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acedefeat:

Well. When he said it like that, Rouga supposed the world he came from might sound a little strange…though he’d never really considered it himself. Really, why would he? The likes of Buddy Monsters had existed long before he or any other human on earth had been born; they were a constant presence in day-to-day life, a straightforward reality that few ever questioned. Indeed, it’d probably have felt more unnatural if they weren’t there.

And as far as “buff elementary school ninjas” went…well, fine; even Rouga could admit that running into people like that was a bit…tiring.

That being said–

“I’d rather not be compared to Shindou and his ragtag little circle.” The teen said flatly–then glanced at Kazuma, one eyebrow raised. 

“… Anyway, isn’t your world the weird one? Forget traveling between them–aren’t most people there ignorant to the existence of other worlds and monsters to begin with? Ridiculous.”

He didn’t know a huge amount about the world that Shindou Chrono and his friends came from, but Vanguard was largely regarded as a mere card game there, wasn’t it? And the units nothing but colorful illustrations on cardboard…

“Sheesh, you don’t have to put it like that... Seeing you talking about your three-headed dog like it’s the most normal thing is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever experienced!”

The more they talked, the more Kazuma realized how glaringly obvious it was that Rouga’s definition of normal was drastically different from Kazuma’s. 

“There aren’t monsters there. Like, at all. The closest thing you’ll find to monsters are maybe the crazy geese that attack people for no reason.” 

“Preeetty sure that worlds other than Cray don’t actually exist either. Even then, Cray’s a stretch, ‘cause there’s no way for us normies to ever visit, short of zapping ourselves there with our imagination. We’d need a big freaking rocket for that.”

“Wait. Wait, hold the phone. You guys actually travel to the other worlds? Are you serious? What, do they send the elementary schoolers to space too?”

Fellow Salt Monsters

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psychic-mediocrity:

“EH?!”

Zal’s screech of indignation was as loud as her face was pink, causing a few people to glance over at the two. Seriously?! How did this punk think she was a fucking elementary school kid? First Tasuku, now this.

It was humiliating being so short.

“I-I just graduated high school last year, you little smart ass! I’m nineteen. Nineteen!” She repeated herself for emphasis.

“Where the hell do you get off thinking /I’m/ a kid anyway?!”

He cringed at her indignant screech, then went right back to his default indifference.

“Uh-huh...”

Well. At least he had one up over the little lady now.

“For one, I wouldn’t have even seen you if you hadn’t walked right into my path. For another, you sound like a chihuahua. You really expect me to think otherwise? You look like you fit right in with the elementary schoolers. No wonder you’re the tiger kid’s friend.”

He was maaaybe exaggerating a little. Just a little, though.

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acedefeat:

A curt “then you probably don’t get out enough” was ready on Rouga’s tongue, but before he could get the words out, a third voice chimed in to the conversation–one that was a little groggy and very, very grumpy.

“Is sticking a single soba noodle in your hair normal in your world? What do people call it…’high fashion,’ or something…?”

All three of Cerberus’s jaws fell open in an unrestrained yawn, and after readjusting his snug position against Rouga’s side, he returned to his light slumber, clearly disinterested in whatever answer Kazuma Shouji had to offer.

…–as well as saving Rouga from this bizarre and unsolicited conversation, it seemed. 

(Damned mutt.)

Moreover–…

“… You really can’t tell a Buddy Monster apart from a Pokemon?”

“Holy shit...”

Kazuma didn’t know what he was more flabbergasted at: the fact that the three-headed pooch had talked, or the smart-alec comment it had made about his hair. (There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, thank you very much! It very much was fashionable!)

“Yeah, forgive me for the culture shock. Not everyone comes from a place where cats are pink, dogs talk, and every elementary schooler within arm’s length is either buff or a ninja. My life was normal compared to this, and I was with a gang for cryin’ out loud.”

“:Even Shindou and his band of merry mates are more normal than the stuff I see here on a daily basis...”

Fellow Salt Monsters

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psychic-mediocrity:

“Hey! My world isn’t ‘freaky’!” Cue exaggerated air quotes. “We just don’t have any of these Pokey Mon things. Owning magical creatures with powers without a proper license is usually illegal there anyway.”

Try as she might, Zal really can’t help but laugh at his misfortune. A hand goes up to cover her mouth, but it hardly muffled the giggling.

“Pfft! You seriously got your ass kicked by a little, pink kitty? Karma’s finest work I’d say. Alright, fine, I guess I can’t give you a hard time after hearing that.”

She took a step forward.

“But if I catch you hassling my little brother again I might not be so nice next time. Got that, kid?”

The vague threat is delivered with a very pleasant smile, but her tone gives away how serious she is.

“For the last freaking time, I wasn’t harassing him... I was just makin’ a comment about how weird the cat’s ears looked...”

