ace defeat ;

”Now, now, euphemisms don’t suit you.. ”Cooperation goes hand-in-hand with tolerance, and once you have that a bond is formed, no?” At least, that’s how easily Kyoya saw it. "In fact, I implore you to make sure Tasuku-kun feels right at home with us… perhaps, you’d grow to see a little brother in him? Ahaha..”

A 'little brother'? Kyoya didn't actually think that was possible, did he? Not when he knew damn well of the history he and Ryuuenji Tasuku shared. No--when they got out of this place, things were going back to the way they were. This temporary truce they'd established was just that: temporary.

... He didn't need another brother. He didn't need another friend; and no amount of insistence on Kyoya's part would budge him on that front.

Absolutely not.

"... I think he'll probably be about as interested in playing family with us as I am with him."

#darknessdragonworld

"Now that’s what I like to hear!” With a gracious chuckle, Kyoya was absolutely enthralled at such news—though it wasn’t necessarily anything new to him (not with Azi Dahaka’s all-seeing eyes, that is). But to hear it coming from the Wolf himself, well.. there was some sort of need for an obligatory celebration, no? Or at least, a sprinkle of honest praise would do.

”My, my… I’m so proud of you, Rouga. Keep up the good work. Seeing Disaster get along like one big family just warms my heart…”

"......"

Ugh. Hearing Disaster described as 'one big family' was about as repulsive to Rouga as it was 'heart-warming' to Kyoya--especially when he considered members like Yamazaki, Shidou, and Kabala. When he thought of people like them, 'snake' was the first word to come to mind.

People like them...hardly warranted any trust on his part. They weren't family, or friends--they were just convenient pieces on Kyoya's chessboard.

(But then, weren't they all?)

"... Getting along with him is one of the last things I'm worried about. I just need him to not drag me down."

#darknessdragonworld

”Come, now, you’ll hurt my feelings at this rate.” Though Kyoya showed no weakness or any instance of offense towards Rouga’s brutal honesty. If anything, this was entirely normal between them.. A sort of disconnect that neither of them bothered to recognize openly. "By the way, you’ve certainly grown close with Tasuku-kun lately.. finally making a new friend? I’m glad.”

#darknessdragonworld #well duh the ocean is all salt water #try your luck at Lake Superior #Lake Baikal could probably work too

"Ha! 'Friend' isn't exactly the word I'd use."

A temporary ally of sorts, yes, and maybe something of a 'student,' but certainly not a friend in any way, shape, or form. The current circumstances demanded their cooperation--that was all.

The very idea that anything beyond an uneasy truce could develop between him and Ryuuenji was just...inconceivable. Laughable.

"I've been giving him pointers in combat." Rouga lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "That's all."

”—Careful. There’s one three paces behind you, Rouga.” Or so Kyoya assumed. Who could tell, really? At least Concordium was as wonderfully lively as ever..

#darknessdragonworld #you thirsty bro #have some water

"... As usual, your jokes are terrible."

He didn't bother looking at the spot Kyoya had designated as 'dangerous'--why should he, when Cerberus had confirmed the area as being safe? Or, well...land mine-free, at least. Rouga doubted that any part of this facility was wholly and completely safe...

"Che... It's just one thing after another here."

... He's irritated. Staying inside is hardly the worst or most agonizing thing in the world, but the fact that he must because someone wanted to play around with land mines is just ridiculous. He almost wishes he knew who it was, because although no one seems to have taught them what is stupid to do, and what is not--

--... it would be his pleasure to serve as instructor.

#cc mini

like a married couple

"…"

Well… It shouldn’t have been too surprising, given Rouga’s personality and tendencies. Cerberus was the perfect fit for him, no doubt.

Still. Most people pulled their Buddy Rares from packs of cards. Tasuku himself had been a special case, and if he could recall, a certain student at Aibou Academy had been too (what was his name? Kitten-shirt? It escaped Tasuku for the moment), but a three day battle?

"I can’t even imagine fighting for that long, let alone against a Buddy Monster…"

How would he have fared if he ever had to fight Jack? …Actually, it would be best to stop that line of thought right there. It was quite dangerous, given his situation.

"But Rouga did. He's an impressive and interesting human...and we are proud to fight alongside him."

A pause...and another huff of laughter.

"Though he could stand to develop a sense of humor."

"--and you could stand to act a little less like I'm not here." Rouga scowled down at Cerberus, giving the Buddy Monster a warning nudge with his foot when the latter only grinned up at him. Clearly not apologetic at all...though, frankly, the teen himself didn't look especially irritated. If anything, his expression seemed to have...not lightened, exactly, but it certainly had become less severe than usual.

Perhaps he wasn't as annoyed by Cerberus's earnest remarks as he would have liked others to think.

