Surplus of arms

What made me identify with him? I believe it's the same qualities that many of us, as working/studying fans appreciate: the understated, nuanced search for purpose in life, for something that gives you meaning and a sense of fulfilment.

There's no specific reason for seeking such a purpose, and Nanami represents, for the most part, that facet of simply being human.

As a sorcerer, he experienced the tragedy and immense hurt that comes with loss, sacrifice of youth, life and potential for no good reason. His inability to reconcile the death of Haibara with the manner by which the sorcerer world worked led him to seek a different path.

The irony will never be lost on me, that he simply swapped one prison for another, as many of us do. Why? Did he really not feel that he had any other choice?

I don't think so. I think Nanami's choice to be a salaryman, to experience ordinary life in its most soulless, draining form, was a form of self-imposed punishment, an extension of his survivor's guilt.

Why should he experience a life of freedom, when others were forever bound by pain and death? This something that his time as part of the sorcerer world had ingrained into his consciousness.

So, he doesn't live, not truly. He exists day to day, the most practical man, to all who see him on the surface. Beneath, a dreamer of the worst kind: one who knows full well that they spend every minute trying to build towards something better, but also, that they would sacrifice it all in a heartbeat.

Nanami plays a major role in the story, and Yuuji's journey, not because he was loud, effusive, present and whole.

He occupies a quiet, anchoring niche, a pillar of duty, honour, order and bravery in a world where violence, cruelty and survival have robbed many of all human kindness.

Nanami's natural order isn't just reflected in his personal habits, it is a code he lives by. Even a child, inhabited by a powerful, centuries-old sorcerer, who could crush him like an insect if he got free, is still a child in his eyes, and he still feels a duty to protect him.

To Yuuji, Megumi, Nobara, and the other young sorcerers, Nanami represents a bastion of something so much more than raw power and domination.

Nanami is human in the truest sense, a man who confronted the pain, horror and darkness of the world he lived in, and still found room for kindness and simple pleasures. He confronted his own pain, faced the crushing of his dreams, stared down the loss of his own life for the sake of others he cared about, and did so with courage.

Many of the stories I've written about Nanami are self-indulgent, and explore the comfort and happy times that many of us fans wished for him. That's the power of fanfic, I suppose.

I think, however, that by writing these small fantasies about a character we love, we also bind ourselves closer to them in a sense. They hold up a mirror to the things we value most, the qualities we prize and the dreams we ourselves hold dear.

So, happy birthday, Nanami Kento.

May your sandwiches always be delicious, may the seaside always be welcoming, may the warm sand and crash of waves ever be in your ears, and may the voices of all who loved you reach you, wherever you are.

Anyway, Seregios. Wasn't expecting THAT just yet. I was RUNNING FOR MY LIFE in the first 10 min, LMAOOOOO. I have never felt more like a goddamn Wud Wud.

And I have hunted Seregios in MH Rise, but yooooo, what was THIS.

Fainted once, but managed to get it on my first try! I am ... recovering. From whatever that was.

Her presence, exalted as ever, served to garner some attention from the recruits who were arrayed out for today's field exercise.

Hoshina cocked his head.

It wasn't evident to most, but Ashiro seemed ill at ease about something.

He could take a fairly accurate guess as to what the root of this was.

Keeping his expression carefully neutral, he nodded.

"I'm all ears."

Her gaze dropped briefly to his collar, then returned to his face.

"I heard a rumour. About your ... activities off-base yesterday."

"Ahh. You did?"

His smile was fixed in place, giving nothing away.

"Yes. Did you really go to a tattoo parlour?"

"Why is this of such concern to you, Captain?"

She took a step closer, eyes panning out over the recruits before she lowered her voice to an exasperated mutter.

"Can I assume this is to do with the request letter we received yesterday? The one from the pediatric section of the hospital?"

"I still don't see why - "

"Hoshina, I asked you to fulfill the request as my representative."

"That you did."

"I didn't ask you to get tattoos."

"The request was pretty clear, Captain. It wanted us to visit the children at the hospital, you dressed as a gyaru, and me as a rapper. I'm only doing my best to comply to the specifics of the - "

"You can get temp tattoos!"

"That wouldn't fall in with the ethics of the JAKDF, and the promise we make to serve the public."

"Tattoos are frowned upon in the defence force."

"Didn't stop some first division squad members from gettin' 'em. Or dyin' their hair. Or piercing themselves - "

Ashiro shook her head briskly.

"Look, Hoshina, all I'm saying is ... I'm sorry for throwing you under the bus. You don't have to get a tattoo."

