Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
YOU ARE THE REASON
One Nice Bug Per Day
Cookie Run:Kingdom Official!
occasionally subtle
gracie abrams
hello vonnie
Show & Tell
h
EXPECTATIONS
shark vs the universe
$LAYYYTER
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
Game Changer & Make Some Noise
titsay
noise dept.
art blog(derogatory)
Noah Kahan
d e v o n
Not today Justin
seen from India
seen from United States
seen from Hungary
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Indonesia
seen from Albania
seen from Türkiye
seen from Suriname
seen from Colombia
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from Malaysia
seen from Uruguay
seen from Germany
seen from Mexico
seen from United States
seen from India
seen from Philippines
@eldestnumeral-blog
Sorry for the delay in replies!!
My laptop is being fixed so I’m mobile bound which doesn’t make for good roleplay format.
I’ll be back ASAP! I haven’t forgotten you guys!
Reblogging here also so you guys know. I'll be back soon!
eldestnumeral started following you!
“That game was too easy, it was barely even fun!” Tron whined, preparing to set out the door. “Buuuut, it does sound nice to try a new game out~”
Walking ahead of his son, Tron put his arms out and starting to move around energetically. He was excited to get a new game, and didn’t particularly care if he was forcing V to go with him to get one. He was bored and really needed something to do.
Sometimes when they were out, people seemed to give Tron strange looks… since well, anyone could admit he was a tad off looking. A child in such formal clothing, wearing a mask. It didn’t help that neither him nor Chris looked like they were from Heartland. But Tron didn’t mind, he payed no mind to other people.
“You lead the way, actually. I have no clue on where I’m going.” Tron went behind V, waiting for him to lead.
"Maybe you'd like something a bit more challenging, then?" replied Chris, taking the lead when Tron fell behind him and beginning to lead them from the house. He wondered briefly where his brothers were. It seemed that despite the blanket statement of them being a 'family', Chris had taken on the responsibility on caring for Tron.
When did the roles reverse, Father?
A long sigh escaped him and he paused near the front door. "Would you like to walk or drive?" he asked, fingers near his pocket in preparation to fetch his keys. Being Tron's driver was just one of the many tasks he'd grown to accept - deciding that he needed to be a caretaker for his father. How pathetic, really. Were Chris to think about it in full, there was a deep resentment beginning to form.
eldestnumeral started following you!
Chris glanced up from his book, sliding the faded and worn bookmark between the folds of the pages and closing it. He tucked it under his arm and turned to his father, scanning over his features for a brief moment before he gave a slow nod. There were several things the cold do - productive things - yet V knew that with all this stress, it was best if Tron did something that would stimulate him and amuse him.
“What would you like to do?” he asked. “Watch movies? Go out?”
It felt like babysitting. It nearly was. Between his brothers and his father, Chris felt like they only one who was really an adult.
Typical.
Putting one finger on his lip, Tron loudly made noises as he was thinking. It wasn’t hard to tell that Tron was a difficult person to deal with, and V was the one who ended up taking care of him the most. Not that the child cared if he was putting his son out or not.
“Movies… nah, too dull! And there would be so many people there… let’s just go out~ and walk around~” He smiled, jumping up and down rather hyper-actively.
Usually Tron would calm down after doing something he wanted to do… that, or he would get worse. It was a gamble for Tron to find something he really liked… besides cartoons, cake, and games. “I don’t know Heartland all that well though.”
Chris nodded and placed his book down on one of the tables. If Tron wanted to go out he'd need to make sure that his brothers wild behave for the day... No, they'd be fine. They weren't children anymore. They could take care of themselves. Chris glanced down at his father and offered a small smile. He always did - as if maybe one day Byron would be smiling back. He was tired and worn, having played the role of father for too long to his brothers and now to his own flesh and blood parents. Still... he'd failed, hadn't he? No, those thoughts needed to be set side for now.
"We could head toward the mall. Maybe get you a new game. You beat your last one, right?"
When they were out in public there were always odd stares. Chris had come to ignore them, though there were times it got to him. Time where he felt... ashamed to be seen. Many people asked if Tron was his son. Why the mask? Was he just playing?
