#DAMN I MISS KUON

[fulbiturra]

TW: blood (last picture)

( ESP )

había olvidado subir esto acá jajan't.

nada, solo shitpost viejo.

( ENG )

i forgot to post this here jajan't.

nothing, just old shitpost.

edit - heck, i can't add alt text. well...

first image: man, i'm gonna hit you so hard that we're both gonna die, you from the punch and i from the shock wave.

second image: Gagamaru: what's this? / Raichi: it's Kuon.

fourth and fifth image: what's up people

[arundolyn]

You. Thoughts on uni2 story content?

admittedly i havent played the Most bc ive been recovering from getting my teeth yoinked and fighting game takes too much brain power atm BUT. confused as to why theres no proper story mode like chronicle was in cl-r, as for arcades- intrigued by linne's specifically and tbh kinda happy about it. enk's is SO...... BITING HIM. CARMINE'S IS FUCKING BONKERS BUT HONESTLY I CAN'T SAY I EXPECTED ANY LESS FROM HIS CRAZY ASS

overall. in general. Tonally. the Finality of it feels. not. actually? there? really? it seems arbitrary. it's hard to have actual like. how do i put it. meat. of a story. without a real story mode. like all we get are arcades??? both from a storytelling standpoint and also like ALL the promo material it kinda falls flat on what was promised, or at least Implied. i was literally streaming it for my bf day 1 and when i opened the game one of the first things i said was "wait there's no actual story mode option?" to have such heavy emphasis on how this is the End this is the Last one For Real feels forced when we haven't had any legit buildup to that point and even in the game itself aside from cliche anime vague dialogue about how This Needs To End and whatnot it doesn't narratively convey this all that effectively

like personally im not all that . idk. disappointed? by that bc i still need to catch up on chronicle mode from cl-r and haven't had time/focus to do so buuuuut... like. idk it feels weird now? why'd they throw chronicle into the middle game and now leave the supposed last one hanging. especially when theres a lot of loose plot threads that arent getting delivered on adequately, and by the fundamental nature of arcade modes in fighting games none of them are exactly fully 100% for real canon because there's a lot of contradictions so........ what does actually happen. kuon dies yeah sure that was his whole thing and kinda the whole conceit of this game sure sure whatever but like what ELSE? esp with carmine's arcade being so tonally weird the whole time and him talking about how he's dying anyway like SURE IN HIS ENDING HE GOES FULLY APESHITT BUT LIKE WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM FOR REALSIES DOES HE JUST DESPAWN?

all this aside its fun and i like it and all howwwwever there is a slight sense of like.. barring system rework and ui updates it feels like this could just be cl-r dlc of kaguya tsurugi and kuon and not a hell of a lot would change overall?

[flugion]

Hello hello! Can I ask for Kuon, Gagamaru, Nagi, Bachira being shy around you?

Yes, I can! Sorry if this comes out way later then you asked as I've just been kinda doing my own thing for a bit but hey! Hope you like it!

Kuon, Gagmaru, Nagi, and Bachira being shy around Y/N!

═✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿═

Kuon

It's kinda hard to tell when he's shy, actually

Best you can maybe see his a small habit he has when nervous and/or shy and thats playing with his hair

You can often see him messing with it when he's talking to you

Sometimes, if you and friends start talking about romantic relationships around him, he's 50/50 on just leaving

Mainly because he's nervous he'll get shy and embarrass himself

If you wanna make him a stuttering mess though, that's different

Just make some kinda of suggestive comment towards him and he just straight up shuts down

Gagamaru

Definitely harder to notice when's he's shy

He's just better at hiding it

You may catch him blushing a bit when shy but apart from that, you'll have to observe him like a damn hawk

Of course, you could always playfully tease him to try and get him to get all shy

But the main thing he'll do to try to hide is that he's nervous/shy around his he actually bites his nails.

It kinda keeps him occupied while around you

It's also a plus cause so many people do it so it looks normal at first but nope!

He just does it so he doesn't turn into a stuttering mess when talking

Nagi

He tends to talk less around you when shy

You're not sure why he does but sometimes he just doesn't know what to say to you

Sometimes you question him if you did something wrong but he always tells you you did nothing

What you can do to get him to blush if you want to is to play with his hair

Bro will stiffen up like a board and not move for a bit before relaxing

Someone has a picture of him being like this

He doesn't care enough about the photo but will get shy/embarrassed if you ever see it

Bachira

He actually gets a little shy if you make very bold compliments to him

Especially about his looks

He soon starts to wear clothes you've complimented the most

He does have a shy/nervous habit of bouncing his leg so that's how you can notice

His personality doesn't change much, but oh boy

Saying even if his hair looks nice has him blushing

Steal his hoodies and bro won't be able to function at that point LMAO

═✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿═

Hopefully this works! I've been missing a lot of school work so thats why this took a bit! Apologies! <3

[animehouse-moe]

English-First Manga Re:Anima Begins Publication

Yeah, you read that right. Kodansha has been trying very hard to tap into the North American/English language market as a JP publisher. Some things have flopped like K-Manga, but surprisingly, their English-first series have been seeing impressive success. Blood Blade wowed fans, and now Re:Anima from Yoshinori Matsuoka is aiming to double down on that result.

So, who is Yoshirori Matsuoka? I think a lot of North American-slash-English-language readers don't really recognize the name, and it's not fault of their own. Matsuoka only has one real original manga to their name prior to this entrant. Out of the total 5 that they've worked on, they've only written for 2, and one of them is an RPG adaptation of Hiro Mashima's 'Gate of Nightmares'.

And that leaves just Kessen No Kuon, a two volume manga series from 2017. Even back then, however, Matsuoka had potential.

The environment art was incredibly full and detailed, the character designs packing an intense degree of punch and personality. It's art that could take an artist very far- which is why I'm surprised that it took up until now for Matsuoka to be given potential to make something of their name.

Though, Kessen No Kuon's quality is sorely outdated against Matsuoka's work on Re:Anima. Character models retain their sense of personality but bring a greater degree of refinement, the line art has gotten much more confident, and Matsuoka's layouts have improved a considerable amount.

Probably one of the best improvements is their willingness to break panels for effect and flow. It's something that in my flip through of Kessen No Kuon was sorely missing. That feeling of restriction really did limit Matsuoka's strong art, and I'm glad to see it differ here with Anima.

Similarly, I think their character designs remain strong, but have grown even more expressive. They don't need silly or simplified faces to express intent or emotion to the viewer, but Matsuoka keeps them in for comedic effect, which I can appreciate.

But that's enough about the art- it's strong and is certainly not the weakest link here. Story is more the concern as it's Matsuoka's 3rd (I'd argue 2nd) pass at writing the accompaniment to their art, so how does it fair?

Honestly, pretty damn good. It manages to make the most of Matsuoka's character designs and visual style, and presents itself as an incredibly strong science fiction story. Walking confidently into global warming territory to set the stage, it's tackling a lot of typical fare for a good sci-fi story- namely in the forms of the concept of freedom, and the idea of human connection.

Off the bat it establishes that everyone's basically just piloting a synthetic version of themselves so that they can "live" above ground, but that idea immediately gets picked apart by tradition, history, and the freedom that it affords people.

I think the easiest examples appear with the chapter's antagonist, as well as a young boy's questions of the world.

Both do incredibly well to frame the suffocating nature of existence in a world that's effectively uninhabitable, and express the natural desire to challenge or deny the system that has stripped the people of freedom and human connection.

Overall, I might even say that this is "quintessentially styled" manga. It presents a strong core with an intense desire to pose a question to viewers through its world and characters, but it's not afraid to joke around with itself. It's a delicate balance to strike, but Matsuoka shows a very confident degree of refinement within this first chapter, so more than anything I'm excited to see where it chooses to go.

[ohworm-writes]

hello! :) so u know how kuon has a crush on sniper right ? can i get an imagine where reader is jealous bc of kuon, cuz u know, her crush on sniper etc etc (sorry i'm just vv lazy at typing), and how sniper reacts to it ?? can u make it like they're still friends but have mutual feelings for each other as they hang out as a unit, and they get together in the end bc sum confessions happened !! sorry if u don't get it i'm rlly bad at explaining but thank u in advance if u do this !! <33

High-Rise Invasion/Tenkuu Shinpan: Sniper Mask Boyfriend Imagine

high-rise invasion/tenkuu shinpan masterlist

‼ Jealous Reader (over Kuon) + Make up + Confession ‼

Featuring: Sniper Mask, Yuri Honjo, Mayuko Nise (implied), Kuon Shinzaki (implied)

Warnings: frustrated Y/n, crushes, jealousy

a/n - good GODS this has been in my inbox for a while and i’m so so so sorry for not posting it way sooner! hopefully you see this anon, and i hope you enjoy!

content below the cut!

you had developed a crush on the man in the mask ever since you first joined Yuri's little group

you couldn't really tell what it was the drew you to him

he was silent, dismissive, and he was a Mask for goodness sake!

but none of that deterred you from the attraction you garnered for him

you always found yourself trying to interact with him

whether it was offering your help with something that he was doing, or simply keeping him company

most times he brushed you off, walking away and not giving you an answer

other times he silently accepted your offer

those times the two of you would sit in comfortable silence, just enjoying one another's presence

you cherish moments like these for a very specific reason

Kuon

now you had nothing against the girl!

