Flow Like Water

◣Sabito◥ » affiliated with Kinged

[yaegashiryu]

kendo buddies || sabito & shizuku

@rustmask​

It felt like the first time in a while she’d had to run an errand that wasn’t directly related to the shop. Things were running much more smoothly now, but the call from her father had still surprised her. They had ordered new supplies for the new recruits but much more than they needed had mistakenly been included as well. She’d been tasked with finding a new home for the extras, as they wouldn’t serve any use collecting dust in the dojo. 

She did know one place she could check first, at least. If they weren’t needed at that dojo, then at the very least it could be used at the Kendo Club at the university. Right about now, practice would probably be in full swing, but she didn’t mind waiting. As far as she knew, the rest of her day was free.

Carefully, she slipped her shoes off and replaced them with the appropriate slippers and padded into the dojo, watching the practice. It filled her with a strange sort of nostalgia. Though she’d only picked it up so she wouldn’t disappoint her parents, she supposed there was a part of her that did love the sport. Well, those skills had also saved her life by now, so she supposed she ought to be grateful for that.

She managed a slight smile, turning to the approaching instructor. “Senpai, sorry to interrupt practice,” she stated, “would you happen to have any need for new equipment? There was an error with one of our orders and we got much more than we needed for the new kids at our dojo. But I figured it’d be worth it to ask you first, whether you need them here or at school.”

[rustmask]

Sabito stood in the dojo, his arms folded over his chest as he oversaw the practice currently taking place. Even with his back to the person who just entered, he registered the sound of the footsteps, noting how light they were. To less experienced ears they would have been nearly silent. This person either had skill or was being purposely light on their feet. He briefly wondered if they had any training, but he surmised that the visitor wasn’t a threat and kept his focus trained solely on the matches before him. 

“Honda! Your movements are too slow and unsure! Stop hesitating!” He barked, his voice muffled. The match was over quickly between one pairing, and he sighed as if having seen the outcome long ago. With that out of the way, he could now attend to the visitor and so he turned and approached her. The reason for his muffled voice was because of the scarred fox mask that covered his face. He tugged it upwards so that the woman before him could see his face. After all, it was probably bad manners to wear a mask when speaking to someone, and he felt comfortable wearing it during practice and training.

In fact, every person in the room had been adorned with a fox mask, all bearing different patterns and designs. All were unique, though Sabito’s stood out the most given that red tassels were affixed to his. Though it wasn’t the only thing that stood out. Everyone currently in practice wore blue haori’s with a cloud-like pattern, while only Sabito alone wore something of a green and yellow geometric design. It was probably what distinguished Sabito from the rest and allowed the woman to zero in on him. Though, standing off to the side whilst supervising everything probably also had something to do with it. 

“Extra’s? And you are..?”

[rustmask]

we’re the stars || sabito & lucy

Lucy couldn’t help but laugh sheepishly at his words, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well, if it came from Loke, I’m sure he probably…embellished some stuff.” She could only imagine the sort of praise that had come out of his mouth, given what he usually said to her face. Probably kind of misleading. “I pretty much am just a normal young woman who, for one reason or another, happened to be chosen as a King.” 

There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, but it had happened. There had certainly been a bit of trouble because of it, but a lot of good had come out of it as well. Honestly, things had turned out so much better than she’d hoped ever since she’d left that place behind. This was the sort of life she’d always wanted to live. 

One could almost hear the metaphorical record scratch, however, as the male spoke again, Lucy’s eyes widening comically. “Eh? Wh…Eh?” she sputtered, feeling at a complete loss. She definitely hadn’t seen that coming, and Loke hadn’t exactly warned her about that. Then again, maybe he hadn’t expected it either? 

His reasoning made sense, she supposed. And the fact he had sparred with Loke…did he really expect this guy wouldn’t do the same for her? She faltered for a moment, knowing she had next to no combat experience. Would he really get what he was after from sparring with her of all people? 

Sighing softly, she furrowed her brows. “If…that’s what you want,” she answered finally. “I’m not sure if you’ll get a satisfying answer from sparring with me, when I’ve literally never fought before but…I’ll do my best to show you what I can do.” He had already experienced Loke’s power, but he hadn’t experienced it in tandem with her own. Maybe something could be gained from that? 

“We should…move this outside then.” The last thing she wanted to do was wreck the planetarium.

Sabito blinked in confusion, his serious demeanor shattering by how taken aback the woman before him looked by his request. Well, she had stated that she was just a normal woman who just happened to have become a King. And she may have been right about Loke embellishing things. It seemed as though he had explained nothing about the kind of person Sabito was to her. To see her so completely caught off guard also made him lose some of his composure. 

He parted his lips to speak, to interject that if she didn’t feel comfortable with it that he wouldn’t force her, but then the woman released a sigh and stammered out an agreement. Sabito let out a heavy exhale of his own, the muscles in his body loosening as his shoulders slumped slightly as if in defeat. “I won’t force you. If you don’t feel comfortable. I’m not the type of person to fight someone who has no intentions of fighting back. But it’s said that the King’s have fierce strength, so I simply assumed..” his words trailed off there. 

What had he assumed? He guessed he thought because King’s were so powerful that they would be battle hungry. He never guessed that one would be a little hesitant in fighting with him. 

[rustmask]

Onyx Tears | Sabito & Satella

Most would be aware there was no way for the male to suddenly start breathing again, for his injuries to mend as if nothing had happened in the first place. Of course, this was Shizume City, where strange powers had become more and more common with the rise of the Kings and their clans. Even so, knowing that, there was still ice cold fear buried within her. She was a cursed witch, after all. A power like that would certainly leave her branded as one. 

But…no words like that left his lips, or any of the bystanders who were mystified by the whole ordeal. Satella watched as he rose to his feet, feeling at least a little relieved that her power seemed to have worked. The only downside was the headache pounding in her skull now. A wave of fatigue washed over her, but at the very least, a life had been saved. He’d…saved her, after all. 

He wasn’t done catching her off guard though, as he extended his hand to her and uttered those words. Concern…for her? After what he’d just been through? Fresh tears threatened to spill down her pale cheeks, her lips parted in stunned silence. 

