Soul Sworn To Light

❰❰ Alanna ❱❱

Take what she - Her advice of not thinking about it? That was easier said than done when glancing anywhere but up at him made her swallow hard to keep her nerves down, and he had to know that! Her trembles had yet to completely stop, grip on him alternating between loosening and tightening with each thought that flickered through her mind about it, and looking - Good god, there was no way she was letting herself look down again!

Slowly, Alanna shifted against him, rocking back up onto her toes to curl her arms around his neck a bit more than his shoulders. The action felt… Familiar, somehow… Warm and comforting, it was enough to draw out a sigh from the smaller, eyes drifting closed. She wanted to get offline and home, lose herself in the arms of someone who knew her far better than Soulburner did, but… Why was there something so relaxing about him like this? Why was she giving him her answer like this, instead of verbally?

“A-A break would be great.” Logging out would be as simple as navigating a menu and hitting a button, she knew, but it was less the act of doing so, and more getting home after. Having logged in in a cafe near the library, it’d still be a good half an hour of a walk before she could even reach her apartment building, and another five or so minutes to get up to her place, never mind the time she’d need to call and find out where Takeru was, too. The clearer she could get her mind and the more she calmed down with Soulburner, the less likely it was she’d break down again on the way there and get herself into possibly more trouble.

Which was why she’d take another deep breath and nuzzle her face back into the space between his shoulder pad and collar a moment later, too. “I-I’m…  I t-think I’m ready- Don’t l-let us fall? Not again, p-please-”

“C’mon, if we fall from here, then I’ll owe you free rounds of that music game thing you play for a month. Deal?”

Though it’d been a tease, the build up to them jumping from his D-Board had been more overkill than anything. Soulburner could understand Alanna’s lingering nervousness, but with their step to the ground no more than a couple feet at best, all Alanna would have to do is hold on and he’d take care of the rest.

Which is exactly what he’d do too!

Without giving her too much time to think anymore on it, Soulburner pushed off his board; carefully balancing Alanna’s weight in his arms as they both dropped to the ground with a gentle tick of his boots on the digital dirt. And just like that, the two of them were safe.

“There. See? Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Hopefully he’d had been expecting the squeaky squeal that’d lost itself into his neck with his movements, because if not, it’d do little more than make her resemble a startled ferret in his hold. No matter how much she’d prepared herself for the feeling of him moving, it hadn’t been enough... Though at the very least, her once more tight hold on him would loosen the moment it was clear they were in the clear, unlike when he’d first caught her. She was getting there - Just not fast enough, for her liking.

“W-We’re on... Solid ground?” Of course they were - He’d not have chirped that question if they weren’t... Right? So why couldn’t she look up to confirm that for herself, yet? “I-It.... I guess... N-Not...” Yes. It bumped and rustled and you moved and what if we’re on the edge and- No. No, it hadn’t been bad at all - They were fine and safe. She just had to keep reminding herself of that, that was all. After all, the sooner she got to that point, the sooner she could log out and go back home, where it was safe!

Er... Safer, Alanna reminded herself, slowly lifting her face from his neck a few moments later. They were safe, came the quiet reminder once more; the island wouldn’t go anywhere, and even if it did, Soulburner had her close - She’d not fall. Not again, not when the ground was solid - She hoped - and he was right there, warm and comforting, and... H...He wouldn’t mind if she stayed put a bit longer... Would he? “Y-You wouldn’t... H-Have played Beat Saber either way, w-would you?”

❰❰ Kiku ❱❱

“And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run as fast as you did when I was watching Beauty and the Beast,” she teased right back, eyes drifting closed for but a moment. Despite how comfortable she was, the sound of the bus was a welcome one; who knew bus stop benches could be so hard? She’d never had a problem with them in the past, that was for sure!

But the brief moment of relaxation was more to muster her strength back up than it was to rest her eyes, Kiku willing herself upright once more with the faintest of grunts.Her pregnancy was healthy and going as it should, but she still wasn’t sure the sheer energy drain was normal; should it be so hard to simply get up from a chair already? Or to want to sleep in when she’d spent years being unable to sleep past ten, the latest? Wasn’t this something she should’ve been expecting much later? “Mmmm… I might need a hand - And if you do like Ryujiro when his brother was in the clinic last week and clap, I’ll push you right back into this bench.”

Not that she expected him to, her nose scrunching up in pure distaste, but it was better to cover that base before he teased, right? As much of a joke as it would’ve been, she simply didn’t want a repeat of her last work shift, scooting herself towards the bench’s edge - Nor could she get herself to actually hurt him, hence the mention of a push, at best. “Just a little hand, I think. Once I get moving, I’m all right.”

“Kiku, if I would’ve even thought about saying something like that, I would’ve kept myself on this bench. I just told you I was right here to help, remember?”

Though, the next time Takeru saw Ryujiro on the street, he’d definitely earned himself a glare if not more for what Kiku had just let slip. If Takeru would’ve been there, then the youngest of the Mizunuma gang would’ve thought twice, but for right now, Takeru would jump to his feet before offering Kiku a hand.

They had a bus to catch; not a punk to get revenge on. For right now, anyway.