... at first

she seemed nice enough, always eager to help, and full of ignorant innocence

but then you realized her (very obvious) crush on the masked man

the way she got flustered around him so easily

the way she clung to him like a lost child

at first, you thought maybe she saw him as a parental figure, seeing how young she was

but that thought was (very) quickly thrown to the wind when you saw her wrapped up in his jacket, blushing like the schoolgirl she was and giggling to herself

so what she liked him? you liked him too, maybe the two of you could bond over that!

that's what you told yourself

of course, you never acted on it

it was simple, you were too jealous to do so

you noticed how Sniper Mask welcomed all her little instances without a care in the world

not giving a damn when she clung to him

or batting an eye at her obvious fangirling

it pissed you off

naturally, you began to avoid Kuon

and Sniper Mask simultaneously

you avoided the two of them whenever you could

when you saw them walking towards you, you kept to the opposite side of the wall and walked quickly past them

when you all usually ate together, you picked up your food and ate outside

you were simply, undeniably jealous

you didn't think Sniper Mask cared about it, not that you could tell under his mask

but in actuality, he was confused as to why you avoided him all of the sudden

so, he opted to ask you one day

You shut the door to the dining room rather aggressively as you exited, but you couldn't care less. You let your body slump against the adjacent wall, your plate of food resting on your lap.

Today had been... exhausting, to say the least. Kuon was on her usual actions of pining over 'Mr. Mask', crossing your way a few more times than you would have liked. During your meeting earlier with her and Yuri, your fellow mouthless masked allies, she had the gall to talk on and on about how much she adored him.

You hated it.

You looked down at your food, a scowl finding its place on your features. You glared at it, pushing the pieces around with your fork, not noticing a door open and close right in front of you.

"Jesus, if that food was alive, it would be 6 feet under with the glare you're giving it." You hear a gruff voice call from in front of you. A voice you would rather not be hearing right now.

You continue to move around the food, staying silent as the man awkwardly stands in front of you, unsure of what to do with himself in this situation. "Is it, uh, okay if I sit here?" He asks, which finally makes you look up.

He had a plate of food between his own hands, his jacket gone and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His mask covered his face, per usual, but it seemed much more lopsided than usual.

You give him a shrug in response, looking back down at your food again. He stands there for a moment, before taking a seat right next to you, your knees almost touching. "You don't mind if I eat with you, right?"

His question makes your eye twitch. Was he seriously trying to be all buddy-buddy with you now? You shrugged again, not giving him as much as a single word.

You heard him sigh, setting his food to the side before he speaks again. "Alright, what's going on?" He asks, making your body tense up. "Nothing." You shoot back, scowling.

"What happened to the Y/n that stayed up and talked about their life for hours? What happened to the Y/n that told me horrible jokes to try and get a reaction out of me? Huh? What happened to them?"

That broke you.

You were angry, furious even. Was he trying to blame this on you? You didn't do anything wrong! If it wasn't for Kuon, maybe you would still be that person! If it wasn't for her, you could still be friends with him! You could be-

"What?" You hear him say softly, much softer than his previous tone. Shit, did you say that out loud? "Yeah, you did." He says again, looking at you with a concerned expression on his face, not that you could tell.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out. I just- I’ve been-" You stutter, trying to find the right words. He laughs at that, actually laughs at it.

His laugh is hearty, warm, almost inviting you to laugh along with him. You don't, but he quickly composes himself, making your head turn towards him.

"Why on Earth were you jealous of Kuon?" He asks honestly, watching at how the invisible gears turn in your head, searching for an answer. You sigh heavily, running a hand across your face as you shake your hands while you speak.

"I just- she’s always there with you. She's latched onto you 24/7! I can't get 5 minutes alone with you before she comes barging in." You rant, frustration evident in your shaky voice.

"I just wanted to be your friend, be close with you. I can never do that because she's-she's there." You groan, hugging yourself with your arms. "I sound like a selfish idiot now, huh?"

You laugh dryly, frowning. He sighs, but a smile plays at his lips. "Y/n." He begins, his hand resting you your forearm. "You know she would never purposefully do that. She just, she has an infatuation with me I guess."

He sighs dramatically, earning a chuckle from you. "But." He tells you, watching your eyes as he speaks. "That doesn't mean I didn't miss you."

Your heart skips a beat at his comment, face flushing softly. "Kuon also misses you. You might not have caught onto it, but she looks up to you." He explains, smiling at how your expression softens, mumbling a soft 'she does?' to him.

He nods, laughing once more. "Come on, have dinner with the rest of us. We can't have you sitting alone out here anymore." You roll your eyes, but take him up on his word. He leads you back to the other, Kuon frantically waving over to the two of you the second you pass through the door.

"Y/n! Come sit with me!" She yells excitedly. Maybe you were wrong about her.

after that interaction, the three of you were all on much better terms

yes, kuon still had her habits, but he toned them WAY down after you explained to her how it made you feel

she teased the hell out of you for it too

you, of course, shrugged it off

but you never told her that she was wrong

you were happy to be on good terms with Sniper Mask again

he made a lot more time for you

your old interactions coming back at full force, and some new ones

he loved to take you on little walks on the high rises

he also made it a point to teach you how to shoot his rifle

which was terrifying, but exhilarating

you fell for him harder and harder every day

one day, you ranted your feelings out to Kuon

and while she wasn't surprised, it warmed her heart to see how much you loved him

yes, she crushed on him too, but that didn't take away from the obvious connection she saw between the two of you

unbeknownst to you, Sniper Mask had come to her about the same things

his usually cold demeanor broke whenever he talked with you

he genuinely enjoyed your company, he wanted more of it

and then some

so, she put a plan together

operation "get Mr. Mask and Y/n together" is a go!

she took it all very seriously

making sure you guys get paired together for scouting missions? that's all her

convincing Sniper Mask to get you little gifts and things? of course

overall, the best wing-woman you could ask for

however, the one thing she didn't have anything to do with was his confession to you

he could have used her help with it, that much was clear

but he wanted to tell you how he felt, no help necessary

Sniper Mask had told you earlier this morning to meet you at his room when the sunset before he rushed to get out of your vicinity like you were a plague. Granted, it hurt your feelings, but you couldn't stand him up.

You knocked gently on the wooden door, stepping back and waiting patiently for it to open. After about a minute, while you had heard nothing, you went to knock again.

Your efforts were proved useless as the door swung open hastily, revealing a disheveled Sniper Mask. His usual blazer and fedora were long forgotten, his hair messy, strands pointing this way and that. His mask sat lopsided on his face, still covering it fully.

"H-hey Y/n." He mumbled out, you offered him a wave as he awkwardly shuffled to the side, opening the door as an incentive for you to come in. You stepped inside, walking to the center of the room as you heard him close the door behind you.

You turned to speak to him again, but those thoughts were cast aside as you felt his hands settle onto your cheeks and his lips molding with yours. It startled you, you're eyes open in shock as you looked at him. His mask was completely off, thrown somewhere in the room, but he didn't seem to have a care in the world.

You quickly melted into the kiss, bringing your hands up to gently hold onto his forearms. He hummed, taking a moment before pulling away, leaving the two of you to gasp for air as he rested his forehead against yours. You opened your eyes to meet his, full of adoration.

"I, uh, I think I'm in love with you?" It was more of a question, but you took it happily. You laughed softly, your fingers rubbing small circles in his forearms.

"Was that what that was?"

[osakaso5]

La Danse Macabre

Episode 20

Chapter Index

20-1: A Flight of Freedom (1)

Libel: .......

Arme: Libel! Libel!!! You're bleeding so much..!  

Qual: ...Celestial.

Qual: I've disposed of the devil who was putting strange ideas into your head.

Qual: Let us return home. To our Ark.

Arme: .......

Qual: Why... Why do you not respond..?

Qual: Did we not spend most of our lives together?

Arme: Yes, we did... Until I turned fifteen, and your duty as my attendant ended, you were always by my side...

Qual: Exactly... I've watched over you from since you were an infant.

Qual: It was my duty to keep you safe. And...

Qual: I... I even consider myself your closest friend.

Arme: ......!

Qual: Only I can understand your loneliness! None can know you like I, after all the years I've spent with you...

Qual: Least of all some worm from the Surface, whose breeding and upbringing are nothing like ours..!

Arme: My friend..? Did you really just call yourself my friend..?

Qual: Yes, I--

Arme: Then... answer me. Qual, have you...

Arme: Have you ever called me by my name, even once?

Qual: Pardon..?

Arme: You think yourself my friend..?

Arme: There was never friendship in your eyes when you looked at me...

Qual: ......!

Arme: And I even wanted you to become my friend, all those years!

Qual: B-but...

Arme: .......

Qual: N-no..! Celesti--

Qual: ...Ah...

Arme: Hah... haha.

Arme: It's simply not possible,   Qual. The people of the Ark don't even see me as a person.

Qual: .......

Arme: We can never be friends. Not for as long as that remains true.

Arme: Cura taught me many things, because I was so ignorant.

Arme: Fuga got angry with me, but it gave me a chance to argue with someone.

Arme: As for Libel... He called me Arme.

Arme: Do you understand, Qual..? He was the first person to ever use my name.

Qual: ........

Arme: Those three are the only people I consider friends. It has nothing to do with how long we've been together.

Qual: .....!!! Ah... Aaah...

Qual: So it was all... presumption on my part..? You never..?

Arme: Inside that white room in the church, I'd ponder my reason for being born.

Arme: I never found the answer, until I came down to the Surface.

Arme: If my existence truly is special, then I want to use my power to help my friends and their beloved home.

Qual: I... I...

Qual: I don't...

Qual: Aaaaaahhhh!!!

Arme: So, Qual--!

Qual: No... no! This has to be some kind of mistake...

Qual: Hahaha... Ahahahaha...

Arme: .......!

Qual: The Celestial would never call lowly Surface dwellers his friends...

Arme: You're just forcing your ideals on me, Qual!!!

Qual: ...SILENCE!!!

[Clang]

Qual: !!!

Libel: ...I got woken up by all your yelling.

Arme: Libel..!

Qual: ...How many times!?

Qual: How many times are you going to get in my WAY!!!

[Clang]

Libel: ......!

[Ratatat]

Schau: That's enough. 

20-2: A Flight of Freedom (2)

Libel: Tsk..!

Qual: Schau...

Schau: While you were talking, we blocked every possible exit from here.