Chris sighed to himself. Hopefully it would be a quiet day.
eldestnumeral started following you!
Getting up from his chair after finishing watching his favorite cartoon, Tron quickly opened the door to the exit and saw V standing there.
Wondering why he was standing there, the braided child went over towards him and poked his eldest son. “V! I’m bored, my cartoon is over! Do something!” Usually Tron wasn’t this selfish or needy, but at times, he would become this way when overly stressed. And of course it was taken out on the most dependable of the brothers… V himself.
Chris glanced up from his book, sliding the faded and worn bookmark between the folds of the pages and closing it. He tucked it under his arm and turned to his father, scanning over his features for a brief moment before he gave a slow nod. There were several things the cold do - productive things - yet V knew that with all this stress, it was best if Tron did something that would stimulate him and amuse him.
"What would you like to do?" he asked. "Watch movies? Go out?"
It felt like babysitting. It nearly was. Between his brothers and his father, Chris felt like they only one who was really an adult.
Typical.
ooc; small delay in replies
I will be getting to everyone. Work was pretty hectic and I’m going away for (Canadian) Thanksgiving. Replies might be as late as Monday but I’m going to try and get them out before then.
Thank you!
V heard the faint voice and glanced upward to catch a sight he didn’t think he’d ever see. Haruto, no longer seemingly emotionally dead, waving at him and calling for him. It was touching that he recalled memories of his time with the family, though was he aware of the circumstances under which he’d left? How… how everything had fallen apart?
What about what he and his family had done to the innocent boy?
V lifted a hand and waved back eagerly. It would be nice to speak to him, maybe repair what was damaged. It would certainly be nice to be on speaking terms with at least one member of the Tenjo family. His smile, though small, was genuine while he gazed up through the window.
Haruto. Someone he had a desire to aid and cherish - when had all that changed? When had he stopped caring?
Haruto grinned when he saw Chris waving back to him, and decided to go outside. He wanted to greet the man properly and maybe talk to him a bit about everything and ask some of his doubts.
It was good to see that Chris was still the same he met. Even not being so close of the long-haired as his brother was, the child still had some few memories of the gentle mentor of Kaito. Then, why he just disappeared? Why his brother never told anything about him?
Once he was there, Haruto gently smiled, hiding his confusion.
“How are you, Chris? Are you busy? I never heard anything about you since a long time.”
V found his fingers absently fiddling with the end of his braid, a habit he'd taken to doing again since waking from their unfortunate state. It was easier to tame this way. Yet the movement was unlike him. He was so strangely nervous to face Haurto again. Yet the boy's face was warm and open, and seemed so hauntingly like Kaito's back before he'd left. Since then Kaito was closed off. Hard. It was nearly heartbreaking to see the wide, gentle eyes grow cold and stern.
Yet the love for Haruto had never changed, that much was clear. But once tenderness had become fear and agony. Were things better now? He wondered.
"Things have been busy," V replied. Chris. Haruto was calling him Chris. "You look good." He hesitated a moment and soon reached a hand out to ruffle the boy's hair lightly. "I'm doing very well."
“Dying is effortless,” he replied in a tone that indicated he was dropping the subject at that. There was no sense in grinding on Kaito’s nerves to get answers the younger one had no intentions of giving. He motioned with one hand for Kaito to follow while he headed off down the street, only stopping to check over his shoulder that he was indeed following.
“Orbital worries, as he should. You were never one to take the concerns of others seriously.” The comment is nearly flippant. “Sorry. It’s your life.” Kaito was no longer a teen, he was an adult. He could make his own choices and take on his own responsibilities.
“Do you still enjoy coffee? I know a place.”
Kaito grimaced at the comment. Effortless indeed, all he had to do was sit back and watch as his life deteriorated before his own eyes. To put it eloquently, it sucked.
He let the comment roll off his back as he had to most others in the past. It was true, and he didn’t need concern. Only results. That was when the useful stuff happened. Anything else was secondary.
“I switched to hot chocolate a while back since coffee… well, stunts growth.”
Stunts growth. Ha. That should be the least of your worries.
