Nine Gates, Nine Waits

It made her want to vomit, seeing those eyes. That entire face. That entire slouched body that seemed to cage a soul that didn't deserve the legacy that it had. It sickened her so much she wanted to scream at him. But why even try? Why even try to get him to smile again? He wasn't going to listen to her. What was she going to get by trying to get him to be normal again? Another battle? He's already defeated.

But it's the same defeated look as last time. It's one that she won't take from him.

Fujiko grimaced, before bowing.

"I'm not someone you'd think of talking with, and I'm the last person you'd think of as.. an ally, put in the lightest terms possible. But..." She raised her head and coughed again, "The look on your face... it looks like my father's... Please, I don't care how or when, but I want to know... what kind of person she was."

"I’ve been… holding up… just fine, Ikoi. I don’t know what kind of news you heard, but-“

The words I’m fine stuck in his throat, forcing his jaw shut for the briefest of moments.

"…I manage."

Turning up the collar of his coat, the bladesman shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to amble slowly along the sidewalk, hunched down against the wind. Ironic, that the skies had turned grey with winter’s touch at such a time…

Almost as if the heavens above were mourning her loss.

...or it could be because we've been getting heavy rain forecasts for the last week jeSUS CHRIST YOU SOB SACK GET YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT. Ikoi clenched her hand, as if she was going to throw her cellphone at his head again. But no, he didn't deserve it. He just deserved... to forgive himself or something.

"I didn't want to just say that. O-oi!"

She turned to follow him, keeping pace with him, staying by his side. Nervously, she kept trying to get him to look at her. Waving her arms at his face, but never fully obstructing his path. Never actually touching him.

"Hold on a moment, man!"

"…Ikoi Fujiko. It’s been a while."

The bladesman returned his attention to the set of chinaware on display in the store window. That gold leafed design… little vines, cradling the white background…

Mami would have loved it.

His hand rested gently on the glass, and for a moment he could hear her tinkling laughter on the wind, see the twirl of golden hair in the reflection… and then it was gone, as fleeting as the wind.

"…What do you want?"

nocameranocares-deactivated2021

"Since the tussle? Not much. School's school."

She shuffled up next to him, looking at the... tea stuff? Ick, this is old nonsense. They're knockoffs of English sets, but they're still good enough quality to sell for a decent price. Still, they do look nice.

A cough, dry and forced. "Gonna move back to Tokyo. I'm gonna work part-time here and there when I go to college. Planned it out myself."

She blinked as his hand touched the glass. No way, you're not going sentimental over middle class teacups are you? You've already hit this level of denial or something? It's probably something else. But... ick, it is kinda sick. Deaths kind of do that to other people, apparently.

"I kind of heard the news. I've heard you've been like this for a bit. That you haven't been holding up proper."

allseeingshingantsu

"...oi."

The syllable would've wavered in the air, if the entire atmosphere wasn't deeper than the Marianas and didn't hold more gravity than Alpha Centauri. She wasn't used to it. Ikoi was a talker. She spent the empty time of the atmosphere filling it with her own words. She dominated the sound, she injected her own flair into every second of the world around her, intending to swallow it up and make it her own. Hating to play in someone else's gaming field, hating being ignored.

Granted, every time she tried approaching the monkey it was like a battle for attention. Being pushed off so casually by this filth. Banchos were disgusting, they lacked true power and were supposed to be brushed aside by people like her. Not him, though. Why not him? Because he's annoying and likes to wreck people's hometowns. It was a persistent memory, that someone like him could possibly be better than someone like her.

But she had to ignore that here. News flied around fast, but Ikoi didn't think it'd be this serious. Seeing him like this was just another reminder of that moment before. When he rejected her duels in the first place. He always took garbage like that too seriously. Though now... he's completely justified in that. Maybe.

Still no excuse for someone like him to be acting like this.

She approached him slowly, as if crossing over a maze of needles and switches. Hoping that each step closer to him wouldn't be a step closer to a whack with his bokken. She'd give up in this endeavor, admitting defeat to the giant, awkward wall of silent hatred that separated the two.