“Here. You can go up the steps first and I’ll pay our fare while you pick a seat. We’re just going into town, so it shouldn’t be that much.” A few hundred yen at most, he’d figured, as Takeru waited for Kiku to pull herself to her feet.

Good... It’d been a silly precaution, but she’d wanted to take it anyway, laying her hand in his and carefully pulling herself up onto her feet. Takeru had never teased with the intention of making her feel bad, she knew, while Ryujiro had just been a jerk, and she’d no idea just how he’d never grown out of it. Last she’d heard, he’d even gotten engaged... She worried for the sanity of everyone that man spent time around, shoving the reminder underneath a metaphorical rock in the back of her mind. They could always talk about that later, when she wasn’t searching for enough balance to stay steady on her feet!

“There’s enough in my pocket to cover my fare, if you want to grab it,” Kiku offered instead, letting the previous topic wash away in favor of a shift of her hip to indicate which pocket. She’d no problem with him grabbing it for her, of course- “I think, at least. It felt like enough when I checked, but do you want a seat near the front or the middle?” Where she’d have instantly run to the back when they’d been dating years earlier, using it as an excuse to steal little touches of his knee and hold his hand in public like the giddy teen she’d been, she doubted now she’d get much past the middle, at best. They just needed a seat with enough space for comfort and he needed a free hand for her to hold, that was all-

❰❰ Mako ❱❱

“Takeru, you know I can hold my own.” The reminder was just a gentle one, with no trace of a tease or fussing in her tone. She was no stranger to their hometown’s local bullying problem, nor to getting into a fistfight; it’d always just seemed to happen when her habit of snapping and sassing back made itself known every time she had her back to a corner. As it was, she was sure he could remember the multiple times she’d come back to him and Kiku bearing a bruise or cut of some kind from run-ins on a shopping trip, all with the reminder of ‘I told them they were jerks’.

And yet, she’d never deny that in a fight with more than two, maybe three people, she was in over her head - Group sizes the local gangs usually traveled in. It was admittedly half of the reason she’d been lingering around the dojo of late; maybe she could pick up a few more skills from watching…? “At least, you know I can most of the time. You and Kiku worry too much, sometimes - Which is ironic when we worry too much about you and she worries too much about us. Are we sure we’re not all sharing a brain?”

She’d not argue against his worry, though. He had every right to be… She just didn’t want to see him worry himself to the brink! “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ve been watching you and Grandfather sometimes, you know.”

“Grandfather…?” Takeru couldn’t help the small, amused laugh that followed, “Mako, I know you’re comfortable here and all, but you haven’t even been back in town that long.” 

And instead of saying ‘your grandfather’, she’d referred to his grandpa like he were hers. Mako really had made herself at home, hadn’t she? But despite his obvious tease-

“And Kiku’s always been like that. If she thinks somewhere’s dangerous, then she definitely won’t let you hear the end of it. I used to get lectures from her all the time about how the ways I took to the pier sometimes were ‘dangerous’.” 

Even if both Kiku and Mako both knew Takeru could more than hold his own against the Mizunuma brothers and their gang. Mako would just have to promise to not ever mention to Kiku whenever she ventured out this far.

Especially if she wanted to avoid a lecture. 

It was a tease that’d have her pausing, cheeks flushing red; had she really gone and said that? His grandfather - The elder was his grandfather, so why had she gone and referred to him as her own?! “A-Ah... That slipped?” And that had sounded like an excuse despite being the honest truth, but she’d let the red tint to her face darken a bit more instead of saying as much. Besides, she couldn’t deny feeling like part of the family between their engagement and just how warm and welcoming his grandparents had been, even if she was still cautious of stepping on toes... Maybe he wouldn’t be able to blame her if he knew that?

Or maybe she’d be labeled as silly as she felt, giving a light cough to cover her attempt to hide just how flustered she’d gone and made herself. She’d have to watch out for that slip in the future- “T-To be fair though, those lectures w-weren’t wrong then, either. You did take some dangerous routes to the pier, remember? You can hold your own pretty well in a fight, but it was still hard to not worry. We’ve both seen you fight.”

Not to mention every time they’d found him fighting, it was usually against more opponents than any normal person would’ve even attempted to take on, furthering her worries and Kiku’s fear of something happening to him. ‘It takes one hit in the wrong area to cause irrepareable damage’, Kiku’d always reminded, and after nearing thee years with both her and Takeru in her life, Mako couldn’t deny her worries were valid. That meant keeping their treks out past the station a secret; if she ever found out, they’d never hear the end of it, even if the area stayed as empty as it was now!

❰❰ Kiku ❱❱

And had they still been up on that floating island from earlier, Kiku would’ve grabbed him and kissed him senseless for being so willing to wait on her, too. He never had to, but he’d even forgotten his poster this time in his choice to wait while she shopped - He deserved all the kisses for that in her opinion, though she knew better than to throw her arms around him and nuzzle in public. Not only would it be crossing her own line when it came to PDA, she didn’t want to cross his and make him uncomfortable.

But that still wouldn’t stop her from reaching out, curling her hand around his with a light laugh. “With how excited you are, I don’t think it’s something she’d joke about,” Kiku reminded, tone gentle and laced with pure amusement. She doubted their friend would make up something that’d make him as happy as he was; she’d never been mean like that before, why start now? “Everything’s around here, right? I’m sure it can’t be all that far.” Optimism would help here, right? “We just have to keep our eyes peeled for it, that’s all. Central Station can’t be that big.” 

