Yuma Harem: Down Came the Rain 5/7
Like a madman with a death wish, I am going to attempt... three posts this weekend. One for each of the Aetheria trio - Waruna, Kurane, and Yoshiko. (人◕ω◕)** Why? Because this is the harem series lagging behind, and honestly... There's gonna be overlap with these three in particular. I'll isolate the parts that are different as best as I can so that we taste the distinct flavors of each actress. I won't disrespect them and lump them into a single post... That's just not polite. (人◕ω◕)***
It means more work for me. But what you gonna do? There won't be as many pictures involved because fanart of these gals is few and far in-between. I'll still attach some from a buddy of mine, but that might be it.
The Beginning
Yoshiko~ \(人◕ω◕)/ The leader of the Aetheria trio. The one who always views herself as only ever being second-best to Aiko, second-in-command, a cheap imitation of the best friend they lost... Yoshiko is extremely critical of herself. And why wouldn't she be? Yoshiko steps up to lead the theater club when Aiko dies; being the backbone of a whole club of competitive would-be actresses... that type of responsibility weighs and eats away at your soul. Especially when you try so hard to fill the void of someone as precious as Aiko. ... It's a lonely, thankless battle. Day in and day out. (人◕ω◕)
To be honest, Yoshiko has heavy parallels with Sayaka Maizono. ... Probably why I enjoy her so much. XD Aiko, from what we know of her, radiates heavy Makoto energy - and Yoshiko tries so hard to imitate her in ways that matter because she admires Aiko. (人◕ω◕) Yoshiko has a certain... plainness to her. Her parents are toy makers/researchers at Amaterasu, so she's not quite as well off as Waruna (parents run Marunomon Bank, only bank in the city) and Kurane (whose parents/family are from the old Kanai Ward aristocracy). As a result, Yoshiko has a fondness for stuffed animals, and even developed a hobby of sewing.
... Although needles... Like, medical needles... (人◕ω◕);;; Yoshiko dreads those... Get that **** away from her. (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;;
Still. Even if she's plain, Yoshiko works hard to be one of the best actresses in the club. Hence, she does have talent, and she knows club members look up to her. She even has a healthy rivalry with Waruna and Kurane, who she also admires; sure, it doesn't feel too good to lose roles or opportunities one auditions for, but some of the sting is taken away when it's your best friends getting those roles. (人◕ω◕) ... Though if Karen gets the roles........ (人◕ω◕);;;
Anyway, Yoshiko did have a great deal of hero worship for Aiko... So much so that the club members knew she was clear besties with Aiko (even long after Aiko passed), whereas Waruna and Kurane were more subtle with their friendship with Aiko. At least in public. And because the four of them kept their close friendship more private, it was easy to convince the club that they considered each other "suspects" in Aiko's death, and thus were bitter enemies in public for the past half year.
In reality, the trio was biding their time, keeping Karen off their trail. There was a brief period where they really did drift apart, but Yoshiko did her research into Aiko's death, and managed to get the gang back together with the knowledge of the truth. And they tried... everything within their power to expose Karen and get justice for Aiko. Yoshiko put their heads together to imagine every alternative imaginable - Waruna's blunt nature, Kurane's knowledge of detectives/mysteries, and her own research of the law and cunning plans.
But... Karen's dad was a big shot at Amaterasu. Which means the Peacekeepers were always a trigger pull away from getting involved when Karen got spooked. What's worse is that Yoshiko was the one that kept reminding Waruna and Kurane that this senior year of high school was their last opportunity to strike at Karen - once graduation hits, Karen will be all but impossible to punish. Bodyguards around her 24/7, eyes of the city on her... This is their last chance.
The constant string of failures eat away at Yoshiko. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months... Graduation is only drawing closer, and that means Karen is slipping through their fingers. Everyone else is fooled into thinking Aiko took her own life, and that's... Yoshiko can't stand it. Whereas Kurane suffers in anguish and Waruna is pissed the hell off, Yoshiko is a tempered mix of the two. The frustration and hatred of Karen for taking Aiko away eats away at her, day after day. Yoshiko wants justice, and she wants resolution for Waruna, for Kurane, and... for herself. But Karen keeps the truth buried, and makes running the theater club so difficult...
Yoshiko reaches a breaking point because she heaps so much on her own shoulders. As much as she wants to believe in the power of law and getting justice the right way, Yoshiko can't see that happening while Yomi Hellsmile runs Kanai Ward. And... that can only mean they have to punish Karen themselves. ... Or Yoshiko herself, in the ideal situation.