God. This place was certainly a hellhole, and this lecture was icing on top of the cake.

“...”

“Yeah, uh... An elementary schooler calling me a ‘kid’ is real classy... How old are you anyway, 12? That’d explain a lot...”

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acedefeat:

“No. I’m not ‘pulling your leg.’”

As much of a hassle as it was, this wasn’t the first time his age had garnered such a dramatic reaction. Most people seemed shocked by the realization that he was actually only fourteen; in fact, he’d even been mistaken for a high school or college student once or twice in the past. Yeah, he was used to this kind of thing by now…–

–though that didn’t necessarily mean over-the-top exclamations of surprise didn’t still grate from time to time.

“Why does it matter…? You afraid I’m going to step on you if I’m not careful or something? It’s not a big deal.”

It was true enough that he loved lording his taller height over people like Tasuku, but seriously…

“Hell no. I ain’t afraid of something like that. But...jeez. It is a pretty big deal. I’ve never even seen a fourteen year old as tall as you. Is this kind of thing normal in your world? On that note...”

Silver eyes drifted over to Cerberus, who was curled close to Rouga’s side.

“How...and why does your dog have three heads. Don’t tell me it’s another one of those ‘Pokey Mons?’”

Fellow Salt Monsters

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psychic-mediocrity:

“Calling his pet weird is still bullying him.” Zal responded almost immediately, waggling a finger in his face. “He loves that thing, and you’re just going to call his ‘Pokey Mon’ weird like that?”

Admittedly, the young man did have a point. It was indirect ribbing if anything else. But still, she was going to defend her friend. To the death.

“It’s still rather rude, don'tcha think, mister?”

“Listen... I don’t know what kind of freaky world you come from, but I don’t have any ‘Pokey Mons’ on my world. I’m just a normal human, for god’s sake! I can’t help that it just...slipped out.”

“If it’ll make you leave me alone, I’ll tell you that the pink cat kicked my ass for it. Okay? Are we done here?”

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psychic-mediocrity:

“The blonde kid with the stripes in his hair. Who had the pink cat.” Zal answered impatiently, tapping her foot obnoxiously. “You were picking on him.”

Seriously, did he already forget how much of a jerk he was being already? It’s not like it happened too long ago either! Kids these days.

“What’s your damage with that, anyway?”

“Blond kid with the...”

Oh. The pink cat.

“I wasn’t picking on him, the kid was sitting on a swiveling chair on the middle of the sidewalk. He turned around like some kinda bad egg fresh outta an anime and there was a pink thing on his lap. All I did was comment on how freaky the pink thing looked. I didn’t bully him at all...”

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acedefeat:

Despite the increased amount of time he’d been spending at Sendou Aichi’s residence as of late, Rouga didn’t see much reason to talk with or expand on his relationships with anyone there that wasn’t Tasuku.

None of them seemed like bad people. Most of them were rather mild-mannered and polite over-all, and the brief exchanges he did (reluctantly) engage in from time to time were largely inoffensive. Even so, the very idea of becoming buddy-buddy with Tasuku’s found family was exhausting and unappealing–especially given the sheer number of people who were part of it.

That was why, when one such “family” member addressed him that day, Rouga was sure to keep his answer short and to the point…even if it did make him raise his eyebrows a little.

(… ”Rapunzel”?)

“I’m in my second year of middle school.” The teen promptly turned his eyes back to the book in his lap. “… What’s it to you?”

He was relieved to hear that the kid was older...and then flabbergasted when it was not by that much.

“Wh--seriously?! You’re in middle school?!”

So he was in the same division as Taiyou? Only a year older than Tasuku? And still younger than Kazuma?! 

“You’re not pullin’ my leg right now? You’re a freakin’ tree! I’m pretty sure you’re taller than the third years at my school?!”

“Wait... You’re really only a year older than Rapun--than Tasuku? And Taiyou? You’re way taller than them... The hell did you eat to get so tall?”

Fellow Salt Monsters

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psychic-mediocrity:

@dragheart

Yup. This was the guy. The guy who thought he could get away with picking on her little bro. Not that she was actually going to get violent or anything, but he still wasn’t going to escape a lecture.

Zal stepped in the way of his path, poking his chest.

“Where do you get off picking on kids like that? Don’t you have any shame? Or decency? Or better use of your time?”

He raised his eyebrows at the unknown girl who had just stepped into his path and poked him.

I swear to God. You talk to one kid and his entire class comes swarming out of the woodwork. It’s like a freaking hive mind of preteens.

“...Uh, what? Sorry, I have no idea who you are. Or what you’re talkin’ about.”

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Fellow Salt Monsters

Kazuma wasn’t one to start conversations. He was perfectly content with sitting quietly and waiting for his party.