"... Cerberus. If you're done, then let's go. You were the one that wanted to stop by the dining hall."

#dragonicforce

like a married couple

Tasuku normally had a sensible head on his shoulders, and he normally acted far beyond his years, but being talked down to by a miniature three-headed puppy was beginning to grate. Tasuku had his pride as well, and he wasn’t about to let it get trampled over repeatedly by the pooch.

"Oh? Pray tell, how did you two meet? Or should I assume you tried to ram him down with that drill of yours?”

#dragonicforce #i'll be severely disappointed if Rouga and Cerberus don't actually take pride in their partnership #give me this Bushiroad

Unexpectedly, Tasuku's question prompted an amused snort not from Cerberus, but from Rouga--Rouga, who had seemed entirely disinterested in the topic up to that point.

"Among other things...yeah, he did."

"We threw all we had in our arsenal at him: drills, gunfire, our fangs and claws...but the battle still lasted three days before any conclusion was reached."

Cerberus's mouth curled into something resembling a grin, and the monster seemed to stand just slightly taller.

"Memories of that battle are permanently carved into our bodies, and we bear them with pride. It was a great fight...maybe one of our greatest."

like a married couple

"You mean you didn’t?”

Now, maybe it was his previous biases speaking, or maybe he was a little frazzled after having been pounced on, but Tasuku found that very hard to believe. But alas, if Rouga was speaking the truth, and he wasn’t the type to lie mind you, then Tasuku was sensible enough not to point anymore accusatory fingers.

"Good grief… What kind of greeting was that? Is this a normal thing between the two of you?"

#dragonicforce #tfw tiny three-headed puppy bullies you

If only because Ryuuenji did not persist in flinging heated accusations at him afterward, Rouga made no comment on his junior's apparent disbelief...though a hint of mild annoyance had now found a place within his expression.

(Or had it? He always looked a bit annoyed, didn't he?)

(Well, whether Tasuku's behavior affected him or not, Rouga certainly didn't seem enthusiastic when Cerberus next opened his mouth.)

"Ha! Compared to our first meeting, that just now was barely horseplay. If we greeted you the same way we did Rouga back then...you wouldn't have gotten up again."

It was unlikely that such a remark could be truly threatening while Cerberus was as tiny as he was, but--

"Enough."

like a married couple

Good grief! Could he go one day without getting humiliated in some way by Rouga?!

It came as an absolute relief when he could breathe again, and he was quick to scramble to his feet, indignantly turning on the older boy.

"Wh-what was that about?! I thought we had a truce here!"

He very clearly had the wrong idea, but…who wouldn’t, having been jumped by a giant three-headed dog?

"What, you think I told him to do that?"

He and Ryuuenji weren't pals in any way, shape, or form, but given their circumstances, he had no plans to attack the kid anytime soon in the foreseeable future--not unless he was provoked first. And he trusted that Ryuuenji had more sense than that...

"... I honor the agreements I make. Cerberus's decision had nothing to do with me."

"We wanted to say 'hey'...but it looks like it was more of a wake-up call. Heheh..."

#dragonicforce

like a married couple

"WAAAUGH!!

Tasuku’s startled cries rang through the hallway. He had turned that corner not expecting the monster-sized white blur to bowl him over and pin him to the floor. A single paw pressed firmly against his back was enough to immobilize him completely on the ground.

"Ack—! ARAGAMI! What gives?! Get him off!!”

#dragonicforce #THIS GOT A LITTLE LONG though i think that's mainly bc Cerberus #sweats----

"... Cerberus. You're forgetting again: not everyone can take your 'greetings' when you're that size."

Contrary to Tasuku's obvious indignation, Rouga seemed entirely unfazed by the fact that his Buddy monster currently had a (relatively) small child pinned to the hallway floor, expression shifting to one of mild exasperation only when the latter started hollering. Empty as this particular corridor was, the echo was enough to give him a headache...geez.

"Heh. The way he's going on, you'd think I'd crushed his arm. Not so tough, is he?"

"Enough. You've said hello--now get off of him."

With a huff that sounded suspiciously like laughter, Cerberus obliged, flashing a toothy grin at Rouga before stepping off of Tasuku...and only then transitioning to a smaller, more acceptable stature.

Troublesome.

"... Oi."

let sleeping dogs lie ;

Well, there was one good thing about being stuck here: without any stores around for God-only-knew how many miles, it was extremely difficult for any crazy shopaholics to fight to the death for sales and bargains, before or after Christmas.

Which meant that he could nap in relative peace.

#cc mini #i've got things to do in my drafts but hey have a snoozing Aragami instead

gaowao-blog

Whoa… WHOA? Just then, Rouga’s brows had risen just a bit before intensifying, emphasizing the dramatic creases in between his eyes—This HAD to be something! Gao was really beginning to understand Rouga somehow through his purely intuitive observations!

