She always liked the underground mall in Shibuya. It was always busy, what with people constantly moving about while they wait for their trains to arrive. This was made double by the downpour above them that forced everyone to seek shelter.
She wasn’t here to linger however. The Empress was merely in search of some supplies for her new garden before she needed to embark on her trip home. She preferred to walk through the rain anyway. Tokyo was always so pretty in the rain.
Though as she was leaving, much to her embarrassment, she nearly turned the corner directly into another person. Her eyes widened in surprise as she halted and began to apologize.
“Oh! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t realize anyone was right there.”
He’s standing and swinging in the middle of a coursing river, wearing next to nothing. Calls out Shinji -- who’s properly fishing, mind you -- over his shoulder like, “Hah -- I bet I’ll catch a fish before you!!”
@brightpinkmoon:
I dunno, a real man would catch one in his mouth like a bear
🤔 ; What are some differences between you and your muse?
Uh, I guess the most obvious is that I’m a girl. I’m also not nearly as good with web development as him.
😳 ; What is something or someone you have always wanted to write with? i.e. a particular plot, a character, etc.
Whether it’s friendship or romantic, I’d like to see Mishima get to know Futaba at some point. Their computer skills aren’t entirely the same, but I sort of feel like it could be an opener for them to bond over the misery they went through because of stupid adults.
😴 ; What time of day are you more inclined to write?
Any time of day, honestly, though I work from late morning to early evening so I’m most often on at night.
// akihiko sanada (downtomyunderoos) & minako arisato (brightpinkmoon)
1. Akihiko --
“Letting someone see you that vulnerable, it’s a scary thing.”
2. Minako --
Minako nodded listlessly, fiddling with the wire on her headphones. She was perched on the edge of the couch, her knees pulled up against her chest. There was no real reason to be down here, but she’d been holed up in her room under the pretense of ‘studying’ for a solid week.
It had sort of worked; she hadn’t really cried much, but she knew that wasn’t even close to what Shinjiro meant.
“You know, it gets to the point where the reason doesn’t matter, you know? It’s like…you have to be okay, even if there’s no actual consequence, even if there’s people who will listen. And…and after a while, the whole idea of being honest is just completely weird.”
Minako finally took the headphones off, sliding them across the table. Even if she’d managed to resist the urge to escape into her music, she was still using them as a security blanket.
“How do you do it?” she asked, looking up at Akihiko. “How do you really be okay after something like this? I…I think I’m doing it wrong.”
3. Akihiko --
She asked as if his experience with mourning meant anything. The way he went about it since Miki’s passing he wouldn’t encourage. Wouldn’t wish on anyone. A childhood friend passing didn’t make it easier despite personal enlightenment. In a way October fourth was like a second death for Shinji; cutting ties (the best he could, anyhow) with all of them after Castor went berserk broke Akihiko. The concept of someone who’s like a brother suddenly torn from reach was forced on him to get used to.
So being asked this- he could only lower solemn eyes and wonder. How Arisato spent her days barely present he thought to be normal. Worrying, of course, but normal. The dorm’s atmosphere couldn’t vouch for much, anyway. Ironically it seemed Akihiko didn’t quite belong, respecting Shinjiro’s will and keeping his chin up. As if he was a part of him now. Was she by any chance asking about that?
“…There isn’t a correct way,” he mustered saying. “I think.. everyone here understands… I do. Coming down here and talking seems to be a step in the right direction.” Akihiko took a deep breath, as if the sudden crisp air he inhaled recycled from two years ago. “I don’t think that feeling will ever go away.
“Just take my hand. It’ll be better, I promise.”
4. Minako --
Minako paused. She’d tried to keep her composure. After ten years, she was supposed to be good at it. Letting Akihiko comfort her felt like an admission that she’d failed.
Still, he already knew, and she was supposed to be able to trust him. If she had to smile and pretend that she was fine- she was just tired, or studying too much, or whatever- what was the point.
She obliged, drawing a shaky breath and swiping at her eyes with her free hand.
“Yeah…Yeah, I know. Someday.”
When she finally felt calm enough for full sentences, she looked back up at Akihiko with a weak smile, giving his hand a squeeze.
“I…”
I’m sorry to be such a baby. I’m supposed to be the leader.
She reconsidered, looking back down at her feet. They all became stronger once they started opening up to one another. This was how they were supposed to move forward.
// akihiko sanada (downtomyunderoos) & minako arisato (brightpinkmoon)
1. Akihiko --
“Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”
2. Minako --
Minako blinked, confused. “No? Why would there be?”
Now that was a surprise, coming from him. He had his…eccentricities, sure, but so did the rest of SEES, and she’d never known him to apologize for who he was or change himself just to fit in. After years of dealing with school politics, it was refreshing.
“Seriously, what brought this on? I mean, I think you’re good the way you are. You know that.” (If not, she’d seriously screwed up somewhere.) “But if something’s troubling you, I’m always happy to listen.”
