don't lose your way

ryuuko   matoi.   18.   indie

[synchrxnized-blog]

to be closer || yata & ryuuko

The moon was high in the sky when she crept out of her dorm. Senketsu was left hanging on the closet door as he slumbered away. It was actually kind of easy to sneak out of the dorms, and she was outside before she knew it. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as her eyes turned toward the sky. Stars twinkled above her and she knew she’d be alone out here. That was what she was hoping for anyway.

She shifted the object she’d been carrying under her arm, wearing the eiyu uniform for once–and her old navy and white jacket. It felt kind of weird wearing something other than Senketsu, but she’d washed and ironed him and let him rest for the evening.

She’d prefer to be on her own for something like this anyway.

Ryuuko stalked over the campus, sneaking around whenever possible, and made her way to the shopping plaza…and then she finally set down her seemingly precious cargo. A skateboard–a bit beaten up, and kind of looked like it could fall apart at any minute, but she hadn’t expected much. She’d found it in the secondhand shop a few weeks ago. And since then she’d been trying to practice but..she’d only managed to scrape her elbows and face.

It was kind of hard explaining the bandages, but she passed it off as training injuries–and no one could hear Senketsu’s confusion. She never did this with him on, after all. She sucked in a deep breath and shut her eyes, placing one foot firmly on the board, before shoving off with the other.

She managed a few feet but when she brought her other foot onto the board, she’d placed too much weight on the back and knocked herself off balance. “Shit!” She hissed as she hit the ground, the board clattering behind her.

Well, that would certainly bring anyone who was out and about running, wouldn’t it? “Tsch..” Ryuuko grimaced, swiping her thumb across her now bleeding lip. Maybe she just wasn’t cut out for this…but dammit, she wanted to surprise him...after all, he’d done so much for her, this was the least she could do to surprise him on his birthday. Still, she’d made hardly any progress...

[senxketsu]

gangster-kun and maid-chan || ryuuta

[girlphobic]

“Uh.. It’s not weird..” He scratched at his cheek. It certainly wasn’t common but he wouldn’t call it weird. “I-It looks.. good on you..” He mumbled, worried that maybe she’d make fun of him if she heard him clearly. Loud chatter was everywhere so it was likely she hadn’t heard it. 

He paused and seemed to mull over what she said and then shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, sure. If you say so.” Then again all the food he wanted was on the ground. Yata seemed to appreciate the comment because his face was back to being red again as he proceeded to rub the back of his neck. “We’ve got all day. Let’s take our time to enjoy the food!” That way they wouldn’t actually have to get sick. Well, maybe sick of food. Good thing that the activities they participated in burned a lot of fat. Not that that had done any good for Kamamoto. He chuckled at the thought.

“O-Oh.. Okay. I was just wonderin’..” It’s not like it was a big problem. His concern was that maybe she’d get it dirty from dropping food on it or something and get in trouble- an outcome he’d like to avoid if at all possible. Then again Ryuuko was always getting herself into trouble.

Still… It did look really good at her. He’d definitely have trouble looking at her for the duration of their time together. Well, all that was left to do was to start their search so he started them off, taking the first step forward and making his way down the hallway and to the nearest stairs to get outside. “Was it busy..? Your… cafe thing.”

[synchrxnized-blog]

She might not have heard him right. Maybe he hadn’t even said anything at all. But she thought she heard him complimenting her. She thought she heard him say it looked good on her. Her cheeks burned and she dipped her gaze, choosing not to say anything so it wouldn’t be awkward if he hadn’t said anything.

Her grin widened and she nodded. “Mhm, sounds good,” she nodded, clenching her fist. She was definitely pumped to hit up all the food stalls with him, knowing it was likely going to be the most fun she’d had all day. Whether they ate themselves sick or not, she didn’t care as long as they were together. 

She trotted after him, her cheeks feeling a little warm still and she fought to keep the smile off her face. It was definitely the best way she could have imagined this day going. Considering all the trouble that they’d gone through when she first got the stupid uniform..Speaking of which...they were dating now, right? 

Ryuuko found herself staring at his hand as they walked--until she heard him speak up once more. She jerked her head up as her face turned even redder. Ah, jeez, that was embarrassing...she definitely hoped he hadn’t caught her staring. “A-ah...yeah, kind of, I guess..” She scratched the back of her neck, glancing off to the side. 

“I only took care of a couple tables. The rest of the girls were more popular than I was, I guess,” she added, shrugging her shoulders. Then again, she had probably looked a bit intimidating, scowling at every patron as she tried to sputter out a greeting. She wasn’t cut out for that sort of thing. 

“Were you guys busy?”