“Me…?” she asked softly. “Why…you’re the one that was hurt…I only..” It had been her fault he’d been hurt too, but he was still asking if she was okay? She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had extended that kindness to her. Or any sort of kindness, for that matter. Worrying about someone like her… “You shouldn’t..”

Against her better judgement, her hand began to reach for his. Was it okay for someone to be this kind to her? Ah..she’d underestimated her ability to rewind time. She’d saved him, yes, but…the dizziness from before returned, and her vision blurred.

And then, all at once, it was like her entire demeanor changed. Her hand slid into his and then she was standing, one hand moving to cup his cheek as her lips pulled into a smile. “You saved me…you saved me…”

The woman before him was no longer Satella. Now, the Witch had come out to play.

Sabito firmly planted his gaze upon her, his brows knitting ever so slightly to show his confusion at her reaction. She seemed so sad and he couldn’t understand why. “I was the one who was hurt?” he repeated, cocking his head to the side. So it was true, the car had really impacted with his body. “Well, for whatever reason, I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about with me.” He could worry about the smaller details later, and he was sure once they were both safe and out of harms way he could mull over how it was that he’d survived when he’d been so assured he’d tasted true death. 

The pale woman before him finally extended her hand out for his, but her expression seemed strained.. pained, perhaps? “Miss, are you okay? Are you hurt?” It sure looked as if she did. He was perfectly fine, somehow.. And yet she looked very distressed. He had no way of knowing what happened after he passed out. In fact his memory of the whole ordeal was just slightly hazy. He remembered pushing her out of the way but he couldn’t be sure he had made it in time. 

He should have someone call for an ambulance for the woman. Surely someone had to have done so by now? After all there was this crowd surrounding them and most were on their phones. Though, quite a fair bit were holding up their phones like they were trying to record the incident. It was unsightly. To behave in this manner under such possible dire circumstances made him bristle a bit with anger. 

Sabito decided to ignore them and reach for his own phone when he was stopped cold mid movement. The woman’s hand had indeed slipped into his open one, but he felt something soft press against his cheek, pulling his gaze back towards hers. “Uh..” She simply repeated that he had saved her. Any traces of the previous signs of strain she exhibited before had completely vanished. 

“Then.. are you alright now?” It was a little disturbing to note the change in her demeanor, but he didn’t get the sense of any foreboding. In fact she moved much more easily now, and her eyes no longer swam with the threat of tears. All in all, he’d say even if he was slightly perplexed by her actions, at least she didn’t seem as distressed as she was before. 

[rustmask]

Onyx Tears | Sabito & Satella

She didn’t go out much. Past experiences and circumstances had led her to withdraw as much as she could. After all, why would she, when she had been treated as a witch before? Though she supposed in a way it was deserved. There was, after all, a witch lurking in the back of her mind, deep under the surface and taking hold no matter how hard she tried to fight it. 

Adjusting to the new, modern society had…taken quite a bit of time. It seemed as though every time she had gone out, something else had changed. In a way, she could almost understand why that woman had chosen to retreat here of all places. Still, she had at least recognized the signal for crossing the street. At first, everything seemed fine as she took those first few steps, but then a wave of vertigo washed over her, the sensation that came with the tug of the Witch trying to wrestle control for her. 

Her breath escaped her in a shaky exhale, perhaps more akin to a wheeze before she lost the strength in her limbs, collapsing to the pavement. She managed to catch herself at least before she could completely crumble. Her vision swam, her heart thundered away in her chest. She couldn’t find the strength to push herself up, even though she was dimly aware of someone speaking to her, but she couldn’t understand what was being said. Her own jaw refused to move, refused to form any sort of word or plea for help. 

Why did it have to be now? Dark spots formed in the corner of her vision, and she had the distinct feeling she was going to pass out, but then the mysterious stranger who had spoken to her a moment ago was suddenly lifting her up, helping her to her feet. The action surprised her, momentarily. She wasn’t used to anyone trying to help her. No one had been there for her before. No one had bothered to pay her any mind before. Just for that brief moment, the vertigo lightened and her vision cleared….just in time for the young man to push her out of the way. Her eyes widened as she stumbled backwards. Hadn’t he just been helping her…? So then…why… The feeling of despair began to return in full force, the Witch boiling under the surface. 

But then she registered what had happened. The screeching brakes, the loud thuds. Her eyes widened, startled back into complete clarity. He hadn’t shoved her out of malice. He was saving her. Tears sprang to her eyes as her throat tightened. “No, no, no..” The first person to ever lend her a helping hand, and it was going to end like this? What was with that gentle smile on his face, relief that she was alright? Shouldn’t he be angry? 

The Witch whispered in the back of her mind as she shakily made her way over, one pale hand shakily reaching out to cup his cheek, watching the life fade. “Why…why would you..?” She couldn’t let it end like this. He didn’t deserve this, so against her better judgment…she listened to the whispers of the Witch, calling upon those cursed powers to rewind his time.

Sabito gasped as if he had had his head held under water and was gasping for air for the first time. His lavender eyes which had been open but soulless shot wide open. For a moment his first thought was what happened? And where am I? He hadn’t even realized that he had been completely seeing through the person that was kneeling before him. 

A woman with ghostly pale skin and a black dress that only made her skin paler, a hand to his cheek as she looked at him with tears in her eyes. He focused on those eyes for a moment and noted how strange they were.. Purple eyes with blue pupils. As unusual as they were what caught his attention the most was her expression. Why were her eyes wet?

He briefly remembered what happened. He remembered a car racing towards them and at the last moment he had shoved a woman out of the way in a similar dress. So then that means he had been struck by the car. But there wasn’t any pain. He sat up and then traced his hand around his mouth. He could have sworn he felt some liquid there earlier but now there was nothing. Further examination revealed that there wasn’t damage anywhere else. No wounds, no bruises, even his clothes were intact. 

When he looked up he could see a crowd had formed around them and the sounds of sirens blaring in the distance.To his left was the car and a noticeable dent in the hood. How he had managed to survive that with nary a scratch was beyond him. More importantly..