No sooner had the words left her lips, the raven’s expression turned sheepish; she’d seen the place from above on his board, how could she even begin to think that? “Before you call me on that, we’re not going to find anything standing here. This is important to you, right? So let’s try to find it. If we don’t spot it today, we can try again tomorrow.” Just as long as they found it before it vanished… She wanted nothing more than to see him light up even more, giving his hand a gentle tug in a step towards the door.

“Should we start looking?”

“Kiku, c’mon. Mako said it was just some poster in the window of some card shop, didn’t she? If we miss it, then it’s not like it really changes anything.” 

Even if Soulburner’s face still said otherwise! Just catching a glimpse of one of his monsters being used to advertise something instead of many from one of his idols would’ve been more to set him on top of the online world. They had to find this poster!

“But we should go check by the game corner first!” Soulburner lit up again, Kiku’s small tug turning into him stepping around her to take the lead. He wasn’t too familiar with Central Station, but Soulburner quickly figured he probably knew the virtual city better than Kiku did. She was still new to this place.

“I think it’s over this way…! Or it might be over there instead.” Soulburner paused to think just for a split second before tugging Kiku down a sidewalk to their left, “But it’s not like we’re in any hurry, right?”

Not that she believed him on that, either! He might’ve claimed it wouldn’t change anything, but from the way he talked and how he’d already lit up like a kid on christmas, even Kiku could tell this meant so much more to him than he was letting on. This was important to him, and while she couldn’t quite understand what made his deck special past being the only one of its kind, exactly, all that mattered was the fact it was - And between that and how much it made him smile, there was no way she was giving up until they got to see it!

Which might’ve been easier said than done if he wasn’t sure which way to go, prompting a laugh in her quick turn to follow his tugs. ‘Wouldn’t change anything if they missed it’ her left loafer! “Are you sure you know where we’re going? We won’t find anything if we get lost,” came the tease from a step or two behind him, though if he looked back, he’d find her with a soft, warm smile despite it. He’d not been this excited and eager since they’d been kids; she didn’t ever want to see this end! “Maybe we should ask around, Takeru?”

Soulburner. Just like he’d find her with a smile, he’d find her slight wince, too; why couldn’t she wrap her mind around the name Soulburner anymore? She’d never admit to having followed him a bit when he’d been away, unknowing her best friend was the fiery duelist she’d liked reading news reports on on slow mornings, but there was something so difficult about remembering the name now that she knew who lay behind the vibrant grin. Just remember - A burning soul. It’s not that hard, Kiku. ....Except it was.

❰❰ Mako ❱❱

“Exactly - And you know Kusanagi-san doesn’t even have a low calorie menu. If she wants to eat out this time, then it’s gotta be either chicken nuggets or a hot dog.” Or one of Kusanagi’s specialty items, of course, but nothing on his menu was, or had ever as long as they’d known him, been low calorie. “I can understand why she wants to eat healthy, especially since I do too, but… It’s ironic. She’s the one ho told me about the cravings and then turns around and scolds me for following them.”

If they could just get Kiku to try something from Cafe Nagi, maybe she’d relax her strict ‘eat healthier!’ outlook, especially now? Mako could understand the whys behind it and even agreed with trying to stay on a decent diet, especially while she was pregnant, but… Even Kiku had to realize sometimes, a good hot dog or cheese fry trumped everything else, especially after a long day - Or in this case, shopping in a store determined to make her into a pink hippo. It wouldn’t hurt, and maybe she’d even enjoy it-

“It’s just a matter of trying, right? She can’t be too upset if she likes them too.” It was also a matter of hardcore hoping; This plan working was about the same odds of winning the lottery, but they’d never know until they tried, Mako decided, pausing for another fry. “Or if I can show her why we like them. Ah… I’m hoping just a bit too much tho here, aren’t I?”

“Kind of. Kiku isn’t exactly the easiest person to convince to eat dinner out at a place like Cafe Nagi, even if she’d probably like Kusanagi-san’s food anyway.”

Takeru could just hear Kiku’s protests now. Mako was supposed to be watching what she ate and Takeru was supposed to be setting a good example by not suggesting take out every time his stomach grumbled. Keeping Kiku happy by following those rules had definitely been easier said than done though as Takeru took another bite of his second chili dog.

“Maybe if you ask her instead of me though, then she might take it better,” Takeru finally suggested, “I mean, I think she’s already got a sixth sense about when she needs to tell me ‘no’ to eating out. Knowing her, she probably already knows I’m gonna ask later already.”

“Kiku has a sixth sense about everything you do,” Mako joked, pausing mid-laugh to all but inhale another cheese fry. It’d taken her all of a month after ‘meeting’ Takeru for her to realize Kiku seemed to have a built in ‘Takeru radar’; no matter how innocent he acted or how little he said, she’d almost always managed to pinpoint just what he’d been up to before they’d met up for the day. It’d taken a good year or so before she’d learned they’d grown up together was the reason behind that, but aside from that bit of info, Mako’d never pried. How they’d gotten to be such good friends was none of her business until they made it so.

