this time, he inched so close, that if you would have collected enough bravery, you could have rested your forehead at the curve of his chin where he could have invited you in for the warmth you could fall forever deep in. Eyes refusing to break contact, he continued, "After I saw your first movie, there were a few interviews I listened to where you said some of the most encouraging things, and I realized, if there was anyone I aspired to be like, it's you." Surprise lingered in your expression, because how could any of this be real? You knew stories like this were only filmed for the interest of the world, so how could someone you once cherished return out of the blue to tell you exactly what you needed to hear? "You, [Y/N], are the reason why I never gave up on myself. Why I never gave up at all. Why... I decided to go back to what I loved."

You were his inspiration, and because of that he ended up here. Back when you thought fate was so cruel to take him away from you, here he was, back into pursuing his passion for acting, all because he never gave up on you. You hated falling apart, you hated crying unless it was for the cameras, but in all vulnerability, especially when Jimin pulled you into his arms where your nose pressed into his chest, you cried. With all the pent-up emotions from a time you tried to avoid, you cried. Jimin refused to let you go until you were okay, and without any delay, you stayed by his side, repudiating from going home when you had seven years of catching up to do. There was barely any attention on anything, not even how Jimin opened his hotel room door without you stealing his kisses to the point you couldn't breathe. Fingers tangled into his shirt, he kicked the door behind him, emotions pouring from the way he kissed you as though he was going to lose you again. The most experience you knew, sexually, was from scenes you filmed with other actors- mostly steamy make out sessions, but you had never personally done the 'deed' in reality. Your back plopped upon the bed, palms pressed on either side of Jimin's jaw where your fingertips graced his hair, his hands cradling the sides of your waist while he continued to part his lips so gently with yours.

"Wait," you stopped, Jimin's enlarged eyes flashed concern as though he may have hurt you, "No, no, you haven't done anything wrong. I just- I just," you trailed off, chest rising and falling to steady your nerves. "I've never..."

Jimin exhaled a sigh of relief, bowing his head enough to where his hair feathered your cheeks, "I haven't either." You would be lying if you said you weren't surprised especially with all you had heard from stories others had told about men when it came to sex. But, at the same time, you always knew Jimin was different. Or, maybe it was purely meant to be, how you two abstained from something that was destined to be saved for the pair of you to share with one another. "I don't," Jimin's eyes flickered between your own because if there was anyone, he had an immense respect and adoration for, it was you, "I don't want to rush you into anything-"

"Jimin," your thumbs ran along the soft skin of his face, halting his words, "I want you,"

There was a hopeful smile that beamed from him before he covered your lips with even more kisses, making your head spin in a bliss you only ever felt when being with him. "Are you sure?" He pulled away; eyes boring into yours as if reading every inch of your soul.

"More than anything," you nodded, lifting your head to touch your lips to his for only a mere second. He was so in awe of you that he would do anything for you, and that never changed and never will. Kissing him was the most captivating addiction, and you never wanted it to end. Still completely clothed- the innocence would have been humorous in others' eyes, but the two of you were learning. And, the two of you were wanting to learn together and that's all that mattered to you. Park Jimin had never made you feel uncomfortable at any point that night, and you knew he wasn't going to overstep any boundaries. The fast pace of his lips sparked a feeling to rise within your core- a new feeling you wanted so eagerly to explore, the warmth was nearly smothering your panties, and you instinctively spread your legs to where he comfortably remained, his hips grinding his clothed erection along your area, where the crave to feel the entirety of his skin was all you could think about.

Breaking the kiss, you trailed your fingers underneath his t-shirt, his stare timorous whilst you lifted it past his head, exposing the rock-solid muscles toned along his arms and abdomen. Your mouth watered causing you to gulp- never in your life had you seen such a masterpiece, even from his jawline to his soft, blonde hair- you still couldn't muster how ethereal this man before you was. Tossing his shirt to the ground, he remained above you, the necklace you gifted him years ago dangling before he kissed you hard while your fingertips soothed along his back, his hand moving to cup your attired breast, tenderly squeezing it releasing a soft moan from your lips. Just the feel underneath your fingertips of his warm skin made you anxious to feel him molding into you- gripping his wrists, leading them to the end of your shirt, Jimin lifted it off you- your lacy bra staring back at his broadening eyes which caused his breath to hitch in the back of his throat.

"Oh," he groaned, "[Y/N], you are so perfect," his words nearly brought you to tears; your hands rested upon his cheeks, bringing him back to you to plant a soft kiss on his thick lips, him lowering to where his skin finally met yours, the enticing move enveloping you all at once, you could hardly contain yourself, exhaling against his lips just for him to brush his tongue along yours. One by one the clothes came off until his bare legs were jumbled with yours, his erection rubbing along your dampened heat, his thumbs caressing your nipples- the ticklish feeling caused your fingers to dig into his back. Jimin nipped at your collarbone, leaving numerous kisses along your chest, moving backwards to kiss along your stomach, the wetness lingering while your eyes slammed shut in utter paradise. He pecked along your hip bones, his hands never leaving your breasts until he made it to your inner thighs. Slithering his fingers to cling onto your quivering limbs, he spread your legs, his breath panting tepidly along your folds, his eyes widening with the urge he always wanted to fulfill, and only with you. You had never experienced this, and though you had heard of the such thing from various sources, you were curious to know what it felt like. Your clit rhythmed with your hyperventilating, him moving to kiss your inner thighs before returning to your vulva. Your toes curled along the bed sheets, your body tensing in preparation- and that's when he did it.

Gently licking his tongue along your slit, up and down, the motion emancipating a high-pitched moan from your throat which motivated him to continue. He brought his fingers to spread your folds, your core clenching while he sped the movements of his tongue- licking and licking until your hips involuntarily began to shift- your fingers gripping the bed sheets- sweat beading your forehead. For a few minutes, he continued to pleasure you, the tip of his tongue sliding against your clit before returning to hover above you. Though you were uncertain if what you were about to do would be done correctly, you moved your hand to hold his erection, gliding up and down gradually, him hissing with how good it felt to have your hand wrapped around him. That gave you the inclination that everything was being done smoothly; Jimin rested his lips to where your heart pounded, then moved to suck your nipple while your hand did the work, his hands squeezing at the mattress in response to the growing feel of an orgasm.

He stopped you, not wanting to cum too soon, instead interlaced his fingers with yours and rested your closed hands against the pillows above your head. Your core still tightening from how aroused you were, both of you held each other's gaze, you nodded that you were ready. Ready for what you two had been longing for. He swallowed nervously, "I, um, I don't have a condom,"

"Oh," you seemed a bit more scared than how you really felt, "well, I mean, I am on birth control for my... monthly cycle, so I don't think... I should be good," relieved, his knees rested on either side of your legs; lips parted, Jimin's eyes met yours, him leaning forward to stay above you- your legs raising to spread in preparation- while his one hand rested beside your head, he took the other to hold his erection to your heat, your shoulders tensed from the butterflies swarming your stomach.

"Are you sure?" His whisper was nearly inaudible, but nothing in this world would ever change your mind.

"Yes," you nodded, breathless. "Please." Your hands moved to rest on his shoulders- slowly he began to push within your walls- the pain nearly brought you to tears- but, you clenched your teeth, forcing yourself to relax just enough for him to penetrate further, his heart thrumming beneath his chest, especially with the pain he did not want to inflict on you.

"[Y/N], I'm so sorry, are you sure about this, I don't want to hur-" he paused immediately when he heard a muffled cry escape you.

"It's okay, keep going," your eyes were squeezed shut, and you eased your body from the tension knowing he was halfway there. Steadily, he moved further until all of him was within you, the worst part finally being over, you calmed yourself enough to stare into his eyes, your breaths increased, yet relief flooded your countenance because now the pain was subsiding just enough for him to proceed. He thrusted slowly, his lips passionately syncing with yours as your fingers tangled with the smooth tufts of his hair- with one hand, he rested his fingertips above your clit, rubbing affectionately whilst sexing you- the building of the fire below causing your muscles to taut. How something so powerful could bring such a wondrous escape you would never be able to equate,

"Mmm," you hummed against his mouth- the sensation of the orgasm finally reaching its peak- him jolting backward, to finish pumping his spillage onto the bed sheets to then watching you unravel from the ecstasy released from your core. "Holy shit," you could barely find words- perspiration covered each of your bodies, the heat nearly stifling yet still wanting his skin upon yours lingered. He embraced you once the sensitivity dimmed- you nestled your face into the side of his neck.

"We did it," you whispered, finding it adorable how accomplished you feel, and Jimin pressed you tighter to him, his fingers running along the side of your arm- him moving to brush a gentle peck to the side of your forehead.

"We did it," he repeated, a large, contagious smile spreading across his face- a smile you had fallen in love with once upon a time. You shifted just enough to where your arms hugged behind his neck- bare chests pressed together- your leg lacing around his waist, his hand sliding to rest upon your hip. The silver pendant entered your sight, and amazement hovered,

"You still have it,"

It wasn't a question, more of a softened statement; it was the first time you mentioned it aloud, but Jimin knew exactly what you were talking about, "I never planned on taking it off," rendered speechless, you kissed him one more time, letting every piece of him whisk you away- and nothing could ruin this moment. Park Jimin was back in your arms, and nothing was ever going to take him away from you. Not again.

The fabric of your dress feels silky beneath your palms as you slide them to smooth out any wrinkles. Makeup finished as well as the curling of your hair, you are proud of the dress you chose to wear- it being your favorite color, and one you confidently feel Jimin will love just as much. For some reason, you feel anxious about seeing him tonight, though you don't know why exactly. You have known him a total of fourteen years, yet it still feels like you are seeing him for the first time with any day he is standing before you. Flicking off the lights to your bathroom and bedroom, you scurry down the stairs with your black clutch in hand, entering the living room in the direction of the front door.

"Well, someone looks extraordinarily beautiful tonight,"

"Oh! Mom! You scared me!" You gasp, chuckling when you turn to see your mom leaned against the door frame that leads into her office; her arms are crossed though she smiles at you suspiciously.

"Sorry, honey. I was on Facebook when I heard heels, so I came running,"

Lowkey a fashion guru, your mother always enjoyed seeing the gowns you would be fitted for events, and knowing you haven't had anything lined up recently, she rushed intuitively to see what her daughter is up to.

"Well, what do you think?" You twirl in place, the dress brushing your knees before hanging in place.

"What's the occasion?" Mom raises a brow, though you know she's teasing. Your mother has always been one who liked to be aware of where you are in case if something were to happen which you know that is how you would be if you had a child. Though aware of your fame and constant schedule, your mother wants to at least know you're safe, especially when you are followed most of the time in public.

"I'm... going to see Jimin tonight," you have refrained from bringing him up countless times knowing it can be a potentially uncomfortable topic for your mom, but you refuse to lie about your whereabouts for fear of something that might not be the case anymore. Distant, you notice the way she seems closed off, like something is drifting a cloud of culpability above her head. "Mom, are you okay?" Worried that something may be wrong, you question: does she not like him? Sadly, you truly have avoided any conversation revolving Jimin; even when he came back into your life, it still made the topic awkward.

Mom bites the corner of her mouth before letting out a defeated sigh, "I'll be right back." She steps into her office, and your eyebrows scrunch in obvious curiosity as to what she is doing. Waiting patiently, she makes her way to you, hand outstretched with a folded picture she gestures toward you. "I found this the other day, and I thought maybe you should have it." Your mother slightly grins against welling tears, and when you reach for the picture, you carefully open it, tears filling your own eyes at what you see.

It's a picture of you and Jimin from when the two of you were either fourteen or fifteen- taken in the evening since it was dark in the background; you figured it must have been cold because you were wearing a jean jacket while he wore his favorite gray hoodie at the time with the bolded word 'Supreme' written in the center. His arms were draped over your shoulders, and you could see the top of a Mcdonalds drink resting in his free hand. The pair of you were smiling so wide defining the happiness the two of you brought to each other on any given day.

"I remember this," you murmur, looking back at your mom, "Our families went out to eat together, and you and his mom were taking God knows how many pictures," you kid. A tear pangs your mother's cheek as she shares a smile with you.

"I remember too. It was such a great night."

"It was," staring at the photo, your heart swells, "Thank you, mom."

When you step to hug her, that's when she loses it- tears spilling down her cheeks while she holds you so close, "I'm so sorry," she sniffs, "We could have worked everything out- grounded you, supervised the two of you or, something! I shouldn't have forced you to move away."

"Mom," you plea, not wanting her to hurt because it breaks your heart to see anyone you know, and love upset. The both of you have held your feelings about the situation for seven long years and never even tried discussing it. Sometimes, talking can be the best medicine- not only do you have to think before you speak, but forgiving the person long before the two of you work things out can really help solve a problem. All one must do is listen.

"I just... I panicked! I didn't want my daughter to make a mistake. You were so young-"

"It's okay, mom, really. I understand,"

"I wanted to even force you to switch out of drama class, all because I was so scared. I didn't even want you in the play. Your father convinced me to let you perform because," she pulls away and holds your arms, wanting to look in your eyes that mirror her own, "He reminded me that we were young once too. We met at sixteen, you know that. And I just remember feeling so guilty when he told me that," your mother looks down for a moment to gather her words, "I could have lost my daughter because I believed I was doing the right thing. I should have trusted you, and I am so, so sorry for everything."

"Mom," you hug her again, "I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago."

"Oh, it's so good to know that!"

"And, mom, if we never moved back to our hometown, I wouldn't be as successful in my career as I am now. You encouraged me to go back into acting, and for that I will forever be grateful. Besides, Jimin came back. That's all that matters," your reassurance mends her heart together as she carries pride in her eyes on how far you have come in all that you have endured.

"I love you. And, if you ever need to talk to me about anything, anything at all, you know I'm here for you,"

"Even if it's about Jimin?" You giggle lightheartedly, tucking the picture of you and him in your clutch for safekeeping.

"Even if it's about Jimin." She smiles, "Now what are you still doing here? Go! Get out! Have fun, and please be safe!"

Skipping out the door, the feeling of closure overwhelms your soul, and for once, you feel as if life couldn't get any better, and now you and your mother can one hundred percent be the rock you will forever need no matter where life takes you. When the black SUV that holds your favorite driver, Stan, appears, you burst through the gate and into the back of the car, for him to hand you a small note.

Meet me on the rooftop. Your Chim Chim xo

You reread the note with a smile when you make it to an elevator upon arrival to Jimin's hotel- Stan saying to call whenever you are ready to be picked up. You're amazed how little people seemed to be roaming the hotel, and as a normal for you, you scoped your surroundings in case of any clicking cameras before stepping into what will lead you to your destination. Reaching the top floor, you find a staircase that you presume will climb you to the rooftop, so in determination you begin, trekking up the flight of stairs until you pause at a door.

Inhaling and exhaling calmly, you slowly push open the door, rounding a corner where an intriguing scenery causes you to gasp in surprise. Stringed lights glisten, covering every pole of mahogany wood that encloses the area together. Candles are blinking upon an elegant, black table for two adorned with silverware, lid-covered plates, a wine bottle, and two empty wine glasses. Flowerpots are hanging from different sections of the balcony, bringing more color to the patio; sparse trees fill the rest of the space, the atmosphere exuberating nothing but serenity. Jimin did all of this for you.

Eyes searching, you finally find him, in a black fitted suit, hands in his pockets while he stares at the starry sky. Taking the time to admire him, you have always been so in awe of how genuine he is. Treating his fans with all the love, constantly caring for his family, keeping up with his friends, and for always being there for you no matter what it takes. He listens to you the same as you do for him and being in the entertainment business where rumors spread like wildfire, sometimes a listening ear is what one needs. He has been everything you have ever wanted, and he always will be.

You clear your throat, "Well, sir, you weren't kidding when you said you wanted to spend time with me."

Whirling on a heel, his expression eases when he sees it's you, "Hey!" He beams, eyes disappearing from how big his smile spreads. "I didn't hear you come in. How long were you standing there?"

Noting how he seems embarrassed, you can't help but find it irresistibly adorable, "Not long," you promise, watching him step in your direction.

"Good, I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay, Chim. I don't even know why you're worried, silly,"

"Whoa, you really took me seriously when I said to wear something pretty," Jimin reaches for your hand while you lower your head timidly.

"Look at you! You look like a model!" Jimin throws his head back at your compliment, "And, look!" You point at his shoes, "New shoes! Look at those beautiful, new shoes!"

"I told you I was going to get new ones today!" He tries stifling his laughter in the crook of his arm before sliding your chair out for you to sit.

"And, have I ever told you how much I love the blonde hair on you? I feel like I don't tell you enough," One thing you have learned over the years of knowing Jimin, is he blushes just as easily as you do. When one compliments him, he can't help but slump in his chair before burying his forehead onto the back of his wrist.

"Why are you making this about me," he whines playfully, "I want this to be about you,"

"But, it's always about me, maybe I like to spice things up a bit to appear humbling," your eyebrows wiggle, sending Jimin in another bout of giggles.

"Speaking of spice, are you hungry?"

"Famished," you dramatically emphasize, Jimin shaking his head at you with amusement while he reaches over to lift the lid of the plate. A steaming slab of steak laying scrumptiously on a pile of rice makes your mouth water, even when your eyes trail to the seasoned vegetables beckoning you to devour them. "This looks so good," you acclaim, preparing a fork and knife in order to start slicing. Jimin has already taken a bite in agreement. Deciding to take another swoop of how beautifully the décor mingles with the design of the patio, you speak after swallowing your first mouth full of meat. "I wasn't expecting this," you say softly, looking back at Jimin who cocks a musing eyebrow.

"What did you expect? Mcdonalds?" Jimin grabs the wine bottle, succeeding in opening it before he pours each of you a glass.

"No, you brute, the patio! It's wonderful up here."

"I wanted everything to be special." He murmurs, lifting his glass after holding your eyes, "You deserve it,"

In all honesty, you are at a loss for words, because how you ever deserved a man so loving, you will never know. And amidst conversation, you briefly remember the picture your mother gave you before you left, and deciding to make this known, you wet your lips, "So, I talked to my mom earlier this evening and," you prop your elbow onto the table after gripping the memory within your fingertips, the back of the picture facing Jimin. "She gave me this, and I wanted to show it to you."

Handing it to him, he gently takes it, a reminiscent grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I remember this," he says, "my brother actually teased me because..." He trails off, his grin falling for a moment. "I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend that day, but I chickened out." Your shoulders fall a bit though your heart flutters. Jimin was going to ask you to be his girlfriend? What made him afraid to? You open your mouth to speak, but when you find no words, he continues. "I had assumed that it was just going to be me and you going out that night with Jihyun, but, then both our parents ended up coming."

"That's still so sweet of you," you assure him, wanting the guilt that clouds his eyes to dissipate.

"I like this picture by the way." He holds it up and hands it back over to you. "I want a copy."

"I'll print one for you," you pact, his sincere eyes never leaving yours- all you know is if the table between you didn't exist, you'd kiss him. But as if he reads your mind, he reaches across the table and intertwines his fingers with yours; your eyes still locked preparing to say something, but the scrape of the door makes the two of you jolt and hands part. "Dessert!" A waiter lays out two white bowls in front of each of you, to then taking up the emptied dinner plates.

"Chocolate ice cream?" You say as Jimin smirks at your mouth falling open in glee.

"Our favorite," he winks, bringing a fourteen-year-old memory back in loop of the days where he loved to wear it on his face, and you never let him live it down. Chocolate syrup is drizzled over the dollops, a leaf of mint nestled on top of a scoop to complete the appetizing goal.

"I thought you said you weren't good with girls," you scoff, pressing your spoon into the dessert.

"I'm not."

"Then what is this?" you say quickly, gesturing to the dessert of symbolism.

"I think what you're trying to say is I'm romantic," He raises a brow, pointing his spoon toward you. "Besides, I think it's about time that we admitted that we are committed."

A warm sigh brushes over your cold lips, the taste of the ice cream melted on your tongue, because you know he's right. What have you really been afraid of? Was it really your mother for the fear of her still not accepting him? Well, now you know that she will accept him, so that's not an excuse. Were you afraid of the hateful words that would be thrown your way if the press were to confirm a relationship between you two? In the end, it's about you and Jimin, and despite hate, what would it matter if the world knew? Candidly, you want to protect him from the media, but your strong feelings of keeping him safe are equal to how much he wants to keep you safe.

What really scares you, more than anything, is losing him again. And, you have remained in this strange thought that if the pair of you stayed simply friends that maybe it would prevent heartbreak. Others, for example Maeve, you know would be highly confused by your thought process on the entire subject because why not be in a relationship with him when you both already seem like you are in one? What's crazy is you know Jimin loves you more than anything in this world, you can feel it, yet the pair of you have not said it since you were sixteen years old. The couple years of him returning made you fall in love with him all over again, and the truth is:

You would love to be his girlfriend. You would love to just be his forever.

Before you can respond, the subtle sound of a guitar begins to play through speakers you notice are hanging a distance behind the flowerpots. As if on cue, Jimin stands to his feet, patting his lips daintily with a crumpled napkin before tossing it on the table. "You want to dance?" He asks you, offering his hand.

"Always," he leads you to a secluded spot upon the balcony, and his arm rests behind your back. The volume of the music rises just a notch, you squeeze his shoulder once before resting your head on his chest. The side of his chin brushes your forehead while he sways you so gently, and merely getting lost in the feel of him. Your heart pounds to the rhythm of the song, and you swallow against the nerves enveloping your chest, and you let the song finish into the start of the next one, when you pull away enough to gaze into his eyes. Concern etches in his irises the second he sees you, slowly swaying to a halt. "Jimin," you breathe, fingers tightening their hold on his hand and his shoulder unintentionally, but he is ready to hear what you have to say, no matter what it may be. "Jimin, I know the past two years have not only been the most trying, but they also have been the most rewarding," you timidly drop your gaze to the silver necklace he has resting on the collar of his shirt before returning to stare at him once again, "I am in love with you, and I am ready beyond belief to let the world know it."

Nothing will ever be more magical than watching Jimin's smile grow, and the second it does, Jimin puts both hands on your waist, hoisting you in the air, spinning you around from the excitement he feels soaring all around his soul. You let out a loud laugh, linking your fingers behind his neck, your body leaning forward just a bit as your legs bend to where your heels almost reach your back. "I got you!" He laughs as you lightly lay your chin on his soft bundle of hair until he settles you back to your feet. Jimin, the one who stuck with you from the beginning and will stick with you until the end; the one who knows you more than you know yourself at times, the one you can laugh with, the one you can cry with; the one that you know will never want to lose you as long as he lives.

"I love you so much," His beautiful, brown eyes continue to bore into yours and just the pure love in them nearly brings you to tears, and in this very moment, something rings true- that if this man doesn't kiss you right now, you're going to lose it! Running your left hand through his hair, you stop at the back of his head. His wide smile turns into a grin as he leans closer to your face, resting his forehead against yours prompting your lips to part in preparation for his kiss, ready to feel the fireworks bursting in every place of your heart, ready to be wrapped so tight in his arms, ready for him to leave you breathless as he always does. Jimin then slips a hand off your waist and holds up his pinky finger to you- it catches you off guard, but it the most beautiful way.

"Promise me something, [Y/Nickname]." he nearly whispers.

"Anything, Chim,"

"Promise me that no matter what... You'll love me forever."

A tear slips down your cheek as joy overflows you, because from the first promise the two of you ever made to now, every memory you both have shared has been forever written on your heart. And you know from the look in Jimin's eyes, you both will be sharing plenty more.

"I promise, Jimin, " you say, bringing your pinky to his and wrapping it securely. "I will love you forever and always. Now... you better kiss me before I change my mind!"

Thrusting his head back in flattery, he shakes his head at you with glimmering eyes as he straightens himself to where he can cup your face with his palms. There is never a dull moment with you, and he knows a playful remark always has to be congruent within the seriousness, and when his plush, warm lips touch yours for the first time this evening, the fireworks begin, but instead of in the sky, they are literally bursting in every direction of your heart. No camera, script or film can ever describe how real this moment is. How true it feels. You both hold each other tight, feeling not only love but forever. As Jimin kisses you, sparks ignite, both your heads spinning, hearts pounding and cherishing every second, excited for the future.

Like the end of a perfect movie, you can faintly hear the beautiful song, singing the words of your promise, come to an end.

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dailytomlinson · 5 years

Text

Since then, Tomlinson has released three stand-alone singles, ‘Just Hold On ’ with Steve Aoki, ‘Back To You ’ with Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals, and the heartfelt ‘Miss You ’. Two years have passed since then, and now Tomlinson is back with a new style of music, new singles, and his debut solo album 'Walls’ on the way. This week, the single ‘We Made It ’ was released, a song written back in 2017 with personal lyrics and a relaxed Britpop feel to it. This is the third single from his forthcoming album, and for Tomlinson, releasing his solo music is a brand new experience.

“It’s completely different,” he says eagerly as he puts away his coat, fresh back in from a bit of fresh air and a lunch break between interviews. “It’s funny ‘cos I’ve got all this experience from the band, but it’s not the same at all!”

This time around, everything he does from writing to recording, making music videos and touring is different. It’s his own words, set to his own music, and done through his choices. But there was a time he wasn’t sure whether this was something he wanted to do. He wasn’t ready to go out and do stuff on his own, he wasn’t ready for the band to go on a hiatus, and the decision for it all to end threw him off balance. So when he decided to pursue a solo career, after all, he went for the music that was the most popular at the time — dance/pop crossovers. “It felt like the easiest way in,” he admits, explaining that the reason he chose to do features for the first few songs was that it gave him a bit of time to tread some water and figure out where he stood in the industry. “I needed that time to work out who I was and what I wanted,” he says, “but I was also making music that I thought I had to make, as opposed to the music I wanted to make.”

Though he was often involved in writing sessions in the band as well, Tomlinson feels writing and creating music got a little bit more precise once it was just him. When writing for a band, you write music with four or five people in mind, it all has to relate to — and fit — them as well. Now, he can narrow it all down to only himself. Your own taste, your own preferences, and your own narrative. Having dropped the dance pop-feel of his initial singles for an indie-infused pop-rock style, Tomlinson's new music reflects his taste in music growing up. Being from the north of England, all the big northern bands had a profound influence on his life. “Like, the closest city to me is Sheffield, which Arctic Monkeys are from,” he says, “so that sound is massive there.”

His previous single, ‘Kill My Mind ’ was intended to be a bit of a statement of intent musically, setting it and him apart from what had been released before. Still, the decision to change his style wasn’t an easy one. He had a lot of industry people, songwriters and producers who didn’t really know him, trying to drag him into a slightly urban sound that he couldn’t relate to, but which is big in America. At one point he realised he’d had enough of those sessions and made the choice to take the reins himself. “I can either try and follow radio and follow the trends there, or I can just do what I love,” he says of the decision, “in the end I just had a word with myself and worked out what success meant to me. Now I just do what I love.”

Still, it took bravery to stand up for himself to the people who tried to steer him into their preferred direction. “You can make the mistake of relying on the expertise around you when, actually, I believe it’s really important just to trust your gut - because nobody knows you better than yourself.”

But challenges also makes success all the more rewarding, though even amazing experiences are different as a solo artist. A few days before our chat, Tomlinson had played a ten-song headline set in Madrid, Spain, his first-ever. “Other than musicians I played with onstage, it’s hard to explain to anyone what just happened,” he smiles, “as opposed to when you’re in a band and you’re all feeling the same thing. But it definitely makes it more rewarding when I look back on the show and I think about my influence on it. I feel like I’ve been leading up to that gig for as long as I’ve been solo.”

Another thing he’s currently working towards is the release of his debut solo album. He hopes to have it ut early next year and feel like it will be a relief to have it out and be able to tour with it. The album is mostly finished, all the writing is done and only a few more vocals need to be recorded, but after that, what remains is working out the order of the tracks and other details.

Out of the singles put out so far, not many will make it to the album. “The Steve Aoki song [‘Just Hold On ’] is an interesting one ‘cos the melody kinda leans to quite anthemic sounds, so we’re reproducing that to give it a bit more guitar and band-feel,” Tomlinson says, “so that will be on the album in a different version, but other than that, the last three are the only ones that will make it.” And for those eagerly awaiting the debut album, there are more treats on the way. “I’m hoping to release the next single six weeks after ‘We Made It,'” he smiles, “I’ll pretty much try and release music now in the run-up to the album in the new year.”

“I have a bit of a luxury that where I grew we wear our hearts on our sleeve,” he says, “it’s part of our make up, so it has always come naturally to me. But of course, that is a really tender subject, but since I have the luxury of being confident enough to be able to talk about these things, I think it’s also important to put that message out. Especially as a guy as well.”

“There was this girl at a meet & greet who had just lost her dad and she shared some really lovely words with me and that experience gives me goosebumps.” Experiences like that, he says, didn’t really happen in One Direction. They wrote some lovely love songs, but there was a real purpose to ‘Two Of Us ', and how people interpret the message and what it means to them is enormously special to Tomlinson.

“I want to be honest as a lyricist,” he says, “and sometimes talk about things that we maybe don’t always talk about. I think it’s important to get those messages out.”

#press #musik norway #261019 #louis tomlinson #wmi #quote

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hlupdate · 5 years

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“I want to be honest as a lyricist,” he says, “and sometimes talk about things that we maybe don’t always talk about. I think it’s important to get those messages out.”

#louis tomlinson #wmi promo #261019 #tw death

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louistomlinsoncouk · 5 years

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Louis Tomlinson is finding his feet

“You can make the mistake of relying on the expertise around you when it’s important just to trust your gut - because nobody knows you better than yourself.”

A lot has happened since Louis Tomlinson showed up at an audition for British talent show The X Factor in 2010. The resulting boyband One Direction didn’t win the competition but went on to become a worldwide phenomenon, earning the boys a loyal fanbase even after the band decided to go on a hiatus to explore solo-careers. Since then, Tomlinson has released three stand-alone singles, ‘Just Hold On ’ with Steve Aoki, ‘Back To You ’ with Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals, and the heartfelt ‘Miss You ’. Two years have passed since then, and now Tomlinson is back with a new style of music, new singles, and his debut solo album 'Walls’ on the way. This week, the single ‘We Made It ’ was released, a song written back in 2017 with personal lyrics and a relaxed Britpop feel to it. This is the third single from his forthcoming album, and for Tomlinson, releasing his solo music is a brand new experience. “It’s completely different,” he says eagerly as he puts away his coat, fresh back in from a bit of fresh air and a lunch break between interviews. “It’s funny ‘cos I’ve got all this experience from the band, but it’s not the same at all!” This time around, everything he does from writing to recording, making music videos and touring is different. It’s his own words, set to his own music, and done through his choices. But there was a time he wasn’t sure whether this was something he wanted to do. He wasn’t ready to go out and do stuff on his own, he wasn’t ready for the band to go on a hiatus, and the decision for it all to end threw him off balance. So when he decided to pursue a solo career, after all, he went for the music that was the most popular at the time — dance/pop crossovers. “It felt like the easiest way in,” he admits, explaining that the reason he chose to do features for the first few songs was that it gave him a bit of time to tread some water and figure out where he stood in the industry. “I needed that time to work out who I was and what I wanted,” he says, “but I was also making music that I thought I had to make, as opposed to the music I wanted to make.”

Breaking away from the safety of a band and going solo can be as emotionally confusing and tumultuous as breaking out from a long time relationship and being single again. You’re used to your band-persona and who you are as a part of a bigger puzzle, but once away from all that, you have to get to know yourself again and figure out who you are on your own. Though he was often involved in writing sessions in the band as well, Tomlinson feels writing and creating music got a little bit more precise once it was just him. When writing for a band, you write music with four or five people in mind, it all has to relate to — and fit — them as well. Now, he can narrow it all down to only himself. Your own taste, your own preferences, and your own narrative. Having dropped the dance pop-feel of his initial singles for an indie-infused pop-rock style, Tomlinson's new music reflects his taste in music growing up. Being from the north of England, all the big northern bands had a profound influence on his life. “Like, the closest city to me is Sheffield, which Arctic Monkeys are from,” he says, “so that sound is massive there.” His previous single, ‘Kill My Mind ’ was intended to be a bit of a statement of intent musically, setting it and him apart from what had been released before. Still, the decision to change his style wasn’t an easy one. He had a lot of industry people, songwriters and producers who didn’t really know him, trying to drag him into a slightly urban sound that he couldn’t relate to, but which is big in America. At one point he realised he’d had enough of those sessions and made the choice to take the reins himself. “I can either try and follow radio and follow the trends there, or I can just do what I love,” he says of the decision, “in the end I just had a word with myself and worked out what success meant to me. Now I just do what I love.” Still, it took bravery to stand up for himself to the people who tried to steer him into their preferred direction. “You can make the mistake of relying on the expertise around you when, actually, I believe it’s really important just to trust your gut - because nobody knows you better than yourself.” Going solo is challenging in more ways than just creatively and musically. In a band, you don’t know about all the gears that go into the massive machine you are a part of. Being on your own, it’s all a lot more intricate. “When you’re in a band like One Direction,” Tomlinson says, “we didn’t want for anything. We had everything that we needed.” He knew nothing about things like budget conversations and admits that coming face to face with such issues as a solo artist was a brand new concept for him. The learning curve has been steep, but Tomlinson feels like he’s always been learning as he goes along. “I used to think that I had… I used to get involved creatively in One Direction as well, but now when I look at it in hindsight, it’s nowhere near how much I have to be involved in every single detail.” But challenges also makes success all the more rewarding, though even amazing experiences are different as a solo artist. A few days before our chat, Tomlinson had played a ten-song headline set in Madrid, Spain, his first-ever. “Other than musicians I played with onstage, it’s hard to explain to anyone what just happened,” he smiles, “as opposed to when you’re in a band and you’re all feeling the same thing. But it definitely makes it more rewarding when I look back on the show and I think about my influence on it. I feel like I’ve been leading up to that gig for as long as I’ve been solo.” Another thing he’s currently working towards is the release of his debut solo album. He hopes to have it out early next year and feel like it will be a relief to have it out and be able to tour with it. The album is mostly finished, all the writing is done and only a few more vocals need to be recorded, but after that, what remains is working out the order of the tracks and other details. Out of the singles put out so far, not many will make it to the album. “The Steve Aoki song [‘Just Hold On ’] is an interesting one ‘cos the melody kinda leans to quite anthemic sounds, so we’re reproducing that to give it a bit more guitar and band-feel,” Tomlinson says, “so that will be on the album in a different version, but other than that, the last three are the only ones that will make it.” And for those eagerly awaiting the debut album, there are more treats on the way. “I’m hoping to release the next single six weeks after ‘We Made It,'” he smiles, “I’ll pretty much try and release music now in the run-up to the album in the new year.” Leaning back in a comfy chair in the Sony Music offices in central London, Tomlinson is relaxed and cheerful, dressed in comfy all black clothes and chatting intermittently to his label crew. With a direct gaze and a cheeky smile, it’s hard to imagine him ever doubting himself or his own abilities. But when he speaks, there’s a certain vulnerability he’s not afraid of showing. Though experiencing massive success with numerous triumphs, he’s also gone through great losses, heartbreak and grief. And despite his young age and only just starting out as a solo artist, Tomlinson’s songs have unexpected depth and some seriously personal lyrics. The song ‘Two Of Us ’ was written about his late mother Johannah Deakin, who died of Leukemia in December 2016. “I have a bit of a luxury that where I grew we wear our hearts on our sleeve,” he says, “it’s part of our make up, so it has always come naturally to me. But of course, that is a really tender subject, but since I have the luxury of being confident enough to be able to talk about these things, I think it’s also important to put that message out. Especially as a guy as well.” “There was this girl at a meet & greet who had just lost her dad and she shared some really lovely words with me and that experience gives me goosebumps.” Experiences like that, he says, didn’t really happen in One Direction. They wrote some lovely love songs, but there was a real purpose to ‘Two Of Us ', and how people interpret the message and what it means to them is enormously special to Tomlinson. “I want to be honest as a lyricist,” he says, “and sometimes talk about things that we maybe don’t always talk about. I think it’s important to get those messages out.”

#louis tomlinson #we made it promo #wmi: musikknyheter

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julietandcinderellavocaloid · 4 years

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Broken Juliet Chapter 1

Author’s Note: Hello, beautiful people! May I present to you the prequel to my Vocaloid fanfic Blood Rose! It’s not necessary to read BR before reading this, but there will be some world building lacking as a result. Not a lot, so you should be fine.

This novella follows one of the characters, Rin, living through the events that lead her to where she is at the start of Blood Rose. Rin seems to be everyone’s favorite character in the main fic. Now it’s time to learn how she became the person she is in that novel.

Broken Juliet is Rin’s story, and it isn’t a happy one.

Trigger warnings for physical abuse and character death.

I do not own Vocaloid in any way, shape, or form. This fanfic purely exists for non-profit entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Scrunching up her face, sixteen-year-old Kagamine Rin studied the cabbage. After deeming it satisfactory, she added it and others of similar quality to her basket. She also picked up a few turnips and walked to the counter to make her purchase.

"Will that be all?" asked the clerk, a look of disinterest on his face. Rin nodded to answer. When the clerk totaled the costs, he told Rin, "That will be thirteen coin."

"Thirteen?!" Rin exclaimed. "I spoke with Aoki Merli earlier today, and she told me she paid less than half for the same things I'm getting."

"Yes," the clerk agreed, "but Aoki Merli is an Alice."

Rin grit her teeth. "Are you truly going to discriminate against me like this?"

"I need to make sales one way or another. Now either pay seventeen coin, or get out of here."

"It's seventeen coin now?"

"Twenty since you insist in arguing with me."