"Hot chocolate it is, then." The shop was only a block away which worked in his favour. In truth, V was exhausted, stressed from trying to keep his rather shattered life in order. Bills to pay, work to do, a family to glue together bit by bit... It was taxing and for all it's worth, seemed frivolous in the end. However he couldn't walk away. Not again. Not from his brothers.
The warm smells of ground beans and rich teas flooded V's senses as he stepped into the shop and unzipped his coat. Small, quiet... a good place to talk.
eldestnumeral started following you
Watching from the window, the boy spotted a familiar figure outside. It was a long time since he saw Chris for the last time (at least from what he could remember) but the long white hair didn’t let doubts.
Haruto wanted to ask him a lot of things. What happened during all these times? Why he didn’t receive any news about the man? Something happened between him and Kaito, since he never saw the two together again?
“Hey! Chriiiis!”
But the child just limited in call the other by the window and wave his arm to him.
V heard the faint voice and glanced upward to catch a sight he didn't think he'd ever see. Haruto, no longer seemingly emotionally dead, waving at him and calling for him. It was touching that he recalled memories of his time with the family, though was he aware of the circumstances under which he'd left? How... how everything had fallen apart?
What about what he and his family had done to the innocent boy?
V lifted a hand and waved back eagerly. It would be nice to speak to him, maybe repair what was damaged. It would certainly be nice to be on speaking terms with at least one member of the Tenjo family. His smile, though small, was genuine while he gazed up through the window.
Haruto. Someone he had a desire to aid and cherish - when had all that changed? When had he stopped caring?
“And it pains you doesn’t it?”
Living. Surviving. V was fully aware of Kaito’s decaying body though to what extent he wasn’t certain of. However the thought of Kaito’s body fully decaying is… it’s terrifying for him. Despite the bad blood brewing V still looked back fondly at the memories of them. Of their friendship and the duels and… everything.
Was it possible to fix what had been so horribly broken?
“Would you care to get a drink?” he asked after a few seconds of silence. “You’ve been on your feet all day, haven’t you?” Typical if he had. Surprising if he hadn’t been pushing. And pushing. And pushing.
You’re not bothering to worry about yourself, are you?
“Effortless,” Kaito responded shortly, knowing that V could and would see through the lie. He was as transparent and stubborn as always. Living was hard enough, surviving was tougher. “Orbital’s got me on some pills,” he added afterward, as if it would make a difference.
A drink. Something warm sounded nice right about now. Warm and nothing like the cold Heartland Tower, with it’s harsh fluorescent lights and steel walls, nothing like it’s colourful and bright exterior. Kaito never understood the relation between comfort and hot drinks, but it was always an association he’d made.
“I haven’t, actually. Orbital’s… got me on some kind of bed rest schedule,” Kaito admitted. “I snuck out because he was trying to mother me.” He frowned. He didn’t have one of those anymore, but he didn’t need a clumsy robot to stand in for the real thing.
“But yeah, a drink sounds good.”
"Dying is effortless," he replied in a tone that indicated he was dropping the subject at that. There was no sense in grinding on Kaito's nerves to get answers the younger one had no intentions of giving. He motioned with one hand for Kaito to follow while he headed off down the street, only stopping to check over his shoulder that he was indeed following.
"Orbital worries, as he should. You were never one to take the concerns of others seriously." The comment is nearly flippant. "Sorry. It's your life." Kaito was no longer a teen, he was an adult. He could make his own choices and take on his own responsibilities.
"Do you still enjoy coffee? I know a place."
Right. No sibling talk.
V sighed through his nose and gave himself a moment to pause and reflect on Kaito’s words. Were they looking to move on from what had happened? How did they approach the past and face heir future?
“No.” V shook his head. “I don’t see much of a reason to right now. I’ve been focusing on other things.” Things such as repairing their sill-broken family. Things were still tense and fractured, a situation that was too unstable to risk jostling too much.
“And you? What have you been doing?”
Kaito had to think about that. He had a simple answer. He also had a more convoluted answer. Both weren’t exactly things he liked talking about.
