#but for now. another kiru. sorry

[wewerebornsextuplets]

NEET science

[corishadowfang]

Find the Vibe Tag

Tagged by @cherrybombfangirlwrites--thanks for the tag!

Rules: Find a section of your WIP that matches the “vibe” of the prompt, then create your own and tag people.

So my vibe to find was: “On purpose. I am going to love you on purpose.”  Which felt really fitting for On my Heart, haha. (Exercept will be under the read more!)

I’ll tag @zmwrites, @siarven, and @moonluringfrost, if any of you guys want to do this! Your vibe to find is: “If you want to do something for me, then live.”

Throwing this under a read more because, uh...it’s a bit long, haha.

The Familiar’s head popped out of a pile of papers.  Its attention snapped to her, eyes wide.

Jackie swallowed as she stared at it.  “Aiden said your name is Kiru.”

The Familiar—Kiru—trilled, slipping out of the papers.  A couple scattered across the floor.

Jackie stared at it, then ran a hand over her face.  “Shit. What am I doing?”

Kiru bounded closer, but stopped, just a couple steps away from her, staring at her leg.

“I lost it in a Familiar attack,” she admitted quietly.  “It wasn’t supposed to be anything serious.  But the people we were after panicked, and one of them activated a Mach Stage.  I didn’t move quickly enough.”  She absently touched her knee.  “They practically tore off my leg at the knee.  I don’t remember much beyond that, aside from waking up in the hospital.”

Kiru tilted its—his, that’s what Aiden uses—head, staring at her with unblinking eyes.

“Are you really intelligent?” Jackie asked.  “Can you really think for yourself?”

Kiru jerked his head, once, in the approximation of a nod.

Jackie’s breath hissed between her teeth.  “Shit,” she hissed, and then again, for emphasis, “Shit.”

Kiru leapt onto the couch beside her.

“This—what am I supposed to do with this?”  She let out a broken laugh.  “Familiars aren’t—they weren’t supposed to be living things.  That makes things so much simpler.  I can be angry.  I can be angry because they hurt me, or because of how they’re made.  But now.”  She shook her head.  “But hell, I guess how they’re made still isn’t ethical.  But what is it supposed to mean if you—?”  She didn’t know how she wanted to finish the question and so just let it die, burying her face in her hands.

Kiru trilled quietly. Something touched her leg.

“Don’t,” she said, jerking away.

Kiru started, drawing his paw back.

Jackie let out a slow breath.  “Sorry,” she said.  “It’s just—it’s still too much.”

Kiru stared, then turned away slowly, tail curling over his paws.

“Why are you up?” Jackie asked.  “Aren’t you supposed to be Aiden’s pacemaker?”

Kiru’s flames flickered higher.

Jackie didn’t know what that was supposed to mean.

Kiru kneaded the couch.  After a few moments he huffed, head snapping to the side.

“Right.  You can’t talk to anyone besides Aiden.”

Kiru nodded.

“Yes or no questions, then.”

Kiru’s head snapped towards her.

“Do you—are you out here because you’re bored?”

Kiru stared at her, and for a moment, Jackie thought he wouldn’t answer, and that maybe she’d been wrong this whole time. But then the Familiar shook his head, slowly.

Something tense uncoiled in Jackie’s chest. “Because Aiden had nightmares?”

Another head shake.

“Because you need to think about things?”

A hesitation, then a slow nod.

“About what Aiden’s doing?”

Kiru hesitated again.  He nodded, then paused, and shook his head.

“About the Mach Five situation?”

Kiru gave a frustrated huff, and repeated the same motions.

“It’s a complicated situation, huh?”

Kiru snorted and nodded.

Jackie glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and almost laughed at herself.  Geez.  I’m talking to a Familiar.  It didn’t felt as strange as she thought it would.

The radio was still playing in her hand. Jackie tilted it towards the Familiar awkwardly.  “Interested in radio shows?”

Kiru tilted his head towards her.

“This one’s alright.  It’s a mystery show.  They go over different cases every night…”

She rambled quietly, explaining concepts about the show and what was going on.  Kiru listened intently, eventually curling up, a safe distance away from her.  The distraction was nice, and something in her mind slowly quieted.

[scoutdolphin]

Round 2: Tamashi vs Ameko!

@taiyuu-high-oct​ 

Tamashi is going to die. Again. For the 50,000,000th time. A cool wind blows by and he sudders, still not used to the Taiyuu gym shorts showing off his scarred legs to the world. “I hope Laccadaisy makes some long gym pants soon....” Tamashi is with the rest of 1B, hanging near the back as they walk to the Sundown Zone. He hears vague discussions about plans of attack  and some loud bickering. Tamashi closes his eyes and sighs, anxiety creeping up his throat. 

“Hey, are you ok?” Tamashi jumps, shaking the thoughts away and finding that Senshi is walking next to him “Are you still anxious?” Tamashi nods slowly, looking down “Hey- I’m sure you’ll do great! We made the cotton candy cookies after all!” Senshi smiles at him, and Tamashi can’t help but smile back. “Th-thank you Senshi-san…” A blush creeps onto Tamashi’s face as Senshi rejoins their conversation with Gakusa and Kiru, trying to stop the two from throwing down then and there. “Why are they so nice to me…”

Laccadaisy’s voice rings out “Welcome first years, to the Sundown Zone!” She turns and throws an arm up to show off the area. The Sundown Zone was a mess of buildings in a city-like landscape. The sheer amount of detail put into it sends waves of excitement over everyone, Tamashi included. As Laccadaisy started to explain the rules, Tamashi couldn't help but zone out, looking at the buildings in anticipation. "And here's who you're fighting!"

"Ah!-" Tamashi jumps as a large screen pops up from the ground, displaying everyone's names brightly. When Tamashi got to his name he froze. "Tokachi-chan…" 

He looked to his left and flinched when he saw Ameko staring right back at him. She sent him a warm smile that he returned, albeit a bit shaky as his blush returned. "Dammit! Get a hold of yourself!" Tamashi shakes his head and looks back to Laccadaisy. 

"Now! Your homeroom teachers will take you to your areas- don't kill each other and have fun!" Laccadaisy beams and waves the kids goodbye, walking off to what Tamashi assumes is a spectators area. 

"Alright 1A! Come with me!"

"Follow me 1B."

Tamashi lets out a nervous sigh and grabs his sleeve tightly, drifting into his anxious thoughts until a warm voice snapped him out of it. 

"Good luck Seisei-chan!" Ameko had walked up to him, smiling.

"Th-thank you Tokachi-chan, good luck t-to you too!" 

------------------

Tamashi and Ameko stand on opposite sides of the field, their view of each other obscured by a tall building in the middle of the field. Tamashi guesses the building has about 5 or 6 floors. The orb wasn’t in plain sight so the two both came to the conclusion that the orb was in the building.

“Ready!”

Tamashi leans down, getting ready to run.

“Set!”

He needs to go as fast as he can, Ameko can outrun him. “Don’t forget to breathe-”

“GO!”

Tamashi sprints as fast as he can towards the building. He can hear Ameko yelling at what he presumes is her classmate. “Codenames? That’s a good idea… even if it’s bondage-san.” As he runs he sees Senshi about to be tackled by Yuu. Swallowing his anxiety he calls out “S-Senshi! Behind you!” Senshi whips around and dives out of the way, sending a quick smile and a thumbs up to Tamashi. He looks back towards the building and is happy to hear that Ameko is still distracted.

Tamashi runs through the wall of the building and takes no time searching for the orb, jumping up through to the next floor when he couldn’t find it. On the third floor Tamashi finally finds the orb, nestled nicely in a cardboard box. Tamashi freezes as he hears Ameko enter the building. “I need to go- now!” Tamashi looks to a window and decides to repeat his entrance exam, but the difference being the window can actually open and it doesn’t make nearly as much noise. And out the window Tamashi goes! He flips and activates his floating which slows down his fall, and pushes him towards his goal. When Tamashi’s feet hit the ground he breaks out into a sprint again.

Looking to his left, Tamashi can see Moya struggling to get the orb from Tsuki. Tamashi slows down for a second and focuses, lifting his arm up and to the right. The orb flies up from Tsuki’s grip and flies towards Moya, who catches it with a cloud, nodding in thanks. Tamashi smiles and plows forward. “Almost there!”

Until Senshi’s voice rings out.

“Seishin behind you!” 

Tamashi turns around to see Ameko going for a tackle. Tamashi holds the orb up high and makes his torso incorporeal, Ameko flying through him. Ameko rolls and goes for another attack, choosing to go for a punch to the stomach this time. Tamashi sidesteps and drops to the ground, leg sweeping out and knocking Ameko off her feet. “Sorry!” Tamashi yells out as he runs to the goal while Ameko gets to her feet. He looks over his shoulder to see her getting ready for another pounce.

But it’s too late. Tamashi is over the finish line. And he drops the orb in shock. “I won? I won!”

Ameko half hopped her way over, only just fully processing what just happened. “Congrats Seisei-chan! I’ll have to try harder next time haha!” She bounced on her feet.

 Tamashi laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck. “Ah well… I don’t think I d-did too well…”

“Nonse-sense!” Ameko stomped her foot in mock-anger “You won! Now let's go get changed!”

“O-okay…”

------------------

Tamashi’s normally light and floating hair is currently flat against his back, wet from the shower. His fringe covers half of his face, making him look like The Grudge. He sits in between Senshi and Ameko, unwrapping a cotton candy cookie from last night and taking a bite. This catches Ameko’s interest, leaning on Tamashi’s shoulder “Hey Seisei-chan, what’s that? It looks good...”

Tamashi jumps in surprise at the contact “Oh! It’s a c-cotton candy cookie, Senshi-san let me help them make some last n-night. They’re really t-tasty...” At the mention of their name, Senshi looks at the two and joins in.

“I’m glad you like them!” Senshi smiles “I had a lot of fun making them with you!”

“Uwah! Senshi-chan you should teach me too!”

“Ah! Sure uh-”

Tamashi smiles as the conversation dwindles into Ameko begging Senshi for cotton candy cookies. 

“Is this what it feels like to have friends?”

“I love it…”

[bunnibai]

Bonus Round 2: it’s about cooking I promise

WHOO BOY I ACTUALLY loved writing this ngl. 

Characters Included by order of appearance: Tokachi Ameko, Gakusa Oh, Ogura Svetlana, Tokachi Shokucho (Ameko’s brother!), Kottoba Kiru

When people thought of Tokachi Ameko and her ideal first day in a new school where she was met with mostly open arms and smiles, they might have ended the day with a big celebration. They might have seen her gathering classes for a community dinner commemorating friendship, where even the most standoffish classmates begrudgingly join the party. 

But, oftentimes, reality is not as idealistic. People are complex, even the ones who seemed to be made of only sugar and bunnies and smiles. 

The rooftop was not made for kids to hang out, but the rail was enough to keep one Tokachi Ameko from falling. Her cooking attempt for the night sat in her lap, still warm, wafting the sweet scent of a honey-glazed meal. Simple, but satisfying to the bunny girl.

The door to the roof swung open, and out sauntered a very familiar boy. Ameko turned around, smirking behind her chopsticks and regarding him with an amused look. 

"Amenee!" Gakutori-nii plopped down beside Ameko, carelessly dangling his feet over the edge and flopping back to lay on the ground. "You really were planning on calling Nishokusan — without your dearest brother. I'm wounded. Scarred. Broken." 

Ameko snorted, shoving a bento of premade food towards him. "I knew you were gonna come, Dummy." 

He let out a soft hum in satisfaction, popping a bite in his mouth. "Where's Lanka?" 

"Behind you." 

Gakutori-nii shrieked, sitting up straight and gripping the railing. Ameko laughed, loud and carefree, enough to fill up the entire island. Lana-chan snorted softly, and her mouth tugged up into a smile. It was much more subtle, but brightened up the trio in the same way. 

"Lana-chan!" Ameko beamed, handing her the final bento box. Lana nodded in appreciation, and took her seat besides her friends — her family. 

Ameko's laptop was a convenient size, a soft robin's egg blue and very up to date. The screen flickered to life, and the camera feed was a dark, comforting room lit by a variety of computer screens and lava lamps. 

"Amecchan. Gakoh-kun. Ogura-chan." Shokucho nodded, leaning his head into his hand and giving the three a small nod. 

"Shoku-nii, guess what!" Ameko clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. 

"Hmm?" 

"There was a — an exercise, today, against classes! And — I won!" Ameko did little jazz hands. 

"Oh? Did you two win, too?" 

Gakutori-nii snorted, splitting into a smug grin. "'Course I did." 

"Chicken Boy lost. Miserably." Lana-chan deadpanned. "Tokachi tackled him out of the ring." 