Jaw clenched, Rin stared at the man for more than a moment. What she wanted to do was walk away without making the purchase. It's what she would have done if she wasn't required to get everything on her shopping list. Rin had to get the items regardless of their price. The clerk knew it as well as she did.

Without a word, Rin slammed the twenty coins onto the counter, picked up her basket, spun on her heel, and walked out of the shop. She covered her eyes and squinted at the sunlight as she stepped outside and waited for her eyes to adjust before she continued with her errands. There was barely enough coin now to buy a new cloth pattern, but perhaps Ms. Yuezheng would feel generous and offer Rin half a pattern now and the rest when Rin could afford it.

Rin kicked up the dirt road as she went. The wooden shacks dotted the town, and many of the villagers walked on foot from business to business, either running errands like Rin or moving to the next job. Laughter and chatter filled the warming air. The boys and Alice girls played outside of the schoolhouse, making the most of their recess. Women gossiped over their bread and cheese as they sat under their tent, their sowing left unattended for now.

Just the sight of the bread alone made Rin's stomach growl with earnest. Before Rin bought the produce, she had hoped to use the leftover coin to buy a pork bun for her first meal of the day, but now she would have to wait till she cooked dinner that evening to taste even a morsel. With a heavy sigh, Rin kept marching to her next destination.

"Rin!"

Freezing at the shout of her name, Rin slowly turned around to see Mr. Chris waving her over. She didn't want to think about what the gruff blacksmith wanted with her, but she approached anyway. The last thing she needed was another complaint filed against her reaching her father.

Yet Mr. Chris, a tall man with black skin who was mostly muscle and had an ugly scar disfiguring the right side of his face, didn't seem upset at Rin for whatever reason that had been dreamed up since the last time someone, namely Luki, wanted to cause her trouble. Instead he looked to be displeased with the young man by his side. The young man shifted from foot to foot, seemingly more out of energetic restlessness than concern over this big man glaring at him.

"Yes, sir?" Rin questioned, switching her basket to her other arm.

Mr. Chris, whose arms were crossed, used his chin to point at the other guy. "This lad here is looking for your father's farm. Your father's still looking for more helping hands, right?"

"Yes, sir." Rin turned her attention to the young man by Mr. Chris's side. He was a tall, skinny fellow who looked more like a scarecrow than a person. Unless he was applying to scare birds and other pests away from the vegetation, she doubted he would get the job. The poor soul didn't look as if he could hold a rake he was so thin.

"Then he can follow you home." With that, Mr. Chris waved his hand in the air as if wiping off an item on his to-do list. He turned away, and that was the end of the exchange.

The young man turned to Rin and grinned, and she used the opportunity to study him a little more. He had olive skin, dirty blond hair that stuck out in every which way, and golden eyes. His clothes fit far too loosely, giving away just how gawky he was. Nothing about this man made him appear qualified to work on her father's farm. She was never going to see him again.

"Nice to meet ya!" the young man greeted, sounding far too cheerful, as he and Rin walked away from the blacksmith's shop. "Name's Akita Nero. You are?"

He doesn't know what I am then. Okay, good. It's been a long while since I had decent conversation with a stranger.

"Kagamine Rin," she told him. Nero held out his hand, and Rin hesitated a moment before taking it. After Nero gave her hand a firm shake, Rin pulled away and asked, "Where are you from?"

"Tangerice," he answered.

"Isn't that village far from here?"

"Only by twenty miles. I was looking for work when Kagamine Leon's want ad reached the border of town. When I caught wind of it, I grabbed my purse and came straight here."

"Did you walk the whole way?"

"Yep. Stopped last night to rest, then woke up before dawn to finish the journey."

Not sure what to make of Nero's chirpy attitude, Rin said, "Well, your journey is nearly over. The farm is a twenty-minute walk from here. Follow me and—"

"Pardon the interruption," Nero cut in, "but were ya running errands when that scary man called ya over?"

"I can do them later. It's really no trouble."

"Nah, finish them now," Nero replied. "I don't mind the wait. Ya said it's only a twenty-minute walk from here? That's nothing! Ya do what ya need to do before we head that way."

Rin wanted to argue, but she knew arguing wouldn't end well if he saw her left wrist. Even if he really was kind enough to insist Rin finish her errands first, she still didn't want to risk it. Of course, this man was new to town and likely wouldn't stay after not getting the job. Never seeing him after this interaction motivated her to be a little careless in conversation. Although she knew better, Rin held her left arm in a way to hide her exposed wrist as she gave in.

Working quickly in case Nero lacked patience, Rin dropped off her letters at the church before Pastor Fukase knew she stopped by and visited Ms. Yuezheng's shop to buy, to her relief, half a cloth pattern. Rin folded the cloth and stepped outside the tent. When she didn't see Nero, Rin looked around and tried to swallow her heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to ditch ya," Nero suddenly called out, causing Rin to jump. A pork bun in each hand, he explained, "I smelt something good and thought I'd give it a try."

Rin looked at his hands and asked before she realized her mouth was open, "You're going to eat two?" She couldn't even afford one. There was nothing left in her coin purse.

That was why it surprised Rin when Nero held a hand out and answered, "Actually, I bought one for ya, as a thanks for taking me to your father's farm. Well, I know we're not there yet, but we will be soon so I guess an early payment isn't too big a deal. Unless ya aren't hungry?"

Feeling her stomach tie itself into knots at the sight of the very thing she wanted for lunch being offered to her, Rin greatly desired to accept the pork bun. Yet she didn't trust this man, and she especially didn't trust his kindness.

"I did already eat, but thank you regardless," she said, her stomach tightening so hard it hurt. It was as if her body punished her for refusing the food she badly needed. Rin reminded her stomach it was better to starve in safety than to feast in beatings.

Nero shrugged before biting into the first pork bun. The sight too painful to watch, Rin turned away and told him that she was done with her errands and they would be going to her father's farm now. He followed close behind, finishing the first pork bun and then eating the second.

After he had devoured both pork buns, Nero began conversing with Rin. "So, what do ya grow on the farm? What kind of help does your pa need?"

"We need help picking our cherry trees and also preparing the soil to plant butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. Maintain the crops all through summer, and then harvest in autumn just in time for the Celebration of Colors."

Nero nodded along as Rin spoke. He didn't ask about wages or if housing was provided. Instead he asked, "Will I get to see more of ya if I get a position?"

Cheeks heating up, Rin answered Nero's question with one of her own. "Why are you asking something so insane?"

"Is it insane to want to spend more time with ya and get to know ya?"

So he hadn't seen her tattoo yet after all, and Rin didn't help the situation by keeping it hidden against her body. However, she really wanted to talk to someone who saw her as another person too much to be more rational. "You're being too forward, Mr. Akita."

"Please, call me Nero, and I apologize if it seems I'm being forward. It's only that you're the first person I met in this town – well, not including the blacksmith – and I would like to think we could be good friends if given the opportunity."

"You don't want to be friends with me." Rin regretted saying the words, but she didn't doubt their truth.

Nero didn't ask why Rin thought that, however. What he said was, "I think I should at least get to know ya before deciding whether or not I want to be friends with ya. Does Mistress Kagamine not wish to be friends with me?"

"I'm no mistress. Just Rin is more than fine."

"Okay, does Just Rin not wish to be friends with me?"

Despite herself, Rin snorted. "You are persistent."

"Ya haven't answered my question."

"Very well. Like you, I would need to get to know you before I can decide whether or not I want to be friends with you."

"And will there be opportunities for us to get to know each other?"

"I fail to see why this is so important to you."

"Perhaps this is important to me because I think you're interesting."

"Interesting?" Rin looked at Nero from the corner of her eye to see him smiling widely at her.

"I know first impressions don't tell a lot about a person," he began, "but my first impression of ya when the blacksmith called ya over was how pretty ya are."

Rin ducked her head down. If her burning cheeks was an indication, she didn't want Nero seeing her blush.

"Next was you seemed rather passive," Nero continued, either ignoring or oblivious to her turned away face. "Now, as it's only the two of us around, ya seem rather outspoken. Interesting indeed. I'm curious to know if you're strong-willed or without agency, and if the former, why ya pretend otherwise with an audience."

He still hasn't figured it out yet. "And if you get your answer," Rin replied, "what then?"

"I would like to find out if my other impressions are correct."

"Other impressions?"

"Calm, level-headed, easily fed up with the likes of me—"

"I'll tell you now that last one is correct," Rin stated, laughing. She then slammed her jaw shut.

However, Nero didn't seem offended. He simply laughed as well and added, "Blunt, too. I can respect that."

"Most people don't. They like to be told what they want to hear."

"Not me."

"What if you don't like what you hear?"

"If I'm going to take offense at every comment that doesn't agree with me, then I'm too emotionally immature to have valid arguments and opinions."

As her cheeks no longer felt flushed, Rin turned her attention back to the young man. He was smarter than he looked, that much was now evident. Yet there was still a skip to his step, his arms swinging carefree by his sides. There didn't seem to be any burdens of life on his shoulders. Either that, or he carried them well.

"I think you're the interesting one here, Mr. Nero," Rin slowly replied, looking away again.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide." Before Nero could reply, Rin announced, "We're here."

"Thank ya again for guiding me," Nero said as they stopped. He moved to stand in front of Rin, reached out, and took her free right hand. "I hope this won't be the last time I see ya."

Rin didn't expect Nero to kiss the back of her hand, that was why she was too stunned to yank it out of his grasp. He smiled as he dropped it soon after. If nobody had seen it, that would have been the end.

Only somebody did see.

And that wasn't the end.

What was meant to be a simple expression of gratitude was going to be a crime for which Rin would be punished.

It was from the corner of her eye Rin saw him coming. She jumped away from Nero, her heartrate shooting up. Pointing out the approaching man, Rin told Nero that the newcomer was her father.

Kagamine Leon glared at his daughter as he grew closer. Yet when he was within earshot, he called out, "Greetings, young man! What is your business here?"

"Greetings, Mr. Kagamine!" Nero returned, grinning the way he did at Rin back in town. "I'm Akita Nero from Tangerice. I saw your want ad and immediately was on my way. Tell me, do ya still need a hand?"

Looking Nero up and down, Leon clearly had the same initial thoughts Rin had. However, he couldn't deny Nero employment without first seeing what the young man had to offer. It was a law that never worked in Rin's favor, but perhaps it would give Nero a chance.

"Go inside the house and begin your chores," Leon told his daughter. Nero couldn't see it, but Rin could and did.

Rin forced herself to swallow. "Yes, father."

As she treaded to the house, she heard her father tell Nero, "I'm so sorry Rin had to be the first you met here. I promise, employment here won't be a shame for you to bear. My daughter is the only Juliet on this farm."

Not hearing Nero's reaction nor wanting to hear it, Rin kept marching forward. Now that Nero knew, he would be repulsed and wonder why he didn't seek out the blood rose tattoo on her left wrist sooner. That's how the story always ended for Rin's potential friends.

And that, Nero, is why you don't want to be friends with me, Rin silently told the young man as she walked farther and farther away from the first and last taste of kindness from a stranger she experienced in a long, long time.

#Juliet and Cinderella #Broken Juliet #Kagamine Rin #Rin Kagamine #Akita Nero #Nero Akita #Rin X Nero #Nero X Rin #Rinero #Vocaloid fanfic

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takerfoxx · 4 years

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IM Swiftly Descending Darkness, Chapter 10

One of the most galling things about being the Hakurei Shrine Maiden is that, despite being humanity’s most stalwart protector against supernatural forces that were beyond their ability to defend against, despite having resolved numerous incidents that had put all of Gensokyo in danger, and despite having saved countless lives, Miko Hakurei was not well-liked.

There were of course many unfair reasons for this. Miko lived far from even the roughest Human settlement, and Humans tended to be distrustful of those who dwelt alone in the Wilds. Also, she had working relationships with many youkai, even a few friendships, and youkai were not especially popular these days.

However, perhaps the most immediate reason for her poor reputation was that Miko Hakurei simply was not a people person. In fact, she had a reputation for being kind of a hardass.

It was to be expected. She was getting on in years, her life hadn’t exactly been comfortable, she regularly put herself in danger so others wouldn’t have to, and was rarely thanked, so she tended to be gruff and cynical in her dealings with others. Also, there were only so many times one could see a ravaged body out in the Wilds and not just view it as evidence to be examined. Yes, yes, I am very sorry for what happened to your daughter, but could you please hurry this along and let me see what’s left of her, so I can possibly prevent it from happening to someone else?

But though her heart was hardened, it wasn’t gone. There were still a few things capable of biting through her prickly demeanor and igniting a sense of righteous indignation. Learning that the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home’s defenses were being sabotaged by other Humans, leaving them vulnerable to attack was one of them. The fact that one of the children had already been murdered as a result only made it worse.

As she flew through the air toward the orphanage, Miko wondered what she was going to find. Tewi Inaba had said something about some of the kids being cursed now, though she hadn’t any specifics to give. Now, Miko tended to be skeptical of anything that Tewi Inaba said even at the best of times, but something about the obnoxious rabbit’s message rang true. Miko had a very bad feeling about this.

As she neared the orphanage, she saw that her intuition had been correct. Something had happened, something bad. From the look of things, the whole building had been evacuated, and a sort of makeshift camp had been set up in the field, with several sleeping mats laid on the ground and a few pavilions erected. Milling around them was pretty everyone that lived there, the overwhelming majority of them children with a handful of adults.

Miko’s heart fell. Though she was still too far away to make out any details, the way that the kids were huddling together told her that something bad had happened.

Even with so many people around, Fujiwara no Mokou’s bright red outfit stood out. She was standing by herself on the edge of the camp, facing outward. Miko turned toward her and increased her speed.

Mokou had one hand in her pocket, the other with two fingers around the lit cigarette she had in her mouth. As Miko came down for a landing, she calmly took the cigarette out and breathed out a cloud of smoke.

“There you are,” she said. “Got lost?”

Ignoring the jab, Miko looked over the children. The ones that had noticed her approach were rising up, hope on their faces. The others were sitting on their sleeping mats, seemingly lost in their own little worlds. “What happened? Tewi said something about a curse?”

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely still a thing. But we have something a little more immediate for you to look at first.”

From the other end of the camp, Satoko Yume had noticed Miko’s arrival and rushed toward the pair. “Lady Hakurei, thank the spirits you’re here!” she exclaimed. “We are…in desperate need of your help.”

“I can see that,” Miko said. “What’s going on?”

Sticking the cigarette back into her mouth, Mokou tilted her head to the now-empty house. “Let’s go for a walk.”

As the three women headed for the house, Mokou started to explain. “Well, it’s like this. Tewi probably already told you about how someone took out all our charms and wards, right?”

“Right,” Miko said. “Any idea who?”

“Quite a few, but as weird as that sounds, that’s actually third in line of our current problems. But anyway, apparently some youkai had known that we would be left undefended and mounted an attack.”

“I heard. The spiders, right? Muffet’s clan?”

“You know them?” Satoko said.

“Of them,” Miko corrected. “They’re kind of on the list of usual suspects whenever trouble comes out of the Youkai Forest.”

“Those are the cunts,” Mokou said agreeably. “Anyway, they came out of nowhere, still in broad daylight, and made off with five of our kids.” Her face twitched. “We got four of them back.”

Miko frowned. “Those would be the cursed ones, right?”

“Them, and two others. But that’s actually number two. Number one is something of an…oh, let’s call it an unexpected side-effect. And we have it trapped over here.”

They stopped in front of the house.

The actual house of the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home was a pleasant two-story white building, one with a slanted roof, large windows, and a wide porch. At all hours of the day and most of the night, lights would be streaming through those windows, smoke rising from the chimney, and children would be everywhere: out playing in the field, or sitting around on the porch, or hanging out of the windows. The air was constantly filled with the sound of children’s voices, the sound of them talking, shouting, laughing, and fighting. The Aoki Yume Children’s Home was a place bursting with life.

Not now though. Now it stood dark, empty, and silent. The windows were all shut, the rooms beyond darkened. The front door was shut tight as well, and all around the building a ring of Mokou’s charms had been stuck to the walls.

That told Miko quite a lot about the situation. Something had gotten in, something that they hadn’t been prepared for, and so the only thing they had been able to do was get everyone out and seal off the building to keep the invader trapped inside.

“The kid that the spiders ate was named Eiko Goto,” Mokou said. “And she died in a bad way. Bad enough to leave a mark.”

Miko nodded. “The ghost came back with you, didn’t it?”

“Yup. And it is pissed.”

“I assume that whatever it was that took out your outer defenses also wiped out whatever you had in the house itself?”

“Anything we already had set up. All the extra charms we had in storage were fine, but by the time we knew we had a haunting, it was already in the house. And…yelling at us.”

“Ghosts will do that,” Miko murmured. “Especially fresh ones.” She shook her head. “So, on top of everything else, you also need me do some pest control.”

“Pest control?” Satoko said, her voice testy.

“What else would you call it?”

“A little girl died, Miss Hakurei. I appreciate that you see far more corpses than we do, but even so-”

Mokou laid a hand on Satoko’s shoulder and shook her head. Satoko scowled in indignation, but said nothing further.

“We would have taken care of it ourselves,” Mokou said. “Except we don’t exactly have any ghost extermination stuff on hand. And the places that sell it don’t sell to us anymore.”

That got Miko’s attention. “Oh reallllyyyy?” she drawled.

“We were recently banned from the village communal market,” Satoko said flatly. “And this is after we were banned from the Human Village altogether.”

Miko looked over to Mokou. “Does this have to do with you insulting Gendou Sonozika to his face?”

“Yeah, turns out he holds a grudge. Wonder where he gets it from?”

No answer to that question was needed. Miko was well aware of how many of Gendou Sonozika’s ancestors met an early grave thanks to Mokou. “Well, I’ll put that on my to-do list,” Miko growled. Grudges or not, cutting an orphanage off from all help was beyond the pale. And sure, Human affairs might be outside of her jurisdiction, but fuck it, the bounds of her jurisdiction were murky even at the best of times, and it wasn’t like there was anyone to report her to. “In the meantime though, I’d better get to cleaning house.”

Mokou motioned toward the house in question. “All yours.”

Miko stepped toward the front porch. Actually, even though this wasn’t going to remove her other problems, she was a little relieved that she was starting off with something like this. Cleaning out hauntings was dull routine to her. Maybe it would help focus her thoughts for the real issues.

“WAIT!” someone cried. “STOP!”

Miko paused. Then she, Mokou, and Satoko all turned.

Two little girls were running toward them, the one in the lead the taller of the two, with honey-blonde hair and golden eyes, and the other with shortly cut green hair and blue eyes.

Before Miko could question what they wanted, she was suddenly struck with a wave of…something! She had no idea what it was, but it felt thick, cold, and suffocating. It was emanating from the two girls like the cloud of smoke from a funeral pyre, the stench of rot from a mass grave. It was so strong that she had to take a step back and avert her face.

Taking no notice of her reaction, the two ran right up to the trio of women. “You’re the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, right?” the blonde said. “You’re here for Eiko’s ghost?”

The stink was making Miko’s eyes water. “I…”

“Please, don’t hurt her! She doesn’t know what she’s doing, and I’m sure she doesn’t mean to hurt anyone!”

“Oh no,” Satoko said softly. Shaking her head, she knelt down in front of the two. “No, girls. That thing in there isn’t Eiko. Eiko’s in the Netherworld, where all good souls go. That ghost is just an echo of the pain she felt, and when Miss Hakurei here takes care of it, all of her hurting will be over.”

“But it’s all that’s left of her!” cried the other girl, the one with green hair. “You can’t just-”

“Come on, come on,” Satoko soothed as she gently, yet firmly, led the two away. “It’s all right. Come on now.”

“But you can’t!” the green-haired girl protested. “Please, just let us talk to her, I’m sure we can calm her down!”

As they left, Mokou turned to Miko. “You all right?”

Sniffing, Miko pulled out her handkerchief to wipe at her watering eyes and running nose. “Uh, I guess so. Who the hell were they?”

“Haruko Kamijima and Hayate Maeda. Eiko’s friends, if you haven’t already guessed.”

“I figured. They the ones?”

“That’s them. You felt it, I’m guessing?”

Miko nodded.

“So…?”

Miko breathed in deeply, and then started coughing. The air tasted normal, but the spiritual stench still hung thick. “Oh, they have a curse all right. A big one too.”

“No shit. What kind?”

“Not sure. I’ll have to examine it more closely.” A job that, while necessary, she was not looking forward to. “Do you know how it happened?”

Mokou shook her head. “Nah, we found them on the edge of the forest, totally out cold. And when they woke up, they couldn’t remember anything.”

Frustrating, but not surprising. “Nothing at all?”

“Well, nothing about what or how it happened. The spider stuff they remembered, especially the one that was awake to see her friend get eaten. That was the blonde one. She saw the whole thing.”

Miko sighed. “Well, ain’t that all kinds of fucked up. You sure Muffet’s clan is gone for good?”

“Yeah, about that…” Mokou drawled. “I’ve got something I need to show you.”

“What?”

“Later. For now, ghost. Then we can focus on the curse.”

“Fine, have it your way.” Miko turned back toward the house. At least her first problem was an easy one. As frightening as they might be to the uninitiated, for her they were dull routine. And this one sounded as straight-forward as they got.

…

Satoko and Mokou stood and watched as Miko Hakurei walked up the porch stairs toward the front door of the haunted orphanage. She didn’t immediately enter though, instead walking back and forth across the porch, one hand outstretched, fingers brushing against the wall.

“What is she doing?” Satoko asked.

Mokou reached into her pocket and pulled out her packet of cigarettes. She lit one with her finger, took a deep drag, and breathed out the smoke. “Getting a feel for things,” she said. “She can’t sense the ghost through the charms, so she has to get in close get any kind of read.”

“Oh. Um, and you’re sure she can…deal with this?”

“Sure. I mean, this part’s just her regular job. It’s when she’s done with the ghost that things get complicated.”

“You mean the curse?”

Mokou blew out another, longer cloud of cigarette smoke. “Yup,” she said.

Satoko anxiously rose up and down on the balls of her feet. She was, under normal circumstances, a paragon of patience and tolerance, but the current situation was anything but normal. “And that’s why she, um, you know, reacted the way she did to Haruko and Hayate?”

“Yup.”

Satoko looked away from the house toward the immortal at her side. On the surface, Mokou was the perfect picture of calm, with one hand in her pocket, the other holding her cigarette to her mouth between two fingers, shoulders slightly slouched, and face almost looking bored. However, there was a harrowed look around her eyes, a worrying intensity in how she stared at the house.

That more than anything was reason to be scared. “Mokou,” Satoko said in a low voice. “Are you sure she can handle this curse?”

Mokou exhaled smoke from her nostrils. “No,” she said after a long silence.

Satoko started. “No?”

“No. But she’s the best bet we have.”

That was less than reassuring. “Mokou, how can-”

The house’s front door suddenly open and Miko Hakurei hurried out, hastily slamming the door behind her. She power-walked down the steps and across the grass toward the two women.

“You have a problem,” the shrine maiden said briskly.

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no. Not another problem. Not another wrinkle. Satoko had already endured more than she could stand. Was it bad enough that the rest of Gensokyo was systematically cutting them off little by little, that they were being purposefully sabotaged by their neighbors and invaded by flesh-eating youkai, that six of their children were currently either possessed or cursed or maybe both by something they didn’t understand, that their strongest ally was really a centuries-old murderess with a tendency to make enemies every time she went out, that they had to abandon their home because the ghost of a murdered child was seeking revenge for Satoko’s failure to protect her? And now there was a new problem with that?

“What is it?” Satoko said. “Oh, wait, let me guess: the ghost is really a legendary blood demon, sent to devour our souls! Or that it’s already so powerful that the only way to get rid of it is to destroy the house!” Her voice started to rise in pitch and volume. “Is it not enough that the people that are supposed to be our neighbors have exiled us, that monsters are kidnapping and eating our children alive, that we’re being cursed by unknown evils, but now we can’t even be haunted without it being somehow worse!”

“Satoko,” Mokou hissed. “Get a grip.”

“Get a grip? Get a grip? How can you expect me to get a grip after everything’s happened? What am I supposed to grip onto in the first place? Odds are it’ll just turn out to be covered with poisoned thorns that-”

Mokou seized her by the shoulder and forcibly muscled her into taking a seat.

“Save it for later,” Mokou growled. To Miko, she said, “So, what new bad news awaits us?”

“Well, maybe problem is too strong a word,” Miko amended. “But it’s definitely a complication.”

“Just tell us already,” Satoko said wearily, her face in her hands.

“Can’t, because I don’t really understand what it is. You need to see this for yourself.”

“Yeah, well, what else is new?” Mokou grabbed Satoko by the bicep and pulled her back to her feet. “Come on, Satoko. Let’s see the new addition to the Everyone Hates Us Club.”

Miko led the pair back to the house. As they approached, Satoko felt her anger and frustration melt together into a rising sense of dread, and that just upset her all the more. That house was supposed to be her sanctuary, their sanctuary, but now even it had shut itself off from them and become a den of evil. There was literally nowhere that was safe for them.

Sure enough, as soon as Satoko stepped past the threshold of the charms, she felt the temperature immediately drop several degrees. Every alarm bell in her head went off as she began picking up on several things wrong. Her sense of balance started to get all wonky, her sight refused to register anything as being the size that it actually was, the air around her felt oppressively thick, and her ears filled with the sounds of whispers, all sure signs of a haunting.

Maybe too many of them. Either Eiko’s ghost was unusually strong, which was a strong possibility given the circumstances of her death, or it had brought friends.

Miko laid a hand on the doorknob. As she did, it suddenly frosted over, cold vapors rising up from the frozen metal. Wincing, she quickly withdrew her hand.

“Here, let me,” Mokou said. Her palm rose in temperature until it was faintly glowing and the air around it became fuzzy. Ice hissed and sent up a cloud of steam when she grabbed the knob, but she was able to turn it and push.

First Miko went in, with Mokou not far behind. Satoko hung back, not wanting to follow, not wanting to see Eiko’s mutilated face or hear her accusatory screams.

“Oh,” she heard Mokou say in surprise. “Well, huh.”

“Yup,” Miko said in a grim tone.

Satoko glanced over her shoulder. Their small camp was a fair distance away from the house, but even so, she could see that everyone there was watching them.

Watching her.

Satoko took a deep breath to steady herself. No. No matter how bad things were, her responsibility was clear. And if she had to walk right into the domain of an angry spirit in order to protect those under her care, then she was going to do it. Satoko stepped over the threshold and into the house.

What she found inside wasn’t exactly what she was expecting.

Oh, she had anticipated ghostly shenanigans, with horrific images, screams, and Eiko’s butchered body being displayed in all manner of stomach-churning scenarios.

Instead, she found themselves staring at row after row after row of grey faces, all gazing solemnly at the trio.

The entrance room was packed with people, most of them children but a few adults here and there. The children were all wearing some variation of the grey uniforms that the orphanage provided. The design had changed little throughout the years, but there were some differences among them. The adults all had on more normal clothes, mostly the simple kind that was often donated by local farmers or the nearby villages. They filled the room, the connecting hallways, and even had more perched on the stairs.

There had to be a couple hundred of them at least, far more people than had ever been in the house at one time. Satoko’s hands went to her mouth as she gasped. This was…well, she had no idea how she was supposed to react to something like this. Was she afraid? Well, she supposed so, but mostly she just felt stupefied. Thus far they had been dealing with dangers and threats that were…mostly known. Evil youkai they understood. Ghosts they understood. Evil-hearted people they understood. Even the curse, while certainly of unknown origin, was just something that people expected from the Youkai Forest.

But this…this was new.

Satoko shot a glance over to Miko and Mokou, both of whom probably had numerous encounters with ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, and all manner of undead in her time. However, the supposed expert ghost exterminator Miko Hakurei looked very put out, while the centuries-old renegade Fujiwara no Mokou was ill at ease, warily rising on the balls of her feet as her gaze darted this way and that. She held her hands to either side, fingers curled and arms loose. There was a sudden whoosh, and twin balls of flame ignited around her hands.

“So,” Miko said, sounding more irritated than afraid, “I was given to understand that you wanted me to clean out one ghost.” She swept an arm toward the ethereal audience. “This looks way more than just one ghost.”

“Miko,” Mokou said as she warily edged back toward the door.

“I mean, I guess it’s still doable, but for something on this scale, I’m gonna have to start charging.”

“Miko, cut the crap and explain.”

“Me? This is your house, Mokou. These are your ghosts, you explain!”

As the two argued, Satoko continue to look over the expressionless faces silently watching them. Who were all these people? Why were they there? And why were they all dressed in the same uniforms as her kids?

Then she saw a face that she recognized and her heart nearly stopped.

“Tobi?” Satoko whispered. “Tobi, is that you?”

Mokou spared her half a glance. “Satoko, who are you talking to?”

Satoko pointed to the right of the room. “Her! That girl there. Tobi, can you hear me?”

There was a pause, and the shimmering grey bodies shuffled about, and Tobi stepped forward. She had been seven years old when she died, and save for her grey complexion and semi-transparent quality, she looked the same, with hair hanging down her back in a tightly woven ponytail and a ribbon tied around her head with a large bow on either side of her head, just over her ears.

“Tobi, can you hear me?” Satoko said. “It’s me, Miss Satoko.” She started to move forward, only for Miko to thrust an arm across her chest.

“Don’t,” Miko said.

Satoko shot her a pleading look. “But-”

“Satoko, who’s Tobi?” Mokou said in a low voice.

“She was one of our kids! But…she died, before you came. Before even Joshua came, actually. She got lost during a snowstorm and…Tobi, please! Can you hear me?”

Tobi’s face was as blank as her companions, though she did tilt her head to one side, as if trying to listen.

“You recognize anyone else here?” Mokou said.

Satoko looked the crowd over. She did, actually. Most of the faces were new to her, but now that she was looking, a few jumped out to her. “I…I think that’s Miss Oa over there. She was one of the caretakers when I was a girl, but she passed before I took over. And that…” She inhaled sharply. “Oh no, Kale?”

Now she was looking up at the stairs, specifically at a tall boy that was almost a man. He had spiky hair that was messily combed back and a rather prominent nose.

“And he is?” Miko said.

Satoko’s eyes misted over. She blinked a few times and stuttered, “M-My best friend. When I w-was growing up. But…he d-died when I was sixteen. Flash flood. And…and…”

She could say no more. In life, Kale had robust and full of energy, a fun-loving boy that saw their lives as a never-ending adventure. They had grown up together, played together as children, crashed through those bewildering gates of puberty together, and had shared their first clumsy kiss with one another. At the time, Satoko had considered herself the luckiest girl in the world, and she been distraught when that adventure had been cruelly cut short, and for a time it seemed as if the

If their friendship meant anything to the dearly departed Kale, he made no sign, content to remain staring along with everyone else.

Then she saw something that made even her wince. She nudged Satoko with her elbow and pointed. When Satoko saw, she inhaled sharply through her nose but said nothing.

Eiko Goto was there, standing and staring as silently as the others. She was near the door to their left, no longer screaming, no longer spitting up spiders, but she was there. An older woman stood behind her with her arms around Eiko’s front, holding her in a protective embrace. The message was clear. She’s ours. Do not touch.

The more Mokou learned about their current situation, the less she liked it. Had all of these spirits been here this whole time, held back by the foundational wards? And did they have any particular opinions about that?

Then a very strange voice said, I think I can explain.

Again the ghosts shuffled around, allowing one of the adults to step forward. She seemed to be somewhere in her mid-forties, with a pleasantly plump body and a round face. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun, and she had the shoulders of someone accustomed to labor.

It was she that had spoken, if what she had done could be described as speaking. Truth be told, Satoko wasn’t even sure if the ghost had made any noise at all. It was like a whisper from a fading dream, a memory of a conversation that had never happened. And yet Satoko had no trouble understanding her at all.

“Who’s that?” Mokou asked.

“I…” Satoko shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Then the ghost woman smiled kindly at her, the first actual emotion any of them had expressed. Hello there, granddaughter.

Satoko choked. “Wait, granddaughter?”

Sort of. It’s close enough. The ghost woman bowed low. I would apologize for startling you, but you did come in unannounced. My name is Aoki Yume, and this is my house.

…

Alone in a crowd. Alone with your family. That was how Melissa felt.

The whole of the orphanage’s household was abuzz. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden had finally arrived, and had gone to deal with Eiko’s ghost. And after that, she would deal with Youkai Forest curse. Things were going to return to normal! Or at least, some semblance of normal anyway. They were still banished and isolated from the rest of the Humans, but at the very least their problems would be of the mortal variety. No one was going to have to worry about screaming ghosts hanging from the ceiling spitting up spiders or having their throats cut by their possessed friends anymore.

Or at least, that was what the grown-ups had said.

Truth be told, very few of them believe that. When the Hakurei Shrine Maiden had arrived, Melissa had been profoundly disappointed. Some rough-looking lady in a worn red-and-white outfit was supposed to save them all? Everyone half-expected the ghost to chew her up and spit her bones out of a window.

Melissa was one of them. There was a ghost in their house. Their friends were possessed. Most of the strange types of magic in Gensokyo had been nearly incomprehensible to her, but those two she fully understood. And judging by how scared everyone else looked and the way they were whispering to one another, she wasn’t alone.

Except she was, because at least everyone else had someone to whisper to. Everyone was in their own little groups, talking in hushed tones to their friends. Even the grown-ups were talking to each other. But not Melissa. The only two people she felt comfortable really talking to was Kana, her only real friend, and Mr. Joshua, who was the only other person from the Outside World and understood enough Spanish whenever Melissa’s still incomplete grasp of Japanese wasn’t enough. And Kana was one of the possessed and Mr. Joshua was engaged in a hushed conversation with Miss Shion, leaving Melissa by herself. It was just like her first few days until Kana had started following her around, and outcast among the outcasts.

So with nothing else to do, she tried talking to God.

It was something Mr. Joshua had suggested whenever she felt alone. Certainly she knew how, given she had spent most of her life in a Catholic mission, but truth be told she had never really felt close to God, even then. The way that the priests and nuns had described him made him seem scary and unapproachable, someone you needed to book an appointment with weeks in advance and had to mind your P’s and Q’s when that meeting actually took place, not really the sort of person you’d want to open up to. Why else would he have so many rules and punishments?

She liked the way Mr. Joshua described him better, as more of a big brother who was always more than happy to just sit down and listen whenever you needed him. Certainly that was how he talked to him. Melissa would often hear him having long conversations with nobody whenever he was working. They would often be in English, which nobody at the orphanage understood, so it was more than a little weird, but the other kids seemed used to it, and she had to admit it did sound appealing to just be able to open up about whatever was bothering you whenever you wanted.

Except that God felt more distant than ever. Gensokyo was a world separated from Earth, so Melissa didn’t even know if God could hear her. Did he get prayers from this strange, offshoot country? Wasn’t that kind of like someone from Mexico trying to write the President of the United States a letter? It just seemed like it would be outside of his jurisdiction!

Besides, Gensokyo had gods of its own, and a lot of them. One could literally go to their shrines and have a face-to-face conversation with them. And while they had rules too, those actually made a lot more sense. Make an offering at their shrine, and have a prayer answered. Someone was sick? Make an offering. It hadn’t rained in a long time and the crops were drying out? Make an offering. It was all very straightforward.

Still, she didn’t know any of those gods. They had taken visits to shrines before, and she had seen the gods there, but had never spoken to them. She had just been too nervous. What did one say to a god? They hadn’t seemed like gods to her, more like rock and roll stars, normal people but with weird clothes and big personalities, still not someone she felt like she could just approach. With God, if he could hear her, all she had to do was talk, maybe even just think! Whatever, it wasn’t like she could do anything else.

So, as she paced back and forth across the camp in agitation, she tried talking to God.

“Um, our Father, who’s in Heaven, hallowed be thy…uh…hallowed be thy name,” she muttered. “They will come, they kingdom be…uh, no. No, it’s the other way around.” Damn it, she used to know the whole thing! It wasn’t like she had much of a choice back then, but it had been so long since she had last recited the Lord’s Prayer, the lines were all mixed up in her head.

So she tried something else. “Hail Mary full of grace, and…” Her mind drew a blank.

Just as well, Mr. Joshua had always said that praying to Mary was weird anyway. Fine. Forget the memorized prayers. She was just going to talk, like Mr. Joshua did.

“All right,” she muttered. “God, can you hear me? It’s Melissa Garcia! You know, the girl that got lost and wound up here. In Gensokyo.”

Dai and Yoshi were wrestling all over the sleeping mats up ahead. Melissa altered her course to give them a wide berth.

“I don’t know if you can hear me here, if you even care about anything that happens here, but I’m scared. I’m stuck here and I’m scared. I mean, Gensokyo just seemed so much better than where I came from. It’s prettier, the orphanage is nicer than the mission, the food’s…okay, it tasted a little weird at first, but it’s actually better. And they have magic here! I’m actually learning how to fly! I mean, I was, but…” She coughed. “Um, people back…back home would probably just call that witchcraft, but is it though? I mean, you had to make magic too, right?”

She had reached the end of the camp, and since she didn’t like the idea of striking off by herself across the field where someone could grab at her, she reversed course and headed back the other way.

“But, um, things are bad now. One of the kids here got…eaten, and now her ghost is haunting the place. A real ghost! I don’t know if we had them back home or if they all got put here, but I saw it! And now some of the others are, I don’t know, possessed or something? Or just cursed? Something bad. But my best friend’s one of them, and they won’t let me talk to her, but she’s been coughing a lot, and I think she’s sick, and I don’t know what to do.”

She had to stop suddenly, as Miss Haruna was walking across her path, and Melissa almost walked right into her.

“Whoa, careful there, kid,” Miss Haruna said.

