#third phase

[askundeadbluelesbians]

oz is like... the physical manifestation of fear, right? Would drugs even affect them?

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Written by @segasister Art by @lallorona04

[terra-magna-living-archive]

Tusked Ape

These Gigantopithecus-like Rahi are named for their distinctive tusks exclusive only to their species. It is unknown as to why its relatives lack tusks or why these Rahi specifically have tusks, currently remaining a mystery among Matoran paleontologists.

Like most ape Rahi, the Tusked Ape was very social and lived in groups. Like modern primate Rahi, bachelors (males without groups) would often kill the offspring of the alpha male just after fighting the alpha male off in order to mate with the females to make their own offspring.

Like the Polara Yeti (coming soon), it was a close relative to Prototoran (Cave Matoran capable of reproduction, coming soon). The Tusked Ape and the Polara Yeti were both inspirations to the Spirits to base Toa off of because they admired the idea of tall hominid species being a close relative of Matoran.

The Tusked Ape was the largest ape Rahi, as well as the largest primate Rahi to have ever lived, standing at 8 feet tall, about 2 feet taller than a Toa.

The Tusked Ape had a parabolic plate-shaped skull to shield their heads from heavy impact, like combat with opponents.

Tusked Apes lived in what are now Moccoto and Duanja, back when their regions were much colder.

Because of the size of this primate, it needed a lot of energy to thrive, which means it took large amounts of food to provide the Ape with the energy it needed. It was competition and shortage from the Ape’s large body and appetite that caused this beast to go extinct.

Lifespan: 80,000-100,000 years

Diet: Herbivore (trees, large plants, fruit)

Habitat: Cold Jungle and Forest Regions

Representative Element: Plantlife, Ice

Conservation Status: Extinct

(Also I’m fully aware of the blue eyes on Image 2, that was the eye color it was originally going to have until I tried red)

[i-w-p-chan]

Third Phase, Part 1

Summary: Enma picks up his sister after her support group meeting for the first time and ends up meeting Sawada Tsunayoshi, who flips Enma's life around. Enter: Enma's Colossal Crush. (A Hanahaki or two make an appearance.) Hanahaki AU.

Notes: I was reading Hanahaki fics when I wondered about other possible details for such an AU and this happened.

Hanahaki: is a fictional illness that one gets due to unrequited romantic love. Hanahaki manifests in flowers growing in the lungs, which causes the person who has it to cough out flowers and blood. It can be cured by having the feelings that caused reciprocated or by surgery; the surgery removes the feelings that caused it along with it. If it's left without treatment for too long it will lead to death.

WARNINGS: Shameless Self-Indulgence, This Is A Very Wild Ride, 90% Directed By The Characters, Way Too Many Food Mentions, Hanahaki Fic But The Hanahaki Is Only Brought Up When It's Convenient, Past Minor Character Death, Enma Being A Protective Older Brother, Enma's Huge Crush, Feels, Lots Of Feels, Is This What They Call Romance Fiction?, Brief Cat Therapy At One Point, Mama And Papa Kozato Exist At The Edges, Non-Decimo Tsuna AU, Way More Characters Than Expected, FEELS, Crying, SURPRISES, A Shameless Time Skip Somewhere In This Fic, Actually Has Something Cliché And Cheesy And It's Not Hard To Notice, Too Many Warning Tags.

Disclaimer: Don't own KHR.

.

Enma leaned against the car, checking his watch before returning his eyes to observe the building he parked in front of. Mami was bound to leave soon.

Not five minutes later, his sister exited the building in the company of a young man with fluffy brown hair and amber eyes. The two were quietly conversing.

Enma cocked his head to the side in curiosity; it was his first time picking Mami up after her support group meeting and so it was his first time meeting another member of the group.

Did the guy have Hanahaki like Mami? Enma wondered, looking over the person and noting his features.

Just who could possibly not reciprocate that guy's feelings?

His inner Mami metaphorically whacked him over the head, screeching, "Hanahaki is about ROMANTIC love not lust!"

Enma shook his head in faint amusement; it wasn't like a person couldn't grow to love another over time.

(The thing called dating existed, after all. And the only reason Enma didn't suggest this to Mami to help her with Hanahaki was because she had the misfortune to fall in love with an aromantic person.)

"Enma-nii."

Mami's greeting shook him from his thoughts, and he smiled at her, "Mami, you ready to go?"

Mami hesitated slightly before she nodded, "Sorry if I was late, Tsuna-san was just telling me something." She looked to her side only to notice that her companion, 'Tsuna-san', wasn't there.

She huffed in mock exasperation and turned to yell at Tsuna-san who was some distance away from the siblings, "Tsuna-san! Just because kaa-chan isn't here it doesn't mean you get to escape from the Kozato clutches! Enma-nii will give you a ride!"

Enma walked up to stand next to Mami and sent what he hoped was his most charming smile.