Schau: Game over.

Libel: .......

Schau: Libel, was it?

Schau: To tell you the truth, I don’t  give a damn about the Celestial or the  Surface. Just the thought of having to get  any more involved in this annoys me.

Schau: And it looks like our newly appointed vice commander won't stop until you're dead.

Schau: Your very existence is a thorn in my side. Just die already.

Libel: ...Arme, are you ready?

Arme: Yes. Though I'm not sure what you're talking about.

Arme: I trust you.

Libel: ...You're the best.

Schau: !?

Libel: Hold on to me as hard as you can, Arme!

Arme: I will!

Schau: It's no use. The only thing over there is the cliff... wait, don't tell me!?

Qual: S-stop! Libel!

Qual: Schau! Shoot him!

Schau: That's the... plan!

[Bang]

Libel: Ugh..!

Schau: Tsk! Missed the head!

Libel: I'm gonna jump, Arme!!!

Arme: Hahaha! I'm so scared! And yet..!

Arme: Do it, Libel!!!

Qual: Stop... Stop it...

Qual: Don't take the Celestial from me..!

Qual: STOOOOP!!!

Libel: Aaaaargh!!! 

- - - -

Cura: I wonder if they managed to get away...

Cura: ......! Coff... coff...

Cura: Huh? Blood..? What's going on here..? 

- - - -

Fuga: No... help... It hurts... it hurts..!

Fuga: ......! ...Just a dream..?

Fuga: Ah... Why, why..?

Fuga: Why didn't you save me... Libel..?

Fuga: Aaaaaahhhh!!!

- - - -

Reue: ...I see. Thanks for letting me know.

Reue: Okay. Leave cleaning up to your subordinates and come back to the Ark.

Leiden: Commander Reue. Who was that? Schau?

Reue: Yep. He was just reporting back.

Reue: The Celestial is missing. He fell from a cliff, and could even be presumed dead.

Leiden: Hmm.

Leiden: So it's over.  

Reue: Yeah, sure is. This is what you get when you start throwing tantrums.

Reue: Qual is to be confined indefinitely. 

20-3: Time Moves Once Again

Misericorde: Qual failed and the Celestial is missing...

Misericorde: I see. How very interesting...

[Door opens]

Misericorde: No changes...

Misericorde: He should remain alive, as the transfer has yet to occur.

Misericorde: The Celestial, sullied...

Misericorde: Perhaps 'tis time for a shift in plans. 

- - - -

Eternea: I see... so you've chosen the Surface in the end.

Eternea: Heh, perhaps even I ought to ready myself.

Eternea: ...Arme. 

- - - -

Vida: ...Hey. What do you guys think?

Vida: What should I do? How can I repay you? What do you want from me..?

Vida: ...Our numbers are going down. We can't stop it.

[Whooosh]

Vida: .......

Vida: I see... Figures...

Vida: It's been a long time coming.

Vida: This way, we'll be able to grant Placer's wish. We'll take all his pain and send it back...

Vida: ...We'll take the skies.

Vida: Prepare to get crushed, Ark. 

- - - -

???: Kabane! Over here, come quickly!

Kabane: ...What?

???: This! Look at this!!!

Kabane: Corpses... It's awful rare for anything from the Surface to end up here.

???: This is much, much rarer. You might want to sit down for this.

???: They're still alive... if barely.

Kabane: ...I see.

Kabane: ......!

Kabane: Konoe. I think you're the one who might want to sit down for this one.

Kabane: This smaller one is a Celestial.

Konoe: What? Whaaaat!?

Konoe: That's... Even rarer than rare...

Konoe: Kuon!!!

Kuon: ...Yes. I feel it already.

Kuon: It appears we're still to continue...

Kuon: This dance of death. 

- - - -

Libel and Arme are swept into the vast Underground, where they meet three young men; Kabane, Kuon, and Konoe.

They claim to know the truth about the world and the Celestial.

"Kabane doesn't want you to make the same mistake..."

To be continued in Part 2...

[aspergerasparagus]

Some Alone Time

Did I write Sniper Mask nasty fanfic? Yes. I apologise in advance.

Letting out a long sigh, Sniper Mask collapsed onto the bed, the soft sheets beneath him cushion his fall. It had been another long day, not just for him, but everyone. Running from the other Masks, trying to gather more supplies, listening to a bunch of teenage girls talking incessantly about who knows what. He might have tried to zone out of their conversation after about a couple of hours of it. Don’t get him wrong, he enjoyed the company, even if he wouldn’t show it outwardly but still. It was exhausting after awhile. He had never been a “people” person if you could call it that, preferring his own company most of the time.

Letting out a small yawn he tossed his hat onto the bed beside him before he ran a gloved hand through his hair, tousling it slightly as he relaxed back into the plump pillows that covered the head of the bed. The girls had long since gone to bed. Well hopefully they had. He had gone into check on them only to find them playing some sort of high school sleepover game well after they had wished him goodnight. He let out a soft chuckle as he thought about them. Even after all they had been through and the powers they had all gained, they were still just 16 year olds at heart and in their down time it really shone through. Ah the ignorance of youth.

He could feel a smile tugging on his lips as he folded a hand behind his head, the other absentmindedly fiddling with his belt buckle as he attempted to settle himself down. He really should try and get some rest himself, after all they’d be up early the next morning. Wasn’t safe to settle down somewhere for too long in this world. But even with that thought still in his head, he wasn’t able to let sleep take him yet. An invasive little thought had been lingering in the back of his head for sometime now. One he had been pushing to the side and burying given there were more important concerns at the present time. However now that he was alone, relaxing in his own room and bed, the idea wormed its way back up to the surface like an annoying parasite. He was really horny.

It was his hormones he told himself. He was a young adult male, and he had… needs. Especially now that the mask had been cracked and its coding dampened by Kuon. It was something he had been trying to ignore, but on nights like this where he still had some left over pent up energy it was hard to deny them. Letting out a groan of annoyance he glared up at the ceiling. This wasn’t the best place to really indulge himself. Imagine being caught by a Mask or worse one of the girls halfway through the act. He grimaced at the thought and brought a hand up to his masked forehead trying to dispel the thought. Yeah that would be enough to get him to throw himself off one of the buildings even without the masks suicide code input.

Letting out another sigh he glanced down at his body, sprawled out on the bed, his hand still fiddling with his belt. His eyes darted to the door, assessing the situation. From what he could hear, the girls talking had finished a while back and now he could only hear their soft breathing coming from the room adjacent to his. They were all out for the count. And even if one of them did stir, he’d hear it the moment they did. Dragging his eyes away he hesitated slightly before cautiously running his fingers gently over the front of his trousers. Maybe… maybe he could get away with it. As long as it was quick. Just something to help him get to sleep. Chewing the inside of his cheek he weighed up his options before muttering a soft “fuck it” under his breath as he began to palm himself through his pants.

It really had been far too long since he did this. His body immediately started to respond to his touch as he felt himself hardening up nicely under the teasing touches. Letting out a breathy groan he rolled his hips slowly against his palm, savouring how his trousers restricted his movements slightly, tightening around his hips and groin as he rocked against himself. There was a certain thrill he’d never admit, but getting off while still dressed had always appealed to him. The nicer the outfit, the more he got his rocks off. A lady in a gorgeous expensive evening gown would set him off, but a man in a tailored made suit was in a whole different ball game. His hand hesitated slightly at the last thought as he silently cursed himself. Burying his head against the pillow he shut his eyes trying to push the thought away but still it remained.

Sniper Mask knew he liked women. Of course he did, he was a man after all! But as he had gotten older he had found his gaze… wandering. Wandering over to members of the same sex. He had come to the realization sometime during his teens that maybe he wasn’t entirely straight. Bisexual was the word he had heard mentioned once, that was probably what he would call himself. Not that he’d voice it allowed, hell he even struggled to say it to himself now. It wasn’t bad, he knew that, but something akin to a stigma still hung around the word for him. The idea of liking both sexes was still a new concept to him, something he still had yet to fully explore. Something he would probably never explore now that he was stuck in this damn other dimension. Fiddling with the sheets with his free hand he eyed his obviously tented pants before letting his finger gently trace over the shape. He could maybe entertain the idea tonight. Just for tonight.

Working his hand over his crotch again he let out a soft moan as he let his fantasy play out in his head. He imagined it was a well dressed man touching him. Expensive suit, accessories that would cost an arm and a leg to afford, gently touching him, working him up into a frenzy as he spoiled him. He’d give Sniper everything he wanted and more, just wanting to see the other man enjoying himself in the throws of passion. Another soft swear escaped Sniper’s lips as he groped himself roughly through his trousers, fuck that was a hot idea. He could almost see them, kissing every exposed piece of skin he could, all the while whispering praises which Sniper would return in earnest. But the touching wouldn’t be enough, he’d need more.

Eyes snapping open Sniper let himself catch his breath for a moment as he came to a realisation. He needed more. His hand wasn’t enough this time. He needed to get off to this fantasy, it really was too good of an opportunity to miss. Turning his head he eyed up the numerous other pillows surrounding his head. Was he really going to stoop to this? Throwing what little shame he had left to the side he quickly snatched up one of the pillows. Before he had time to reconsider he rolled over to his knees and positioned himself over the pillow, propping it up against himself as his cock ached painfully inside the confines of his trousers. Wasting no time he ground his crotch against the fabric, letting out a louder than intended moan as he pushed the pillow harder against himself. Yes, this was exactly what he needed. It would just be enough to get him off good and hard, plus it just added more to his little fantasy. It wasn’t a pillow in the fantasy snuggly buried between his thighs, it was his fantasy man. Both of them were moaning each other's names as Sniper got them both off. Being the more dominant one fit his persona better, so having his current lay begging under him while telling how good it was was really appealing to him like nothing else. Fuck he wasn’t going to last long at this rate.