"Oh, so is Captain goin' to join me? As a gyaru?"

She bit her lip, eyeing him sideways.

"I'll take as a 'no'."

"Hoshina - "

"Anyway," he countered breezily, "it's too late."

"What do you mean too late?"

Mina's louder tone of shock rang out, and some of the recruits looked their way.

They hurriedly turned away at her glare, shooting furtive glances back to where their respected leaders stood, Ashiro with tense shoulders and a storm brewing on her brow, and Hoshina with the smug smile of a cat that had gotten into the cream.

"Why, Captain, I've already got my tats done. And don't worry, the uniform covers them pretty strategically."

"Where? Where are the tattoos, Hoshina? Someone said that you'd got them on your neck. Is that true? You didn't want tattoos. You've never wanted them."

"Well, yesterday, I had a little epiphany. Decided to get 'em, just like requested."

"An epiphany?"

He tilted his head towards her, still watching the officers.

"Well, y'see, a certain Captain of the Sixth Division was in the neighborhood. Dropped by, as he seems to. And while I never met him - "

"You avoid him like the plague."

" - while I never met him, I overheard a little somethin' as he passed by in the corridor. He said, if I knew what was good for me, I'd let him take care of business, and come home safe, to take up the teaching position at our clan dojo. That way I wouldn't have to put up with dumb requests, like this one."

"Ah. I see."

"And Captain, I took exception to that. Dumb as the request may be, it's part of being a Vice-Captain."

"But Hoshina, getting tattoos just to spite your brother - "

"And I'm takin' it a step further. If I've got the tats, why not the whole deal, huh? Make a few videos, show 'em my lyrical skills, make it clear that I see a future career as a rap artist."

Ashiro was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Your family will be horrified."

"That they will. My brother, more specifically."

She paused, taking in his neat, feline smile, the way his fist flexed subtly, as it did before a fight.

"Oh. Oh."

Straightening, Ashiro cleared her throat.

"Well then, Hoshina, as your superior officer, I can only say that you have my complete support in this endeavour. I'll go so far as to endorse and promote your music, to show just how talented the Defence Force truly is."

The grin her Vice-Captain now wore would rival the most dastardly Cheshire Cat.

"Why, thank you kindly, Captain. Much appreciated."

The news spread like wildfire, across base, through the Defence Force, to the public at large.

Vice-Captain Hoshina, always popular among the public polls, had decided to embrace his musical side. As a rap artist, no less.

Among the younger generations, the outburst of support was enormous.

He was soon trending on most social media platforms, small snippets of interviews with him circulating, among much squealing about how 'adorable' and 'cheeky' he was.

Of course, none of this fanfare was complete without proof of his ability. As with all things he did, Hoshina had already been hard at work with his producers and assistants, coming up with some sample tracks to release to the public, as a promo for an upcoming single.

While there was uproar at other military bases, the higher ups, and Tachikawa Base specifically, seemed oddly relaxed about the whole situation, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

It seemed that everyone on base had been informed of Hoshina's grand scheme, and were playing their parts to perfection.

One afternoon, Kafka came bursting through the door of the gym adjoining the barracks, waving his phone.

"Hey, guys, Vice-Cap's new single is out!"

Reno, Iharu and Akari gathered eagerly around, while Kikoru stalked over from the rowing machine.

"Ugh, is he for real?"

Kafka shushed her, much to her displeasure.

The video on screen showed a simple, featureless room, white walls and a metal table the only furnishings present. A hooded figure was seated, slightly slumped in a chair, hands hanging at their sides.

"Is that him?"

"I can't tell!"

"Ooh, did he get his fingers tattooed? Is that why he's been wearing gloves around base?"

"That's hardcore, man!"

A beat struck up, simple, but an immediate hook, light, but dangerously quick in tempo.

The hooded figure raised their head and Kikoru's eyes bulged.

"He has neck tattoos? And chains?"

Indeed, it was their beloved Vice-Captain, but not in the sense they were accustomed to.

There was a certain edge to his movements as he picked up the chair and slammed it down closer to the camera.

The hood fell back, and there was Rapper Hoshina in all his glory, his bangs styled to one side, slightly disshevelled, eyes open to reveal their dismissive violet depths.

His words echoed from the speaker, delivered with emphatic drops, the Kansai-ben rendering his flow all the more pronounced.

"On thin ice,

With two blades

Watch how this kaiju fades,

Chew you up

Spit you out,

Not the Captain,

But the Vice."

Iharu was giggling already.

"Damn, he's got bars."

"Swords are for yesterday?

