FanFic - (Some backstory stuff)
((Little one-shot that more or less explains the larger of Ryuzaki's scars, among things. Remember, since her first name is Takayou here, she's referred to as such!
Oh, and Asahi is a district of Osaka, similar to how Domino is supposedly in Tokyo.))
------------------------
The Path Home
Strange things had been happening in Asahi-ku as of late.
Dark things. Secret things. Maybe it started with the school year. With the change over that seemed almost magical, when she would put on her uniform pinafore dress and Shizuka- or 'Seikou' as his mother called him- would trade in the skirts and vests for a gakuran outfit.
It was two days into school that the first incident happened after all, but perhaps that was just concerning what happened at the school. The first time, nothing seemed more than odd- the desks were found stacked along the back of the room, forming something. 'Shi', perhaps? None of the desks, though haphazardly stacked, seemed ruined.
Except, they realized, Shizu-kun's.
This happened for a while, the strange stacking. Shizu's desk was being ruined constantly. Some thought that, perhaps, he was being targeted because of his crossdressing habits. That it was a matter of hate crime. So, one of the teachers told them that they would be staying behind to make sure that it didn't happen again- that Shizu didn't have to worry about a thing!
They found his mangled body crushed beneath the desks, on top of Shizu's own destroyed one.
'You're MINE...'
Such was the message found in the corpse's pockets.
Suddenly, the desk stacking stopped. Instead, the events and dangers moved closer to home. Bloodied animals of all kind, littered on the front lawn. Messages of threats, and cackling laughter that had no source. Shizu began staying later and later at the school to wait for his friends to join him home from school. For Haga Katsugi to finish his homework, done within the building lest the cat in her own home ruin his work. For Noa to finish recharging, having decided to take as much from the school's power as possible lest the home he stayed in realize that he was there.
For her- for her kendo practice to end late in the evening, so that she could join Shizu in the dark on the way home.
The messages were scary- haunting... 'Seven days...' 'Six...' 'Five...'
'I'll bleed you dry... And your precious 'dog' too.'
The days were counting down. Shizu was getting more and more afraid, and Haga was spending more and more time at the school in an effort to track the cause. Noa remained behind for a bit, before heading back to the house...
And the walk proceeded in eerie silence.
“...It's darker out than normal,” Shizuka said after a few moments. He looked almost male in his uniform, despite the feminine way he typically held himself. It was almost strange, now that she was so used to seeing him in a skirt, or even a pair of girl's shorts. Like walking beside a completely different person even...
But Shizuka's words pulled her attention away from this, and after a few moments she found herself looking around the darkened street with a nod. “...Yea... It is.” They grew silent again after those words, continuing on a relatively slow walking pace. The darkness wasn't what was worrying them anymore.
Just what it might have been hiding.
“...Neh... Shizu-kun.” Shizuka turned, looking back at his friend as she stopped in place. “...About this evening...” That evening in particular was late she supposed. This evening's kendo meet had included a training prep for an upcoming competition- she'd proven quite well that Duel Monsters wasn't the only thing she would compete in, and as it turned out, the others knew this. But... As it turned out, that wasn't all they'd done. And, gripping the sheath of her first real katana in hand, she fell silent for quite some time as her friend stared.
“...Takayou-chan..?”
She blinked- it wasn't like her to drift off into thought really, but the fact was,between getting this horridly expensive present, and Shizu's 'casual' mention of a final 'Tonight' that had been painted on his bedroom wall...
She shuddered, before shaking it off. “Nothing... Let's just get home, alright?”
“...Alright.” It was a moment before he turned back around, but he seemed to take the excuse. “Alright then. Oh... But Takayou,” he added cheerily, again snapping the girl from her silence. “About that thing I mentioned earlier... ...It's really nothing, okay,” Shizuka told her. "Nothing.”
Nothing..? Oh!