[senxketsu]

birthday wishes || [Ryuuta]

[girlphobic]

He couldn’t help but to blush at her words. “O-Oh.. Is that so..” She’d never turn him down for anything, huh? It was things like that that really made him happy. Not that’d he’d ever admit it. 

Ryuuko’s giggle was insanely cute and he found himself adverting his gaze, blush intensifying. A lot sure had changed in a year. For one thing he’d never imagined he’d be dating that girl he found slumped in an alley one day. Then again.. He’d initially thought she was a boy at first. 

Yata focused on the walk, too flustered to talk or linger on old memories at the moment and before long they’d arrived. It was strange to see it so empty. Maybe because the last time they’d come it had been overflowing with people. “That means..!” His eyes were practically sparkling as he moved to find some place to sit. There were already places where large umbrella’s had been stabbed into the sand and he rushed to place his towels down along with the container holding the sandwiches.

Of course, it was only after emptying his arms of those things that he realized he hadn’t brought his surf board. “Ah.. That’s right.. I didn’t take it..” Shoulders slumped forward as he looked longingly out onto the water. Last time he hadn’t even been able to surf considering the wind hadn’t been good and now that the waves seemed to be good he hadn’t even thought to bring it. 

Oh well. Today was about Ryuuko anyway. Not that it wouldn’t have hurt to show her a little more of his cool side. “Oh, right! The grillers! Did ya see any, Ryuuko?” He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and did a quick scan, his search not yielding any results. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

“Y-yeah.” 

She’d thought it was obvious. After everything he’d done for her, of course she’d be more than willing to drop everything for him. Especially since it felt like she could never repay him. Hell, she probably couldn’t. He was always a step ahead of her, making her food, always looking out for her. It meant more to her than he could probably imagine. She just hoped she’d be able to pay him back some day...then again, they had the rest of their lives now, didn’t they? 

A-assuming they stayed together...Her cheeks burned at the realization that..after all this time, she couldn’t see herself ending up with anyone else. Somehow that just felt...right. Being together. Even if it almost hadn’t happened. She was glad. She was...so incredibly lucky. Imagining him with anyone else just...hurt.

A grin lit up her face once they finally reached the beach and Yata picked out a spot for them. They definitely had their freedom to pick, considering they seemed to be the only people out and about--unless they were just on a different area. Not that she minded. It was easier when it was just the two of them, right? W-well, sort of.

“Eh?” What was he looking for? She followed his gaze and her expression softened. “Ah. You know, you don’t even need a board?” Well, they might have had some place to rent one here on the beach, but there was still another option. “You could bodysurf, at least. S’not the same thing but it might be kinda fun if you wanna try that,” she suggested, glancing over at him. It was...kind of cute to see him sulking like that. 

But the mention of the grills cut off her train of thought and she spun around. It didn’t seem like there were any near the umbrellas--probably for safety reasons, so she looked behind them. “Uhhh....well shit.” They had to have them somewhere on the beach. “Well...worst comes to worst, we can make our own somehow?” She could hold the meat while they used his flames, or something..

[senxketsu]

birthday wishes || [Ryuuta]

[girlphobic]

He wondered if maybe they looked like a real couple right now. After all, they were walking in swimwear with their fingers intertwined and looking flustered while doing so. It was so awkward but nice at the same time. Like he wanted to snatch his hand away but at the same time didn’t want to let go. Dating was strange. Or maybe it was just having feelings for someone like this. 

He nearly froze, the hand Ryuuko held in hers turned clammy. “W-Well..” He gulped as memories of their previous outing at the beach played through his mind. A lot of things happened.. Even if those things had happened while they were dating it probably still would have been just as awkward. Maybe even more so. But he felt comfortable in her presence. In a way it was soothing. Well–except for the times they were doing awkward couple things like holding hands. Not that he disliked it.

“I.. didn’t think you’d want to go with me again after what happened last time.” Hell, even he thought it would be too embarrassing to go again. But it had been fun. He could fondly remember talking about Mikoto there too for the first time. He scratched at his cheek with his free hand and did a double take as the water came into view. They were nearly there.

“’Sides, it’s different this time, ain’t it?” For one it wasn’t a fair with a million things to do. Just a couple celebrating a birthday with a picnic on the beach. Maybe some swimming. Maybe even some luck if he managed to win another kiss from her. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

She blinked at his admission, eyes widening. “H-heh?” Did he..really think that? It was an unexpected shot straight to the heart and a small smile tugged at her lips. “Honestly, I’d never turn down an opportunity to spend time with you, no matter what we’re doing.” She would always drop everything for him. 