But it also meant trying to get Kiku to try something new was tricky, too, especially when Mako had managed to get close enough to her as well that the ‘Takeru radar’ had turned into a ‘Mako and Takeru need scolding radar’ when they’d been but sixteen. Being sweet and cute didn’t work anymore and god knew they’d never trick her into something she might not want, so how were they going to pull this one off...? “I’m not sure... She was the one who warned me I’d get cravings like crazy, but turned around and expected me to only act on the ones that want healthy food. All it’d take is hearing ‘there’s no salads’ and she’ll shoot the idea down faster than we can blink.”

❰❰ Mako ❱❱

“You never know, though. Sometimes it just takes one more try.” Despite that mention and her giggles, she’d waste no time in adjusting herself against him, picking up her Switch with an amused, yet still soft, smile. If he didn’t want to play Mario anymore, she wasn’t going to make him, a press of a button switching the screen back to the system’s main menu… But if not Mario, then what? Splatoon would be too frustrating, and she didn’t dare let him loose on an rpg when he didn’t even care for reading a novel…

“Have you tried Smash?” Two presses of a directional button highlighted the game tile; maybe a fighting game would help a bit? “You could punch Mario in this one, if you wanted.”

“There’s actually a game like that?” he asked, adjusting himself just enough to glance at Mako’s game system from over her shoulder. 

Actually, Takeru had heard of someone mention a game like that before. He wasn’t sure if it was the exact same one as the one Mako had switched to now, but it’d been pretty popular a few months back. The advertisements had been everywhere, but anything Mako would’ve picked would’ve been better than the last.

A hum was his only confirmation, another press of a button starting the game up on the console’s small screen. She’d never been much of a fan of fighting games; her collection had always been either short and sweet, games she could play in quick bursts like Cooking Mama, or long RPG’s requiring careful planning and an even more detailed story to keep her attention when nothing else could. Fighting games had never checked those boxes before, but Smash was different - Where else was she going to find Kirby facing off against Fox McCloud for no reason other than it could happen?

I’m glad you asked <3

So a few days back or so, I made a post about the girls moving to a main blog and mentioned how I’d update with the new link as soon as things were done... And this is that post! <3 HERE IS THE NEW BLOG!

What does this mean for this blog? That means this side blog is now archived! I’m going to be posting the remaining replies I owe over the course of tonight and tomorrow on this blog, and then that’s it, folks. Everything aside from the small handful I have in my drafts will see their replies coming from the new blog rather than this one - A setup that ensures I get to everything I owe while also allowing use of the new main, and not have to put anything on pause to do so. If I owe you something and you don’t see it on either blog by monday, feel free to come throw a link at me!

This blog WILL remain as an ARCHIVE. Everything I had running, all my verses, everything is continuing as is on the new blog, with a few slight changes I’ll detail there. This way there’s access to the backstory built up still <3

It’s been great, guys - And I’ll see you all on the new blog! <333

「Kiku」

Never been able to… Did she just not live anywhere near the water, Kiku wondered? Surely there had to be a beach she could visit offline somewhere, but that was something she didn’t dare point out. She’d just met Aqua, had no idea who she was offline or where she lived; commenting on that would be inappropriate, she decided, replacing the desire to with a sweet smile. “I’m sure you can. Everything is possible in some form - It’s just a matter of seeing ways to make it happen.”

That was exactly how she’d taken to living her life, too, both on her own and with Takeru. She’d never attain anything sitting around and waiting for it to come to her, and she was even more determined than ever to make her bright future come true! “Ahh- Thank you. I’m not sure just how much I intend to duel here - Ta- Ah- Soulburner and Alanna duel far more than I do. I’ve been learning from watching them.” Slowly but surely, anyway, with a few ffline lessons thrown in here and there. Dueling and having an account in Link VRAINS brought her closer to two people she considered her family, why wouldn’t she want to learn?

“Do you duel here, too?”

“That is wonderful! It is good to learn from friends. And even better to duel with them. A friend of mine We duel together quite a bit. Our cards combo with each other really well.” Earth, she meant Earth of course. Though all the ignis had not dueled each other in any sort of tournament, Aqua would predict that Earth would at least get to the quarter-finals.

“And if you have Soulburner aiding I am sure you will do quite well. He is quite renowned.” 

At least things seemed to be going well for Flame’s partner. It seemed like he had managed to go forward with his life. Now if only she could get Flame to stop tearing himself up as he oversaw the network…

“A-ah, yes I duel a bit. Usually just with my friends though. We are a bit of a tight-knit group. But I am fine with only dueling them occasionally. It is much less chaotic then dealing with events that Link Vrains throw or anything like that.”

“Is he? I can’t believe he’d have gotten so popular...” Were they talking about the same Soulburner? No matter how much it was mentioned he was some kind of big name among the virtual world, she just couldn’t get herself to believe it; where was the boy she’d grown up with? The one who often refused to do things solely because there would be people there? The way Aqua - and even Mako - made him sound, he was some kind of celebrity here-

“It does seem lively here, doesn’t it?” Rather than question Aqua on Soulbuner’s apparent popularity when she could just question her fiance and their friend instead later on, Kiku stole a glance over her shoulder to the bustling city behind her. “Events are fun, but there’s something about being with close friends that makes things special. I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy my dueling lessons as much if it wasn’t Alanna or Soulburner giving them to me. Being with friends makes everything... Better.” Special. Amazing, warm - She couldn’t pick a word, the raven flashing the smaller avatar a soft smile, but she was sure Aqua understood, anyway. Er... Hopefully.

