Phantasms - RENEWAL

Jonghyun squints slightly, a hand coming up to shield his eyes against the harsh June sun. For a moment he thinks the temperatures of the day must be getting to him, because why else would he see this person here in America of all places?

Well, it must be true what they say; the world is a small place, after all. But he’d never expected to run into one Micah Jones on while on a vacation from his university exchange trip. Especially when their last encounter had been the two of them stuck in an overgrown maze.

Cautiously, Jonghyun approaches the other male, making sure to situation himself in front of him before clearing his throat to announce his presence. And even though the other can’t see it, Jonghyun smiles, hoping it’s reflected in his voice.

“...Micah-nim? Is that really you? It’s Jonghyun, Moon Jonghyun! We met that time in Koi City! Although, if you’d don’t remember me, that’s fine!”

     FLICKERING CANDLEIGHT   *   RESERVE GROWING ‘CROSS CITADEL AS MOON ARCHES HIGH OVER SUMMER SKIES           silhouette outlined by the flame no more capable of brightening room than he .   half-moon’s look fixedly at reflection within clouded atmosphere  ,  the THUNKS!  of nearing footfall behaving as little more than background noise;   even when they falter at his side does mikazuki refuse to receive whatever outburst most assuredly will come .   uchigatana quite the thorn in his side .   well .   avoiding him forever would only prove more difficult  ,  considering status within citadel’s walls .           “ izuminokami kanesada.  how may this one help you?? ” @fantasibilleder​

The victory is a hollow one, for too many reasons. History has been preserved, but at what felt like far too high a cost. Having to watch Hijikata go to his death was painful enough, everything that had lead up to that moment just as much so.

It’s why he finds himself wandering the citadel’s engawa instead of celebrating with his unit. Things between them are strained enough as they are, even if they were able to put up a united front after their arrival back from their latest mission. Though as Izuminokami looks up, he’s harshly reminded of the fact that his relationship with Horikawa isn’t the only one one that has changed.

Though, in this circumstance, things are different. Because Mikazuki (dare he say, this Mikazuki?) seems like a stranger.

“....Preserving history. Is it worth the pain and suffering it causes, do you think?” Izuminokami decides to go straight for the jugular, sapphire eyes burning into crescent irises he’s not sure recognizes.

          “ sada-chan, ”   oh boy  ,  that’s a tone .  what has the tantou done  (  this time  )  to warrant such exhaustion ??   “ please stop running around yelling “POGGERS”;   it’s beginning to catch on with the older blades  [  .  .  .  ]  mikazuki-san,  especially.  wherever did you hear of a term like that ?? ” @fantasibilleder​

Golden eyes gleam in mischief and merrirment, a triumphant cackle sounding not a second after Mitsutada finishes his complaint. What’s there to be proud of, getting a Tenka Goken to say a dumb saying without really understanding it? It’s a low bar, but Taikogane has never been one to be fussy about daily victories.

Grinning, the tantou hurls himself at the one he considers to be both and older brother and a father (as though swords could have parents!), secretly glad that Mitsutada’s reflexes are as good as they are, eyepatch and all. Laughing again as he’s jostled in the hold, he finally offers an answer to the beleaguered tachi.

“I only seek to protect Yugi and his friends since I’m here and blend in with the citizens in this time.” He sees Yugi as a brother momentarily after the Mutous had adopted him as one of his own. From an Ancient time, he learned proper etiquette since he was raised from royalty.

It’s strange, ever since things calmed down for them, he can finally learned to live in peace. Ruling as Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt was stressful enough for him. But modern and ancient times are different, from what he has seen through Yugi’s eyes, it’s more less stressful as Pharaoh from his time.

As far as he’s aware, there are some people who are intimidated by his elegance and grace like his group of friends.

Nodding briefly, he chuckled. He wasn’t as hostile as he used to be when he first emerged from the Puzzle as the Nameless Pharaoh as others seen by him. “If it wasn’t for Anzu, I would still be the Nameless Pharaoh until now. Please, there’s no need to be formal around me.” Atem paused briefly before continuing. “My name is Atem Mutou. Yugi’s family welcomed me as one of their own ever since I came back from the afterlife.”

“...Atem-san...” Shizuka whispered the other’s name, more to herself than to Atem. So that’s who the other boy truly was, hm? Tilting her head a little, she let her gaze travel over him briefly.