Melissa cringed. “I’m…sorry. Very sorry, I wasn’t-”

“Easy, easy, no-” Then she said something too fast for Melissa to catch, followed with, “Just be careful, all right?”

“Okay,” Melissa said, then she resumed her pacing.

“Anyway, I don’t know if you’re even allowed to change anything in here, even if you can hear us, but if you can, please, please, please help them! Help Kana. And, I don’t know, help us! No one else is!”

She reached the other end of the camp, spun on her heel, and set off again.

“Besides, there’s this group of men. Bad men. They say that they’re doing your will, but all they’ve done is make things hard for us! They’re out there trying to make everyone else hate us, and they’re doing it in your name. So, shouldn’t you, you know, do something about it? Isn’t this your responsibility? Mr. Joshua’s the only good Christian I know, and he’s on our side! Can’t you do something for his sake? Or are you just going to leave him to fend for himself just because-”

In her rising anger and agitation, Melissa had forgotten to watch where she was going and walked right into someone who was equally preoccupied.

“-oof!”

She stumbled back, nearly fell, and only just recovered her balance in time.

The other person, who was noticeably larger and heavier than her, might have done the same, had a rolled-up sleeping mat not ended right behind his foot.

“Ow.”

To Melissa’s horror, she found herself looking down at Noba Fujinami, who had sprawled out in an untidy head.

“I’m sorry!” she blurted out, forgetting in her agitation to use Japanese instead of Spanish. Realizing this, she corrected to, “Um, sorry, sorry!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Noba grunted. Melissa reached down to help him up. Their hands grasped, and…

Oh.

Wow.

Noba straightened up and brushed himself off. “Sorry about that,” he muttered. “Was kind of preoccupied.”

“Oh, it’s…good!” Melissa said, hoping he hadn’t noticed how flustered she had become. “Um…how is…” Damn it, now she was forgetting simple words! “…your…face?”

Noba stared blankly at her.

“Head!” Oh, if a youkai felt like kidnapping her, now would be the time! “Sorry. Head! How is your head?”

“Oh,” Noba laughed. “Yeah, um, funny thing. Ever…” Then he said something long and kind of rambling. Melissa listened intently, trying to grab onto all the words she recognized and use that context to figure out what he was trying to say.

Noba must have seen the look on her face, as he then let his words trail off. “Oh,” he said, more slowly this time. “Sorry. Was I too fast?”

“No, it’s okay,” Melissa was quick to say. She felt as she had caught the gist of it. “You…feel better after, uh, after they locked the…” Oh damn. “The ghost! They locked the ghost in the house.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Noba said. “I guess that knock to my head made me more…” a word that Melissa didn’t know yet, probably “sensitive” or something like that, “…to magic stuff.”

“Maybe,” Melissa said. “I don’t know. I never met a ghost before.”

Noba made a face. “Me neither. It’s freaky.”

“Yeah.”

The two fell silent, though on the inside Melissa anything but. In fact, her mind was screaming at her memory, begging for it to upload every bit of Japanese she knew, right now, thank you!

Fortunately Noba broke the silence first. “So, who were you talking to?”

Unfortunately, he had decided to break it with someone embarrassing. “Oh, no one,” Melissa said by reflex. “I just…” Then she sighed. Oh, why not? “To God.”

“God?”

Melissa winced and shrugged. “Yes.”

“A god came here?” Noba said, his handsome face scrunching up in puzzlement. “To help?”

“No,” Melissa said. “To God. To…” Her memory failed her, and she gestured helplessly in Mr. Joshua’s general direction, hoping that would get her point across.

Fortunately it did. “Oh, you mean your god, from the Outside World? The same one Mr. Joshua’s always praying to?”

“Yes,” Melissa sighed in relief while wondering how to turn the conversation away from religion. “Him.”

Noba tilted his head to one side. “Does he ever talk back?”

“I don’t know,” Melissa said honestly.

“Okay.” Sighing, Noba scratched the back of his neck and looked around. “Uh, hey, are you all right?”

“Uh…why?”

Noba shrugged. Well, Kana’s your friend, right. You must be worried about her.

“Yes,” Melissa admitted. “Yes, I am.”

Noba nodded. “Well, don’t worry. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden will help her.”

Melissa swallowed back the lump she felt forming. “How do…How do you be sure?”

“Well, it’s what she does,” Noba said, frowning.

Was it? Was it really? Some old woman she had never met before was supposed to save them all? “We have ghost!” Melissa said, struggling to find the right words to put her fears to speech. “We have…curse! Youkai eat us! Everything is bad!”

Her throat seized up, and she felt hot tears starting to form. Feeling hot in the face, she hastily turned away before Noba could see her.

She had screwed up. She had screwed up and made things worse. Noba had actually gone up to her and talked to her, and she had acted like a total spaz. And she was still scared, was still worried sick for Kana, God wasn’t doing anything, and now Noba probably thought that she was-

Then a large, strong hand slipped around hers.

Melissa gawked up in shock to see Noba standing next to her. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I guess this would be scarier for you.”

Well, that was true enough. “You not scared?” she blurted out.

“Oh yeah,” Noba said with a bitter laugh. “Very. But not of the ghost. And not of the curse.”

“Why?”

Noba shrugged. “Because there are always ghosts and curses and youkai. But we know what to do about them. Those…” he said another word that Melissa had heard several times but had never learned the meaning, though it sounded very derogatory, “…that attacked us in the market, that knocked me out. Them I’m scared of. That’s different.”

Melissa knew what he meant. That was one thing that hadn’t changed, one thing that was the same no matter what world she was in: people with ugly hearts doing ugly things. “Why are they like that?”

“Wish I knew. I thought it was their weird god, but you’re nice, and Mr. Joshua is nice, and…” Then he went red in the face. “Oh, sorry. That wasn’t very polite, huh?”

“It is fine!” Melissa quickly changed the subject. “You really think they will try to hurt us again?”

At this, Noba thoughtfully rubbed his chin with his free hand. He had a dusting of stubble on it, and over his cheeks. It gave him a cool, mature look. “You know, back when my head was hurting all the time, I kept having these weird dreams. Bad ones, where the house would be on fire, and we’d be trying to get out, but all the doors and windows would be stuck and…” His voice trailed off.

“That…That sounds…bad.”

“Oh yeah. But in those dreams, it was never youkai that was setting everything on fire, not ghosts, not demons. It was Humans. Other Humans.” A flash of anger crossed his face. “I mean, youkai are youkai. That’s what they do. What are those people’s excuse?”

“They are bad,” Melissa said flatly. “They are bad men and bad women. Bad people do bad things.”

“Well, if so, then it ought to be them that the youkai carry off! We didn’t do anything! We didn’t…uh…”

“Uh what?”

Noba pointed with her free hand. “Who the hell are they?”

Melissa looked. And then her heart fell.

There, across the grass, on the other side of the fence, three people were coming down the road toward the gate.

Three people dressed all in brown.

“They’re back,” Noba whispered.

…

“This. Friggin’. Sucks!”

The group now dubbed the “Black Circle Six” sat in, well, a circle, one that was set apart from the rest of their family, well on the other side of the field. Normally Miss Mokou would be with them, but even she was gone, having entered the house with Miss Satoko and the shrine maiden.

Rumia hated being cursed. It was worse then being sick. At least when you got sick it just meant that you felt like crap for a few days and didn’t get to play with anyone and didn’t have to do chores in the meantime. All that was true about being cursed, but it wasn’t something you just got better from, and everyone kept looking at her like she was going to snap and kill everybody.

Maybe I should, she groused to herself. Not seriously of course, but she was in a bad mood. Show them for looking at me like that. Like it’s my fault some big evil magic coughed on me. Like it’s my fault that stupid voice keeps saying-

Give in.

-that. That it keeps saying that.

“I hate this,” Rumia continued to grumble out loud. “What’s taking them so long? Shouldn’t they try to fix us first?”

Hayate glowered at her, her eyes red and blotchy from crying. “Will you shut up? It’s not your friend that they’re going after.”

Rumia groaned. “Oh, for the last time, it’s not Eiko! It’s just her stupid ghost!”

“Are you sure?” Kohta said, his face pale. Despite everything that had happened to them, the arrival of Eiko’s ghost had shaken him the most. “It might be her. She might be mad at us for not saving her too.”

“Oh, now you believe in ghosts, huh?” Rumia snapped.

“Shut up, Rumia!” Haruko yelled at her.

“Don’t tell me to shut up, you shut up!” Rumia yelled back.

Haruko leapt to her feet. “You’re happy about this, aren’t you? You’re happy she’s dead, you’re happy that they’re killing her again, and you probably wish the spiders killed us too!”

A moment later Rumia was on her feet as well, fists balled and ready to swing. “We saved your life, numbskull!”

“But you didn’t save hers! If you hadn’t gotten there so late she would still be alive!”

“Enough!” Keine roared. She had been mostly silent all day, groaning and rubbing her head like it was paining her. But apparently even she had a breaking point. “Enough, enough, enough! Gods, it’s bad enough that we have all this other crap going on without you two yelling at each other!”

“Keep out of this, shrimp!” Haruko’s voice rose to a shriek. “We didn’t ask you for-”

“Ah!” Keine curled into a ball and grabbed at her head with both hands. “Please, just stop yelling!”

Rumia rushed to her side. “Keine, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay! I’m cursed, my head feels like it’s going to explode, my stomach won’t stop hurting, and you all won’t shut up! Of course I’m not okay!”

Her anger cooling into guilt, Rumia sat down next to her. After a moment both Haruko and Hayate did too.

“What’s wrong with your head?” Kohta said at last.

Keine shot him an irritated look. “Seriously? You guys don’t have it too?”

Kohta shrugged. “Well, I mean, my hand’s still all prickly, and I got that whole voice in the back of my head going all, Give in, but I don’t have a headache. Or a stomachache.” Rumia had to admit, his imitation of the curse’s black voice was pretty spot on.

“So it’s just me then?” Keine sighed. “Oh, that just figures!”

Haruko cleared her throat. “Maybe it’s just, you know, your…” Her voice got small. “Womanly…issue.”

Kohta stared. “Her what now?”

Rumia sighed and buried her face in her hand. She loved Kohta dearly, but he could be just so stupid sometimes.

“It’s not,” Keine said flatly.

“Are you sure? Have you even had your first one yet?”

“Her first what?” Kohta said. Rumia elbowed him in the side.

“Shut. Up. Haruko!” Keine hissed.

Then Kana piped in with, “Perhaps she is dying as well.”

That got a groan from everyone. “Oh, for crap’s sake,” Rumia said. “Really, Kana?”

“It is a possibility,” Kana said calmly. “We still do not know the origin of this curse. It may be fatal.”

“Well, thanks,” Keine said as she continued to massage her head. “Appreciate that.”

“You are welcome,” Kana said without a hint of sarcasm. Then she started coughing again.

Then Rumia frowned. “Wait, what do you mean ‘as well’? Who else is dying?”

“Me,” Kana said after her most recent fit had quieted. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“No,” Rumia said immediately. “You’re not dying. You’re just sick because you got more spider venom than everyone else. Once the curse is gone, you’ll start feeling better.”

“Oh, I don’t believe so,” Kana said, in that bewilderingly serene manner of hers.

Rumia glared. “You’re not dying.”

“I think I am,” Kana said. Then she brightened. “Oh, that reminds me. After I’m dead, would you please ask that the shrine maiden not exterminate my ghost? I would hate to have to die twice.”

“See!” Haruko said, pointing at the frail weirdo. “Even she knows this is wrong!”

Keine winced. “If you guys don’t shut up, I’m actually going to give in and find out what the fuss is all about.”

“No,” Kohta said, his voice firm. He laid a hand on Keine’s shoulder. “No, you’re not. None of us are giving in, and Kana, you’re not dying. The shrine maiden will clean up the house, she’ll get rid of the curse, and we can all move back in.”

“That’s nice of you to say so,” Kana said. “You are wrong though.”

Hayate swallowed. “What if she’s right? What if the shrine maiden can’t fix us?”

“Huh?” Rumia said. “It’s her job, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, okay,” Rumia sighed. “Kana? You’re not helping.”

“Was I supposed to help? I apologize, but no one has explained what my responsibilities are.”

“What if this is too big for her though?” Hayate said, as if the others hadn’t spoken. “What if it infects her too?”

“She’s the Hakurei Shrine Maiden though,” Rumia said. “She deals with this stuff all the time.”

“As far as we know! What if this one gets her? Then who’ll save us?

“Who are they?” Kana wondered.

“What, the Hakurei Shrine Maidens? Gods, Kana! I know you’re an airhead, but this is dumb even for you!”

“No, not her, them!” Kana pointed across the field toward the camp of everyone who wasn’t cursed, or to be more specifically the gate that lay beyond them. “Those men there. I don’t recognize them.”

When Rumia saw what Kana was pointed at, she hissed through her teeth.

A trio of men was striding across their field toward their family, men wearing brown robes, the same as the ones who had crashed Eiko’s funeral.

“Is that them?” Hayate asked. “Are they back?”

“Oh, they’re back all right,” Rumia said. “And you know what?”

She abruptly stood to her feet, and before anyone could stop her she started to make her way across the grass.

“Hey, wait!” Kohta called after her. “Where are you going?”

“Those are the same assholes that did all this to us!” Rumia called over her shoulder, not slowing her gait in the slightest. “It’s their fault we got banned from everything, it’s their fault we got attacked, it’s their fault Eiko is dead, it’s their fault we’re cursed, and it’s their fault we can’t even sleep in our own house. So you know what? I’m gonna go over there, and when I do…”

Give in.

“…I’m gonna find out if this curse really is contagious!”

…

Four elderly women sat together at the dining room table.

To be clear, the term “elderly” is not to imply that they were in any way weak or frail, but to state that they literally were elders of their respective worlds, matriarchs who had done great things and had earned their authority and respect.

Satoko Yume was the youngest of the four, but she was still soon to exit middle age, and had devoted her life to caring for the lost children of Gensokyo, running its only orphanage as its chief matron and ensuring that those under her care were given the best life possible.

Miko Hakurei was the second youngest, and she would not be considered a young woman by any mortal metric. True, her family was especially long-lived, but even by the Hakurei standards she was just starting to get along in years, enough to give her the odd wrinkle or grey hair that had nothing to do with her harrowing job. And she was also the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, a very important role indeed, if often underappreciated.

Aoki Yume was, as she appeared, a ghost, one that was generations old, and as the original founder of the house that bore her name, she had ensured that her legacy was a good one, and one not soon forgotten.

Mokou was Mokou.

But despite all of them having lived a full life, such as they were, and despite all of their respective accomplishments, it did not feel like a meeting of equals, as evidenced by how they each felt about those who they shared the table with. Aoki, despite very much being a spirit of the dead, was totally at ease, as if she were nothing more than a kindly grandmother entertaining the ladies of the village to tea. Miko, who had brought them all together, was wary and slightly irritated, as she often was when an incident that she had been brought in to resolve had developed unforeseen complications, as they often would. Mokou was more curious than anything. She wasn’t afraid, and she had certainly seen stranger phenomena in her time, but even she hadn’t expected the literal ghost of Aoki Yume herself to appear. At any rate, their little haunting problem was looking to become an unexpected advantage rather than a danger, so she intended to hear this new specter out and figure out how to turn things to their advantage.

Satoko, however, was both awed and terrified. True, it was still technically her house, and she was very much used to being in charge, but having one ghost around was bad enough. Learning that there were actually a couple hundred floating about and oh yes, they’re represented by your long-dead and highly revered great-to-a-significant-exponent grandmother was, to put it in layman’s terms, blowing her brain. She was sitting stiff and still, not even daring to blink, the only movement of hers being the trembling around her forearms and calves.

Aoki looked around at those gathered. Sorry I don’t have anything to offer you, she “said.” And by that, her mouth moved and the other three understood her well enough, but later upon reflection none of them could confidently say that they had actually heard anything. But you did take most of the food when you ran out, including all the tea.

Mokou shrugged. “Yeah, well, dead girl shows up on your ceiling and starts vomiting up spiders, you tend to not want to stick around.”

Still. Rude. Aoki then turned her attention to Satoko, who was sitting directly across from her and, it should be noted, had yet to blink. Dear, please. Your eyes will dry out like.

“I-” Satoko finally closed her eyes and opened them again, albeit much slower than a natural blink would have. “I-I’m sorry, I still don’t understand. You’re my, ah…”

Don’t bother counting all the greats, dear. Even I lost count.

“Oh, um. But still. You claim to be Aoki Yume? The Aoki Yume?”

I claim nothing. I am who I am.

Miko let out a long and irritated sigh. “Okay, look: this is all very fascinating, but can we speed this along? Because I’d really like to know-”

Aoki’s grandmotherly smile thinned a bit. Speak when spoken to, young lady. And do not interrupt your elders.

Miko’s head actually jerked back in surprise at the reprimand. But then she smiled. “It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me ‘young lady.’”

My hair is far greyer than yours is. I’m entitled.

“A’ight,” Mokou said. “But she has a point.”

Now Aoki was starting to look a little put off herself. What did I just say?

Mokou smiled that slow, lazy smile that a few unlucky individuals had learned to fear. “You’re not my elder, not by a longshot. Hell, the list of people in this weird little country that can be called my elder is in the single-digits.”

At this, Aoki’s face started to look a little more figuratively grave than literal. No. You’re right, I’m not. She paused, and then said, You are not a good person.

Both Satoko and Miko shot looks at Mokou, as if expecting her to take extreme exception to the blunt observation. However, she wasn’t even ruffled. “Oh, no. You’re right about that: I’m not. My soul is as pure as the driven yellow snow. But even if I am a monster, I’m one that’s on your side. And you need me, young lady.”

That got a ghostly smile. Yes, I suppose that’s true.

Mokou rolled her wrist. “You know our questions. What’re the answers?”

That I cannot properly explain. You must be shown. Only then will you understand.

“Huh?” Satoko sat up straighter. “Show us what?”

Aoki stood up. Follow me, please.

“To where? Grandmother, what are you showing us?”

Instead of answering, the shade of the orphanage’s founder walked over to the large double-door that connected the dining room to the hall, the same they had come through. It was closed shut. She laid a shimmering hand on its frame.

Mokou and Miko exchanged a look. The shrine maiden shrugged, and they both rose. After a moment of hesitation Satoko followed.

Understand, I am not adding to your problems, Aoki said. But you need to understand that what you protect is far more precious than you had ever known, and I know you already held it dear.

“What?” Satoko said. “What are you talking about? Is there some kind of, I don’t know, ancestral treasure hidden here?”

Something like that, yes. With that, Aoki opened the door, and golden light poured out.

...

Y’know, when I was first planning this story, I told myself I would rein myself in and restrict myself to ten chapters.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Until next time, everyone!

#The Touhou Project #touhou #rumia #Fujiwara no Mokou #mokou #miko hakurei #imperfect metamorphosis #fanfic

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dreamings-free · 5 years

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By Alyssa Nilsen Published: 26.10.19

Going solo is challenging in more ways than just creatively and musically. In a band, you don’t know about all the gears that go into the massive machine you are a part of. Being on your own, it’s all a lot more intricate. “When you’re in a band like One Direction,” Tomlinson says, “we didn’t want for anything. We had everything that we needed.” He knew nothing about things like budget conversations and admits that coming face to face with such issues as a solo artist was a brand new concept for him. The learning curve has been steep, but Tomlinson feels like he’s always been learning as he goes along. “I used to think that I had… I used to get involved creatively in One Direction as well, but now when I look at it in hindsight, it’s nowhere near how much I have to be involved in every single detail.” But challenges also makes success all the more rewarding, though even amazing experiences are different as a solo artist. A few days before our chat, Tomlinson had played a ten-song headline set in Madrid, Spain, his first-ever. “Other than musicians I played with onstage, it’s hard to explain to anyone what just happened,” he smiles, “as opposed to when you’re in a band and you’re all feeling the same thing. But it definitely makes it more rewarding when I look back on the show and I think about my influence on it. I feel like I’ve been leading up to that gig for as long as I’ve been solo.” Another thing he’s currently working towards is the release of his debut solo album. He hopes to have it ut early next year and feel like it will be a relief to have it out and be able to tour with it. The album is mostly finished, all the writing is done and only a few more vocals need to be recorded, but after that, what remains is working out the order of the tracks and other details. Out of the singles put out so far, not many will make it to the album. “The Steve Aoki song [‘Just Hold On ’] is an interesting one ‘cos the melody kinda leans to quite anthemic sounds, so we’re reproducing that to give it a bit more guitar and band-feel,” Tomlinson says, “so that will be on the album in a different version, but other than that, the last three are the only ones that will make it.” And for those eagerly awaiting the debut album, there are more treats on the way. “I’m hoping to release the next single six weeks after ‘We Made It,'” he smiles, “I’ll pretty much try and release music now in the run-up to the album in the new year.”

Leaning back in a comfy chair in the Sony Music offices in central London, Tomlinson is relaxed and cheerful, dressed in comfy all black clothes and chatting intermittently to his label crew. With a direct gaze and a cheeky smile, it’s hard to imagine him ever doubting himself or his own abilities. But when he speaks, there’s a certain vulnerability he’s not afraid of showing. Though experiencing massive success with numerous triumphs, he’s also gone through great losses, heartbreak and grief. And despite his young age and only just starting out as a solo artist, Tomlinson’s songs have unexpected depth and some seriously personal lyrics. The song ‘Two Of Us ’ was written about his late mother Johannah Deakin, who died of Leukemia in December 2016. “I have a bit of a luxury that where I grew we wear our hearts on our sleeve,” he says, “it’s part of our make up, so it has always come naturally to me. But of course, that is a really tender subject, but since I have the luxury of being confident enough to be able to talk about these things, I think it’s also important to put that message out. Especially as a guy as well.” “There was this girl at a meet & greet who had just lost her dad and she shared some really lovely words with me and that experience gives me goosebumps.” Experiences like that, he says, didn’t really happen in One Direction. They wrote some lovely love songs, but there was a real purpose to ‘Two Of Us ', and how people interpret the message and what it means to them is enormously special to Tomlinson. “I want to be honest as a lyricist,” he says, “and sometimes talk about things that we maybe don’t always talk about. I think it’s important to get those messages out.”

( article available in Norwegian here )

#louis #we made it #walls the album #lt tour #article #interview #musikknyheter.no #published:#26.10.19 #solo!louis #wmi press

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thebiggaylion · 5 years

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Mercer @ EDC Orlando 2018 (Part 1 of 2)

Hey everyone! Yes, I am in fact still alive! A lot has been happening to the guy behind The Big Gay Lion, and a lot has happened in the past few weeks for me as well! But before I say too much, I've a need to split this post! You're reading the first half now, but make sure you check out the second half when you're done. Don't worry, I'll remind you! Both parts in one post can be found right here, if you'd prefer that instead! So, perhaps the most relevant news for the moment is the EDC Orlando 2019 lineup announcement that came last week on Night Owl Radio, and then the promotional imagery that confirmed the names we all knew from the broadcast. Just in case I just happen to be the only line of news you have into the EDC world (I’m honored, by the way!), here’s that flyer below:

You may remember how jazzed I was with the 2018 lineup, as it was the best I had ever seen for our area’s event... this one, however, outdoes even that strong showing. It always surprises me when artists make back-to-back appearances in Orlando, but it looks like we’ll be graced with the likes of Alison Wonderland, ADIN, Dombresky, Kaskade, and more... and no, Fury + MC Dino don’t count haha! But, doesn’t this read like a “Best Of” for previous years? Orlando hasn’t seen Afrojack in forever, since 2012! Steve Aoki, Arty, and 3lau haven’t been around since 2014, and DJ Snake hasn’t been here since right after his car accident with Mercer in 2015 (remember that?)! I’m also quite surprised that Deadmau5 is making an appearance, after all that heat he generated a few years ago with Pasquale. I kinda figured REZZ was going to be what put Mau5trap back on Insomniac’s good graces. I’ll let the big cat out of the big bag and give you some clues as to what I hope to post about in the future, and say that I was really hoping to get another shot at seeing Above & Beyond perform, and if I’m in the same mood as I’ve been these past few months, they’re going to be a must-see for me! Also, I am SUPER excited to get the chance to see Charlotte de Witte, Da Tweekaz, and Nora En Pure, all for the first time! I’m also eager to see Eric Prydz, Party Favor, Timmy Trumpet yet again (whoops, uh... spoilers!). Finally, I’ve heard great things about EDX and Fisher from the guy behind The Big Gay Lion, so I’d like to be able to see them for myself! I’ll be crossing everything I can from now until November that the set times don’t cause a large number of conflicts for me, but with one additional fixed venue / stage this year, that means one more opportunity for a schedule conflict... not to mention the unannounced boomboxARTCAR artists that Pasquale mentioned in his broadcast! It’s a good problem to have, don’t get me wrong!

And before we get into this, the life of the guy behind The Big Gay Lion has gotten busier than it has been in the past, and I can’t promise I’ll be able to do weekly #TBT’s like I used to... but, the life of the guy behind The Big Gay Lion has made some things happen recently, and that’s going to mean some exciting stuff is on the way for me as a result! Nothing to talk about yet, but I need to get going on sharing my life before any more life happens! Is that cryptic enough for you? Haha. Now, how’s about we start out my grand revival of #ThrowbackThursday with my favorite set from 2018? It’s time for Mercer!

Find this photo on Instagram | Find this photo on Facebook Photo by James Dechert, originally posted by Orlando Weekly So right when I got there and took my position in a conservative location within circuitGROUNDS, I noticed that some Insomniac videographers were nearby. I figure I’d make myself not look busy in case they decided to put me in the 2018 trailer haha. They did not approach me (but the cameraman could not stop staring!), but I did get approached by a random photographer. As it turns out, I was feeling exceptionally good that day! I was able to get ready in record time, and it resulted in me arriving at the festival earlier than I had ever arrived before! I was very much looking forward to this set, and then... this photographer rolls up. I didn’t have to adjust much to get ready for him to snap a pic, and when he walked away quietly, I just knew... I KNEW, “that was the one”. That was the pic I was going to love the most from 2018... and just LOOK AT ME! I look SO GOOD! Yes, you can see how my necklace stretched out a bit on that one delicate spot between the “H” and the “@”, but my new hair is so much easier to dance with, that I went pretty hard on Day 1! Don’t worry, it’ll be in tip top shape for Day 1 of 2019! This pic shows everything, though... hair’s looking right, you can see my Pulse ribbon (which I always forget to wear!), my nails are looking good... I am a very proud lion! 🏳️‍🌈🦁❤️ Okay, okay, now on with the good stuff!

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YouTube | Facebook | Instagram So, right after the surprise photo shoot (which is a commonplace for me, of course!), I returned my water bottle to it’s screw cap, and started feeling the groove. I knew what to expect with Mercer, and every minute was super fun! I never knew exactly what the second song in this video’s lyrics were. Apparently I was thinking too... narrowly, I suppose... to realize what the word before “control” was! Mercer - Studio 54 https://soundcloud.com/mercer/studio-54 Patrick Hagenaar - Boob Control https://soundcloud.com/patrickhagenaar/boob-control-original-mix

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YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Like I said, I knew what to anticipate from a Mercer set, and this song was probably the most anticipated one for me. I suppose it’s just the gay in me that loves ABBA! Charles J - Voulez Vous (Do You Want) https://soundcloud.com/charlesj/do-you-want-original-mix

Right! So, that's the end of part one. Make sure you check out the remaining bits in part two. If you're sick of this split post stuff, you can always try to view the full post here.

#thebiggaylion #video #photo #edcorlando2019 #throwbackthursday #tbt #edc #electricdaisycarnival #edcorlando #edcorlando2018 #tinkerfield #circuitgrounds #mercer #studio54 #patrickhagenaar #boobcontrol #charlesj #voulezvous #doyouwant

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polar-stars · 5 years

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ShokugekiOCWeek 2019 Day 5 - Free Time

A few Drabbles relating to the prompt ;w;

----

"I think that's it." Hiroshi smiled and put the new bought cheese into the bag. "Now we've got everything." His cousin next to him yawned and stretched herself afterwards. "About time. I feel like we've been on this market for hours now." She crossed her arms and her eyebrows furrowed. "Next time, Kawashima and Aoki can do the shopping if they use up all the ingredients!" Hiroshi shook his head and laughed. "Oh, Itoko-chan." "Hey, guys look!" Another voice suddenly exclaimed and the two Aldini cousins turned their head to the third party-member, Kimiko Yukihira who excitedly pointing at a stand a little far away. "They sell salmon over there!" Immediately Mika stepped next to her to see what she was talking about. "You're right." She commented. "And it seems to be of quality, or what do you say Hiroshi? You're the fish expert after all." Hiroshi shrugged in response. "I have to see them in detail to decide on that. Kimiko grinned. "Well then let's go there! I would really like to buy some salmon, I've got a recipe in mind to test!" Insantly Mika's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? Wanna bet that I can come up with one in just a few amount of minutes? One that will entirely crush yours, Yukihira?" Kimiko turned to her with a challenging glimmer in her golden eyes. "I would absolutely love to see that, Mika-chan!" The two began walking to the stand with the salmon, not stopping talking. "The challenge is on, Yukihira! Just you wait when we'll get back to the dorm!" "Come at me with all you got, Mika-chan! I will not go easy on you!" Hiroshi shook his head and sighed. "You guys.." Then he started walking as well. - Kaori closed her book, sighed and began to massage her temples. How many hours of studying have it been? She couldn't remember, but she knew that it were enough hours to even convince her stubborn head to take a break. And so she stood up from her desk and bit her lips as result of the short pain that ran through her legs which had been asleep for so long. She staggered out of her room and went downstairs. There she immediately reached out for the green watering can to fill it with water. As the can was full, she left the house and got out into the garden, where she was greeted by a breeze of fresh air and the soothing sight of her many, many, colorful and precious flowers. She took a refreshing breath before going forwards. - Mona did what she loved to do the most. And that was laying on her bed, her pitch-black headphones on her head, the technological beats in her ears and staring blankly at the ceiling while thinking about what other girls her age were possibly doing right now. Shopping. Having Phone Calls. Going to the cinema. Exchanging love stories. Must be nice. Her inner train of thought was harshly interrupted though as someone suddenly ripped the headphones from her head to stop the Techno music from blocking all sounds out. A face very similar to Mona's face appeared in her vision, opened her mouth and said. "Hey, Mona! I'm bored, wanna play some Uno?" Mona sighed before sitting up and giving her twin sister Lola Nakiri a nod. "Sure, why not?" - "I still don't get it." Takayuki frowned. "Why do you need 363 gingerbread hearts again?" Kazuo turned to him with one wide eye, clearly surprised with the question as if it's answer was a completely obvious one. "For Mika-chan, of course! I want to surprise her! Everyday!" He turned back to the gingerbread hearts. "That's also why it's important and absolutely essential that they all have an individual and well-thought out message....This might take a while...." Takayuki gave his best friend a long look. Then he looked at the gingerbread hearts. Then at their price. And then at Kazuo again. He took a step closer and his voice took over a serious tone. "Mimasaka, we need to talk about this.." - "Oh for God's sake!" Yelled Hideyoshi and threw his controller away. "Hey, hey! You could have break it!" Daisuke immediately screeched while Chieko glared at her dorm member. "You just can't loose, huh?!" Hideyoshi crossed his arms and gave Chieko a challenging look. "Marui." He began before giving a theatrical sigh. "I can take losses. But in this case something is clearly rigged." He threw a death glare to Yasu, who did nothing but sit neatly on the floor, the controller calmly in his hands. "This. is. inhuman." Chieko raised an eyebrow. "I see how well you can take losses." Daisuke shrugged. "Ibusaki's just simply good. Accept it already. Like Marui-chan and me." In that moment, Yasu spoke up. "Oh, we're out of snacks. I guess I'll ask Satoshi-san for new ones." He stood up and left the room. The moment the door closed, Hideyoshi turned his head to Daisuke. "I'll completely destroy you this round." Daisuke's eyes narrowed. "Bring it on, you incredible hothead!" Chieko rolled her eyes before yelling. "Stop arguing, for Heaven's sake! It's so goddamn tiring." And as Yasu could still hear the bickering when he was at the end of the hallway.

#ShokugekiOCWeek2019 #ShokugekiOCWeek #Shokugeki no Kimiko Stuffz #Kimiko Yukihira #Mika Aldini #Hiroshi Aldini Tadokoro #Kaori Hayama #Mona Nakiri #Lola Nakiri #Takayuki Hojo #Kazuo Mimasaka #Hideyoshi Kawashima #Daisuke Aoki #Chieko Marui #Yasu Ibusaki #Lea is writing

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kaijoskopycat · 6 years

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I’m super late, but I still wanted to contribute to Aoki Day (5/7) within the month of May. Aokise is always for @limitlessmonster, who encouraged me to use an idea from my own work experience and run with aokise. LOL. Summary: In which Kise and Aomine work for the same financial company in different regional offices. Phone calls get a little more personal and relationships lean further away from professional. After all, who can resist Aomine’s voice? On ao3

“Thank you for calling Teikou Financial. Kise speaking.”

“This is Aomine, from the life insurance sales department.” Oh, it’s Mr. Deep Voice. Kise can hear Takao’s voice in his head.

He smiles to himself as he brushes his fingers across the keyboard. Aomine is his favorite salesperson. Takao sings the praises of Midorima, who is thorough and calculating in his speech patterns, but Aomine’s voice, in Kise’s opinion, is a good reason to favor him instead.

“Hello, Aomine-san. What can I help you with today?”

“Look, I have a request. I really don’t wanna go back to this client to tell them they need to do another med exam, but I know underwriters can be picky about results.”

Kise nods to himself. He’s content to let Aomine ramble just to listen to that deep drawl.

There’s a brief pause, interrupted seconds later by a soft sigh. “Guess I should’a started with the policy number, huh?”

Kise chuckles. “That’s alright. It could be considered a general question. I’m assuming the client completed an exam with another company?”

Aomine laughs. “Read my mind.” A rush of satisfaction brings another smile to Kise’s lips. “So ya think I could send that paperwork in and—“

“If you send it directly to me, Aomine-san, I’d be happy to deliver it straight to the underwriter myself. I’m quite persuasive when I want to be.”

The deep, rich laughter from the other end of the phone sends a shiver down Kise’s spine.

“I have no doubt about that. Okay if I email them?”

“Of course. You still have my email address?”

“Got it saved from the paperwork you sent last time.”

He can hear Aomine typing on the other end of the line and notes, with some amusement, that he types considerably slower than Kise.

“I really appreciate this, Kise-san.”

“Just Kise is fine.”

Aomine chuckles. “Just Kise then.”

“Is there anything else I can help with you with?”

“Plenty, but I’m sure you don’t have the time for all of it.” A pause. “Or the qualifications.”

“I’m qualified for plenty.”

More laughter. Goosebumps pop up across Kise’s arm.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good.” He’s grinning now and secretly grateful that Takao isn’t perched on his desk to see this right now. “Well, if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”

“Oh, I won’t.”

“Have a nice day, Aomine-san.”

“Just Aomine.”

Kise laughs. “Have a nice day, Aomine.”

“You too, Kise.”

“I could really use a favor, Kise.”

Kise tries to hide his grin when Aomine’s deep voice rumbles through his headset. He’s waving a hand behind him, trying to usher Takao away from his desk. Takao leans in instead and smirks, mouthing is that him, batting his eyelashes and pretending to fan himself.

“You know I’m always willing to do you a favor, Aomine.”

He can practically hear the smile on Aomine’s lips as he says, “Just the words I wanted to hear.”

Takao is laying across one edge of his desk, miming his heart beating out of his chest. Kise adamantly ignores him.

“What can I do for you?”

“There’s a long list of things I want to ask for, but… I’ll only ask for the work related one right now.”

Dammit… he curses the color that rises to his cheeks.

“Shoot.” His voice is breathless, his mind locked on all the things he wants Aomine to ask for, but will never voice aloud.

“I really need that one policy to go out…ya know which one I mean?”

“The policy for Akashi Seijurou?”

“Yes,” Aomine releases a groan of relief. “God, you always just know, don’t ya?”

Kise chuckles. “You did just send me an email on it not too long ago.”

“Right, right.” Aomine laughs. “This is a huge case. Guy’s got a lotta money going into this one and he wants it done as soon as possible. He’s kinda scary so anything you can do to help... Everything is in to send it out, right?”

“Pulling it up right now.” Kise fingers fly across the keyboard. He clicks through the paperwork on the case as quickly as he can, nodding to himself and softly humming the latest song stuck in his head. “Looks like everything is good to go. I’ll stay a little later to make sure this gets mailed out overnight today.”

“You’re a damn lifesaver.”

“Excuse you,” Kise laughs. He loves that Aomine isn’t afraid to use profanity on a work line. He’s confident enough in his skills to know they won’t let him go so easily, has said as much to Kise before. “Only for you.”

“Even better,” Aomine says with a quiet laugh. “Only for me.”

Kise smiles to himself and slaps Takao’s hand away when he reaches for Kise’s flushed cheek.

“Now let me go so I can work on this policy for you.”

“Hah? Can’t talk and work at the same time?” Aomine teases.

“Aomine…” He can talk and work at the same time. He does it with Takao all day.

He can’t talk to Aomine and work at the same time. Aomine’s voice is far too distracting.

“Got it, got it. I’ll let you go. Thanks again, Kise. I owe ya.”

“Anytime.”

“You do know this is your third time calling me this week.” Kise swears he has a permanent smile on his face. His customer service skills must have improved these past few months with these frequent calls from his favorite salesperson.

“Is it?” Aomine chuckles. “Hey, I always call with work questions. No one can deny that.”