Dusting his clothes off and getting to his feet, Sabito turned around to face the silver haired woman in black and held out a hand for her. “Are you okay?” She seemed somewhat shaken up but he didn’t find a scratch on her skin nor a tear in her dress. 

[rustmask]

we’re the stars || sabito & lucy

She tensed slightly as he knocked before stepping inside. She wondered, briefly, if he’d been standing out there for a while, but he looked pretty composed all things considered. His movements were practically silent, something that surprised her. “Yep, that’s me,” she managed a small smile, lifting her hand in a wave. Seeing his calm demeanor, she had to wonder how Loke had befriended him, but then again, he was friendly and easygoing. She was pretty sure he could get along with everyone.

“Oh, please don’t worry about that,” she added, shaking her head. “I don’t know if he said anything about it, but my goal is to make a clan where everyone can feel at home, a clan you can think of as family. I would never turn away someone who wanted to join.” She smiled slightly. She knew what it was like to be on your own, to not have anyone you could really call family, biological or not. She wanted a safe place for people like her, runaways or orphans. If he thought it was a good fit, she would be happy to have him among their…small number.

Lucy blinked as he continued, a sheepish laugh leaving her lips. Well, she should have expected that. She supposed she wasn’t exactly imposing like most of the Kings. She didn’t even consider herself a strong King. It only made sense that he’d want to see for herself. “It’s no problem,” she answered. “I know it’s probably a little hard to believe.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on her power and drawing it out, her body glowing with that soft, pastel yellow light. The room filled with light, drowning out the LED lights above. Despite her own words, the air in the room had changed. A breeze that shouldn’t have been possible in the closed room began to slowly wind through the room, the power of Libra. Then she flexed her fingers and a small flame wrapped itself around her hand and she couldn’t help but smile at the warmth. Leo. Loke. Ah. Wait, that was embarrassing. 

She cleared her throat awkwardly and let her hand fall back to her side. “That was the power of Libra and Leo, my zodiac sign and Loke’s. Since it’s only the two of us at the moment, it’s sort of a guess if that’s really the way it works, getting powers based on the zodiac sign you were born under. I can switch between them but..only current clansmen.” So he could probably understand why she didn’t really have the means to properly test that theory. 

“Does that work?” 

Sabito wasn’t necessarily here to make friends or start a family, but the fact that she was willing to allow him to join and share in her power was good enough for him. “I was wondering what sort of person the King Lucy Heartfilia was, but.. You seem just like a normal woman.” The picture Loke had painted for him as well as from his own imagination, the image of Lucy was of a far more imposing woman. The power she shared with Loke.. was it really something so impressive?

He waited, watching silently as her body glowed in a soft yellow hue, his lavender eyes only widening slightly as he took in the sight of her. Once the display of her powers had ended, Sabito cupped his chin in thought. The zodiac was not a subject he was well versed in and had always seemed to him like such a frivolous subject. But in this case his zodiac sign would not only benefit the King but him as well? He had no idea what kind of power would be granted to either one of them.

“I see..” As he mulled it over he dropped his hand and then stared at Lucy hard, his expression serious. “Lucy Heartfilia, will you spar with me?” The tone of his voice and expression should leave absolutely no doubt that he was serious. Well, he was a very serious person by nature and never joked about these kinds of things but there was no way Lucy would know that unless Loke had given her some information about him. What sort of person would Loke have painted him as to her? Well, he did like to address him as a stick in the mud, so there was that.

“I did spar with Loke not long ago. He does not have much training but his movements were quick and strong.If you’re a King then you should be just as strong if not stronger. I would like to personally assess your strength for myself.”

[lumenstella]

we’re the stars || sabito & lucy

@rustmask​

A heavy sigh slipped past her lips as she steeled herself. The planetarium was empty today. She’d already cleared it ahead of time. Honestly, this meeting probably wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t for Loke himself. He’d made the arrangements, and now she was going to welcome another clansman, if all went well. Come to think of it, this would be the first time she’d do it properly. The actual first time had been a mess. She’d been frustrated and stressed and all around upset, unwilling to let Loke just die like that. 

She shook her head hurriedly, pushing those thoughts aside as she stepped into the room that displayed all the constellations on the ceiling. The room was dark, save for all those little LED lights in the ceiling, giving off a soft glow in the room. It was fitting, she supposed. A good place for a clan like hers. She stood in the center of the room and closed her eyes, once again trying to find her center. 

Once she felt reasonably calm, she sent a text to let Loke know she was ready so he could let his friend know. She could do this. She was a King, after all. Something like this was normal for a King. Even if she didn’t exactly understand the process, she’d at least accomplished it once before, and this time she’d be sure to remember just how it was done.

“You’ve got this, Lucy. Don’t worry about it.” Still, despite her nerves, she felt abit excited. After all, this was another clansman, especially when she had already made peace with the fact it’d likely only ever be her and Loke. Not that she minded, but…maybe her goal was possible after all. 

A place where the clansmen could feel like they had a family, a home to come back to when things got tough.

[rustmask]

A gentle knock resounded throughout the room as Sabito rapped his knuckles against the hard wood of the door. He didn’t want to be rude and just walk in, but announce himself this way before he carefully opened the door and stepped inside.Thanks to years of training, he’d gotten pretty good at masking his presence and many a time did he startle someone. He wondered if a King could be startled. 

“Hello. Are you Lucy Heartfilia?” He stepped into the room, his body dressed in his normal street clothes but that same sword within its hard protective case still strapped over his shoulder, one hand clutching the strap protectively. He drunk in the sight of the woman before him. Blonde hair and brown eyes as well as a curvaceous figure. That was how the orange haired male that he referred to as his friend had described her. Not that he wanted to look at another woman that way but she certainly did fit the description. 

“My name is Sabito. Loke is the one who said I should meet with you and then set up this meeting. However, if it’s not something you want to do I’ll understand.” Loke had just decided on his own once explaining to Sabito all about it, and Sabito having shown interest was thrust into this meeting. 

Sabito stared at her very long for a moment before speaking again. “Forgive me, but.. You don’t really give off the aura of a King. Might you show me it first? I want to see for myself what Loke meant by a King’s power.”