"...Sanageyama. I wanted to talk."

New KLK OC test drive, now with more physical violence against Uzu

"…Ever taken on a Kamui-wearer wi’ yer bare hands an’ a knife? Ah ‘ave. An’ fer the record, in case yer don’t know what a Kamui is, our Goku Uniforms are thirty p’cent Life Fiber. A Kamui’s all Life Fiber. An’ ah’m standin’ ‘ere ter tell ya th’ tale. Unless yer got someone who can boast that, m’ point stands - there ain’t a bonzo in Osaka worth fightin’.”

"An’ yer can try, o’ course. Matter ‘o fact, ah welcome ya ter. But as it stands, ah’m gettin’ real tired’a you flappin’ yer gums, Ikai.”

"Tag along if yer want ter. M’ mood fer shoppin’s ruined anyways."

Without another word, he turned and headed for the exit. Man, that was abrupt. Probably something she said.

She just stared at him in an odd sort of awe. It wasn't as if his "boasting" did anything to change her opinions, and by this point she was used to Honnouji people badmouthing her town and school. But this was the legitimate first time that Ikoi had managed to actually to hear Uzu's voice at a volume lower than 100 decibels. But it wasn't right. Him in this sort of half dejected half annoyed stance.

She was supposed to hear him mutter a defeat. Not refuse a fight.

[¥¥] "Is this really the BANCHO THAT PARADED DOWN MY STREETS? BABBLING ALL THIS BULLSHIT?! HOLD IT, Konnyaku kid!"

She ran forwards and grabbed him by the shoulder. It wouldn't matter whether or not Uzu brushed her away, the exits would shut with steel bars and the entire surrounding area around the two would be put on what seemed to be a lockdown. Ikoi wasn't just going to let Uzu win with a statement like that.

[¥¥] "Don't get your little war-time trauma pull down that spirit of yours, ya god damn bastard! You think I know shit about the Life Fibers? Might I remind you that those REVOC bastards were attacking MY TOWN... No... OUR ENTIRE FUCKING COUNTRY. Think I was fucking blowing bubbles when COVERS started razing around? Everyone that could fight went tooth and nail. And we did what we fucking could. You saw some insane shit and you fought nightmares. I got that! But you can't just act like we haven't seen anything like what you've seen. And you better be DAMNED sure that there's at least one 'bonzo' in Osaka that's worth your salt. ME."

[¥¥] "...If you're done with shopping, I'll get you express tickets to whatever way you want to get home. Alone, if you really want it. But you're going to promise me that you're gonna give me a proper fight. Not as a fucking 3 Star Goku Uniform bearer like last time. Like a honest to god Honnouji Bancho leader. You got that?"

ryouri

”Sanageyama Uzu is a big pervert.”

#total truth

￥－”Well, yeah I’ve graduated already, but I’m still in charge of stuff at the school. I’m a lil’ bit older than you are, but I still take care of all of the presidents n’ stuff.”

He reached out suddenly to hold her arms still where the IVs were, “Careful, these are gonna’ fall out if ya’ move too much. We can’t have that happenin’ cos I’m sure one of them is a painkiller.”

[¥¥] "Well, then! I didn't think that you'd be... Well then again, you kinda do dress like it."

She leaned back and sighed, hoping that said painkiller would come into effect soon enough. A wave of anxiety washed over her now that she could think more about what had happened. Mugged. Was she robbed? Was someone after her? What about her was so important? She couldn't even remember much about her-

[¥¥] "Wait a minute! Then who am I? And if you're so important at the school, what are you doing with me?"

#thetigerofosaka

Ikoi shifted her weight from one foot to the other nervously, before pulling out a letter and spinning it at Uzu's face. Whether or not he caught it or not, the message would read, "I'm pregnant and for some god forsaken reason you're the father."

"AH WAN’ A DNA TES’."

And there she throws an entire file at him.