Tsuna-san scrutinized them both for a minute before he relented, huffing in amusement, "Mami-chan, I can walk home. My place isn't that far away from here." His voice was quiet and slightly hoarse.

"Yeah, sure."

"Just this once, okay?"

Mami smiled and pumped her fist in the air.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please, call me Tsuna."

"Kozato Enma-" Enma's smile widened, "-Please call me Enma. And the pleasure is all mine."

Mami gave him a cursory glance, wondering about his sudden openness, he gave her a look. I saw a guy so beautiful, it brightened my day, his look said.

Mami elbowed him lightly in the side, the look in her eyes promising an interrogation session once they got home.

Tsuna seemed to not notice the byplay (or if he did, then he made no sign to show it).

The car ride was short and quiet, only filled with Mami's voice as she directed him to Tsuna's house. Enma was surprised his sister didn't talk his or Tsuna's ears off.

After they bade Tsuna goodbye and returned to their own house, Enma was starting to get worried. Mami was still surprisingly silent.

"Mami? Is there something wrong?" Enma put his arm around her shoulders.

Mami sucked in a breath and let it whoosh out of her chest, trembling and shaking, she coughed lightly into her hand and brought out a tissue from her pocket, using it to clean up the blood-stained petals that fell from her mouth and wiped her lips.

She tossed the dirty tissue in the nearest trash can and threw herself into one of the couches, "Tsuna wants to have the surgery to get rid of his Hanahaki. He said he'll have it next week."

Enma sat next to her, silent as he pondered what she just said.

He knew Mami didn't want to go the surgery route to heal; she was scared, she'd said when she explained why she didn't want it, not only of the operation, but of what will happen after it. The surgery will get rid of the disease, and it will take away the cause of the disease, and Mami was scared of the gaping hole that would leave in her heart.

It was clear that Mami felt scared for Tsuna.

"Tell you what? How about I take you to check up on Tsuna whenever you have the time? Do you have his number?"

Mami, who stared at him wide-eyed and hopeful, turned skeptical, "Are you sure this isn't just an excuse to have his number?"

"No, promise."

.

Unfortunately for Mami, she had homework piled up and couldn't contact Tsuna about coming over sometime in the next few days before his surgery, which left her no choice but to give Enma Tsuna's contact number to do it instead.

Enma stared at Tsuna's contact number in his phone, wondering whether he should text or call, before deciding to text.

[Hi, Tsuna! This is Enma, Mami's brother.] He hit 'send' before he could second guess himself or his choice of words.

He breathed in deeply, contact made. Now all he had to do was wait for a reply.

His phone pinged, indicating an incoming message.

That… was fast.

[Hello Enma ^^]

Enma's fingers went to start typing a reply asking Tsuna if he was fine with Enma and Mami visiting in the next few days, before they froze in place, one formal sentence already typed. He deleted it quickly and threw the phone to the table before throwing himself to the couch.

Oh god, what was he supposed to do? How could someone even text a person they find cute?

Enma curled up, agonizing in silence; his messages-sending experience included only either very informal, stupid texting with his close friends and family members, or very formal e-mail sending to people at work.

If Mami saw him at the moment, she'd have cackled.

Fifteen minutes later, he uncurled himself. Deciding to risk it, he grabbed his phone and typed.

[I was wondering if it's okay with you if Mami and I come over to your place sometime in the next few days before you have your surgery?]

He fidgeted, was he being too personal? Insensitive? Did he offend the guy? God, he hoped not.

Tsuna's reply came not a minute later.

[Sure. you can come over anytime ^^ I'm not doing anything time sensitive this month so I'm almost always free.]

Enma smothered a triumphant shout against a pillow, hoping that Mami didn't hear him, and then he sagged back into the couch, smiling at the message.

.

The visit came both too soon for Enma, yet not soon enough at the same time.

Enma subtly fidgeted in front of the door, careful not to let Mami see (now was not the time for her teasing).

The door opened, revealing a brightly smiling girl, with amber eyes and light brown, long hair, who ushered them in, "Hello, Mami-chan, Kozato-kun! I'm Kyoko, a friend of Tsuna's. As much as I'd like to stay and spend time with you, I have to go, my bae and I are meeting up later." She smiled at them, "Take care of Tsuna for me, yes?"

"Kyoko, you don't have to…" Tsuna walked into view, looking soft and approachable in his long hoodie and sweets. Enma wanted to cuddle him.

"Of course we will!" Mami nodded vigorously.

"Thank you, Mami-chan!" Kyoko's smile widened.

"Mami-chan." Tsuna slightly pouted. Enma smothered a smile.

Kyoko nodded at Mami with a dangerous glint in her eyes, Mami looked back at her with the same glint. The two appeared to share a secret between the two of them.

Looking at Tsuna, Enma could perfectly understand what the secret was, and briefly wondered where he could sign up for the protection squad.