Maybe it was a little scary just how important to her he had become, but she..really didn’t mind. It was good having someone else like this. She gave his hand another gentle squeeze, marveling at how much he’d changed her. She’d never thought she could do anything like this. She couldn’t help but grin about it. She’d come a long way, hadn’t she?

The look on his face was enough to send her heart skipping like a stone across the water. The effect he had on her...was pretty amazing, all things considered. Her expression softened and a giggle left her lips. “Mhm, yeah it is.” For one, they were dating now. It wasn’t just an outing as friends--but wasn’t it that trip that had even led to her starting to realize just how much she’d come to like having him around?

And another thing, she was pretty damn sure this top was less likely to have a malfunction, but she’d made sure it was secure before she’d left her room anyway. “It feels like a lots changed since we were here last,” she mused aloud. 

A budding friendship that had shifted somewhere along the line, and damn had she fallen hard. Even if he’d misunderstood her when she confessed. It probably hadn’t been the most elegant and maybe she might have preferred something more proper but..she couldn’t be unhappy that things had turned out the way they had.

Already she could hear the roar of the waves, and her grin widened when she noticed there were barely any people out and about. “Looks like we’ve got the place to ourselves for now too! No shortage of good spots to sit!” 

[senxketsu]

gangster-kun and maid-chan || ryuuta

[girlphobic]

“I-It’s not funny…” He huffed, pout faltering as she brought the focus back onto herself and her new outfit. Once again his face was ablaze and he repeatedly kept glancing from her to some poster on the wall. “Y-You do..” It was strange to think that a frilly maid uniform could make someone look good. 

“Ah.” He blinked, hands reaching to search his pockets but coming up empty. “I thought I had a program somewhere…” He sighed. Well, someone was bound to be handing out flyers or something somewhere. Either way he guessed it would be an adventure to go into places blindly. 

Ryuuko’s response to his stall sent his heart fluttering and a proud grin to spread from ear to ear. “Well, it ain’t bad..” He’d definitely take that as a compliment. “But we’re always eating my food so let’s spoil ourselves with other food today.” Besides, wasn’t she sick of Chahan by now? 

“Er… um.. Did you.. wanna get dressed first..? Or…” He found himself shyly rubbing the back of his neck and pointing his gaze down at his shoes. “Unless.. you left Senketsu back at the dorms?” Not that he ever complained about Senketsu but it actually felt like it was just the two of them for once. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

“It is a little funny,” she grinned, though it didn’t stop her from picking at the skirt. “I-I hope it doesn’t look weird on me or anything...I don’t wear shit like this so..” Was it too frilly? ...Maybe. She was definitely more comfortable wearing something like Senketsu than she was in this thing...but it wasn’t like there was much she could do about it now.

She blinked as he began his search, but it did give her an idea. “Ah, it doesn’t matter if we’ve got one or not. It’s more fun if we find it on our own, right?” It’d be more..authentic that way or something, right? It didn’t matter as long as the two of them were together. 

Her own grin widened when she saw just how pleased he was to hear it. “Like I care,” she snorted. “Your cooking’s the best food I’ve ever had!” Like she’d ever get sick of eating it--but she could understand. “We’re going to hit up every stall and make ourselves sick...most likely,” she laughed.

At the mention of a change of clothes, she glanced down at herself. “Ah...yeah, he’s back in my dorm.” Probably napping. If Kamuis napped. “This is all I’ve got until it’s over with.” At least she wouldn’t look out of place, given most of the other students were dressed up for some reason or another.

[senxketsu]

birthday wishes || [Ryuuta]

[girlphobic]

“O-Oh… Is that so..” He tried to play it off cool, like either way wasn’t such a big deal but inwardly he was happy that she was fine with walking. Honestly, if he was a dog his tail would be wagging excitedly. Thankfully he wasn’t that transparent. 

In any case the trek to the beach would take them twenty minutes tops. Probably not even that long if they kept up their pace. He was starting to get worried that his hand would start sweating in hers. Maybe he should pull away before it came to that? But wouldn’t that give off a bad signal? Damn, now he was so nervous he didn’t even know what to say to her.

“S-So… The weather’s not too bad today.” Well, not for a trip to the beach. Swimming sounded like fun. Surfing sounded even better but he hadn’t brought that along with him. He already had to carry their food. At least there wouldn’t be any wardrobe malfunctions like last time.. Then again it always seemed like something embarrassing happened to them without fail.

Maybe he didn’t need to say anything. They’d probably be fine if they just walked hand-in-hand to the beach. As long as they were together and Ryuuko was enjoying her birthday. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

“Y-yeah.” 

He didn’t protest it, so that must have been good, right? He didn’t mind..? She didn’t want to let go of his hand even for a minute...though she knew she’d have to eventually. Likely once they reached the beach to help set up. She’d enjoy it while it lasted then. 