3. Akihiko --
It was as if he didn’t foresee being questioned! His brain stumbled into a wall, and Akihiko almost flinched in retaliation.
“Oh— uh…”
Emotions blended flattery with nerves, stunning him. He trusted Arisato, of course, but pride relished complicating matters despite the ultimatum: his tendency to be an open book.
A hand dragged down his face. “I’m sorry… That was a stupid question. I was recalling something from earlier…”
Leaving it at that wouldn’t satiate both, Akihiko knew. “When I told you I grew up in an orphanage. Remember? Ah— that itself doesn’t bother me… Being told as a kid I was strange because I didn’t have parents does, I… guess. Today it does. I still get told by people who don’t know that about me that I’m weird. I.. really don’t get it.”
Confessing always resulted with his face burning. Maybe he was allergic to talking about his feelings, who knew. But around Arisato, Akihiko felt compelled as if under a spell. Even if he couldn’t fit in elsewhere, at least he could come to her; otherwise, he’d wedge boiling thoughts down some pipe.
The next thing said intended to be a general remark, but the ambiguous pause made it loosely connect with his last thought.
“I don’t get people.”
4. Minako --
“It’s easy for strangers to speculate, isn’t it?” Minako shifted in her seat, her expression darkening. “For what it’s worth- which isn’t much, I know-,those people would’ve gossiped anyway. They expect kids with no parents to be messed up.”
Growing up, she’d been afraid of that very thing. She’d kept her head down, kept a smile on her face, so that the people around her would see her as something other than an ‘orphan’.
But what had that gotten her in the end? The people who knew still looked at her funny, even if they pretended not to, and she’d ended up without a life of her own.
“But, you know what? Fitting in’s really overrated. Sure, there are times when you need tact, and you just kinda have to do the best you can to navigate those situations, but…I tried for ten years, I did everything ‘right’, and it doesn’t solve the real problem.” Minako lifted her head, though she was a little too self-conscious to make actual eye contact; she never talked about these things to anyone but Yukari.
“I get what you’re saying, but in the end, being true to yourself is a really good thing. And there are people who’ll accept that. I know it’s a work in progress, but we- all of us- are learning to open up to each other a little more, right?”
5. Akihiko --
Arisato was right. Gossip couldn’t be tamed. Funnily enough, hearing Leader’s side was unusual. But not in a bad way. Akihiko began realizing how little he knew despite sharing a similar background. At school she seemed popular, but the rumors themselves were mixed. It depended on whose mouth. Some spoke of Arisato in reverence, others in jealousy. The list went on. So he couldn’t help but listen intently, to them and especially to her. Akihiko had no explanation for this, except he seemed interested in learning more. Said person wouldn’t offer much, unfortunately.
Behaving was ingrained in him. This was the most obvious at school. Akihiko Sanada, a delinquent? Hah. Otherwise, minding one’s business, not getting too involved, earned him some of the respect he had, since not many knew their senpai well. But when people had tried?
“I wouldn’t say I expect to fit in. I’ve given up on that a long time ago. I guess what I meant to say is that.. something about me turns people off. I mean— I know not that many people are into boxing, but… err.. I’m.. awkward to be around is what I mean.” Akihiko shrugged this time, as if to add nonchalance despite the contrary. Arisato implying SEES made for a nice save.
“Yeah… you’re right. SEES was pretty different before you and the other underclassmen joined, that’s for sure. Mitsuru doesn’t seem unnerved by you guys, but I have a feeling there’s more to that than she lets on.” A self-deprecating chuckle escaped him, surprisingly.
“Now that I mention it, even I think Mitsuru of all people has the tendency to treat me differently… Am I the only one who feels this way?”
6. Minako --
“She…she has the tendency to look after the people around her,” Minako added hesitantly, a finger going up to her chin. It occasionally felt like Mitsuru treated everyone a little bit differently. She seemed on a whole other level at times, and Minako couldn’t grasp most of what was beneath the surface. “But I think she trusts you. The way she talks to you is…familiar. Relatively, at least.”
Still, she knew what he was referring to. Yukari and Junpei had chuckled about his awkwardness at times; always affectionately, but the perception was there.
“Connecting to people really is complicated, isn’t it? And you-people have already decided who they think you are, and the expectations make it trickier.”
Stoic was the word thrown around the most. Which could’ve been a convenient persona for someone who flew under the radar, but that plus his athletic abilities made him “cool”. If he blew his fans off, it was because they didn’t try hard enough, and once they found the magic formula, he’d turn into a Casanova who always said the right things.
Being shoehorned into that fantasy sounded exhausting.
“But…” she crossed her ankles, tapping the toe of her shoe against the tile floor. “I’m glad to be around, however awkward you or anyone else might think it is. I know we work together and all, but that’s why I’m here right now.”