Kise snorts in amusement. “That argument might be questionable when you consider the fact that our last conversation was roughly forty minutes long.”

“I had a lot of questions,” Aomine replies. “Needed a lot of answers.”

“Pretty sure you know more about my upcoming family events now than even most of my family members do.”

Aomine’s soft snicker over the phone makes Kise’s heart skip a beat or two. It’s not a sound he hears often, but he’s grown to like it. A lot.

“If anyone asks, we were discussing the merits of long term care riders and their benefits to customers interested in purchasing permanent insurance.”

“Were you reading a script?” Kise bites his lip to suppress a snort of laughter.

“Damn right I was.”

“Aominecchi! Language!”

The static sound of silence greets his outburst and for a second he thinks their phone queue has shut down like it did for two hours last week.

Then Aomine says, “Did you just call me… Aominecchi?”

Oh shit…

“Ah…”

“Kise…” Aomine’s voice deepens. It’s the kind of voice he’s used in past conversations to encourage Kise to spill the beans about a topic he wasn’t necessarily willing to elaborate on. It works every time.

“It’s…” Kise presses mute on his phone and presses his forehead against the table with a groan. He catches sight of Takao out of the corner of his eye. He quickly taps out the word later into their existing IM and takes a deep breath before taking himself off mute. “It’s kinda what I started referring to you around the office here. I really only use it as a sign of respect, so it’s nothing weird or… anything.” He cuts himself off before he can sound like even more of an idiot.

Another long pause tempts him to hang up until Aomine says, “So, you talk about me with yer coworkers over there?”

Kise is glad they’re conversing over the phone so Aomine can’t see the nice shade of red his face is sporting right now. He can feel the heat in his cheeks and thinks he might need to take a swim in the frigid pool at their company gym after work today.

“I…” There’s no getting out of this now. “I do. But it’s only because we’ve spoken so frequently and you’re my favorite salesperson. And sometimes I get asked about my phone calls so I have to give at least some information away. And I’m at least letting people know you work here with us, just in another location. And—“

“Hold it,” Aomine interrupts. “What did you just say?”

“I’m letting people know you work here with us?”

“No, Kise.” If rolling your eyes had a sound, Kise is pretty sure he would’ve hear it right now. He’s positive Aomine rolled his eyes. “Before that.”

“About giving informa—“

“Before that.”

“About getting asked—“

A soft growl comes out of the phone and Kise stops breathing.

“Are you really this stupid or are you just pretending to be so you don’t have to admit it again?”

“This call may be monitored for quality and training purposes,” Kise counters as a reminder.

“Kise, I swear to god…”

Oh god… Kise draws in a slow, steady breath to ground himself. “That you’re my favorite salesperson?”

Aomine let’s out a heavy breath, like he’d been holding it while Kise skirted around his question. “Yes. That.”

“Well…” Kise sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “It’s true.”

“Mm…” Aomine’s deep hum of contentment through the phone has to be a national treasure. Kise wishes he could find the recording of this call just to hear it again. “Ya know, yer kinda my favorite too.”

Kise breathes in sharply. “You’re favorite…” what?

“Yes,” Aomine replies. “My favorite.”

The silence that follows is weighted in an indescribable way. Kise is certain this isn’t an appropriate conversation to have at work. His hard earned phone etiquette skills fly out the window when Aomine is involved and he’s grateful his boss hasn’t decided to pull and monitor his calls.

“I’ll talk to you later, Kise. Thanks.” Aomine pauses and Kise holds his breath. “For reviewing that illustration for me.”

Ah… “You’re welcome, Aominecchi,” Kise replies softly.

“Bye, Kise.”

“Goodbye, Aominecchi.”

“Where do you think you’ll go on your first date?”

Kise looks up from the salad he brought for lunch and blinks at Takao.

“Excuse me?”

Takao sighs and dramatically throws his hands up in the air in mock irritation. “Keep up, Ryou-chan!”

“Who are you even talking about?”

“You and Mr. Sex-Phone-Operator-Voice of course!”

Kise’s eyes widen as he makes a slashing gesture with his hand across his throat. “Kazucchi, keep your voice down. Jeeze…”

Takao cackles. “It’s hysterical how embarrassed you get when I mention him when you have no problem openly swooning and drooling over him on the phone.”

“Shut up,” Kise grumbles, shoving a forkful of lettuce into his mouth.

“You know those calls are recorded, right?” Takao grins, leaning his chin in his hand. “Anyone can listen to you charm him like the shameless flirt you are.”

Takao now listens in on any conversation of Kise’s when he’s close enough to hear. He’s caught Kise on the phone with Aomine more times than Kise cares to admit and, yes, every single time Kise has been shamelessly flirting.

But Aomine flirts back. He laughs that deep, rich, heartstopping laugh of his, practically purrs Kise’s name every time he says it, tells Kise how he’s his favorite, how he loves Kise’s laugh, how he wonders what it would be like to work in the same office .

Kise wonders the same thing. He wonders if the novelty of talking to Aomine would wear off, or not exist, if they knew one another in person. If they worked face to face. It’s a thought Kise entertains every now and again, always coming to the same conclusion.

The novelty would never wear off.

It isn’t just Aomine’s voice that he likes anymore. He likes Aomine. He likes his laugh, the smile he can hear instead of see, the way he’s fearless, doesn’t care who hears, doesn’t care what he says. He likes Aomine’s dedication to his job, his blatant favoritism of Kise. He just likes Aomine.

“You never answered my question,” Takao points out.

“Kazucchi, I’m never gonna see him,” Kise admits softly. It’s another thought that’s been swimming through his mind and, again, he only comes to one conclusion. It’s highly unlikely they’ll ever meet in person.

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t even know what he looks like,” Kise groans. His head tips forward, his forehead making contact with the cafeteria table. He groans again.

“Do you want to?” Takao asks.

Kise tilts his head to the side, peering up at Takao through strands of hair covering his eyes. “You know I do.”

Takao grins. “I know what he looks like.”

Kise’s head is off the table in an instant. “You… what?”

“I know what he looks like,” Takao repeats, his grin spreading wider. He looks like the Cheshire Cat, but Kise isn’t in the mood for his games.

“Kazucchi, so help me…” His hand twitches, itching to grab a pen that isn’t near him to lob at Takao’s grinning face. “If you don’t tell me what you mean, I’ll—“

“I printed a picture of him.”

Kise gapes. “You printed…”

“It wasn’t hard to find him on the company website.” Takao shrugs and reaches into the back pocket of his dress slacks. “You wanna see?”

Drawing in a sharp breath, Kise nods. “You know I do…”

Takao unfolds the paper and slides it across the table. Kise realizes two things. One, Aomine is hot. Like tall, dark and handsome, bad boy, let me slam you against the wall and leave you breathless kind of hot. And two, Kise is royally screwed, and not in the way he wants to be after seeing that photo.

“Fuck…” he mutters, unable to take his eyes away from the mischievous gleam in the eyes of Aomine’s photo.

“My thoughts exactly,” Takao laughs and comes to the same realization as Kise. “You’re screwed.”

“I have a confession to make, Aominecchi.”

Kise hides in one of the small conference rooms on their office floor. He had transferred Aomine’s call to the phone in here to avoid Takao. He doesn’t need him sitting at his desk, cackling while he admits that he’s been thinking about Aomine ever since he saw the face that went with that sinfully deep voice.

Well, maybe he won’t say it in those exact words, but something to that effect.

“Mm… do you?”

Kise hears the smile in his voice and runs his palm down his face. It’s warm. He’s probably blushing. Thank god Takao didn’t follow him.

“So I may have looked through the company website…” he trails off and stares at the computer in front of him where he’s pulled up Aomine’s profile once again. “And checked out the team profiles.”

“Yeah?” Aomine drawls.

“And I noticed you play basketball.”

Aomine chuckles. “That’s what you noticed?”

“Well…” Kise rubs at his nape and imagines the smile on Aomine’s face. His heart thunders in his chest. “Obviously that’s not the only thing I noticed.”

“What else?” Aomine asks.

Kise frowns. “Now you’re just being mean.”

“You’re dancin’ around the real subject, Kise.” Aomine is laughing again. “You were looking up my picture.”

With an internal groan, Kise finally says, “I saw your picture.”

There’s a pause on the other end. Kise’s heart is beating so loud now he’s not sure he’ll hear Aomine if he says anything else.

“So,” Aomine finally says, his deep voice breaking through Kise’s incessant heartbeat. “Like what you see?”

Kise draws in a sharp breath, holds it. When he finally exhales his voice is soft, breathy. “How could I not?”

There’s the laughter again. Deep, rich. Like velvet across Kise’s skin. He shudders.

“Good to know I didn’t disappoint.”

Kise snorts. “Aominecchi, I highly doubt you could do anything to disappoint me.”

When Aomine lets out a sound similar to a gasp, Kise slaps a hand over his mouth. The realization that his words sounded so close to a confession dawns on him and he doesn’t know what to say. Doesn’t know how to make it seem like Aomine hasn’t been invading his thoughts day in and day out.

“I just mean that… you’re my favorite, you know? I like you. Not just because you’re good at your job or you have this great voice or that—“

“Kise,” Aomine interrupts. Kise’s name comes through the phone as a soft growl. “You talk too much.”

Kiss presses his lips together.

“Never thought I’d been into an idiot who talks as much as you do, but can’t control my tastes, can I?”

“Aominecchi!” Kise hisses, indignant. “I’m not an idiot!”

“Sometimes you are,” Aomine chuckles. “But hey, gotta let you go. Got a meeting to get to in five minutes. Should’a been setting up already.”

Kise sighs. He really should get back to his desk anyway. “Okay, okay.”

“Talk to you later, pretty boy.”

Kise blinks. “Pretty boy?”

“And by the way, Kise,” Aomine pauses and Kise holds his breath. “I looked up your picture too.”

The silence on the end of the line is proof that Aomine hung up, but Kise doesn’t put the phone down until it starts to beep loudly in his ear. When he hangs up, he stares at the phone in disbelief. Aomine had looked up his picture, had been wondering what Kise looked like too.

But that fact alone doesn’t leave him speechless. It’s only now that he realizes that maybe he wasn’t the only one who let loose a confession on that phone call.

Never thought I’d be into an idiot who talks as much as you do…

A wide smile spreads across Kise’s lips. He presses his forehead against the table and laughs.

Aominecchi is into me.

“Ryou-chaaaaan!”

Takao slides onto the bench beside Kise, singsonging his name. Kise has been sitting outside by the small pond behind their building for the past fifteen minutes, debating on what to get his sister for her birthday. And maybe trying not to think about his conversation with Aomine and how he had suggested lingerie to impress her new boyfriend.

His eyes flicker toward Takao and the brilliant grin that lights up his face. The grin can only mean one of two things. Takao has news that will excite Kise. Or he has news that will come at Kise’s expense, and will, without a doubt, fail to excite him.

“You’ve heard, haven’t you?” Takao continues without being prompted. Always good at filling silences.

“Heard what?” He shifts on the bench to better look at Takao. To try and read the sparkle in his eyes.

“About our visitors.”

Kise glances around. He doesn’t recall hearing about any visitors. It’s definitely not food truck day, or Takao would already have his container of tacos, half eaten, in his lap. Maybe he missed a visit from the Vice President while he was out musing.

“Kazucchi, if I knew, don’t you think I’d be just as excited as you?”

Takao’s grin widens. “Oh, you’ll be excited all right.”

Kise scrunches his nose. “Are you going to tell me who it is, or are you—“

“The sales team.”

Kise freezes.

“The sales team is coming to visit next week.”

Kise stares at him. He’s not sure he heard Takao correctly. The last he had heard about company travel was that they had put a temporary ban on it. The company wasn’t necessarily hurting for money, but they weren’t in a position to expend any of the budget on unnecessary travel when technology like video conference could be used on a daily basis for communication.

“That can’t be right…” Kise shakes his head. Surely Aomine would’ve brought it up, right? “The budget…”

“Ah!” Takao holds up a finger and presses his other hand to his chest, deepening his voice in a perfect imitation of Midorima. “‘Takao, it appears we will be guests at your regional office next week, Thursday May 7th, to present the recent successes of the sales team and how it will positively affect your work flow and the revenue of the company.’”

Kise snorts. “And you make fun of me for Aominecchi.”

Takao shrugs. “I can’t help it that my taste in men leans toward pretentious, superstitious, tight asses like Shin-Chan.”

If possible, Takao’s correspondence with Midorima could rival Kise’s number of conversations with Aomine.

“I can’t believe he told you before an email went out,” Kise muses aloud. Midorima isn’t one to skirt around protocol. He follows the rules to a T. Unlike someone else…

Someone who didn’t share the news of the sales team travel with Kise.

“Do you think…” Kise bites his lip as he trails off. He stares at the rippling in the pond as two ducklings skirt across the surface near the water’s edge. “Do you think they’re bringing the whole sales team?”

“Ryou-chan.” Takao elbows him in the side and waggles his eyebrows. “Thinking about all the things Aomine can sell you on while he’s here?”

Kise pushes Takao’s face away and rolls his eyes. He ignores Takao’s laughter as he stands, lifting his hand in a brief wave as he says, “Gotta finish up with a few policies before I go so I’m heading back in.”

“Make sure to tell Aomine hi for me!” Takao shouts as Kise walks away.

Kise lifts a single finger over his shoulder and silently curses Takao for his insight. He knows exactly which policy to pull up as an excuse to make a call.

“You know, you don’t have to use the Nijimura policy as a reason to call me,” Aomine drawls, his laughter rumbling through Kise’s headset. Kise rubs his hands up and down his arms to flatten the goosebumps that raise across his skin.

“Well, besides the fact that I wanted to hear your voice,” Kise grins as Aomine chuckles again. “We are missing a signature on this one disclosure form…”

“What the hell, Kise? You’re supposed to warn me about these things.”

“Ah,” Kise raises his hands on either side of his head in surrender, even though Aomine can’t see it. “In fairness, it was forwarded straight to me so you didn’t get to see it and it just came in.”

“Yer a little shit, ya know that?”

Kise snickers. “Aominecchi, that’s mean.” He taps his fingers against his desk and stares at the email in front of him. He’s read it more times than he can count. It’s confirmation that the sales team is headed to their office. The entire sales team. “But now that I have you on the phone… tell me, do you have any plans for next week?”

“Next week?” Aomine is tapping something against his desk. Kise can hear it through his headset. “That’s a weird thing to ask. Guess I don’t have anything in particular planned. Might take mom out to dinner cause she’s been on my ass about seeing me these past few days.”

Weird thing to ask… “You say that like it’s a chore,” Kise says with a soft laugh. “Like you won’t get a free meal out of it.”

“I never said I wasn’t down for dinner.” Aomine’s voice deepens to that suggestive tone he uses when he’s trying to intentionally fluster Kise. “What about you?”

Kise scrunches his nose. Dinner with his mom, he reminds himself as he says, “We’re having some visitors in the office next week.”

“Are you?” Aomine bums on the other end of the line. “Like the VP? Pretty sure that guy is coming here sometime soon too.”

“Like another team,” Kise ventures, his fingers ghosting over the forward button of the email notification they received. Maybe if he sends it to Aomine...

“Another team, huh?” Aomine chuckles. “Hope you don’t have a favorite person on that team too.”

Kise frowns. Is he really not coming? “Aominecchi, I know that you’re—“

“Oi, Kise,” Aomine interrupts. His voice is muffled for a moment as he says something to someone away from the receiver. “Gotta get going. We’re going out for lunch over here at the company’s expense. Talk to you later?”

”Oh, uh… yeah. Yeah, talk to you later Aominecchi.”

Kise is about to press the button to hang up the phone when Aomine says, “Oh, and Kise.”

“Mm?” Kise pauses, his finger hovering above the end call button.

“I hope you don’t have any plans next Thursday cause I could use a tour guide around your area and, you know, you’re kinda my favorite.”

A smile spreads across Kise’s lips, so wide it hurts his cheeks. “I’ll see if I can spare the time.”

Aomine laughs. “I’ll see you then, Kise.”

“See you, Aominecchi.”

Aomine in person is better than anything Kise’s imagination can conjure up.

He’s a hair taller than Kise, but it’s enough to get a smirk of satisfaction from Aomine when he notices. And that smirk. Kise’s knees threatened to buckle the moment Aomine turns that smirk on him. His skin is darker than the picture suggested, his hair a deeper blue.

His voice sounds better in person than it ever has over the phone. He stands in front of their entire department and goes over the feedback they’ve received from reputable clients, the rise in business they expect to receive from word of mouth alone. When he finishes and gestures for Midorima to take his place to crunch numbers, he angles his chair enough to meet Kise’s eye and grins.

People have always told Kise that his smile is dazzling. But none of them have ever seen a real smile from Aomine. Kise doesn’t think he can never compare.

After the meeting, they’re released early. Aomine makes his way to Kise’s desk, walks with him as they leave the building.

“So,” Aomine says, nudging Kise with his elbow.

Kise feels a flare of heat erupt from the touch, even through the fabric of their dress shirts. “So,” Kise replies, grinning to himself as they walk down the street.

The weather is perfect. Kise silently thanks any and all gods out there for giving him clear skies and beautiful temperatures. He also thanks Takao for his constant weather updates.

“You buyin’ me dinner?” Aomine smirks and digs his hands into the pocket of his slacks. “I am an honored guest, after all, aren’t I?”

Kise rolls his eyes. “You’re insufferable, Aominecchi.” He shifts, turning to walk backward so he can face Aomine as he talks. The sidewalks have recently been paved and all the little kinks that used to trip him up have been smoothed out. Aomine won’t have to find out about his clumsy side just yet.

Just yet… Kise thinks, hoping this visit isn’t a singular one. Hoping that more will come.

“I was thinking we could go to a little hole-in-the-wall ramen shop I like to frequent,” he says, gesturing down the street behind him. “It’s only a few blocks away. It’s small, but I’ve never had better ramen than there.”

Aomine’s lips twitch. “I have a damn good ramen shop back home. You really wanna make that claim?”

Kise smirks right back. “Aominecchi, you haven’t had this damn good ramen.”

“Sounds like a challenge, Kise.”

Kise shrugs. “I do have better taste than you, Aominecchi. I mean, look at that tie.”

Aomine shoves at Kise’s shoulder. “You little—“

“So you’re only here until tomorrow morning, right?” Kise asks, turning back around to fall into step at Aomine’s side. “Takao mentioned Midorima staying until the evening, but most of you are headed out early?”

Aomine hums to himself, casting a side eye glance at Kise. “I’ll leave when I want to leave.”

“And…” He leans toward Aomine. “when will that be, Aominecchi?”

“Sunday night at the latest.”

Kise cannot suppress the smile that spreads across his lips. He bumps his shoulder against Aomine’s and says, “You just can’t get enough of me, can you? I guess that means I’ll to show you around since you’re a tourist and all. Take you to all my favorite food places, the best things to see, the best shops, all of—“

“Kise.” Aomine grabs Kise’s wrist, stopping him. “You talk too much.”

“Wha—“

Kise’s confused protest is muffled when Aomine’s lips cover his own. It takes Kise a moment for the action to sink in before his arms raise to slide around Aomine’s neck and he kisses back.

Again, his imagination did nothing to prepare him for this. Aomine is warm, all over. His lips are like a fire brand against Kise’s. It feels right, Kise thinks in the back of his mind. Like finding the final piece of a puzzle he’s been working on all his life.

When Aomine pulls away, Kise blinks at him, dazed. Aomine’s cocky smirk draws him out of it and Kise shoves at his shoulder with a pout.

“Aominecchi! The first kiss comes after the first date.” He presses shaky fingers against his lips to hide his smile. “Those are the rules.”

“Kise,” Aomine grabs his hand, pulling it away from his mouth to thread their fingers together. “Pretty sure our first date was during one of those long ass phone calls.” He ignores Kise’s snort of indignation and adds, “Besides, I don’t like to play by the rules.”

He steals another brief kiss before Kise can protest and pulls him down the street. “Now c’mon. I’ve got a big bowl of ramen with my name on it and you better have a damn good plan to keep me occupied this weekend.”

Kise stifles a laugh and says, “I have a few things in mind.” Grateful for the extra days, no matter how few.

#aokise #aoki #aomine daiki #kise ryouta #knb #kuroko no basket #;drabbles #limitlessmonster #;ace #;model #;my sun and stars #i mean i could listen to aomine's voice on the phone all day tbh

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tact-and-impulse · 6 years

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At Arm’s Length Chapter 10

This took a while because I was planning ahead, there was Real Life Stuff, and it’s a long chapter. And still, it’s been tough. However, I owe it to my old self, to not give up writing and see what I’ve started to the end.

Everything’s under the cut now, and I changed the title literally at the last second. The rest of this story can be found on FF.net and AO3.

Chapter 10: That Includes You

A few days after the revelation, the position of assistant chief inspector had been temporarily filled. Some of the younger officers had insisted that Koshijiro apply, but while he was flattered, he was comfortable in his current role. Instead, someone else was assigned, directly from the Department of Internal Affairs.

They exited the main building for the training yard, prepared to greet the new assistant chief inspector. The others were restless, and their conversation drifted to Koshijiro’s ears. “If he’s from the government, that means we can trust him, right?” Abe muttered under his breath.

Shinichi added. “I heard he has permission to carry a katana, even during the day. Isn’t that unusual?”

“It is, but perhaps, he still has a lingering attachment to the old ways.” Koshijiro spoke up. “If he was a samurai, it’s likely he also had police duties. For many of them, it was easiest to continue such work in the new era.”

“Does that include you?”

“Yes.”

The closest officer, Aoki, eagerly asked. “What was it like, on the battlefield? You fought for the Emperor twice, didn’t you?”

Koshijiro did not respond right away. It was easier to explain why he fought in Satsuma, because he had been conscripted and had no choice in the matter. It would take much longer, to tell the story of why he had chosen his side during the upheaval more than ten years ago. Instead, he mildly said. “War is nothing glamorous. Unlike many others, I am very fortunate to have returned home, alive.”

Aoki realized his mistake, his ears burning red. “O-of course!”

As they stepped onto the grass, Tanaka clouted him. “Idiot! You shouldn’t have reminded him!”

“It’s alright. Now, stand at attention.” Koshijiro told them and they joined the other officers, lined up in perfect rows. He straightened his posture, and didn’t have time to wonder how long they would wait, because Chief Uramura was suddenly walking out.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here. This is our new assistant chief inspector, Fujita Goro.” He ushered the man forward.

Fujita was a tall, lean man in his early thirties. It was true that he carried a katana, it was sheathed at his side. He smiled, but it didn’t seem natural, not reaching his eyes. With a gloved hand, he raised his hat in greeting. “Hello.”

The officers bowed in unison. “We look forward to working with you, sir!”

Koshijiro also bowed, a half second after the rest. He caught Fujita scanning over everyone, and literally so. The assistant chief inspector didn’t make eye contact, his gaze directed at the tops of their heads. It was a cool expression, as if he was loftily looking down from a high cliff.

“…yes.” Fujita said, and his voice was flat.

Koshijiro felt equally enthusiastic.

***

To his credit, Fujita was extremely efficient and performed his own patrols. The end result was the resolution of several cases and multiple arrests. Unfortunately, that also meant paperwork, and Koshijiro found that his workload had substantially increased. It certainly kept him busy, even at home.

One night, there was a knock on his bedroom door. “Otou-san? Are you still awake?”

“Yes, come in.”

He turned around to meet Kaoru’s incredulous face, her eyes narrowed against the candlelight streaming from his desk. “Geez, you shouldn’t be. It’s past midnight!”

It was very late, his vision was starting to waver. But he had a deadline to meet, and he wouldn’t feel at ease if he gave up now. “I’ll sleep, after this report is finished. Did you need something?”

“…never mind. I just got up to get a drink of water, do you want one too?”

“No, but I’ll listen to what you really want to say.”

She seemed to deliberate, before kneeling, blowing out a breath, and admitting. “It’s about Kenshin. I noticed that he’s been acting off. Sometimes, he’ll slow down in whatever he’s doing and close his eyes. When I call out to him, it takes a minute for him to respond, like he fell asleep but so deeply in just a short time. The way he acts, it’s like…like when you came home, after fighting in the Bakumatsu.”

His memories of that time were fragmented, but tinged with regret. He was relieved to be home and with his family, but he had been withdrawn, too affected by what he had experienced and what he had done to survive. Alone with his thoughts, he could easily sink into reliving the sensations of war. “I see. I’ll also keep an eye on him, and it would only be appropriate if I speak to him once this occurs again. For now, there is something you can do.”

“What is it?”

“When I came home, your mother told you to talk to me, since she was too sick to leave her bed. You might not remember, but you did help. You pointed out when I was lethargic, when my attention was drifting during practice. Perhaps, that’s also what Himura-san needs at the moment, to be reminded that he has people who care for his well-being.”

“I think so too. You’re right, I’ll make sure Kenshin isn’t alone.”

It’s true that he needs support, but it can’t be just the two of them by themselves! He hastily added. “Include Yahiko, and Sagara-san, if you can.”

Kaoru looked affronted. “Well, of course, that was what I meant.” She stood once more, and stepped out into the hallway. “Anyway, thank you, Otou-san. And good night, so go to bed soon.”

“Alright, I will.” He gave a slight smile, and that was the end of their conversation. Then, he returned to his paperwork, and summoned the remainder of his energy. He felt only relief when at last, he blew out the candle.

The following morning, he woke to dim sunlight on his face. It was definitely later than usual, but it was the weekend. The others must have remembered and let him sleep in, because when he emerged from his room, his breakfast was waiting on the table. His hand was sore from strain, and he flexed his fingers, one by one, before picking up his chopsticks.

It had been a while, since he had eaten a meal alone. He could hear faint voices from the dojo, indicating that his daughter and Yahiko had begun lessons. However, it wasn’t the same as sitting with everyone in person. He carried his dishes to the kitchen and headed for the porch.

The fresh air was pleasant, and the maple tree had new green leaves. From the doorway, he could hear Kaoru, telling Yahiko that he had performed the last kata well, but that he needed to be less hasty. And Himura was in the yard, hanging blankets on the clothesline.

“Good morning, Himura-san.” Koshijiro called out to him.

He startled, turning around. “Kamiya-san…good morning. This one assumes that you’ve finished eating?”

“Yes, I have.” He sat on the edge of the porch. “A good meal is always appreciated. Kaoru and Yahiko can also attest to that. You’ve been here three months, after all.” He cleared his throat…and he didn’t know what else to say.

Whenever he talked with Himura alone, the conversation usually revolved around three subjects: Kaoru, Yahiko, and the weather. He wasn’t keen on bringing up their shared war experiences, and most likely, Himura wasn’t eager to share either. However…he had to plant the idea that Himura could speak to any of them, if his memories resurfaced while Koshijiro was at the station.

“I suppose I should say ‘thank you’. You may be a boarder in name, but no other boarder has treated this house like a home.” At that, Himura blinked, and Koshijiro continued. “It’s why Kaoru trusts you and Yahiko respects you. You’re important to them, as I’m sure they are to you, and that closeness is what makes a good meal enjoyable.”

Himura didn’t respond right away. He looked deep in thought, and finally, he said. “This one has cherished his time in this dojo. Kaoru-dono, Yahiko, and Sano, as well as you and Megumi-dono, have made every day enjoyable. This one wonders if it is selfish of this one, to accept such kindness.”

Koshijiro recognized that feeling: a lingering guilt, born from the sacrifices of other people. It wasn’t surprising that such a feeling was intensified in Himura, and overcoming it was a gradual, difficult process. And that was often without progress. “It takes time to heal, but I hope you remember that we will not go anywhere, if you need us.” He could only say that, and Himura silently inclined his head.

After a pause, Koshijiro rose to his feet. “Now, I need to return to my paperwork. Please let me know, if there’s anything of note.” He stiffly nodded and left, without looking back.

If he had to be honest, he felt awkward the entire time. The weather really was a better topic than emotions.

***

The following Monday, they received a letter from Maekawa, and it was read aloud over breakfast. He was healing, but he had not recovered his full strength yet and was requesting for Kaoru to help his students later in the week.

Kaoru refolded the paper, nodding. “I’d like to see them too. Yahiko, Kenshin, you’re coming with me.”

“We are?” Yahiko griped.

“Oro? This one as well?”

“Of course, it’d be fun. But if you’d rather be alone, I won’t stop you.”

Himura paused for a moment. “No, this one will go with you.”

“Really? Thank you!” She beamed, and her happiness was infectious, for he returned her smile. Then, Kaoru turned to Koshijiro. “Sorry, Otou-san, I know you have work.”

“It can’t be helped, with the number of cases. Please, greet everyone there for me.”

On the day of, he almost believed he could join them, but the previous evening’s arrests quashed that possibility. It was close to sunset, when the last report had been filed and the rookie officers gave a collective cheer. Koshijiro didn’t have the voice to celebrate. As he was leaving, he nearly bumped into Fujita and pivoted away at the last second. “Excuse me.”

“Not a problem.” The assistant chief inspector gave a thin smile in response.

“If I may ask, what happened to your shikomizue?” Chief Uramura had prepared a sword, concealed as a cane, for Fujita to use in place of the katana. However, it was not on his back.

“Ah, the handle had splintered, so I sent it off to be fixed.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“I assure you, I’m not disappointed. I prefer true Japanese swords.” His smile widened. “But I know that you disagree. You believe the sword can protect life. It’s a poisonous way of thinking, you could never deliver justice with that mindset.”

“That’s your opinion.” Koshijiro shortly replied. His right palm stung, and he realized he was clenching a fist, his fingernails embedded in his skin. “And as long as neither of our opinions interfere with police work, it’s unnecessary to have a debate.”

He walked away, heading for home. He was weary, his neck and shoulder ached, and he needed to rest for a while. It was stress, he recognized as much, and a break was the only cure.

Quietly, Koshijiro let himself through the gate, pushing it closed with his foot. Light shone from within the house, and the intensity made him blink. How many candles were they using? With his brow furrowed, he removed his shoes and announced. “I’m home.”

There was no answer at first, before Yahiko emerged from the kitchen, carrying a basin of water. He must have been using all of his effort not to spill a drop, for his greeting was more of an exhaled huff. “Hey, Kamiya-san.”

He stepped out of the boy’s way. “What’s going on?”

“Sano was attacked; we just found him lying in the dojo, bleeding.”

Takani’s voice suddenly called out from the hallway. “Yahiko! I need that water!”

“Megumi ran into us earlier, so she’s treating him now. Come on, do you want to see him?”

“Yes, I do.”

He followed Yahiko, to the guest room. The first thing he noticed was Sagara’s jacket, bloody and crumpled and tossed aside near the wall. Sagara himself was lying motionless on a blanket, and Takani was leaning over his right shoulder, where the wound likely was. It was very warm and bright, yet Kaoru was lighting another candle.

“Is that better?”

“For now, yes.” Takani said. “Ah, Yahiko, is that you? Bring the water over here.”

“Okay.” He seemed to be at his limit, and released a loud sigh when he set the basin down.

Koshijiro chose that moment to speak. “Should Sagara-san be taken to the hospital?”

“Otou-san?” Kaoru looked up at him. “No, Kenshin said not to, because we don’t know who attacked him. It’s better if he doesn’t leave our sight.”

“And I’m capable of treating him.” Takani added. “The wound looks clean, and keeping it that way is best done outside of a hospital. That is, if you don’t mind having him here.”

“No, it’s not a problem.” Koshijiro nodded at Sagara. “Please, take care of him.”

“I’ll do my best.” Her face was very grave, and they quietly exited the room.

Kaoru kept walking towards the kitchen, her hands on her hips. “I’ll make dinner, we all need to eat.”

“Are you sure?” Yahiko’s forehead creased, as he ran after her. “I can ask Kenshin…ow!”

She had grabbed his ear. “No, we should leave him alone right now. And what’s wrong with my cooking?”

“Well, it hasn’t gotten any better!”

“Then, you can help.” Koshijiro suggested, to his chagrin.

Ochazuke was the quickest option. After they brought the steaming teapot and bowls of leftover rice to the table, he finally ventured. “Where is Himura-san?”

“He’s in the dojo, but…” For a moment, there was only the sound of pouring green tea, as Kaoru swallowed to regain her voice. “At Maekawa-sensei’s place, he was alright, but when we were about to leave, he was listless again. He talked about the past, more than I’ve ever heard before.”

“Yeah, he fought the Shinsengumi.” Yahiko popped a stolen clump of rice into his mouth. “It sounds like he really respected them.”

“I’m glad that he opened up to us, but since we came home and found Sano, he’s been thinking about something. He looks so serious. I should check on him again, in case he’s hungry.” She quickly excused herself. Yahiko set aside a bowl for Takani, and the steam rose in faint wisps.

At length, Koshijiro asked. “Do you think Himura-san is fine?”

“I don’t know.” Yahiko shrugged. “But when I saw him, he was looking at the medicine box and the hole in the wall.”

“Hole in the wall?”

“Er…yeah, the dojo got busted again.”

“This is the third time in as many months.”

“Uh-huh.”

Koshijiro sighed. The carpenter was going to be very pleased. “And what’s this about a medicine box?”

“It was in the dojo, and Kenshin said not to touch it, although he was staring at the emblem.” Yahiko drew it in the air with one finger, a circle with a hat-like symbol above it. “Do you know what it means?”

“I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem like any of the family crests I’m aware of, but I can look into it.”

“It’s a good thing that you work with the police, huh?”

Then, Kaoru entered, Himura in her wake. “Don’t worry about the wall, we’ll have it repaired soon. Anyway, we have ochazuke.”

Himura’s expression was taut, as he took a seat at the table. He wrapped his hands around the warm bowl before him; he hadn’t made a sound the entire time. Abruptly, his eyes widened in realization of his surroundings. “This one-”

“No, don’t apologize.” Kaoru firmly said. “It’s been a long day for all of us. You’re only human, Kenshin, so don’t feel sorry, okay? Now, let’s eat.”

“…yes.”

They ate in silence, until Takani emerged two hours later, exhausted but satisfied that Sagara’s wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. She didn’t even mind the cold tea and rice, and between mouthfuls, she brought up the idea of watching over Sagara in shifts, until he was conscious.

Koshijiro’s turn was just after midnight. Sagara had been given a blanket, and it was pulled up to his chin. The beginning of a bruise was darkening on his jaw. Each breath was shallow, almost uncertain. Sagara had extensive fighting experience; who would be formidable enough to catch him off guard and overpower him?

Furthermore, how did they know to find him here?

He did not like the implications.

***

After three days, Sagara was still out of commission. This morning, he was awake long enough to accept water and medicine, but he fell asleep before Koshijiro had the chance to question him.

“Well, sleep is good for recovery.” Takani appeared to be nonplussed, yet her eyes remained concerned and she fiddled with her chopsticks. “Meanwhile, let’s continue to watch him at night.”

However, Koshijiro hoped it wouldn’t be for much longer. He had told Yahiko he would look into the medicine box’s emblem, but Fujita had suddenly increased his paperwork, enough to keep him occupied throughout working hours.

He finished his breakfast, preparing to leave for the station when his daughter said. “Otou-san, if you wait five more minutes, I can prepare a bento box.”

“No, that’s not necessary. I plan to be home for lunch.”

He hadn’t done so for some time, and her face lit up. “Really? Okay then, see you later.”

Himura added. “And please, lock the gate behind you, Kamiya-dono.”

“Of course. Is there a reason for the reminder?”

“This one believes the person who attacked Sano will return. He would be tall, and dressed like a medicine peddler. He might also smell of alcohol too; that is, if he has not changed in the past ten years…” He trailed off.

“You’re thinking of someone in particular?”

“Only a possibility.” He hesitated. “This one is not even sure if he is still alive.”

Koshijiro mulled it over. “Still, I’ll lock the gate, to be safe. I’ll also stop by the Akabeko, to notify Yahiko.” He had left earlier, to assist at the restaurant for the morning.

The boy was sweeping the road in front, and Koshijiro paused to mention the locking of the gate. In response, he curtly nodded. “Got it.” Then, he smacked his own forehead in dismay. “Crap, I have to get more charcoal, Tae’s gonna kill me. See ya, Kamiya-san!” He was off again before Koshijiro could say another word. Regardless, he also needed to arrive at his workplace, and without sparing another glance, he continued on his path.

At the station, Fujita was waiting for him, a cigarette between his teeth. “It’s busy for you today, Kamiya.” He dropped a thick stack of reports, ready to be filed, onto Koshijiro’s desk. “These take priority, and I expect them to be finished as soon as possible.”

He tried to maintain a neutral expression. Before the loss of his arm, he had never been this busy. To be fair, it was because field work had different demands. He was grateful to be involved in administrative duties, but…he still wanted to sit down and eat with his family.

…Family?

Before he could dissect why that specific word had surfaced in his mind, Fujita continued. “Do you have a problem with that, Kamiya?”

He snapped back to attention. “No. I’ll have them completed.”

“Good.” Smoke billowed out of the side of his mouth, and the smell of tobacco lingered after he strolled out.

After that, Koshijiro lost track of time, solely focusing on each report. The minutes bled into hours, until a shadow cast over his desk. He lifted his eyes, to see his officers grimacing at the tower of remaining papers.

“Are you okay with this, Kamiya-san?”

“Of course he’s not, look at how his hand is shaking.”

“Fujita’s an asshole.”

“It must be harassment. Kamiya-san, can’t you give us a report or two?”

It must have been the lack of sleep getting to him, because he relented. “Each of you may take one. Go ahead.”

Hands scrambled, and after the fray subsided, the pile was significantly smaller. He could spare time for lunch at home and complete the rest afterwards. Fujita left to patrol at noon, so he definitely wouldn’t protest if Koshijiro left at half past one o’clock. Nevertheless, he still walked carefully, just in case the assistant chief inspector had changed his normal routine and was lurking outside the station.