After Kyoko left, the three of them settled in the living room.

Tsuna stared at Mami, prompting her to sigh.

"You wanted to talk to me more about why I decided to go with the surgery after all." Tsuna cocked his head to the side.

Mami fiddled with the hem of her shirt before she went to seat herself next to Tsuna, "Yeah. I did; still do."

"Mami-chan," Tsuna started, "You know about what happened."

"I do." Mami bit her lower lip, "But, still, aren't you scared? Of what will happen after? Of what you will feel? Of what you won't feel?"

"Of course I'm scared, Mami."

"Then, why-?!"

"Because I'm more scared of dying." Tsuna's lips twisted into a mockery of a smile, "Because I'm selfish and a coward. I have a lot of people I care about, a lot of people I'm selfish enough to want to keep. And I'm a coward, I'm afraid of death. I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. And if all that is stopping me from living is Hanahaki, then I'll get rid of it."

Mami sagged into Tsuna's side, staying silent instead of replying.

The silence lasted for a minute before Mami stood and went to the kitchen, "Do you have cookies?"

"Yeah, the usual."

Mami opened the jar on the kitchen's table and peered in, making an excited noise before she put the lid back on it and scooped it into her arms, carrying it with her back into the room.

Tsuna looked back towards Enma, who had been merely observing the two throughout their interactions.

There was a spark in Tsuna's eyes, Enma noted, and while he didn't understand what the spark meant explicitly, the way the spark intensified when Tsuna's eyes landed on Mami, who was inhaling her way through the cookie jar, made a part of Enma stand up at attention, ring with mutual understanding; it made a part of Enma consider Tsuna one of his own, a member of the family.

A person to care about deeply beyond his friendship with Mami.

.

The ride back from Tsuna's place was silent, though this time, Enma had expected the silence.

The two had just entered their house when Mami surprised Enma by tightly wrapping her arms around Enma and burying her face in his chest.

Enma responded by wrapping his arms around her.

"Nii-chan," Mami spoke, her voice somewhat muffled into Enma's clothes, "Tsuna is brave. He calls himself a coward, but he's brave. Braver than me. I'm the coward, aren't I?"

Enma slightly freaked out, not knowing what to do; he was never good at talking to Mami when it came to Hanahaki-related things, evidenced by the fact that whenever he tried, he'd just end up fighting with her.

Mami solved his dilemma by stepping away from him, "I'm going to my room."

Enma remained where he stood for five minutes before heading to his own room, mind going a mile a minute.

He didn't know what having Hanahaki was like, but he knew that it was a disease that infected the mind and heart just as it did the body, that it infected people who were close to the ones who had it.

He knew what it felt like to wake up every day with the knowledge that it was another day closer to the deadline, to Mami hitting critical stage and there being no hope of either requited love or surgery to cure her.

He knew what it felt like to hold Mami's hair out of her face and rubbing her back as she had another bad attack and coughed blood and flowers all over the floor.

He knew what it felt like to hold his sister as she cried herself to sleep on the particularly bad days.

He knew he wanted that horrible infection uprooted from her body.

He knew he couldn't do much to convince her to have the surgery.

(But if Tsuna did, then by god Enma would lay the world at Tsuna's feet in gratitude.)

.

Mami mass-baked on the day of Tsuna's surgery and recruited Enma to help her.

"I know we can't go visit him in the hospital, but that isn't stopping me from visiting him after he's released OR sending him cookies."

"Oh? And how are you planning to send them?" Enma said as he finished packing the cookies into tupper-ware.

The doorbell rang and Mami rushed to answer it, coming back a second later while dragging Fuuta behind her.

"Here! Give these to Tsuna and send him our regards. Tell him we'll be visiting him after he's released."

Fuuta smiled at Mami as he received the cookies, "Thanks. I'm sure Tsuna-nii will love them."

Mami's cheeks colored slightly as she averted her eyes, "Yeah, sure, he better. Go and give him those already."

"I will, see you later! I'll text you when I have news!"

"Okay!"

Enma put his arm around Mami's shoulders after she returned from sending Fuuta off.

Fuuta was a good kid, honestly, no wonder his sister grew smitten with him.

"I didn't know you know how to bake."

"I don't."

Enma froze, "What?"

Mami sent him a sly smirk, "I don't know how to bake. Tsuna better come teach me after."

Enma huffed in amusement, "So, Fuuta, huh. Is he the reason you met Tsuna?"

Mami hummed as she took off the apron she wore, "He convinced me to join a Hanahaki support group, told me his adopted brother was in one. And when I accepted, he personally took me to the same group his brother was in."

Enma smiled softly at the fond look Mami had in her eyes.

"He said he wanted me to be in good hands, and if there was anyone he'd entrust me to, it'd be his brother."

Enma's smile widened; maybe he should get Fuuta a nice gift to thank him for the miracle that was Mami meeting Tsuna.

.

End part 1.

Next

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