"Lanka, that's so — you made it sound so lame!" Gakutori-nii squwaked. 

"Kyokkou-sensei was proud we lasted so long," Ameko piped up. “And, besides, now my dear lovely Onii-chan is my slave for next week.” Ameko winked at Gakutori-nii, and stuck her tongue out when he rolled his eyes. “Y’know that — we only have five minutes to get all the way across campus? Well, I won’t be walking, not when Onii-chan can carry me~!”

Shoku raised an eyebrow, taking a bite of his own dinner, made miles and miles away in Ameko’s home. “Is Gakoh-kun strong enough to carry you?” 

Gakutori-nii looked indignant as he snapped, “Of course I am!” 

“Sure you are, Gakusa.” 

All three of them turned around to see one Kottoba Kiru, opening the door to the roof and flashing an amused smile at the trio. On the other side, Ameko’s brother was quiet. 

“Kotto-chan! What’s up?” Ameko asked, scooting over. Kotto-chan plopped down in between her and Gakutori-nii, smirking. 

“I saw James Bond over here makin’ his way up. I didn’t know you were the type to break the rules like this, Tokachi.” 

Ameko hid a smile. “Huh? We aren’t supposed to be up here, Kotto-chan? I had no idea. But — I guess I won’t learn that rule if I’m never caught, huh?” Ameko crossed her legs and took another bite. Kotto-chan, without asking, took a bit and popped it in her mouth. 

“So, Bunny Girl’s got a little bite, eh?” Kotto-chan teased. 

“Oi! Please, you haven’t met Amenee yet.” Gakutori-nii waved his hand dismissively. “She’s evil. A terror, even, tormenting me until my final days.” 

“I think it’s the other way around.” Lana-chan deadpanned, her tail reaching over and smacking him on the back of the head. With the third whine of, “Lanka!” Gakutori-nii brushed her tail aside. 

“So, who’s this?” Kotto-chan nodded to the computer screen, where Shoku-nii was waiting patiently with a muted, interested expression. 

“Ah — this is — well—” Ameko’s face flushed as she tried to find the right words. 

“I’m Amecchan’s brother.” Shoku-nii said softly, nodding. Kotto-chan paused for a second before nodding. “Cool.” 

Cool.

It was barely a reaction; most people wouldn’t have caught it. And maybe that was what warmed Ameko’s heart, and made her breath catch in her throat for a second. 

“Amenee’s brother? Nishokusan, I’m in tears. You don’t even care about me anymore? I see how it is — being thrown to the dogs! Forgotten!” Gakutori-nii put his hand over his head dramatically. “Nothing but a street rat, starved for both food and affection from my dear big brother. Plan my funeral, girls.” 

“I’ll make sure no one comes.” Lana-chan snarked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh — I’m sorry, I’m Amecchan’s brother and Gakoh-kun is the bane of my existence.” Shoku-nii corrected. 

“It’s nice to meet you — Tokachi? Tokachi Two.” 

Shoku-nii choked on his drink, coughing a little and giving Kotto-chan an incredulous look. “Tokachi — Two?”

Kotto-chan nodded, as if it was obvious. 

“...oh Gods, you’re just like Gakoh-kun, aren’t you?” 

Lana-chan nodded, shooting Kotto-chan a look. “Yes, she is.” 

“Well — I’m gonna have to call you Gakoh-kun Two, I hope you know that.” 

There was a quick pause, followed by loud laughter from all parties — minus Lana-chan, of course, who instead watched on with a smirk as she took a sip from the tea she had taken with her. 

“Ouch, maybe I should be learning insults from you.” Kotto-chan threw a thumb towards Gakutori-nii and added, “Being compared to Taiyuu’s official eboy hurts. Am I gonna have to start wearing black now, too?” 

“I don’t wear black!” Gakutori-nii shot back. 

“Not anymore—” Shoku-nii hummed, “—but I remember that grunge phase of yours when you were, what, 13?” 

“Grunge phase?” Kotto-chan leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “You gotta — no fucking way.” 

“Oh, yeah, all three of them.” Shoku-nii shot a glance to Ameko and Lana-chan. “They had a band and everything. Practiced in the garage, Mom had to tell them to keep it down a couple a’ times.” 

“You have to tell me more.” Kotto-chan insisted. 

The little computer meeting lasted for hours — until Kuzu-sensei found the four of them and demanded they be in their rooms in the next five minutes, lest they all get detention for breaking curfew. Ameko’s first meal in the dorms — those bentos she had cooked, meant for three but feeding four in the end — wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t a school wide meal, it hadn’t taken hours to cook. 

But it was maybe the most memorable meal Ameko was going to have at Taiyuu.

[yesyunniechan]

Detective Conan File 992 [Japanese to English Translation]

Fighter's sword slashing;

The blade flies towards... 

The truth that’s hidden?!

TN: Please, please, please don’t kill me for my horrible haiku composition skills. I tried 5-7-5, I TRIED OKAY?!

H: At last... yer time has come!

TN: Literally: 'koko de outa ga hyakunenme' - we meet here for the 100th year’, which means 'your time has come'

O: Yeah... I came to see ya!

TN: Unadaptable stuff. Literally he says 'ai ni kita no no tenmanguu'. Which is 'I came to the Northern Tenmanguu. But this stuff is kaketashikotoba, basically what Englsh 'See you later alligator.' means.

H: C'mon already... or are ya scared?!

O: Ya exposed yer left shoulder and the tip of yer sword is pointing down and away...

[Fights are always so unexpected... Western Swordsmen clash in battle!!]

O: The Ittou Ryoudan posture...

O: Of Yagyu Shinkage school...

O: Well then... Me too...

H: The Hiraseigan posture...

H: Of Tennenrishin-ryu school...

H: The blade is slightly slanted...

H: And the tip of sword is looking at the opponent's left eye...

O: Ya talk too much... 

O: If ya want a fight... Ya've got one!

[Wait!]

S: If I hadn't come, you guys would have started fighting...

S: Let's not disturb the murder scene any further...

S: Besides, if you can solve this murder before the tournament starts...

S: We won't have to cancel it in the first place, right?

T: Is that really okay? Won't Megure-keibu get mad?

S: It's fine! Looks like we only have three suspects...

S: Besides, looks like this tournament might be tied to some romantic matter... <3

T: Err...

R: Excuse me, can I go to the restroom?

R: L-looks like that restroom is unavailable right now...

S: Yeah.... I've heard everything you had to say, Ran-chan...

R: Then excuse me!

R: I want to check...

R: Whether Hattori-kun's competitor...

R: Will be able to advance to the finals...

R: And if Hattori-kun will win, he...

R: Will confess to Kazuha-chan!!

C: So? Did you find this box knife inside the restroom?

T: Not yet...

H: Then it's easy to see who's the criminal...

H: Accordin' to this jii-san, the victim told to somebody by phone...

H: 'Box knife can't cut 'cause of blood, bring me the spare one'...

TN: Katta- naifu ga chii de kirehen kara, kawari wo mottekoi - for your theory needs.

H: So they sliced his throat with the box knife they brought...

H: Which means that somebody still should have the murder weapon!

H: They hid in toilet before police came...

H: So it's somebody of you, people!

S: Well, will you let us check your belongings?

S: We'll start from your shinai bag!

TN: Bamboo sword for kendo, but well shinai bag is less letters, ya know :D

N: Y-yeah...

S: But why do you need shinai bag in the restroom?

N: As those boys...

N: I have a competition tomorrow...

N: So I wanted to train a little after visiting the restroom...

S: So?

F: It had two bamboo kendo swords, but no box knife inside...

F: Ah, but this was found at the bag for tsuba*...

F: Which was at top of shinai bag...

TN: Roundy thingie people put on their sword.

F: This is kind of interesting...

S: Ink?

S: Why do you need this?

N: Well... I'm a referee, so I have a spare one...

N: Once we run out of ink, and I had to run to the shop...

N: This tournament uses classic handle...

N: So at the ranking table we use ink to cross out the names of lost players...

R: Let's see...

R: Hattori-kun's semifinal opponent is...

R: Found! This Namakoshu Kurahiko guy!

M: Oi, Namakoshi, if your leg is cramped, you should not participate...

N: I-It's fine... If I will win two more matches, I will become a champion...

R: Eh?

M: But next is Hattori from Kaihou academy, right?

N: Y-yeah...

M2: But you couldn't beat him even once...

R: L-looks like he's going to the finals...

R: Hm-m, let's see...

R: Okita-kun's opponent is...

R: Aha! He represents Tokyo...

R: ..Wait, what? This guy...

R: Has a name of somebody really strong...

A: I-It's okay to search!

A: My daypack doesn't have a box cutter!!

S: So?

F: The only thing that could be a weapon...

F: Are those small scissors from a sewing set...

S: It'll be hard to cut a person's neck with those...

S: But will you check for the blood reaction, just in case?

F: Ok...

C: Ah-le-le?

C: This chocolate is melting...

H: Rly...

H: Only those near the eage are melting hard...

A: T-those chocolates were in my jacket's inside pocket...

A: They probably got melted because of body temperature...

K: Y-ya can't find Heiji?!

K: Rly?!

M: Yeah... he said he's goin' ta practise and...

M2: We called him, but he doesn't answer...

K: What r ya doing, Heiji? The match will start in 20 minutes!

R: Er-r... Okita-kun's opponent...

R: Is from Tokyo high school...

On: My bad...

R: Ouch...

R: This name...

R: He's Okita-kun's opponent!

On: Are you ok?

R: Ah... Yes...

M: Onimaru-kun! Is it true that you won't participate in the finals?

On: Yeah...

R: Eh? He refused?

On: I've got some urgent matter so that I have to return home sooner...

M: What matter?

On: Tokyo governor...

On: Told that he wanted to grant me the title of an honorary citizen... I'm going home now...

M: O-o! I thought it could only be an elderly person, but that's possible with you, who became a double champion of the whole Japan in such age!

On: Well, with my unexperience... I don't think I'm worthy of that title, so I'm going home to refuse it...

M: What a waste...

On: I will be there in semifinals, don't worry... There's somebody I wanted to clash swords with once...

R: Double champion of whole Japan means that he's the strongest swordsman?..

R: And if that person won't appear in finals even if he will win semifinals, that means...

R: If Hattori-kun will appear...

R: He'll become a champion?!

K: Ah... a message from Ran-chan...

[Congrats <3]

K: ... But Heiji didn't win yet?

M: Iori... What about it?

I: Just as we expected...

M: Then let's watch how my future husband...

M: Will receive the first place prize?

T: I-I had nothing with me...

T: I only have smartphone, wallet, apartment keys, cigarettes and lighter!

S: Looks like you really like taking pictures...

Y: W-well, yeah...

S: But this month is almost over...

S: And you didn't take anything...

S: Previous month, and a month before...

S: You took almost 200 of them...

T: T-that's for me to decide, right?

S: Ah, phone. Can I answer?

S: Hello-hello...

[Hm? Isn't it Tsuneyuki's phone? Ah, maybe you're the one Tsuneyuki found earlier...]

[The one that likes cutters?]

S: Cutter?..

T: T-the yacht! Those big ones!

T: Recently I got into them...

T: And I promised to a friend to take them for a ride...

T: N-not a weapon cutter! This jii-san heard 'box cutter', right?!

TN: Actually it is 'katta-naifu/cutter knife' and at this very moment I'm regretting my decision to take most popular translation of 'box cutter'. But thanks god I didn't name it utility knife.

Y: No...

Y: He said only 'cutter'...

T: Oi-oi...

H: Just 'cutter'?

S: But after all none of them had a box cutter in their possession...

Ta: It wasn't in victim's bag either?

F: Yeah... He only had a wallet, a smartphone, a towel, a magazine and...

F: An empty powdered stomach medicine...

F: And a box that had them in...

N: Nukitani-san did say about stomach ulcer...

F: Looks like some leftovers of this medicine are left around his mouth...

F: Probably his throat was cut right after he took stomach medicine...

C: Eh?

S: But we couldn't find the box cutter...

T: Did you hear any strange sounds inside the restroom? Like, a sound of the box cutter's cutting edge breaking ...

A: Speaking of sound... I heard the repeating sound of something falling outside the restroom...

N: Yeah... that's probably the sound of the armor being thrown away through the restroom's window...

T: I-I heard it too!

T: A-and after that I heard the rasping sound...

N: I also heard it...

A: M-me too!!

S: Well, anyway...

S: The victim held a rank in kendo, but...

S: His throat was sliced with one stroke...

S: The most suspicious one is Norimura-san, who also held a rank...

N: B-but...

O: Nope... he's not the only one...

O: If they appeared before him in such state, he could've thought that's just a high scholar from the tournament...