The familiar gate soon towered above him, and he noticed it was unlocked as he stepped through. He locked it again, knitting his eyebrows. Had an intruder entered? He didn’t have a weapon on him, so instead, he made his way to the dojo. As he drew closer, he heard his daughter’s voice.

“Alright then, but there’s water and tea if you’re thirsty.” Then, she suddenly appeared, emerging from the dojo. She glanced up. “Ack! Otou-san, you scared me.”

“I’m sorry. I was concerned, because the gate was unlocked.”

“Is it? That’s my fault.” Her smile was strained and he knew something was wrong. “But your coworker’s here, to help keep us safe. He was patrolling nearby, and he offered to keep watch.”

“That’s a kind offer, but he should maintain his post. I’ll speak to him.” He opened the sliding door, to see a figure sitting on the floor. A figure he hadn’t expected to see.

“Officer Kamiya?” Fujita also blinked in surprise, before giving that unsettling, unnatural smile again. “Finished those reports already?”

“I’m taking a break for lunch. I assumed you were as well, but there are no soba shops around here.”

The smile tightened. “I was telling your daughter that a dangerous gang is looking for your boarder, Himura-san. I’ll stand guard until he safely returns.”

“I wasn’t aware he was in trouble.” Koshijiro slowly said. “Regardless, thank you but I believe we’ll be fine.”

“With two women, one child, and an unconscious person? Not to mention, you only have one arm.”

It was the first time his disability had been referred to so disparagingly, and Koshijiro decided he hated Fujita’s guts. He clenched his hand into a fist.

Kaoru spoke up, her voice calm. “Fujita-san, we don’t want to disrupt your work. Once Kenshin returns, you’re free to go. That’s all. Now, Otou-san, you can have lunch. Yahiko and I already ate, so I sent him to get more tofu. Maybe, Kenshin will be with him too.” She steered him away, whispering. “I don’t like him either, but he’s your boss, right? We probably shouldn’t make him mad.”

“I feel as if I already have, with the amount of work he’s given me.” He sighed.

“Well, food will cheer you up. It’s good, Kenshin cooked it before he left on an errand.”

“What errand?”

“I don’t know!” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Yahiko said he received a letter, but it’s not from a woman. It can’t be, so just forget it, we’ll ask when he comes home. I’ll wait by the gate, so I can let them in.” She stomped off, leaving Koshijiro to enter the house alone.

Takani was eating, and she acknowledged him with a curt nod. He sat down at his place, where miso, grilled fish, and pickled vegetables awaited. After murmuring thanks, he inquired. “How is Sagara?”

She shrugged. “Asleep again. The next time he wakes up, it had better be for more than ten minutes or I’ll bury him myself.” She was clearly worn out.

“Please, don’t push yourself.” He said. “There are plenty of blankets and pillows, if you’d like to rest for an hour.”

“I know.” She didn’t dismiss the idea, so it was likely that she would. The rest of the meal was spent in silence, before Takani excused herself to return to Sagara’s bedside.

“I’m back.” Yahiko brought in the full tofu bucket. His shoulders slumped a little at the sight of the empty kitchen. “Do you think the gang found Kenshin first?”

Koshijiro placed one hand on the table and stood. “If there is a gang, they would have divided their numbers. I would have expected some men to be here, if that were the case.”

“So is Fujita-san wrong?”

“I can only find out by questioning him. Meanwhile, you shouldn’t leave the house again.”

At the gravity of his tone, the boy gulped. “Yeah, got it. I’ll go to Sano’s room and, uh, read a book or something…” He hardly read, but Koshijiro felt a little reassured as he walked to the dojo.

It was obvious that Fujita had once been a swordsman. He was sitting on his heels, his posture straight and immobile, as he properly faced the front of the space. “I admit, you designed it well. There’s plenty of room to play.”

For his own sanity, Koshijiro ignored the jab. “You were cleared to carry your katana?”

“Fortunately, yes. It’s more suited to me than a sword-cane or a Western saber.” He smiled at the sheathed blade, and it was a strangely fond expression. “Only a Japanese sword can deliver justice.”

“And the law has deemed that the police cannot carry them. Regardless of that, I was thinking about the gang. Do we know who they are, and whether they have any history with Himura-san?”

“I assume it’s a small group, around ten men or fewer. That was indicated by a few vague letters, sent from different addresses and pieced together from newspaper cuttings. As for any history, who knows? There was a war ten years ago, many people have complaints.”

“Then, why are they so dangerous? Were the letters that threatening?”

“Enough to be concerning.”

“And if they’re genuine, why aren’t our officers making arrests?”

“I’ve visited the addresses, and the gang members appear to have moved. Instead of wasting time on a search, it would be vastly more efficient to lie in wait for them.” His voice was impatient. On edge. “Speaking of efficiency, don’t you have other responsibilities? Your break’s over. Return to the station.”

He was about to reply, when Kaoru approached. “Otou-san? Is it really safe for you to leave?”

He spoke carefully. “I didn’t encounter anyone on the way here, but if you would feel better if I stayed-”

Fujita interrupted. “If you thought I was making a request, you’re wrong. You have work to do.” Was it a trick of the light, or were his eyes more shadowed? More sinister?

“Otou-san-”

“It’s fine, Kaoru. Clearly, the assistant chief inspector believes he can handle this matter.” Also, there was one benefit to returning to work. He could search through Fujita’s desk for the letters. It wouldn’t be inappropriate; this matter concerned his home and the security of its residents. If he had to pay the consequences, so be it. He clasped his daughter’s shoulder, promising. “I’ll be home by sunset.”

She still looked troubled, but she exhaled. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

Reluctantly, he departed. The sky was covered with silver clouds, darkening to gray near the horizon. Whether there would be rain or not, it was difficult to tell.

Halfway down the road, he heard a voice call out. “Kamiya-san!” Koshijiro turned his head to see Officer Shinichi crossing the street in four strides. He had been running, he needed to catch his breath before managing to relay his message. “Oh, good, I’m glad I caught you. Chief Uramura is requesting that you return to the station immediately. There’s a visitor who wants to speak with you.”

Koshijiro frowned. “Who is it?”

“I wasn’t told, only that you need to go back as quickly as possible.”

“Then, the sooner we arrive, the sooner it will end.” He would have to check Fujita’s desk afterwards.

Shinichi led him to the chief’s office, but it was empty. “The chief must be with the visitor, I’ll try and find them. You can sit down.” With a hasty salute, he hurried off. Koshijiro occupied one of the plush Western couches. Past the door, muffled footsteps grew louder and softer at intervals.

Dim light streamed in from the glass windowpanes, onto his hand. He stared at his callused palm and fingers, the short nails recently trimmed with Kaoru’s help. No, he didn’t feel weak, not when his own skin embodied a lifetime of perseverance.

Twenty minutes passed; there was no update from Shinichi. After twenty more minutes, he decided it had been long enough already. He could slip out for a while and attempt to find the letters. Without deliberating any further, he went to the door and turned the knob.

Hm? It didn’t budge, and he twisted harder, to no avail. Had someone locked the door?

He rapped the wood with his knuckles. “Hello? Is anyone out there?” There was only silence. He continued to knock, proceeding to bang his fist against the door. With each hit, his alarm grew.

It could have been an honest mistake, but what if there was no visitor and Shinichi had delivered a false message? What if he had been lured here?

Koshijiro paused and looked over the room. From what he remembered, the left window was jammed and couldn’t be opened. He tried the right but the lock only budged halfway. He peered downwards, at the streets below. His gaze met two hats, belonging to its respective officers standing guard at the entrance.

With a tired sigh, he sat again to contemplate the situation. The initial panic had subsided, and he shifted his thoughts to who could have possibly planned this. Fujita, definitely. He had been too eager to shoo Koshijiro out of the dojo. But he had to have an accomplice, at least one, at the station. He doubted it was Shinichi, he was too honest.

Someone of high rank then, who could order Shinichi. It can’t be Chief Uramura; he wouldn’t sacrifice his space unless he was here to distract me. That means whoever it is, the accomplice must be distracting the chief. And whoever locked the door…a second accomplice. But why go to such lengths?

As Fujita had pointed out, Koshijiro wasn’t much of a threat. But what if that was the purpose, to keep him away…to get to someone else? Sagara’s wounds had come from a sword. Fujita had recently broken his shikomizue. Damn it, Fujita could have been the attacker all along! And he had his katana.

His daughter and everyone else was in danger. He needed to get out. Now.

He eyed the window again. It couldn’t be opened…at least, not with the lock. He glanced at the coat rack. Sturdy and tall, it resembled the sodegarami, the man-catching tool he had used until ten years ago. He walked over and grasped it. It was heavier than he expected, but he could tuck it under his arm and guide it with his hand. He made sure the path to the window was clear, and then, he readied himself into position. He aimed the end of the coat rack towards the glass. With a running start, he could break the glass and alert the officers guarding the front door. Of course, he would pay for the damage to the window. It would most likely come out of his salary.

Nevertheless, three, two, one…!

He charged.

Then, the door swung open. “Officer Kamiya?”

Koshijiro stumbled at the chief’s voice, stopping short of the window, but he managed to lower the coat rack and set it upright. Sweat rolled down his forehead, but he snapped to attention, turning and straightening his posture. The chief blinked in puzzlement and asked. “What are you doing?”

He explained, as calmly as he could. “I believe that I was locked inside your office by mistake. I have been waiting for almost an hour, and I concluded that no help was arriving. I apologize for my impatience.”

“No, it’s perfectly alright. It’s strange, it shouldn’t have been locked. Well, sorry about the delay, but I was giving our very important guest a tour of the building.” The chief ushered in a figure, and Koshijiro braced himself to see the face of Fujita’s accomplice. He did not recognize the man. The guest had a full mustache and beard; he wore his coat over a Western suit.

“This is the minister of the Department of Internal Affairs, Okubo Toshimichi.” The chief introduced him. That name was certainly memorable; Okubo was one of the most prominent figures in the country, the last of the three men who led the Ishin Shishi.

“Minister Okubo.” Koshijiro bowed deeply. “It is an honor to meet you.”

“Please, stand up. The honor is mine, to meet a veteran of both Toba Fushimi and Satsuma.” His clear gaze was directed at Koshijiro’s face, instead of his armless sleeve.

“Ah…yes.” He maintained a respectful demeanor, but his mind was still racing. An official of Okubo’s standing would fit the criteria of Fujita’s accomplice. As for the second…

The chief then added. “Commissioner Kawaji, we’re here.” Another man entered the office. He was short of stature and balding, but Koshijiro remembered him from a few police ceremonies. He had to be the second accomplice.

Okubo spoke again. “I’d like to have a word alone with Kamiya-san.”

Without even questioning how odd that was, the chief was already in the hallway and closing the door. “Of course!”

Koshijiro subtly took a step towards the coat rack and window.

If Okubo noticed, he didn’t mention it and instead continued. “I apologize for keeping you waiting, the tour was a last minute change. I had intended to meet you at half past one, because I was told that you would definitely be here for the entirety of the day.”

“Saito-san usually has good information.” Kawaji muttered. “He must have made a rare mistake.”

“We had to switch to the secondary plan anyway, I did not want to deny the commissioner of his tour.” Okubo pressed his fingertips together. “But I wanted to speak with you directly, Kamiya-san. You’ve housed a wandering swordsman named Himura Kenshin, for the past three months. How has he fared?”

Koshijiro frowned. Was Okubo cornering him, just to ask about a former Ishin Shishi soldier? “He’s been a good boarder. Other than…I have no complaints that would concern you.” He exhaled. “I’m sorry, but would it be possible for us to meet again?”

“The minister is very busy.” Kawaji said. “We have been planning this for some time.”

“Well, perhaps, I should have been notified.”

“How rude! Is something irritating you, Kamiya-san?”

“Yes, and with every second, I’m more certain that both of you have a hand in it.”

Kawaji’s expression contorted in anger, but Okubo lifted a hand. “No, I understand. Kawaji, what is the time now?”

“Fifteen minutes past three.”

“Then, Saito-san should have fulfilled his task by now. Let’s go.”

Koshijiro struggled for patience, but he found that he had none left. He was exhausted and worried and sick of the deception. “I’m not. I’m going home, I’ve had enough of these games.”

They exchanged glances, and Okubo slowly said. “It would be best if we talk in the carriage. I promise you, we will take you home first. Consider it an apology.”

“I’ll accept.” He trailed the two of them, as they headed out to the road. A horse-drawn carriage was waiting, and Koshijiro silently stepped within.

While the carriage swayed and the buildings moved past, Okubo began to explain. “Your new assistant chief inspector, Fujita Goro, was sent to the station on my orders. His current objective is to evaluate Himura-san’s abilities in countering a certain threat.”

“And in doing so, he made a mistake and injured the wrong person. Since then, that person has not been conscious for more than an hour a day.”

“No, it wasn’t a mistake. He is very deliberate, that’s one of his strong points. I admit, that was extreme, but he must have intended to draw Himura-san’s attention. And his ire.”

“You want the assassin who worked for you ten years ago.” He realized. “Who do you want to kill?”

“That’s classified.” Kawaji automatically replied.

“The government can conscript any number of men. It did so for the rebellion in Satsuma, only last year. What kind of threat is it, that you would go to such lengths for one man?”

“Kamiya-san, that’s enough!”

He leaned back in his seat. “I assume that you know what happened to our last assistant chief inspector. He was not forthcoming with us and it resulted in betrayal. Forgive me, if I am overreacting to secrecy.”

A long pause followed. Outside, the scenery became more familiar, drawing closer to the Kamiya dojo.

Okubo stroked his beard. “It is classified information, and I would rather disclose it only once. You don’t have to wait any longer; we’ve arrived.”

Koshijiro dismounted first, calling out for his daughter to allow them in. “Kaoru!”

But it was Yahiko who opened the gate, his eyes wide. “Kamiya-san. Come on! We gotta stop them!” As he led the way to the dojo, he was trembling slightly, and Koshijiro laid a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

The distinct sound of metal on metal reached his ears. Kawaji pushed past, sprinting into the dojo and shouting. “Stop!”

At the same time, a scream of distress split the air. It sounded like Kaoru, and Koshijiro hurried to join the scene. He found her first, kneeling on the ground and clutching herself. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she was unharmed. Standing near her with anxious expressions, Takani was supporting a now fully conscious Sagara. And then, in the middle of the floor, Fujita and Himura had halted mid-step, their swords drawn. Both were bloodied, Fujita’s forehead and Himura’s right shoulder in particularly bad shape.

“Come to your senses, Saito. Your mission was to test the abilities of Hitokiri Battousai.” The commissioner scolded.

Fujita must have been a pseudonym, because he answered. “…I was almost enjoying myself. You shouldn’t have interfered.”

Now, Okubo stepped forward. “I understand your pride, as a former captain of the Shinsengumi. But neither you nor Himura-san can afford to risk your lives here.

“So you were the one pulling the strings,” Himura lifted his head, and his gaze was cold. “Okubo-dono.”

Okubo gave a wry smile. “I apologize for the rough treatment, but we desperately needed to know how strong you are. I hope you will hear me out.”

“Yes, and you will hold nothing back.”

It seemed to be Fujita’s cue to exit, because he grabbed his coat and headed for the door. “Mission report. Himura Kenshin is of no use to us, but Himura Battousai has potential. That’s all.” The commissioner didn’t appear pleased with the brevity, but he brushed it off.

Koshijiro seized the opportunity to remark. “So, you needed me out of the house, in order to fight Himura-san.”

Fujita scoffed. “You look like the kind of person who interferes, so I sought to distract you with paperwork. I should have never let you return to the dojo. You’re a stubborn one, that’s something I’ll remember. And by the way, if anyone asks why I was gone, I was patrolling the streets around here.”

“You’re telling me to withhold information from my colleagues, and so soon after the last assistant chief inspector destroyed our trust.” He bluntly said.

“That’s correct.” Fujita was just as forthright. “Because none of them can be trusted with a threat to national security. And if that’s all, I’m leaving.” He tossed his coat over his shoulder, and walked away. Koshijiro was too glad to see him go.

Okubo beckoned to Himura. “Come then, the carriage is still outside.”

“You must be…” Himura was about to make a retort, but instead, he trailed off. Then, he drove his fist between his eyes. As his knuckles came away bloody, he deeply inhaled. “This matter does not involve only this one. We will all hear what you have to say.”

Kaoru ran to him. “But first, we need to tend to your wounds. The blood hasn’t stopped yet…”

“Don’t touch them!” Takani warned and began to direct instructions to cleanse and bind the wounds. Himura was ushered to the bathhouse, Yahiko in tow to help.

In the kitchen, there was leftover tea, and Koshijiro poured some into a cup. The hot drink did very little to reduce the fury pumping through his veins. He paced back and forth, to try and curb the energy. At one point, Sagara entered but upon seeing Koshijiro, he declared. “Ah! I gotta take my medicine.” He pivoted, reversing his tracks.

After a while, the kitchen was too cramped, and he went outside. His daughter was washing Himura’s bloodied gi. Her figure seemed purposefully small, her chin tucked and her elbows drawn in.

Koshijiro knelt next to her. “Kaoru?”

“I-I’m fine.” She briefly pressed her sleeve to her puffy eyes.

“It’s over.”

“I know.” Her voice broke. “But I couldn’t do anything to stop Kenshin.”

“You didn’t have to, don’t blame yourself.”

“My voice couldn’t reach him. He was too far gone, lost in the past.”

“You should rest. The gi can wait.” He reached for her hands, but she jerked away.

“This is what I can do for him now. I don’t want to give up.” She kept turning the gi in the water, her eyes forced open to prevent any more tears forming. “That’s it.”

As much as he wanted to ease her pain, he realized he couldn’t comfort her. But the sooner the troublemakers left, the better off they’d all be. “I’m going to clean the dojo, so don’t worry about that.”

“Okay.”

He returned inside to retrieve a few old cloths, the threads beginning to come apart at the edges. He passed the kitchen, noticing that Takani was measuring rice in a clay pot. She was murmuring to herself. “With the two of them and the carriage driver, that’s three more plates. Nine in total.”

He spoke up. “Don’t go to such lengths. They’re not our guests. Guests would have announced themselves.”

Takani craned her head to look at him, blinking. “Well, I suppose…”

His heavy footsteps continued. He located the bucket of soapy water used to clean the dojo’s floor, and tossed the rags into the frothy liquid. The sliding door was slightly ajar and he used his foot to fully open it. Ignoring the presence of the minister and the commissioner, he squeezed out the excess water in the cloths. But their whispers floated over to him.

“Minister Okubo, we’re short on time.”

“We don’t have a choice. There’s nothing we need more than Himura-san’s strength.”

Koshijiro threw the rag in his hand onto the floor, and it landed with a wet splat. “Both of you, I need you out.”

“This is the only private area, we can’t discuss-”

He abruptly shut up, as Koshijiro stood to face him, thunder in his expression. “Right now, I’m very angry. Because of your deception, everyone is distressed. You only care about Himura-san’s strength, but he has been hurt, and blood was shed in the dojo. This place is meant to teach. If you have any respect, you will sit on the porch until I am finished cleaning. If you feel you can’t talk, then don’t. Be quiet.”

Okubo stared at him for a moment, before inclining his head. “Kawaji, the porch is this way.” The commissioner flashed one last affronted look at Koshijiro, but they acquiesced.

He scrubbed at the splattered blood, some of it on the walls. By the time he was finished, night had fallen, and the water had turned crimson. As he washed out the bucket, Kaoru approached him.

“Otou-san? Is it okay if we can talk in the dojo? The minister’s asking.”

“It’s fine.” Cleaning the dojo had served to calm his temper, for the most part.

They filed in, sitting in a semicircle to face the minister and commissioner. Himura had a bandage on his unscarred cheek and he guarded his right side, the bandages covered by a fresh, dark gray gi.

“I’ll be brief.” Okubo began. “Himura, Shishio is plotting rebellion in Kyoto.”

“And who’s that?” Sagara interjected.

“He was this one’s successor.” Himura answered. “When this one was assigned to fight openly against the Shinsengumi, Shishio Makoto became the next hitokiri. He was another member of the Ishin Shishi, from Choshuu. Very few knew he existed, even this one has never seen him. But this one heard that he died ten years ago, in the Boshin War.”

Okubo did not reply, and Himura interpreted his silence. “So, he was not killed in battle, but executed by the Ishin Shishi.”

“At that time, we didn’t have a choice. His skill and wits were almost equal to yours, but he had cunning and a longing for power. He didn’t care for his comrades. If the public found out about his assassinations, it would threaten the Meiji government. He couldn’t continue to live. Oil was even poured over his corpse and burned.”

“Well, that didn’t work.” Sagara sarcastically said, and the commissioner glared at him.

“Watch your mouth! And this is a serious matter! Shishio’s formed an army of bloodthirsty fighters and war-loving merchants. He wants to take his revenge upon this country, by creating another civil war.”

Okubo added. “All the troops we’ve sent have been obliterated. You are our last hope. For the sake of the people, Himura, please go to Kyoto once again.”

“In other words,” It was Kaoru’s turn to speak up. “You’re asking Kenshin to kill Shishio Makoto.”

“…Yes, that is what we’re asking.”

Kawaji elaborated. “Of course, he will be amply rewarded and we can adjust some things on our end. For example, this woman is Takani Megumi, suspected to have manufactured the highly addictive Spider’s Web opium. We can make that suspicion disappear.”

Takani slapped her hand on the floor. “If you’ll use me to blackmail Ken-san, I’d rather be executed.”

“And it was your dirty dealings that started this mess.” Sagara darkly said. “You want Kenshin to cover your own asses! Kenshin’s chosen to live without killing. I won’t stand by and watch you drag him into this. Screw the government! All that matters is the peace and safety of the people!”

A vein bulged in Kawaji’s temple as he pulled Sagara’s collar. “If Shishio succeeds, we won’t have that either, you fool! If you don’t shut up, I’ll arrest you!”

“I’d like to see you try!” Sagara taunted, and grabbed the commissioner in turn.

Yahiko sighed. “The only thing I get is that if Kenshin hadn’t disappeared, you guys would’ve killed him too. You only kill people when it suits you, that’s pathetic.” That was true, and silently, Kawaji released Sagara, who made a rude hand gesture.

Kaoru folded her hands in her lap, her steady gaze on the minister. “Okubo-san, I understand that you need Hitokiri Battousai, but that isn’t Kenshin, not anymore. We will never allow Kenshin to go to Kyoto.”

“That’s outrageous!” Kawaji then turned to Koshijiro. “Please, Kamiya-san. You know what’s at stake, you sided with this government.”

But they didn’t know. They didn’t know the reason why he fought, what had convinced him to join their side, and after ten years, they had lost sight of that reason.

Koshijiro squarely looked at Okubo. “That war is finished. Himura-san fulfilled his duties to you then. If the government needs an assassin, they won’t find one here.”

The commissioner’s temper flared, and he spat. “You’re a fool, just like everyone else here!”

Okubo disagreed. “Quiet, Kawaji. I understand, Kamiya-san. Investing in the Meiji era has required much sacrifice on your part. The same goes for you.” He glanced at Himura. “This is a decision too important to make in one night. I’ll come to see you in a week, on May 14th. I’ll expect a good answer then.” He drew his coat around him and at last, he returned to his carriage with the commissioner.

“Stubborn bastards.” Sagara stalked off. “Good riddance! Let’s eat already, I’m starving.”

“Your appetite’s a good sign, but you’ll regret it if you overeat.” Takani warned.

Dinner was spent in silence, except for the noises of their utensils. Although it was still relatively early, everyone was generally eager to go to bed. Koshijiro was about to retire, but as he was closing the door, Himura suddenly peered through the gap.

“Can this one speak with you?”

“…alright.” He allowed the redhead in, feeling a little awkward.

Himura took a single step from the door, before he knelt and bowed his head. “This one apologizes, for the trouble he caused today.”

“If anyone needs to apologize, it would be Minister Okubo and Commissioner Kawaji.” When he didn’t react, Koshijiro continued. “They think highly of your skill with the sword, but you weren’t moved.”

“This one was not born to a samurai family, he was taught the sword by his master. When the people were suffering, this one saw and wanted to help.” He mulled over his words. “Minister Okubo and the commissioner are not wrong, to believe that this one would help again. But Saito had already drawn his sword, and this one succumbed to anger.”

“First of all, it was a terrible plan, if they were trying to negotiate with you. The minister did not consider your will. This week, we’ll do our best to protect you from being exploited. Your decision is what matters.” He studied Himura’s expression. “You look like you want to say something else.”

After a second, he nodded. “Kamiya-dono, you’re a respected officer and a veteran twice over. More than anyone else in this house, you would understand why they asked for this one, yet you took this one’s side. Why?”

If Koshijiro closed his eyes, he could remember many things. The crash of water against the riverbanks. The violent slap of a hand across his cheek. And faintest of all, a soft humming.

“It’s for the same reason why I fought in the Bakumatsu. I wanted to build a world in which people could be respected, from birth to death. A world that was not so rigid in who deserved certain treatment, who decided what privileges were given. The transition has not been perfect, but I still believe that a person should decide how they want to live. That includes you.” He gruffly added.

“…thank you, Kamiya-dono.”

There was a faint rustle, and Himura turned his head towards the door. “Yes?”

A long pause followed, before Kaoru entered. “Um, don’t mind me, I was checking the corners for dust. Don’t worry, they’re all clean.” She gave a little laugh, as her cheeks grew pink.

At this angle, Himura’s face couldn’t be seen, but the younger man’s tone was markedly light. “Then, that’s good.”

Koshijiro cleared his throat. “While you’re both here, let Takani and Sagara know that the five of us should meet tomorrow. I’d like your help in preparing for something.”

***

“What’s all this?” Yahiko blinked at the spray of irises and azalea flowers on the table. Koshijiro had chosen those, for the season and how the colors complemented each other. The second addition to their afternoon tea was an array of rice cakes, wrapped in green oak leaves. The unfamiliar sight confused him. “Are we having another party?”

“No, it’s a holiday.” Kaoru explained. “Haven’t you celebrated Boy’s Day before?”

“Of course I have.” He scratched his head. “My mom usually bought me a skewer of dango. That was about it though…”

“Well,” Sagara clapped the boy’s shoulder. “We can do a lot more than that today. You’re only a kid once. That’s why I went out and bought this.” With his other hand, he drew out a small carp streamer the length of his forearm. It was probably the cheapest one, but Yahiko’s eyes widened.

“Whoa! I can keep this?” He gingerly held onto the streamer, running his fingers over the pale blue scales.

“Yeah, it’s yours! We’ll fly it outside after we eat.”

The rice cakes had been generously filled with red bean paste, and Sagara and Yahiko eagerly tackled their shares. As she tasted hers, Takani straightened her shoulders with pride. “Hm, not bad for my first attempt.”

Koshijiro bit into one, and the sweetness filled his mouth. It went well, with the green tea that his daughter had prepared. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, tucking it out of the way as she enjoyed the mochi. Sitting next to her, Himura curved his fingers around his cup, closing his eyes at the heat. Despite his injuries, he had still insisted on finding a vase for the flowers.

The wind picked up, just in time for Sagara to tie the carp to the laundry line. It was quickly sent aloft and wriggled as if it were swimming in place.

“The carp is symbolic, because it bravely fights against the current.” Koshijiro addressed Yahiko. “I also had one, when I was a boy, and like you, I dreamed of becoming a swordsman. But it is good to cherish the present. Today, we’ll celebrate your childhood.”

“Oh…thanks. At least, it’s only for a day.” Despite his bluster, he couldn’t seem to resist tapping the carp’s tail with a finger.

Himura smiled. “Is the streamer to your liking?”

“Yeah, I guess.” But his face broke into a grin. Kaoru noticed and ruffled his hair.

“Geez, be honest. This is fun!”

Yes, this had been a good idea. Watching them, Koshijiro felt content. He didn’t know it then, but this was probably the happiest they’d be for many weeks.

#rurouni kenshin #fanfic #at arm's length #kamiya koshijiro

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deltaengineering · 7 years

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spring anime 2017 part 2: girlfriendship is magic

I can’t believe Maidragon was so powerful it brought the entire 90s back.

See also:

• spring anime 2017 part 1: woke up late

• spring anime 2017 part 3: comfy and easy to wear

• spring anime 2017 bonus round: things you already knew were good

Clockwork Planet

Yes, forecasts this season predict heavy showers of magical girlfriends.This time the dude afflicted by this sudden precipitation is a clockwork nerd, who gets a clockwork gothloli dropped on him. This may be less of a coincidence than it sounds because for spurious reasons the entire planet has been replaced by clockwork – if you thought this show was mentally capable of having a metaphorical title, I have bad news. So basically this is teen schmuck + robot superweapon having fights in a city that looks like a lazy steampunk cosplayer’s top hat, in between erotic misunderstandings. I’m regretting that I called Macchiavellism’s fights bad because a couple good action cuts are already a lot to ask for, as evidenced here: It looks just terrible, and obviously the content itself is even worse. Nuh-uh.

Eromanga-sensei

I love Hiro Kanzaki’s character designs. There, I said it. I just wish they weren’t attached to bullshit like OreImo or Eromanga-sensei, which, being by the same author and all, is more or less the same thing. It’s pretty bad when the implied incest fantasy is the least revolting thing about your celebration of otaku shittery: So a schlubby light novel protagonist who also writes light novels (and who happens to be surrounded by hot bitches that just love people who write light novels because that’s so cool) finds out that the mysterious porn artist he’s collaborating with over the internet is actually his hikkikomori little sister, who reacts to this revelation like any girl would: being tsundere. This means it’s full of mildly self-deprecating nerd humor, the infuriating kind that makes it abundantly clear that if the author meant any of it, he wouldn’t write this crap. Even worse is that the sibling relationship is played for sappy family feels, which I would be more willing to give the benefit of the doubt to if this wasn’t OreImo 2: The Sequel To OreImo. And the main guy can’t keep his eyes from wandering anyway, so it’s not like there’s a mystery here. I’ll say it looks real good, obviously there’s money in the OreImo market and it’s well made as a result, plus the aforementioned character designs. But if I want more Hiro Kanzaki I’d rather watch Go! Go! 575 again.

Hinako Note

There’s actually no Manga Time Kirara adaptation this season, but worry not, Hinako Note is indistinguishable from one of those (that one being GochiUsa). So it’s Kirara at it’s most basic too: 5 girls with mild, generic quirks hang out and cute things take place. You get your shy one, you get your hungry one, you get your tiny maid one, etc. Ostensibly this is theater-themed, but as of episode 1 it’s less about theater than K-ON is about music, and that’s saying something. Now, these shows are always extremely inoffensive by design, and if they do nothing fundamentally wrong they just come across as dull. Since this does nothing fundamentally wrong, it just comes across as dull. Congratulations, Hinako Note, you pulled it off even while being born in the wrong magazine.

Kabukibu!

The easy hook when writing about Kabukibu is that it’s another DEEN show about a classic Japanese performance artform, but it’s blindingly obvious right away that Kabukibu is no Rakugo Shinjuu – it being about a school club is right in the title after all, and it has the requisite spurious punctuation too, so everything else falls into place from there. The main innovation is that this is about cute guys doing cute kabuki. As always, our main dude has to gather the five members to bring the school club back to life first. So it’s unimaginative and honestly rather bad, but I still like it. For starters there’s the bit where our lead is such a nerd that he spends every conversation clearing up common misconceptions about kabuki, which is hilarious, since it resembles weeaboo Richard Stallman wanting to interject for a second over and over again. Secondly, the comical cast of misfits does seem to have potential, with a rock singer that can’t sing, an obvious woman that is actually a woman, and so on. Overall it reminds me of Cheer Danshi, an obvious C-list production that gets by by being earnest. If I can learn to not be annoyed at the yodelling kabuki inflection, I might actually watch this for a lark.

The King’s Avatar

This may be completely outside the “Japanese cartoon” purview of this post since it’s 100% Chinese and doesn’t even have a Japanese dub like the Haoliners productions, but it’s on MAL so it counts I suppose. Also, it’s rather... good? The King’s Avatar is about a legendary MMO pro gamer who gets kicked off his team and has to give up his account, which afflicts him with a multitude of sads. After a bit of soul-searching he starts playing the game again on a new server, starting from level 1. What makes this not as bad as it sounds is that it’s not an isekai bonanza, but a sports show where the sport happens to be visually interesting, and it’s a slow and contemplative sports show at that. The whole “starting from level 1" thing is a topical twist on the sports comeback story, and it looks fairly nice too, a few bits of unfortunate CG aside (but that’s common, so whatever). Yeah, I like this, and if fansubs turn out to not be a huge hassle to get hold of I’ll give it a try.

Love Kome - We Love Rice

Back in Japan, please enjoy this short comedy about rice crop gijinka, boyband edition. It has atrocious character designs and is painfully unfunny. So nothing new there.

Re:Creators

Girlfriends keep falling in my lap, and that might mean my eyes will soon be turning red. Hey, this is the old “reverse isekai”, where some nerd gets to live with a bunch of characters from his favorite anime that inexplicably became real. Brace for domestic hijinks and fish-out-of-water comedy - and a lot of action, because this is Ei Aoki working with offbrand Fate material. He may be this show’s saving grace, because I’m willing to forgive dumb action anime a lot if it at least manages to have some actual fucking action in it. The idea that these anime characters think they’re in the “realm of the gods” (i.e., their creators, you see) also has some storytelling potential, if it doesn’t get buried under stuff blowing up and comedic trips to the konbini. And it doesn’t have a “walking in on the girl naked” scene, which probably counts as “classy” in this field. I don’t know, it sure is stupid as hell but it might be a good time. We’ll see.

Renai Boukun

Renai Boukun is a comedy’s comedy about a very silly cupid that ships people, and herself. As a real anime comedy, it is of course chock full of people acting wacky followed by reaction faces, which is my kryptonite. I do have to admit that this show at least goes all out with it, it’s fast and furious and never lets up. Some of the jokes are even okay (mostly the more absurd ones like the unsettlingly bizarre cat with a human face), though most are just repetitive, like the yandere girl being constantly jealous. Yeah, this is just totally not my thing, but if I give it any amount of praise that probably means it’s a good one?

Seikaisuru Kado

Never say that bureaucrats don’t get no respect, because this is the second season in a row where we get an anime about pencilpushers being totally awesome. The main difference between this and ACCA is that ACCA was roughly 80% style, and Seikaisuru Kado has no style. It makes up for it with conviction, because this is a show where some desk jockey assigned to wind down an electroplating business spends a night googling, with the result being him developing a new electroplating procedure that saves the company and impresses physics professors – and that is the intro before the science fiction aspect comes into play. Oh yeah, there’s a science fiction aspect. So after a job well done, Super Bureaucrat Man is taking a flight from Haneda airport when a Borg cube unceremoniously drops on the plane. The rest of the episode is spent with scientists trying to figure out what happened, mostly by shooting tank shells at the cube and so on. Guess they just aren’t bureaucratic enough, because by the end our hero emerges from the cube, having apparently come to an agreement with the proprietor. Uh. Yes, this is an extreme amount of nonsense, and I have no idea where this is supposed to be going. With the amount of military hardware on display, it makes me think “GATE, but not for total assholes”, but who knows. It looks very weird too, it’s a CG show that cuts a lot of corners by using 2D animation (I know, right?). Usually CG characters are good when you have a lot of action because it enables a fluid camera, but this has no action and they still could have done their special effects in CG like everyone else. So it ends up as an anime where the important characters look worse than the unimportant ones they couldn’t be bothered to build a CG model for. The whole thing is bizarre enough to be intriguing, but I don’t have high hopes for it, especially since the slots for shows I actually want to watch are now filling up.

Tsuki ga Kirei

Case in point: Tsuki ga Kirei is a romance about a bookish nerd dude who loves to quote Dazai at his most morose, and a neurotic girl. Needless to say, it is very awkward, but also kind of cute. This may seem like a slim synopsis, but that’s pretty much it: Tsuki ga Kirei is the sort of show that has the potential to be great if it pays off, but just becomes boring to infuriating Mari Okada clone #3879435 if it doesn’t. So it’s a risky proposition, and not one you can call based on the first episode. On the execution level it seems to do it right so far, it’s well directed, sticks to its slow, sensitive tone and looks pleasant and detailed – the only distracting thing are regrettable and robotic CG background characters all over the place. Overall, this is a show that demands at least three episodes, which it will get from me. Ask again later.

Twin Angel BREAK

Finally, if you’re looking for some basic-ass mahou shoujo shit, here’s the new Twin Angel spinoff. It’s indeed some basic-ass mahou shoujo shit (two-girl team aka PreCure version). The genki red one and the reserved blue one go around fighting evil by the moonlight or whatever, while being cheered on by their one-gimmick-each friends. I somehow doubt this thing is setting itself up for a subversion of any kind, so yeah. What you see is what you get. The only memorable thing is that the action is more than merely bad here, it’s comically bad. Seriously, it’s somewhere between Astro Fighter Sunred and Ninja Slayer. Too bad the rest of the show is just unambitiously competent, so watching it for production pratfalls seems like it’s not worth it either.