「Alanna」

With Liger falling silent once more, head lowering to lay on his paws in a show of obedience, Alanna let her expression both soften and fall a bit. It sounded like Ai hadn’t been taking things well either, if he wandered off… She’d never been all that involved when he’d ‘turned’ on them, choosing to do recon rather than face off against another friend, but… “I see… Thank you for that. If I can’t tell Soulburner Flame’s all right, then Flame should know Soulburner is, at the very least. He’s come far… Moved back home to reclaim his life.”

‘Unlike the other.’

“Mmm. Ai and Playmaker seem to have had the same reaction, though. I wish I could offer comfort to him with news his partner’s well, too, but… Nobody’s seen Playmaker in months. We’re all waiting for him to come back, there’s just been no sign of him at all.” Understandable, really; he’d been through so much, and that was just off the little bit she was aware of. Had he not needed time on his own, even Alanna would’ve been stunned and called him out for lying! “I wish I could offer the same peace of mind to him, too.”

Leaning forward, she laid a hand between Liger’s ears, giving his fur another gentle scratch. She’d not admit she worried for Playmaker, not now, not when everyone seemed to, but Ai… “Will he be all right? Ai, I mean - How much does he remember of what happened? Is he still…” Ai. She didn’t want to ask that, scratches stilling while her free hand raised to the golden sun marking her chest, tracing the edge of one ‘sunbeam’. Did they all remember… Everything? “Forgive me if any of my questions are prying, I don’t intend to. Are you all all right? I mean… Do you… Remember everything that…?”

Earth was pleased that his promise to tell Flame seemed to help, even slightly. Though the matter of the missing hero of Link Vrains did trouble him. Did Flame even know where Playmaker had gone? Perhaps he should pry into that.

The question prompted about Ai made the head of the A.I. droop ever so slightly. The dark ignis’s behavior was much a mystery to him. Earth was silent for a long moment, trying to choose how to answer. 

“Ai is… I am unsure, honestly. Whenever I do see him he seems like his normal self. However, him going off-world alone so much is unlike him. I would have expected him to just be lazy in the Cyberse World. But that is all I can say about the dark ignis. As for myself and the others… we have memory files on everything that happened up to the point of our deaths. However, when we were revived we all caught each other up with the events that followed our demise.” Earth paused, thinking about how they had all been slightly off since their demise. Even him. Yet it seemed like they were all avoiding facing the past and trying to forget and move on.

“Ai’s explanation was succinct and to the point, but he would not go into further detail about him lashing out at humans.”

‘We all have memory files on everything that happened.’ Then they all remembered how they’d... Just thinking of it drew out an involuntary flinch from the brunette.Even if she wasn’t aware of the details, or how most of the ignis had died, she couldn’t imagine having to live on with the memories of their passing; wouldn’t something like that haunt them, or cause nightmares? Did they even dream - Sleep-? And that Ai wouldn’t share details, maybe he felt...

“I’m sorry,” Alanna breathed instead, the hand between Liger’s ears lifting and extending out to Earth as a show of not only friendship, but comfort. “I’m so sorry, Earth... I can’t even begin to imagine what it must’ve been like to wake back up and have those memories... I can’t even imagine what your lives must be like now, and all because of...” SOL. Lightning. Hanoi. Humans in general. There was nowhere she could begin that’d sufficently cover all those points, let alone one that would answer her biggest question:

Why had any of it needed to happen?

“I didn’t see a lot of Ai’s lashing out myself, to be honest. I chose to do recon whenever I was logged in with the others... It was how I found Liger and Progleo. But I will say, it was something that should’ve been avoided - It all should’ve been. And now that you’re all back... It won’t happen again. I promise you, you’ll have the peaceful life you deserved the first time. I’m sure even Soulburner would agree with that.”

If he didn’t throw her off the pier a second time for offering her help as she was, but that was a note she’d keep to herself, willing a smile back to her lips. Heartache and guilt still ran strong, but the least she could do was protect him - She’d just not get any closer until he hinted it was all right.

❰❰ Mako ❱❱

As much as she wanted to stay as supportive as possible, the moment the familiar death tune played and Mario vanished from the screen, Mako couldn’t help but hide her face against her husband’s shoulder and giggle all the harder. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done it at least three times herself, but… He had to have noticed that pit in all his bouncing, hadn’t he? He hadn’t just missed the fact it was there, right? “Pffffft- Take-kun, I’ve done that a few times, too. Exact same way. All too easy to turn Mario into a skydiver, isn’t it?”

And Mako into a fit of giggles, but… At least it wasn’t full-on laughter and came with a nuzzle? “Look, see? You have- Ahaha- another life to try, too.”

Nope, he was done. Just the soft groan from Takeru alone as the over world map popped back onto the screen should’ve been enough to vouch for that. The lost life had been the fourth he’d used just trying to get past this one level Weren’t levels on the first stage supposed to be easy?

