champion of the north

Hey there, it has been a while!

It’s been a year, to be exact. I did not mean to vanish like that - I had a lot of personal issues that I needed to step away from roleplay for. And I still do, but I want to make an effort to write this character again. Johan means too much to me to abandon him, despite the people who have hurt me and the connections being severed. 

I love him. I have built on his character more than I have with others, even my muse for Akira from Persona 5. He’s apart of me and has been for nearly six years.

      -- Sometimes on his days off, Johan didn’t rise with the sun. Especially on Sundays, the day before he went back to working as a teacher and became “Professor” and not just Johan, the duelist and dork everyone knew.

“That’s beautiful, though. Jus’ th’ fact it’s been in y’ family f’ s’ long… It’s seen everythin’ for th’ last few generations. Been there along with y’ f’ all that history…” And yet, despite her words, she had no idea it was around her neck until Johan was fastening it, having been watching him come back like a schoolgirl with a crush on teacher. It took until the weight of it settled around her neck and on her chest to snap her from her daze, fork and breakfast ignored in favor of carefully lifting the rose for a better look. A simple chain, but a breathtakingly beautiful necklace, emeralds and quartz perfectly complimenting each other.

“Johan…” His name was but a breathy whisper, the sheer weight of it all finally and fully hitting her. This was tradition for him, a priceless heirloom full of his family’s history… And he was trusting her with it. A fake fiancee, wearing something so valuable - and something totally irreplacable, given how long they’d had it, if it really was the same necklace.

She only met his gaze for a brief moment before she was carefully balancing herself against her seat, rising up from it and sliding her arms around his neck and shoulders to bring him down for a hug.”I’d love t’ hear it sometime- B’.. Johan, are y’ sure y’ wanna trust m’ with this? Really have m’ wear it like this? It’s so beautiful, an’ it means s’ much t’ y’ an’ y’ family…” She wanted to add that it almost felt wrong to wear it, given their ‘engagement’ was a fake, but rather than speak on it she tilted her head and nuzzled the crook of his neck. “I promise- I’ll treasure it while it’s in m’ possession. I won’t let anythin’ happen t’ it.”

       -- Oh no he wasn’t prepared for her being that cute. He returned the hug, struggling to keep the red blush that was threatening to come up, down. It was true, he really liked her and sometimes she did things that made his heart go crazy, like this. If he was going to be honest, he hoped that someday she could wear it for real - and down the aisle, for that matter.

         “Well, I doubt anything will, since I’d trust you with my life, not just a necklace.” he covered everything with his usual humor, a grin on his face when he gave her one last squeeze. Pulling away, he was glad that his cheeks weren’t red.

Had he just called her darling? Even if it was a tease, it still made the raven groan and lightly bump her forehead against his shoulder, a rather noticeable but still incredibly small shudder shaking her frame. Oh, he was having way too much fun with this, wasn’t he? Though… To be honest, so was she, even if it felt like most of the blood in her body had migrated to her face for such a bright blush and her heart was about read to explode out her chest. Which only meant one thing, and what she did best after so many years with Judai:

Payback.

As difficult as it was to focus on anything aside from how wonderful it felt to be held by him, she still pressed herself a bit further against him, welcoming the weight of his chin atop her head. Now she just needed to get her voice to work.. And ignore her trembling fingers holding tight to the back of his shirt. “A-Ah…. Y’ hid in th’…? N’ that’s a s-story I wanna hear, Love. Y’ right, they’re gonna wanna c-check everythin’ f’ us, s’ it’s definitely g… G-gonna b’ a w-while. Why not m-make it story time f’ us?”

Despite her plan to give him a taste of his own teasing, she really did enjoy reminiscing with him. Thanks to Yubel and her inability to make friends quickly, they’d had so little time together… It was time to make that right, starting with one hand idly moving, fingertips lightly tracing along a small section of his spine. “An’… I d-don’t think it’s t-th’ linens makin’ i-it warm.”

       -- !?!? His face went bright red, glad for the slight dimness of the closet hiding his features. Though he knew it was to tease him back, the word love on her lips - regarding him none the less - sent a small wave of delight and embarrassment through him. The feeling of her in his arms was even better though, since she was so easy to hold close, almost like a stuffed animal. And easy to pick up at that.

           “Or there could be a vent.” He covered his shiver with that rather un-clever comment, the tone one of embarrassment since he realized he liked the feeling of her fingers along his spine.

She blinked as he suddenly stopped her, unsure why he was doing so. He was tired, and she needed to figure out something for tonight before it became too late. 

Despite being in a new place, despite having no real plan or destination, despite her careless sudden decision, she felt alive. Not like she was merely doing everything she could to keep herself fed and a roof over her head, but really and truly alive. It was almost like when she’d packed up in the middle of the night and run away to Duel Academia, and yet it was so very different. There was no one for her to rely on, she’d either make it, or she’d finally perish. 

Either way was fine by her. 

But as he explained the random place she’d chosen happened to be more expensive than not, her face fell. She really should have done her research. She was always so meticulous in every decision she made, knowing everything inside and out…

Even the language was something she’d barely studied before coming here. Without even realizing it, she’d spoken Japanese to Johan out of habit, since he was someone she recognized from back home. “I-I… didn’t r-realize. I… d-didn’t even p-put together… th-that you w-were from h-here… until I-I saw y-you. I-I…”

How was she supposed to tell him she hadn’t wanted to see anyone that she knew in this new place? How was she supposed to explain she’d made such an irrational decision to pack up what she could, sell what she couldn’t, and leave the only place she’d ever known to come somewhere completely new with no plan? Even she knew it was unlike her, but she felt alive, though that feeling alone could kill her if she wasn’t careful. 

“I-I can’t… p-put you o-out like th-that. Its… b-been years. Th-that… would be c-completely u-unfair. Plus,” She smiled to him, though there was a bit of worry in her eyes, she tried to mask it with her smile, “I-it seems… like y-you’re only j-just… getting h-home. You… w-were at th-that tournament… Ph-Phoenix was a-at, r-right?” 

She’d kept up on all her friends that had gone on to bigger and better. Thunder had moved swiftly into the Pro Leagues, Phoenix had continued his illustrious career, and she made sure to keep up with them that way. Even Johan, she kept up with from afar, waiting for any news on any of them. The cafe had a TV, and no one tended to mind if she put on a Pro League tournament. In fact, it started to draw people in, and her boss was please with her for her help with his business. 

But she’d left him in a lurch, and he’d been kind enough to give her a severance package she felt she didn’t quite deserve. 

        -- “Yeah I did just get home, but I have a week until I can pick up my hectic life again. Norway itself isn’t too bad in way of money, just most of the bigger cities like Oslo.” Johan had seen the crestfallen look on her face. He wondered what had brought her here, if she was on vacation and didn’t plan on where to stay or if she moved - which either way, really, would have been planned better. But he had done it himself a few times on accident, so he couldn’t blame her for mistakes he himself had made at one point or another.

              “Not really, actually, since where I live is way too big for me and my cat. It wouldn’t be bad at all, and I would be a terrible friend if I didn’t invite you to stay for at least a day. Edo almost came home with me if it wasn’t for something else tugging him to a different place. So you’d be seeing two friends instead of one!” he laughed, the tiredness gone from his features and his eyes when he made that joke. Most of it was due to being pent up in an airplane for four hours anyways, and would fade in an hour or two. “Besides, there’d be time to catch up and hang out for the both of us since it’s been a while. It feels like forever since I last saw anyone from Duel Academia besides Edo,Judai or Manjome. It’s a nice change.”