[rustmask]

Onyx Tears | Sabito & Satella

Sabito affixed the strap over his shoulder, making sure it was in place. He had his sword placed in a very secure case meant for holding swords. Of course it was sheathed but he couldn’t very well walk around town even with a sheathed sword. He was in normal street wear today instead of his usual kimono attire. A plain white t-shirt, acid wash blue jeans, and a light green jacket since it was a hot day. His college classes had ended for the day and now it was time to return home. 

He stood at a traffic light with a group of people, all of them waiting patiently for the song to play and the light to change that would signal them safely forward across the street. Once the song started, everyone crossed the street at once. Sabito was no exception. He followed the crowd though kept his grip on his strap as he walked. The crosswalk light flickered a warning that there was only a few seconds left and some hurried out of the road to the sidewalk. From behind him, Sabito heard a gasp that made him turn.

A woman dressed in a black dress had either tripped or lost her bearings as her palms and knees were pressed against the gravel, her face cast downwards. He could not see her face given the black veil that shrouded it. She made no effort to move as if the song nor the countdown held any meaning to her. Sabito furrowed his brows and despite the warnings the countdown gave, he ignored it in favor of turning around and walking over to her. 

“Miss, are you alright?” He didn’t dare kneel down as doing so could obscure him from view from other drivers as well. At least for the time being the cars that were stopped in front of the crosswalk hadn’t moved. Perhaps they could see the scene in front of them. When no response came, Sabito bent down just slightly and reached out a hand to her. The song had stopped. The countdown had long reached zero. 

The cars at the crosswalk were waiting, though honked their horns impatiently. As long as they didn’t move it was fine. But the truck that peeled around the corner did not see them until it was too late. The screech of the tires as the driver slammed on the brakes alerted Sabito, he swung his head in the direction of the screeching and calculated it would not be able to stop in time. He’d deal with it somehow but as for the woman frozen in place..

There was no time to shake her into awareness of the present situation. He grabbed her slender arms and tried to bring her to her feet. The plan was to drag her to the sidewalk if need be but another glance in the direction of the speeding car told him that wouldn’t work. Now that he had the woman stood up he would just have to rely on gravity to do it’s thing. He slammed the palm of his hand hard into her chest, the force knocking her back just far enough to be clear of danger and of course he did his best to rush out of the way as well.

It was too late. 

The car slammed into him hard, his body folding over the hood of the car and rolling completely over it to the back. His body landed square on his back, his head bent backwards to see that the woman’s veil had been pushed out of her face, probably from when he shoved her. “Hhh..” His breath came in a pained wheeze as blood trickled out of the side of his mouth and he mustered just enough strength to turn his head to the side so it wouldn’t run into one of his lavender eyes. 

Ah, this doesn’t feel good.. He thought to himself as the panicked screams and cries of the passerby’s were washed out by the sound of his thundering heartbeat in his eardrums. I’m going to be late and...

As he once more fixed his eyes back onto the woman in black, a gentle yet relieved smile laced his features. She’s alright.. That’s good..

And then his breathing stopped and his eyes stopped seeing anything.

[rustmask]

Like For Starter

Capping at 3. 

[rustmask]

crimsonexplosion​:

Rap Battle | Raymond & Megumin

Rapt attention drawn in by the promise of food extended towards her by the man, Megumin’s fiery spirit was rekindled, shining in her eye not hidden behind the eyepatch as she gazed upon him. Radiant hope flooded into her heart, quickening her heartbeat and sending new energy surging through her body, injecting fatigued muscles with vigor. Although the second part of what he’d said had stirred the inklings of anxiety within her as well, the anticipation of food to sate her ravenous hunger at the moment took precedence. And so she followed after him, a thin line of drool slipping out of the corner of her mouth as she thought about which type of ramen most suited her appetite right now.

Into the ramen shop, where the aroma of fresh-cooked food only caused Megumin to salivate even more as she took it in, and her stomach to burst forth with another cacophonous growl. Overwhelmed by hunger as she was, it truly took every ounce of her willpower to clamp her jaw shut to stop the outpour of drool.

Still following after the cat-man, she wound up sitting on the stool to his right and set her wooden staff on the floor in front of her, leaning upright against the bar so that she wouldn’t lose sight of it. Once it came time for her to order, she settled on tonkotsu ramen and relayed this to their server.

The muted yet urgent tone of her companion’s voice snapped her attention back to him. Transparent incredulity on his face, reflected in his words, only served to stroke the girl’s ego, and her mouth pulled up into a self-satisfied smirk. “Ufufufu, are you surprised? Yes, that’s right! With my incredible unmatched power as an Explosion mage, I’m able to reduce any target to nothing but ash!” Subtlety, alas, was not in Megumin’s repertoire, as her heart and soul truthfully ever longed to be in the limelight.

Raymond observed the girl’s mannerisms as he listened to her speak. Now that he was really getting a good look at her she was dressed rather peculiarly. It was medieval in style and reminded him of those old school RPG video games. Her odd manner of dress mixed in with her interesting manner of speech cemented just the type of person she was: A chuunibyou. 

Raymond let out a light sigh as he came to this realization but also as conflicting emotions tugged at him. Rather than mull over these complicated thoughts, he decided to voice his feelings on the matter instead. “An explosion mage, huh..” He folded his arms over his chest, closing his eyes as he nodded his head. “Damn.. That’s actually kind of a cool title. But regardless of that you did just murder a man! Your nonchalant attitude towards taking a life is, I’m not going to lie, a little unnerving, but.. You did save me. Well, even though I did warn you to run..” He really hadn’t been kidding at how torn his thoughts were just now. 

“But, well... It’s kind of hard to feel sorry for the guy who probably wouldn’t have left me in a much better off state...” He also couldn’t get angry at the young girl who had sort of rescued him, even if he did get the feeling it had been more for herself than for him. “Anyways, I’m not going to thank you for it. Especially since I thought I was done for too..” That last bit was mumbled more to himself than to her. When he saw that explosion his heart had nearly leapt out of his chest since he thought he’d get caught in the blast as well. 