“Yeah, but I don’t think another life is gonna get me past this either.” Takeru sighed, shifting the game system down in Mako’s direction. “Do you have anything else I can play on this?”

“You never know, though. Sometimes it just takes one more try.” Despite that mention and her giggles, she’d waste no time in adjusting herself against him, picking up her Switch with an amused, yet still soft, smile. If he didn’t want to play Mario anymore, she wasn’t going to make him, a press of a button switching the screen back to the system’s main menu... But if not Mario, then what? Splatoon would be too frustrating, and she didn’t dare let him loose on an rpg when he didn’t even care for reading a novel...

❰❰ Kiku ❱❱

Mostly because he was the one who flung it usually, too. If there was anything she’d learned in all the years they’d been friends, it was that Takeru got spooked over sudden noises far too easily… And her tablet tended to fly as a result. In this case, however, it was her own fault, cheeks tinted a pale pink from embarrassment when she turned back to face him. “I’ve been a bit spacey with everything on my plate, but I’m not that bad, you know.” Yet. That had definitely carried with it a yet - Between tests, work, and everything else, she was surprised her head was still on her shoulders!

But she could still make him laugh, at least- “Last night I fell asleep on it. My face got stuck to the screen a bit.” Maybe he needed a break at some point really soon…?

“And now you can’t call me out whenever I fall asleep somewhere weird either! Even I know your tablet doesn’t make a good pillow-”

Takeru couldn’t hold back at laugh at that, settling back into his seat again. Usually, he was the one falling asleep in the awkward places—like on the end of Hibana’s pier or slumped over on the sofa in a weird way, but Kiku? That was definitely a sign she was pushing herself too hard. 

“But you should seriously take a time out, too, Kiku. You know working yourself too hard’s only gonna lead to you shoving your tablet in the cabinets more often, right?”

Where most people would’ve gotten a frown from the raven, she couldn’t keep her lips from curling into a small smile at Takeru’s teasing. He’d definitely have known that for a fact; how many times now had she seen him napping in the weirdest of places? Not to mention even she knew he was right on her needing a break, too - No need to fight him on it, not when he could easily point out she’d slept on her tablet. “I know. I have everything under control, don’t worry - Who else is going to make sure your head stays attached to your shoulders?”

❰❰ Mako ❱❱

It was such a simple reminder, his promise to stay, and yet it did wonders to ease some of the tension out of her shoulders. He didn’t have to do this, she knew, but the fact he was… Had she been any calmer, she might’ve been able to explain just how much that meant to her.

Instead, she shook her head to his question, scooting down the couch to put herself just a bit closer to him. Just enough to feel a bit of the warmth he always seemed to practically radiate, giving her pillow one more tight squeeze before her grip loosened. He was there… She could feel him - That was no trick of the imagination. Hearing him, seeing him; those could be her mind playing a practical joke, but touch? Feeling the heat of him on her skin? That could never be faked.

…Right?

“I don’t… Like quiet,” Mako offered after a moment, lowering her head to lay her chin atop the pillow he held.It wasn’t much of an explanation, but at the very least it was the start of one, allowing for violet to drift closed and let the sound of the TV and his voice sink in. Slowly, the mix eased back the veil of darkness and terror clouding her mind; she wasn’t alone. The world still existed, people were outside and probably back in the lobby by now. Floof’s meows were coming from the kitchen, there was some silly sitcom on TV, Takeru was right there and being so kind, even when she was so silly…

He’ll laugh when you tell him, you know. You’re ridiculous… Please don’t leave?

it was odd how the two mixed, she decided. On one hand, the noise and company had begun clearing her mind, yet on the other the fear of it all being her imagination and opening her eyes to being alone in the lobby  once more clung like a terrified ca refusing to release the curtains it’d climbed.  It’d- “Pass- I-It’ll pass… In a few, I t-think… D-Don’t le- …Don’t stop t-talking? It helps, I p-promise. I promise, just don’t-” Leave.

You’re helping so much more than I can say right now.

That wasn’t really an answer Takeru had expected to hear and it’d left the seconds after Mako’s reply quiet as he blinked back in her direction. 

He hadn’t really planned on leaving so soon. They’d still had lunch plans, but with Mako in such a frazzled state, those had definitely been canceled—which had left most of the rest of his evening open. If Mako wanted him to hang around, Takeru definitely could. His call to his grandparents back home could definitely wait until he was back at his own apartment.

And Mako needed a distraction anyway, so-

“If you don’t want me to stop talking, then maybe we can talk about food then! I mean, it’s already close to dinner time, right? And since we’re not going into town for food-” Takeru perked up, hoping his lighter tone would help Mako out even more, “Maybe we can find something here to make?”

Mako liked cooking, didn’t she? And he was hungry! So maybe distracting her with food preparation would be a win for them both.

If he listened closely, he’d probably catch the softest snort she let out, lips curling into the first faint, real smile she’d managed to crack since he’d found her in the building’s lobby. Food... It was such a light, every day topic for them, and yet it managed to make everything around her feel lighter. She could just see him in the darkness behind her eyelids, smiling sweeter than pure sugar, eyes bright and excited for whatever came to mind for dinner; he always was. And she’d always loved that look, honestly.