But he had to wonder, when he saw the gruff-looking kid (?) sitting across from him... He had seen the boy a few times, it was what happened when one shared common friends who lived together, but they had never talked enough for Kazuma to learn. He couldn’t hold back the question anymore.

“Hey, uh...”

“So...you’re not...actually an elementary schooler, are you? I’m asking this since you’re Rapunzel’s--uh, Tasuku’s friend, but... You’re...older, right?”

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blitztiger:

“Wha– Hey! Don’t you have any shame?! You’re hurting her feelings! Apologize!”

Unfortunately for Kazuma, he did too much damage and there was no going back now. With her fur ruffled up, tail twitching with irritation, Prism hissed before jumping right out of Noboru’s arms and slamming her head into Kazuma’s, headbutting him.

“Nyah!”

“Hahaha! Serves you right, jerk. Maybe next time you’ll watch what you say around my Pokemon.” 

“Ugoaugh--”

With ferocious strength, the “Skitty” plowed right into Kazuma’s head, sending him sprawling onto the sidewalk. Dazed from both impacts, Kazuma could only lay there, staring into the sky. He felt the beginnings of a migraine and black spots began dotting his vision.

I’ve seen the face of hell...

(He probably deserved it, though.)

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blitztiger:

“Who the–”

Oh. It was the socially awkward salt monster that quite resembled Rouga, the one Chrono was friends with and the guy who attended parties and was a literal wall flower.

“Excuse you, my Skitty is probably one of the prettiest in all of Hive City! How dare you?! Look at her sad face, you hurt her feelings!”

Noboru stood up out of his hair and picked up Prism, shoving her at him. “Say you’re sorry, Kazuma-butt!”

“What the--?!”

For his trouble, he got the strange critter shoved into his face. The unnerving little smile and the squinty little eyes sent a chill down Kazuma’s spine. This was the stuff of nightmares!

“Eugh! Get it away from me! It’s creepy as hell! You think this thing is pretty?! You have weird taste, man!”

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blitztiger:

“…!” There was a spinny wheeled chair just sitting there. Sitting there, like nobody’s business!

He looked left. He looked right. Within seconds, Noboru wiggled his way into it, leg crossed. And upon pretending to slowly spin ominously, he now had his Skitty in his lap, petting her gently. “I’ve been expecting you,” he spoke in a deep voice before bursting into laughter.

“… I always wanted to do that.”

Oh no. Ooooh, no. An elementary schooler greeting him like the big boss out of a video game? Yeah, he could handle that. But a pink cat? Outside of Vanguard? Kazuma had just about reached his limit today.

“What the hell is wrong with its ears?!”

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chroyes:

For some reason, Kazuma‘s honest surprise effected a chuckle out of Chrono, having expected the usual pessimism in response only to be pleasantly mistaken. 

“Heh, I couldn’t believe it either when I was first told. In fact I was super skeptical about it until I met a Unit with my own two eyes..”

Not that the circumstances had been entirely ideal, but summoning Chrono Dran through his latent Stride Force several months back had certainly been an eye opener. He was a actual living, breathing baby Gear Dragon.. and Chrono felt all the more attached to him as a result. The same went for all the cards in his deck… they felt like old comrades he could trust.

“But yeah, we actually possess our Vanguards on Cray in a fight. Super cool, right? That means, for a moment in time, at least, you’re in fierce combat as Luard…”

“Are you serious? You met a unit? From Cray? ...Shindou, have you ever maybe considered that your life isn’t actually normal at all?”

The more time he spent with Chrono, the more Kazuma felt like he had stepped into some hyper-realistic urban fantasy movie. The fact that he had been zapped to Hive City out of the blue didn’t help things at all. This kind of thing definitely couldn’t happen in real life normally...could it?

“Me as Luard...”

He looked down, seriously contemplating the thought. He could imagine himself in the heat of battle easily enough. Being a elf-dragon wizard just felt right, but...

“...I wonder...if I’m able to live up to Luard’s image...”

He just couldn’t imagine it. Luard was the very image of power. Kazuma was just...Kazuma. A half-baked reject because he was talented, but not talented enough. Hard-working, but not hard-working enough.

“I wonder if he’d be happy to be the avatar of someone like me...”

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chroyes:

“Tell me about it…”

Tugging at his collar as the sweltering air was beginning to suffocate him too, Chrono kicked over a thick phone book as he used it to prop open the entrance door, letting in a cool breeze to alleviate some of the heat.

“…Even in a place like Hive City, this many people play Vanguard, huh… I never knew that world could be so big that it spread to, well, other worlds.”

Turning back towards the other, talk about his favorite card game always got a certain twinkle going in his eye, Chrono’s fleeting exhaustion immediately shifting into enthusiasm. 