”Ehhh! No, wait, I got it! It’s enthralled, isn’t it?! Ecstatic?! Rouga-Senpai, I didn’t think you’d feel so strongly! Ohmygosh, your eye brows did the thing again! I’m right, aren’t I? Aren’t I?!”

#dominantdragons #i'm in te a rs

"Wh--?!"

What was he...--was he trying to guess at his feelings through watching his eyebrows? What kind of fool would think such a ridiculous method valid?! Mikado had a tendency to surpass expectation, but to think that proclivity would cover levels of stupidity as well as skill was just...!

"I'm not enthralled or ecstatic! Don't kid yourself! Rouga snapped, teeth gritted a moment before he abruptly turned away.

"I don't have time for this."

game over ;

Honestly, it had been a while since he'd last played a video game.

It wasn't as if he disliked them, or that he'd had little access to them--on the contrary, there were probably very few that he couldn't have gotten his hands on if he really wanted to do so...but for some reason, video games had always lacked a significant amount of the appeal that Buddyfighting held for him.

Perhaps he'd become accustomed to the level of realism that Buddyfight had achieved while still managing to maintain an element of 'fantastical adventure'...or maybe the goals and the level of gratification upon achieving were just different. Maybe it was simply easier to immerse himself in his surroundings and strategy while fighting, whereas this was--

--... well, actually, this game was pretty immersive. Very immersive, in fact, if Rouga's intense focus on the screen in front of him was any indicator.

It was absolutely necessary, though. This course had so many sharp twists and turns, so many places it'd be easy to fall off from...and he had to navigate them while maintaining his lead. The last couple rounds had been fine, easy to come out on top of, but this sudden spike in difficulty, along with Toad's annoying use of shells was just ridiculous.

He was almost relieved he was approaching the final stretch. There was still an irritating little mushroom man on his ass, and his entire body was tense, but he was pretty sure he could win it all if he could just--

Someone suddenly attempted to quickly pass in front of him, and...it almost felt like it happened in slow motion. The person that had tried to duck under the screen and pass yelped as their foot tangled with and pulled on the console's power cord. That power cord was abruptly pulled from the system...and the television screen went blank.

For several moments, Rouga could only sit in stunned silence.

"--.................."

#brightestofskies #I HOPE THIS IS ALL RIGHT----#CRAWLS TO BED FOR NOW

awkward locker room conversation is a go ;

heroofboundaries

He was honestly surprised he wasn’t dead.

The “game” the Groundskeeper had started out in the snow had brought him so close to starvation and hypothermia that entering the warm facility again was actually physically painful. He had stuffed his face so much that he threw up and had spent most of the first few days recovering from the traumatizing “survival” experience. If he was being completely honest with himself, the fact that he was met with no aggression was probably due to how pathetically desperate he was.

Still, getting into a routine and pushing back the negative thoughts was his way to protect his own stability and the best way to do that was to swim or run. The adrenaline rush was strangely relaxing and put his mind at ease and made him feel instantly better about himself. However, pushing himself to his limits out in the cold did a number on his physical condition and he had to cut his personal practice short. He always showered in his own room, too embarrassed by not knowing anyone in the facility to want to shower in the gym locker room, so he had simply sat on a bench in his gym clothes in order to catch his breath again, hoping that whoever was using the showers would not come out.

Nothing worked out for him because now he was going to have to deal with a difficult “bro” encounter with a man he didn’t know in a towel. He did not make eye contact, he tried to not acknowledge him but he went on default mode for encounters with strangers anyways and he mentally slapped his subconscious for the timing because his autopilot just made the encounter more awkward than it needed to be.

“So, what’s up?”

#heroofboundaries #he's so unsociable i'm sO SORRY......

For Rouga's part, he had even less desire to experience a 'bro' moment than Nate did.

Prevention of such a thing, in his opinion, was simple: all he had to do was completely ignore the fact that the room wasn't empty, and focus his attentions on getting dressed. If he was lucky, his 'company' would do the same, and no awkward or forced conversation would have to take place. One could argue that dead silence was even more uncomfortable, but...Rouga didn't see why it should be. Silence was golden, after all.

“So, what’s up?”

Unfortunately, though...the other boy didn't appear to share his opinion in that regard.

What a pain...

"... Dressing." He didn't bother looking at the other person, feeling his clipped answer to be implication enough of his stance on the situation: not interested. Can it.

gaowao-blog

”—… well.. I mean… I can’t tell if you’re just angry or you have an upset stomach, so..” Maybe it’s in the eye brows… "Or.. or is that actually your happy face, Rouga-Senpai?! Are you happy to see me?!"