#anime #impressions #spring2017 #Clockwork Planet #eromanga-sensei #hinako note #kabukibu #the king's avatar #love kome #re:creators #renai boukun #seikaisuru kado #tsuki ga kirei #twin angel break

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jacquesgoddu · 4 years

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WSB-TV's Channel-2 Action News Nightbeat May 22 1994

[Music] watched by more people than any other network ABC now coverage you can count on channel 2 Action News Nightbeat Judy Cal firefighters are heard when parts of a burning home and fall on them one of them had to be taken to the hospital I’m a dangerous job of a firefighter is our top story I’m and I’d be good evening I’m Sandra Bookman and I’m John Austin one firefighter suffered a severe burn on his hand and the other one had some cuts it happened while they were trying to put out a house fire on topwe place in two cab County friends tried to comfort the woman who was in the home when it started to burn all the occupants were out of the house at the time there was a elderly woman home at the time of the fire but she got out okay but all of the firefighters did not after flames had eaten away at the Attic – DeKalb County firefighters ran into some trouble during the course of the fire we had some hot materials fall down and cause some second possibly second third-degree burns with one of our firefighters and then we had another one sustained some minor lacerations no names released tonight the firefighter with the burned hand was taken to Grady Hospital the cause of that fire is unknown there were some frightening moments on board a Delta flight from Chattanooga to Atlanta today smoke was spotted coming from an engine on Delta flight 1021 as it was landing just after noon the plane touched down safely and everyone made it down the emergency chute all right Delta crews could not find any sign of a fire tonight police in Carrollton say they’re getting closer to an arrest in the murder of an eight-year-old girl Shea Hills body was found last November inside a sewer pipe in Carroll County she had died from a blow to the head police say they’ve narrowed the list of suspects but don’t have enough evidence to make an arrest just yet they’re waiting test results from the FBI crime lab in Washington six boys ranging in age from 11 to 14 will be in court this week they are charged with raping a nine-year-old girl in Griffin last week it’s a case that has traumatized and shocked with her residents on the Nightbeat channel twos Jonathan Serrie talked to people who live in the child’s neighborhood I’m not gonna have these mothers live right behind the woods where the nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped not knowing my daughter and my son around her plant I’m not gonna know I know what’s going on police say the girl was picking berries just before the alleged attack what shocks many residents is that the six boys accused of raping her are all neighborhood kids and all under the age of 15 I wish I lived somewhere else because I think that it makes a lot of people look bad police frequently patrol the streets of this neighborhood and a barbed-wire fence keeps children off the nearby golf course some residents say there’s just not enough for kids to do in this neighborhood over here this used to be a softball diamond now it’s falling into serious disrepair we got a commercial center Bank going over here it’s almost by the kids tee box streets and stuff you know but that’s about it I don’t know what else I can do but yeah I work at night with these mothers say parents need to keep a closer eye on their children if they want to prevent what allegedly happened here last week from happening again Griffin police are also looking for solutions on Tuesday they plan to launch a new program in which officers will patrol the streets on bicycle they say this will give police a better understanding of the communities they serve and the special problems residents face in Griffin Jonathan Serrie channel 2 Action News well did say the victim is home from the hospital and is in good health but she is undergoing counseling for emotional stress a couple in the East Point will be in court tomorrow charged with abusing their own twin daughters Timothy Harris and Trina Godwin are in the East Point jail tonight unable to post a fifty thousand dollar bond police say the three year old girls were abused so severely they have fractures in their spines and shoulders doctors found the injuries after x-raying the two little girls do you want to see how some of your tax dollars are being wasted coming up tomorrow in Action News at six Tom Regan goes undercover and finds Atlanta public works crews drinking on the job it’s a special assignment report money for nothing tomorrow on Action News at six Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is expected to face a full house when he speaks to a men-only crowd tomorrow here in Atlanta Farrakhan is on a tour that has so far taken him to six other major cities he has long been criticized by Jewish groups and others for making anti-semitic statements recently one of Farrakhan’s top aides was denounced for similar remarks in other cities women’s groups have protested the all-male gathering there are a lot of new college graduates in Atlanta tonight they’ll be looking for jobs tomorrow more than 400 Spellman college women graduated during ceremonies at the Georgia Dome today Coretta Scott King Health and Human Services Secretary Donna shillelagh Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun and award-winning poet Sonia Sanchez addressed the graduates more than 200 students graduated from nearby Morris Brown College actress Felicia Rashad delivered the keynote address and received an honorary Doctorate from Morris Brown Wow just across the Atlanta University campus at Morehouse College almost 500 men graduated the school’s famous alumni include dr.

Martin Luther King jr.

former Health and Human Services Secretary dr.

Lewis Sullivan and director Spike Lee 108 year-old Margaret Rose Campbell will be a special guest at tomorrow’s Clark Atlanta University graduation ceremony she’s the oldest living Clark graduate and got her education degree in 1914 more than 800 clark atlanta students will get their diplomas at the georgia dome tomorrow morning Alexis Herman an assistant to President Clinton will deliver the keynote address well the Braves and the Hawks and the Falcons have not been able to do it but tonight the Atlanta Knights hockey team did their best to bring a championship home sue is here with more on tonight’s game in Fort Wayne yeah I’m so glad you guys didn’t say graduating the sports now normally when you go down to the army this time of the year just to see skating it’s goofy and Mickey and Daffy and disney on ice and sometimes it gets goofy with pro hockey but the Knights are gonna come home Wednesday to try to wrap up the Turner Cup because they lose to Fort Wayne tonight 5 to 3 they are still up in the series 3 games to 2 let me take you down to Fort Wayne and show you how this happened one of the spectacular goals of the game was made by the Knights own Stan Julia going down he puts it in it was 2 to nothing and it looked like the Knights would indeed win that Turner Cup but it was not to be Dan left beer will put in the book he’ll get it night passing stick handling it is up it is good 5 3 game 6 again on today we’ll have much more coming up in sports and that thing called sports bottle they’re gonna do it all right I’m sure they will okay home ice thanks Jim all right still ahead on the Action News Nightbeat the family and friends of jackie onassis gather for a memorial service on the eve of her funeral and a massive fire breaks out after a collision at sea those stories are next on the Nightbeat live on channel 2 Action News I think Isaac is about to explode get ready Georgia the spirits gonna move yeah you can feel something you know mean for Newlands in Nashville this is Libby Aoki and went to GE gospel music’s hit the big time now Monica Kaufman shows you the old stuff the new stuff and everything in between this good news is gospel put your hands together for a hot southern gospel tomorrow at 5:00 on channel 2 Action News you can count on an artist carves a sculpture from one piece of stone creating a thing of beauty that lasts for centuries with the j30 infinity set out to create a luxury car that seems formed from one piece of steel with fewer joints to flex overtime it helps maintain a feeling with solid stable and quiet visit your Infiniti showroom and see how practical art can be this Saturday Sunday and Monday roads furniture is having a gigantic three-day sale and if you shop right now you’ll make no payments and pay no interest for a full year that’s right twelve months with no payments whatsoever and no interest it’s like getting free furniture for three hundred and sixty-five days come in anytime Saturday through Monday and save big on hundreds of items in every department during roads huge three-day sale it’s all because Erwin says so but you’d better hurry in because after this Monday it’s over [Applause] if you’re looking for a way to get from here to them that eclipses all other forms of transportation look at this the Mitsubishi Eclipse now you can buy a 94 eclipse for 159 a month any 94 books and get back free cash back the from Mitsubishi the new thinking in automobiles a memorial service was held tonight for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis the service was held inside the former First Lady’s New York City apartment her children John F Kennedy jr.

and Caroline Kennedy Strasburg attended along with many of her friends and relatives outside the building hundreds of people gathered when they spotted John F Kennedy jr.

entering the building that chanted we love Jackie workers spent the day making preparations for tomorrow’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery the former first lady will be buried next to her late husband President John F Kennedy their son Patrick and a daughter who was stillborn a funeral mass will be held tomorrow morning at 10:00 at San ignatius of loyola Roman Catholic Church in New York City and the burial will be tomorrow afternoon at Arlington both of those services are private our worldview begins tonight in Rome where pope john paul ii continues to recover from surgery last month today the Pope made his first appearance in surgery with a for a broken leg three weeks ago the pontiff told the crowd outside his hospital room that he’s ready to leave he was scheduled to leave the hospital last Friday but doctors say they want the Pope to stay a few more days the United Nations trade embargo against Haiti went into effect today the UN is trying to force the Haitian military leaders to allow President John Bertrand aresty to return to power meanwhile smugglers are making big money bringing fuel into Haiti from neighboring Dominican Republic gasoline that sells for a dollar 60 a gallon and the Dominican Republic is being sold for eight dollars in Haiti a collision between an oil freighter and a cargo ship in South China has resulted in a massive fire at least two people were killed in the explosion and eight million dollars of oil burned in the blaze which took six hours to extinguish everyone who’s anyone in the high-tech world of computers will be in Atlanta this week coming up next on the Nightbeat a preview of the massive Comdex computer show [Music] I’m Monica Kaufmann come me Gospels award-winning brothers sister duo bebe and CeCe Winans that’s Monday at 5:00 [Music] Monday tomorrow at 6:00 on channel 2 Action News a shocking undercover investigation city county and state road crews working hard or hardly working for five weeks our cameras recorded laziness time wasting and drinking on the job why should you care because it’s your tax money being wasted betrayal of the public trust don’t miss Tom Regan’s eye-opening special assignment money for nothing tomorrow at 6:00 on channel 2 Action News coverage you can count on with 20 improvements the 1994 Lexus ES now has a lot more in common with the Lexus LS like new Lear bags a multi-adjustable passenger seat of the Windham engine technology and an electronically controlled transmission with intelligence and you’ll find and than the pricing reflects some of our best thinking but now a Lexus analysis it’s lunchtime in America and all across this great land that half-hour time clock is ticking so consider the lunch buffet at your neighborhood Pizza Hut for the minute you walk through the door you can load up on all the freshly made pizza salad and pasta you can eat for just 399 and then actually sit down and enjoy your lunch back to lunch grossman instead of bringing it back to work with you al you days are going on now at your local Buick dealer for a limited time get Buick LeSabre with dual airbags anti-lock brakes power everything in more for just 1995 or get the value of the century Buick Century now just forty nine ninety five Buick value days won’t last long see your Buick dealer today [Music] subway sandwiches and salads are family-to-family sponsor invites you to get on your motorcycle and join the fight against brain tumors in the ride for kids it’s Sunday June 5th from perimeter mall to helen georgia call one eight hundred 676 and windows world computer show this week bender spent the day setting up booths and displays at the Georgia World Congress Center the show will feature hundreds of new software packages and the latest in personal computer hardware eleven hundred companies including IBM Lotus Apple and Microsoft will be showing off their products and Microsoft founder Bill Gates will deliver the keynote address tomorrow these days a personal computer and a modem can connect you with millions of other computer users in a collection of computer networks popularly known as cyberspace and it’s more and more computer users go online advertisers are discovering a brand new market but as a reported mark Carter explains advertising in cyberspace hasn’t quite caught on with users yet a short time ago in a place that doesn’t really exist in cyberspace there was an ad seen around the world and it touched off a battle that will have repercussions well into the future we’ve been immigration lawyers and we’re always looking for a way to market our immigration services to married lawyers from Arizona fired the first volley in the war over online advertising sending an ad that millions of Internet users were forced to see it seemed like an ideal targeted resource to advertise immigration plus it’s a very economical way to reach 30 million people we got twenty thousand positive responses from people who were interested in our information that’s something the old-timers on the net would rather you not know what the couple also got was flame that’s computer ease for angry faxes and being bombarded with electronic threats messages and information that literally shuts your system down they also got kicked off their local system if advertising comes to cyberspace it won’t come without a battle the Joe Boxer company made a less controversial foray into online advertising vigil premise was we wanted to tear your funny underwear stories you know tell us you know whatever you want about your underwear just let us know we’ve had you know thousands of responses so far all the packaging for underwear carries our internet address just like any other company would have a company address advertising online is an entirely new some electronic bulletin boards already carry short messages to targeted groups but not to millions of users electronic insiders say it’s a matter of taste netiquette which means computer internet etiquette well Joe Boxer is doing it in a way that that there are short discreet announcements of things and if you want to find out more about it he tells you how to do it if the revolution in cyberspace is about moving more information to more places that flow may inevitably include the messages that sometimes annoy from your friendly futuristic advertiser mark Carter CNN San Francisco Joe Boxer huh the music and crafts and sculptures from around the world were celebrated in Atlanta today still ahead on the Nightbeat the International celebration at the King Center and after a few days of temperatures in the 70s that came doing in today with a high of 84 that’s just the beginning I’ll have your five-day forecast but your GMC truck dealers present the end Sonoma right now Sonoma has all these features at this low MSRP amazing even more amazing just about $1000 can turn this into this the Sonoma Club Coupe extended cab with extra room at this amazing low MSRP Sonoma for Sonoma Club could grab one now before they disappear see your Atlanta area GMC truck dealer [Music] I have no person I’m gonna be in Atlanta really on June 6 to premiere my latest movie city slickers 2 The Legend of Curly’s go you want to come you can you know and you should proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to a special fund for programs in Atlanta project neighborhoods now I’m gonna be there at the Fox Theater with Jack Palance and the rest of the cast except for Norman so join us and help the Atlanta project for information about tickets called 249 6400 they say it’s a small world hi there maybe that’s why we enjoy dancing at your favorite watering hole or playing the newest games from the Georgia Lottery just scratching it could be a big winner so as you go through life you gotta stop and well you know enjoy the instant games from the Georgia lottery but be careful winning could give you a big head looking for a little friendly competition compare the Mazda Protege with a toyota corolla DX the Protege has all this plus 14, 000 miles more basic warranty coverage but costs almost twelve hundred dollars less than Corolla and now get twelve hundred dollars cash back for Mazda plus air or automatic at no extra charge we make the exceptional affordable at your Greater Atlanta Mazda dealer now David hit that yeah try that again David Channel is here to start your week cyberspace yeah continuation of what happened today that’s plenty of sunshine very warm temperatures low humidity though that’s gonna be the key the next couple of days gonna be fairly dry out there it will bill up the moisture and then we’ll build up the thunderstorms we’re good to all that momentarily outside we are looking at clear skies tonight and temperatures not all that bad we’re in the upper 60s right now humidity at 63% it tends to climb at night is the temperature falls winds out of the West at 8 and the barometer is rising for high today 80 for the low this morning 52 three degrees below normal nowhere near the record high nor the record low they’re safe for another year and no rain your readings around North Georgia this evening still fairly mild pair of 72 in Lawrenceville in Roswell 66 in jasper 71 in Marietta 72 back here in Carrollton 75 then Noonan and in Griffin and 70 degrees in Athens 3d weather vision we’re going to search of a thunderstorms will be standing in the Pacific Ocean right now looking to the east and not a whole lot going on out west across the Rocky Mountain States we do have some major league thunderstorms going on across the desert Southwest you get into New Mexico the Texas Panhandle Oklahoma Panhandle look at the size of these storms going right up the Front Range of the Rockies and some of these storms had hail they had a couple tornadoes spotted up in North Dakota they also had copious amounts of rainfall in a short period of time but that was about it as far as precip is concerned they back out out over the mid-mississippi Valley and down into the deep south not a cloud to be found area of high pressure sprawled over the eastern half of the country and will keep things fairly clear seeing in a high pressure system only to flow like a clock but the air is also descending so it’s compressing and therefore not rising and condensing and forming any clouds so we’re gonna have clear skies here for the next 48 hours or so temperatures right now very very mild all the way up to the Canadian border we saw temperatures up in Michigan near 90 degrees this afternoon it’s 78 now in st.

Louis so you see it’s very warm over the eastern half of the country and that’s gonna continue through tomorrow there’s our high right now remember that old low that brought us the surprise showers yesterday well it’s now out over the middle Atlantic region and moving all that way and spread the showers up to the New England states by this time tomorrow and for us all day tomorrow but sunshine and temperatures are gonna be well into the 80s if not approaching 90 degrees down in Central and South Georgia 80s are gonna stay with us for the next a little bit here’s your forecast for tonight how about clear skies a very quiet night overnight low temperature by tomorrow morning in the upper 50s and then for tomorrow sunny and warm with a high of 86 your next 5 days we’ve build up some moisture a few clouds in here by Wednesday maybe a high near 90 and then the 80s will stick around when the thunderstorms roll in come Thursday and Friday but Monday and Tuesday you’re gonna feel just grand if you ever wondered what it felt like to live in Phoenix or Denver this is what its gonna be like it’s gonna be in the 80s but very very dry I like that H feet of snow no no thanks David coming up next in sports the Knights fall in Fort Wayne’s with the Turner Cup championship series isn’t over yet and the Braves conquer the Rockies once again Stu is up next with scores and highlights that could be bye-bye if you’ve been thinking about playing the market this year you want to take advantage of the stock sale now when your Jeep and Eagle dealers buy or lease a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and save up to $1, 200 or buy or lease a new eagle vision get a great return on jeep cherokee sport with air in no charge or close on a legendary Jeep Wrangler but don’t delay with deals like these they’re sure to be a run on our stock see your local Jeep and eagle dealer hey Andy food markets have the savings power to give you shopping when away [Music] get 5 pounds more at 100% pure fresh ground beef at the unbeatable hot price of 97 cents a pound young and tender fresh fryer breasts quarters 97 cents a pound and medium pork spareribs also 97 cents a pound this is the Georgia Lottery cash three update I’m Carol Blackman and today’s cash three numbers are three three and nine and lottery players won more than four hundred three thousand dollars join us for the next cast redrawing tomorrow night at six fifty nine dear Carl no matter what kind of car you have no matter what kind of budget yeah chances are we have your buster whether you choose one is guaranteed for as long as you’ve owned your car or our low-cost economizer so for the biggest choice of mufflers and a wide choice of prices there’s really only one choice Midas the Ford f-150 you clean up good [Music] attractive works this hard deserves a little time to play whether it’s hauling a payload by day or precious cargo by night count of the f-150 to do it with style plus the uplands it becomes a split bench seating at a driver side airbag standard now fired the big Ford f-150 for just $1.

99 a month only from your Atlanta area ford dealer the front door this portion of channel 2 action news is brought to you by Chrysler Jeep Andy : I’ve had a tough time tonight but that’s okay cuz they’ll come home then come change 6 & 7 or here and home ice makes a big difference yep thank you very much again from Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky face here tonight you had the Knights coming out looking like they we’re gonna blow out the comet then they looked like they were skating on a Slurpee they slowed down they lose 5 to 3 so the series goes 3 – the Knights are still up in floor by a game let me take you to Fort Wayne and show you how it happened it looked good very early Steve LaRouche gets the pass and jagged rock out in front does not get much better than that it is 2 to nothing those Knights are up with the second period the Comets scored for that is Kelly heard with the goal it was for the two knights tried to make it a game they came back the other night they did not come back tonight Jason rough with the goal made at 4 to 3 but the empty never made it 5 to 3 game 6 at the Omni it will happen on Wednesday it’s true the Braves have now become the winningest major league team in Denver that includes two rocky are you believing these guys for the 16th straight time they beat Colorado the photo was 8 to 3 I want to take you back to this morning the action for you from Denver started early just kept coming that is 10, 000 Givi is starting to swing with that two run homer it was greeting up in brains out with plenty for Greg Maddux but David gentleman said on the add one the opposite way he goes in that light air it is clearing it is carrying it is gone the home of the David Justice in the sixth Greg Maddux nine strikeouts faces one of the six hits another strikeout Greg goes to 7 & 2 Greg McMichael in to finish it off what the same three Braves a winner they rock tomorrow Tuesday with Houston just over the American League we will go the Rangers against Khmer news this is Luis Soho with the Soho home run it is out of there it is carrying it is gone Seattle in a very bad al wept is in contention who is it then the play of the night defensively he rusty Grier with the hit Jose Canseco can score but will Clark now with the best wheels he is out of there in a collision it hurts to walk Seattle over Texas tonight eight to two scoreboard looks like this will run them all down for you it is Philadelphia beating Pete Smith and the Mets it is Montreal over Pittsburgh all right Dave with a copper over there all right it is st.

Louis beating Florida 10 to 9 I care about my co-anchors Los Angeles over Cincinnati it is San Diego beating Houston 76 Chicago over San Francisco in 11 American League Cleveland shuts out Toronto is Detroit over Milwaukee you’ll see that one on sports final Baltimore over New York in tentative Kansas City shutting out the Angels four to nothing and Chicago over Oakland five to two you could tell the Knicks had a tough game today with the Bulls Pat Riley actually had to gel his hair during timeouts to keep it in place the game went to seven games the Knicks beat him in Game seven so the Bulls will not get a fourth title in a row 87 is 77 the final for this one we will take it a Madison Square Garden it was a great game it was physical it was fun Scottie Pippen will turn and swirl and get it to Pete Myers and I’ll tell you what the Bulls gave him all they wanted this 17 trying to steal it in New York City Patrick Ewing had 18 points 18 points all in the second half he was the different Scottie said come on I don’t care for my book playing baseball I’m jam and I have 20 points but it was Patrick Ewing off the board into the three-pointer Knicks over the Bulls 87 277 Patriots against the Knicks in Madison one game one on Tuesday you’ll hear from Patrick Ewing coming up on sports bottle your field is set for the Indy 500 it would take a jet to qualify now final day of qualifying we’ll take it Indianapolis and show you what happened it was a fun day but not to Scott Goodman who was the man on the bubble and worrying about if someone would beat him now this is coming up to spool o'clock here it is not a hundred and thirty one miles an hour it’s 130 degrees on the track Marco Greco right here is the last man to qualify for the Indy 500 knocking out Scott Goodyear Marco Greco had some happy people in his pits Tom Lehman will tell you there are time for the PGA Tour this year he could have used the Heimlich maneuver a slight bit of choking but today he does not choke as a matter of fact he was pretty good under pressure wins by five shots over Greg Norman that’s not bad 270 granny one for Dublin we will go not doubling overseas with double in Ohio for the shot of the day Jeff Maggert on the 14th for Eagle it’s a simple one about five or six on it will go up or they go down it will go in yeah that’s Jack Nicklaus this course who doesn’t like it played that well it is Lehman for birdie on the 12th even his first win determination has done it for that man take a look at the senior NFL classic determination for Ray Floyd has kept him at the top of his game on 18 behind the tree please tell me how he did it because I would love to try it normally I hit the trunk and the tree is dead within a month here it goes off the green he had to get up and down in to to win it Ray Floyd has done it many times and he did it today winning a hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars that is a late look at sports we hope you join us in a couple of minutes maybe two or three four sports final coming up he needs the money to is it really so bad for me Ray Floyd charity we should start sending in okay from foods music clothing highlights of cultures from around the world we’re on display today in Atlanta the festivities at the King Center are coming up next of the night [Music] and Tamra heels are just as high now you can leave Camry for just 249 a month at least a two-door or four-door with dual airbags automatic transmission air conditioning an FM consent power steering cruise control power windows locks and more car built in the US do you like it hot your Toyota dealer to spot deals like this [Music] I have notice I’m gonna be in Atlanta really on June 6 to premiere my latest movie city slickers 2 The Legend of Curly’s go you want to come you can you know and you should proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to a special fund for programs in Atlanta project neighborhoods now I’m gonna be there at the Fox Theater with Jack Palance and the rest of the cast except for Norman so join us and help the Atlanta project for information about tickets called 2 for 9 6400 [Music] so my son asked me if there’ll be any trees left when he grows up he’s thinking about it just like everybody we’re working for georgia-pacific like I do I can tell him we’re doing our part planting new trees by the millions setting aside land they consider the forest will always be here for everybody I can’t speak for other companies out there but in Church of Pacific we’re doing what needs to be done maybe no accident why we bought the Buick LeSabre jewelle airbags anti-lock brakes child safety locks and the price was safely within our budget there were huge crowds at the King Center this weekend for King fest international 94 the festival features views at crafts clothing and food from cultures around the world thousands of people attended the two-day event organizers say King Fest is a part of dr.

Martin Luther King jr.

dream of people of all races living together in peace that’s it for tonight thanks for counting on the Action News Nightbeat don’t forget our first news tomorrow Action News this morning at 6:00 a.

have a good week what smile [Music] tomorrow at 6:00 on channel 2 Action News a shocking undercover investigation.

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belisardacoudert · 4 years

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WSB-TV's Channel-2 Action News Nightbeat May 22 1994

[Music] watched by more people than any other network ABC now coverage you can count on channel 2 Action News Nightbeat Judy Cal firefighters are heard when parts of a burning home and fall on them one of them had to be taken to the hospital I'm a dangerous job of a firefighter is our top story I'm and I'd be good evening I'm Sandra Bookman and I'm John Austin one firefighter suffered a severe burn on his hand and the other one had some cuts it happened while they were trying to put out a house fire on topwe place in two cab County friends tried to comfort the woman who was in the home when it started to burn all the occupants were out of the house at the time there was a elderly woman home at the time of the fire but she got out okay but all of the firefighters did not after flames had eaten away at the Attic – DeKalb County firefighters ran into some trouble during the course of the fire we had some hot materials fall down and cause some second possibly second third-degree burns with one of our firefighters and then we had another one sustained some minor lacerations no names released tonight the firefighter with the burned hand was taken to Grady Hospital the cause of that fire is unknown there were some frightening moments on board a Delta flight from Chattanooga to Atlanta today smoke was spotted coming from an engine on Delta flight 1021 as it was landing just after noon the plane touched down safely and everyone made it down the emergency chute all right Delta crews could not find any sign of a fire tonight police in Carrollton say they're getting closer to an arrest in the murder of an eight-year-old girl Shea Hills body was found last November inside a sewer pipe in Carroll County she had died from a blow to the head police say they've narrowed the list of suspects but don't have enough evidence to make an arrest just yet they're waiting test results from the FBI crime lab in Washington six boys ranging in age from 11 to 14 will be in court this week they are charged with raping a nine-year-old girl in Griffin last week it's a case that has traumatized and shocked with her residents on the Nightbeat channel twos Jonathan Serrie talked to people who live in the child's neighborhood I'm not gonna have these mothers live right behind the woods where the nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped not knowing my daughter and my son around her plant I'm not gonna know I know what's going on police say the girl was picking berries just before the alleged attack what shocks many residents is that the six boys accused of raping her are all neighborhood kids and all under the age of 15 I wish I lived somewhere else because I think that it makes a lot of people look bad police frequently patrol the streets of this neighborhood and a barbed-wire fence keeps children off the nearby golf course some residents say there's just not enough for kids to do in this neighborhood over here this used to be a softball diamond now it's falling into serious disrepair we got a commercial center Bank going over here it's almost by the kids tee box streets and stuff you know but that's about it I don't know what else I can do but yeah I work at night with these mothers say parents need to keep a closer eye on their children if they want to prevent what allegedly happened here last week from happening again Griffin police are also looking for solutions on Tuesday they plan to launch a new program in which officers will patrol the streets on bicycle they say this will give police a better understanding of the communities they serve and the special problems residents face in Griffin Jonathan Serrie channel 2 Action News well did say the victim is home from the hospital and is in good health but she is undergoing counseling for emotional stress a couple in the East Point will be in court tomorrow charged with abusing their own twin daughters Timothy Harris and Trina Godwin are in the East Point jail tonight unable to post a fifty thousand dollar bond police say the three year old girls were abused so severely they have fractures in their spines and shoulders doctors found the injuries after x-raying the two little girls do you want to see how some of your tax dollars are being wasted coming up tomorrow in Action News at six Tom Regan goes undercover and finds Atlanta public works crews drinking on the job it's a special assignment report money for nothing tomorrow on Action News at six Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is expected to face a full house when he speaks to a men-only crowd tomorrow here in Atlanta Farrakhan is on a tour that has so far taken him to six other major cities he has long been criticized by Jewish groups and others for making anti-semitic statements recently one of Farrakhan's top aides was denounced for similar remarks in other cities women's groups have protested the all-male gathering there are a lot of new college graduates in Atlanta tonight they'll be looking for jobs tomorrow more than 400 Spellman college women graduated during ceremonies at the Georgia Dome today Coretta Scott King Health and Human Services Secretary Donna shillelagh Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun and award-winning poet Sonia Sanchez addressed the graduates more than 200 students graduated from nearby Morris Brown College actress Felicia Rashad delivered the keynote address and received an honorary Doctorate from Morris Brown Wow just across the Atlanta University campus at Morehouse College almost 500 men graduated the school's famous alumni include dr.

Martin Luther King jr.

former Health and Human Services Secretary dr.

Lewis Sullivan and director Spike Lee 108 year-old Margaret Rose Campbell will be a special guest at tomorrow's Clark Atlanta University graduation ceremony she's the oldest living Clark graduate and got her education degree in 1914 more than 800 clark atlanta students will get their diplomas at the georgia dome tomorrow morning Alexis Herman an assistant to President Clinton will deliver the keynote address well the Braves and the Hawks and the Falcons have not been able to do it but tonight the Atlanta Knights hockey team did their best to bring a championship home sue is here with more on tonight's game in Fort Wayne yeah I'm so glad you guys didn't say graduating the sports now normally when you go down to the army this time of the year just to see skating it's goofy and Mickey and Daffy and disney on ice and sometimes it gets goofy with pro hockey but the Knights are gonna come home Wednesday to try to wrap up the Turner Cup because they lose to Fort Wayne tonight 5 to 3 they are still up in the series 3 games to 2 let me take you down to Fort Wayne and show you how this happened one of the spectacular goals of the game was made by the Knights own Stan Julia going down he puts it in it was 2 to nothing and it looked like the Knights would indeed win that Turner Cup but it was not to be Dan left beer will put in the book he'll get it night passing stick handling it is up it is good 5 3 game 6 again on today we'll have much more coming up in sports and that thing called sports bottle they're gonna do it all right I'm sure they will okay home ice thanks Jim all right still ahead on the Action News Nightbeat the family and friends of jackie onassis gather for a memorial service on the eve of her funeral and a massive fire breaks out after a collision at sea those stories are next on the Nightbeat live on channel 2 Action News I think Isaac is about to explode get ready Georgia the spirits gonna move yeah you can feel something you know mean for Newlands in Nashville this is Libby Aoki and went to GE gospel music's hit the big time now Monica Kaufman shows you the old stuff the new stuff and everything in between this good news is gospel put your hands together for a hot southern gospel tomorrow at 5:00 on channel 2 Action News you can count on an artist carves a sculpture from one piece of stone creating a thing of beauty that lasts for centuries with the j30 infinity set out to create a luxury car that seems formed from one piece of steel with fewer joints to flex overtime it helps maintain a feeling with solid stable and quiet visit your Infiniti showroom and see how practical art can be this Saturday Sunday and Monday roads furniture is having a gigantic three-day sale and if you shop right now you'll make no payments and pay no interest for a full year that's right twelve months with no payments whatsoever and no interest it's like getting free furniture for three hundred and sixty-five days come in anytime Saturday through Monday and save big on hundreds of items in every department during roads huge three-day sale it's all because Erwin says so but you'd better hurry in because after this Monday it's over [Applause] if you're looking for a way to get from here to them that eclipses all other forms of transportation look at this the Mitsubishi Eclipse now you can buy a 94 eclipse for 159 a month any 94 books and get back free cash back the from Mitsubishi the new thinking in automobiles a memorial service was held tonight for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis the service was held inside the former First Lady's New York City apartment her children John F Kennedy jr.

and Caroline Kennedy Strasburg attended along with many of her friends and relatives outside the building hundreds of people gathered when they spotted John F Kennedy jr.

entering the building that chanted we love Jackie workers spent the day making preparations for tomorrow's burial at Arlington National Cemetery the former first lady will be buried next to her late husband President John F Kennedy their son Patrick and a daughter who was stillborn a funeral mass will be held tomorrow morning at 10:00 at San ignatius of loyola Roman Catholic Church in New York City and the burial will be tomorrow afternoon at Arlington both of those services are private our worldview begins tonight in Rome where pope john paul ii continues to recover from surgery last month today the Pope made his first appearance in surgery with a for a broken leg three weeks ago the pontiff told the crowd outside his hospital room that he's ready to leave he was scheduled to leave the hospital last Friday but doctors say they want the Pope to stay a few more days the United Nations trade embargo against Haiti went into effect today the UN is trying to force the Haitian military leaders to allow President John Bertrand aresty to return to power meanwhile smugglers are making big money bringing fuel into Haiti from neighboring Dominican Republic gasoline that sells for a dollar 60 a gallon and the Dominican Republic is being sold for eight dollars in Haiti a collision between an oil freighter and a cargo ship in South China has resulted in a massive fire at least two people were killed in the explosion and eight million dollars of oil burned in the blaze which took six hours to extinguish everyone who's anyone in the high-tech world of computers will be in Atlanta this week coming up next on the Nightbeat a preview of the massive Comdex computer show [Music] I'm Monica Kaufmann come me Gospels award-winning brothers sister duo bebe and CeCe Winans that's Monday at 5:00 [Music] Monday tomorrow at 6:00 on channel 2 Action News a shocking undercover investigation city county and state road crews working hard or hardly working for five weeks our cameras recorded laziness time wasting and drinking on the job why should you care because it's your tax money being wasted betrayal of the public trust don't miss Tom Regan's eye-opening special assignment money for nothing tomorrow at 6:00 on channel 2 Action News coverage you can count on with 20 improvements the 1994 Lexus ES now has a lot more in common with the Lexus LS like new Lear bags a multi-adjustable passenger seat of the Windham engine technology and an electronically controlled transmission with intelligence and you'll find and than the pricing reflects some of our best thinking but now a Lexus analysis it's lunchtime in America and all across this great land that half-hour time clock is ticking so consider the lunch buffet at your neighborhood Pizza Hut for the minute you walk through the door you can load up on all the freshly made pizza salad and pasta you can eat for just 399 and then actually sit down and enjoy your lunch back to lunch grossman instead of bringing it back to work with you al you days are going on now at your local Buick dealer for a limited time get Buick LeSabre with dual airbags anti-lock brakes power everything in more for just 1995 or get the value of the century Buick Century now just forty nine ninety five Buick value days won't last long see your Buick dealer today [Music] subway sandwiches and salads are family-to-family sponsor invites you to get on your motorcycle and join the fight against brain tumors in the ride for kids it's Sunday June 5th from perimeter mall to helen georgia call one eight hundred 676 and windows world computer show this week bender spent the day setting up booths and displays at the Georgia World Congress Center the show will feature hundreds of new software packages and the latest in personal computer hardware eleven hundred companies including IBM Lotus Apple and Microsoft will be showing off their products and Microsoft founder Bill Gates will deliver the keynote address tomorrow these days a personal computer and a modem can connect you with millions of other computer users in a collection of computer networks popularly known as cyberspace and it's more and more computer users go online advertisers are discovering a brand new market but as a reported mark Carter explains advertising in cyberspace hasn't quite caught on with users yet a short time ago in a place that doesn't really exist in cyberspace there was an ad seen around the world and it touched off a battle that will have repercussions well into the future we've been immigration lawyers and we're always looking for a way to market our immigration services to married lawyers from Arizona fired the first volley in the war over online advertising sending an ad that millions of Internet users were forced to see it seemed like an ideal targeted resource to advertise immigration plus it's a very economical way to reach 30 million people we got twenty thousand positive responses from people who were interested in our information that's something the old-timers on the net would rather you not know what the couple also got was flame that's computer ease for angry faxes and being bombarded with electronic threats messages and information that literally shuts your system down they also got kicked off their local system if advertising comes to cyberspace it won't come without a battle the Joe Boxer company made a less controversial foray into online advertising vigil premise was we wanted to tear your funny underwear stories you know tell us you know whatever you want about your underwear just let us know we've had you know thousands of responses so far all the packaging for underwear carries our internet address just like any other company would have a company address advertising online is an entirely new some electronic bulletin boards already carry short messages to targeted groups but not to millions of users electronic insiders say it's a matter of taste netiquette which means computer internet etiquette well Joe Boxer is doing it in a way that that there are short discreet announcements of things and if you want to find out more about it he tells you how to do it if the revolution in cyberspace is about moving more information to more places that flow may inevitably include the messages that sometimes annoy from your friendly futuristic advertiser mark Carter CNN San Francisco Joe Boxer huh the music and crafts and sculptures from around the world were celebrated in Atlanta today still ahead on the Nightbeat the International celebration at the King Center and after a few days of temperatures in the 70s that came doing in today with a high of 84 that's just the beginning I'll have your five-day forecast but your GMC truck dealers present the end Sonoma right now Sonoma has all these features at this low MSRP amazing even more amazing just about $1000 can turn this into this the Sonoma Club Coupe extended cab with extra room at this amazing low MSRP Sonoma for Sonoma Club could grab one now before they disappear see your Atlanta area GMC truck dealer [Music] I have no person I'm gonna be in Atlanta really on June 6 to premiere my latest movie city slickers 2 The Legend of Curly's go you want to come you can you know and you should proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to a special fund for programs in Atlanta project neighborhoods now I'm gonna be there at the Fox Theater with Jack Palance and the rest of the cast except for Norman so join us and help the Atlanta project for information about tickets called 249 6400 they say it's a small world hi there maybe that's why we enjoy dancing at your favorite watering hole or playing the newest games from the Georgia Lottery just scratching it could be a big winner so as you go through life you gotta stop and well you know enjoy the instant games from the Georgia lottery but be careful winning could give you a big head looking for a little friendly competition compare the Mazda Protege with a toyota corolla DX the Protege has all this plus 14, 000 miles more basic warranty coverage but costs almost twelve hundred dollars less than Corolla and now get twelve hundred dollars cash back for Mazda plus air or automatic at no extra charge we make the exceptional affordable at your Greater Atlanta Mazda dealer now David hit that yeah try that again David Channel is here to start your week cyberspace yeah continuation of what happened today that's plenty of sunshine very warm temperatures low humidity though that's gonna be the key the next couple of days gonna be fairly dry out there it will bill up the moisture and then we'll build up the thunderstorms we're good to all that momentarily outside we are looking at clear skies tonight and temperatures not all that bad we're in the upper 60s right now humidity at 63% it tends to climb at night is the temperature falls winds out of the West at 8 and the barometer is rising for high today 80 for the low this morning 52 three degrees below normal nowhere near the record high nor the record low they're safe for another year and no rain your readings around North Georgia this evening still fairly mild pair of 72 in Lawrenceville in Roswell 66 in jasper 71 in Marietta 72 back here in Carrollton 75 then Noonan and in Griffin and 70 degrees in Athens 3d weather vision we're going to search of a thunderstorms will be standing in the Pacific Ocean right now looking to the east and not a whole lot going on out west across the Rocky Mountain States we do have some major league thunderstorms going on across the desert Southwest you get into New Mexico the Texas Panhandle Oklahoma Panhandle look at the size of these storms going right up the Front Range of the Rockies and some of these storms had hail they had a couple tornadoes spotted up in North Dakota they also had copious amounts of rainfall in a short period of time but that was about it as far as precip is concerned they back out out over the mid-mississippi Valley and down into the deep south not a cloud to be found area of high pressure sprawled over the eastern half of the country and will keep things fairly clear seeing in a high pressure system only to flow like a clock but the air is also descending so it's compressing and therefore not rising and condensing and forming any clouds so we're gonna have clear skies here for the next 48 hours or so temperatures right now very very mild all the way up to the Canadian border we saw temperatures up in Michigan near 90 degrees this afternoon it's 78 now in st.