Now that she knew Yugi and Atem were two different people, she could recognize the differences. The changes in hair, the taller build and the differently shaped eyes. Even his voice was deeper and more authoritative sounding. Honestly, it was amazing that she’d never actually realized it before now. But then again, she had been a newbie and had left the group only a few days later.

The mention of ‘coming back’ from the afterlife confused her somewhat, surely it shouldn’t be possible for someone to return from the beyond, right? If that was the case, so many of those who had passed would have returned, right? But after everything that had happened in the last few years, who was she to judge? Instead she smiled again and bowed in a proper greeting.

“In that case, Atem-san, welcome back!” Shizuka replied with a sunny smile as she straightened up once more. “I’m glad to see you again! And I’m happy you’re still keeping an eye on everyone. Especially my brother!” She paused and let out a giggle.

why was this guy being so troublesome? law clicked his tongue in annoyance at the insistence on wasting his time with delirious ramblings, and grabbing better hold of kikoku he turned his back to the stranger. “believe whatever you want,” he simply said crudely, “but if you’re going to waste my time then get off. i’m not kind enough to let stowaways ride with me to wherever they please.” opening the door to the storeroom again, law exited without even looking back to check if the guy was still following.

judging by the pitter-patter of footsteps that soon followed, he was. it didn’t take long for the ‘visitor’ to catch up to law’s purposefully slower pace of walking (if he wished to escape to solitude he easily could after all) and eventually they were walking together. “i’ll tell you this much: you’re not hallucinating, neither have i given you any morphine. i wouldn’t want to waste precious resources on someone who doesn’t have much injury.”

opening the door to the deck of the submarine, the duo was hit by the fresh sea breeze. before the polar tang laid the colourful dock full of life and laughter, any hint of oppression and fear already long gone from the streets. had law been the sentimental kind, he could almost smile at the thought of these people being free, but honestly that wasn’t what he cared about. it was his own freedom that mattered the most to him.

“now. get off. you don’t want to be here either.”

Taken aback by the abrupt dismissal of his comments, all Jonghyun could do was stare blankly at the other’s back as he left. For a moment, Jonghyun simply stared at the wall, eyes filling with helpless tears as a pinch to his arm brought home the awful truth.He wasn’t dreaming. He had been in some kind of accident, he had almost drowned. And he’d somehow been rescued by this stranger. All he could do was hope the other three had found a similar, fortunate fate. (Bar being sliced open like a biology class frog, of course)

Wiping his eyes harshly, knowing that crying wasn’t going to fix this mess, Jonghyun shakily rose to his feet, leaning on the wall for support. When he was sure he wasn’t going to collapse to the ground, he slowly made his way to the door, steps hesitant and faltering, but becoming steadier as he crossed the room. Peeking around the still open door, he was surprised to see his ‘doctor’ still in sight and he hurried to his side as best he could without tripping up. They walked in silence before Law mentioned not wanting to ‘waste’ morphine on Jonghyun, a sentiment that made the Korean scrunch up his nose in displeasure, but was also a point he couldn’t really argue with. Not that he was going to let it pass it without comment.

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

Shielding his eyes as the bright sunlight suddenly hit them, Jonghyun blinked a few times to adjust, jaw dropping slightly as he beheld the sight before him. He definitely wasn’t in Seoul anymore, that was for sure. How could a place so colourful and full of life be compared to the dreary concrete jungle he’d left behind? He stared in awe at the scene before him for a few minutes before his companion’s voice broke the silence again and his expression fell once more.

“I.... Seonsaengnim, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done, especially when I...” he paused and chewed on his lip. He still can’t even get around how he got here, let alone put it into words.

for fantasibilleder

“I must confess, Shizuka. There are times that our friends mistook me as Yugi because of how similar we look. I’m surprised you don’t recognize me after Kaiba convinced me to go back here.” Ever since Atem returned from the dead and ‘copies’ Yugi’s original body as he would originally put, he becomes Grandpa’s assistant to look after the shop if he’s away, but he has thoughts of going in the same school as Yugi and his friends soon to catch up. The slight twinkling of the chimes captured the former Pharaoh’s attention as he was the one looking after the card shop again. “If I remember correctly.. Yugi’s at Domino High with his friends. But again, I wonder. Are you looking for anything in particular? There’s some card decks that are probably worth looking for.”

At the time, it had been natural for Shizuka to consider Atem as Yugi and address him as such. After all, she was a newbie in the group who’d only ever heard of Yugi from her brother. And even then, she didn’t know much about the older boy except that he and Jonouchi were best friends and it was because of Yugi’s help that she’d been able to have the surgery that saved her eyesight. Not to mention the physical details had been all too easy to overlook, especially when most of the time, they’d all been fighting to survive whatever had decided to kill them that day. It hadn’t been until after the madness of Battle City died down did Shizuka learn the truth about Mutou Yugi.