O: And lower his guard, right?

H: O-Okita?!

H: What the HELL are you doing?!

H: That's an important evidence!!

O: I just got curious...

O: Look, the blood reached even until tare...

O: But it's on on the hakama?

O: Though at the back of hakama there's blood!

O: Don't ya think it's strange?

H: Rly...

O: And I thought that I've seen this ossan somewhere...

O: He's the sub-referee from the quarterfinal!

C: Really?

O: Yeah! One guy was sent flying with my tsuki blow and he a nosebleed...

H: Nosebleed?

(Hanaji)

Y: I also remembered...

Y: The man with a hoarse voice who said 'bring me the spare cutter...'

H: Also spoke kansaiben, just like you...

C: I see...

H: What?!

H: Oi! The victim's wife said she's on her way over here...

H: Because she's bringing some spare clothes?!

F: Y-yeah, sounds like it...

C: So what about those spare clothes?

H: Sorry, Kudo.... this case...

H: Is mine!!

[Only Heiji managed to discover the truth?! Next issue, a stormy ending chapter!!]

Actually... Not only Heiji managed to discover the truth. I discovered it too. So if you want to read my theory, continue reading, if not - RUN LIKE YOU NEVER RAN BEFORE.

...

......

........

You still here? Good. Listen.

The line in Japanese sounds like ‘katta ga chi de kirehen kara, kawari wo mottekoi’. 

Old man thought that he said katta as shortened version of katta naifu, which means box cutter.

But actually the hint with cutter yacht told us, that the cutter can be something different. Why the old man thought of the knife? Because he doesn’t know any cutters and you can use ‘kiru’ with. Kiru means ‘to cut’... So, obviously, when you hear ‘cutter’ and ‘cut’ at the same sentence, you think that obviously he’s speaking about a cutter knife.

But, you know, kiru also has another meaning. Which is ‘to wear’.

Victim’s wife is bringing him spare clothes.

Victim had a nosebleed.

And, finally, cutter in kansaiben means ‘cutter shirt’! Or sports shirt with long sleeves.

And the mystery is clear as day:

‘katta ga chi de kirehen kara, kawari wo mottekoi’

Because of the blood, I can’t wear my cutter shirt, so bring me another one.

And the call was to his wife.

So there’s no box cutter/cutter knife whatsoever, the victim has a nosebleed because Okita is a strong idiot, stained his shirt with blood and asked his wife to bring spare clothes.

Case Closed!

[kaikeidou-backstage-blog]

Kaikeidou Ibun: M.c.s. - Tale of Sea Searching, Part 9

Stage theme: Bohemian Ringleader

 Several minutes pass as Shunkei-san guides us up the staircase in the west corner of the reception hall. We've already gone up 4 or 5 landings, and I'm no longer sure just how high up... well, actually, we're underwater, so I suppose I should say "how deep down" we are?

"Oh, right. Miss Tsukushi, what do you say we have a little idle gossip as we walk?"

"Bwuh-- ...yes, all right."

 Shunkei-san leisurely addresses me as she strides ahead. I'd only been half-listening, as I was preoccupied thinking about how long these stairs are going to go on for, so I wind up squawking awkwardly in reply.

"Were you born around here? Around that town on the shore, I mean?"

"No, my... rather, our family's hometown is somewhere else. Mm-hm..."

 I pause for a moment in my reply, hesitating to give a more detailed explanation.

"Oho? So what brings a young lady such as yourself to a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere?"

"...Do I absolutely have to explain everything?"

 I reply to Shunkei-san's probing curiosity with a look of obvious suspicion. I'm getting the same feeling that I did a while ago... when little Suimei had asked me why I was here. It would already be hard for any old person to tell their life story to a complete stranger, but when it comes to my bac... my family's background... I

"Well, I'm fine with not knowing, personally, but since we have such a good occasion, I figured I should get to know you some more. Also... I think someone here is a lot more interested in you than I am. Isn't she?"

"Huh?"

 On Shunkei-san's suggestion, I turn to look at Tenpyou next to me. She's got her head turned to me as she walks, and her eyes are shining with evident interest.

"......."

 I look at Tenpyou, and think things over for a while. I think back on what sort of person I am, and-- though I realize that my jaw is trembling just slightly-- I take a deep breath, and begin to spea-

"And here we are!"

 Shunkei-san casually interrupts me right as I'm about to start talking. I look up, thusly prompted, and am met with a door just slightly taller than Shunkei-san herself.

 Oh, for-- give me back my determination, darn you! With INTEREST. I'm not even talking annual interest, I'm talking 10% per second. For crying out loud.

........

 Shunkei-san opens the door, and we see what lies inside.

SAY THAT T' MY FACE, WILL YA!

PARTYIN' BEAT S ALL!

FIGHTS AN' FIREWORKS ARE THE FLOWERS OF EDO!

 It's so spacious that for a second, I forget that we're even indoors. More than anything else, the vast space is filled to the brim with excitement. I'd swear I was standing in the middle of a summer festival at a shrine-- a festival conducted, in fact, by the crowd of spectator fairies from before. If I had to say one way or another, it feels more like the Kaikeidou's town thoroughfare than the crowd during my previous battle with Shunkei-san. Shunkei-san, for that matter, is looking out at the festivities without blinking an eye, and Tenpyou is staring at them with a look of exasperation.

"Wow, she's at it again!"

"Big Sis Kyouga is alllways throwing big parties all by herself..."

 Ah. This is normal, then.

"Yeah, Big Sis is basically a total hedonist. Now, I should mention: this room right here? It's the Kaikeidou's Hall of Honoured Guests. It's the room we use during visits from extremely important guests, our Great Mother, and so on."

"...Are you sure it's okay to use the VIP room to throw private parties like this...?"

"Eh, it's not like our Great Mother doesn't know about it..."

 You've got a very generous mother.

"Hm? Tsukushi, what's up?"

 As Tenpyou speaks, I glance around the festive panorama surrounding us. This is where Shunkei-san was guiding us. And it's where Tenpyou and her sisters' "Big Sis" is supposed to be. So where exactly is that Sis?

 Then, as I'm walking around the festivities with Shunkei-san and little Tenpyou...

'Hail and well met, shrine maiden of Awakihara.'

"Uh-- wha--?!"

 My attention snaps back at the sound of the voice from before, seemingly right next to my ear. I whip around as fast as I can, but all that's there is the door we just came through. Nobody to be seen. Confused, I turn back around, an

"GYAH?!"

"Hm~m. You've got such a nice face for a young lass, dear. I can tell you're going to be the most darling belle in your golden years."

 Right as I turn around, I'm met with a pair of deep, black eyes not even an inch away from my nose. The woman staring at me has chalk-white skin, red makeup around the corners of her eyes, and a long shock of disheveled white hair, draped over her back like a cloak. It's a dazzlingly sharp contrast with Shunkei-san's red hair; the two of them almost look like complete opposites. She's got an even more handsome face than Shunkei-san, too. She's like the white lion in a kabuki performance.

"Big Sis Kyouga, would you mind saving the evaluation for later and introducing yourself?"

"Oh, heavens, I do apologize. This is your first time comin' face to face with me, isn't it? I'm known as 'Kyouga Kai,' the eldest of we six sisters here. It's such a pleasure t' make your acquaintance."

Reveller of Obstinate Independence Kyouga Kai

 As she says that, Kyouga-san leans forward with her knees bent, and extends her upturned palm to me. It's the 'jingi wo kiru' kind of formal greeting that you see in period dramas.

"...Er, what should I do with this?"

"Ah! Ever so sorry. You're a modern lass, after all! I should have known you'd be annoyed by a greeting like that."

 Kyouga-san-- tall and beautiful as she is-- laughs heartily as she pokes fun at our brief interaction. Her evident joy is certainly befitting of her 'fun-loving elder sister' persona, I suppose. I feel like I'm getting a very different impression of her than I did from Tenpyou and the other sisters' conversations... and then, as I'm still looking at her...

"......TENPYOU? YOU HEARIN' ME?"

"Er..... yes..."

 I feel a sudden, wordless concern.

 She turns her back to me, and speaks to Tenpyou. It was just a few words, but those words shook me to my core. All I can see is Kyouga-san's back; Tenpyou's expression is obscured. But if I can feel my legs trembling over here, then I can certainly imagine how Tenpyou must feel being directly called out... probably.

"This is the third time now, you know. I think it'd really be for the best if you learned how to control yourself a little better, hm?"

 She's speaking kindly, but she doesn't sound kind.

 Kyouga crouches down and gently wraps her arms around Tenpyou, who has now walked over to her. She places a hand on Tenpyou's chin, turning her face toward herself. Her phrasing may sound calm, but every syllable out of her mouth feels like it's gouging at me.

"I'm... I-I'm... sorry..."

 Tenpyou apologizes in Kyouga's embrace, now on the verge of tears. I want very badly to say something, but the atmosphere surrounding Kyouga is so heavy that I can feel myself instinctively crouching back. I can't move, let alone speak. Kyouga gently runs a hand over Tenpyou's head, and says--

"All right. Have a lil' look into my eyes now, will you?"

"......."

"There you go. That's a good girl. Sleep well, now..."

 She looks Tenpyou straight in the face. Tenpyou slowly closes her wet eyes, and...

Ah,

Aaah.....

N-n.....

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Gamers! 1 | Chronos Ruler 2 | Boku no Hero Academia 28 - 29 | Katsugeki 3 - 4 | Princess Principal 2 | Saiyuki Reload Blast 3 | Classroom of the Elite 2 | Reflection 1

Gamers! 1

Apparently this is an alright comedy, so it’s the second-last debut of this season I’m trialling. I probably won’t attend most of my anime club sessions as a result of tackling most of the debuts within my reach, but I never really socialised at my anime club anyway…(?)

Kiniro Memories…Like, a parody of Kiniro Mosaic or Tokimeki Memorial or something?

I don’t see what’s so appealing about her, despite the flowers and such cueing me into how I should see her.

Super Chips, LOL. That makes me hungry, but I just ate.

…Gah? I’m only a casual gamer, so I don’t get the appeal of the back of the box.

Tasuku grabbed the cat by the plastic ring? Well, I’ll be. That’s inventive.

This guy is…such a…jerk!

The joke about King Koopa is because he uses itadakimashita at the end of his first sentence, which is really formal.

I don’t find it very surprising that girls like gaming. After all, these days, we’ve basically gotten rid of the stigma around “nerdy stuff” being “not for girls”. *thinks for a bit* Although the IT industry still suffers from a lack of girls…

This show has some gorgeous cherry blossom scenes. I pause just to observe the level of detail in each tree.

These fanservice shots are downright disturbing…

Another Gakuto this season (the second after Sasajima in 7O3X). It’s a shame I dropped 7O3X from the commentary…

G-Guh! I-It’s COD (Call of Duty)! Never thought I’d see an anime parody of it, ever! I’ve heard people speak about it, but I don’t bother with it.

A crank is “a pejorative term used for a person who holds an unshakable belief that most of his or her contemporaries consider to be false”, while a scrub is “a now generalized term used as a synonym for a “noob” or “newb,” which is someone who is bad at a video game or activity in general”. I’m not very used to gaming lingo. *sweatdrops*

Wow, that slap in the face really got me by surprise. I howled when I saw Amano’s reaction face though.

Now there’s an honorable guy! I still prefer Shiki from 7O3X, but at least now he’s not a no-face harem protag.

Who the heck is Choshinnomori? The illustrator?

I think Gamers is good enough to continue, but not enough for a commentary. Aside from Reflection vs Chronos Ruler, the lineup’s pretty much settled.

Chronos Ruler 2

Wooser’s…Casino? Never saw that one coming. Was that an intentional riff on Sanrio?

As soon as Kiri starts spouting off about negligence and goals, the Kunikida bells go off.

Nice pun! Kiru can mean “to cut”, and since there’s a metaphor involving “homeland” already, it’s a pun on a pun.

Michiko Yokote’s on this? Wow, she must get a lot of my views. I’m seeing her and Natsuko Takahashi everywhere ever since Boueibu happened.

This kaeidoscope thing reminds me of Kiznaiver. Lay Your Hands on Me is sad when you remember it was a last project of Boom Boom Satellites’ lead man.

Nyuh-huh-huh-huh…(what? That’s just a weird laugh!) Why would you call a city C’est La Vie? Well, if anything, the name is appropriate.

Wait, I just realised they had Victo naked without his strange orb in his body…for the sake of fanservice. I didn’t mind because naked dudes are my cup of tea, but still…lack of consistency is a real markdown for this show.

Kiri looks like he’s floating on that stone floor…what.

Wasn’t Victo here earlier? Why is Kiri here now?

I-It’s Hellsalem’s Lot! In Chronos Ruler! Well, wonders never cease.