Louis so you see it's very warm over the eastern half of the country and that's gonna continue through tomorrow there's our high right now remember that old low that brought us the surprise showers yesterday well it's now out over the middle Atlantic region and moving all that way and spread the showers up to the New England states by this time tomorrow and for us all day tomorrow but sunshine and temperatures are gonna be well into the 80s if not approaching 90 degrees down in Central and South Georgia 80s are gonna stay with us for the next a little bit here's your forecast for tonight how about clear skies a very quiet night overnight low temperature by tomorrow morning in the upper 50s and then for tomorrow sunny and warm with a high of 86 your next 5 days we've build up some moisture a few clouds in here by Wednesday maybe a high near 90 and then the 80s will stick around when the thunderstorms roll in come Thursday and Friday but Monday and Tuesday you're gonna feel just grand if you ever wondered what it felt like to live in Phoenix or Denver this is what its gonna be like it's gonna be in the 80s but very very dry I like that H feet of snow no no thanks David coming up next in sports the Knights fall in Fort Wayne's with the Turner Cup championship series isn't over yet and the Braves conquer the Rockies once again Stu is up next with scores and highlights that could be bye-bye if you've been thinking about playing the market this year you want to take advantage of the stock sale now when your Jeep and Eagle dealers buy or lease a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and save up to $1, 200 or buy or lease a new eagle vision get a great return on jeep cherokee sport with air in no charge or close on a legendary Jeep Wrangler but don't delay with deals like these they're sure to be a run on our stock see your local Jeep and eagle dealer hey Andy food markets have the savings power to give you shopping when away [Music] get 5 pounds more at 100% pure fresh ground beef at the unbeatable hot price of 97 cents a pound young and tender fresh fryer breasts quarters 97 cents a pound and medium pork spareribs also 97 cents a pound this is the Georgia Lottery cash three update I'm Carol Blackman and today's cash three numbers are three three and nine and lottery players won more than four hundred three thousand dollars join us for the next cast redrawing tomorrow night at six fifty nine dear Carl no matter what kind of car you have no matter what kind of budget yeah chances are we have your buster whether you choose one is guaranteed for as long as you've owned your car or our low-cost economizer so for the biggest choice of mufflers and a wide choice of prices there's really only one choice Midas the Ford f-150 you clean up good [Music] attractive works this hard deserves a little time to play whether it's hauling a payload by day or precious cargo by night count of the f-150 to do it with style plus the uplands it becomes a split bench seating at a driver side airbag standard now fired the big Ford f-150 for just $1.

99 a month only from your Atlanta area ford dealer the front door this portion of channel 2 action news is brought to you by Chrysler Jeep Andy : I've had a tough time tonight but that's okay cuz they'll come home then come change 6 & 7 or here and home ice makes a big difference yep thank you very much again from Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky face here tonight you had the Knights coming out looking like they we're gonna blow out the comet then they looked like they were skating on a Slurpee they slowed down they lose 5 to 3 so the series goes 3 – the Knights are still up in floor by a game let me take you to Fort Wayne and show you how it happened it looked good very early Steve LaRouche gets the pass and jagged rock out in front does not get much better than that it is 2 to nothing those Knights are up with the second period the Comets scored for that is Kelly heard with the goal it was for the two knights tried to make it a game they came back the other night they did not come back tonight Jason rough with the goal made at 4 to 3 but the empty never made it 5 to 3 game 6 at the Omni it will happen on Wednesday it's true the Braves have now become the winningest major league team in Denver that includes two rocky are you believing these guys for the 16th straight time they beat Colorado the photo was 8 to 3 I want to take you back to this morning the action for you from Denver started early just kept coming that is 10, 000 Givi is starting to swing with that two run homer it was greeting up in brains out with plenty for Greg Maddux but David gentleman said on the add one the opposite way he goes in that light air it is clearing it is carrying it is gone the home of the David Justice in the sixth Greg Maddux nine strikeouts faces one of the six hits another strikeout Greg goes to 7 & 2 Greg McMichael in to finish it off what the same three Braves a winner they rock tomorrow Tuesday with Houston just over the American League we will go the Rangers against Khmer news this is Luis Soho with the Soho home run it is out of there it is carrying it is gone Seattle in a very bad al wept is in contention who is it then the play of the night defensively he rusty Grier with the hit Jose Canseco can score but will Clark now with the best wheels he is out of there in a collision it hurts to walk Seattle over Texas tonight eight to two scoreboard looks like this will run them all down for you it is Philadelphia beating Pete Smith and the Mets it is Montreal over Pittsburgh all right Dave with a copper over there all right it is st.

Louis beating Florida 10 to 9 I care about my co-anchors Los Angeles over Cincinnati it is San Diego beating Houston 76 Chicago over San Francisco in 11 American League Cleveland shuts out Toronto is Detroit over Milwaukee you'll see that one on sports final Baltimore over New York in tentative Kansas City shutting out the Angels four to nothing and Chicago over Oakland five to two you could tell the Knicks had a tough game today with the Bulls Pat Riley actually had to gel his hair during timeouts to keep it in place the game went to seven games the Knicks beat him in Game seven so the Bulls will not get a fourth title in a row 87 is 77 the final for this one we will take it a Madison Square Garden it was a great game it was physical it was fun Scottie Pippen will turn and swirl and get it to Pete Myers and I'll tell you what the Bulls gave him all they wanted this 17 trying to steal it in New York City Patrick Ewing had 18 points 18 points all in the second half he was the different Scottie said come on I don't care for my book playing baseball I'm jam and I have 20 points but it was Patrick Ewing off the board into the three-pointer Knicks over the Bulls 87 277 Patriots against the Knicks in Madison one game one on Tuesday you'll hear from Patrick Ewing coming up on sports bottle your field is set for the Indy 500 it would take a jet to qualify now final day of qualifying we'll take it Indianapolis and show you what happened it was a fun day but not to Scott Goodman who was the man on the bubble and worrying about if someone would beat him now this is coming up to spool o'clock here it is not a hundred and thirty one miles an hour it's 130 degrees on the track Marco Greco right here is the last man to qualify for the Indy 500 knocking out Scott Goodyear Marco Greco had some happy people in his pits Tom Lehman will tell you there are time for the PGA Tour this year he could have used the Heimlich maneuver a slight bit of choking but today he does not choke as a matter of fact he was pretty good under pressure wins by five shots over Greg Norman that's not bad 270 granny one for Dublin we will go not doubling overseas with double in Ohio for the shot of the day Jeff Maggert on the 14th for Eagle it's a simple one about five or six on it will go up or they go down it will go in yeah that's Jack Nicklaus this course who doesn't like it played that well it is Lehman for birdie on the 12th even his first win determination has done it for that man take a look at the senior NFL classic determination for Ray Floyd has kept him at the top of his game on 18 behind the tree please tell me how he did it because I would love to try it normally I hit the trunk and the tree is dead within a month here it goes off the green he had to get up and down in to to win it Ray Floyd has done it many times and he did it today winning a hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars that is a late look at sports we hope you join us in a couple of minutes maybe two or three four sports final coming up he needs the money to is it really so bad for me Ray Floyd charity we should start sending in okay from foods music clothing highlights of cultures from around the world we're on display today in Atlanta the festivities at the King Center are coming up next of the night [Music] and Tamra heels are just as high now you can leave Camry for just 249 a month at least a two-door or four-door with dual airbags automatic transmission air conditioning an FM consent power steering cruise control power windows locks and more car built in the US do you like it hot your Toyota dealer to spot deals like this [Music] I have notice I'm gonna be in Atlanta really on June 6 to premiere my latest movie city slickers 2 The Legend of Curly's go you want to come you can you know and you should proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to a special fund for programs in Atlanta project neighborhoods now I'm gonna be there at the Fox Theater with Jack Palance and the rest of the cast except for Norman so join us and help the Atlanta project for information about tickets called 2 for 9 6400 [Music] so my son asked me if there'll be any trees left when he grows up he's thinking about it just like everybody we're working for georgia-pacific like I do I can tell him we're doing our part planting new trees by the millions setting aside land they consider the forest will always be here for everybody I can't speak for other companies out there but in Church of Pacific we're doing what needs to be done maybe no accident why we bought the Buick LeSabre jewelle airbags anti-lock brakes child safety locks and the price was safely within our budget there were huge crowds at the King Center this weekend for King fest international 94 the festival features views at crafts clothing and food from cultures around the world thousands of people attended the two-day event organizers say King Fest is a part of dr.

Martin Luther King jr.

dream of people of all races living together in peace that's it for tonight thanks for counting on the Action News Nightbeat don't forget our first news tomorrow Action News this morning at 6:00 a.

have a good week what smile [Music] tomorrow at 6:00 on channel 2 Action News a shocking undercover investigation.

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takerfoxx · 5 years

Text

IM Swiftly Descending Shadow, Chapter 2

Stopping gossip from getting out at the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home was like trying to catch the wind in your fist. Sure, you ended up with a handful of air, but the wind itself didn’t seem to notice and before you knew it all your stuff was knocked over.

Rumia hadn’t told anyone about their misadventure. Kohta hadn’t told anyone about their misadventure. Keine definitely hadn’t told anyone about their misadventure. And say what you will about Miss Mokou, but she was a woman of her word.

Still, by the time dinner had rolled around, everyone knew.

No one said anything to them. There were no questions, no comments, no taunts. But Rumia could still tell. She could tell by some of the sidelong glances and smirks from the ones she didn’t like. She could tell from the pitying looks from those that she did. How word had gotten out when none of those who had actually been there would ever tell, she didn’t know. Maybe someone had so happened to be near enough to hear. It didn’t matter. Word always got out.

Rumia sighed. To be perfectly honest, she didn’t really give a crap about their punishment. They were in trouble all the time! This wasn’t the first time they had been given extra chores as a result and it wouldn’t be the last. It was gross and annoying, but whatever. It would pass.

The problem was that, as always, being in trouble made them vulnerable.

Supper was fish stew, and while Rumia liked it well enough, she was not looking forward to dealing with that fishy smell afterward. She tried to eat quickly, so as not to get too much of the taste stuck on her tongue.

“Head’s up,” Kohta muttered.

“Huh?”

Kohta nodded to their right. Sitting across from them down the table were their arch-nemeses Haruko Kamijima, Eiko Goto, and Hayate Maeda. The three of them had been the ones that Rumia and Kohta had caught tormenting Keine to begin with, and the two trios had been enemies ever since. Which was fine. Sometimes you just needed an enemy to make life more interesting.

Unfortunately, having an enemy also made other times all the more hard to take. Such as now.

Apparently the three of them had been trying to get Rumia and her friends’ attention. They were already leering at them when Rumia looked up, and as soon as Rumia was looking their way they started snickering.

Then, with deliberate slowness, Haruko reached up with a single finger and stuck it into her nostril. She dug around for a bit before pulling out a slimy, greyish-green blob. Grinning at Rumia, she smeared it across the inside of her bow.

Suddenly Rumia didn’t really care for the rest of her meal. “Thanks,” she hissed to Kohta. “I really needed to see that.”

“You’re washing theirs,” Kohta remarked.

“Uh, am not? Why should I?”

“Because the cookie raid was your idea. And I’m already stuck with the big pot, so it’s only fair. Or are you going to make Keine do it?”

Keine, who had been lost in thought as she pushed pieces of stew around in her bowl, suddenly looked up at the sound of her name. “Huh?” she said. “What about me?”

Rumia and Kohta exchanged a glance. Rumia sighed. “Nothing,” she growled. “I got it.”

“Got what? What happened?”

“Nothing! Gods, drop it!”

Keine still looked confused, but she knew better than to press the subject, so she shrugged and went back to her private musing. Rumia shot Kohta a glare. In response, Kohta just shrugged.

“Jerk,” Rumia muttered.

“Youkaiass,” he whispered back.

“Fairypuss.”

“Shiteater.”

“Will you two grow up?” Keine said.

“Never,” Rumia and Kohta said in unison.

…

It was, as predicted, a thoroughly miserable experience.

Eighteen kids lived at the orphanage. Eighteen kids, plus the six grown-ups that took care of them. That meant twenty-four bowls, twenty-four plates, twenty-four sets of utensils, and twenty-four cups, plus everything that Miss Mokou used to make the large meals for everyone.

Kohta had been stuck taking care of that last bit, and now he was on his hands and knees deep inside the big black pot that Mokou had cooked the stew in, scrubbing every bit of fish goop away. He had to emerge every few seconds to gag and cough before taking a deep breath and plunging back in again. Rumia sympathized. It wasn’t that it smelled bad, of course. It was just that it smelled a lot.

She and Keine were taking care of the bowls, plates, cups, and utensils, and unfortunately Rumia herself was doing the actual cleaning while Keine had been lucky enough to be left with the drying and stacking. Technically, Keine’s job was the more lengthy one, but Rumia’s was by far the grossest.

Most of the bowls were mostly picked clean, leaving just the residue. Others…were not. And Rumia knew the second that she came to Haruko’s.

Nearby, Miss Mokou was lounging on a stool in a corner, a lit cigarette in her mouth as she smugly watched them. “You know,” she said around puffs of smoke. “I know kids will be kids. And I sure as hell know that you three all got a bit of devil in you. But come on! Now? When flying lessons are right around the corner? With the market trip…tomorrow? Would’ve thought that you’d have more sense than that.”

Rumia clamped her jaw tight to keep from letting a smart remark slip. She kept on scrubbing.

“Ah well, guess we’re all servants to our natures. Especially in this godsinfested country. Spirits will wander, fairies will forever be stupid, and you will-”

“Um, Miss Mokou?” Keine said suddenly.

Miss Mokou paused, no doubt a bit taken back at being interrupted. Then she said, “Yeah?”

“How come we can only ever get to see other people when the big market goes up? How come we can never actually get to go to the Human Village anymore?”

Rumia, who had only been listening with half an ear, suddenly heard a sharp sizzling sound. She turned around.

Miss Mokou’s cigarette was burning. Not just lit, but burning, a small ring of fire traveling down its length, turning it into ash as it went. What was more, it wasn’t coming from the lit end, but out from Miss Mokou’s mouth.

Soon Miss Mokou was just left with a cylinder of solid ash stuck between her lips.

She let out one last cloud of cigarette smoke, and the ash fell apart. She spat out the rest. “Because, Keine,” Miss Mokou said, her voice calm but filled with barely repressed anger. “It’s like I was saying. We all have our natures. Kids will get into mischief, fairies will be stupid, youkai will be wild.” She picked up her cigarette box from the nearby kitchen counter and her nose wrinkled in annoyance when she saw that it was empty. She tossed it into the nearby trash bucket. “And fools will be fools.”

Kohta looked up from his ordeal. “What does that mean?” he said. “What fools?”

Miss Mokou shook her head. “Never you mind.” She leaned forward on the stool, her long forearms perched in her knees while her hands dangled in between her legs like a pair of hanging spiders. “Listen to me, kids. Yeah, we expect you to mind the grown-ups here in this house, but just because someone’s a grown-up doesn’t make them wise, or even smart. There are plenty of people who get as old as the hills but remain dumber than any one of you. And the Human Village is crawling with that kind of idiot.”

“But why?” Keine said. “What does that have to do with us not being allowed in?”

Miss Mokou shook her head. “Never you mind,” she said again. “Just remember: as you grow up, you’re probably gonna hear some people say some nasty things. But don’t you believe any of it. You might be annoying little cockroaches sometimes, but there’s nothing wrong with you kids at all.”

“Wrong?” Rumia frowned. “Wait, who’s saying that something’s wrong with us?”

“Idiots. Like I said earlier. Just idiots.” Then Ms. Mokou sighed. “Look, you guys are good for tonight. Go ahead and go to bed. And seriously, next time you try to pull one over on me, at least come up with something new, okay?”

“Okay,” Rumia said, though she was still very confused. “Um, good night, Miss Mokou. “She, Kohta, and Keine all started to head for the door.

“Oh, wait, hold up,” Miss Mokou said suddenly.

The trio turned around, half-expecting to be presented with some last-minute labor.

Instead, Miss Mokou was holding out a sizzling metal tray. On it were three freshly baked ginger cookies with chunks of apple.

Rumia perked up in surprise. “Uh, huh? Really?”

In response, Mokou winked and held a finger to her lips. “Shhhh.”

That sounded as fair a deal as Rumia had ever heard. She and her friends took the offered treats, bowed in thanks, and hurried off.

…

Mokou sat alone in her kitchen, eyes still fixed on the door that her favorite band of troublemakers had just departed through.

Even though she cared for every child who lived at the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home, even the mean ones, she had always had a soft spot for those three. After all, it had been them that had found her lifeless body buried in the snow and had it dragged back to the orphanage two years prior. It had been them that had sort of taken her under their wing after her shockingly quick recovery and showed her around. It had been them that had convinced her to abandon the endless cycle of hatred and pain her life had been. It had been them that had convinced her to find a new purpose in life, to stay.

Mokou smiled. Even after she had been accepted into the family, those three had still seemed to be unable to stay away from her, though as her tormentors rather than her caretakers. They seemed to take personal delight in trying to pull one over on her, to make her fall victim to their endless pranks and schemes when most of the other kids seemed to be a little afraid of her. As someone who had grown up with several older brothers, Mokou appreciated that. It had been a long time since anything had reminded her of the few good times in her life.

Then, as she mused on the drastic change her life had taken in the last couple of years, there was a knock at the back door.

Mokou rose and went to answer it.

Standing outside was a woman. A very short woman, one that was barely taller than the kids that Mokou had just been talking to and could probably be mistaken for a child herself if one didn’t know better like Mokou did. Her short, black hair was curly; her eyes dark maroon; and she was wearing a fleecy pink dress, a carrot-shaped pendant on a slender silver chain around her neck, and probably not a whole lot else. In one hand she was holding the handle of a lit lantern while the other clutched the handle of a large wooden mallet that was resting over her shoulder.

Also, sticking out of her hair was a pair of white rabbit’s ears.

“Heeeeeeeeeeey Mokou,” the rabbit said. “What up, girl?”

Mokou looked her up and down and sighed. “Tewi. Well, hello, but seriously. We’ve talked about this.”

“About what, Phoenix?” Tewi said with a wry grin.

“You’re on Human lands now. I don’t care that it’s almost midnight. Could you at least put on a hat?”

“Hmmm.” Tewi placed the head of her mallet on the ground and made a show of thoughtfully tapping her lower lip. Then she shook her head. “Nah.”

Mokou shot her a look. “Seriously, Tewi. Is it too much to ask that you just keep your ears covered? You know people’ll start talking if a fucking youkai keeps showing up here in the dead of night.”

“That is, how do they say, not my problem.” Tewi stepped to one side and gestured. “Besides, one might think that you would be a little more polite and less judgy about someone providing you with all these?”

Outside were four large wicker baskets, each filled with a different kind of food. One contained rose red apples, one with freshly caught fish, one with white and purple turnips, and one with onions.

“Oh, I’m grateful,” Mokou said as she grabbed the handles of two of the baskets with one hand apiece. Each one of them would have been difficult for two large men working together but she lifted them both with ease. “I’m super grateful. But come on, you know how things are now.”

Tewi hopped inside and jumped up to sit on the counter next to the sink. “Oh, I hear. Word has reach my ickle lickle ears that your Human friends don’t really like us anymore. Again.”

“Right,” Mokou sighed. “Fucking Sonozikas.”

“Well, that’s what you get for not finishing the job.”

“Hey, I finished the job.” Mokou set the baskets down and went back for the other two. “Everyone I barbequed had it coming. But I’m not going to kill someone’s kids just because their dad is a murderous bastard that needed to be slow-cooked inside his own armor.”

“Which is what you did to him.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Uh-huh. And how did that little bit of mercy turn out?”

Mokou shrugged. “Look, if it wasn’t the Sonozikas, it would be someone else. They do this shit all time. You could set your calendar to whether or not the Human Village hates youkai.”

“Yeah, you Humans are weird. At least we keep our grudges personal.”

Setting the last two baskets down, Mokou shut the back door. “So do I, if you’ll remember.”

“Yeah, speaking of which, you wanna know what Kaguya’s been up too?”

Mokou had to take several seconds to breathe in deeply and slowly exhale. “I,” she said icily, “could not give less of a shit.”

“Oh, come on! Aren’t you at least a little curious?”

“I’m done with Kaguya,” Mokou said flatly. “That’s the whole point, remember?”

Tewi grinned in that insufferably disbelieving way of hers. “Yeeeeaaaahhhhh, bullshit.”

Mokou leaned up against the door and folded her arms. “Think what you want. I’m done. She can go back to the Moon for all I care.”

“Uh-huh. Okay, fine.”

Silence fell between them. Tewi remained seated on the counter, her legs swinging, while Mokou stayed where she was, leaning nonchalantly against the door.

She reached into her pocket but frowned when she remembered that she had just smoked her last cigarette earlier. Damn. She made a mental note to tell Joshua to pick her up a new pack tomorrow.

Then she glanced at Tewi, who was still idly swinging her legs while her head bobbed from side to side as she hummed a nonsensical tune, seemingly without a care in the world.

Then Mokou sighed. Damn it. “Okay, fine,” she said. “Tell me what the moonbitch has been up to.”

Tewi grinned in triumph. “Pottery!”

“Eh?”

“I’m serious. She’s, like, majorly into pottery now. She’s been spending every day with heaps of clay, just shaping pot after pot after pot. They’re not even that good. She doesn’t even paint them or anything, and doesn’t seem to care about them once they’re done. When she has too many, she just throws them away to make more room.”

“Oh really?”

“Oh yeah. At least it’s better than her last hobby.”

Mokou scratched the back of her neck. “I heard she started to fancy herself as a playwright.”

“Ha! See? You do care.” Tewi sighed. “And yup. She did.”

“Dare I ask what her little dramas were about?”

“Her, mostly. About her killing you once and for all. Or making you her slave. Or conquering the Moon. Or about all the princesses of the world falling madly in love with her and becoming her personal harem. You know. Stuff like that.”

Which was more or less exactly the sort of thing Kaguya would probably write. “Any of them any good?”

Tewi hesitated. “They…have their fans.”

“So no.”

“Oh, gods no, they were awful.”

Mokou found herself smirking. “So basically what you’re telling me is that Princess Kaguya is bored out of her mind.”

“Oh, totally. You don’t just wage eternal war against your hated rival for centuries and expect to cope when it’s suddenly over.”

“Ha! So, I get to enjoy my live peacefully here and still torture her. Best of both worlds.”

“Well, you know what they say about living well. At least I don’t have to help clear away charred rubble and rebuild Eientei every couple of months anymore.” Then something incredibly rare happened, something that Mokou had only seen a handful of times in her lifetime, and her lifetime had provided plenty of opportunities for just about anything to happen: Tewi’s face turned serious. “Though, hey, Mokou. Need to tell you something.”

Mokou tilted her head to one side and frowned.

“Something’s…up. Nothing to do with us or Kaguya or anything, but still: something’s up.”

“Something? What kind of something specifically?”

Tewi shook her head. “I don’t know exactly, but I know a guy who knows a girl whose cousin’s girlfriend said something about some weird shit going down in the Youkai Forest.”

Mokou pursed her lips. Given how wild it was, the forests of Gensokyo were not to be traveled lightly. The Bamboo Forest of the Lost from which Tewi hailed from was probably the safest, and that one was notorious for perplexing unwary travelers. Everyone knew to never go into the Forest of Magic unless they wanted their blood drank and soul stolen away. In times past and present, it had served as a sanctuary for some of Gensokyo’s most notorious monsters, from Shinji the Silver Tongued to Madam Mima, and the stain of their presence still lingered centuries after their deaths, quite literally in Madam Mima’s case. Even Mokou, who was accustomed to wandering the dangerous corners of the world, preferred to give it a wide berth.

And then there was the Youkai Forest. It wasn’t quite as bad as the Forest of Magic. At least, it didn’t have a reputation to homing any of Gensokyo’s Most Wanted. But it was still plenty dangerous, with many dark spirits and strange ongoings taking place beneath its sunlight-choking canopy. And its borders sat just a little too close to the Children’s Home for Mokou’s comfort. In the past, youkai have ventured out to take orphans. It hadn’t happened for quite a while, and certainly never since Mokou had arrived, but it had happened. And the rest of the Human population wasn’t exactly as mindful about the orphanage’s safety as they once had been.

Tewi’s information might be around fifth-hand, but whenever she took something seriously, she always had good reason to.

“Anything in specific you’ve heard?” Mokou asked. “Any details?”

Tewi shook her head. “Not much. Just that something has got folks in there excited. And, well, look: the youkai in there might be a bunch of morbid weirdoes, but most of them just want to be left alone. Don’t bother them, and they won’t rip your face off and use it as a doily. But there are a few of the really nasty types in there, ones that I think might actually try something.”

“You don’t have to tell me of that sort,” Mokou growled. “Believe me, I know.”

“Yeah, you would, wouldn’t you? Anyway, I don’t know exactly is going down, but…keep an eye out, okay?”

“I will,” Mokou promised. “Thanks.”

“Notta problem.” Tewi hopped off the counter. “If it keeps you happy and not burning things over on our turf.” She picked up her mallet and lantern. “Anyways, Imma split. Try not to burn the place down.”

“That I won’t,” Mokou said as she got the door for her.

Mokou watched as Tewi wandered off into the night. It wasn’t until the light from the lantern had disappeared entirely that she took her eyes off of the road.

Then she glanced off toward the horizon. The Children’s Home was surrounded by mostly rolling fields of grass, which was ideal for the kids. It gave them plenty of room to run around, and made it easier to keep an eye on them.

But beyond that was the gnarled trees and long shadows of the Youkai Forest. And like Tewi said, there were plenty of monsters lurking within.

Mokou ought to know. It wasn’t so long ago that she was counted as one of them.

Usually when the kids were taken to market, Mokou would stay behind. Preparing the day’s meals took a lot of time and work, and even if it didn’t, she hated crowds on principle and never did well with large numbers of other Humans. It just brought back too many bad memories. However, she decided that she just might come along this one time. If something was up, then this was the best to get to the root of things.

…

“All right, children!” Miss Satoko called. She clapped her hands together. “Two lines, that’s it. All together now!”

Most of the children obeyed. Others did not.

Shaking her head, Mokou pressed a couple fingers against her mouth and whistled shrilly.

The rest of the children hurried over to line up.

“Thank you, Mokou,” Miss Satoko said. She nodded to the town guards that had come to escort them. “All right, now let’s go!”

Technically speaking, the orphanage was still within the land claimed by the Human Village and there was little between it and the market other than distance, but that was no excuse to be lax in the orphans’ protection. It would take an especially foolish youkai to attack them this far into Human territory, but unfortunately foolishness was one trait that youkai did not lack in.

As everyone took their places, Rumia stole a glance at the guards. She had never paid them much mind before in trips past, but after what Miss Mokou had said, she was curious.

There was two of them, as always. They looked older than most of the grown-ups that Rumia knew, even older than Miss Haruna. What good they would do if something came at them, she didn’t have the slightest idea. However, they didn’t seem to mind being there at least.

In addition to the guards, three of the grown-ups were going with them as well. Miss Satoko was in the lead as always. She wasn’t as old as Ms. Haruna, but she was still pretty old, with her greying hair tied up in a neat bun tied with a pair of sticks and a well-wrinkled face. She was wearing a red blouse, a black skirt, and had a bamboo kasa on her head.

Walking with her was a man wearing well-worn grey jeans and a white shirt, with a religious symbol hanging from a necklace beneath his shirt. He was Mr. Joshua Stump, the only grown man working at the orphanage. But that wasn’t the only thing that set him apart.

Mr. Joshua was an Outsider, someone who had not been born in Gensokyo but had ended up trapped after wandering in by accident. He certainly looked pretty weird. Apparently the average adult height outside of the Hakurei Barrier was a bit taller than most Genokyians, but Mr. Joshua was short even by local standards, in that Rumia’s eyes were often level with his chin. And his last name was very appropriate, as he looked like a tree stump, with skin so dark that it looked like he had been burnt and thick, gnarled muscle that spoke of a life of physical labor. Apparently he had worked as a construction worker, but didn’t like talking about his past much beyond that. His big black beard was thick and curly, while his eyes were bright brown.

All in all, Mr. Joshua was not exactly what one would call attractive, but Rumia still liked him a lot. He was incredibly nice and fun to play with, and seemed to have limitless tolerance for their jokes. Okay, so his religion was really weird, but that was fine, and he had plenty of great stories. Most of the time he worked as the orphanage’s handyman, repairing anything that needed fixing and improving anything that he could. All things considered, Rumia and the rest kept him very busy.

Next to him was a pretty young woman with a cheery round face, bright blue eyes, and short, curly pink hair. She was wearing a sky-blue robe faded in places to resemble clouds and a wide-brimmed bonnet tied with a pink ribbon. She was Ms. Haruhi Kijoko, who split her time conducting lessons, supervising playtime, and trying to keep the place clean.

Ms. Haruhi had actually grown up in the orphanage, and had opted to stay and help once she had come of age. That just seemed weird to Rumia. She had been free to go wherever she wanted, and she just decided to stay? Forever? Granted, Rumia didn’t have anything against the place; after all, it was the only home she had ever known. But there was a whole world out there. Why wouldn’t anyone want to go see it.

All told, none of them looked especially intimidating. Ms. Satoko was tough, yes, but not especially scary. Ms. Haruhi could be grouchy and stubborn when someone really got on her nerves, but that wouldn’t deter any possible attackers. And sure, Mr. Joshua was strong, but Rumia honestly couldn’t picture him actually fighting anyone.

Then she glanced over to Miss Mokou, who was trailing the group with her hands stuck into the pockets of her baggy red suspenders. Now there was someone who was appropriately scary. Ms. Mokou wasn’t particularly big or muscly, but there was always something about her that felt, well, dangerous. She had a sort of faraway look in her eyes, like she wasn’t really paying attention to anything going on around her, but Rumia knew better. Mokou was keeping track of everything around them. If she had a reason to suspect that something was up, then nothing got past her.

Rumia remembered a time a few months after she, Kohta, and Keine had found Mokou’s badly hurt body in the snow and dragged her back to the house. They had come across her one warm spring afternoon reclining against a tree with her eyes closed, apparently fast asleep. A whispered conversation had followed, a wooden bucket retrieved and filled with water, which was then stealthily taken over to the napping Miss Mokou.

They got as far as lifting it up over her head when she, without moving or even opening her eyes, had murmured, “Don’t even think about it.”

That had raised many questions. Had she really been asleep at all? Was she aware of them the whole time and simply let them get as far as they had just to pull the rug out from under them?

Regardless, they had figured that since they had gotten that far, they might as well go through with it and dump the water anyway. That day had ended with Miss Mokou heading back to the house with a smug look on her face, three bewildered children tucked under her arms, and not a single wet hair on her head.

They still had no idea how she had done it.

But while Rumia certainly felt safer with Miss Mokou around than with the decrepit guards, she was very curious as to why the cook was going along in the first place. Miss Mokou never went to market with the rest of them. Hell, Rumia couldn’t remember her ever even leaving the orphanage since she had shown up.

So she decided to ask her.

Rumia hung back a bit until the rest of the girl’s line has passed her up and Miss Mokou was next to her. “So,” Rumia said. “Why’re you coming along?”

Miss Mokou looked amused. “Why? Worried I’ll bust whatever little heist you’re planning today?”

“Nah, no plans like that today,” Rumia said. “Too many people. But even so, you never go to market. Why today?”

Miss Mokou shrugged. “Had a bad feeling. Figured someone might try something today, so might as well be there to put a stop to it.”

“Is that so.”

“Yup.”

“Uh, what someone, exactly?”

“Dunno,” Miss Mokou said. “They haven’t done it yet.” She then gave the back of Rumia’s shoulders a gentle shove. “Now stop lagging.”

Sighing, Rumia hurried back to her place in front of Keine and next to Kohta.

In times past, they would go to the big market inside of the Human Village. In times past, they would have at least six guards show up to escort them, and they tended to be young and tough looking. But for some reason, they had stopped letting the orphans in, so they had to go to the smaller general market that was more-or-less in the center of the Human lands. It was there that people from the smaller towns, villages, and hamlets would go to buy and sell. No one had really explained why that had changed or why the quality of guards had dropped. There had just been a few months without any market trips, and when they started up again it was at a different market.

A lot of the other kids had been disappointed. Haruko especially had thrown a fit. Apparently she had had her eye on a crystal comb in the shape of a multi-colored butterfly that she had been saving up for that she now would never get to buy. Rumia, however, had actually liked the change. Sure, the trinkets sold there weren’t as pretty and everything seemed second-rate in comparison, but it was filled with folks who lived out in the rougher parts of Gensokyo, places that were closer to the wild magic. As such, things were a whole lot weirder.

The market was set up as sort of a long road bordered by makeshift wooden frames draped with cloths, furs, or leather, forming two rows of tents. And along the tents were several stalls set up by anyone who did most of their business there, while those who didn’t have enough merchandise to justify a stall wandered around with full bags or loaded backs. Food stalls sold freshly harvested vegetables, caught fish, slaughtered meats, bags of rice, baked bread, sweet treats, or fully cooked meals. Some stalls sold clothing, some sold tools, others sold raw materials such as lumber or glass or brick. There were even a few that specialized in things other than the essentials, though those were in the minority.

Kohta nudged Rumia and Keine and pointed. One stall was dedicated to hand-carved wooden toys. They were rougher than the kind found within the village market and were unpainted, but that didn’t make them any less cool.

And one in particular had drawn their attention the last time they were there, that of a big, fat animal with big flapping ears, a tiny little tail, a stupidly long nose, and two big horns coming out of its mouth.

Back at the orphanage, there was a worn picture book called Roy’s Big Top Mystery. Apparently it had come from the outside world, and it took place in a very weird looking type of festival that they had outside of the Hakurei Barrier called a “circus.” Rumia and her friends had always been entranced by the images of colorful tents, flashing games, gaudily dressed performers, and exotic animals, the likes of which weren’t seen in Gensokyo.

One in particular was called an “elephant.” Rumia had half-expected it to just be a tale, a mythical beast added to the book to give it a bit of flavor. However, Mr. Joshua had confirmed that elephants were very much real.

That had been an eye-opener. Rumia had been told by Mr. Joshua and Melissa Garcia that magic was in very short supply in the Outside World, and that people there would consider Gensokyo to be a mythical land full of wonders. But the Outside World had elephants! What fairies compared to that?

At any rate, over the last year or so she and her friends had been working on a personal project: make a circus of their own. They had built tents from sticks and paper decorated with wildflowers and filled it with people made from the same materials. None of it ever looked particularly realistic, but screw it, it was good enough for them. Still, having a genuine elephant would definitely bring the whole thing together.

She turned toward Kohta and Keine. “Okay,” she said. “Got yours?”

Kohta nodded and pulled out a bag of coins out of his pocket. Keine took out one of her own. Rumia took out hers. Spending money was hard to come by in the orphanage, but between the three of them they had managed to pull together enough to get their little circus its own elephant.

Rumia carefully counted out the collected coins. Then she hurried over to the stall.

The toy merchant was leaning back on his stool and smoking a long-stemmed pipe with his eyes closed. Rumia stoop on her tiptoes to peer over the stall. “Um, excuse me!” she said, waving her hand back and forth. “Hello!”

The merchant opened his eyes. Then when he saw who had interrupted his rest his brow deepened into a scowl.

“What?”

Rumia dumped the coins onto the counter. “We’ll take the big fat guy!” she said, pointing at the elephant.

The merchant looked at her, then to the small pile of coins, and then at the wooden animal. “Where did you get this money?” he said.

“Does it matter?” Rumia said, and a little indignantly at that. Sure, the three of them could be a little grabby with things that technically did not belong to them, but they had earned their savings the honest way. Specifically, through a collection of odd jobs and errands done for the caretakers, and as someone who was principally opposed to that level of degradation, Rumia felt that they had earned every last bit. “Money’s money!”

The merchant pushed the coins around with his finger. Then he shrugged. “Sorry kid. This ain’t enough.”

“What?” Kohta said. “Wait, the last time we were here you said it cost four thousand five hundred yen! And we have four thousand five hundred yen!”

“That was then,” the merchant said as he leaned back again. “This is now. Price went up to seven thousand yen!”

“Wha-No it didn’t!” Rumia sputtered. “You’re just saying that because you don’t like us!”