But killing Karen... It's not something she can pull off on her own. Karen's too paranoid. If Yoshiko makes a mistake, gets exposed for trying to take Karen's life, it'll all be for nothing. ... Yoshiko needs Waruna and Kurane. She can't do this without them. It's selfish, and asks entirely too much, and Waruna is right to be upset at her for proposing such an option... But... But Yoshiko had to bring it up. They're out of time. Nothing is working. Yoshiko will go mad if she keeps this bottled up, and... and she needs them to understand that she is aware what she's asking of them. Yoshiko knows it's too much. Yoshiko believes she's prepared to take responsibility for all of them, to shoulder the guilt all herself, but she needs them to do this together... It's selfish, it's reprehensible, but this is all they have left.
... Unfortunately for Yoshiko, even after getting Waruna and Kurane reluctantly onboard, the plan to kill Karen proves exceedingly complicated to hash out and practice in secret. And about a week before the fateful performance, a few new faces show up at Aetheria, poking around about Aiko's death. It doesn't take long for Yoshiko to connect the dots and figure out Kurane is taking risks... That if this keeps up, Karen will be spooked and the play will get called off.
They can't have that. Even if Yoshiko understands Kurane's desperation for another option, it's too late to turn back now. If this "other option" fizzles out like all their other attempts, and they discarded the opportunity to murder Karen, that'll be the worst outcome. There won't be another guarantee to punish Karen, not before they graduate. What's more, Yuma's questions about living for herself, taking it easier, they strike a chord with Yoshiko. She can't afford to have second thoughts about this plan, and she refuses to regret filling the hole that Aiko left behind.
So she confronts Kurane about her choices to meddle with the plan... And Yoshiko feels horrible for shattering her poor friend. Which is why she decides to carry on with just Waruna, tweak the plan. Allow Kurane to sit this out.
The plan goes to hell. The Peacekeepers arrive far too quickly after Karen's "death", and home in on her, Waruna, and Kurane. It's a nightmare. Kurane manages to spare them by throwing one of those detectives she brought in under the bus, but everything can still go wrong. Yoshiko does her best to hold it together during the investigation, but it's... incredibly difficult with all the Peacekeepers around.
To Yoshiko's bewilderment, the incident resolves with all of them saved. The detectives were cornered, dead to rights, and Karen of all people outs herself and owns up to her crimes. Karen duped them all, and... it fills Yoshiko with so many conflicting emotions. Martina Electro even backs down and lets them all go - the detectives, the three of them... It's too good to be true, but it happens.
Kurane breaks down from her betrayals, and it takes the new guy - Yuma - comforting and calming her down before she accepts much needed TLC from Waruna and Yoshiko. Yoshiko still doesn't know what to make of the detectives; she'd rather they all keep their distance and not tempt fate. Move on with their lives. But she can't be ungrateful for the detectives helping them out...
Yoshiko will just wait and see...
The Middle Act
It's great to have Kurumi as another friend, another bestie of Aiko... But Kurumi, Waruna, and Kurane all cozy up to the detectives way too quickly for Yoshiko's liking. (人◕ω◕)** They even ditch school for it, and that... It frustrates Yoshiko to no end as an honors student, and she drags them back to school whenever possible. Because they're in their senior year. And they should know better. (人◕ω◕)***
Yoshiko reluctantly starts bonding with the detectives, to keep Kurane happy more than anything, but they're definitely an unruly bunch that gets Yoshiko's blood boiling. The theater club members are forcing Yoshiko to take a break from the club, and her motherly nature finds Yoshiko's lack of reliable leadership... very frustrating. (人◕ω◕)* Everyone just does as they pleases. Desuhiko needs a restraining order on women, Halara needs many tastes of humble pie, Aphex is so reckless (a real brute), Fubuki is so sheltered...
We don't talk about Vivia. Vivia needs to be placed in a straightjacket with that needle he always carries!!! (人◕ω◕)***
Yuma is normal compared to all these weirdos, and the poor guy has such confidence issues...! He's the least offensive out of his comrades, and he's the one that Kurane is closest with... Yoshiko would still prefer if they kept their distance from the detectives, but she does feel guilty that Yuma echoes similar sentiments and wants to bear the brunt of Amaterasu's ire... That doesn't feel right to Yoshiko, but she doesn't know what to do; she wants to prioritize Kurane, Waruna, and Kurumi, but she feels bad for Yuma and wishes she could help him.