Still, shouldn’t they talk about something? She bit her lip, glancing down at her feet as they walked. He managed to have that covered. “A-ahh, yeah. It’s pretty good. A clear day.” That meant they probably wouldn’t get rained out. Not that she’d mind whatever happened--as long as it was nothing like the last time. 

It was just the two of them again, this time on purpose. She couldn’t deny the fact she was pretty giddy but..s-she didn’t want to seem overexcited or anything. “D-did you ever think we’d be heading to the beach again after last time?”

Wait--shit, why bring that up..?! That’d just make things awkward. 

“A-ahhh, there’s still a lot we can do though!”

[senxketsu]

gangster-kun and maid-chan || ryuuta

[girlphobic]

Yata’s nostrils flared and his lips thinned into a tight line as the female laughed at him. “Oi! Don’t laugh!” Well, she was gonna do that no matter what so he crossed his arms across his chest and turned away until she finished. “Hmph.” He grunted, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently and throwing her a glare out of the corner of his eye once she finished. But it wasn’t as though he could stay mad at her. 

The idea of food definitely took the edge off and he could feel a rumble in his stomach at the mention of takoyaki. How he had managed to keep himself from drooling while working at his booth was a wonder even to him. “Okay then. Let’s just hit up everything!” School festival food.. Would it be any good? He was positive his stall had to have the best fried rice at least. 

“Oh, uh.. We kinda split off. Dunno what the other half is doing. Some play? I think.” He wrinkled his nose at the thought of having to join something stupid like that. “My lot is doing a food stall for Chahan.” He grinned. “It’s pretty good so the rest of those food stalls better not let me down! Wanna head outside?” Sure, there was food within the school but those were mostly cafe’s and he had a hankering for quick, fried food. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

She giggled, wiping her eyes. “S-sorry, but you have to admit it’s pretty funny. Do I look that different in this thing?” It definitely felt weird, but she couldn’t really blame him. Even if he was glaring, she couldn’t help but grin. It wasn’t like he was actually mad, anyway. She knew better than that. Especially since his mood brightened at the mention of food.

“Heh! Sounds good.” Just like they’d promised then. “It’ll be fun finding out what all they have set up.” Hell, it’d just be fun hanging out with him. She did nearly snort at the idea of him being on a stage, but her eyes practically sparkled when he mentioned his specialty dish.

“Oho~? Yata’s Chahan, huh...Good thing I didn’t know that ahead of time or I would have been there stuffing my face!” She laughed again, shaking her head. She wouldn’t deny it was probably her favorite--though it was only because it was his cooking. He’d pretty much spoiled her with that. “Yosh!~ Let’s go!” She cheered, punching her fist in the air before starting down the hallway. 

[senxketsu]

birthday wishes || [Ryuuta]

[girlphobic]

He gulped several times as Ryuuko squeezed his hand in return. She wasn’t pushing him away so maybe the excuse worked. Would she have pushed him away without one? He really didn’t know anything about how she felt about physical contact at all so it felt like he was groping around in the dark and hoping to hit a light switch somewhere. Even if she had admitted that she loved him (without her knowledge) it wasn’t as though he could carelessly do what he wanted. He didn’t want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable.

Her hand was surprisingly soft, save for a few callouses. He expected it to be rougher from all the fighting she did, then again she hadn’t been doing so much at Eiyu that he saw. It felt nice. On the other hand.. His were probably rough and uncomfortable to the touch. Yata considered pulling his hand away for her sake.. but he didn’t really want to so he kept his fingers threaded with hers as they walked. 

It was nerve wracking but he chanced a glance in her direction. She really did look cute. Somehow more girly. And then she looked shy and flustered which was endearing given what a tough tomboy she was. He found his gaze dropping to her lips again and he couldn’t help but want to kiss her again. Quickly, he snapped his head back forward to stare ahead to their destination. What was wrong with him? It felt like his thoughts and urges were growing bolder whenever he was with her. Not like he’d ever act on them though. Holding her hand was as much as he could seem to manage for now.

“S-Should we take the bus? Or d’ya think we’ll be okay on foot?” It was certainly hot out, but heat was something he could handle fairly well. He had no clue about Ryuuko though. Ah, but would riding the bus mean he couldn’t hold her hand anymore?

[synchrxnized-blog]

She did stop to wonder if maybe a girl’s hand ought to be softer--as much as she fought..would it have been better if she didn’t? Still, he didn’t seem to be complaining. Wasn’t she just worrying over nothing? His hands, on the other hand, were warm. They might have been a little rough, but they were both fighters. That was to be expected. It was comforting, above all else. 