“Breathing, mostly… as people do,” Kaito said as a replacement for something that might otherwise have been taken in a morbid and strange way; he was making sure he was still alive and well.
Was he supposed to tell him about his decaying body? Did he already know long beforehand? What did any of them know anymore… at this point, even that was debatable. Their families, if they could be called such a close-knit word, and their lives were completely different now.
Would their roads merge again even though they had forked too abruptly in the past?
"And it pains you doesn't it?"
Living. Surviving. V was fully aware of Kaito's decaying body though to what extent he wasn't certain of. However the thought of Kaito's body fully decaying is... it's terrifying for him. Despite the bad blood brewing V still looked back fondly at the memories of them. Of their friendship and the duels and... everything.
Was it possible to fix what had been so horribly broken?
"Would you care to get a drink?" he asked after a few seconds of silence. "You've been on your feet all day, haven't you?" Typical if he had. Surprising if he hadn't been pushing. And pushing. And pushing.
You're not bothering to worry about yourself, are you?
V snorted at her last remarks. “IV is a child,” he replied quietly. “He duels for the thrill and victory and nothing more. He has no interest in studying and observing the way I do. Him and your brother remind me of one another. Young and enthusiastic. Childish.” He cocked a brow and allowed his hands to fold over one another on top of the table.
There was something about Akari’s presence that was oddly calming. She didn’t shy away from him or avoid eye contact like others did. Straight-forward, bold… Hmm. He rather liked this girl. Perhaps getting information from her would prove useful. But still. How did one go about… doing that?
He turned over several options carefully about what information was safe to give out and what she might learn on her own. So long as Tron remained safe he was free to twist things how he needed them.
“You may call me Chris,” he said finally. “Or Christopher.” He had no intentions of answering he other question in regards to what this surprise could be.
She was slightly shocked at his willingness to tell her his name. Or what she assumed was his name.
“I’ll assume that’s uh, off the record?”
A cheeky smile crossed her face as she surveyed Chris’s posture and poise. Briefly the thought of Chris being like this for his own gain crossed her mind. What if the politeness, fake name and serious demeanour were just an act. Maybe he was interviewing her as much as she was him… No. Even with all the strange stuff that had been happening, that was too far fetched. He seemed genuine enough.
“Childish personalities seem to do surprisingly well in this game. There’s your brother IV and Tron who act quite immature, Yuuma doesn’t even know what mature means and as much as he’d deny it, Shark’s distant and abrasive personality is childish as well. Sometimes I wonder where calmer, more mature duelists like yourself, Kaito and Droite come from.”
"Let's keep that between us."
He dared a cheeky smile. It looked natural on him despite his fine-cut features that didn't look as if they could be anything but firm and serious. V finished his tea and ran one finger around the lip of the mug, circling the moist edge while he turned over his next move. It was possible to have a life beyond his role to his family, right? This was dangerous territory. His loyalty to Tron was first and foremost, yet he hadn't reached out to form any sort of relationship (romantic or otherwise) since he broke ties off with Kaito.
Even in his own family things weren't friendly. He and his siblings were nothing more than blood-relatives, not friends.
Where did people like he and Kaito come from? Dragged through hell and back, that's where we crawled out of.
It was best if Akari didn't get involved with him and yet selfishly V wanted to see if he could hold a friendship once more. One that would benefit him if it came down to it (if he could get close to Yuma...) and fulfil his social need for human interaction.
"Do you have any other questions for me?"
Did you give her fan service yet? do you need tips?”
“If by fanservice you mean what I think you mean… Then no, I have not yet set her on fire.”
Well, now that was just harsh! What a low blow! Typical Chris though.
Come on Chrissy, don’t let the family down.
“Be quiet, Tommy I don’t have time for you right now.”
Woah, woah! Come on, now! Why did his older brother have to be so rude? IV was just curious, that’s all. Seriously, out of all the people- Chris, had something in his life that wasn’t ‘Tron this, Tron that, family this, and family that’. Hell, IV was actually really surprised!
He huffed, “How many times did I have to say this though, do not call me such a dumb nickname!” He replied back, “I am the Asia Champion! Such an embarrassing nickname would be looked down on.”