What would the other think if they found him now, desperately humping a pillow as he moaned and grunted as he imagined that it was another man beneath him. Sniper felt a wave of shame roll over his as his hips hesitated slightly but he shook his head, dispelling the thought. Who gave a damn right now what they thought. He just wanted to finish, and finish hard. He could deal with the shame and regret after he had cum.

Panting now, drool dripping down the side of his mask slightly as he continued to fuck himself against the pillow, he knew he was getting close. He could feel the damp patch staining the front of his trousers now, as his cock begged for release. Maybe he could tease this out for longer? Edge himself and not let himself finish for another couple of minutes, just so he could revel in the delicious agony of denying himself only to get lost in the intense pleasure that was sure to follow. Maybe if he found a partner like the man in his fantasies he could really entertain the idea. Sniper had to bite his lip as another pathetic noise escaped his mouth. Fuck, oh fuck imagine. He bet if he found someone like that they’d work him up into a pitch only to pull away at the last moment, not out of cruelty but just to cater to his every fantasy. Crying out, Sniper snapped his eyes closed as he picked up his pace, cock rubbing against his trousers as he humped the pillow even faster. He couldn’t last given that last thought and with a broken moan he climaxed, spilling himself into confides of his trousers as he desperately rode out his orgasm.

After a minute or two he flopped forward onto the bed, completely exhausted and panting softly as he came down from his post orgasm high. That had been intense and it had taken everything out of him, finding himself rather sleepy now finally. However the bliss was soon overshadowed by the creeping realisation of what he had done. Groaning he rolled off the pillow and cringed as he noted the obvious wet patch on both the front of his trousers and the pillow. He really couldn’t believe he had done that, and to that fantasy of all things. Covering his eyes he swore softly to himself before sluggishly pulling himself off the bed, taking the pillow with him. He needed a shower. A very hot one. Something to help wash away the memory of what he had done and just how good it had made him feel. As he headed into the bathroom he stopped by the closet and threw the soiled pillow as far back into it as he could. Out of sight out of mind as they say. But even as he closed the door to the mess he had made the memory of his fantasy still lingered in the back of his head, making his cheeks heat up as he replayed it over and over.

[quarterette]

Utawarerumono: The False Faces ep 13-25 Liveblog

Gonna just straight up do individual episode comments, since the second half is gonna be denser in content. As with the first half, this is a rewatch and will have spoilers for the games.

Opening Comments: Man there’s not much movement in the animation but its beautiful all the same.

Ep 13:

- *spit take* why are they sending Rulu? IDK if it was because the directors weren’t informed about the whole “baby of the family” detail because I can’t imagine Shis letting this happen

- Interesting how instead being of a secret force that Oshtoru sent, Haku and gang are now the accompanying force to Rulu and Atuy.

- I’ll be pleasantly surprised if Entua makes more sense in the anime than in the games

- oh wow Dekopompo is even worse in the anime, straight-up running off on his own.

Ep 14:

- I like how instead of Atuy catching the arrow the twins have a force field. Granted, it make Atuy even more of a non-entity

- the extreme long shots of the CGI soldiers are really nice. I don’t feel like we see the loss of formations as they come into contact with each other often in war anime

- why are the twins running like that - imo that way too much movement for dainty girls (maybe I’ve watched too much anime)

- wow they totally recontextualized retrieving Shinonon and cut down a lot of potential runtime.

- did they seriously remove Atuy’s bloodlust

- you know open-eyed Ougi is growing on me, him and Nosuri have such lovely eye color

- poor Maroro

Ep 15:

- I’m relieved that the adaptation art makes Raiko look less like Lelouch. Always seemed like lazy design to me, him and Mikazuchi look nothing alike.

- did they introduce the telepaths in MoD? I can’t remember.

- that triple-take of Zeguni dying was just silly. If it were one slice x3 it would have been fine but this... Oshtoru be flexing with that mountain.

- I never really felt calling Witsu an Eva was quite right but with the Akuruturuka.... yeah I see it.

- truly we are in the war arc proper now.

- Heh wouldn’t it have been interesting to have the proxies’ subservience kick in instead of having the twins shield Haku. Oh well missed opportunities. IMO it would have worked well with the accelerated timeline the anime needed to achieve.

- what is with the triple takes this episode

- ah haku wasn’t even able to save them gg

- post episode revisiting the VN comments:

they hint at the telepaths, and as I thought the Vurai razing the city wasn’t in the VN. It was a good showpiece and works with Vurai’s characterization, but messes with Haku’s as a cost - the VN suggests that Haku inherently can be ruthless (he suggests scapegoating Moznu for Anju’s kidnapping, which the anime totally skips over), while it looks like the anime is gonna use this mass destruction as the reason for steeling his heart. I can’t say I hate that the writers chose to have the main characters in the fray, but it definitely requires more suspension of disbelief that everyone got out okay compared to the VN.

- Interestingly we don’t see Oshtoru’s mech form at all. I do like the increased bro scenes between Mikazuchi and Oshtoru

Ep 16:

- Yeah we immediately feel the ripples of that last episode changing Haku’s trajectory... its a logical trajectory but... ugh. I’m not sure how I feel about such a contrary Haku. It wasn’t really a thing in the VN? So frustrating augh. Utawarerumono was never a story big on moralizing about war... and the anime writers aren’t doing a great job adding it in.

- I’m 99% sure they pulled some of Ukon’s lines for comforting Haku here from a conversation they had in the VN waaaayyy back around the gigiri fight, making the scene all the more frustrating. The concepts of powerlessness and loss of life is something that Haku had been introduced to the moment he woke up and had already been working on dealing with. I can’t say its an invalid take that he’d be shook over mass destruction (I mean, most people would) but it’s a sharp deviation from the VN.

- Oh wow they’re totally gonna retool the banquet to deal with haku’s trauma instead of him dealing with his memories of being the LAST OF HIS KIND aren’t they.

- yeah they did

- oh god don’t say the word seduce haku, rulu’s gonna die from blood loss

- lol i don’t remember the twins being tied up

- rulu is dead

- and now haku is dead too. I think only Ougi and Yakutowaruto escaped unscathed.

- this did give me the bro bonding that I had been missing in the show thus far. Not enough drinking scenes! like literally the VN is literally just baths and booze between the action lol

Ep 17:

- ah finally the flashback episode. lol all the crunchyroll comments are like “watch the first season”.

- haku calling his new buddies family... oof mito’s knowing gaze makes it all the much sadder

- Haku:”did you need to go that far” Mito: “lemme do it again with Tuskuru”

- hah “reposition your camera” nice, easy way to not show his face

- heh stares at your sister-in-law’s butt, that’s actually a pretty subtle hint without adapting any of the monologue from the VN that he kinda had feelings for her

- damn this is probably the most complete vision of the future we get in any medium

- hey to be fair the ameterasu blast was mutsumi and not exactly a product of mankind fighting each other - but it does go to show just how little Mito knew about what was actually going down

- to continue with my frustration, we see that haku is called out by his bro that he has a habit of “conceal don’t feel” so it makes his emo bit last episode even more jarring - though in hindsight I guess his depression comes less out of the blue for his friends now - its just that the reason is misattributed

- oof “make up for lost time”

- ooh I like the final scene with Woshis as the delegate to Tuskuru. The VN did fine without it but man what a cliffie for those watching the first time.

Ep 18:

- oof we’re not going to have any shinonon/kiwru antics are we

- man I can’t wait to see Benawi - he was my favorite chara in Uta1 after Touka

- wow they really did just ignore the fact that Kiwru is the prince of Ennakamuy and cut him out of the party

- dugh never mind I don’t like ougi’s open eyes here

- speaking of ougi they totally glossed over his role as reconnaissance

- and have they even mentioned that nosuri is trying to retake their clan’s name?

- cocopo still best bird

Ep 19:

- of course you’ll be sweaty haku, boro boro only wears that brown undershirt in tuskur smh

- i love how all of the dads we see dote on their daughters so much

- of course only now do they mention the fact that atuy and haku are drinking buddies and we just have to take it at face value

- actually seeing those sailor uniforms in action make atuy’s regret that much funnier, the stills don’t quite do it justice (though really, it’s the sound effects carrying the team)

- lol the background soyankekur antics are great

- cocopooooo noooo damn this romance with mukkur is great

Ep 20:

- huhu woshis was allowed down to the underground garden huh

- benawiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

- dang they didn’t use the hot air balloon ;-; so disappointing like if they do it this way they won’t even get to retake the supplies ;-;

- i guess its a good way to hint at kuon’s identity

- something is wrong with kurou’s face

- also where the fuck is nosuri - i know kiwru is a lost cause for this show but nosuri too? they really are trying to wipe out the tactics seen in the VN

- i do think the line about kurou’s line to kuon about “ripping the country in half” is nice - can’t remember if it was in the VN but at this point most of the good lines seem to be coming out of the VN

- ugh the twins are such a cop out, still think they should have went with the hot air balloon strategy

- we hardly knew ye mito

Ep 21:

- dang I’m pleasantly surprised by these CG soldiers

- bye bye munechika, still salty you can’t turn into a mech

- oof “I’m sure my mom was someone like you” this show lives and breathes on dramatic irony

- bye bye anju, what was the point of actually having oshtoru there when the tea was delivered? makes him seem more incompetent than he is, though entua was nowhere to be seen - imo for the best

- oshtoru, an honorable man through and through, giving up your mask, lowkey too honorable for your own good

- okay one of my favorite things is how regularly dekopompo is ignored during the generals’ council meetings; overlapping voices isn’t really a thing in the VNs due to its nature as a written medium first and foremost

- oh interesting Oshtoru’s men are coming to defend him that’s new

- oh no torture time ;-;

- post episode VN notes: ugh they also dropped the Woshis power grab of locking Dekopompo and Raiko outside of the gates

Ep 22:

- Yes go be a dad Yakuto and stop Nekone from doing stupid shit please oh please oh please

- Man they are seriously retooling oshtoru’s downfall aren’t they - wish it didn’t come off so crudely planned. Like, y’all know Oshtoru is loved by the people, did the generals not think some sort of rioting would happen if you let that info go public? Granted the original plot of having Entua sneak the info out is pretty contrived... but at least it better preserves the perceived competency of the generals by forcing a smaller timeframe in which everything goes down.