Was it possible his power made him so warm..? Or was that just natural when being so close to another person? Her heart skipped as she bit her lip, finding it hard to look at him the more she thought about his hands. How was it possible for one person to be so steady? It was like he had become an anchor for her, far before she’d realized it.

Ryuuko exhaled softly, pressing her lips together in a thin line. Funny..they were still tingling from the kiss they’d shared. Hell, it seemed like everything was tingling, especially her hand. But she didn’t mind. She was...glad their hands seemed to fit together so naturally. Damn, when had she even become such a sap? She almost laughed at herself, but his voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“A-ah?” She turned to look at him, lips parted in surprise as it registered. “E-eh......ah...w-well, we’ll probably be fine walking, right?” It wasn’t like it was a huge distance. Besides, wouldn’t the bus just make them more nervous? “I-it’s fine...l-like this, I think..”

[girlphobic]

He blinked, wide-eyed at her question. “I’m fine!” His face reddened even further, as if the whole world was against him and he clicked his tongue. “T-That’s just my complexion!” He wasn’t a very good liar even in the game it seemed.

Yata was a little impressed at the way she carried herself out on the field. Senketsu definitely looked wild, swinging her fists, even seemed to be having fun until he noticed the way she grimaced, her body movements growing slower and slower. He flicked his gaze to her status screen just in time to realize her health was decreasing dramatically. Right. Brawlers were all strength and with lighter armor they didn’t really have a whole lot of defense.

Yata couldn’t help but feel guilty, responsible for kiting so many enemies at once. It had probably been more than she could handle. “Senketsu! Your health!” Did she even have any potions? He knocked back a couple of enemies, stunning them long enough to pull out one of his and throw it at her. While she busied herself with healing, he used one of his spells that was sure to draw attention away from her and back to him. 

His knock back technique was a godsend, and probably the one he spammed the most. Once he was able to draw enough enemies towards him, one punch was enough to knock an enemy back into another and that in turn created a domino effect which knocked the others back and still took away health. Of course, there was also his fire spells which he abused to no end. He finished a good chunk of them and checked on Senketsu. He’d have to keep checking her health so he knew when to pull their attention back on him. It seemed like she hit a lot harder.

Of course, now he was starting to worry and focus more on her health than his.

[synchrxnized-blog]

His complexion, huh? That only brought a laugh out of her as she shook her head. “If you say so!” Honestly, a glitch in the game would have been more believable than that. But whatever. It was still pretty fun to tease him. Who knew he’d turn out to be such an interesting guy? 

Still, that didn’t change the fact her health had really taken a number on her. “I’m fine,” she barked out in response to his concern, but even then he was already tossing a potion her way. It was almost second nature that she caught it, feeling a strange feeling as she stared at the bottle. Sure, she normally waited until after a battle to heal, but no one had ever been that concerned about her--even when she did party up with other people. They just assumed she’d be fine like she said.

“Sheesh..” What a weird feeling. She yanked the top off and downed the potion, rolling her shoulders as her energy returned. “Don’t worry about me so much,” she smiled wryly. “I’m used to this sort of thing.” Not just in the game, but the real world too. Well, what excuse did she have for it? She was just a delinquent she supposed.

But it seemed like they made a pretty good team, at least. He drew the monsters in and did a number on them, leaving her free to rush in and bash some heads without having to worry too much about a stray one catching her again. A punch here, a roundhouse there, and her personal favorite: an elbow to the nose--and it seemed like the monsters were beginning to dwindle. 

“Heh~ We’re not a bad team at all! I could get used to this!” Was that weird to say? Hmm...maybe it was, but honestly, she kinda got the feeling she’d never had this much fun in the game before.

[girlphobic]

Yata just nodded his head in response, still keeping his gaze fixated on the ground and followed after her once he’d accepted the party request. Once he did he he could clearly see her status on the screen. A brawler, huh. Not so much different from his class. He sort of pegged girls to be more interested in the magic classes so they’d stay in the back and let everyone else manage the heavy hitting so it was a little surprising to see a girl as one of the melee classes.

Then again, she could have just as easily been a guy in real life. Although that would have been hard to hide considering her voice unless she was using some voice changing software. He was sure the game even came with a bonus like that. One would have to pay for it though.. Either way, this Senketsu appeared as a girl to him so he couldn’t help but be nervous. It’s not like she had any interest in him besides wanting to adventure so it’d be fine.. Probably.

The Monk accepted the teleport request just as Senketsu entered the area words and then they were whisked away to to some cave-y looking dungeon. He groaned. He preferred the ones outside more. It sort of felt suffocating being in one that looked like it was underground or somewhere deep where the blue of the sky couldn’t be seen. But all in all, the brawler seemed to be in pretty high spirits.