Minako pushed a fry around on her tray, picking up the last remnants of salt. Her old instincts told her that she’d said something she wasn’t supposed to say, that she Made It Weird, but she’d come too far to put on a show. Akihiko had earned more than that.
// akihiko sanada (downtomyunderoos) & minako arisato (brightpinkmoon)
1. Minako --
Minako was starting to resign herself to the fact that she simply couldn’t interact with Akihiko on school grounds without someone getting offended with her for breaking the social contract. She’d already decided not to care, because he was her teammate, her friend, and that mattered more than her standing with a bunch of girls that she barely knew.
But this was different.
She’d never actively encouraged that particular misunderstanding.
It was for a good cause, and they’d agreed to it (even if they never planned anything out), but she’d spent such a long time distancing herself from Akihiko’s admirers that turning around and playing his number one fan seemed like a violation, somehow.
Which is how she ended up pressed against a wall, much more nervous than she should have been, trying to nonchalantly watch Akihiko’s latest attempt to ward off an especially persistent suitor.
God, she was acting like them already; it was almost funny. Still, if she was going to do some actual good, she needed to get out there and present a challenge that the other girl couldn’t meet.
“Senpai! There you are!”
Minako half-skipped around the corner and took her place at Akihiko’s side, standing perhaps a littlecloser than usual. “Gonna take me out today?” She punctuated the statement with a playful grin and a light tug at his vest. “Practice let out early today, and the dorm gets a little crowded, you know?”
2. Akihiko --
It was another one of those days. When a sudden fangirl cornered his faltered defenses, invaded his personal bubble enough it felt as though it were about to burst. Totally, he was agitated yet incredibly helpless with someone more aggressive, disallowing him to flee on with his business with the way she pitched come-ons. It was as if trying to score with Sanada-senpai was akin to professional baseball.
Even for his own fan club this had to be foul.
But then, she emerged. His knight in shining armor. His teammate fearlessly trotted up to the plate, figuratively shoving the other player by the vile face. Despite discussing the playbook prior, despite the way Arisato coddled up to him as opposed to the usual, Akihiko nonetheless seemed to enjoy this game.
“I know what you mean.” He smiled down at her, conveying relief and gratitude. “C’mon, let’s go.”
3. Minako --
“Awesome!” Minako cheered, letting her smile grow even broader. That part was easy, if a little embarrassing; given how busy they both were, being able to snag a little bit of her senpai’s free time was a rare treat.
She briefly acknowledged the other girl with a bow and a shrug that was vaguely apologetic. If she was his girlfriend, if they were madly in love and there was no room for negotiation, she couldn’t act in any way that could be perceived as “threatened.” Her victory would need to be a foregone conclusion.
And it seemed to work, at least a little; offense flickered across her face, but she bit back whatever retort had come to mind.
With that small victory she led Akihiko out of the building, only truly relaxing once there were no more Gekkoukan uniforms in the crowd. Still, she took care not to do anything that flat-out negated their earlier act; she was beginning to suspect that her classmates could show up anywhere?
“Hey, are you doing okay? We can skip training and go straight back if that’s easier,” she asked, backing up just enough to give him some breathing room.
// akihiko sanada (downtomyunderoos) & minako arisato (brightpinkmoon)
1. Minako --
“I’m so tired… ”
2. Akihiko --
And that concludes tonight’s Tartarus excursion.
As the group leaves the tower’s premises, Akihiko stays seconds behind and beside Arisato, her fatigue plain as day. He’s thankful she was honest as he turns away from her, hands beckoning.
“Here, climb on. I’ll carry you.”
3. Minako --
“Oh no, it’s fine! I’m perfectly capable of-”
Given that it took all of her energy to stand, Minako should have known that walking wasn’t an option, but she wasn’t supposed to be incapacitated like this. As childish as it was, she’d been hoping that sheer willpower would get her from Tartarus to the dorm.
She made it about two steps and stumbled, grasping Akihiko’s shoulder for support.
“Okay, never mind, I’m gonna take you up on that.” She backed up, carefully climbing onto his back.
“Thanks, Senpai,” she mumbled, feeling herself flush slightly. “I’ll…try not to get to this point again.”
In retrospect, her insistence on continuing without a break after the guardian was absolutely ridiculous. But they hadn’t actually covered a lot of ground, and her teammates didn’t look tired (never mind that Aigis and Koro never seemed to tire, and Junpei could be every bit as stubborn as her at times).
Still, she had to admit that swallowing her pride now was a lot better than the alternative. She was starting to feel a tiny bit better already, and Akihiko offering to carry her was so like him that she couldn’t help but smile, even though she felt absolutely foolish for agreeing so easily.
The raven haired boy blinked, stumbled as he nearly ran into the other. He had been so lost in thought, he had barely noticed the girl.
“I’m sorry...you’re not hurt, right?” He looked over, and while she didn’t seem to be injured, he still felt rude for nearly slamming into her. Graceful, Akira.