He shook his head, and stifled a small sigh of disappointment. It’s been awhile, since… The Arclights were such a family though. Normal family, to be exact. IV felt as if he had been asleep forever [that’s what comas did though, obviously], and he had awoken in a bed by his brothers. A lot of things seemed to be back to normal, but he couldn’t be too sure yet!
He crossed his arms, “So tell me.” He said, “It’s been awhile since the oh-so scary older brother, Chris, actually had a life outside of the family.”
V snapped his book shut and allowed a frustrated sigh to hiss between his teeth. Of course he had a bloody social life beyond their family! It was... no, it wasn't obvious, was it? His entire existence seemed to revolve around Tron and serving him. Hmm. Was that honest surprise in IV's tone? If it was or wasn't, either way it made V's nerves prickle. Things had changed. Tron wasn't his reason to live and breathe.
"You were a champion once but that title's at an end for you. Don't let your ego get to your head." It was cold, even for V. In truth it was the annoyance speaking while V tried to scramble for an answer. How did he finally create a life beyond what he'd known for a few years now?
"Akari is interested in my dueling knowledge and interviewing me. There's not much else you need to concern yourself with." He paused. "And don't go looking for her, either. She's not interested in your fan service," he added with a deadpan expression.
V took the quip well, entertaining the moment to run two fingers through a few misplaced strands of hair. “I’ve thought of shaving it,” he said with a deadpan stare. “But then what would I do with all those conditioner bottles?” His expression changes to one of concern. The recent events are clearly not forgotten.
“Have things been well?” No, the question feels off and foreign on V’s tongue, still. To express remorse and upset over what had happened wasn’t easy for him. Even the off-handed joke felt a bit too stiff and uncomfortable coming from him. The careful persona he’d built up and all the things he’d locked away were heavily clashing.
“Is Haruto - ?” No. It was territory he had no business approaching. “Kaito.”
“We’re not gonna talk about it,” Kaito said, effectively nipping the problem topic before it could grow into something uncomfortable that they both didn’t want. He knew Chris and how cautious he could be, never stumbling into something he couldn’t handle.
Kaito supposed he was the same in some ways, but instead of facing situations calmly, his tongue would turn into a flamethrower.
“No… talk of siblings.” Kaito breathed for a moment, reflecting on just how instructive that sounded. It wasn’t as if he didn’t care, but he didn’t want to get into it. He had a feeling Chris would agree with him.
“Have you…” he searched for something, anything, that would be a better subject than their dysfunctional families. “Have you continued your research?”
Right. No sibling talk. V sighed through his nose and gave himself a moment to pause and reflect on Kaito's words. Were they looking to move on from what had happened? How did they approach the past and face heir future?
"No." V shook his head. "I don't see much of a reason to right now. I've been focusing on other things." Things such as repairing their sill-broken family. Things were still tense and fractured, a situation that was too unstable to risk jostling too much.
"And you? What have you been doing?"
neogalaxysoul started following you
V’s eyes travelled the length of Kaito’s form and he gave a small nod. Approaching his former… friend - no, brother? Friend. Student. Whatever they were then was not what they were now. He did, however, still offer a small smile. A twitch of his lips that went nearly unnoticed even to V himself.
Kaito. It was painful how proud V was of him to this day. How much he admired him for what he’d done.
But those bridges he’d burned…
“You look well.”
“Just fine,” Kaito replied, looking away from his former mentor. He had long ago ditched the term ‘friend’ and instead settled for something that seemed more detached, more distant.
Chris Arclight, the man who taught him everything he knew. Well, not anymore. Now he was just the man who gave him a foundation. He was better now. So much better. So much—
Fuck, he couldn’t do this. Kaito looked up, catching Chris’ eyes for only a brief moment before shooting off to some point over his shoulder, not daring to look directly at him.
“Still over-doing it with the conditioner, I see,” he added, not wanting to leave so soon, yet also not quite wishing to stay.
V took the quip well, entertaining the moment to run two fingers through a few misplaced strands of hair. "I've thought of shaving it," he said with a deadpan stare. "But then what would I do with all those conditioner bottles?" His expression changes to one of concern. The recent events are clearly not forgotten.