The message. She nodded. “Y-Yea... Noth-”
-ssfsst-
The two froze. “...Takayou-chan..?” Shizuka turned back a moment, swallowing as the rustling they'd heard vanished from the air. The air was still- cool but windless, hanging stagnant around them as they stood beneath the paper-thin protection of the streetlamp light. “...Takayou-chan,” her friend repeated, the girl in question swallowing as she looked back from the sound's source.
Gripping the katana in her hand she swallowed, slowly moving the sheath into a position that would allow her to draw it properly. “It's... It's probably nothing right?” she asked uneasily, looking to Shizuka with a small laugh. “Nothing... Just-”
-sffshh sfff-
Again the pair froze, and this time as they turned a figure began to clear in the distance. Its footsteps were light, and 'calm'. They moved with seeming deliberation, and without any hurry what so ever. And for a moment, all they could see was a uniform identifying them as a student from their school... Then a long, thin cable that hung suspended on it's own against gravity's will. And a shock of green hair..-
“Ah- Noa-kun!” Shizuka exclaimed, his friend momentarily loosening the grip on her sword.
“Utatane..?”
Noa did not answer for a moment, merely smiling in apparent relief. “Hahhh... There you are..!” he shouted, walking over at the same continued pace with an uneasy laugh. “I've been looking everywhere for you guys-piko! Haga wanted me to make sure that creep that's been going around didn't act on anything... You guys are alright though, neh-piko?”
The pair blinked,before hesitantly nodding. After all- snob that Haga was, he stillhad feelings underneath all the boasts- it wasn't surprising that he'd ask this of Noa. “Phew... Noa-kun... You really scared us for a moment there!” Shizuka laughed, rubbing the side of his cheek. “Next time just tell us, okay?”
“Ahhh... Alright, alright,” the android responded, waving a hand somewhat flippantly in front of his face. “I'll keep that in mind-piko..!”
“Cheh! You better,” Takayou growled darkly. “Or it'll be your wires on my sword..!”
The android gave a somewhat more uneasy laugh, a high-pitched 'piko!' coming over the air for a moment. “Hai hai..!! No need to make threats-piko, honest!!” Yea yea... As the girl rolled her eyes Noa continued, the other two merely beginning their trek home again. “Besides,” he laughed, a sudden gust of wind seeming to pass from behind them as they froze in place. “You won't be able to so much as blink when I'm done..!!”
“What..?”
Wait... This thing behind them-!
Shit. “Ngh-" She lunged toward her friend after taking nothing more than a glance back, panicked voice filling the air immediately. "Shizu, get back!” The sound of clashing steel came over the air in an instant as Shizuka was pushed back, the one who took the intended blow for him flying back through the air as a result. “GHHA-”
“Hnhnhnhnhn...” As the girl skidded back against the pavement 'Noa' grinned, looking over to Shizuka with a sneer. “Really... You're both so pathetically trusting...”
“N- ...Noa-kun,” the boy whispered fearfully, watching as his 'friend' slowly turned to face him. “N... Noa-kun..?”
The android's grin merely widened, glass eyes glowing with an unexplained power. “Hnnn... Not quite. Now..!”
“HHHGGGRAAAAAAHHH!!” With a jolt the android turned from where he'd been closing in on his target, a screaming Takayou charging with a drawn and unused blade. “HHHAAAAAHHH!”
“Keh!” With ease 'Noa' leaped back, the katana scraping across the ground in his wake. “Well... That's interesting,” he chuckled, an insane grin replacing the usual soft smile he held. “I'd thought that would have killed you easy..!!”
Killed her huh..? Well obviously SOMEONE built this thing wrong..! “Hn! Obviously not,” she retorted, bringing her blade back in a quick to strike position. “And I'm going to make sure you don't try again!”
And with that the girl charged, a feral cry meeting the air. 'Noa' however, did not move.
He only grinned. “Ohohoho... The mouse thinks it can defeat the lion does it,” he sneered, tilting his head with an audible crack as the blade came toward him. “I should rectify this... Hnhnhnhnhnhnhn...”