The merchant used his palm to swipe their hard-earned coins off the counter and onto the ground. “Beat it, youkai-tainted.”

Next to Rumia, Keine went stiff.

“What,” Rumia said, “did you call us?”

“I said beat it! Don’t make me call the market guards.”

Rumia opened her mouth to fully earn getting dragged away, but then Keine grabbed her by the arm. “Let’s just go,” Keine whispered.

Kohta’s clenched fist was shaking. “Are you just gonna let this-”

“Kohta!” Keine hissed. “It’s not worth it. Let’s go!”

“You heard your friend,” the merchant said, shooing them away. “Get lost.”

To be perfectly frank, Rumia would rather get dragged away and kicked out of the market for good than to willingly submit and retreat with her tail tucked between her legs. The thought of that kind of humiliation was almost too much to bear.

But while she was perfectly fine with getting into trouble for the sake of her pride, causing a commotion would draw too much attention to them, to Keine.

And they weren’t about to risk blowing her secret.

Though her face was burning so hot that steam had to be coming out of her ears, Rumia bit back the torrent of verbal abuse she wished to unleash. So she just knelt down and started to pick up the fallen coins out of the dirt. Kohta and Keine helped her get them back into the bag, and the three of them walked away.

It wasn’t until they were fully out of the merchant’s earshot that Kohta muttered, “That sucked.”

“No shit,” Rumia responded.

“Do you think he, uh, knows?”

Rumia glanced at Keine, who was staring down at the ground. “No. I think this is what Miss Mokou was talking about. You know, about idiots?”

“Why though? What’d we ever do to them?”

“Who knows? They’re stupid. Stupid people don’t need a reason to be stupid.”

“Well, I think it’s obvious!”

The three of them stopped. Then their faces twisted into scowls of annoyance and they all turned.

Their mortal enemies were there. Haruko was smirking at them with her arms folded, Hayate standing to her left with one hand on her hip and Eiko snickering at her right.

“We saw what happened,” Haruko said. “And you know what? I get it. That guy didn’t want you driving off all his customers with your ugly faces!”

“Piss of, Haruko,” Rumia snapped. As a retort, it fell short of her normal standards, but she was in a bad mood.

“Hey, hey, hey, chill out!” Eiko said. “Don’t get mad just because the people here have standards!”

“Then why are you still here?” Kohta said. “I mean, anyone that knows better would’ve tossed your ugly asses out from the start!”

“Hmph.” Haruko gave her auburn hair a flick. “That’s obvious too. They know class when they see it.”

“Then prove it!” Rumia said. “You try to buy something!”

“I will!” Haruko said in a haughty tone. “As a matter of fact, there’s something I’ve had my eye on for a while! Just watch.”

The three of them sauntered off to a nearby cosmetics stall, one that sold things like ribbons to perfumes to really shiny makeup.

“Um, Rumia?” Keine said. “How is this going to prove anything?”

“Just watch,” Rumia said.

“But what if it’s just that guy? I mean, the other stalls probably aren’t like him too.”

Rumia didn’t say anything. She just waited.

Much like Rumia had done earlier at the toy stall, Haruko waved her hand to get the attention of the proprietors, this one a gaudily dressed woman wearing more ribbons that she probably had on display.

As Rumia watched, Haruko pointed to a long ribbon of white silk. She pulled a handful of notes out of her pocket and offered them to the woman.

The woman looked at her, at the comb, and then Haruko. Then she rolled her eyes and said something that looked biting.

Rumia couldn’t help but smirk as Haruko stiffened in shock. Then she and her friends began arguing. Though the actual words were hard to make out over the babble of the market, Rumia was able to catch the words, “Stupid fat cow!” and, “Go and boil your head!”

The next moment, a large man seemed to appear out of nowhere. He placed himself between

“Um, excuse…us. What is happening at this place?”

It was two more girls from the orphanage, specifically Melissa Garcia and Kana Anaberal. Melissa was the only child there that technically wasn’t an orphan, but instead had originally come from the Outside World and had gotten stuck in Gensokyo. As she had no other place left to go, the orphanage had taken her in. And because she hadn’t been born in Gensokyo, she looked…weird. Despite being only a year older than Rumia and her friends, she was a full head taller, and her skin was almost as dark as Mr. Joshua’s. Plus, she didn’t speak a lick of Japanese when she had first arrived. She did okay now, but talking to people still took some effort.

Next to her was the closest Melissa had to a best friend, a small, pale girl with long and curly blonde hair. Kana Anaberal was, to put it bluntly, a weirdo. She always seemed to be in a different place than everyone else, staring at things that weren’t there and talking about things that had nothing to do with anything that was going on. Rumia didn’t dislike her exactly, but just talking to her was a mentally taxing experience.

“The…the store people will not speak to us,” Melissa said. “They say…go away. They not…they do not let us buy.”

“Perhaps it is the fairy dust,” Kana said without looking at anyone in particular.

“Yeah, same with us,” Kohta said. “Looks like they don’t-Wait. Hold on. What fairy dust?”

In answer, Kana held up both palms, which were covering with tiny sparkling grains of something, like glass sand. “This. Maybe they are allergic?”

“Uh…” Rumia and her friends all glanced at one another. “Why are you hands covered with fairy dust?”

“To help me fly! We start flying lessons soon, do we not?”

“Er, well, yeah,” Keine said. “But I don’t think fairy dust will help.”

“Oh, I think it will.”

“Where did you even get that?” Rumia said. “You’re not tearing off fairy wings, aren’t you?”

“From the kitchen,” Kana said. “They have lots!”

“What?”

“It is not fairy, uh, dust,” Melissa said in exasperation. “It is just sugar.”

“Sugar is fairy dust,” Kana said. “Same thing, really.”

“No,” Rumia said.

“Yes,” Kana said. She smiled.

“Um, all right,” Rumia said, blinking. “Sure. Why not?” She then looked back to Melissa. “And we don’t know. They did the same to us and to Haruko and her friends. I guess they don’t like us here.”

Melissa sighed. “That is…shame. I was hoping to try magic box, but they will not let me even look at it!”

“Magic…box?”

Melissa pointed at a stall that offered items of a more mystical persuasion. Most of it seemed to be practical stuff like charms, wards, and blank spellcards, but they also had a handful of more exotic wares, like that silver wand encased in glass or that egg-shaped thing that glimmered with a myriad of different colors.

As for the box in question, it was a green chest the size of a woman’s jewelry box encased with bronze that sat upon the counter.

“Well, they probably have a point,” Rumia said dubiously. “I mean, it’s probably cursed.”

Melissa frowned. “Then why is just out there like that?”

“Maybe it’s a small curse? Like, the kind that just causes minor annoyances, like your foot gets a bitch of an itch on every other week or everything you eat tastes like it’s been left out overnight?”

Then they heard a sharp cackle. Standing nearby in the alley formed by two tents was an old, old woman, withered and hunched over. Most of her features were shrouded in a heavy black cloak, and she walked with the support of a gnarled cane.

“Is it magic you’re seeking, my little sweets?” the cloaked woman said. “Well, today is a most fortuitous day, for I have all the magic you could ever want!”

…

Something was off, and unfortunately Satoko knew exactly what it was.

As she stood off to the side to keep an eye on the children, she saw how they were being treated. In visits past, everyone had been more than happy to see them. The stallkeepers had enjoyed putting on a show for the children, offering silly discounts and the occasional free sample or sweet offering. Storytellers had regaled them with tales, while small-time magicians had shown off their tricks.

No longer. Now they were being turned away one right after the other. Satoko watched the merchants get gruff and unfriendly when they saw her kids in their grey uniforms. She saw the furrowed brows and whispers going on. She saw it out.

And the sad part was that this wasn’t the first time this had happened. It had been the same at the Human Village, in the weeks leading up to their eventual banning from entering.

Satoko wanted to go right up to those merchants and give them a piece of her mind. In fact, she had done just that the first time around. It hadn’t helped, and had only sped up their banishment, but someone had to say something.

However, now she knew better. Going after the locals would only be attacking the symptoms. She needed to go right after the cause.

She still had some friends in the Human Village. Not many, but they slipped her news of the comings and goings. And they had let her know that a certain someone was going to be making a rare trip outside the walls to this particular market today. He didn’t do that often, so she had made sure to schedule the orphanage’s trip for today.

Satoko let her eyes unfocus and drift over the crowd, not zeroing in on anyone in particular while taking note of anything that stood out.

Then she saw him.

Across the sea of stalls, wares, and faces, a short man with dark, curling hair and a protruding belly was walking around the stalls that specialized in sweets and snacks, eyeing the merchandise without ever actually buying anything. Not that he needed to, as one of the bakers had already given him a large honeycake to munch on for free. He was dressed in a dark blue robe and had on a tall, white hat trimmed with gold lace, one that was specifically tailored to hide the ever-increasing bald spot on the top of his head. Accompanying him were four guards who were considerably younger and more fit than the ones who had shown up to escort the children.

Satoko pursed her lips. Then she walked over to Mokou.

For her part, Mokou was staying in the shadows of one of the tents, out of sight. By the look of things she had also noticed how everything seemed off, and was probably thinking of doing something about it.

“Hey,” she said as Satoko approached. “Things usually this, ah, tense?”

Satoko shook her head. “It’s been getting worse, but no. This is new.”

“Want me to do something about it?”

“Not unless someone actually threatens the kids. We might have to leave early regardless. However, I might just have enough time to see to the root cause.” Satoko pointed.

Mokou peered over the heads of the crowd to see what she was pointing at. “Ah. Got it.” She smiled. “Well, go and kick his ass. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

Nodding her thanks, Satoko headed off to take care of business.

If she was spotted approaching, no doubt the entire entourage would make a hasty exit. So she ducked away from the main market lane and snuck behind the tents and stalls. No one paid her much heed as she hurried along, her head and shoulders bowed low.

Sure enough, when she did step back onto the main lane, her target had his back to her. He was speaking with a man and a woman that looked like they were farmers, no doubt to “hear” their concerns about something or another and offer up pretty words of sympathy and empty promises. What was more, his guards were mostly paying attention to the couple, and had not seen her yet.

Good.

The short man patted the taller farmer on the shoulder and said something. The two farmers bowed low and started to walk away, still nibbling on his cake

Seeing her chance, Satoko strode forward and called out, “Master Sonozika!”

Master Gendou Sonozika, the Leader of the Human Village and, by extension, the rest of Gensokyo’s Human population, instinctively turned toward her. When he saw who it was, his doughy face, already shining with sweat, turned pale, and the cake fell out of his hands. He started to turn away to bustle out of sight.

Oh, no he didn’t.

“Master Sonozika, wait!” Satoko called as she quickened her pace. Immediately Gendou Sonozika’s guards placed themselves between him and her, hands on the hilts of their swords.

However, Satoko was not to be deterred so easily. “Master Sonozika, I have been trying to gain an audience with you for months!” she called over the large men’s shoulders. “You’re not going to duck me any further!”

“I’m busy!” he shouted over his shoulder. “I’m a very busy man, so you can just wait your turn like everyone-”

“You coward!” Satoko shouted.

The general hubbub of the market had lowered when Satoko had first started shouting. This killed the rest entirely, as everyone, purveyor and purchaser alike, all turned to stare at the drama unfolding. Those who knew who Satoko was and why she was directly calling out the Human Leader in public were as entranced as the children were with the storyteller’s tale at the other end of the market, while those who didn’t were watching with both confusion and interest, eager to see what the fuss was all about.

As for Master Sonozika, he froze in mid-step. He was a lot of things, but thick-skinned was not one of them. Satoko knew enough about him through their increasingly infrequent dealings to know how much he hated being embarrassed, especially in front of everyone.

Sure enough, when he slowly turned toward her, his sweaty and pasty face had now turned bright red with indignation.

“Excuse me?” he said.

“You heard me!” Satoko called back. “Are you really so scared of an aging woman trying to take care of a bunch of parentless children that you won’t even hear her out?”

The shade of Gendou’s face darkened, and he looked about ready to order her to be carried off. But then he glanced at what was happening around him.

The onlookers were starting to whisper amongst themselves, and Satoko found that she was able to tell who was from the Human Village and who dwelt in one of the smaller settlements. By and large, those who hailed from the species’ capital looked annoyed by the insult. How dare she, they were no doubt thinking. How dare she openly insult the Leader like that? She knew well why he was refusing to speak with her. She had his answer, she knew why, so she ought to just accept it with grace!

But those who lived outside of the Human Village’s walls were of a different sort of mind. She saw several disapproving glances and scowls directed toward Master Sonozika as well. The last few years had brought along several changes to how the Humans interacted with their neighbors, and not all were in agreement. It was a little ironic, in that those who were most frequently at the mercy of Gensokyo’s wild denizens and thus were susceptible to various superstitions were actually less controlled by the fear of them. Sure, many of them could get on board with the strict anti-youkai rhetoric Master Sonozika often spouted. Even Satoko had found herself hard pressed to disagree, considering that her life was devoted to protecting the victims of youkai attacks. But what many of them could never understand is why that rhetoric extended to those victims.

Regardless, the challenge had been thrown down, and now everyone was watching. Gendou’s guards could stop Satoko from physically reaching him, but there was no blocking her words.

Gendou bristled, but he managed to refrain from lashing out. “Fine,” he growled. “But not here.” He pointed toward a nearby tent. “There.”

He stomped toward the tent, and thankfully the guards moved to let Satoko through. Sighing with nervous relief, she hurried after him, with the guards taking position outside the entrance.

Inside the tent several middle-aged men were sitting in a circle, playing a game that involved tossing several multi-colored clumps of herbs into a fire and taking bets on which color the resulting puff of smoke would take. They looked up in irritation as Master Sonozika and Satoko entered.

“Hey, this is a private-” one of them started to say, but then the words caught in his throat when he recognized the intruder. “Oh. Uh, M-Master Sonozika! This is an-”

“Out!” Master Sonozika barked.

He didn’t need to tell them twice. The group hastily obeyed, taking their herbs and money with them but leaving the fire. Master Sonozika sighed and extended his hand toward the flame. A bubble of condensed vacuum shot from his fingers to envelop the fire, swallowing all of the oxygen and snuffing it out. It then filled with the resulting cloud of smoke and rose up through the hole in the ceiling, leaving nothing but smoldering embers.

“All right, woman,” Master Sonozika growled as he sat down across from the fire’s remains. “You have your audience, waste of time though it may be. Say your piece so we can both go back to where we belong.”

Satoko was a very patient and very tolerant woman. One didn’t devote one’s life to looking after so many children without building up a healthy reserve of both. But there were certain attitudes for which she had neither. “You haven’t even heard what I want to say,” she said.

“Why should I?” Master Sonozika demanded. “I already know what it is. You want permission to move your entire orphanage inside the Human Village’s walls. And I already told you that we simply do not have-”

“You’ve expanded the Village’s borders twice in the last five years,” Satoko interrupted. “Twice! And I happen to know for a fact that the Human Village’s population growth isn’t anywhere near large enough to justify all that space.”

“It’s not just space, and do not interrupt me again if you want this conversation to continue,” Master Sonozika warned. “It’s also a matter of resources. If I recall, you’re looking after, what, nineteen of them?”

“Eighteen,” Satoko corrected.

“Eighteen then. Plus you, plus your…associates. That’s over twenty bodies, over twenty hungry mouths, all thrown into our community all at once!”

Satoko sighed. “I’m not asking you to feed them,” she said, though yes, that would have been appreciated. “We get by on our own, and can keep doing so. I’m just asking that you allow us the protection that literally everyone else gets. These children are the only ones that aren’t allowed in! Why? We’d been talking for years about moving the orphanage into the Village, but all of a sudden you just shut that down, refuse to let them even come in to visit, and won’t even see me to tell me why!”

Master Sonozika’s sagging jowls clenched up. “Do not presume to speak to me in such-”

“It was your idea! You were the one to suggested bringing the Children’s Home into the Village, remember? You told me that it was your responsibility to look after all Humans, especially youkai victims! What changed, Gendou? What changed?”

To this, Master Sonozika said nothing. He just glared.

“It was that man, isn’t it?” Satoko said.

There was a pause, and then Gendou said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I knew it,” Satoko sighed. “Ever since he showed up with his angry ideas and angry religion-”

“The Human Village opens its arms to all faiths!” Master Sonozika said. “Even the strange ones from the Outside!”

“So do I! One of them works at the orphanage, and you won’t find a kinder, more gentle soul! But the version spoken of by that man Skinner, all this talk of curses and taints and judgments, how can that be good?”

“Nathaniel Skinner has been nothing but a boon to the Human Village,” Master Sonozika said primly. “We may not share the same, ah, theologies, but I trust his judgment.”

“His judgment? That children that have lost their families to youkai attacks are somehow cursed? That letting them in the Village will spread this supposed curse?”

“Youkai are wily beasts,” Master Sonozika said in a prim tone. “You ought to know, you practically live among them.”

Satoko nearly snapped at him about how not all youkai were malicious monsters, that many were at worse just playful and mischievous, that many were in fact quite benevolent, but she didn’t. What good would it do to someone as pigheaded as Gendou Sonozika? “And one would think that someone who-” she stopped herself half-a-second before the word fear slipped from her tongue, “mistrusts youkai as you would be more sympathetic to their victims,” she said instead. “Most of these children lost their families to youkai attacks. You ought to be protecting them, to be sheltering them, not casting them out! How can you claim to protect Humans from the threat of youkai if you won’t lift a finger to help their most obvious victims?”

Anger flared up in Gendou Sonozika’s beady little eyes. “By reminding myself that I am responsible for Humanity as a whole, and not just a small handful. Sometimes, a limb must be lopped off to prevent the spread of infection. It is regrettable, yes, but I serve the greater good, and in service of that good, sometimes sacrifices must be made.”

Satoko Yume was not a violent person. Oh, she was not afraid to fight when provoked, and few things were more provoking than threatening the safety of her kids, but she was not given to violent urges. But she had never wanted to ball her fingers into a fist and thrust that first into the infuriating face of another Human more than she did at that moment in time.

She didn’t, though less out of principle and more out of the knowledge that doing so would only make things worse for her and her family. So instead, she yanked back on all of that anger, keeping it from bursting out, and reformed it, molding it from a red-hot explosion of fury into something sharper, something more focused, turning the flame into venom.

“It has been my experience,” Satoko said, lacing every syllable with that venom. “That those who speak of the necessity of making sacrifices never think to include themselves as possible sacrifices. Only others.”

“Satoko, do not-”

“And what if it was your family, your children, that was afflicted with this curse, this taint? Would you be so quick to sacrifice them as well?”

Gendou Sonozika abruptly stood up. “Enough,” he growled.

Satoko was on her feet as well, but a moment later she realized that one word was more than just a command, it was a signal to the guards waiting outside, because moments later she felt thick, strong hands wrap themselves around her slender biceps.

Still, she didn’t break gaze with the Human Leader, and though it was childish, she did take some small petty pleasure over how much he had to incline his head to meet her gaze.

“This conversation,” he seethed through clenched teeth, “is over. The answer is no, and it’s always going to be no. Do not waste my time again.”

A few seconds ticked by, and then Satoko bowed her head. “Of course,” she said. “My…apologies.” She stared at the smear of honey still on his upper lip. “I can, of course, see how valuable your time is.”

…

“Look at this, my sweet little thing,” the shrouded woman cooed. From within her cloak she withdrew a necklace. Its centerpiece was a clear crystal in the shape of a teardrop set in a cage made from loops of gold. “The secret to eternal life.”

Rumia quirked an eyebrow. The necklace was certainly pretty, but that was quite the claim. She glanced over to Kohta, who looked just as incredulous as she was, and then to Keine, who seemed a little more interested.

Kana, however, was absolutely fascinated. “Oh, is that so?” she said. “It’s so pretty!”

“Ah, it is, isn’t it?” The shrouded woman’s hand gently ran over the golden crystal, caressing its facets. “But its value lies not in its beauty, but in what it provides! Life after death, for as long as you like.”

“Wait, hold up,” Kohta said. “You just said that this thing’ll give us eternal life. Now you’re saying that we’ll dies anyway?”

The shrouded woman shrugged. “What is death, but a natural transition from one state of being to another? When our bodies expire, our souls depart for the River Suzune to be taken to be judged. But what if they didn’t? What if, after leaving our bodies, we could stay? Thinks about it. You’d never have to leave your friends, never have to worry about getting sick or growing old. You would get to be good little girls and good little boys. Forever.”

“As ghosts,” Rumia said flatly.

Melissa shot her a confused look. “I am…sorry. I do not know this word. What is…ghosts?”

“Really, Melissa? Out of all the words…” Rumia sighed. “Um, ghosts. You know, souls of dead people walking around.” She wiggled her fingers in the air. “Ooooooooooo!”

Melissa’s eyes widened. “Oh! El fantasma! These are…” Her face scrunched up as she mentally searched for the right word. “These are real here?”

Kohta rolled his eyes.

“Real?” For a second the shrouded lady dropped her weird, singsong way of talking and just sounded confused. “Of course they’re real. My grandma used to have to clear the damned things out of her cellar all the time. Why wouldn’t they be real?”

“For shit’s sake,” Kohta muttered.

“She’s…from the Outside World,” Rumia told her. “I guess they don’t have ghosts there.”

“We…We do!” Melissa said, albeit a bit defensively. “But mostly in, um, what is the word, stories, right?”

“Right.”

“Yes, in stories! I have never seen them though.”

“Yeah, well, you’re lucky then. Seriously though, who would want to be a ghost? They just wander around annoying people. Which, okay, would be fun for like a week, but after that…”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kana mused. “It seems like a fine time!

“Ah! But you see, that this the genius of this magic crystal. For most ghosts are merely wicked spirits that refused to cross the River Suzune and thus degraded, losing all sense of who and what they were. Who would want to go on such a state?”

“Not all of them,” Keine said. “Poltergeists don’t.”

“Polter-what?” Melissa said.

“Keine, seriously?” Kohta said.

“You understand!” The shrouded lady jabbed a finger at Keine and cackled. “Yes, poltergeists keep their shape, their names, and their memories. But they are mere shades, copies of those who have passed! The souls have still passed on.” She lovingly pressed the crystal against her cheek and sighed. “But with this…with this, you need not fear this at all! With this enchantment, a poltergeist will still be created from your death, yes, but it will contain your soul! The two will remain one forever and ever, and you will never-”

“-ever come near these kids again if you know what’s good for you,” growled Miss Mokou as she seized the shrouded lady by the back of her cloak and lifted her high into the air with one hand. “Because if you do, you’re gonna find out just how well that little bauble of yours works. And given the quality of most of the crap around here, I don’t think that’s a die you wanna throw. Got it?”

Rumia, Kohta, and Keine all blanched. Where in the hell had she come from? One moment it had just been them, and the next Miss Mokou was simply there, filling the space behind the cloaked woman.

Then Rumia noticed something else out of place. While the woman had first approached them at the opening of the alley, they were now almost all the way down its length. She had been leading them away from the market as they talked, and they hadn’t even noticed. As someone who prided herself in the fine art of trickery, Rumia was both impressed and deeply freaked out.

Judging by the panicked look on the cloaked woman’s face, it was clear that she was just as taken by surprise as they all were. “Let me go!” she squealed as she futilely swung her hands about. “Let me go or I swear-”

Then she caught sight of Miss Mokou’s face. “You!” she gasped.

Miss Mokou’s eyes flashed. And by that, she didn’t just get even more angry. No, they literally flashed, sparks shooting through her maroon corneas like a stone striking flint. “Good, you recognize me,” she said as she gripped the cloaked woman’s face with her other hand, squeezing the cheeks and holding her jaw shut. “Then you probably know the sort of things I’m good at. So I’m gonna give you this one warning: you run off now and never, ever come near any of these kids again, or you get to find out firsthand how true the stories are. Understand?”

The cloaked woman quickly nodded.

Miss Mokou released just a little pressure on her face. “I want to hear you say it.”

“I understand!” the cloaked woman squeaked. “I’ll leave them alone, I swear!”

“Good.” Then Miss Mokou hurled her all the way down the alley. “Now get!”

The cloaked woman hastily gathered herself up and scampered away. Also, she had suddenly lost the hunch in her back and the need for her cane.

Rumia was struck speechless. She knew that that Miss Mokou had a nasty past. She knew that she was probably a scary person. But she had never thought that she was that scary.

The others were just as stunned. And terrified.

Miss Mokou was panting heavily. Not from exertion though. Rather, she seemed to be working very hard to pull something back, as if just scaring that woman had almost let something out, something she had been straining to conceal this whole time.

Rumia exchanged uncomfortable looks with Kohta. Melissa was literally shaking in her shoes. Even Kana, who never seemed to be on the same page as anyone, was cowering behind Kohta.

As for Keine, she nervously cleared her throat and ventured with, “Uh, M-Miss Mokou…”

Miss Mokou held up a palm, stopping her. She straightened up and squeezed her eyes shut. Every muscle in her body went tense.

Rumia involuntarily braced herself.

But then Miss Mokou relaxed. She let out the breath she had been holding in a long, belabored sigh. She didn’t open her eyes though. “Okay,” she said, her voice calm but incredibly scary. “Now, whose dumbass idea was it to separate from the rest of the group and go off with the creepy old lady and potentially end the day baked into a pie crust?”

Rumia reflexively started to raise her hand, as did Kohta and Keine. But Kana suddenly stepped forward. “It was me,” she admitted.

Rumia stared at her in surprise, and she wasn’t the only one. Even Miss Mokou seemed taken back by Kana’s sudden bout of lunacy.

“She said she knew how to make someone live forever,” Kana said. “And, well, with all the things I’ve been hearing about how the youkai have us marked, I thought…” She scuffed the ground with her shoe. “Well, I thought…”

All of the anger went out of Miss Mokou’s face. “Oh, for the love of-” Then she sighed and knelt down in front of Kana. Placing a hand on the blonde girl’s shoulder, Miss Mokou said, “Look, Kana. You’re going to hear people say a lot of things, and most of it is totally stupid. I’ve heard people talk too, about how just because youkai got your families it means that you are somehow tainted. And guess what? It’s all bullshit, a dumb story made up by dumb people. There are dangerous youkai out there, yes, but they’re after any of you more than anyone else. Even the meanest, nastiest ones are just looking for an easy meal, and they won’t bother you if you stay where it’s safe.”

Kana looked less than reassured. “Okay. But-”

“Also, if someone starts talking to you about living forever, that’s a sure sign that they’re full of crap,” Miss Mokou continued. “Ninety-nine percent of the time it’s just some obvious scam that ends up getting some overconfident fool killed anyway while the person who sold it to them runs away laughing. And even in the one percent of times that it’s legit…” The muscles in Miss Mokou’s jaw tightened. “Well. Living forever isn’t like the stories made it out to be.”

“But dying is worse!” Kana blurted out. “You can be the best person ever, you can take care of yourself and do everything healthy, but you still die, and then everyone you love is left alone! How is that fair?”

Miss Mokou sighed. “It ain’t. None of it is. But neither is being the one left alone after everyone you love is gone.” She took Kana by the hand. “Come on, kids. Forget this nonsense about living forever, and for the love of all that is sane, if you’re worried about dying, then don’t follow creepy freaks into alleys! That’s like one of the first rules about self-preservation, which is something you all could stand to have a little more of.”

…

Joshua Stump looked at the list in his hand. Haruhi was taking care of food, Mokou was supposed to be handling the fabrics, so he had been given responsibility of the odds and ends.

And there were quite a few. They needed nails, paint, more lumber, as well as cigarettes for Mokou. He couldn’t stand the smell of the things and didn’t know why she liked them so much, but that was her business, and as far as he was concerned she had earned the right to her vices.

As Joshua wandered the stalls, he took a turn that brought him through a sort of alleyway between two tents. And as he did, he found himself running into the principle reason for his dislike of tobacco.

He smelled him before he saw him, the thick, cloying scent of cigar smoke mixed with the sickly sweet stench of patchoulis, with just a hint of sweat. It was a bizarre mixture, and not in the slightest bit pleasant.

Joshua winced. He knew that he ought not shun another brother in Christ, especially considering how few of them there were in Gensokyo, but there was something about Nathaniel Skinner that made him profoundly uncomfortable.

Then a heavy hand sheathed in a thick leather glove clapped him on the shoulder. “Ah, brother Joshua!” Skinner said in his deep, smooth voice. “I was hoping to see you here.”

Sighing, Joshua turned around.

Nathaniel Skinner was, like Joshua, an Outsider, someone who had been born outside of Gensokyo only to later wander in and become stuck. He was a white man from America apparently, one that would have been considered noticeably tall back home, but here, where the average height was several centimeters shorter, he towered over everyone. He had a thick, golden beard, a ruddy complexion, and piercing blue eyes that he had recently taken to shrouding with a pair of round-lensed sunglasses. As always, he was wearing a long, brown trench coat; brown gloves, a brown hat with a wide brim; thick brown boots; a white shirt; and blue jeans. Around his neck hung a large silver crucifix, though unlike Joshua’s this one was not empty and a tiny Jesus hanging suspended from it, his arms outstretched and his face twisted into a cry of pure agony. One gloved hand was clutching it tightly.

“Nathaniel,” Joshua said with as much warmth as he could muster.

Skinner smiled. “Brother Nathaniel,” he corrected. “That is what we are, is we not?”

He moved to embrace Joshua. Joshua, who had been anticipating this, tolerated and returned the gesture.

“Of course,” Joshua said. “So, what brings you here? You’re not usually one to go to market.”

Skinner placed his hands on his hips and sighed. “No, I’m not. Actually, I rarely leave the Human Village these days.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Have you?” Skinner reached up with one hand and took off his sunglasses, revealing his pale blue eyes. Joshua frankly wished that he had left them on. “I imagine you’ve been hearing some other things as well.”

Joshua shrugged. “Well, I heard you’ve become very close with Master Sonozika. He seems to value your opinion.”

Tapping his folded-up sunglasses against his palm, Skinner glanced out through the alley at the people. “Well, yes. Gendou is…a surprisingly smart man for someone native to this…this place. Very perceptive. That’s why I’m here, actually. He asked me to accompany him, to take a look at things and offer my…opinion.”

“Oh? Looking to spread the good news, then?”

Skinner’s brow furrowed up in puzzlement. “Pardon?”

“The good news,” Joshua repeated. “Of Jesus Christ.”

There was a pause, and then Skinner put his sunglasses back on. “Oh. Of course. Always.” He glanced back at the crowd and sighed. “Walk with me, Brother Joshua.”

The two Outsiders moved away from the bustle of the crowd. As they did, Skinner said, “Have you given any thought to my suggestions?”

Joshua sighed. “You mean, leave the orphanage, move into the Village, be part of your, um, your…”

“Church,” Skinner said. “Fellowship. Brotherhood.”

“Right. That.”

“There are so few Christians here in this…this forsaken country. We need to stick together, you know. Safety in numbers. And strength.”

Safety. Strength. Words of a threatened man. “I see.”

“I’ve been slowly building a congregation there. Most don’t want to hear the Gospel. They keep to their backwater superstitions and shut out the Word.”

“Well, it’s hard to blame them,” Joshua said. “I mean, you call them superstitions, but when you can actually go up to one of their gods and introduce yourself…”

Skinner came to an abrupt stop.

“Theirs gods…” Skinner repeated in disbelief. “There is one God, Brother Joshua. Only one.”

Joshua sighed. “Of course.”

“These spirits of theirs, these gods and fairies and youkai…you know, there is a word for a spirits not aligned with the Father.”

Maybe so, but it did seem that most of the local “demons” did more to help the orphanage than the actual Humans. Donations and other forms of support from the Human Village had been on a steep decline over the last few years. Right.

“You would do well to remember that,” Skinner continued. “That’s why I think you ought to join me. I worry about you, you know. You are often in my prayers.”

The opposite was true as well, though Joshua doubted that Skinner’s prayers for him used the same language.

“Oh?” Joshua said.

Skinner nodded. “Having someone as strong in their faith as you around would be…be helpful, yes, but you live so far out in the Wilds, out in those savage and untamed lands, with so many wicked spirits about. It’s dangerous, Brother Joshua. The Human Village…” He shrugged. “Well, it’s not exactly Philadelphia, but it’s the best that this godforsaken place has. Out there…you never know when the demonic forces might come calling.”

Right. It was time to stop beating around the bush. “Well now, as it so happens, Satoko’s been pushing to move the orphanage inside the Village,” Joshua said. “You know, she believes as you do, that it’s just too dangerous to have all those children so far from civilization.” He smiled. “Unfortunately, she hasn’t had much success with that, but seeing how Master Sonozika seems to value you advice so much, perhaps you could put in a word for her?”

As predicted, Skinner was less than enthused by the suggestion. “And bring those children,” he said, staring.

“Yes.”

“Inside the Village.”

“Uh, yes. That would be the point.”

Skinner slowly shook his head. “Brother Joshua, I was referring to you specifically.”

Joshua finally let some of the anger he had felt building seep into his voice and countenance. “You know I’m not going to do that, Nathaniel. I’m not leaving those children.”

Skinner scowled from behind his glasses. “Your compassion for them is…well, it’s admirable I suppose, but-”

“Look. Nathaniel. Let’s speak plainly, all right? I know there’s been talk about curses and taints and other such nonsense about those who’ve had any sort of dealings with youkai. I know people have started to call the kids, oh what was it, youkai-touched? And it isn’t exactly much of a secret that you’re at the center of it. Now, I have devoted my life to helping take care of those children in any way I can, and if you and Sonozika are bound and determined to keep them exiled out in the Wilds, then I’m staying there with them.”

Skinner sucked in air through his teeth. “That is…well, it’s a mite disappointing, I won’t lie.”

“If memory serves, Jesus was pretty specific about what He thought of those who would turn children away,” Joshua pointed out.

Then Skinner’s scowl darkened into outright hostility. “If memory serves, He was also pretty specific of the ultimate fate of heathens and heretics, children and adult alike! Were the children of Jericho spared? Or those of the Egyptians?”

“That’s enough, Skinner,” Joshua said flatly. He turned to walk away. “I’m not having this conversation anymore.”

“Close your ears and your eyes all you want!” Skinner shouted. “But you’re still-”

“So, hey,” Mokou said as she walked up to the two men. “What’s the big commotion over here?”

Joshua nearly stumbled. With her bright red suspenders and the charms tied into her hair, Mokou didn’t exactly blend in, but he hadn’t even heard her approach. How did she do that?

And yet here she was, hands in her pockets as she calmly surveyed the scene. Hanging back a ways behind her were five of the children, specifically Rumia Yagami, Kohta Momori, Keine Kamishirasawa, Kana Anaberal, and Melissa Garcia.

Skinner, it should be noted, nearly leapt right out of his coat when she appeared. “And who is this?” he demanded.

Joshua cleared his throat. “Um, this is Fujiwara no Mokou. Our cook.”

“Your…cook. Hmmm.” Skinner looked Mokou up and down. Mokou was tall for a Japanese woman, and over most crowds, but Skinner was a full head taller than even she. And yet, now that Joshua saw them standing next to one another, it didn’t seem that way. “Well, that’s appropriate I guess, but why is she wearing pants and a man’s shirt?”

Mokou quirked an eyebrow. “Tough talk from a guy dressed like a literal pile of crap. Josh, who’s this joker?

The rational part of Joshua told him to hustle Mokou away before the two came to blows, while the rest was curious to see how that would turn out. “Mokou, this is, uh, Nathaniel Skinner. He, uh, from the Human Village, and-”

“No. I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of the United States of America!” Skinner snapped, though he kept his focus on Mokou. “But I don’t expect you to know any of that!”

Mokou shrugged. “Well, goody for you. I’m from the Fujiwara estate of the Kansai region, but I don’t expect you to know any of that. So now that we know each other’s names and agree that neither of us knows or cares where the other is actually from, why exactly are you bothering my friend for?”

Skinner turned to Joshua. “Is she…accustomed to intruding upon men’s conversations?”

“Hey.” Mokou snapped her fingers in Skinner’s ear. “Jackass. I’m right here. You can talk to me directly.”

Skinner shook his head. “Brother Joshua, I’m disappointed. You used to be a smart man, but now look at the kind of company you keep. I pray that God opens your eyes one of these days, before it’s too late.” Then, without another word, he turned and stormed.

Joshua and Mokou watched him storm off.

“Charming fellow,” Mokou wryly remarked. “Friend of yours?”

“Once,” Joshua admitted.

“Oh yeah? When was that?”

“Oh, about seventeen years ago, when we first came to Gensokyo.” Joshua shook his head. “I’m…sorry about that. He was always, ah, troubled, and relied on his faith for control.”

“Oh yeah? How’d that work out?”

Joshua thought for a moment, and then admitted, “With mixed results.”

“Sounds like the former’s informing the latter now.”

“I don’t disagree. He didn’t use to be this, ah, zealous, but ever since he came to Gensokyo, he’s…changed.”

“Well, if the stories I’ve heard are true, he’s also been busy changing everyone else,” Mokou said, folding her arms. “I guess he’s the one to blame for all the trouble we’ve been having with the Human Village?”

Joshua winced. “Yes, I think so.”

“Hmmm.” Mokou didn’t comment much past that, but the look she gave him spoke volumes. This conversation wasn’t over, that much was for certain.

Then, from where they were still standing, Rumia suddenly started jumping up and down and waving her hand. “Uh, Mr. Joshua? Miss Mokou? Hello!”

The urgency in her voice drew their attention immediately. The children were all focused on something happening in the market. Rumia was jumping up and down as she waved them over.

“Uh, some of the kids just got into a fight!” she said. “And it looks crazy!”

…

Well, this one was a bitch.

Until next time, everyone.

#touhou project #touhou #fanfic #rumia #fujiwara no mokou #imperfect metamorphosis

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