[¥¥] "I HAD SEVERAL, YA FUCKIN' KONNYAKU BRAIN. I don't know what we did, or when we did it. But when I find out, I swear to god I am not going to rest until you go to jail

AND PAY FOR CHILD SUPPORT."

￥－Kaneo hated watching her look so confused. This was a girl who he had hand picked personally to be his student council chair. A girl who he had known for a fair amount of time, at least in his eyes.

He panicked when she got to her feet, ignoring all of the IVs and heart monitor attached to her chest. Kaneo was about to make her sit back down, but a nurse had already hurried into the room. She tried to coax the girl back to the bed while Kaneo spoke around her, “Naw, I ain’t anythin’ like that, but we go t’ th’ same school.”

#oh god sorry this took so long ><

Hand picked, quite the honor. Especially considering someone like Takarada. But now the sort of game ambition, the desire to play and win, the drive to dominate was gone in her eyes. Replaced by the sting of pain as she was forced down. Stupid IVs. She felt the conviction to pull them out, probably a slight remnant of her more stubborn personality.

[¥¥] "Same school? Are you sure about that? I took a look at you and it just seemed... Well, that you already graduated or something... Just thought it'd make sense that you were my brother...

..Same grade and everything?"

[5:46:00 PM] Nani Sore: Fujiko curses silently at the failed konnyaku poisoning plan.

dude like since the takarada family funded nudist beach, right?

ragyo most likely knew about nudist beach so like

what if she killed his parents to try to take down nudist beach at the core…

But if that’s the case, why is Takarada still considered just an Heir, not the CEO, of Takarada Conglomerate?

hmm you do have a point but he did mention himself as an heir to the conglomerate only in the context of satsuki’s graduation party. also he seems to be in full control of the conglomerate’s funds, which i doubt they’d let a high schooler do unless they had to.

Ah, I forgot the context of that. It is a good point. Though would people consider a high schooler a legitimate leader is another

dude like since the takarada family funded nudist beach, right?

ragyo most likely knew about nudist beach so like

what if she killed his parents to try to take down nudist beach at the core…

But if that's the case, why is Takarada still considered just an Heir, not the CEO, of Takarada Conglomerate?

askboxmemes

Send me "baby~" and I'll answer this:

We kissed by accident: [] continue kissing [] smile [] awkward [] walk away [] be like wtf [] kiss you back

If you hugged me: [] hug you back [] let you [] hug you heaps more [] push you away

Would I date you? [] yes [] no [] maybe [] probably [] already have [] we currently are

You should: [] text me [] get in my bed now (for cuddles) [] come to bed with me [] talk to me more [] come see me [] leave me alone!

the-write-ideas

Send me a △ and ask a really invasive question aimed at my character

They’ll have to:

Rate on a scale of 1-10 how much they don’t want to answer that question.

Answer that question.

"Who... are you? And... what's with the gunk on your teeth?"

￥ー”Dontcha’ remember who I am…?” He looked around the room at the doctors for reassurance, like they would tell him something good. Something that he actually wanted to hear, not what they had told him while he was shoving his way into the room demanding to see the girl. They’d insisted that she was in poor condition at least memory-wise, but he had gone in anyway.

"C’mon ya’…gotta’ go back home…"

She gave a blank stare at Kaneo. The girl had been told that she was found on the side of the road. Mugged or something. Would’ve died, if someone hadn’t intervened when he did. Something like that, it just didn’t sound right. Memory loss? How was she supposed to believe this? That she just passed out and next thing… she couldn’t recognize thing guy. With weird metal on his teeth. She looked around at the doctors that Kaneo had been glancing at, and simply walked out of the bed.

[¥¥] ”Home, then? I’m guessing you’re my brother, then?”

#thetigerofosaka

[¥¥] “Then kill them.”

kaggles

"Excuse me? No?"

#nostargrudge #Apparently people that talk with my muse seem to feel either one of those two emotions

[¥¥] “It's just a joke. Unless you really were that disgusted by the nature of humankind. What does it take to drive you to say something as hypocritical as 'People are gross' anyhow?"

￥-“I am not so cruel as to make people here go without money. That would be going a bit too far.”