-SLSHT-
“NGH-!” Just as she brought the blade down something cut across her chest, Takayou stumbling briefly as her target seemingly vanished from sight. Something wet on her chest... Something-
-SLSSHT!-
“TAKAYOU-CHAN!”
“NG-HAAH-” Again, something sliced across her, this time throwing her back against the ground. A large gash now sat on her chest and stomach- and though it took her a moment, she could see with blurring vision and fading conciousness the source. She could see the blood dripping from the USB 'tail' that Noa had used against her, the device flicking slightly to shake off the droplets. She could see his mouth moving as he began to walk forward, the same tail striking across the side of her neck before coiling around it tightly. “Glhk-” Tighter... “GLKKAAGKH-” Tighter...
“Hnhnhnhnhn... How long I wonder... Can you hold your breath, little mouse..?” Tighter...
“LLGHk...!” Her vision was beginning to spot. With trembling hands she groped at the cord, unable to see clearly as she attempted to speak. Attempted to cry, scream, get a single bit of air in her throat and-
“TAKAYOU-CHAAAAANN!!” She couldn't breathe... “GET AWAY FROM HER!” She couldn't see... “NNGRAAAAAAAHHH!!”
“HnhnHAHAHAAA!!!” She couldn't help him...
“GH-NH!” She couldn't...
Couldn't...
A fourth voice cut through the air like a hot blade to melting butter. “VOICE KEY ACTIVATE! 'INITIATE LOCKDOWN!”
'Lockdown initiated.' What..?
Without warning the cord slackened, the rush of air to her lungs giving her just enough clarity to reach for her bleeding neck and watch as her would be murderer stiffened on the spot. “What...!!” Wide eyes quivered with rage, somehow turning to the side as the 'speakers' that allowed Noa a voice continued to play. “WHAAAAAAAT..!!”
“Hahh... Hahhh... Ghhaahhh...” From the side, Haga struggled to breathe, slouched over in exhaustion as he held his knees. Sweat was dripping down the sides of his face, and his glasses hung askew to match his now messed hair. “Ngghahhh.... R-Ryuzaki-chan,” he rasped, ignoring the wince that came as usual when the honorific came into play. “S-Shizuka... Are you both... Are you both...”
“W-We're fine,” Shizuka managed to say, looking toward Noa in fear. “But this...”
“Gh... Some robot you managed to build,” Takayou spat, still collapsed in front of Noa. “Attacking people with all the zeal of a damn serial!”
“Oh is that the term then..?” Before Haga could angrily respond the android began to speak again, all three turning to face it. “Well... I guess you'll be happy to know that your stupid interfering bug has nothing to do with this,” he sneered, the boy at the side momentarily stiffening before continuing to listen. “I might not have gotten you this time,” he went on, “But mark my words I will... I'll destroy you all, and then the dog is next! Hnhnhahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!”
“But you can't move now,” Haga protested, somehow managing to straighten himself as he looked to the android in disgust. “Not with a lockdown code...! And when I'm done with you, you definitely won't be doing anything like this..!”
“Done with me,” the android responded, cracking and crunching meeting the air as the head began to turn against its programing. “You can't even TOUCH me, BOY... HhhnnnnHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!”
Sparks flew through the air as the 'robot' screamed, neck snapping back with a wide open jaw to allow something 'out'. It was as though the entire body had been stuffed with ash. As though a fire had been burning from within all this time, filling it with smoke and charcoal and releasing it only now. And yet as the enormous cloud fled from the robot's body cackling met the air, and for a moment as she looked up she could only freeze in horror at the sight of what it began to form. Staring from above, looking on with a grin that was made from almost flaming teeth, a single great eye...!
“Count your days brats... I'll be back soon enough..!” She recognized that voice she realized, heart racing even as her vision began to grow black. She recognized it..!! From in the hospital, from when she had taken down the ghouls chasing Shizu-kun and the others... She recognized it... Recognized it completely...