Victo doesn’t even look remotely angry as he faces his old foe.

*trying not to giggle* Why is eating pasta through the nose always a punishment in anime?

Yeah, it’s now too inconsistent for me to deal with. I’m dropping it until The Reflection comes along.

Boku no Hero Academia 28

I thought it was Full Cowl…? By the way, for some reason Izuku passes an Indian restaurant twice…or is that Arabic, or Thai? I dunno, it’s hard to tell without pausing…

LOL, I laugh so hard at Bakugo’s combed down hair. It reminds me of neat!En from the Boueibu manga.

I haven’t seen Tsukauchi in a while. Hisashiburi! (Long time no see!)

Stain’s just said what Hans (Rokka no Yuusha) said about a year or two ago…hmph. It seems quite a few assassins follow that belief, eh?

Huh, that’s actually very logical…to have lots of crime where there are lots of people, so on so forth.

Manual has Tsukauchi’s eyes. Are they related somehow?

Oh no…There’s a winged Nomu, and the only one with wings in this show is…a kid from Bakugo’s friendship group! *tries not to cry*

It’s Gran Torino, kids. Regardless of whether it’s the car or the movie he’s named after, it’s Gran Torino.

I realised Shigaraki really likes spectacles. Not glasses, though.

It’s honestly so scary to see Iida this mad…

“My name is Tenya Iida. You crippled my brother. Prepare to die!” – That’s the line you want, right, Iida? Take a note out of Inigo Montoya’s (Princess Bride) book.

Boku no Hero Academia 29

Wow, I knew Endeavour wasn’t liked, but I didn’t think his sitch was that bad…

The framing choice (white, insular fadeout) was a good one, I think. Shows Deku’s blinkered thinking at a crucial moment like this.

W-Wait. They have a hero called The Fly?! You’re kidding, right? That’s a great name! Creepy, because heck, just seeing screenshots of the Cronenberg movie is enough to make you pee your pants, but…heck yeah! What a name!

Seriously, how does that hand stay on Shigaraki’s face???

Japanese society is full of modesty, but Tensei is something else.

As much as I hate to admit it, Stain’s right Iida…sorry. Thinking selfishly doesn’t work in the hero biz.

Didn’t I say Deku looked scary back in ep 13-ish? Yeah, you can see the shadow of the monster right here…Gotta take note for Half-Paid Heroes!

I was going to use the ping-pong technique in Half-Paid Heroes, actually (the same one you saw Gran Torino use a few eps back in his apartment). I think Deku might use it here…

I see! That’s why Shinso had to apper before this!

A-hey. Stain’s kinda like a vampire. How didn’t I think of that earlier? (because I already kind of knew the secret behind his Quirk)

See? I knew Deku would use that ping-pong technique! It’s perfect for covering your defences simply through speed, which is exactly what I needed for one of my characters.

Well, today I reaffirmed why I love BnHA, and why even something like Katsugeki can’t beat it! That is the love of a superhero fan, right there!

Katsugeki 3

Seriously, is it “alright” or “all right”???

I never thought Kane-san would be so willing to kick butts and take names. Or…just the kicking butts bit.

Wait, what’s a roushi?

I still don’t know what a roushi is, but it seems the Time Retrograde Army are just giving catastrophic events in the time they’re in a nudge. The ripple effect, y’know?

A touken is a sword.

Were those roushi…CGI?! Blasphemy!!! Just when the backgrounds were looking really lifelike too.

Ah, a roushi = a ronin. There you go.

Mutsu’s surprised face is…hilarious!

Tosa people have accents? I don’t know much about accents, so I gotta learn…

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a rogue touken danshi (sword boy)…hmph.

That constable looks like Heizo Hasegawa (Onihei).

The saniwa should be a gal, didn’t I say that in a previous ep?

Kitsune are meant to love deep fried tofu.

Whose line is “I’m going to seize the world”? Mutsu’s, probably.

Katsugeki 4

The closed shop appears to be called “The Tsuda Shop” or something like it, due to something that’s been written on to the paper screens.

Satchou is this alliance.

The shop you see Tonbokiri in the doorway of is called the “Murata Shop” (Murata-ya).

Again, foxes are meant to love tofu, but here’s what a pipe fox is.

There’s a sense of foreboding looming over this anime, and it kind of scares me, but it’s par for the course in a show like this.

Mutsu’s eating an onigiri. “Same old, same old” really are the right words to use here.

An ootachi should be significantly weaker in smaller quarters, like a bridge. However, they have longer range, which means that multiple swords in the party this Saniwa has could defeat it. By the by, I consulted the wiki, and it seems we’re going through era 1 (Meiji era), so there shouldn’t be any closed quarter battles here (I think there was one in the first ep of Hanamaru).

I bet Mutsu’s gonna pull out his gun sometime during this battle, eh?…Yep, a few seconds after I predicted that, it came true. Mutsu, you nut. I know this is close to the Meiji restoration if not in the middle of it, but still, don’t go showing off your gun everywhere…

Cue “You shall not pass!” moment from Tonbokiri. (I think I should say “again”, but my memory’s being sketchy right now.) LOL.

Everyone has that one experience as a Touken Ranbu rookie where their tantou has had way too much and dies…it’s always so sad, and often a player’s first death in their party. I know, because my first tantou was a Sayo and of course, he died on me.

I wonder if Kiwame will be shown in this show…hmph.

Wowsers, I held my breath so hard at that point where Yagen seemed like he was going to lose…but hey, what a great debut for Tsurumaru! Unfortunately, I don’t know the relationship between Yagen and Tsurumaru, since I don’t own a Tsuru, but I’ve been trying to get one for the longest time. Update: Oh, that “are you surprised that someone like me came here so suddenly?” is his line when he’s obtained, meaning the saniwa must’ve smithed him and dropped him into the fray.

Princess Principal 2

I think they’re trying to pull a “moe” route with Ange right here…which is not my style, but I’m neutral on it…

S-So…Dorothy sucks at smoking? L-LOL.

How do these women live with their metal dresses? Corsets are one thing, but actual metal, like knights but all over the dress? Yeah, definitely a sign of “no pain no gain” fashion.

Wait, there’s stolen blueprints?…Oh, okay then.

Really? CGI dancing couples? *rolls eyes* This is probably second to the fedora monster (Rokka no Yuusha) as to how bad CGI can get.

This Duke…he reminds me of Rosenberg (Royal Tutor), and that is not a good sign.

Saiyuki Blast 3

Go! Play them cards, Hakkai!

The concept of a sky burial could probably make an entire anime. I should keep better notes on this stuff. Plus, birbs. Even if they’re vultures, they’re cute!

I think the thing that makes Saiyuki special, despite it being a reboot of an old show, is that it’s able to convey deep themes without ruining the mood. I think that’s missing from a lot of modern anime, especially some of the more apparent commercials.

Y-Yeah, Goku…kicking a man through the roof is overkill. (laughs anyway)

Mmhmm. I like me some dudes in tight shirts like Sanzo’s. Azrael from Ro.Te.O is designed the same way, which is one reason why I love him so much.

Trigger warning for death but, “He died from the epidemic six days ago…”

“I thought really hard about what you asked me yesterday.”

I’m not gonna stick around for UraSai this time. So not worth it…

Classroom of the Elite 2

Oh gosh. I come here for a good time and they go with Gainaxing? Really?

Well, that was unexpected. I thought Ayanokouji was going to be a blushing wreck, but he’s less harem protag and more Houtarou Oreki (Hyouka).

Mm-mm. I like me some bishie like that, Horikita. You’ve got some good taste.

Dangit, this lunch is making me hungry, and I just ate!

Well, I can’t see how you’d have bad grades if you got into an advanced “nurturing school”, so I get Horikita’s point, but I can see how people can fail with the S-System. Ayanokouji and Horikita are basically Misora and Kei from Sakurada Reset though, and that’s bad news for this show…I might need to put Youkai Apato and 7O3X back in the places they used to be in.

I think this show is focussing on Kushida fanservice too much, too early into the game. Fanservice shouldn’t be this early into a series unless the series is fanservice from start to finish (e.g. ecchi).

Best moment of this entire show was Horikita shutting down Ayanokouji, LOL. See? I work a lot better without fanservice in my commentaries.

Ah! A tiger mum, but in the form of an older brother? I see, I see *nods*.

Actually, I now think Ayanokouji’s martial arts skills passed off as “piano and calligraphy” is the best moment.

Hmph. I never thought that Horikita’s inability to get along with others was what got her into Class D. Come to think of it, Ayanokouji is probably there because he rigged the scores and isn’t very sociable either…

It’s interesting that they list the points next to the cast credits. I was losing interest in this show, but the small things are what make me sit up and pay attention!  

Reflection 1

I’ve been waiting for this all season now, so here it is!

The first thing that hit me about this show was the colour palette. It’s like I’m watching a moving painting. Or a moving comic book, which I think was the point.

*sighs, somewhat happily(…?)* You know it’s America when the skyscrapers are plastered with the Stars and Stripes…Only American creators can be so proud of America, y’know? People naturally write about what they know, including the patriotism of their homelands.

It seems they even have WcDonald’s in this too, Plus DNN and so on, so forth.

Seeing the skyscrapers light up with relevant effects is cool! Real cool!

Now, if only comics would learn to empower their women better, then I’d be happy…*grumbles into distance*

Also, can someone please stop making all the minority races evil? I think I’ve seen enough evil dudes from that genre, and I haven’t even watched majority of the superhero movies that make the genre what it is.

The background scenery holds on for a little too long, a la Tsukigakirei.

Holy ninjas, Batman! That was a Russian ninja, apparently! Much cooler than an ordinary Japanese ninja, eh? (By shonen standards, at the very least?)

“At least tell me you did a ‘good job’.”

Why is it that everything in America is handled by the FBI, from aliens to superheroes? I don’t get you sometimes, America.

“Sorry, I actually live in LA.” – L-LOL!!! What even, don’t go around revealing your place of residence! Villains will come after you, don’t you know that, I-Guy???

The flat aesthetic means CGI doesn’t stand out too much, thankfully…

Huh, I never thought in my entire lifetime Stan Lee would be tackling the discriminatory nature of the term “hero”. He just never seemed to be the sort who would.

Yeah, I kinda knew 9Nine were involved with the ED, but I never quite guessed it would result in something like this. It’s a fairly typical ED, by anime standards, but still – you can tell it was done well, by a superhero great (better than trying to imitate anime a la Heroman), but it’s not to the same highs as Boku no Hero Academia or Katsugeki can take you. Therefore, Classroom of the Elite will be going on hold while I try to figure out what’s so good about this show.

[corishadowfang]

Cut Scenes: Putting Up Posters

Working on editing the current draft for On my Heart, and I’ve come across a chapter that I’m likely going to have to cut, and I am...so sad about it.  A lot of the stuff that’s here is going to be recycled and used in different places throughout the story, but I wanted to put the scene as-is somewhere.  (Disclaimer: The scene itself is currently only lightly-edited.)

The scene itself is under the cut!  (Also, head’s up, this is about...13 pages in Word, so...not a particularly short scene.)

Trigger Warnings: Aiden has a panic attack and a flashback towards the end of the scene.  Please stay safe and don’t read if you think that’s something that might be difficult for you.

           ___________________________________________________

           He stayed a few paces behind Jackie as she walked into the city, trying to ignore the glances she kept sending his way.  This is stupid, he thought bitterly.  I’m not going to do anything bad.  How the hell am I actually supposed to put these things up with her watching me the whole time?  He shot her a frustrated glance.  It’s not like she wants me to get pardoned.

           But he had to do it sometime.  Otherwise, what else was he supposed to do?

           Aiden took a deep breath, free hand slipping into his pocket.  Nothing met his fingers, and he fumbled around a bit, patting his pockets, before cursing quietly and slapping a hand over his face.  Shit, I forgot the tape.

           Kiru tilted his head and trilled quietly.

           Aiden’s hand ran down his cheek.  Okay, okay.  This is—fine.  It’s fine. I just have to—give them out, I guess.

           His eyes darted around the street, pointedly not focusing on Jackie’s back.  “Uh.  Hey!” He tried to wave a person down.

           Jackie stopped, giving him a confused look, before seeming to realize the statement hadn’t been directed to her.  Her eyebrows furrowed.

           Aiden’s cheeks burned. He tried not to look at her.

The man he’d waved down gave him a slightly befuddled look.  “Did you need something?”

           “Uh.”  He shoved the paper into the man’s hands.  “Here.”

           This is not fine.

           The man took it with a slightly confused expression, but Aiden turned on his heel and left, hurrying past Jackie.

           Jackie, to his surprise, didn’t say anything, and he didn’t stop to look at her expression.