Focusing on that thought, Mako willed her eyes back open, taking a second to study the scenery of her apartment. The smoke was clearing, albeit slowly; she was home. Home and safe, with noise and her best friend - A boy who wore the very look she’d imagined he’d have on a glance over to him, lips parting for an admittedly strangled, but still genuine, laugh to escape. He had no idea, did he? Just how much that helped? How much he helped, just by being right where he was? There was no pushing her to explain or talk, no trying to treat her like she was made of fragile glass, no calling her silly and ridiculous over a little bit of quiet... He’d been doing everything right, and he had no idea, did he?

“I have... S-Some beef in the f-fridge...” They could figure something out with that, right? Besides, cooking wasn’t a bad idea - It’d always been her go-to on a bad day, a way to clear her mind and not have to think for a while with all the repetitive motions and attention needed. “W-What did you h-have... In mind f-for food?” They were supposed to go for burgers, weren’t they? She couldn’t make a burger out of cubes of raw beef, but maybe they could figure something else out?

It’d be a moment longer regardless before she lifted her head again, smile faltering just slightly. He wasn’t pushing her on it, but he deserved an explanation, didn’t he? As long as she focused on him, on the noise, their conversation - As long as it stayed the way it was, the veil could keep rolling away. If any of them stopped... I can’t go back to that. Don’t let me be alone again? Don’t let the world leave again? Please don’t take it away? I need you to- I need you- Please?

❰❰ Alanna; Chibi ❱❱

“And it does. I’ve been able to keep track of him pretty well with it in the last month and a half. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve got the alert sounds memorized and remember it’s the red dot on your screen, it’s nearly impossible to lose him.” Just like she’d hope he wouldn’t be upset at the admital of Hiko having had Chibiburner for the last nearly two months, ignoring the fact she’d even said as much with a gentle grab of his arm again. She’d wanted to be totally sure the system worked before they went looking for Hiko’s superhero on top of letting him get used to the world itself, and when combined with Soulburner being hard to track down sometimes…

The small dot’s quick movements prompted her to point it out again on his disk’s screen. “See? It’s a basic map of things, but it’ enough of a layout we can find where he is pretty quickly, and it’ll always keep him tracked, even when when you don’t have the program open like this. If he’s logged in with one of us, it’s tracking - Though we can set it to be silent if we didn’t log in with him. That way if you’re doing something and I’m with him, you don’t have to worry about alerts popping up out of nowhere.”

Alerts like the one that flashed across the screen a moment later: Range exceeded, Alanna’s expression falling just slightly at the sight. He knew better than to get any farther away than he was… Exploring with a digital squirrel wasn’t worth the vibrations his disk would give, she knew. He’d always hated how it shook his wrist. “Like that. He’s still behind you, right? With his squirrel? The area’s open enough he might’ve just backed away to the edge of his metaphorical ‘leash’, but we should be able to see him still. It’s not that long.”

Hopefully.

“Yeah, he is. Even I know he couldn’t have ran off that quick, but—h-hey!!”

Soulburner gave a sudden step back, jerking his arm out of Alanna’s grip as soon as the program on his duel disk had popped up an unexpected alert. The vibrations weren’t that intense; just enough to get anyone’s attention that Chibi was out of range, but to Soulburner? The sensation was unexpected enough that he’d flinched back almost on instinct. 

Though his overreaction would be over as quick as he’d yelped, too. His own duel disk vibrating was something he hadn’t been expecting.

“…Sorry, I guess it’s just gonna take me awhile to get used to something like this.” Soulburner sighed down at his disk, giving his wrist another slight shake, “I know SOL Tech’s pretty good when it comes to keeping track of its duelists, but…you’re sure he won’t be able to go any farther than what you have this set for?”

Checking on Hiko should’ve been the first priority at that point, especially with how Alanna’s disk vibrated not even a second after his. It was a sign their son had reached the very edge of his ‘leash’; his exploring had taken him right to the edge of the freedom he was given, and just a few feet further would give them both another vibration, though with an added audio alert. The system had never failed her, even if that was the trigger to get her attention on Hiko in a heartbeat.

But for the first time, it wasn’t Chibi her gaze fell on, but Soulburner, confusion evident in her expression; the vibration was about as strong as a cell phone on silent mode, so why had he...? There was nothing to ‘get used to’ when he kept his phone on silent during his classes - He’d felt them before, on multiple occasions. And even if he hadn’t, he’d jumped like he expected something to hurt. Almost like he’d been waiting for it to stab him or something... That wasn’t normal, even for him.

Something wasn’t right.

“I’m sure. He’s tested its range enough times for me to have faith in this,” Alanna started, keeping her voice even and gentle. Approaching a topic like that would have to be taken carefully; they were older, yes, but Takeru still tended to throw up walls the second she questioned him on things like that, albeit a bit less than before. That meant offering a soft smile and a reach for his hand, both as a silent showing of support, and to be ready to keep him grounded should the next alert spook him just as much; she’d not let him face something like that again without a reminder she was there, fingers curling gently around his. Support first. Always.