- man people watching this will be so confused next season when they realize Kiwru is a prince

- wut Kuon you should know you probably won’t be able to get info to the princesses once y’all leave. Good that Shinonon is going on ahead to Ennakamuy though.

- eh are they’re gonna try leaving by sea this time? even though Ennakamuy is in the mountains?

- secret tunnel ~ ♫

- aw no Evenkuruga reveal for Nosuri and Ougi. Though, I guess the anime never established that their base was in the Hakuorokaku basement...

- you know, since they just generalized the jamming barrier it’s kinda nice to see that the gang had to sneak in the hard way. IMO that’s one of the “game design justifies the plot” moments - the VN tries to keep everyone together so you can have all your unit options when fighting, but let’s be honest smaller strike teams work at times.

- oh hi Honoka, you’re not arrested here? guess not.

- oh god have they been translating Atuy’s “onii-san”s as “mister” this whole time? I can’t say that “love” was a better translation but that’s just tragic

- I wish we got more hints that haku actually has been doing some training (aka the SRPG parts of the game) rather than these random moments of competency and knocking out the guards.

- good god oshtoru your honorableness is gonna be the death of you. how can you trust Vurai. Seriously idk how it’s gonna turn out here, but Vurai literally wants to see Anju dead in the VN.

- ok i lie splitting the party was a terrible idea. they are taking way too long to convince oshtoru to take a stand. these men are way too stubborn. jk its fine

- whelp there goes the boat

- aw yeh Yakutowaruto lets go

Ep 23:

- Yakutowaruto continues to be a badass

- ugh and of course Oshtoru gets hurt, and he’s not gonna tell anyone

- ok I’m enjoying how acrobatic these twins are

- the plot change ripples continue to be seen; there’s no distractions at the gates since dekopompo is inside the gates. Raiko’s strategy stuff does make for good tension tho.

- ugh the fact that Soyankekuru is in the capital is gonna complicate things. The moment Atuy is seen to defect he’s screwed. That’s gonna change the timeframe of things second half.

- lol Kuon god powers time, hope there weren’t too many casualties. Poor Nosuri now has two sacks of people to deal with...

- ok I feel like I’m seeing more poor art quality this episode

- wow it seems that everyone’s on board for some arson today

- bruh don’t take him through the sewers Oshtoru’s wound’s gonna get infected

- oh god who thought it was a good idea to give Rulu a blade.

- Cocopo best bird. Period. MVP.

- Soyankekuru, what a guy.

Ep 24:

- ooh mech fight in the city? oh nvm its just a sword fight. a sword fight between two beasts. thank god vurai ain’t that dumb

- wait they said there was a barrier in the palace, but i don’t think there was a barrier for the outer walls? why the frick didn’t the twins just teleport out for the last bit? they were pretty close to the gates... unless they needed the gates open anyways?

- vurai? not dumb? scratch that, good god do y’all not care about the safety of the people? guess not cuz it’s MECH FIGHT TIME (ok, if we’re honest oshtoru’s the one who initiated so yes he’s equally dumb)

- water vs fire, groudon vs kyogre, this is what animation is all about YASSS

- the twins’ shield is too OP

- haku please stop indulging Nekone

- will the twins actually be able to seal Vurai? they were kind of trash at doing their job in the VN (though they did have the good excuse of being exhausted for this particular instance)

- ok that nekone running sequence is jank

- damn haku blocked that punch? oh no he’s on fire

- looking like nekone’s “it was my fault” is gonna be part of a cascade of setbacks rather than the final blow. I’m kinda glad - the VN’s take was probably the most exasperating part of the whole story - gutwrenching but also made me want to punch her. I’m up for arguing whether or not taking that away was a good thing

- oh no the salt. no. how could you put it at the post-credits scene.

- vurai’s confirmed dead? that could be a problem next season.

Ep 25:

- dang what an opener giving us no info just kuon looking sad. we had emo haku now get ready for emo kuon i guess

- nuedori is probably my favorite song after kimi ga tame, such a good song to overlay the time skip over

- man anime viewers must be so confused. like they saw Haku and Oshtoru get out of town but only Oshtoru show up. man this is so effed up.

- no not the fan noooo augh  brokoro in the kokoro

- sad nekone really sells it doesn’t it

- dang I knew Ennakamuy was surrounded by mountains but I guess the anime went and interpreted that as a CRATER

- at least kuon didn’t leave until later in the night?

-i know the twins did a spell in the VN as well but seeing the visual change between haku and oshtoru is a bit silly

- what’s with the flower field that’s so cheesy

- i can see why someone said laughed rather than cried during this particular use of kimi ga tame - the alternating shots to his saltification is just silly, there’s so many prettier shots for showing people dissolving - like the VN gave you a very serviceable “standing on a cliff as the sun rises and you fade into dust” why didn’t you take it

- side note in the VN i was imagining it something like this scene from CCS but different lighting (sorry I could only find the english dub on short notice, timestamp at 1:13:24):

- also how could you get everyone off model during such an important part

- you know what I’m just gonna pretend that there was some really bad production crunch so they had to do a rush job smh

- i do like this orchestration tho

- oh god the cheese never ends, now it’s raining

- that said it’s not terrible, but definitely missing something compared to the VN

- haha with some of your decisions next season you might just end up in Denebokshir Haku. jk we all know how it ends

- boro boro ;-; yes go hug your kid she needs all the comfort she can get

[izanyas]

Not Justice (3)

There it is, chapter 3... hardest thing I’ve ever made myself give birth to. Please give me any sort of support if you like the story. Rated M, warnings: somewhat graphic descriptions of anxiety/panic and other symptoms of PTSD.

Not Justice Chapter 3

The phone rang for a long time in Izaya's ear. Like an extension of the buzz in his head, the flat note in the receiver felt like a headache made into sound. His temple was starting to throb but his eyes never left the screen of his laptop. The light was already dimming as it settled into sleep mode; he managed to read Mizuchi Yahiro's words again before they left.

I have a few questions to ask you.

Then Namie picked up. And Izaya wasn't as ready as he had thought, because the mere sound of her strained breathing was enough to make bile rise up to his throat and linger, bitter, painful.

"Yes," she said.

He couldn't answer.

It wasn't that his mouth couldn't open or that his tongue was dry. He made no move to reach for the glass of fresh water that Sozoro had helpfully set atop the windowsill. It glinted in the sunlight, getting warmer by the second no doubt—and Izaya looked at the rest of the room to his right and met the old butler's clever eyes, and for the first time since he had met him, he felt apprehension.

"Leave," he said curtly. He only realized his mistake when he heard Namie breathe in harshly in his ear—he had forgotten to mask his voice from her.

"I don't think I will," Sozoro said pleasantly.

Izaya clenched his teeth and pulled the phone away from his ear. "If you don't leave—"

He stopped, because he could hear Namie's voice talking loudly but unintelligibly, and he put the phone back to his head by reflex.

"I swear to God if this is is an accidental call—"

"It's not," he growled before he could stop himself, and she fell silent immediately, with another gasp. "Give me a second, God damn it."

But he didn't turn back to Sozoro after that. He listened to the sound of her breathing and gripped the arm of his chair until his knuckles turned bone-white. His breath was caught in a vice and he knew that once he released it it wouldn't come out without a whistle or a wheeze.

Namie would hear it.

Izaya pressed the screen of his phone against his knee and exhaled loudly, hoping that by some miracle he hadn't hung up on her. He didn't think Namie would take a second call if he had.

"All right," he said, placing the phone back against his ear. "We can talk now."

"You took your sweet fucking time," she replied angrily.

And if it had been two years ago he would've laughed at her. If it had been two years ago he would've felt empowered by her lack of composure, but he wasn't two years ago, and he was still reeling from how precisely he could hear her in spite of the disembodied coldness of static and distance.

He hadn't realized how starved he was for that.

"I'm—"

He stopped.

Namie waited for a moment. Then she barked, "What?"

"Nothing."

"Izaya," and that was something else again, the sound of her calling his name like this. He hadn't been able to recall it to perfection. "Did you call me after all this time for nothing?"

"No." He blinked. "I called you because…"

He couldn't remember. For a while he blinked at the laptop on his knees without knowing why it was there or what he was supposed to do with it. His breath was coming fast and shallow, and from the corner of his vision he saw the way Sozoro hovered, the way his hand toyed with the opening of the pill case where the anxiolytics and antiemetics were. Izaya sucked in a breath and powered his laptop up again.

"You gave someone my contact information," he said. Mizuchi Yahiro. That was why he had called. "You gave my info to someone from Ikebukuro."

Namie didn't answer. He could still hear her breathe, and she sounded pacified now. Somehow the thought was enough drag anger out from the floating remnants of his focus.

"I told you not to talk to anyone about me, especially from Ikebukuro," he finished, and he knew he sounded cold.

"Well, I did," she said. Unbothered.

Izaya drummed on the arm of his chair with the pads of his fingers. It was better than clenching them into a fist. "Who are they?"

"No idea."

"What?"

"I have no idea who this guy is," she continued with satisfaction on her voice thick as syrup. "He emailed me yesterday. Got my address from your sisters, apparently."

Izaya didn't say anything in answer. He read over Mizuchi's message again and tried to forget what Namie had just said even though his mind wanted nothing more than to settle on her voice and grab. It was hard to pinpoint anything specific out of the ridiculously polite message except maybe for age. Mizuchi did sound like someone who could be his sisters' age.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I did it?" Namie said.