           This is stupid.  This is so dumb, they’re going to figure it out, I’m going to get caught, or they’re going to think I’m some weird—I don’t know, criminal sympathizer, even though I’m not, I’m not a criminal, I—

           Kiru tugged on the papers.

           “Wha—Kiru, wait, what are you doing?”

           Kiru pulled one free, in the process causing Aiden to lose his grip.  Some of the papers scattered, and Aiden fumbled to catch them.

           Kiru ignored him, instead taking the poster and running to a passing woman.  She bent, looking slightly confused.

           Aiden ducked his head, cheeks burning.

           Abruptly someone shoved a poster in his face.

           Aiden yelped, tumbling backwards.

           “What is this?” Jackie asked, voice pitching incredulously.

           “A, uh.  A poster?”

           Jackie gave him an exasperated look, then looked at Aiden’s crudely-made poster. “‘Provenance’s Dragon isn’t the monster you think he is.  He acted in self-defense.  He was attacked by a man named Tyson Gable.’”

           “Well, I—he was.”  Aiden looked glumly at the stack of posters.  He wasn’t much of an artist; his attempts at rendering a dragon looked more like blobs (but he supposed that made it less real).  He couldn’t say he was much of a story-teller, either, and had ended up throwing whatever he could think of haphazardly onto the paper (but it was the truth, wasn’t it?).  The posters were obviously created by an amateur, and probably wouldn’t be taken seriously.

           This was dumb.

           Kiru returned and stole another poster, running back down the street.

           Jackie asked, “What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?”

           Aiden struggled not to grind his teeth.  “I don’t know.”

           “You don’t know?”

           Aiden stood, clutching the posters a little tighter.

           “What the hell are you trying to do?  Stir up sympathy?”  Jackie waved the poster at him.  “Did you think these would work?”

           “Not so loud,” he hissed. “Just because you might want to get caught—”

           “I don’t,” she growled, looking like she was a half second away from throttling him.  “I want to get to the bottom of—whatever this is.”  She gestured vaguely at him, and at Kiru, who had returned for another poster. “But I don’t want to babysit you while you’re throwing these half-assed attempts to get out of punishment at people, especially if you might get us caught.”

           Fury burned bitter in Aiden’s throat and chest.  He whipped around, stalking up to someone.

           “Aiden—”

           “Hey,” Aiden said, sounding bolder than he actually felt, “you know Provenance’s Dragon?”

           The man blanched, then looked around wildly, confusion flashing across his face.  “Yes?”

           Aiden shoved a paper towards him.  “Well, there are things you don’t know about his case.”

           Kiru trilled approvingly.

           Aiden tried not to feel self-conscious as the man took the poster.  ‘Half-assed attempts.’  We’ll see.  I’ll show you that I’m not—

           The man’s exasperated sigh broke through his thoughts. “Sure, kid.  I’m sure this is accurate.”

           “Wha—it is!”

           “Sure, sure, and you know more than the police.”  The man gave him a patronizing look.  “We don’t need any more people trying to justify dragons.”

           “I’m not—”

           The man shoved the paper back into his chest.  “Listen, I don’t care if you want to play at social justice, or whatever, but leave me out of it.”

           Aiden gawked as the man left.

           Kiru let out a hiss, then snorted decisively.

           “See?” Jackie said.

           “It’s one person,” Aiden insisted, turning away pointedly.

           Jackie caught his arm.

           “Let go.”

           “If you want to get yourself caught, then be my guest, but I’m not letting you act reckless while I’m still around.”

           Kiru bit her.

           Jackie jerked free, holding her arm tightly to her chest, eyes blown wide.  “And call your Familiar off.”  Her voice went unusually high.

           Aiden muttered, “Like he’d listen,” at which Kiru made a pointed snort.  Aiden took a deep breath and hurried forward, hoping Jackie would keep her distance long enough for him to do something. “Hey,” he said, flagging down another person, “can I talk to you about Provenance’s Dragon?”

           The woman made a disgruntled face.  “I’ve heard enough about that brat on the news.”

           “I-I, I’m not—it’s not really like that, I just—oh, you’re leaving, o-okay.  Uh, hey! Hey you!  I have some information on Provenance’s Dragon.”

           The man said, “That should really go to the police.”

           “It’s, um—it’s not really that kind of—hey, wait!” He turned in a tight circle, trying to catch the eye of someone else.  “Here!”  He shoved the paper into their chest.

           They jumped back, startled, crumpling the paper and walking away.

           “You know,” someone said, startling him, “if you’re interested in Provenance’s Dragon, you’re talking to the wrong crowd.”

           Aiden whipped around.

           A man leaned against a building, watching him with a wry look.

           “I-I’m sorry?”

           “Your average person?  They don’t give a shit about this whole thing.  Well, aside from the whole ‘dragons may attack us’ thing.” The man pushed away from the wall. “But I can tell—you’re a kid who gets it.”

          “I—thank you?”  Aiden blinked, ignoring Kiru as he stood tense on his shoulder.  “Who—who are these people?”

          Someone grabbed his arm roughly, and it took him a moment to realize it was Jackie.  “He’s not interested,” she growled.

          The man lifted his hand.  “Easy, easy, just trying to pass along information.  Kid seemed curious—”

          “We don’t want anything to do with Familiar users.”

          The man barked a laugh.  “Lady, you know that there are tons of Familiar users out there, right?  What, do you put them all under the same label?”

          Jackie tugged him away.  “We’re leaving.”

          “Jackie, wait!”  

          But Jackie was still stronger than him, and she tugged him unceremoniously into an alleyway, whipping him around to face her without letting go of his arm.  “Drop the posters.”

          Aiden tensed.  His grip on them tightened a little.  “No.”

          “Drop them.”

          “N-no!”

          Jackie narrowed her eyes.

          Aiden struggled to meet her glare, steeling himself as best he could, heart thundering.  He managed a few seconds before he lowered his head, his grip on the posters loosening a little.

          Kiru, however, didn’t seem ready to relent; he twisted down Aiden’s arm, chittering angrily in Jackie’s direction.

          This time, Jackie didn’t move, though she did tense a little.  “This is both dangerous and pointless.  You understand that, don’t you?”

          “It’s not.”

          “It’s not?  How is going up to people in the street talking about Provenance’s Dragon, unprovoked, not dangerous?”

          “Y-you know, ‘unprovoked’ makes me sound like—like a criminal, and that’s probably a little harsh for handing out posters.”

          “Like it or not, you are, a criminal, and—why is this thing still growling at me?”

           Kiru’s flames whipped wildly, a low rumble running through his throat.

          “Because he doesn’t like you.”

          Jackie gave him an unimpressed look.  “Familiars can’t form opinions on people.  They can figure out whether someone is a potential threat—which is what I guess it’s responding to.”  Jackie made a face, her grip on Aiden’s arm slackening enough that he could pull it free.  “But they can’t think for themselves.  They’re not really alive.  They’re man-made abominations.”

          Kiru’s growl deepened, and he jumped off Aiden’s arm.

          Aiden rubbed his wrist.  “What’s your problem with Familiars, anyways?”

          Jackie gave him a look that he couldn’t read, one hand twitching towards her leg.  She glanced aside.  “Humans were never meant to use magic,” she began, carefully.  “According to the Old Stories, humans and dragons were created at the beginning of time as balancing forces: one to guard magic, and one to guard creation.  They were meant to shape the world together.  But they fought instead, leading to dragons’ extinction.”

          “Didn’t peg you for the religious type.”

          Jackie turned her stern look back to him.  “And now we think we can use what remains of these creatures we drove to extinction for our own benefit?  Like we didn’t cause the genocide of their species?  How arrogant are we?”

           Aiden’s throat went dry.

           “Familiars should’ve never been created.”  Jackie released a heavy breath, kneeling reluctantly and fiddling with her bag. “I need to—to fix my prosthetic,” she said quietly.  “And then we’re going back.”

           A vague sense of hopelessness washed over Aiden, a heaviness in his chest and a bitter taste in his mouth, his mind turning over Jackie’s words slowly.  That’s not—that wasn’t our fault. Not the fault of anyone living now, anyways.  And—if we didn’t have Familiars, magic would’ve just disappeared entirely, right? Another, more terrifying thought fled through his mind.  If we’d never made Familiars, then I would’ve never met Kiru.

           It wasn’t until then that it dawned on him that his Familiar was still missing.  He whipped around, looking for some flash of blue.  “Kiru?  Kiru!”

           The Familiar didn’t reappear.

           Jackie didn’t seem to be paying attention, slowly detaching her prosthetic, her attention focused on her bag.

           Aiden sidled down the alleyway.  He couldn’t have gone too far, right?  He has to be this way somewhere.

           When he came to the mouth of the alley, he still didn’t see Kiru immediately.  Then blue flashed in the crowd, weaving amongst the people.

           “Hey,” Jackie called, “what are you doing?”

           “Just need to get Kiru,” he answered, ignoring Jackie’s cries of protest as he hurried down the street.

           The Familiar had some distance on him, and had always been faster, leaving Aiden struggling to catch up as he wove through the crowd.  “Kiru!” he shouted, hoping the Familiar would listen and come back.  He didn’t—whether because he didn’t hear or because he didn’t want to, Aiden wasn’t sure.  Aiden picked up the pace, trying to weave his way through the crowd a little better, eyes firmly on the distant speck of blue.

           Kiru slowed after a time, eyes turning to something up ahead.

           Aiden took the chance to close the distance, lunging and catching the Familiar.  “Got you!”

           Kiru yelped, squirming, before seeming to realize who held him, tilting his head backwards.

           Aiden quirked an eyebrow at him.  “What are you doing?”

           The Familiar huffed, then struggled free.  Aiden let him, watching as Kiru moved to get a stick.  The Familiar dragged it through the dirt, occasionally glancing back at something.

           Aiden tilted his head, then moved closer.  The shaky lines in the ground vaguely resembled letters: a squiggly ‘s,’ a lopsided ‘c’, something that vaguely resembled an ‘o.’  “What are you—why are you writing?”

           Kiru dropped the stick with a huff, looking away.

           “Kiru.”

           The Familiar reluctantly returned, phasing into Aiden’s hands.  Vague frustration wormed through Aiden like a faint flame, along with images of Jackie scowling at them, echoes of her words about Familiars ringing through the back of Aiden’s skull.  He blinked several times.  Because of Jackie?  It doesn’t matter what she thinks.  We know better.

           Yeah, but—  More images, this time of reports on Provenance’s Dragon.

           Aiden’s eyebrows furrowed.  I’m not sure I get what you’re trying to say.

           Kiru huffed, the frustration bubbling briefly before it was roughly shoved down.

           Kiru, come on.

           The Familiar didn’t respond.

           Aiden bit back a frustrated sigh.  Be that way, then.  He leaned forward, brushing his fingers through the dirt.  What were you trying to write, anyways?  You’re not normally all that interested in writing.  

           It wasn’t until that moment that he finally glanced upwards.  He stiffened.  White Water High School stood in front of him, quiet for the moment, students and teachers likely still inside.

           Aiden scrambled to his feet and stumbled a few steps away.  Something clenched tightly in his chest.  Oh.  His hands shook.

           Kiru tuned back in briefly, faint curiosity and concern briefly bubbling underneath his frustration.

           Aiden took a couple of measured steps forward, fingers locking around the chain link fence.  He swallowed convulsively.  What period is it?  It’s not even noon yet.  Second period?  Third? I’d be in Math or History, then.

           His fingers tightened, hard enough that faint pain radiated through them.  Did any of them notice when I disappeared?  Did they care?  Did James and the others wonder if something happened because they didn’t show up?  His throat felt too tight, his eyes hot.  If they had—if they’d just come like they said they would—then I would’ve never been on River Road when Tyson was there, and I never would’ve been attacked.  The school blurred.  I should’ve known better.  I shouldn’t have gone.  Stupid, stupid—of course they didn’t actually want to hang out with me, I’m just that crazy kid who talks to his Familiar, they were just humoring me, and now—hell, who’s going to want to be near me know?  No one trusts a dragon.

           “I should’ve just left you,” a voice spat, and for a moment Aiden thought he’d imagined it. He didn’t turn, waiting as Jackie stomped closer.  “You can’t just run off.”  She stopped, and several silent seconds passed.  “Why did you come to a school?”

           “I didn’t.  Kiru did.”  He took a shaky breath.  “It’s my high school.”

           Jackie didn’t respond. Several moments passed before she said, quieter, “We should go.”

           “Y-yeah.  Yeah, I know.”  Reluctantly, he pried his fingers away from the fence.

           “Hey!” someone shouted. “What are you two doing?”