“Y-Yeah!” He replied clumsily, just a minute too late after her exclamation. Damn this game for being so realistic. Even his face was turning about as red as his hair. He could even feel his cheeks burning from outside of the game. Well, he wouldn’t need to worry about much once they got into some fights.

Although their match up was pretty strange. He wouldn’t really be effective as a tank with someone who hit up front, since his main focus would be kiting while magic based users shot attack from a safe distance. Wasn’t exactly easy to run around the field while she tried to punch and kick. Ah well. Guess there was nothing to it but to run in, fists raised and wail on the enemy.

And the game didn’t disappoint. Only a couple of steps into the room and it was filled with goblin type monsters. They were spread out so they could easily take a small group one at a time if they wanted, but Yata was a tank so he just rushed right in, grabbing the attention of every monster and leading them into a corner. “Alright! Come at me!” He grinned, his fist lighting into flames as he punched goblin after goblin, even knocking them backwards and momentarily stunning them thanks to one of his effects.

[synchrxnized-blog]

A grin tugged at her lips as she turned her attention to her adventuring partner. “Yo, you okay? Lookin’ a little red there.” Was he one of those shy types? Or maybe he just didn’t know how to handle girls? That was actually kinda cute. She stifled her laughter and headed on in. 

She was actually kind of glad monsters had spawned in the first room. Made it easier to get down to business. “Alright!” She beat her fists together eagerly, rather impressed with the way he rushed in. Well, she wasn’t about to fall behind! Monks were a pretty cool class, huh? 

Ryuuko reared her fist back as she charged into the fray, slamming it into one of the goblins. She struck hard and fast, grimacing when damage was landed, but for the most part, she was quick enough to hit the monster before it could hit her. Still, it seemed like he was having an easier time with his flames. 

The dark haired teen swept her thumb across her nose, exhaling before rushing in to uppercut one of the goblins. “They’re not so tough, right?” She grinned over her shoulder. There was something thrilling about fighting like this..and it was probably a good thing she already knew so much about street fighting too, which made it easier to fight like this.

But even so, she had to hit hard when a blow landed, since her defense was low. But she’d chosen this class because she preferred fighting offensively. still, seemed like they had something in common.

That didn’t stop her from swearing loudly when one of the little buggers got in a lucky critical hit before she slammed her fist into its face and sent it flying into one of the cave walls. “Shit, that hurt..” She winced, grumbling over the chunk it had taken out of her health.

[girlphobic]

His head was turned the opposite head when she approached. His eyes fixated on some guy with a name he thought was similar. Nope, wasn’t him. He nearly jumped when someone called out to him and he turned, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. “Wha–” Did he know this person?

Yata’s eyes wandered upwards to check her status. “Senketsu..” But wait– The person he was supposed to be meeting up with was this girl?! His shoulders visibly tensed as he straightened up, lips pulled into a thin line as his face reddened. His partner for this dungeon was this girl?? And.. He gulped as his eyes trailed down and he stiffened once again, quickly turning his head away at the lack of clothing in certain area’s.

“Y-You’re really the one from the forum?” Damn. He figured the name was pretty masculine so he wasn’t expecting a female at all! What the hell was he supposed to do now?! He couldn’t very well turn her down after all that. Maybe if he said he forgot to eat or,…? But that excuse wouldn’t last him forever. He’d have to log back into the game eventually and then what if he ran into her again?

“U-um.. Yeah.. I’m ready..” As ready as he’d ever be in this situation. Yata planted his gaze at the ground, finding it difficult to look at her. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

She blinked at his reaction, tiling her head to the side as she raised an eyebrow. “Uh...yeah? Usernames match up, right?” Could it be he’d expected someone else? Well, that did make sense. It wasn’t the first time someone had mistaken her for some tough guy because of her username. But hell if Senketsu didn’t sound badass. 

Almost seemed like he was embarrassed or something. Weird. Oh, wait, wasn’t her outfit kinda..well, it’s not like she had much control of that. Brawlers didn’t really have a whole lot covered. Something about being easier to fight the way they did. 

“Alright then, let’s go.” She wasn’t planning on going down to dinner now. It could wait. She tapped a few buttons, sending over an invite to a party so they could get going. “If you want, you can keep the reward? I mean, no telling what it’s gonna be in this one, but it oughta be fun!” 

It was almost mandatory that she played with someone else the way she played. It was important to have some kind of backup, or at least carry a shitton of potions, considering she almost always came out with barely any health. It was bound to be a strange experience considering their classes were pretty similar. 