And it was with those thoughts that she entered a fitful sleep, the others only then able to move from their spot to call for aid.
Oh, and Asahi is a district of Osaka, similar to how Domino is supposedly in Tokyo.))
------------------------
The Path Home
Strange things had been happening in Asahi-ku as of late.
Dark things. Secret things. Maybe it started with the school year. With the change over that seemed almost magical, when she would put on her uniform pinafore dress and Shizuka- or 'Seikou' as his mother called him- would trade in the skirts and vests for a gakuran outfit.
It was two days into school that the first incident happened after all, but perhaps that was just concerning what happened at the school. The first time, nothing seemed more than odd- the desks were found stacked along the back of the room, forming something. 'Shi', perhaps? None of the desks, though haphazardly stacked, seemed ruined.
Except, they realized, Shizu-kun's.
This happened for a while, the strange stacking. Shizu's desk was being ruined constantly. Some thought that, perhaps, he was being targeted because of his crossdressing habits. That it was a matter of hate crime. So, one of the teachers told them that they would be staying behind to make sure that it didn't happen again- that Shizu didn't have to worry about a thing!
They found his mangled body crushed beneath the desks, on top of Shizu's own destroyed one.
'You're MINE...'
Such was the message found in the corpse's pockets.
Suddenly, the desk stacking stopped. Instead, the events and dangers moved closer to home. Bloodied animals of all kind, littered on the front lawn. Messages of threats, and cackling laughter that had no source. Shizu began staying later and later at the school to wait for his friends to join him home from school. For Haga Katsugi to finish his homework, done within the building lest the cat in her own home ruin his work. For Noa to finish recharging, having decided to take as much from the school's power as possible lest the home he stayed in realize that he was there.
For her- for her kendo practice to end late in the evening, so that she could join Shizu in the dark on the way home.
The messages were scary- haunting... 'Seven days...' 'Six...' 'Five...'
'I'll bleed you dry... And your precious 'dog' too.'
The days were counting down. Shizu was getting more and more afraid, and Haga was spending more and more time at the school in an effort to track the cause. Noa remained behind for a bit, before heading back to the house...
And the walk proceeded in eerie silence.
“...It's darker out than normal,” Shizuka said after a few moments. He looked almost male in his uniform, despite the feminine way he typically held himself. It was almost strange, now that she was so used to seeing him in a skirt, or even a pair of girl's shorts. Like walking beside a completely different person even...
But Shizuka's words pulled her attention away from this, and after a few moments she found herself looking around the darkened street with a nod. “...Yea... It is.” They grew silent again after those words, continuing on a relatively slow walking pace. The darkness wasn't what was worrying them anymore.
Just what it might have been hiding.
“...Neh... Shizu-kun.” Shizuka turned, looking back at his friend as she stopped in place. “...About this evening...” That evening in particular was late she supposed. This evening's kendo meet had included a training prep for an upcoming competition- she'd proven quite well that Duel Monsters wasn't the only thing she would compete in, and as it turned out, the others knew this. But... As it turned out, that wasn't all they'd done. And, gripping the sheath of her first real katana in hand, she fell silent for quite some time as her friend stared.
“...Takayou-chan..?”
She blinked- it wasn't like her to drift off into thought really, but the fact was,between getting this horridly expensive present, and Shizu's 'casual' mention of a final 'Tonight' that had been painted on his bedroom wall...
She shuddered, before shaking it off. “Nothing... Let's just get home, alright?”
“...Alright.” It was a moment before he turned back around, but he seemed to take the excuse. “Alright then. Oh... But Takayou,” he added cheerily, again snapping the girl from her silence. “About that thing I mentioned earlier... ...It's really nothing, okay,” Shizuka told her. "Nothing.”
Nothing..? Oh!