           Jackie and Aiden whipped towards the voice at the same moment.  That was the first time Aiden noticed the police car parked in front of the building—and the officer coming their way.

           Every thought seemed to screech to a halt.  For a moment, he couldn’t breathe, his mind scrambling for purchase on the thoughts that kept sliding by, Kiru shouting warnings that weren’t made of words or images but sensations and emotions that said he needed to go, they needed to do something.

           They’re here because of me, he realized, managing to catch hold of one of the floating thoughts.  They’re here because I used Mach Five, and they need to find me, and now I’m right here in front of them—

           The thought was enough to shake him out of his stupor.  “Jackie,” he said, turning around.

           But Jackie wasn’t there.

           Aiden froze, suddenly uncertain of what to do, his mind screaming, She left me, I knew she didn’t like me, but she was supposed to be watching me, how could she just—

           The frantic thoughts gave the police officer enough time to reach him.  “Shouldn’t you be in class?” the officer asked.  “And where’d your friend go?”  The officer frowned, staring down the street, likely in the direction Jackie had gone.

           Maybe he should chase her, Kiru thought.  She’s clearly the dangerous one.

           Aiden, mouth dry, heart hammering in his ears, couldn’t respond.

           The officer glanced down at him, eyebrows furrowed.

           Aiden tried to shift away.  It’s fine, he thought.  It’s fine. He doesn’t recognize me.  I’m wearing a disguise.  He doesn’t know.

           But is it good enough?  What if he sees right through it?  What if, what if, what if—

           “I’m home schooled,” he blurted, far too late.

           The officer gave him a scrutinizing look.  “Your parents just let you wander around during the day?”

           “I-I don’t have a set schedule.”  

           The officer was still giving him that same look.  Slowly, his attention turned to something lying on the ground.

           Aiden’s gaze followed, and his heart leapt into his throat.  The posters.  He swiped them, trying to clutch them tightly to his chest.

           The officer peeled one away.

           “H-hey!  Give that back.”

           The officer’s expression turned unreadable.

           Aiden held his breath, half-poised to run.

           “What,” the officer asked carefully, “are you doing with this?”

           “I-it’s for a project.”

           “Is it, now.”

           Aiden’s mind scrambled to find a response, but he couldn’t come up with something convincing, his brain screeching to a panicked halt.

           “Kid, you know this is a dangerous criminal, right?  I realize that the idea of turning into a dragon might be appealing, but you can’t just latch onto anyone who does that.”

           Anger forced its way past Aiden’s reservations, and he snapped, “He’s not a criminal!”

           The officer gave him a searching look.

           “I-I mean, wasn’t—there’s more to the story.  Probably. And everyone’s just—making assumptions.”

           The officer watched him a long moment.  “Maybe,” he said slowly, “but Mach Five is still illegal for a reason.  We need to set an example, or else we’ll have chaos.”  He gave the poster another careful look.

           Aiden’s heart stuttered.

           “Where are you even getting this information, anyways?  The Chief’s the one who has the most information on the case, but I don’t think he ever released some of this.”

           Whatever self-control Aiden had fled.  He turned on his heel, sprinting away, barely hearing the startled shout of the officer over the rushing of his own blood.  He hadn’t made it far when someone caught the back of his hood.  He jerked, struggling, trying to free himself from the confines of his jacket.  He’d just started to wiggle free when the officer caught his arm.  The officer mouthed something, eyebrows furrowed, but Aiden couldn’t hear anything over the thundering of his heart.

           He knows.

           He struggled, trying to kick free.

           He’s going to arrest me.

           The officer reached for something in his pocket.

           He knows he knows he knows he knows—

           He reached, desperate, for Kiru’s familiar warmth, and the Familiar answered.  Magic tugged free—

           Keep hold of it.  Guide it where it wants to go.

           —and pulsed towards his chest, bubbling through in a burst.  Blue flames streamed from underneath his shirt, billowing wildly beside his face.

           The officer whipped back towards him, a startled expression crossing his face. Electricity was already crackling along his fingertips.

           Don’t let him.

           Aiden wasn’t sure whether the thought was his or Kiru’s, but he funneled the excess magic into his hand, firing his own burst of electricity, however weak and unfocused, at the officer.

           The officer, on reflex, pulled away, releasing Aiden in the process and summoning a shield.

           Aiden fell back, posters scattering across the ground.  Whatever tenuous hold he’d had on the magic—Mach Stage?—fell apart, the flames disappearing and the strange, tingling, hot-cold feeling in his chest fading.

           Move!

           The voice was undoubtedly Kiru’s, the school and the street turning dark, shifting into a nighttime road beside the river, the officer morphing into the grisly form of Tyson, his own magic flaring unstably along his arms.

           For a moment, Aiden had the inexplicable, overwhelming urge to lunge at him, a guttural voice inside him growling, This is your fault, you did this, you made me—

           Aiden, run!

           But he couldn’t win, he’d end up back in the river, ad this time he might not come back up for air—

           He wasn’t sure where he was.

           He fell, hands skidding across the sidewalk, pinpricks of blood bursting on his palms where they scraped the gravel.  He took several shaky breaths.

           It was daylight. Wasn’t it night a moment ago? Where was Tyson?  Why wasn’t he on River Road?  Wasn’t he just—

           A car rushed by, and Aiden flinched away, scrambling into an alley.  He shoved himself behind a dumpster, head bent beneath his knees, hands lifted to clutch the back of his head, breaths shuddering in his chest as his stomach rolled.  Bile rose in his throat and filled his mouth.  He held it in, breathing sharply through his nose, in and out, swallowing it again and trying not to take great, heaving gulps of air.

           A voice that sounded eerily like his mother’s whispered, Breathe in slowly.

           I can’t.

           You can.  Steady. With me.

           Aiden tried to take a deep breath.  It caught in his throat and rattled against the top of his ribcage.

           Try it again.

           He did, still shaky, still not deep.  On a third attempt he managed to drag a decent amount of air into his lungs.

           Hold it and count to five.

           He scrunched his eyes closed and counted silently.

           Now release, slowly.  Count to five.

           Aiden obeyed.

           Repeat the process.

           He followed the instructions, taking slow, deep breaths until he felt less light-headed and nauseous. He rested his head against his knees, sweat slick against his pant legs.  Thanks.

           Kiru said, That wasn’t me.  His voice sounded oddly strained.

           Oh.  So I’m imaging it.  Good. Great.

           But then a voice—still familiar, but not the one he expected to hear—asked, “Steady?”

           He lifted his head so quickly it spun.

           Jackie crouched in front of him, hovering close by, like she wanted to approach but didn’t quite dare, an odd expression on her face.

           What had happened slowly trickled back to Aiden, and whatever shock he felt, whatever gratitude—had she been the one to talk him out of his panic attack?—fled in the face of the anger that rose in his throat, bubbling out like fire.  “You left.”

           Jackie didn’t deny it, just stared at him with the same unreadable expression.

           “Why?”

           Jackie glanced aside.

           The anger burned his throat, but it felt good, warm, because didn’t he deserve to be angry, after all this?  It wasn’t even my fault! “Oh, what, were you hoping the cop would just take me?  Was he one of your friends?  Real nice of you, glad to know where your loyalties lie.”

           “I didn’t want them to see me.”

           Aiden laughed incredulously.  “What? With a dragon?”  He spat the word, the tears that sprung to his eyes as hot as the words in his throat. “Well, you know what?  I guess that’s fair.  No one else wanted to be seen around me, either, but hey, who’d want to spend time around the crazy kid who talks to his Familiar?”  His fingernails dug into his scalp.  “I guess it’s fine, everyone hates me, anyways, so what’s one more?”

           Jackie turned back to him, expression twisting between discomfort and frustration.  “The hell, kid, you did use Mach Five—”

           “I didn’t ask to be a monster!”

           The words echoed through the alley.  Everything fell silent, save for Aiden’s ragged breathing.  For a moment they stared at each other, Aiden trying desperately to control his breathing again, Jackie studying him with a wary expression.

           Exhaustion swept through Aiden.  His head drooped beneath its own weight, and he planted both hands on it, staring blankly at the ground.

           Kiru sent waves of comfort, and Aiden allowed his own emotions to coil with it.

           Jackie murmured, “We should head back.”

           Aiden nodded, a quick, jerky motion that made his head spin.  He got unsteadily to his feet.  He reached for his hood before remembering he didn’t have his coat anymore, and instead opted for hunching his shoulders, trailing after Jackie as she moved out of the alleyway.

           He wondered if anyone would recognize him.  He almost didn’t care.

           His legs felt like lead. He couldn’t quite get enough breath into his chest.  The city passed in a haze, a not-quite-tense silence between the three of them. Aiden’s emotions ebbed into something more somber, and it left him feeling cold.  “I’m sorry,” he said eventually.

           Jackie didn’t react.

           “Why—why did you come back?”

           It took a few moments before she shrugged.  “We still need you.”

           Of course.  The thought didn’t feel as bitter as it might have before.  His mind wandered, touching briefly on something Kiru had mentioned after his panic attack, the thought briefly swamped by his own frustration.  His eyes drifted to Jackie’s left leg.  “Thank you.  For talking me down from, uh—”

           “It’s fine,” Jackie cut in, her voice carefully controlled.

           Aiden nodded tightly. The tension between them still hadn’t eased; even if Jackie had been willing to help him, things still didn’t feel fine.  I guess this is just the way things are, now.  Is it going to stay like this forever?

           He didn’t have an answer.

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Tag List: @siarven, @focusdumbass, @paladin-andric, @onedayiwillfind, @muggle-writes, @geth-consensus, @roselinbooks--let me know if anyone wants to be added to/removed from the tag list!

[corishadowfang]

So as I’m editing On my Heart, I’ve noticed that a lot of scenes that I thought weren’t great while writing them I actually kind of like?  So I decided to share one of them.  (Especially because I don’t know if it’s going to stay in exactly this format for draft three...)

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           It wasn’t the first time Aiden had left the city.  His parents had taken him on a couple of trips to an amusement park further up the territory—something he hardly remembered, save for when they took him directly after he’d been released from the hospital—and they’d visited his grandparents, who lived in the northern part of the country and didn’t always have the means to come visit.  Occasionally they’d gone to visit aunts and uncles he didn’t know very well and a couple of cousins he got along surprisingly well with (some of which were still save as contacts for his online games).  One time they’d gone to the beach for a couple of days, and Aiden had been excited despite himself, because he was used to water but not so much at once.

           But all of those trips had been on a car ride.  Traveling by train was a new experience.

           Kiru, unsurprisingly, had been ecstatic over the new experience, despite his trepidation over the reason for their trip.  He’d phased out immediately upon entering the train, and Aiden had been so caught up in trying to figure out where he was supposed to be going and how to keep people from looking at him too closely that he hadn’t realized the Familiar had left until a few moments later, leading to a panicked chase through the train cars and a scolding from the conductor.  Kiru had been successfully corralled, and sulked for only a few moments until the train started moving.

           Both Aiden and Kiru pressed their faces against the window, Aiden’s panic and Kiru’s irritation forgotten, as the city passed away, the train traveling over grass and winding past several houses and businesses scattered on the city outskirts.

           Gertrude asked, “You ever been on a train before?”

           Aiden shook his head.

           Kiru made an excited yelping noise, bounding onto the top of the seat and balancing, eyes tracking something Aiden couldn’t see.

           Their neighbors frowned and flicked open a newspaper.

           Aiden gave him a sheepish look and gestured vaguely for Kiru to come down. When the Familiar didn’t notice, he wordlessly gave up.

           Gertrude chuckled.  “Have to say, I didn’t expect to see you so interested in the scenery.”

           “Listen.  It’s not anywhere near the road or the river.  Like—I’ve seen the mountains, but I’ve never been on them.”

           As if on cue, the track sloped, the train chugging up the hill.

           Aiden gripped the seat a little tighter but kept his eyes glue to the window, the rattle of the wheels strangely comforting.

           “Mm. Guess I just kind of got used to it.”

           “Yeah, well, you live outside the city.  So duh.”

           Jackie—who’d been checking her supplies and fixing her prosthetic—gave Gertrude a sideways glance.  “Have you done a lot of traveling?”  The words sounded slightly strained, like she was attempting to make conversation solely for the sake of easing any potential awkwardness before it appeared.

           “When I was younger.  Not that my parents were too thrilled about most of it, of course.  My sister and I used to make impromptu trips to different cities or cool locations we wanted to check out.  One of us would find somewhere that looked interesting, and then we’d just hop in the car and go.  If we didn’t want our parents knowing, the train was usually the best option.”

           Jackie made an incredulous noise.

           Aiden pulled away from the window.  “You could do that?  Just leave?” He paused.  “Wait, you have a sister?”