Izaya finally noticed the lack of noise in the background, as if she had locked herself inside somewhere.

"Didn't you do it just to keep your spot as the number one pain in my ass?"

"I thought that spot belonged to Heiwajima Shizuo."

And Izaya was in the process of chewing on his lip but he bit through the flesh instead and tasted warmth and iron on his tongue. He swallowed.

"Shizuo doesn't belong in this conversation," he said tightly.

"Doesn't he?"

"Do you plan on being my shrink now that you're not my secretary, Namie-san?" Izaya spat out. "Wanna hear all about the disgusting little symptoms?"

"You're being ridiculous—"

"Ah," he cut in. He sat back into his chair and rolled away from the window, pushing on the floor with his toes, biting his lips through the crawling pain from his ankles to his shoulders and the frozen air in his lungs—"So did you miss me, then?"

It was her turn to breathe as if she was spitting blood. For a while he listened to the sound of her anger and felt his own grow in kind, felt as if she was breathing rage right into his skin and into the warm blood in his veins. It traveled through his body and nestled in his belly, hot and inviting.

"You call me," she started, voice trembling with it, "after almost two years. You call me after months of treating me like I'm nothing more than a string of letters on a goddamn computer screen—and all you have to say is insults—"

"Is that the sound of you caring?"

"You shut the fuck up, you creep!" she yelled.

Izaya closed his mouth, and through the distance he knew she had heard the sound of his teeth knocking together.

"I don't give a crap anymore." Her voice had the same quality it did in those last few days before he left—when she was drunk from lack of sleep and split apart between mania and rage. "You're the stupidest person I've ever met in my life and you don't deserve any consideration. From me, or from anyone."

Izaya tried to grab the lukewarm glass on the windowsill; but all he did was push it over the edge and fall wetly onto the carpet. Sozoro walked up to the stain immediately, cloth materializing in his hands.

"So you're betraying me," Izaya said. "Again."

"Yeah," Namie replied shakily. "I am."

"What's your goal, then?" His heart was beating in his throat, and his chest had started aching, his head brimming with pain and nausea running up into his mouth. "What are you trying to achieve? Do you think a kid can do anything to me?"

Namie didn't answer. Izaya took the pills Sozoro gave him wordlessly and swallowed them dry, but he pushed the man's hand away when it tried to take hold of the brake of the wheelchair. He didn't want to lie down even if it would make the attack more bearable. He breathed tightly against the pressure and tried to ignore the taste of bile at the back of his tongue. He hadn't eaten anything worth vomiting.

"Namie," he said.

She took a while to answer. "Yeah."

"I don't get you."

It made her chuckle joylessly. "Fuck you."

Izaya pressed between his eyebrows with the tips of his fingers. The headache didn't abate at all, but he hadn't expected it to. "Who is Mizuchi Yahiro?"

"A friend of your sisters'," she replied automatically, and it felt nicer than anything else had to think that she wasn't rid of this habit yet. As if she was still hunched over her desk on the other side of his Shinjuku apartment. "He says he wants to talk to you about Ikebukuro."

"He says he wants to talk to me about Konotami Kuon," Izaya said. He had to strain to associate a face to the name, and when he did it wasn't Kuon's but his sister Nozomi's that he remembered.

"I don't know who that is."

"You wouldn't," he muttered.

Izaya had never told Namie about those girls. Nozomi, and Saki, and the others. She had to know anyway—she had probably dug into his files when Saki made her move years ago and learned all she could about his 'fanclub'. But Izaya had never been the one to tell her, and she had never mentioned it to him outright.

He had never managed to understand why he had shielded her from them. Why he had thought of Namie's history written stark in her body and her temper and felt the need to keep her away from those girls, away from the truth of what he'd done to them.

It felt a lot like shame, as much as he wanted to deny it.

"Something's happening back there," Namie said.

Izaya closed his eyes. Kanto smelled clearer and nicer than the big city ever did, and every breath felt cleansing and remarkable this high above street level. He thought about smoke and fire and the pain in his chest grew, clawing at his lungs.

"I'm not going back," he answered. He made a fist of his free hand and banged it softly below his throat, between his collarbones. The burning sensation flared but didn't back down. "Ikebukuro has lost all interest to me."

She snorted. "You mean Ikebukuro's lost interest in you."

"Either way," he declared between his teeth, "there's nothing for me to gain by going back." He ignored the mocking hum coming out of Sozoro's throat. "No secrets left for me to play with."

"Now you're just fooling yourself."

"None that I'm interested in," he continued, cutting her. "We've had this conversation."

She stayed silent for a moment. And then she said, "No, we haven't."

"Namie—"

"We've never had this conversation because you've avoided conversation with me for twenty fucking months," she continued hotly. "You don't want to come back there and face the consequences of what you did to yourself, fine. I get it. But don't lie to me."

"Izaya," Sozoro said, soft and uncaring.

Izaya must look terrible. His head felt dizzy and his face cold, but his hands were sweating and the ache in his chest wasn't gone despite the drugs, and now his belly was shaking, or spasming softly, with every beat of his heart. He swallowed. "You don't know anything."

"Don't I?" Namie replied. "Can you honestly tell me that you're feeling peachy right this second?"

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Don't act like you care."

He heard her take a breath and hoped for a wild second that she would deny him, that she would say, But I do care. But all Namie did was shake over her own end of the line and breathe, and though the sound of it was loud in his ear, it meant nothing at all. She was breathing, thousands and thousands of miles away. That was all.

"I am peachy," Izaya said. "And I'm not going back to Tokyo."

Namie didn't say anything.

Izaya grabbed the controls of his chair with a trembling hand and wheeled himself away from the window. Sozoro watched him like a hawk from his rigid stance near the opening of the kitchen. Izaya felt the man's amusement on the back of his neck when he strained to reach the coffee machine and cups.

And then, though he knew he shouldn't, he said, "I'm not the one who moved an entire continent away from home."

She exhaled harshly. He heard the sound of something rustling—sheets on a bed, maybe, it was late in the night on her side of the world—and then a chair scraping against wooden floor and the unmistakable tone of a computer booting up. There was a loud noise, as if she had dropped her phone on a table or a desk, and she started typing.

The silence stretched for more than a minute. Izaya's coffee was done. He was drinking it with distaste but in hope of his headache abating somewhat.

Finally, she grabbed her phone again. "Are you still here?"

"Yes," he said immediately.

She hesitated for a second.

"In the last few months, and from what I could glean over the quickest search, at least three inexplicable events took place in Ikebukuro."

Izaya pressed his fingers tighter around the cup of coffee, until the ceramic burned against his skin and turned it red.

"People disappeared en masse and then came back," Namie continued without waiting for him to speak. "Then there were assaults—a guy dressed like an owl, like a character from some stupid movie, started hitting people across the head with a hammer. But the attacks stopped a couple weeks ago with no explanation. There's speculation that it was actually several people. Apparently one of them was sent flying by Heiwajima Shizuo."

"I'm not interested," Izaya said.

"But you don't even know the best yet," Namie replied coldly.

She typed again, louder and faster. She must've put him on speaker, for him to hear her move so clearly.

"Every website is talking about a new monster," she said. "Calling it Snake Hands, a new urban legend, comparing it to the the Black Rider. Some say it's her sibling or her boyfriend."

And Izaya couldn't help the soft laugh that came out at this, no matter how painful it felt coming out. He bit his lips immediately after. "We both know that spot's taken. Probably a hoax."

"There's a video." She must have opened it, because he heard unintelligible static and something like the murmur of a group of people that must have been shouts in reality. "It's blurry but there's—" And then Izaya almost threw away his phone because someone—something—was screaming an ice-cold, broken kind of wail, and his heart jumped in his chest and his back hunched over as if he had been punched in the plexus.

His phone fell out of his fingers and onto his lap, almost slid down from his legs and clattered onto the floor. Sozoro caught it with a flick of his hand and a sneer.

Izaya breathed in short gasps through the iciness in his bones. His arms were shaking.

"I'm going to hang up now," Sozoro said dispassionately. It took Izaya a second more to notice that he was speaking to Namie.

"No," he replied. His own voice sounded very away from himself. "Give me the phone."

Sozoro looked like he wanted to argue; but either he disliked Izaya enough to want to see him fall into full-blown panic or he just didn't care, because he gave the device back, and Izaya almost let it fall again through his damp fingers. He breathed in deeply and clenched all the muscles in his arm and his hand until he was sure of his grip.

"My apologies," he said when he stuck the phone back against his ear.

"You all right?" Namie asked.

His mouth was dry. He made himself swallow and exhale before saying, "I just got surprised."

Two years ago she would've laughed at him. He didn't know if he liked her silence any better.

Izaya cleared his throat. "So what was that?"

"Right," she said. And then again, in a firmer voie, "Right." She didn't comment on him showing curiosity and simply moved again, the sound clear against his ear like no international call should be. "It's blurry. But it looks human. It's going around beating every single person there into a pulp."

"What does it look like?" Izaya asked, because it was better than lingering on how cold he felt.

"Look for yourself. I just sent you the video."

He had a new message in his inbox and his phone buzzed loudly against the side of his face.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Sozoro called from his side of the room, and in Izaya's ear, Namie bristled.

"Is that your new assistant? Because I didn't think you'd settle for such incompetence—"

"Sozoro is every bit the gentleman," Izaya replied, and the smile curling the corner of his lips was genuine this time. "Everything he does he does with perfection in mind. I've never had such brilliant service in my life."

She was silent, but for the first time in months it wasn't hard to summon her face in his mind and how her lips thinned and whitened when she was disappointed. Izaya laughed.

"Oh, don't be so angry. He's only indulging me until he has a good enough chance to kill me and get away with it."

"I despise him," Sozoro confirmed. "But I like it better when he can move around by himself and I don't have to carry him around because he was foolish enough to put himself into shock."