As someone who had been raised by teachers, he sort of had half a mind to scold her for her reckless behavior, but he gave up given that his energy was completely depleted given how hungry he was and on account of the event from before. “As soon as we’re done eating here I’ll escort you back home.” It’s not that he worried any danger would befall her given that she could clearly take care of herself. His worry was more with any other person that decided to mess with her. 

“Anyways, what’s your name? And..” He squinted at her behind his black, square frames. “How old are you?” He briefly wondered if she’d even give him a straight answer given that she was a chuuni.

[rustmask]

a warm house || raymond & akari 

“Nonsense,” Akari smiled gently. “You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need to. It’s only natural.” Though the house seemed too small at times, it was also the opposite every now and then. And with the scars on the family still fresh, she honestly appreciated the company. At the very least, her mind didn’t wander then. “You’re welcome, though you’re paying it back by helping make breakfast, so I’d say that makes us even,” she chuckled softly. 

She appreciated the fact he didn’t want to pry, choosing instead to simply let the flow of the conversation change. He really was kind, in that regard. Though really, it would have come up sooner or later. As long as she focused on something else, it’d be fine. 

“Well, when Hina and I cook it, we always make sure to drain the excess oil so it stays nice and crispy. That should keep it from being too harsh on your stomach,” she nodded. Well, she hoped that was the case anyway. All they’d have to do was heat the karaage up again anyway, so it wasn’t like it’d need to be fried all over again. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t even thinking!” she gasped, pressing a hand to her cheek before hurrying over to one of the cabinets. 

After a moment of shuffling, she pulled one out. It had a flowery pattern on it but, well it was sort of her fault for being the regular cook. “This should fit you okay. Do you need help tying it?”

Raymond couldn’t help but wonder if that truly did make things even.. If he were in the same position.. Well, thinking about it like that wouldn’t do much good when everyone’s shoes fit differently. If that was truly all Akari thought of it then far be it from him to oppose it. 

Raymond took the apron, blinking at the floral pattern on it, but didn’t think much of it. It suited her just fine. Not something he would have chosen for himself but it served it’s purpose. “No, it’s fine. I got it.” With practiced hands, he donned the apron and then reached behind him, grabbing the ends of the fabric and then tying them into a very uneven bow. “I’m used to cooking at home.” he explained and then placed his hands on his hips as he stood there in the kitchen, looking smug and yet lost all at the same time. 

“In that case I’ll work on the omurice.. Is the rice ready or should I build it from scratch?”

[rustmask]

Nap Time - Raymond & Minato

He supposed the answer ‘my apartment’ was about the best he could get, but the words meant very little considering that he didn’t know who this person was. The man, even with his strangely colored eyes and a face that told Minato that he was foreign, he seemed just like any other citizen of Shizume. That was, he seemed strange. And yet, Minato didn’t feel threatened by him in the slightest. He was a good person, he supposed. Either that, or an incompetent serial killer. Minato would’ve been much easier to kill when he was asleep, and carrying someone asleep to an apartment building probably looked suspicious…so no, he couldn’t be that bad of a person if he had bothered to do all that work. Just strange, to take a random kid he found asleep next to a dumpster back to his home of all places.

“Sorry…I sleep through a lot,” he apologized in a low voice, carefully making note of his surroundings, just in-case. If something happened to him it’d be a shame, but more importantly, Koromaru would worry if he didn’t return. And so, he made sure he located the door before proceeding. Windows worked as well, but he had no idea how high up he was (or wasn’’t). A door was safer.

Despite his very small doubts, his appetite quickly won the internal battle, and Minato made his way to the table and quietly sat across from him, saying a firm but quiet ‘thank you for the meal’ before lifting his fork and getting to work, beginning with the eggs.

His stomach was essentially a bottomless pit, or maybe it was more like his mouth was a vacuum that could suck up anything put before it. By the time the stranger had dared to ask if he had no place to call home, Minato had devoured his eggs and promptly moved onto the potatoes, only pausing briefly to answer the question posed to him.

“I live in the dorms not far from here…I was too tired to make it so I thought I’d rest for a few minutes…but it’s been a few hours since I fell asleep there…It’s fine.” His response wasn’t crafted all that masterfully or carefully, the only part he really thought before saying was the ‘it’s fine’ he had tacked onto the ending. His first thought was something more along the lines of ‘it doesn’t matter’, but on second thought, that was a response that often raised concern. 

Raymond listened carefully to the other’s reasoning, noting how nonchalant his movements and speech were. He guessed they were both a couple of weirdo’s, Raymond by just taking him home and this one just easily accepting the situation in exchange for food. “So you thought you’d rest by the dumpsters by my job? Pfft! Hahaha!” He couldn’t help but laugh but.. wait, what if this was a more serious issue? Maybe he shouldn’t have just laughed so easily.

“You’re not like.. one of those narcoleptics are you? Or just didn’t get enough sleep? I get it. Mhm, mhm.” Raymond nodded his head sagely, knowing the feeling of passing out after not getting enough sleep. Sometimes he fell asleep standing up. Not his proudest of moments, but..

Raymond, seeing that blue-haired male had already inhaled a good portion of his food, decided to do the same and finished off his sausages and eggs. “Well, it’s a good thing you got a home to go back to. You had me worried there for a moment!” He took a sip of his non-caffeinated coffee (it was too late to be drinking anything with caffeine in it), then dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “When you’re done eating feel free to go home. It’s funny, not that long ago I kind of passed out somewhere weird myself and someone helped me. I guess this is what they mean when they say pay it forward?” Though he remembered thinking it odd that someone just took a stranger in, but in his case he was one of those oddballs blessed or cursed by the slate, however one wanted to interpret it. 

“By the way, my name is Raymond. Nice to meet you.” He wouldn’t hold out his hand or something like that when both of theirs was preoccupied carrying the instruments that helped them eat. But he did wanted to put a name to a face other than referring to him as Sleeping Beauty or something. 

[rustmask]

a warm house || raymond & akari 

“Oh! That’s a good idea!” Akari brightened at the suggestion of omurice. It wasn’t something she made often, but it was always appreciated…even if Momo did tend to somehow get ketchup everywhere. But that was beside the point. It certainly was a fusion food, just like she’d suggested. Omurice, miso soup…surely there were some leftovers they could use. There was a fair amount of rice leftover from last night’s dinner, so frying that for the omurice would be no issue at all. 