           “Of course you can just leave!” she said, grinning, and Aiden wondered if she’d even registered his other comment.  “There’s nothing stopping you, really, if you want to go.”

           “Money,” Jackie argued.

           Aiden winced and subconsciously placed a hand on his heart.

           “Sure, sure, if you want to limit yourself.  But you can find ways around that, if you know how to look.  I traveled all the way to Provenance from Coal County in Timston without dipping into my parents’ funds for resources.” She snorted, a funny look crossing her face.  “They didn’t exactly approve, of course.”

           Aiden leaned back a little, scenery momentarily forgotten.  “Why haven’t you ever talked about your family before?  I mean, you seem to like your sister, at least.”

           Gertrude’s expression closed off slightly, and he wondered if he’d touched on an uncomfortable subject.  But she shrugged and glanced aside.  “Haven’t seen them in years, so there’s not much to talk about.”

           “Oh.”  Uncertainly he cast a glance over to Jackie.

           She raised an eyebrow.

           He jumped and looked back out the window.

           Jackie sighed tiredly.  “Whatever biological family I have hasn’t had contact with me since I was little.  My dad’s dead, mom’s God knows where, and my extended family pretty much stopped contacting me once I entered the foster care system.”

           Aiden murmured, “I’m sorry.”

           “Don’t be.  There’s nothing you could’ve done.”  She paused.  “The police were kind of like my family, for a while.”  She folded her arms and glanced aside.

           Aiden swallowed another apology.

           Kiru watched them, head tilted.  He slid onto Aiden’s shoulder and tapped him.

           Aiden furrowed his eyebrows.

           Kiru phased in.  I want to talk to them.

           Okay?  About what?

           About our family.

           Aiden blinked.  He was surprised enough that he almost forgot to lower his voice.  “Kiru said he wants to talk about our family.”

           Gertrude looked intrigued.

           Jackie still looked wary—as she usually did when he mentioned Kiru or had him out—but something vaguely curious flashed in her eyes.

           Kiru said, I don’t have any biological family, either.  That’s alive, anyway.  But it was never anything that bothered me.

           Aiden relayed the information as Kiru went, trying not to interject his own comments in the process.

           I don’t know if that’s a dragon thing, or a Familiar thing.  Family wasn’t important.  Aiden was my master, and it was my job to protect him.

           Something uncomfortable wormed in Aiden’s stomach, but he tried not to dwell on it, focused more on the Familiar’s words.

           But Aiden kept treating me like I belonged there, and I wanted to know more about the world.  So he taught me about family, and insisted that I was part of his.

           The uncomfortable feeling grew, and slowly it dawned on Aiden that he’d never paid much attention to how much the Familiar’s identity and life seemed to revolve around him.  It should have, a part of him whispered. That’s what Familiars are made for.

           So—I don’t know.  Kiru sounded confused for a moment, like he hadn’t quite decided where he’d wanted to go with this.  I guess that’s all.

           Gertrude snorted.  “Well. That was anticlimactic.”

           Aiden complained, “You didn’t even talk about anything we did.”  He hoped his voice wasn’t shaking as much as he thought it was.

           Kiru huffed.  I couldn’t think of anything!

           “I can.”  He paused. “We didn’t travel much.  But we did do a lot of things together.”  He stared out the window again, and his mind drifted back to warm summer nights, small points of light flickering in front of his face.  “Mom and Dad would take me out to catch fireflies when I was little. We’d keep them in a jar for a few hours, but my parents always made me let them go before I went to bed.  One night I managed to sneak some into my room. I was pretty upset when they were dead the next morning.”  He smiled a little sheepishly.  “One of the first things I did when I came home with Kiru was take him out to catch fireflies.”

           It had been strange, coming home with the Familiar.  He was still so unused to having one flickering around inside him, unused to the foreign thoughts and feelings that banged against his skull, foreign and not really formed with human words, but impressions and images and something deep and primal that he hadn’t been able to understand and probably never would.  And he hadn’t been entirely aware of what was going on or what was to come, but he had the vague sensation that things would be different now, and he’d been desperate for some form of normality and for a chance to try and find common ground with the Familiar he hadn’t expected to have and didn’t know how to interact with—no one in his family had owned a Familiar before.

           “My mom heard me trying to explain things.  We, ah, weren’t having too much luck.  Probably because Kiru kept scaring them.”

           Hey! Kiru protested.  That wasn’t my fault!  I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.

           Aiden snorted.  “Mom decided to help us.  Dad came out a little later with a net, and we had some more luck then.”

           He still remembered the kind of funny look his mother had given him when she’d caught him trying to teach the Familiar to catch fireflies.  He understood what it meant in hindsight, but at the time, he hadn’t quite been sure what to make of it.  But then she’d wiped it away and offered the help, and his dad hadn’t so much as looked at him oddly.

           “We used to like to go to the river, too,” he added, but his voice fell.  He’d always liked going to the docks, with his parents as a kid, with Kiru once he got older.  He didn’t know how to sail, but he liked the water, and he’d sometimes fish (a pastime he wasn’t particularly good at, but was relaxing enough that he didn’t mind) or play in the shallows with Kiru.

           But now the river was frightening, tinged with terror and the primal energy of dragons and change he wasn’t sure he knew how to deal with.  It was a representative of the fact that he couldn’t go back to his family any longer.

           The conversation fell away, his mood soured.

           Gertrude cleared her throat.  “Well, anyway.  We have a couple hours before our stop.  Better get comfortable.”

________________________________________________________________

Tag list: @siarven, @focusdumbass, @paladin-andric, @onedayiwillfind, @muggle-writes. Let me know if anyone wants to be added to/removed from the tag list!

[corishadowfang]

Cut Scenes: Dragon Revivalists

Five more chapters down, so here’s another cut scene!

And there’s...a lot going on here.  Out of all the cut scenes I’ve posted, this is the one that feels the most like it belongs in a first draft.  A lot of what happens here was my throwing around ideas and seeing what stuck.  When I went over the first draft, there was some stuff I definitely didn’t feel worked very well--there aren’t any dragon revivalists in the current draft, for instance.  But there were others that I thought, “Hey, this might actually kind of work if I repurposed it?”  I’ll leave you to guess what was used an what was dropped.

The scene itself is mostly self-explanatory--Aiden and the others are essentially following leads to learn more about Aiden’s situation, and in the process stumble across a group of people who actively want to revive dragons in the modern day.  The scene itself was fun to write, and I enjoyed the dialogue and character interactions.

Scene is below the cut!

     The building looked kind of like an inn.  A couple of tables and chairs were lined out front.

     Aiden studied it.  “It looks old.”

     “Probably is, if I had to guess.  Jackie would know more about it than I would.  She’s all about weird historical trivia.”  She opened the door.

     “Wait!  Can we really just walk right in?”

     “Why not?  You going to stand outside all day, dear?”

     He jolted and followed.

     The inside of the inn was oddly modern. Several padded booths lined one wall. Tables and chairs were set up around the area.  The radio played faint music.  Bottles and glasses filled the shelves behind the counter.  A television hung overhead.  A set of stairs was off to one side.

     A man stood behind the counter and lifted his head.  He blinked and adjusted his glasses.  “Oh! Welcome.  I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting visitors so early.”

     Gertrude said, “That’s alright, dear.  We weren’t expecting to come out quite this early, either.”

     Aiden thought the words sounded harmless, but they seemed to put the bartender on edge.

     “Anyways!  We just have a few questions about a Familiar.”

     “I-I’m afraid I’m probably not the person you’d want to talk to for that.  Have you tried Familiar Co.?”

     “Yep.  They sent us here, love.”  She paused. “Well, not directly.  They sent us to a woman named Elise Gable, then she sent us here.  You heard of her?”

     “I know Mrs. Gable, yes.”

     “Great!  Then I’ll spare you the details.  She assured us that you’d have more information than her.”

     The bartender shook his head.  “I’m not sure what you think I know, but I think you’ve got the wrong person.”

     “Aiden, dear?  Care to call Kiru out?”

     Aiden gave her a baffled look.  “Aren’t we supposed to be laying low?” he hissed.

     “Only for the general populace.”

     Aiden gestured frantically to the bartender.

     Gertrude caught his eye.

     He slapped a hand to his forehead and ran it over his face.  “If this comes back to bite us, I’m blaming you.”

     Kiru phased out, curling from his hand onto his arm, dragging his tail free.

     The bartender looked at the Familiar with a combination of nerves and curiosity.  “Where did you get that?”

     “Familiar Co.”

     “But that’s impossible.  Mrs. Gable and Ms. Thorn pulled the plug on the project years ago.”  His eyes snapped wide, as if realizing what he’d just said.

     Gertrude’s grin had grown dangerous.  “And what exactly was this project, hmm?”

     The bartender’s mouth opened and closed several times, a quiet squeak coming out.

     Gertrude sighed and settled onto a stool, resting an arm on the bar.  She didn’t face the bartender, eyes instead fixed to the door.  “I take it you really are one of those dragon revivalists? It’s alright—I’m pretty sure asking for a custom Familiar isn’t a crime.  Besides, I came ready to bargain for information.”

     Aiden whispered, “With what?”

     Kiru’s tail flicked to him.

     “Ah, no.  No, no, no.  Not encouraging.”

     Gertrude still wore that unfriendly grin.

     Aiden debated whether or not he could make a break for it.

     The bartender said, “I really should talk to the others about this.”

     “But they’re not here now, and we’d really like to be on our way before too long.  Besides, are you really going to pass up the opportunity to get a fully-functional dragon on your side?”

     It took a few moments for the words to register. Aiden hissed, “Gertrude, what are you doing?”

     The bartender did a double-take.  “I thought I recognized you!  But I didn’t think—is it true?  You’re really Provenance’s Dragon?”

     Gertrude answered for him.  “The one and only!  If I remember correctly, you guys rallied around the last dragon?  And I think I’ve heard some rumors about you trying to use Provenance’s Dragon for your own purposes.  Was the name you’re doing, too?”

     Aiden asked, “Don’t I get a say in this?”

     The bartender answered Gertrude like he hadn’t heard.  “No. That really was the media.  They wanted a more exciting story.”

     “Apparently not.”

     The bartender seemed to consider the situation for several moments.  “What are you offering?”

     “What I’m offering are our services, to an extent. We drum up some hype for you with Provenance’s Dragon.  In return, you tell us about his Familiar.”

     Aiden tugged Gertrude’s arm.  “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

     Gertrude eyed him, then shrugged.  “Just discussing some last minute details!” she called to the bartender.

     The bartender seemed too wrapped up in his own thoughts to comment.

     Aiden dragged Gertrude to a corner and asked, “What are you doing?”

     “Getting information, of course.”

     “Well, yeah, but—but offering me as a bargaining chip?  Isn’t that a bad idea?  Besides, shouldn’t I get a say in it?”

     “What else do you think the revivalists would be interested in?”

     “I don’t know, money?  It’s one thing to have the whole ‘Mach Five in self-defense’ on my back.  It’s another to actively do something to stir up trouble.  It’s not going to do me any favors when we turn the information in to the police.”

     “Listen, kiddo, you’ve got to get out in the streets more.”

     “What does that have anything to do with this?”

     “We’re making a deal, sure.  And if we want to be seen as credible, we still need to honor that deal.  But there are loopholes we can abuse.”

     “Loopholes.”

     “Mm-hm!  Notice I just said ‘drum up hype with Provenance’s Dragon’?  That can be interpreted a lot of different ways.  Such us just having you hand out flyers.”

     Aiden gave her a skeptical look.

     “Technically speaking, Provenance’s Dragon is still helping to create hype.  It’s just not what they expected.”

     “I’m still not sure I like it.”

     Gertrude gave him a lidded stare.  Abruptly her smile stretched wide.  “What if we add in a little bit of information?”

     “I’m not sure how this is helping your case.”

     “I could ask the guy what he knows about Tyson Gable.  That’s the guy who attacked you, right?”

     Aiden stiffened.

     “You are still interested in going after him, right?”

     “Jackie doesn’t want to.”

     “And?  She doesn’t control your life.  She doesn’t have to be involved.”

     “I don’t want to cause any more trouble for her.”

     “You won’t if we just go without her. Besides, there’s no harm in getting information, is there?”

     Aiden shifted a little.

     “You want to, right?  You might regret it if you don’t try.”

     He gave Kiru an uncertain glance.

     The Familiar phased in.

     Aiden asked, What do you think?

     I don’t know.  It’s more dangerous.

    So we shouldn’t do it?

     A long pause.  I’ll support whatever you want to do.

     That’s not an answer!

     What does it matter?  Even if I tell you what to do, you’ll still hem and haw until you make your own decision.

     Aiden released a heavy sigh.