"Have things been well?" No, the question feels off and foreign on V's tongue, still. To express remorse and upset over what had happened wasn't easy for him. Even the off-handed joke felt a bit too stiff and uncomfortable coming from him. The careful persona he'd built up and all the things he'd locked away were heavily clashing.
"Is Haruto - ?" No. It was territory he had no business approaching. "Kaito."
“He’s young and enthusiastic, isn’t that enough? He’s young to be in this tournament, so surely he must have some skill. Royga I expected despite his age. Yuma is the wild card. It makes things much more interesting, don’t you think?” With a quick movement of his wrist he held his deck in hand, carefully removing the top card and showing her Planet Pathfinder. “I focus on studying my opponents and learning where to hit for a quick, easy defeat. I dislike being on the receiving end of any damage.”
He tilted his chin downward slightly, studying the planes of her face. “Numbers?” His brows lifted. Interesting. “IV and I use Numbers,” he replied flatly. “As does your brother, if I recall correctly. They’re not rumours.”
He slipped his deck back into his belt and found himself a bit too distracted by his tea cup while she confirmed he could use her first name. Friendly. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this advancement. How did he let her down without flat out saying ‘I apologize but I’m on a revenge quest and I can’t afford to be involved with anyone’? How did IV manage to juggle relationships - no, he didn’t have relationships he had relations.
“Have you spoken to my brother?”
Nodding as she took in the information she made a note to herself about how important what V was saying was. She hadn’t been told to gather any information regarding the Numbers cards themselves but a colleague of hers had. The tough choice would be whether to hand the info on to them or to slip it into her own write-ups. Her fingers began to absent fiddle with the packets of sugar in the ramekin in the middle of the table.
Maybe she’d do both.
‘and as for the rumored ‘Numbers’ cards, I can confirm that they are indeed, not a rumor. V himself has confirmed to me that he, his brother IV and Tsukumo Yuuma will be using the cards in their decks.’
Maybe.
Snapping back into the reality of the situation she took her fingers out of the sugar sachets and sat up straight. She hoped the warmth in her cheeks wasn’t a visible blush.
“Very interesting. I’ve heard Mr Heartland has planned something special for the finals Any thoughts as to what you think it might be?”
Finally she was managing to be semi-professional.
“IV? You should keep a leash on him. All he did was sit there and talk about fanservice while wiggling his eyebrows… I’m sorry… Yes I’ve spoken to him.”
That however, was not professional.
‘Seriously Akari, no matter how nice he is to look at you’re going to scare him off at this rate. YOU HAVE A REPORT TO WRITE ON HIM AND IT IS NOT TO INCLUDE HIS NICE HAIR OR EYES. You’re not even friends. Hell, V’s probably just a stage name.’
V snorted at her last remarks. "IV is a child," he replied quietly. "He duels for the thrill and victory and nothing more. He has no interest in studying and observing the way I do. Him and your brother remind me of one another. Young and enthusiastic. Childish." He cocked a brow and allowed his hands to fold over one another on top of the table.
There was something about Akari's presence that was oddly calming. She didn't shy away from him or avoid eye contact like others did. Straight-forward, bold... Hmm. He rather liked this girl. Perhaps getting information from her would prove useful. But still. How did one go about... doing that?
He turned over several options carefully about what information was safe to give out and what she might learn on her own. So long as Tron remained safe he was free to twist things how he needed them.
"You may call me Chris," he said finally. "Or Christopher." He had no intentions of answering he other question in regards to what this surprise could be.
neogalaxysoul started following you
V's eyes travelled the length of Kaito's form and he gave a small nod. Approaching his former... friend - no, brother? Friend. Student. Whatever they were then was not what they were now. He did, however, still offer a small smile. A twitch of his lips that went nearly unnoticed even to V himself.
Kaito. It was painful how proud V was of him to this day. How much he admired him for what he'd done.
But those bridges he'd burned...
"You look well."
later peasant
V puts his face in his hands for a moment, rubbing his eyes.
"How are we related?"