The message. She nodded. “Y-Yea... Noth-”
-ssfsst-
The two froze. “...Takayou-chan..?” Shizuka turned back a moment, swallowing as the rustling they'd heard vanished from the air. The air was still- cool but windless, hanging stagnant around them as they stood beneath the paper-thin protection of the streetlamp light. “...Takayou-chan,” her friend repeated, the girl in question swallowing as she looked back from the sound's source.
Gripping the katana in her hand she swallowed, slowly moving the sheath into a position that would allow her to draw it properly. “It's... It's probably nothing right?” she asked uneasily, looking to Shizuka with a small laugh. “Nothing... Just-”
-sffshh sfff-
Again the pair froze, and this time as they turned a figure began to clear in the distance. Its footsteps were light, and 'calm'. They moved with seeming deliberation, and without any hurry what so ever. And for a moment, all they could see was a uniform identifying them as a student from their school... Then a long, thin cable that hung suspended on it's own against gravity's will. And a shock of green hair..-
“Ah- Noa-kun!” Shizuka exclaimed, his friend momentarily loosening the grip on her sword.
“Utatane..?”
Noa did not answer for a moment, merely smiling in apparent relief. “Hahhh... There you are..!” he shouted, walking over at the same continued pace with an uneasy laugh. “I've been looking everywhere for you guys-piko! Haga wanted me to make sure that creep that's been going around didn't act on anything... You guys are alright though, neh-piko?”
The pair blinked,before hesitantly nodding. After all- snob that Haga was, he stillhad feelings underneath all the boasts- it wasn't surprising that he'd ask this of Noa. “Phew... Noa-kun... You really scared us for a moment there!” Shizuka laughed, rubbing the side of his cheek. “Next time just tell us, okay?”
“Ahhh... Alright, alright,” the android responded, waving a hand somewhat flippantly in front of his face. “I'll keep that in mind-piko..!”
“Cheh! You better,” Takayou growled darkly. “Or it'll be your wires on my sword..!”
The android gave a somewhat more uneasy laugh, a high-pitched 'piko!' coming over the air for a moment. “Hai hai..!! No need to make threats-piko, honest!!” Yea yea... As the girl rolled her eyes Noa continued, the other two merely beginning their trek home again. “Besides,” he laughed, a sudden gust of wind seeming to pass from behind them as they froze in place. “You won't be able to so much as blink when I'm done..!!”
“What..?”
Wait... This thing behind them-!
Shit. “Ngh-" She lunged toward her friend after taking nothing more than a glance back, panicked voice filling the air immediately. "Shizu, get back!” The sound of clashing steel came over the air in an instant as Shizuka was pushed back, the one who took the intended blow for him flying back through the air as a result. “GHHA-”
“Hnhnhnhnhn...” As the girl skidded back against the pavement 'Noa' grinned, looking over to Shizuka with a sneer. “Really... You're both so pathetically trusting...”
“N- ...Noa-kun,” the boy whispered fearfully, watching as his 'friend' slowly turned to face him. “N... Noa-kun..?”
The android's grin merely widened, glass eyes glowing with an unexplained power. “Hnnn... Not quite. Now..!”
“HHHGGGRAAAAAAHHH!!” With a jolt the android turned from where he'd been closing in on his target, a screaming Takayou charging with a drawn and unused blade. “HHHAAAAAHHH!”
“Keh!” With ease 'Noa' leaped back, the katana scraping across the ground in his wake. “Well... That's interesting,” he chuckled, an insane grin replacing the usual soft smile he held. “I'd thought that would have killed you easy..!!”
Killed her huh..? Well obviously SOMEONE built this thing wrong..! “Hn! Obviously not,” she retorted, bringing her blade back in a quick to strike position. “And I'm going to make sure you don't try again!”
And with that the girl charged, a feral cry meeting the air. 'Noa' however, did not move.
He only grinned. “Ohohoho... The mouse thinks it can defeat the lion does it,” he sneered, tilting his head with an audible crack as the blade came toward him. “I should rectify this... Hnhnhnhnhnhnhn...”