     Gertrude said, “Clock’s ticking.  We can either go back and talk to this guy—with the trade in place—and get some information, or we can leave and give up.  But it’s going to be a lot harder to learn anything if we don’t get his help.”

     The bartender had apparently had enough time to think; he was giving them nervous looks, alternately polishing cups that looked like they’d already been scrubbed clean.

     “Alright.  If you ask about Tyson, too, then, then I’ll agree.”

Tag list: @siarven, @focusdumbass, @paladin-andric, @onedayiwillfind--if anyone wants to be added to/removed from the tag list, please let me know!

[corishadowfang]

Cut Scenes: School Days

Guess who just finished re-drafting five chapters for On my Heart (+prologue)?  That means the...technically second of the cut scenes can be posted.  (The first one was just posted...quite a while ago.)

This scene originally took place in chapter two, right after the whole ‘dragon transformation’ thing went down.  Originally, Aiden no one but Aiden, Kiru, and Gertrude knew that Aiden was ‘the dragon’ at first, so Aiden was still able to go to school and do a number of other things.  I’m a huge fan of dramatic irony, so I always really liked the tension here of Aiden’s classmates and teachers talking about the dragon, while Aiden knows very well who it is and is terrified of being discovered and getting in trouble.

Even though I really loved some of Aiden’s school scenes, the revised version’s plot kicks off a lot faster.  The police know pretty quickly that Aiden’s the dragon and that Mach Five hasn’t affected him, and Aiden’s already aware of the stakes and that the law isn’t exactly going to be fair to him.  Unfortunately, it meant this chapter two scene had to be cut.

     Students cluttered the hallway.  He shoved his way to his locker.  A couple of students talked nearby.

     “Hey, you see the news this morning?”

     “Yeah, someone actually went Mach Five.”

     Aiden nearly shut his hand in his locker.

     “Think someone else’ll do it?”

     “No way.  That guy’ll probably be dead in, like, a week.”

     “Who says it’s a guy?”

     Aiden hurried past them, knocking into one student’s shoulder.

     “Watch it!”

     “Sorry.”

     Kiru phased out and glared.

     Aiden caught him and pressed him close to his chest.

     The Familiar struggled, whining protest.

     Aiden reached homeroom and slid into his seat. He released Kiru, flashing a nervous look around the room.  No students looked his way; a few had Familiars out, having them tussle or find their homework.

     Kiru pawed his hand.

     “Phase back in.”

     Kiru tilted his head, then turned away.

     Aiden dragged him to his chest.

     The Familiar yelped, struggling.

     A few eyes turned their way.

     Aiden froze, sweat beading on his neck.

     Kiru squirmed free, then phased in.  What was that for?

     Gee, I don’t know, it might be a bad idea to draw attention to ourselves?

     You did that more than me.

     Shut up.

     The bell rang.  Their homeroom teacher entered the classroom and swept them with a stern look.  “Familiars away.”

     A few colored lights flashed around the room.

     “Now,” he continued, “normally you all are free to use homeroom as you please.  However, in light of recent events, I feel like some reminders are in order.”

     A few people groaned.  Someone whispered, “Great, another lecture.”

     Aiden focused on his hands.

     A red Familiar phased out of the teacher.

     “Why does he get to have his Familiar out?”

     “Because he’s the teacher, doofus.”

     He ignored the quiet bickering.  “Familiars were created, originally, to be something of a cross between portable bodyguard and weapon.  At first they were planned to be primarily given to soldiers, but their utility was found useful in domestic situations, and gradually their skill set was expanded and offered to the general public.  There are four types of Familiars, each with a different specialty. Can anyone tell me what they are?”

     A reluctant silence hung over the class for several moments.  One student eventually raised her hand.  “Red is for attack, blue defense, green healing, and yellow messes with the brain.”

     “Various chemicals in the brain and some senses, but essentially, yes.  In their base form, each Familiar can use these skills to a small degree.”  He snapped his fingers.  His Familiar fired a small, faintly red blast of energy. “Familiars are designed to tap into their host’s brain, in order to monitor vital senses.  Their limited artificial intelligence allows them to act independently when their hosts are in danger.  However, they become much more powerful working in tandem with a human.

     “The higher stages of power are called Mach Stages.  Each stage manifests more and more of a Familiar’s ‘dragon’ base on the human host, as well as increasing the basic power of their abilities.  Because of their potential for misuse, Mach Stages are illegal to the general public.  Mach One through Three are allowed for certified individuals, specifically those with certain professions.  Mach Four and Five are illegal for all, kept only for soldiers in emergency situations. Who can tell me why?”

     A boy near the front answered, “They use a lot of energy.”

     “Yes, but not quite.  You see, in the earlier stages, the dragon elements are merely ethereal, though even there, it can sometimes affect the mind and make a user more feral.  At Mach Four, the elements start becoming physical, and at Mach Five, the user becomes a dragon in full.  Needless to say, the human body is not meant to undergo such changes.”  He paused.  “I’m sure most of you heard about the dragon that appeared last night.”

     Aiden shrank.

     “While this stunt may pique some of your interests, I hope I don’t need to remind you that it’s very dangerous.  If you’re lucky, you’ll suffer some physical malfunctions and be taken into custody—regardless of age.  If not—”

     Aiden stood and stumbled to the front of the classroom.

     The teacher faltered.  “Mr. Cooley?”

     “I need to go.”

     “Class hasn’t even—”

     “To the nurse’s office.  My heart.”

     “Oh.  Oh, yes, of course.”  His face turned pale.

     Aiden hurried out the door.

     Your heart’s fine, though.  A pause. Well, sort of.  As fine as it can be.

     I needed to get out of there.

     Are you really going to the nurse’s office?

     I guess.

     The woman didn’t seem surprised to see him. “Your teacher called.”  She gestured.  “Let’s have a look at you.”

     He sat.

     The woman frowned.  “Familiar out.  I’m not going to get a good idea with that thing butting in the way.”

     Kiru huffed indignantly, but phased out.

     The nurse knelt, touching his arm, green haloing her fingers.  Tingling fire burned through his veins.  He hissed.

     A few moments later the nurse pulled away. “Any fatigue?”  She found a thermometer.

     “No.”  He flinched when she stuck it in his ear.

     “You don’t seem to have a fever, and your heart isn’t any more irregular than normal.  I still have the pills your parents sent, if you think you need some.”

     “N-no.  Just. A false alarm.”

     She scrutinized him.  “Don’t try to be brave.  If you think something’s wrong, even if I can’t find anything, we can still—”

     “I’m fine.”

     Kiru, who had moved to investigate the desk, paused.

     The nurse eyed him a few moments longer. “Then I suppose I should send you back to class.”

     Very suddenly he wished he could shove his words back down his throat—because he was not fine and wanted to be anywhere but class, but how was he supposed to explain the real reason he couldn’t go back. So instead he nodded, called a curt, “Kiru!” and left.

     He’d made it half way to his first class when he remembered he’d left his back pack in homeroom.  He started back, stopped, and leaned against a wall.  I can’t do this.

     A lengthy pause from Kiru.  Sure you can.  You just go in, get your stuff, and go.  Right?

     He ran a hand over his face.  After a few moments he took a deep breath, pushed away, and entered the room.

     Several eyes flashed to him.  The teacher cleared his throat.  “Are you feeling better, Mr. Cooley?”

     “Yeah.  False alarm.” He didn’t meet anyone’s eyes as he trailed the room, but he felt them following him, lifting the hairs on his neck, and wondered if any of them suspected.  His shoulders hunched under his backpack’s weight, and he trudged towards his first class.

Tag list: @siarven, @focusdumbass

If anyone ever wants to be added/taken off of the tag list, just let me know!

[corishadowfang]

Jotober #22: Expensive

           Aiden sat, his back pressed against his door.  Kiru was phased in, but confusion and concern radiated from him like a heartbeat.

           His parents’ voices drifted from the kitchen.

           “I could—I could get another job.  That would cover some of the costs,” Sara was saying.

           “You’re stressed enough as it is.”

           “And you don’t have time to get another one.”

           “Are you sure the insurance won’t cover it?”

           “They wouldn’t cover his medical procedures.”  Sara’s voice was bitter.  A heavy pause.  “I could find a job with better benefits.  Maybe then they’d cover the medicine, at least.”  Papers shuffled.  “But we still have the electric bill, the mortgage—could we move? Could we find an apartment for cheaper? Could we—”

           “Easy.”

           “The bank’s banging on our door!  I don’t know how we’re going to get through this.”

           Aiden fisted his pant legs.  He stood abruptly.

           Kiru asked, What are you going to do?

           He rummaged through his closet for his backpack.  He shoved in some clothes, a blanket, his old stuffed bear.  He found a few bits of change and some chocolate bars he’d stuffed in his drawer and threw them in, too.  After a glance at the snow outside he tugged on his still-too-big winter jacket.

           Aiden?

           He shoved the window open with a screech.  He scrambled over the edge and fell flat on his back.

           Where are we going?

           Phase out.

           Huh?

           Phase out!

           Kiru obeyed, flames rippling uneasily, eyes round.

           The cold bit into his hands; snow soaked through his pants.  He hefted himself to his feet and trudged towards the houses.

           Kiru bounded after him, struggling to jump through the drifts.

           They wandered between the buildings, occasionally crossing freshly-plowed roads and stumbling over half-buried toys.  Aiden turned and followed the sidewalk.  His breath puffed in a heavy white cloud.

           Kiru came up beside his legs and trilled.

           “No.”

           He tilted his head, then started the phase in.

           “No!”  Aiden shoved him aside and promptly fell in the snow.

           Kiru made a questioning sound.  He approached and pawed at Aiden’s cheek.

           Aiden pushed himself onto his knees.  Snot dribbled from his nose; he wiped it on his sleeve, then stared at the now-purple-blue skin of his hands.  He shoved them under his armpits and kicked through the snow.  His back pressed against a lamppost.

           His chest ached.

           Kiru cautiously approached.  He stepped onto Aiden’s leg.  After a moment he lifted a paw to touch Aiden’s chest.

           “Go away.”  He shifted a little, but didn’t push the Familiar away this time.

           Kiru stared a few moments, then phased in.

           The pressure in his chest eased a little.  He fished a candy bar out of his backpack.

           Are we going home soon?  It’s really cold for humans.

           No.

           Why not?

           Aiden sniffed.  He rubbed his forehead against his knees.  We’re just not.

           Then where are we going?

           I don’t know.  Somewhere else.

           Kiru didn’t say anything, but Aiden could sense his uncertainty.

           After a while Aiden’s hands had warmed and the streetlight flickered on.  He stood and tried to brush the snow away, but his pants were already soaked and heavy.  He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept going.

           The wind whipped into his face and stung his cheeks.  He pulled the coat’s collar over his nose and mouth, the hood momentarily obscuring his vision.  Something clattered; he jumped, only to realize a cat had been rummaging through someone’s garbage.

           Between the snow and the dark, he couldn’t quite make out where he was going.  He didn’t think he recognized any of the buildings around him.

           The cold sunk through his coat and seemed to seep into his bones.  His teeth chattered.

           Kiru said, We should go home.

           Aiden stubbornly pressed on and wiped his eyes.

           Please?  It’s warmer there.  You’ll get sick if you stay out here.

           Aiden shook his head, then stopped abruptly.  “I don’t know where I am.”

           A pause.  Isn’t that what you wanted?

           He couldn’t quite tell if it was Kiru asking, or himself.  He hitched a breath.  “I don’t know where I am,” he repeated.  “And it’s dark and I’m cold and—”  He made a concerted effort not to cry.

           Kiru phased out.

           Aiden sniffed.  “Kiru?”

           The Familiar bounded a few paces away.  He paused, then flicked his tail.

           Aiden followed.

           They wandered for what felt like hours.  Aiden had to stop several times; Kiru nudged him when he’d settled on a bench and refused to move.

           His feet and fingers were numb by the time they reached their house.  A police car was parked in the driveway.

           The doorknob trembled under his fingertips.  Inside the house was warm and bright, and he could almost forget the conversation he’d overheard.

           Sara was rambling to an officer, “I don’t know, I just went in to check on him for the night and he wasn’t there—”

           “Mom?”

           She stopped very abruptly.  She turned, and her expression seemed frozen for a moment, surprise and shock and relief all crowding for space.

           They met halfway between each other, crying, clutching each other tight.  Sara whispered, “I was so worried.”

           “I’m sorry!”

           “Aiden—Aiden, what were you thinking?”

           All he could do was hiccup, “I’m sorry,” over and over again, until the words blurred into unintelligible sounds.

           Kiru curled around them. He nudged Aiden’s cheek and offered him what look almost like a smile.

           Aiden just buried his face deeper in Sara’s shoulder.