Sit back,

Watch me open the way,

With your gun

You can't touch me,

Missed that memo from the Muromachi"

Kafka and Akari were now bobbing their heads along to the beat, while Kikoru's eyebrows had almost disappeared into her hairline.

"He's ... got a lot of resentment, huh?"

"Oh, damn, are you hearing this?"

"But bro,

Was it worth it?

Did it make you feel proud?

Crack the bokken on my knuckles

And leave me on the ground?"

"Is he ... talking about Captain Hoshina?"

At Himeji Base, Vice-Captain Nagakura eyed his superior with growing concern.

Captain Soichiro Hoshina was crouched over his personal device in his office, the phone held in a white-knuckled grip.

"Has he lost his mind? Kyuji, what is this?"

"That's Vice-Captain Hoshina. Your brother."

"This is not the time for your sarcasm."

"I can think of no better time, sir."

"What has he done to himself? Kyuji, he's got tattoos on his neck."

"There are also tattoos on his knuckles."

"Huh?"

"Right there. See."

Soichiro let out a wail rather unbecoming of a Captain of the Defence Force.

"What'm I supposed to do? The clan elders'll have my guts for breakfast. They'll say I failed my baby bro."

"Well, you did crack the bokken on his knuckles and leave him on the ground."

"That was all part of the goddamn trainin'!"

"Tell that to your brother, sir."

"Father made me do it!"

"Take some responsibility!"

"I only tied his belt to a pillar one time."

"You did what?"

"It was winter, but he was a tough kid, okay?"

"How does every story about your childhood get worse and worse?"

"Look, I said I was - "

"Turned around,

Never looked back,

Now you wanna talk,

Now you wanna backtrack,

I got one Captain,

Don't need another,

She's locked and loaded

Step back, brother."

"Is he saying he ... prefers Ashiro to me?"

"That seems to be the implication, sir."

"There's no way! No way!"

At Ariake, Narumi had tuned in to the release of the single with a nonchalance that fooled nobody.

Over the past few weeks he'd grown increasingly aggravated by the attention that Hoshina was gathering online, to the point that the massive kaiju he'd taken out in the bay had lost traction due to the hype around his 'rival'.

All right, Narumi was seething, but he would deign to listen, if only to see Hoshina finally make a complete ass of himself.

A career as a rap artist?

Please.

This was all a means to draw attention away from the fact that he was weaker than Narumi, and everyone was in denial if they couldn't see it.

Ignoring the way Hasegawa was glancing at him sideways while sipping his tea, Narumi increased the volume a little.

"Huh. I guess he does have some talent for this pointless shit. Has to be good at something. I don't give a damn. As long as he leaves me out of this stupid diss track, or whatever he's going - "

"Now listen close

Bet he's locked in,

Ear to the phone

He ain't gamin'

Y'hate my hair,

hate my smile

Sir, I got game

bigger than your laundry pile."

A tense silence settled over the base, and many heads swiveled nervously in the direction of Narumi's office.

Within, Hasegawa's shoulders had begun to shake with suspicious repression as he shielded his face behind a newspaper, while Narumi had grown dangerously still.

"Did ... did he just - "

"Captain of the First,

But he's comin' in last,

Honey, I'll wait

Am I goin' too fast?

Blow up those kaiju

Wit' your bayonet

But this city's the only thing

your makin' wet

Ain't no trick, 

Swish and flick,

I kill kaiju faster

Than his Naru-mini dick."

The roar that escaped the Captain's office shook the windows with its righteous ire, along with the teacup rattling in Hasegawa's saucer.

"Bowl Cut!"

Ashiro caught Hoshina outside the children's section of the hospital, sighing as he peeled the artfully applied stick-on tattoos from his skin.

"You really had me believing they were permanent."

"All part o' the role, Cap."

"Did the children enjoy it?"

"Had to get the nurses to stop 'em from dancing on their beds."

She gave a small, wry smile as she fell into step beside him, his hair restored to its neat, ordered state as he unhooked the chains from around his neck. 

"Guess you fulfilled your role as Vice-Captain. What'll you do about the publicity, though? Your track reached number one on the charts, you know."

"Oh, nothing. Let it stay there for a while. People will forget it even happened, with time."

"Your brother's been calling my office non-stop."

"Don't pick up."

"So has Narumi. He left a message. Said he wants a showdown at the onsen."

"The onsen?"

"You called his ... size into question."

"Ahh, guess I should've predicted that."

"Guess it's back to regular duties, then?"

"With pleasure, Captain. My cute little officers must be missin' my voice on the training field."

He turned and shot her a small wink.

"Wouldn't wanna rob 'em of my flow, y'know?"