After a moment of hesitation, she also sent a friend request--just in case it ended up being pretty fun. He could just accept it whenever--or just ignore it if he chose to. That done. she turned on her heel and started to the warp gate. 

“Braving...Night Road..” She typed in after finding the right words in her collection. It had just been a random string of words, but she was pleased to see it was one of her favorites--the kind that was like a winding expanse of caves...then again, all the graphics in this game were pretty great. “Here’s to having fun!”

[girlphobic]

Yata set his water bottle down on his desk, not at all expecting to have a response so quickly. That meant this person was online which also meant they could have a small team formed so they could run through this dungeon immediately. That was fine with him. He didn’t like waiting, although he probably could have found some way to kill time while he did.

Just as he was about to type a response, this Senketsu person had chimed in with another reply.

Yatagarasu: sounds gud. meet n town by fountan?

He leaned back in his seat. If this guy was online then he probably didn’t need to state a time. Although it would be good to have some time to stock on whatever they needed. What class was this person anyways? Well, he’d find out eventually. He put on his headset and got comfortable in his chair before logging into the game.

As Yatagarasu, his appearance didn’t differ all that much from his real self. The only difference was his attire. Not that this person would know otherwise. Hell, he didn’t even know what this Senketsu person looked like. He waited by the fountain, amber eyes scanning over the names of anyone that passed by.

[synchrxnized-blog]

A grin lit up her face and she shoved her bag of chips aside to get ready. It was definitely the best way to relax after school. She cracked her knuckles and typed out another response just to let them know she was on her way.

Senketsu: alright!! see you there then

Donning her headset, she exited the forum and logged back into the game. It was almost a relief when she opened her eyes to the scenery of the game, her grin still on her face. She flexed her fingers and double checked her equipment. Yep, she was ready for a dungeon. 

She adjusted her gloves and made her way to the fountain. There were a few people around, which wasn’t surprising. It was a fairly popular meet up point due to its location. She scanned the names as she passed, finally lighting on the right username. Not bad--he definitely looked like a good fighter. 

“Yo! Yatagarasu, right? Thanks for answering,” she greeted, lifting her hand in a wave. Definitely someone she didn’t know, but hopefully they’d be able to work together well. “You all set to go?”

[girlphobic]

He really didn’t have much to do these days. Homra was disbanded. Nobody wanted to hang out or get together anymore. All there was to do was work his part time jobs so he could make ends meet and then once the work days were over he’d simply hang out at the bar or go home. It was depressing, and Yata couldn’t deal with the depressing things. So what does he do? Turn to video games.

The male really should have looked into eating first, but he seldom ate these days. Instead he turned on his PC and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge, plopped down into his chair and took a swig of it while he waited for the system to boot up. First thing he did was bring up the forum. He squinted at one of the threads, noticing how it had just been posted and there had been no replies. Eh, why not?

Yatagarasu: im down. wut dungeon

[synchrxnized-blog]

It didn’t seem like she had long to wait. A chime went off as a notification popped up and she clicked refresh to see who’d responded. She didn’t think she’d seen the username before, but the few contacts she did have were offline. Well, wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot, right? 

Ryuuko stretched her arms over her head, leaning back in her chair as she thought. She hadn’t really been planning on going to a specific dungeon. She drummed her fingers on the desk before sitting up to type out a reply.

Senketsu: didn’t really have anything particular in mind.                  i was just gonna wing it unless there’’s one you                  wanna do? i’m not picky haha

She chewed at her lip as she thought, wondering what sort of person it’d be. Well, if they got along then it was one more person she could call on for adventuring. She wouldn’t mind that, really. Hell, she wouldn’t mind having anyone to talk to, considering she was by herself most of the time--save for one stubborn girl.

Senketsu: actually, the dungeon at braving night road                   looks pretty interesting?? might be some                   good items?

[synchrxnized-blog]

It was kind of an after school ritual since she’d gotten the game. Kick her shoes off after entering her room, toss her bag somewhere and head on over to her desk. After a few minutes of start up, she was ready to log in and blow off some steam. 

She’d solo’d for a while, then headed back into town to restock her supplies when she got bored. “Mm...it’ll be time for dinner soon..” She murmured to herself. Ahh, not that she cared. Just another excuse for her dad to ignore her while he kept working on whatever. Someone would bring it up to her if she didn’t go to the dining room.

An irritable exhale left her lips and she pulled up her menu, typing up a quick forum post as she rummaged for her bag of chips. 

Senketsu: yo anyone out there who wants to tackle a dungeon with me?

Now to just sit back and wait then..