“There’s some leftovers from dinner last night we might be able to pair with it as well. There should be some karaage…oh, but that might not be too good for your stomach right now..” she furrowed her brows as she brought her hand up to her chin, running over ideas in her mind. “Though I guess if you’re not feeling nauseous right now, it’s probably not an issue..?” Karaage and omurice though..what a breakfast. Well, meals were always just a little unconventional in this house.

The brunette smiled up at him at his offer and she shook her head. “That’s alright, we should have everything necessary. I went to the store yesterday afternoon, so we should be good to go on everything!” That meant they could go all out if they really wanted. But…well, that might have been a little excessive. “I appreciate it though, really. You’re very kind.”

So his name was Raymond. Now the “Ramen” made sense. He’d been trying to say his name and it had been slurred. “It’s nice to meet you, Raymond-kun, even if it was a bit unconventional.” Actually, if she was being honest, having a guest in the house was…nice. It made things feel a bit less empty. 

At the subject of her sisters, her smile turned a little bittersweet. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard something like that. She could still remember the way her friends had slowly begun to exclude her from gatherings after everything happened, since she had to take care of her younger sisters and her grandfather had to work, meaning there was no one else to watch them. She was used to it by now though, and she knew he meant no harm by it. 

“Yes, that’s my youngest sister, Momo. Hina is the middle child. It’s just us and our grandpa..so I basically had to raise them.” Her eyes fell on the small family shrine tucked safely into a corner, the pictures of her mother and grandmother proudly displayed. But that story was far too sad to share on a morning like this, and she really didn’t want to burden him with it either.

“There’s also my aunt too, the one who runs the bar you and your coworkers were at. Grandpa runs a traditional Japanese sweet shop. I help out both places as often as I can, and Hina helps out a lot with Grandpa as well. I think she probably wants to take over the shop when he finally retires.” That felt like a long ways off though. “Shall we get started then?”

Raymond’s face reddened at the compliment and he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “It’s only natural to offer when you’re a guest at someone else’s place, right? Though I feel like I’m overstaying my welcome a bit.. Though if we’re talking kindness here it’s really you whom I should be saying that too. You didn’t have to take care of me but you did, so once again.. Thank you. I appreciate it.” He once again bowed to her to show his gratitude but very quickly straightened up. 

Raymond’s eyes followed Akari’s to the shrine and realization dawned on his face. He could have kicked himself for being so insensitive, especially at the complicated expression she was making. “I see..” He wouldn’t say anymore on the matter since it wasn’t his place to and far be it from him, a stranger and a guest in someone else’s home to be reopening old wounds. She had it tough, huh?

Grateful for the change in subject, Raymond smiled and nodded his head. “Yes, let’s. I’m starving! Karaage, huh.. I hope my stomach can handle it. It sounds good.” Raymond slid the sleeves of his shirt up and then stood in the kitchen looking dumbfounded. He had no idea where anything was and he didn’t want to just go through it. That was rude. “I don’t suppose you have an apron I could borrow? If not it’s really not any trouble..” He’d rather not stain his clothes with oil spatter if it could be helped.

[rustmask]

lovethatremains​:

a warm house || raymond & akari 

Her expression softened at his words and she nodded in understanding. She could certainly understand his reasoning, but she still felt as though he didn’t need to bow. He really hadn’t been any trouble. Well, it had been a bit difficult getting him here but she’d managed easily enough, and he’d slept quite a while. 

“Well, there’s plenty of hangover cures,” she murmured. “I can’t imagine what it’s like but if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s taking care of others,” she continued with a smile, pressing her hands together. “I’m sure you’ll be feeling better in no time.” That was the hope, at least. She didn’t want him to feel miserable all morning, and there was no telling how long the effects would last. 

Different people had different remedies, but she probably counted some food and water as some of the best medicine for a hangover. The best thing would be something relatively light, so it wouldn’t run the risk of upsetting his stomach. With that in mind, she was already planning the menu. 

However his next words drew her out of her thoughts and she blinked. “Oh, really?” she asked, eyes widening slightly. Did he think that was some sort of problem? A soft giggle left her lips at his sheepish response, and she smiled warmly. “Well, we could do a fusion then. I’m not sure what all we have for anything western but we’ll figure it out!” she declared, nodding firmly. 

“If it’s something you’d like to learn though, I have no problem teaching you. I do most of the cooking here anyway, with some help from my sister Hina.” Ah. Speaking of that, she hadn’t given her name yet. “Oh! I almost forgot! My name is Akari.” She was just going to kindly leave out that he’d introduced himself as “Ramen” last night and wait for him to introduce himself properly.

“A fusion, huh.. That sounds interesting.” How would they go about that? Japanese breakfasts always seemed more of a feast to him. Generally there was rice, fish, and miso soup.. For western breakfasts things like pancakes, waffles, eggs, and toast were the norm. “Ah!” And then it hit him. “Omurice!” Omurice was practically a fusion in a way. At least they’d find a way to combine the eggs and the rice.

Raymond crossed his arms as he scrunched up his mouth in thought. “Omurice is pretty filling.. But we can do miso or toast on the side.. I can at least make miso soup.” In fact, he loved miso soup, so if he had to pick one or the other he’d probably choose the soup. “Oh, but.. If you dont have the ingredients don’t worry about it. I can pick them up for you unless you are pressed for time?”

Though once the woman introduced herself it dawned on him that he hadn’t even given her his name! Of course, he had no recollection of doing so last night, butchered or not. “My name is Raymond. Sorry for being so scatterbrained today..” Introductions were so important, he couldn’t believe he waited until the last second to do them. 

“By the way... That little one from before.. You said was your sister?” He blinked at her, surprise clearly written on his features. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but even though I’m sure you said it.. It’s hard to believe. You kind of give off this.. motherly vibe.”

[rustmask]

lovethatremains​:

a warm house || raymond & akari 

“Well…I’m not sure they meant to do it on purpose,” she smiled sympathetically, tilting her head slightly at his surprise. “They had been drinking for a while…I assume something good must have happened at work?” Well, it wasn’t her place to pry about that, even if some patrons liked to just infodump on the people who worked there. Akari herself was a good listener, so she figured most of the time, people just wanted someone to listen to them.