❰❰ Kiku ❱❱

“I haven’t been to Hana’s today, and I used it this morning…” She’d needed to look up just what a certain spice was so she could start cooking, which meant it hadn’t left the house, but… How had she gotten so wrapped up in her tasks she’d misplaced something so important? “I remember looking up spices, checking the recipe a few times… That was by the-”

Expression instantly falling, Kiku tugged open a nearby cabinet… Just to make a face at the sight of her tablet stuck between the bags of flour and sugar held within, complete with flour-covered fingerprints. She’d… Really done that, hadn’t she? “…I suppose I should be happy I didn’t try to fry it in my focus earlier.”

And if Kiku would’ve been listening, she would’ve heard a small sigh of relief come from Takeru, too. He knew he hadn’t had her tablet last, but he was always the first person who got accused of misplacing it, too. 

Takeru didn’t exactly have the best track record with electronics. 

“I guess it could’ve been worse, right? At least you just put it there instead of leaving it somewhere like school.” Then they definitely couldn’t have looked up a taiyaki recipe then.

Mostly because he was the one who flung it usually, too. If there was anything she’d learned in all the years they’d been friends, it was that Takeru got spooked over sudden noises far too easily... And her tablet tended to fly as a result. In this case, however, it was her own fault, cheeks tinted a pale pink from embarrassment when she turned back to face him. “I’ve been a bit spacey with everything on my plate, but I’m not that bad, you know.” Yet. That had definitely carried with it a yet - Between tests, work, and everything else, she was surprised her head was still on her shoulders!

❰❰ Mako ❱❱

“There’s always invisible blocks just about everywhere. Some games give you hints, like a cloud in an odd place or a suspicious gap, but others make you figure it out yourself, like this.” And with this being a level even she hadn’t figured out how to 100% yet, she had no idea just where the block in question could be. After half an hour of trying and multiple deaths, she’d just given up and vowed to try for the coin again later, biting back a giggle at his rapid bouncing across the screen. “Just be careful where you jump, or you might never land again. This game only has one checkpoint per level, right in the middle.”

Maybe he wouldn’t notice the giggles start escaping if she laid her head against his shoulder to watch?

Of course, Mako’s early warning wouldn’t stop Takeru from his constant bouncing in game either. The path to this level’s coin had to be somewhere close, he was sure of it! An extra step, a power up, a spring, or-

A missed jump right into a nearby hole.

“Like that, huh?” Takeru groaned, settling the game system down in his lap with a huff, “That’s the third time I’ve ended up in there, too.”

As much as she wanted to stay as supportive as possible, the moment the familiar death tune played and Mario vanished from the screen, Mako couldn’t help but hide her face against her husband’s shoulder and giggle all the harder. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done it at least three times herself, but... He had to have noticed that pit in all his bouncing, hadn’t he? He hadn’t just missed the fact it was there, right? “Pffffft- Take-kun, I’ve done that a few times, too. Exact same way. All too easy to turn Mario into a skydiver, isn’t it?”

An announcement from a Pom: I’m moving blogs soon! <3

Yep, you’re reading that right: After almost two years, Mako and Kiku are moving, though not far - I’m shifting them from a side blog to a main blog. I won’t be linking to the new blog here until it’s finished, but there won’t be any graphical changes, just in verses/timeline/etc.. I’m using this as a chance to update them, as well, to the current state of their canon. Rules are also getting a slight tweak.

I’m planning on replying to everything here before I make the move, too, so I’m starting off up to date! <3 This is just a heads up that this is coming - I’ll be reblogging with a link when things are complete and moved and this blog’s archived. <3

「???」

She’d been so lost in her reading, it’d taken his voice to snap Mako from her book and glance up with first a confused smile, then a wide, soft smile. He seemed friendly enough… And had he not said anything, she’d not have noticed the train starting its roll down the tracks for a while longer! “Ah- Yeah, this station’s really prompt about their schedule, I’ve found. Every time I’m here, they leave exactly when they say they will.” Not that she’d been there that often, but traveling to visit her parents usually had her making her way through the area, so why not grab a train instead of a bus this time?

But at the mention of her book, she slipped a finger between the pages, closing the cover to show him. “It’s a book on mythology and archaeology - It’s fascinating to see how the two go together, explaining why the pyramids were filled with the things they were-” A pause; she was going off on a nervous tangent, wasn’t she? Why was it sitting next to strangers always made her babble and fidget? “I-I’m sorry. It’s a topic that runs in the family.”

“Oh, no, no– you’re good! That’s very interesting.” Mokuba waved off, examining the words and pictures on the front of the book.

“Please do go on, actually. I used to have a friend that was from Egypt– er kind of anyways.” Actually, did it count if Atem had only actually remember the place for a very short period of time that Mokuba had known him? Maybe?

“So I find the subject interesting. I know a few things, but I haven’t like, read a proper book like that.” the boy said with a slight nod toward it.

A friend... From Egypt? The very thought made her eyes light up in delight; even if she wasn’t as interested in archaeology as her parents by any stretch of the imagination, the very thought of someone who’d have insight on the very thing she’d been reading about sounded amazing! They had to know so much more than a book ever could, right? Maybe they’d passed on some of that knowledge to this boy? Maybe she was getting too excited, too-