"I'll be fine," Izaya said. He turned off the sound of his laptop and opened the video, and if the lowest of his back was slick with cold sweat he was the only one to notice or care.

The monster on the screen was but a black blur in the distance, surrounded by the same shadows that Celty always had. But Celty was nowhere to be seen. The thing screamed its awful scream atop an old rundown building and jumped straight from the roof, and then, the camera started shaking.

It wasn't enough that Izaya couldn't see details. The thing had a head, and a human-shaped body, but all of it was black, as if it was sucking out every light—it was the way Celty's body looked at night in the city, the way the Coiste Bodhar looked when you'd expect it to gleam. This monster was like this all over. It flew from one person to the next and took each down with ruthless strikes—violently enough that Izaya saw blood fly into the air and heard bones snap cleanly; and then it stood in front of whoever was holding the camera and looked straight at it with wide, cold eyes. The entire thing only lasted forty seconds.

It wasn't anything like Shizuo. It aimed to kill and cut and take down where Shizuo only ever cared to punch and throw. Izaya watched it again twice, and when he paused onto the beast's eyes again he thought he saw fear in them rather than rage.

He exhaled slowly. There was a phantom ache in his arms, not enough to hurt, but just enough to remind him of the possibility of pain.

Izaya held his phone up once more. "What is this?"

"I have no idea," Namie replied.

"Oh, come on," he said. He rubbed his forehead. "You have more contact with Ikebukuro than I do."

"Do you really think your sisters kept talking to me after you left?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"How can you be this stupid?" Namie spat at him. If he'd been with her physically, he had no doubt that she really would have spat in his face. "You know the only reason they ever bothered with me was because of you."

He chuckled hollowly. "They don't care about me. Which is good, because I don't care about them either."

"Right," Namie said with disgust on her voice. "Keep telling yourself that."

Her ignored her tone and her words. "Well. While this is amusing, I still have no intention of doing anything about it."

"You're not curious at all."

"Curiosity is one thing," he answered truthfully. "Interest is another."

There was nothing waiting for him in Ikebukuro. Kine would've contacted him if anything arose that would put Izaya at risk, and Izaya hadn't heard of Kine since the man took him to a disgusting back-alley clinic outside of Tokyo and held him down as the surgeon ripped Varona's knife out of his ribs. That had paid the last of Kine's debt to him. The man had made himself scarce since then, and even Manami had only stuck around long enough to make sure that Izaya would live.

Haruna was back with her father. Saki carefully kept herself out of caring distance, with Masaomi's help. Shiki would have found proof of what he did to Akane a long time ago and put an end to any personal inclination he felt toward him as a result.

Shinra was too complicated to even start thinking about.

"Never mind how much of my clientele I must've lost," he spoke again, voice even, "I'm just not willing to risk my life for the pleasure of getting my hands on yet another piece of the supernatural. There's plenty of that to go around."

"I'm sure," Namie said. She sounded bitter now.

"Some of the people there would kill me on sight. You know that."

"They say Heiwajima's softened up."

Izaya's grip on his phone tightened. "Shizu-chan could be spending his days petting kittens and I'd still refuse to get within a hundred mile of him," he declared.

It was more than he had wished to say. Namie welcomed his words with heavy silence, long enough for Izaya to compose himself again.

"I'm—" sorry, he almost said again. He shuddered. "I don't know what you're trying to prove with all this. Even if I went back, it's not like you would be around to see it—whatever you're trying to achieve."

Namie took a while to answer. "What if I was?"

He stopped tapping his fingers against the controls of his chair.

"I could come back," she continued hurriedly. "Nothing especially interesting's happening here."

"Your brother is there," he replied, baffled.

She exhaled harshly. "He'll survive."

Will you? he wanted to ask. But it was a more important use of his diseased brain to make sense of her words and her commitment—that she would be willing to put an entire ocean between herself and Yagiri Seiji just to see him again.

"Did you miss me?" he asked. His heart was beating hard in his throat and he felt light-headed.

Hope felt weirdly like nausea.

She didn't immediately answer. In the few seconds it took her to speak Izaya's mind went through a loop, from hope to misery and back to hope again, because Namie lied like she was born with dishonestly on her tongue. She never hesitated. Lies came to her quicker than the truth.

"I miss feeling like I matter," she finally admitted. He had never heard her sound so miserable.

Izaya lifted his laptop up from his thighs just long enough to cross one knee above the other. The pain the movement caused grounded him, made him aware again of the ache in his back and the tingling along his arms. It made his computer's screen come alive and Mizuchi Yahiro's name flash before his eyes. From the other side of the room Sozoro's eyes were fixed on him, heavy with malice.

"I can't go back," he said at last. His throat felt tight, felt painful. "I'm sorry."

He knew what she had meant. He knew what she missed from him because he missed the same thing from her. But it wasn't enough. Namie could crumble all she wanted under the weight of her own loneliness, could offer him the first inch of the light year he truly wanted—it wasn't enough. Nothing was.

"Whatever," she breathed. "Fuck you."

"Yeah," he said softly.

She stayed silent for so long then that he thought she must have hung up. If it weren't for the lull of her breaths and the occasionally crack of static indicating background noises he would have cut the call short as well. It was already going to cost them both a fortune.

But then—"I'm not giving up," she said.

"On what?" he replied tiredly.

"Anything. And especially not your ungrateful self."

"Drop it, Namie." He felt exhausted now, all through his body. "You're just being pathetic."

"I'd be more pathetic if I let the person who held me hostage for years slowly die just because he can't face his own mistakes," she hissed.

"You're free now," he snapped back.

"You should be grateful that I'm willing to even give you this much attention."

Just because she was right didn't stop him from clenching his jaw until his ears rang and blood flooded his face hotly. "Get lost," he growled.

His thumb hit the end call button before he let himself think about it.

He kept breathing hard for a while after that. Sozoro moved, stepping smoothly around the chair so that he could pick up the empty cup of coffee that Izaya hadn't realized he had dropped. Izaya pressed a weak hand against the side of the half-wall cutting the kitchen from the living-room and pushed himself away from it. He wheeled the chair back to the window manually and silently dropped his laptop on the coffee table there.

The screen lit up when he did. Namie had sent him another email. He opened it despite himself; all it contained was a link to a website called IkeNEW!.

Sozoro watched above his shoulder when he clicked it. "That was enlightening," he said. He sounded strained between amused and disgusted as always.

"How so?" Izaya replied evenly.

Sozoro chuckled. Izaya turned his head to look at him.

"I never thought you of all people would have a friend," Sozoro murmured. His eyes were gleaming unpleasantly.

--

Shiki could count the people he considered friends on one hand and still have fingers left. Even the very few who made it to that list were more partners and trusted colleagues than people he spent time being friendly with.

Aozaki used to joke that Shiki was married to the job. In truth, Shiki was not only married to the job, he was friends with it too.

So when Kine disappeared on the day they were supposed to go drinking together, Shiki didn't stop at asking Dougen and Mikiya for their help in finding him. He also summoned Celty Sturluson to meet him a few streets away from Raira Academy.

She came silent and regal and shrouded in absolute darkness. None of the golden sunset light touched her or her steed no matter how she moved. It was like watching pure blackness ride across the empty streets, and Shiki found himself distracted by the sight for a moment. He had only ever seen her in the quiet of his office or deep in the night—in places where light was scarce and danger was plenty.

"I need you to help me find someone," he said before she could even take out her phone to greet him.

She nodded her helmet slowly, and he felt a pang of regret. He rubbed a hand over his face as he sighed.

"I apologize," he muttered. "Today has been stressful."

She tapped his elbow lightly and held her phone up for him to read. It's nothing.

"Thank you."

He liked it better when she wasn't wearing the helmet, but he didn't comment on it. They were out for everyone to see, even if the alley itself was deserted, all students from the high school long gone home from classes and clubs. It made sense that she would prefer to hide herself.

Shiki took a cigarette out of the golden box in his pocket and lit it. For half a second the sun reflected off the metal surface and blinded him, making him cough around his inhale. "Do you know a man named Kine?" he asked when the itch had gone from his lungs.

She hesitated visibly. When she typed again it was for too long for the answer to be a simple yes or no.

It didn't surprise him.

I don't know him directly, she told him. But I'm pretty sure I've heard Shinra and Shizuo say his name.

And though it pained him to ask, Shiki said, "Not from Orihara?"

She shook her helmet.

"Well." He sucked in the sweet tobacco smoke and felt his head swim. "Kine's gone missing."

She flailed. Not that I don't want to help, but I really wouldn't know where to start looking—

"You did fine with me and those girls, didn't you?" he cut in with a smile.

It wasn't the same, she replied. I had help then. And you didn't even need me to free yourself from these people.

"They weren't very good."

It had been ridiculously easy to not only free himself of his chains but also control his subordinate—and even the child with green hair who had been taken with them. Though Shiki couldn't shake the feeling that he would be seeing more of the kid in the future, in the end, his presence hadn't made a difference. Good or bad.

Whoever had taken Kine was better. First of all because there weren't any clues or leads like there had been with the cult months ago. Second of all, because Kine had been gone for at least fifteen hours, and had yet to resurface.

Either he was dead or his kidnappers were extraordinarily good at their job.

"We've all let ourselves become soft," he groaned. He flicked the ashes off the tip of his cigarette and leaned heavily against the wall. "This city's been so tame for so long, we forgot how to prepare ourselves for it."

Celty raised her phone again. I wouldn't have taken you for the superstitious type.

"You'd be surprised."

He thought she might have smiled, then.

The last few days' news came to his mind again, and he sobered right out of mirth. "Kine's not the only one," he said in a low voice. "People have started disappearing again." Celty made as if to type frantically again, so he gently swept her hand away from her phone. "Not your fault. It could just be a coincidence. It's not that many people, and they're not especially remarkable, it's just that there's been more of them than usual lately."

Her shoulders dropped slowly. Do you think they're connected?