It was sort of intriguing how catlike his behaviors seemed to be, though she wondered if that was because of his strain ability or if he was just like that anyway. The cats perked up at the hissing noise, but realizing there was nothing for them to worry about, they simply laid back down. Nonetheless, his next action caught her off guard. W-was he bowing to her?!

“E-eh?!” she sputtered, waving her hands. “Y-you don’t have to apologize, really! It’s perfectly okay. These things happen sometimes..but Obaa-san will probably be a bit stricter with their drinking next time they come in.” Of course, it did make her angry that there were some seniors that had a habit of doing this to their juniors, she doubted that this instance was on purpose…probably. Not like poor Kiriyama’s case.

He seemed deadset on trying to make it up to her though, even if she didn’t think he needed to. “O-oh, I couldn’t possibly…you’re our guest, and I’m sure you’re still feeling a bit off, right?” But she felt bad saying no when he looked so earnest like that…Maybe a compromise instead?

“Why don’t you help me get it ready, rather than cooking yourself..? You can take it easy and take some more medicine if you need to. I’d feel bad making you cook for us like this..”

“I need to apologize otherwise I won’t feel good about the situation you were put through. I need to do at least this much.” Still, she’d received his apology properly so he straightened up. Thankfully, since his back hurt when he did that. He was only in his mid twenties and all he did was sit at a desk for most of the day, but his body still ached from time to time. Now his head hurt too. Once he’d brought it up, the dull hammering persisted. 

“It’s nothing some painkillers couldn’t ease... Probably.” Actually, he’d never been hungover before. He had no way of knowing if it would help but generally pain killers helped with most of his other aches and pains. He tried not to wince at how awful his head felt, like a constant migraine, somehow heavy and yet empty all at the same time was the best way he could describe it. 

He could see exactly what she was doing about compromising and the more he thought on it the more grateful he felt. “That’s fine, but.. Honestly, I’m only familiar with making western food. I don’t have much experience with Japanese food, I’m a little embarrassed to say..” As if to reflect his said embarrassment, his cheeks turned the lightest shade of red, which just barely showed on his darker skin.

 “Of course, I have no problems with Japanese food. I just never bothered to learn much of it. I can make some things, but..” Being that he was originally from America, the same as his parents, it was all they cooked. Any partaking in the local cuisine happened whenever they went out. 

[rustmask]

soulphrxse​:

Nap Time - Raymond & Minato

Minato often grew tired throughout the day. That was no secret to anyone who knew him. He had fallen asleep in class, in restaurants, trains, while standing up, on the roof of his dorm…hell, he had sat down at the shrine with Koromaru for a few minutes and passed out right then, only roused awake by the dog’s loud barking. And that had been back when he was unfamiliar with the sound. Now, he wasn’t sure if he would even stir at the sound of Koromaru’s first few barks each time the animal tried to wake him from his slumber.

Today, he had been exhausted to the point that he didn’t care in the slightest where he was when he fell asleep. One moment, he had been hunched over as he dragged himself home, and the next thing he knew, he was lying down in a dark alleyway to get just a few moments of shut eye. And he did.

When his eyes finally fluttered open, he found his surroundings to be completely unfamiliar. He could smell pork and potatoes…and maybe eggs? Definitely smelled toast. The scent of the food was enough to rouse him and get him to sit up on the gray sofa he had been placed onto. Was this some kind of dream? Or maybe he had somehow been brought back to stay with one of his relatives? No, they made no sense…he was an adult now. Then…one of his clients? Though it wasn’t quite nighttime yet, and he didn’t recall being called for a shift. So, this was a kidnapping of sorts. “Oh,” he said plainly, shockingly calm for someone who had woken up in the apartment of a stranger.

“…Where is here?” He asked the man who seemed to be sitting down to eat, silently hoping that he was about to be offered some. His stomach rumbled quietly, proving to him he was far hungrier than he thought.

“Oh, so now you wake up?” He had expected it, but.. If only he’d thought of food sooner he would have simply walked down the street to buy some food and wave a hot dog in front of the sleeping male’s face and probably could have just washed his hands of it. Oh well. What’s done is done now. He’d only just started to eat when the blue haired one stirred, and the fork he’d stabbed through one of his sausages hovered just before his mouth, but now he placed it back down onto the plate. 

“My apartment.” he stated as he rose to his feet from his chair and moved into the kitchen, the sound of the other male’s rumbling stomach not lost on him. He was thankful in this moment for having such an open concept floor plan. It made communicating with someone in the living room so much easier. Now that he had company over often. 

“You were passed out next to a dumpster! You wouldn’t wake up no matter what I did!” If Raymond’s hands were free in this moment he would have facepalmed at the memory, but instead he was busy fixing the stranger a plate. Of course, he’d made plenty just in case this happened. Besides, it was bad manners to eat with a guest over and not offer them any.. Even if his guest wasn’t planned and a little odd.

Once the plate was filled he set it on the table in front of his own, it mirroring his own perfectly aside from the fact his own plate had been touched, albeit briefly. He flicked his head from the male and over to the table, motioning for him to come and join him. If he turned out to be some kind of weirdo he knew he could take care of himself if needed, but he doubted someone who slept that hard was much of a threat. Such was the logic Raymond held. 

“Even a park bench would have been better than that. Are you homeless or something?” It was a roundabout way of asking why he was passed out there but it got the point across. Raymond sat down in his seat once more and wasted no time in appeasing his empty stomach. He picked up where he left off and bit into his sausage, watching the other as he did. 

[rustmask]

crimsonexplosion​:

Rap Battle | Raymond & Megumin

In stark contrast to the cat’s advice not to doze off, Megumin’s eyelids simply felt too heavy to stay open. The act of deploying all of her stamina in that single explosive blast despite being on an empty stomach proved too much for the girl, whose body desperately craved rest. Still, even with exhaustion creeping into every pore of her body, deadening her limbs and dragging her consciousness away into oblivion, the burst of smoke that revealed the man there captured Megumin’s attention, crimson eyes widening in awe. Even through the heavy fog of fatigue clouding her mind, she was utterly starstruck by the cat’s transformation.