[shinii-kun-blog]

ryukoi +  senketsu 

[girlphobic]

Why not today, he wondered even before she really responded. He was already busying himself with fishing through the bag for his popsicle and getting ready to plop down beside her to tear open his. His fingers curled around the wrapped and he pulled it up only to feel his grip loosening and the package fell to the bottom of the bag again. He gaped at her. “Your birthday? Wait, you mean.. Like today today?” What a stupid thing to say, and he’d realized only until after he said it.

“Wait, so you’re just gonna.. You got plans then?” It’s not like that whacky family she was living with wouldn’t celebrate it if they knew. He didn’t even want to imagine how that house wife lady would even find ingredients to make a cake. Did Ryuuko even like cake? Actually he didn’t really know all too much about her in the first place.

[synchrxnized-blog]

She snorted, a wry grin tugging at her lips. “Yeah, today. It’s just another day though.” She’d never really celebrated it growing up, and then she was pretty much on her own. “I’m...nineteen, I guess?” She furrowed her brows, tilting her head to the side. “I don’t remember. I don’t really celebrate it.” It was no big deal to her, really. 

“Ah? Plans?” Ryuuko blinked at him, eyes widening slightly. “No, not really? Well, other than taking it easy. I don’t really think it’s anything to make a big deal over.” She wasn’t that sort of person. Enjoying a frozen treat with a friend on a warm day was just as good of a celebration as anything. 

[girlphobic]

“S-Shut up!” He blurted out, momentarily shocking the family long enough to pull them out of their antics to stare at the two for a moment with renewed interest. Of course considering how embarrassed Yata looked and how amused Ryuuko did probably elicited some curiousity in what they were saying. But then as Ryuuko began talking more about how the clothes looked they turned away as if they’d heard it a million times. Or maybe they just didn’t care about it.

“And that’s why I said you don’t know until you try.” And maybe not just any flames would do it. The flames he received from Mikoto were special. Maybe it’s just what Ryuuko didn’t know she needed. 

It didn’t seem as if Ryuuko was looking for any denial on his part but he vehemently shook his head at both options any way. If it was just Mataro he could have rolled with that. But it would feel awkward rooming with the parents given how the dad already seemed wary of him and well.. the mom was out for obvious reasons. 

“Oh.. Okay.. Then that works.” It was the only option, it seemed. He climbed to his feet and alternated rolling each arm back and forth to work out the kinks in his shoulder blades. “But I’ll help. ‘S least I can do an’ all..” He eyed the plates seeing as how every crumb had been licked off, hopefully by the dog and not by the people living here. And he finalized that by scooping up the dishes before anyone could make any objections if there were any to be made.

He paused, turning his head as he searched out the kitchen but it wasn’t as though he had to look long. “And, uh.. You can go ahead.. first. With the bath or whatever..” In the meantime he could try and work on getting on the Makanshoku’s good graces. 

[synchrxnized-blog]

Ryuuko nearly fell over laughing at that reaction, especially when the others turned to stare at him like that. This guy was definitely interesting. Then again, most of the people she’d met here were. It was kind of strange..but it wasn’t like she minded.

“H-heh, alright. It’s worth a shot to try it your way.” At least then she might be able to see if there was anything else that worked. She wasn’t going to get her hopes up though. They’d probably have to get a hold of someone’s uniform though. But she was sure she could snag one at PE or something. A one-star uniform, maybe. Since no one would be letting go of a two-star or higher if they had any choice. And, well, no-stars didn’t have any life fibers anyway. 

But at least his sleeping situation had been sorted out. But she paused when he offered to take care of the dishes. “Oi, wait, you’re the guest, you don’t have to..” He was already gathering them up though. She blinked and watched him go. “Oh my,” Sukuyo giggled, pressing her hand to her cheek. “It feels like we’ve gained another son!” ...Ryuuko wasn’t sure she wanted to think about what the woman might have been implying.

She stretched her arms over her head and rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, alright then.” She pushed herself to her feet, excusing herself while Mako and her mother set about shuffling a few things out of the way so they could lay out the futon for their new guest. Ryuuko hadn’t realized how achy she was after the fight earlier, but it was nothing a warm bath couldn’t fix. 

She turned on the tap, cranking it up as warm as she could manage--without of course using all the hot water for herself..though it seemed like they never ran out anyway, which meant they probably had something rigged up that kept the water warm. They were resourceful, she’d give them that. Then she busied herself with taking off Senketsu and hanging the uniform on the nearby towel rack.

Though before she could get any further, she checked the water, figuring it was warm enough..but there was some kind of commotion going on outside the door. Her brows furrowed, irritation prickling the back of her neck. “Again?” She grumbled as she stomped over to the door, forgetting the fact she was now in her undergarments as she threw the door open. “The hell’s going on out here?” She barked, expecting to simply find the usual suspects..