“… Vanguard has a certain pull, huh? I mean, you were drawn into it too, right? There’s something for everyone.. even people from different universes from the looks of it.”

That there were those who could imagine themselves as the one who lead the way to forge their own paths… it was inspiring.  Actually that brought up another good point that Chrono had been meaning to shoot by Kazuma…

“Did you know? Apparently the world of Cray is real… parallel to our own where the units we Ride actually exist.”

“It’s not that I was drawn to it, I just...”

It was something that Nii-sama and I could share...for a little while...

Just that thought alone brought up a well of bitterness from the depths of his heart, but he quickly pushed it down. Chrono didn’t need to know. No one did. So he was thankful when Chrono changed the subject.

“...Huh? Seriously? You’re pullin’ my leg here. Isn’t it just part of the manual? Like that...’picture it,’ blah blah blah...”

He stared at Chrono incredulously, and while there was a twinkle in those green eyes, it wasn’t one that was teasing. When Kazuma thought about it after being brought to a place like Hive, it was more believable.

“No way... So then, during the Vanguard fights, we’re actually possessing our units? On Cray? Or is that imagination? What...?”

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chroyes:

“Hey, can you do me a big favor and pull the newest box of booster packs from storage?! Bring them up to the front counter, thanks!”

Shouting from across the store as anxious tournament players bustled and cried out for judge rulings, Chrono was certainly biting off more than he could chew on a day where his co-workers decided to bail on him. And it just so happened that there would be a Vanguard tournament on the very same afternoon where he’d be winging it alone. Much to his fortunate luck, however, Kazuma had been available at Chrono’s desperate phone call .Though he was reluctant at first, Chrono knew they could tag team around the card shop and tackle the chaotic schedule with him. At least Chrono had done this sort of thing a handful of times. “Kazuma.”

Passing a chilled water bottle to the blonde as they had a moment’s reprieve, Chrono took a breather himself, slumping over the cool wood of the sales counter and watching as the participants continued their heated battles a few feet away.

 “Ugh, thanks for the help….. Man… this is just like back at home, huh? Shin-san would often have me help out at Card Capital 2 when it was tournament time..”

@dragheart

“Is it? I wouldn’t know.”

As for Kazuma... He wasn’t quite sure why he was here either. Chrono had asked him, and Kazuma had agreed to come; he didn’t want to be pestered into submission, and he still had a debt to repay, but how much longer could he keep using those excuses?

He downed half the water in a single gulp. It was already hot and stuffy inside, and the sheer amount of bodies crammed into the space didn’t help either. Was the air conditioning not working or something? And where were all of the other staff members?

“Sheesh... You have it rough, Shindou.”

Kazuma glanced over at the crowded storefront. In spite of all of hustle and bustle, most of the contenders seemed to be having fun...

“...Even in a place like Hive City, this many people play Vanguard, huh... I never knew that world could be so big that it spread to, well, other worlds.”

[dragheart-blog]

chroyes:

Always dodging the subject with his pessimism… Well, they could always work on his self-confidence together, too. God knows  Kazuma could use some.

“You never know. There could be plenty of instances where you’re the only contact I have. Like if there’s a Vanguard tournament and I’d need you to participate, or come help around the card shop. Things can get pretty unpredictable around here, and to be honest, I’m no use to those supernatural elementary schoolers myself. They all kind of get caught up in their own mischief.. it’s become the norm.”

Chrono then handing off a steaming bowl of fresh stew over to Kazuma and saddling on close to him as they both leaned against the counter, shoulder-to-shoulder, he smiled pleasantly at the ceasing.That was almost like a small victory in and of itself right?

“Thanks. I really like hanging out with you, Kazuma. Even if you make it seem like such a chore. --Aah, sheesh, you’re like Taiyou and Tasuku. You’ve got food all over your face. Here…”

Instinctively wiping a thumb against the side of Kazuma’s mouth–he was so used to doing this by now that it was like second nature–Chrono was quick to lick the instance away, nonchalantly all the while, too. 

“...Don’t Taiyou and Kiba play Vanguard too? Wouldn’t they be better choices than someone like me? You could make an entire team with just those two. You don’t have to play so nice. Ah, thanks...”

The stew smelled absolutely scrumptious and Kazuma dug in absentmindedly. It was delicious too. Savory and thick from the potatoes, the added tomato provided a wide spectrum of flavour that exploded in Kazuma’s mouth.

Damn, Shindou’s a pro at this...

So caught up in the taste of the meal did he fail to realize that he had been a little sloppy, and some of the stew had stuck to his cheek. Chrono acted immediately, and much to Kazuma’s chagrin, wiped it off his face with his thumb...

...and licked his thumb clean.

“Wh--!!”

What kind of...?! Kazuma felt his face burning.

“Sh-Shindou?! You can’t just do...that! Without any warning too?!”

Taste Tester