"I don't know," he admitted. "There's nothing to link them that I can think of. No obsession with urban legends or zombie movies. Maybe I'm getting senile, but I find them suspiciously unconnected, though."

Celty leaned against the wall next to him. Her body was neither cold nor hot against his. It didn't feel like it had a temperature at all.

She typed slowly, so that he could read along as she did if he turned his head to the side. I feel like I'm living a repeat performance. A new urban legend, a new gang, a new serial attacker.

"Feels like someone's playing with us," Shiki agreed somberly.

I know not all of it is connected. He shot her a sharp glance, but she shook her helmet again. I won't say more than this.

It made something tighten in his chest. Celty had access to a certain amount of intelligence, but it was a professional hazard rather than a profession, and not all of it was for sale. Rarely any of it was for sale.

"This is what we're missing," he said. He let the stub of cigarette fall to the dusty ground and crushed it beneath the sole of his shoe harshly. "A proper information network."

Did no one take over after Izaya left?

He tried not to envy the ease with which she said his name. He shook his head and looked up to the empty black room behind her visor, where her eyes should be. "There are informants. It takes two of them to do the work he provided for Awakusu on his own, though."

He was a jerk, she wrote back.

It ripped a chuckle out of him. His mouth tasted sour. "Maybe. But he was good at his job. Or at least he favored our group enough to be."

Celty shrugged uncaringly. Shiki watched her walk back to her bike; the thing let out a soft sound, almost inaudible, like the neigh of a horse.

"I'll send you a picture of Kine and some more information," he called. She raised a thumb in his direction. "I'm not asking you to find him yourself, but any info you can get me would be helpful."

She straddled the pitch-black bike and took out her phone once more, tapping the screen quickly with gloved fingertips. When she was done she threw it at him. I'm no Izaya, but I'll ask around, she had written.

"Thanks," he said, throwing the phone back to her. And, before she could leave: "Do you think he's alive?"

She paused at the mouth of the alley.

"Orihara," he clarified.

Shiki knew she had no eyes. No eyes, no mouth, no head. Still when she turned around he felt as if he was being looked at the way only Akabayashi could do—one eye closed and the other full of insufferable insight. He straightened his back and ignored the grey dust at his hip from leaning against a dirty alley wall like a common thug. Inside the pockets of his white suit jacket, his hands turned into fists.

She didn't say anything. She bowed her head quickly in an unmistakeable nod, and then she leaned over her bike and took off quicker than Shiki could follow.

All the air rushed out of his lungs. The empty alley echoed his exhale; for a second it sounded to him like the city itself was sighing.

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[osakaso5]

La Danse Macabre

Episode 21: An Awakening

Chapter Index

Arme, the Celestial, went missing, and a month passed.

Libel disappeared along with him, causing great confusion in the ranks of Rebellion.

Libel firmly embodied all Rebellion's ideals, and knowledge of his disappearance spread quickly across the Surface.

Rebellion now found themselves under attack by hostile forces, which saw their absent leader as a window of opportunity.

Cura: Aaargh!

Cuga: I'm so damn tired! Why does every gang out there have to start picking fights all of a sudden!?

Rebellion Fighter: It's a mess... And plenty of them are coming after us, too.

Rebellion Fighter: Outside of that, there's also the fact that Kokujohyako's going around trying to destroy the Ark's bases on the Surface...

Cura: True... They're probably why the Unity Order's got their guns blazing down here all the time now.

Cura: And as you'd expect, we're even seeing completely new folks join in on all the fighting now...

Rebellion Fighter: Now's the time for us to remain strong.

Cura: I never knew how big of a deal our leader was around here.

Cura: Aah... Where'd you run off to, Libel?

Rebellion Fighter: We know where exactly he disappeared, but...

Fuga: I'm going on patrol.

Cura: Sure, take care. Hmm... no, wait, Fuga.

Fuga: What is it?

Cura: Are you sure you're good to go? Your face is still looking pale as ever.

Cura: Do your injuries still hurt?

Fuga: No... They've all healed... I don't feel any pain, either.

Cura: Oh, alright... That's good to hear, at least.

Fuga: Aren't you the one who's in bad shape? I heard you were coughing up blood for a little while...

Cura: Oh, right. That. It just went away after a while. I wonder what that was about.

Fuga: ........

Fuga: Cura.

Cura: What?

Fuga: Do you think Libel's still alive?

Cura: Huh? Of course he is.

Cura: As long as there's no body, I don't buy that he's dead.

Cura: Actually, I might not believe it even if they did find one...

Fuga: ...Right. I'm glad you feel the same way...

Cura: Yeah. And obviously, little Arme should be fine, too.

Fuga: ........

Cura: As long as he's with Libel, he must be alive. Don't you agree?

Cura: ...Wait, Fuga? Huh, looks like he left.

Cura: I wonder if he's really alright...

Rebellion Fighter: He's been acting odd. He still talks to everyone like usual, but... sometimes he gets this dark look in his eyes.

Cura: Hmm... That's worrying.

Rebellion Fighter: Cura! One of the districts Kokujohyako attacked is requesting permission to evacuate to us!

Cura: ...Sure. Transfer them over to me. 

- - - -

Fuga: ...Libel's alive. Cura thinks so, too.

Fuga: That's great...

Fuga: We can't have him dying, after all... 

- - - -

Kokujohyako's Vida, who had previously kept his distance from the Ark, launched a surprise attack and destroyed one the the Ark's Surface bases.

In response, the Unity Order stationed Schau and Leiden on the Surface to deal with the barrage of attacks from resistance groups inspired by Kokujohyako.

Leiden: How are things on your end, Schau?

Schau: They just keep coming... It's actually harder to deal with them when they're not in groups. There's no telling where our main target, Vida, will show up.

Schau: And if we focus too much on following his movements, all the other gangs will come after us... It's so stressful.

Leiden: Right. It's way more people than I expected. I guess they must really hate us down here, huh?

Leiden: I never knew...

Schau: Not like I care if the Surface dwellers don't like me.

Leiden: ...Right.

Schau: Still, I didn't think we'd have this many enemies to deal with. Must be because I had no interest in the Surface.

Schau: It's like turning a stone to find a swarm of insects underneath it.

Leiden: Right...

Schau: What's wrong? You seem lost in thought, unlike usual.

Leiden: Oh... well.

Leiden: ...You're indifferent and I'm dumb. And thinking isn't part of our job description, anyway.

Leiden: All we gotta do is mow them all down. ...It's all we can do to protect our own lives.

Schau: True.

Schau: These are tough times. Even a lazy guy like me will fight for the Ark.

Schau: I guess this is what they call filial piety.

Unity Order Troop: Captain Schau. Please excuse me, but we've received a transmission of interest at the base...

Schau: .......? 

- - - -

Qual: ........

- - - -

Arme: Then... answer me. Qual, have you...

Arme: Have you ever called me by my name, even once?

Qual: Pardon..? 

- - - -

Qual: ........

- - - -

Arme: And I wanted you to become my friend, all those years!

Qual: B-but...

Arme: .......

Qual: N-no..! Celesti--

Qual: ...Ah...

Arme: Hah... haha.

Arme: It's simply not possible,   Qual. The people of the Ark don't even see me as a person.

Qual: .......

Arme: We can never be friends. Not for as long as that remains true. 

- - - -

Qual: ...Aah.

Qual: What have I...

- - - -

Misericorde: Hmm, 'twould seem the Surface is in quite the chaos, but it has yet to begin.

Misercorde: Which means the Celestial yet lives. ...I do wonder where he is.

Misericorde: One might even think his death preferable to these uncertain circumstances.

Eternea: Misericorde... You...

Misericorde: Ah. Worry not, for preparations are proceeding rapidly if that comes to be. I've created quite the specimen.

Misericorde: If we continue to pair it with Qual, as planned, 'twill be much easier...

Eternea: Misericorde!

Misericorde: .......?

Eternea: Is it not time to end this?

Misericorde: What..?

Misercorde: I beg your pardon?

Eternea: I believe our generation should put an end to this... "curse".

Misericorde: Master Eternea...

Misercorde: You do realize that 'tis much too late..?

Eternea: ........

Misericorde: We are beyond the point of stopping. 

- - - -

Libel: ........

Libel: Where am I..?

Libel: ...Where's Arme..?

Libel: Arme! Where are you!?

[Creak]

Konoe: Oh. You're finally awake.

Libel: ........

Konoe: You slept for a whole month. Feeling hungry, are you? Let me cook you up something...

Libel: ...Who are you?

Konoe: Don't worry about me. I'm the one who fished you out of that river.

Konoe: On top of that, I gave you a dose of nutrients every single day. If anything, you should probably thank me for saving your life. Hehehe.

Libel: I see... Well...

Libel: Thanks.

Konoe: You're welcome.

Libel: Uh... I was with Arme...

Libel: I mean, a boy wearing black clothing, who's a little smaller  than me. Have you seen him?

Konoe: ...Can you walk? I want you to come over here for a moment.

Libel: .......?

- - - -

Arme: .......!

Arme: Libel! You're awake! Thank goodness!

Libel: Arme..! You're safe...

Kuon: So you're Libel. It's nice to meet you. And, good morning.

Libel: ...Ah, and you're the people who saved us.

Kuon: No, you saved yourselves. We only helped you do so.

Kuon: You were fated to be saved. It takes a great will to turn the wheels of fate.

Kuon: And only a few people in this world possess a will greater than yours.

Libel: .......?

Arme: Isn't he confusing!?

Konoe: Kuon's got a pretty unique view of the world, that's all. Don't worry, he's a good person.

Arme: I'm already used to him!

Libel: I-I see.

Kuon: I should've introduced myself first. ...I'm Kuon.

Konoe: And I'm Konoe.

Kuon: ...Welcome to the den of the Forgotten.

Kuon: We're below even the Surface. 

To be continued...