“Cool…” Although she wanted to put more energy into this declaration, ultimately this was all she could muster at the moment. It was all she could manage to keep her eyes open, watching as the male swiftly approached her incapacitated form.

Then, before she could say anything, he had lifted her from the ground and taken off running from the alley.

Of course, even if she had the presence of mind to say something, Megumin was hardly in a position to object to such treatment. Being so unable to move her body like this was really a hindrance at the best of times, let alone during times when an escape was needed. Such was the steep price she paid for the ultimate power she wielded…

However, this time, due to the cat’s close proximity, it had worked out, thankfully. So, surrendering herself to her fate, Megumin let her lolling head roll to rest against the man’s shoulder for now, her jaw parting open with a yawn.

…

The next thing she knew, she was woken up by a tapping on her shoulder, and her eyes snapped open to be met by heterochromatic eyes. “Wha–? Of course I’m alive! Heh, nothing that I can’t handle.” Though she boasted a big game, the instant the delectable aroma from the nearby ramen shop hit her nostrils, her stomach erupted into loud, rumbling growls. She quickly covered her stomach with her arms, as if that would somehow do any good, and color rushed to tinge her face. “I-I just used all of my energy back there. I’ll be good to go again as soon as I’ve rested.” Or eaten. However, the fact remained that she hadn’t a single yen to her name.

“I’ll say...” The male said in response to the girl’s mention of her depleted energy and how she had completely just collapsed before him. He sighed as he carefully set her down, being careful to remain within close proximity in case she needed steadying, but her words sounded energetic enough. The sound of her stomach rumbling was not lost on him, and it was a perfect mirror for how he currently felt having not eaten anything in quite some time. At this point he had fully expected to be home now with dinner either prepared or in the process of.

“Come on. I’ll treat you. There’s some things I need to say to you anyways.” With that said, Raymond took off down the alley and towards the ramen shop, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the girl was following suit, and once assured that she was, he proceeded inside the building. This was the type of place where you ordered before you sat, but since there was a bar available, Raymond slid into one of the stools and then motioned for the girl to follow him. At such a close proximity to the menu, the male could properly scrutinize it. 

“Let’s see...” he began, as the server approached them from behind the counter. “Two waters to start. I’ll take a Miso Ramen bowl with three eggs.” He then glanced over at the girl to place her order and once that was out of the way, he pushed his glasses up with his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, massaging it as well as his eyes. His vision blurred momentarily from the action and he pulled his hand away, his frames dropping back down to rest on his nose. “Listen..” he began, turning his head towards the girl and narrowing his eyes. 

There wasn’t very many patrons inside the restaurant, but he still didn’t want anyone to overhear, so he dipped his head down and leaned in, raising his hand  by his mouth. “Did you.. blow up that guy..?!” His voice was low but the shock and confusion was conveyed perfectly well. The events from earlier had all felt like a dream and he wasn’t even sure if it had been real or not. So surreal was that whole ordeal to him that he felt he needed any kind of confirmation to assuage his racing mind.

[rustmask]

lovethatremains​:

a warm house || raymond & akari 

“Ah, yes, my aunt runs the bar you and your coworkers were at last night,” she explained. “It was pretty busy because of a shogi tournament that day, so neither of us were aware what was happening at your table until it was too late..” she smiled sympathetically. She really did feel bad about that. “Usually if I see it happening, I try to interject and stop it before things get too far but..” Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked out last night. 

A soft laugh escaped her. “I realize it’s a bit unorthodox, but you were completely out so we weren’t able to get an address for a taxi, and your coworkers moved on to another bar. This was the easiest solution. I hope you don’t mind.” She was sure it was a bit disorienting to wake up in a strange house with a five year old staring at you. But it had been the only thing she could have done. “We couldn’t just leave you there, after all.” 

“Oh, it was no trouble at all! You slept most of the time, but I understand. It’s unfortunate that senior coworkers feel the need to do this when it comes to their juniors…It isn’t the first time I’ve seen it happen.” She paused, her eyes widening slightly as he continued. “Y-you…broke your arm making your own kung fu movie?” her brows furrowed as she tilted her head. “Were you okay? Did it heal properly..?” That…was definitely concerning.

Still, he really didn’t need to apologize. Carefully, she moved to set Momo down, letting her go to play with the cats. “You weren’t an inconvenience at all. Like I said, you slept most of the time. You did throw up but you warned me ahead of time so I was able to get something for you to use. Then you took some medicine and went to sleep.”

She chuckled gently at his worry and shook her head. “The only weird thing was that you turned into a strange little cat but I assume that means you’re a Strain as well?” It was the easiest explanation, at least. Unless she’d just been hallucinating but that seemed to be impossible. 

“Would you like some breakfast? I was just about to start preparing it when Momo woke you up.”

“What?!” A look of utter shock laced the males features as his jaw dropped at the information of his coworkers just abandoning him like that for some poor woman to deal with. “They seriously just walked off?! After making me do all that?!” He gestured wildly, as ‘that’ referred to how they’d forced him to drink against his will. “Ssss....” He made a noise which bordered on a sigh and a hiss as he planted his face firmly within the palm of his hand. 

They weren’t going to get off lightly for that. Raymond’s head may still be buzzing and he may be suffering an awful hangover right now, but even he could still somewhat prepare a few choice words to give to those irresponsible coworkers of his. But that didn’t concern the matter at hand here.

Swiftly and easily, Raymond bent forward, keeping his feet firmly planted together as his torso and head dipped down in a stiff display of absolute sincere apology. “I am very sorry. Not only did you take care of me out of the goodness of your heart, but I am also sorry for the display and discourtesy that my coworkers showed to you as well. I apologize on their behalf.” He would absolutely make them apologize as well, but for now this would have to do. 

Without straightening up, Raymond lifted his head only so that his gaze aligned with the woman’s. “Please allow me to make it up to you. If you’d like I could make the breakfast in your stead. I am capable of that much, really.” His earnest gaze seemed to press into the girl as if saying he wouldn’t stop insisting on it.