As Chapter 3 rolls around, and things get sticky again, Yoshiko warms up to Yuma after understanding him more properly. She helps the girls keep organized and composed during the investigation, and she does worry for Yuma as situations get dicier. The sub nuked, the bombings across the city, the detectives hunted down by the Peacekeepers... It's hella stressful on all of them. ... If Yoshiko had Yuma rest on her lap to soothe them both, that's her business. (人◕ω◕)
But the incident resolves, just as miraculous as last time. The detectives get a new sub, Hellsmile's off licking his wounds... Yoshiko's not sure what to make of Kagutsuchi - doesn't trust him, but he seems friendly for now. What's important is comforting Yuma, and the other detectives impacted by all these hectic, cruel turn of events. Celebrate being alive.
... Doesn't take long for Kagustuchi to drag Yuma and the agency into more trouble, and Yoshiko tries putting her foot down, keep Yuma from going to Amaterasu without backup... But it's through good fortune the other detectives end up there anyway, and the Resistance members as well.
Chapters 4 and 5 resolve (spoilers)...
The Future
Considering how fast-paced Rain Code is, we can keep the summaries short and sweet like that. Honestly, all those events serve as how the girls met Yuma and got to know him a little better in subsequent events. The meat of their relationship lies in the post-game. (人◕ω◕)
After everything's settled, Yomi's locked somewhere dark, Amaterasu's razed for all the years of abuse to the city, and Kanai's on it's way to being a stable society again... Yoshiko graduates from Aetheria with her friends~ Kurane runs off to join the WDO. Waruna pursues her career as an actress with a side career of being an informant. Kurumi remains an informant. Aiko sticks with acting, much like Waruna...
Well. To be blunt. Yoshiko and Waruna both decided to mentor under Souta Crawford, along with Kurumi. Yoshiko proposed the idea because they felt Kurumi and Souta's "Handyman" business (Maiya and Martina staffed under him) needed more helping hands if they were going to have a reliable informant network in Kanai Ward again. They all wanted to help out the Nocturnal Detective Agency, keep their home from returning to dark, desolate times like when Hellsmile was in charge. It just doesn't feel right leaving Yuma and the agency to handle most of the vigilant watch over Kanai Ward...
Yoshiko might've loved to go into acting like Waruna and Aiko, but fact is... With Aiko returned to them, in mind and body, Yoshiko doesn't feel as passionate about the stage anymore. Time spent with the detectives revealed to her that they need someone to help coordinate things. To be on standby when things go... awry. Rally the backup reserves. Yoshiko can't be in such a position if she's in a committed role as an actress.
... So Yoshiko settles for the role of a seamstress. Making stage costumes and the like. (人◕ω◕) There's still deadlines with those, obligations, but it's more manageable than compared to auditioning for roles and staying committed to plays. ... Plus, she can make clothes/outfits for Yuma. Her favorite teddy bear. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)
Yoshiko has an easier time developing a relationship with Yuma than... some of the others. She's a people person because of her experience with the theater club, and Yuma-kun is a great listener~ And she's very open and supportive of Yuma. Whereas Waruna struggles with the "mushy stuff", as does Guillaume. Fubuki is a romantic, but she's still learning a lot. Kurumi and Pucci are Yoshiko's main rivals for level-headed girlfriend. ... And they each tend to scheme around each other to get more alone time with Yuma. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)
As far as dynamics with the other girls go, Yoshiko has this paradox of being a reliable peacekeeper... and being a passionate rival. (人◕ω◕) That's why she butts heads with Guillaume, Waruna, Pucci, and even Kurumi at times... She doesn't hesitate to chew the girls out for being... lewd around Yuma-kun, among other transgressions. Like Waruna, she's used to being competitive to get what she wants. Yoshiko may have given up acting, but she will not give up Yuma. (人◕ω◕)
She gets along better with Fubuki and Kurane, but even they have their sneaky moments... Yoshiko must remain ever vigilant. (人◕ω◕)
As for the first girl to be blessed with Yuma's children... Yoshiko will proudly make it known she's in the running for that. (人◕ω◕) This will of course be disputed, but... y'know... She and Yuma get pretty intimate a lot... And it's not always her initiating the cuddles or laying in Yoshiko's creamy, soft thighs... (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)
WHEW. That's the Aetheria trio, really. I think I covered a lot~
First post (Kurumi): https://www.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/744071239670300672/yuma-harem-down-came-the-rain-17?source=share
Second post (Fubuki): https://www.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/769062324656111616/yuma-harem-down-came-the-rain-27?source=share
Third post (Waruna): https://www.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/801500132956848128/yuma-harem-down-came-the-rain-37?source=share
Fourth post (Kurane): https://www.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/801581667475161088/yuma-harem-down-came-the-rain-47?source=share