And to be honest, it hadn’t been the easiest thing to come to terms with, despite the act she’d put on for Anzu at the museum. By the time she’d wrapped her head around it, the Pharaoh was gone.

But then he wasn’t, somehow. Not if he was standing her before her.

Instead of giving voice to the swirling thoughts in her head, Shizuka simply gave the older boy her customary sunny smile and shook her head.

“What can I say, there was a lot going on back then. Besides, you’re Onii-chan’s friend, right? So I knew your were a good person, who you were didn’t matter to me back then Yu-” She paused and then winced. That wasn’t his name!

this guy was obviously shaken up, but that much was none of law’s problem. he was a doctor, not a therapist, his job wasn’t catering to the feelings of others, just to bring back their physical well being. although the ope ope no mi could do a lot, it took more than fancy tricks to heal scars on the soul. he knew that more than anyone.

“car?” he repeated the unknown word with a questioning voice, trying to make sense of what the guy was saying. so he’d dumped here from somewhere else it seemed. was there a devil fruit involved? the only one law knew capable of such a feat belonged to a man no longer by his own senses, so imagining him using it on such a babbling weakling nevertheless seemed incomprehensible.

although he had no obligations to answer the guy’s questions, he remained thoughtful, careful as he began speaking. “’here’ is dressrosa, commonly known as the island of love and passion. more accurately, you have crash landed on the polar tang, my ship, and currently find yourself in a storeroom within.” was the guy even listening to him? law clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“oi, listen when someone speaks will you? i’m not running a charity here.” what was even up with those names he rattled off? never in his life had law heard of names like that, but he supposed the oceans were vast and plentiful and that this guy must originate from some place he was not familiar with. “you have a mild concussion from the looks of it, so i would suggest not moving around too much. of course if you want to go ahead and kill yourself so stupidly it’s not my problem, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to have a patient waste his life like that after i’ve had my hands on him. it’s not good for my reputation.”

crossing his arms, law stared down at the sorry excuse of a man before him. “i don’t know anything about these ‘friends’ of yours. this was the only crash i heard.”

tw: medicine/opioid mention

‘Dressrosa?’ Where in the name of all that’s holy was that?! Jonghyun wracked his brains desperately in an attempt to try and remember if he’d read about it at any time between High School and University. If this guy was speaking Japanese, then it had to be a territory of Japan, right? Although Jonghyun could never remember hearing of such a place in either a historical or modern context, all hostilities between his homeland and Japan aside.

(Also, ‘the island of love and passion?’ What?)

He was brought back from his musings sharply when the stranger yelled at him to pay attention and Jonghyun’s infamous temper began to flare instantly, colour rising to his cheeks as he prepared a retort. Only for it to die in his throat and the colour to drain from his face as he’s told that his friends weren’t with him, that he was in the middle of god knows where, alone.

“T-that’s impossible! They were right there with me! How could be we all be in the water one minute and the next, I’m the only one here?! That’s bullshit!”

A tiny, rational, part of him knows he’s being somewhat ungrateful given that this man had somehow found him and saved him from drowning. But that was quickly shoved aside by the fact that said ‘saving’ had be done by stabbing him twice. Even if it was painless.

This was a dream, it had to be.

An enigma. Even after knowing for 3 years (at least) at this stage, Sakuma Rei is still somewhat of an enigma to Hakaze Kaoru. He had hoped that graduating from Yumenosaki and becoming his performing partner would enlighten Kaoru as to how Rei worked and the man behind the persona displayed to the world.

But then Ensemble Square came into being and threw those ‘plans’ into disarray.

Granted, some of this down to Kaoru himself. And his ever-changing perception of who he is and what lies beneath his own persona. Kaoru is well of aware of the irony and he hates it. It makes him all the more uncertain.

Of himself. Of his relationships with everyone.

Particularly of his relationship with Rei.

It’s too stressful and these thoughts pervade even his dreams which leads to him quietly padding around the (surprisingly) still open corridors of the offices of ES with a convenience store coffee to keep him company. Until a light seeping out of an open doorway gives the hallway the barest hint of illumination. And like a moth to a flame, Kaoru is drawn to the sliver of artificial warmth, knowing exactly who’s on the other side of that door.