-SLSHT-
“NGH-!” Just as she brought the blade down something cut across her chest, Takayou stumbling briefly as her target seemingly vanished from sight. Something wet on her chest... Something-
-SLSSHT!-
“TAKAYOU-CHAN!”
“NG-HAAH-” Again, something sliced across her, this time throwing her back against the ground. A large gash now sat on her chest and stomach- and though it took her a moment, she could see with blurring vision and fading conciousness the source. She could see the blood dripping from the USB 'tail' that Noa had used against her, the device flicking slightly to shake off the droplets. She could see his mouth moving as he began to walk forward, the same tail striking across the side of her neck before coiling around it tightly. “Glhk-” Tighter... “GLKKAAGKH-” Tighter...
“Hnhnhnhnhn... How long I wonder... Can you hold your breath, little mouse..?” Tighter...
“LLGHk...!” Her vision was beginning to spot. With trembling hands she groped at the cord, unable to see clearly as she attempted to speak. Attempted to cry, scream, get a single bit of air in her throat and-
“TAKAYOU-CHAAAAANN!!” She couldn't breathe... “GET AWAY FROM HER!” She couldn't see... “NNGRAAAAAAAHHH!!”
“HnhnHAHAHAAA!!!” She couldn't help him...
“GH-NH!” She couldn't...
Couldn't...
A fourth voice cut through the air like a hot blade to melting butter. “VOICE KEY ACTIVATE! 'INITIATE LOCKDOWN!”
'Lockdown initiated.' What..?
Without warning the cord slackened, the rush of air to her lungs giving her just enough clarity to reach for her bleeding neck and watch as her would be murderer stiffened on the spot. “What...!!” Wide eyes quivered with rage, somehow turning to the side as the 'speakers' that allowed Noa a voice continued to play. “WHAAAAAAAT..!!”
“Hahh... Hahhh... Ghhaahhh...” From the side, Haga struggled to breathe, slouched over in exhaustion as he held his knees. Sweat was dripping down the sides of his face, and his glasses hung askew to match his now messed hair. “Ngghahhh.... R-Ryuzaki-chan,” he rasped, ignoring the wince that came as usual when the honorific came into play. “S-Shizuka... Are you both... Are you both...”
“W-We're fine,” Shizuka managed to say, looking toward Noa in fear. “But this...”
“Gh... Some robot you managed to build,” Takayou spat, still collapsed in front of Noa. “Attacking people with all the zeal of a damn serial!”
“Oh is that the term then..?” Before Haga could angrily respond the android began to speak again, all three turning to face it. “Well... I guess you'll be happy to know that your stupid interfering bug has nothing to do with this,” he sneered, the boy at the side momentarily stiffening before continuing to listen. “I might not have gotten you this time,” he went on, “But mark my words I will... I'll destroy you all, and then the dog is next! Hnhnhahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!”
“But you can't move now,” Haga protested, somehow managing to straighten himself as he looked to the android in disgust. “Not with a lockdown code...! And when I'm done with you, you definitely won't be doing anything like this..!”
“Done with me,” the android responded, cracking and crunching meeting the air as the head began to turn against its programing. “You can't even TOUCH me, BOY... HhhnnnnHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!”
Sparks flew through the air as the 'robot' screamed, neck snapping back with a wide open jaw to allow something 'out'. It was as though the entire body had been stuffed with ash. As though a fire had been burning from within all this time, filling it with smoke and charcoal and releasing it only now. And yet as the enormous cloud fled from the robot's body cackling met the air, and for a moment as she looked up she could only freeze in horror at the sight of what it began to form. Staring from above, looking on with a grin that was made from almost flaming teeth, a single great eye...!
“Count your days brats... I'll be back soon enough..!” She recognized that voice she realized, heart racing even as her vision began to grow black. She recognized it..!! From in the hospital, from when she had taken down the ghouls chasing Shizu-kun and the others... She recognized it... Recognized it completely...
And it was with those thoughts that she entered a fitful sleep, the others only then able to move from their spot to call for aid.