[DoS] & [06] Filling the Emptiness
Title: Filling the Emptiness
Author/Artist: Northwind Gale/Artemis Ignitan
Rating: PG
Pairing: Kiryuu x Yuusei x Jack x Crow friendship stuffness
Genre: Friendship
Prompt: #006-Lonely
Disclaimer: Don't own. That's why I write.
Summary: The times before the days of the Team were empty, cold and lonely, and he never wanted to go back to those days again. Fic exploring the beginnings of Team Satisfaction. Written for both the Days of Satisfaction Challenge at Riding Duel and prompt #006: Lonely for 5ds_100 .
The days with the team were always full. That's how Kiryuu couldn't help but see it. Full of what, he wasn't certain.
Sometimes he thought it was full of suspense: always plotting, planning, waiting for that right minute to strike, to claim another piece of territory for their own.
Sometimes he thought it was full of exuberance: Crow certainly had that department covered for the four of them (and he needed it, considering all those kids he kept around him constantly). Jack too, had it, and it showed whenever he boomed out in his loud voice that spoke of unrivaled confidence and skill. Yuusei...it was hard for him to place at times; however, he never doubted that his inner fire was there-it had shown itself when it was needed, and nothing more.
Perhaps it was full of life, Kiryuu couldn't help but think sometimes. It certainly wasn't before he had met them. Life in the B.A.D. was dreary, dull and monotonous-surprising for a place renowned for its overabundance of dangerous criminals that had managed to evade security.
But that was the point that many missed: they had come to evade. They didn't want to fight. They didn't want to draw attention to themselves. They spent all their days in isolation, skulking around for their needs, fearful of that one day where Security would finally grow the balls (or, even more likely: finally get off their lazy asses) to just grab some helicopters and troops and be done with the lot of them...or worse, find someone else who could and might just betray them to Security. If even one person came close to another, it was an immediate brawl...and the encounters between hardened criminals often left one or both injured, sometimes lethally.
That was how it was when Kiryuu had been left alone in the B.A.D., son of a criminal who had died in one of those brawls, was one of the few left there with no marker to speak of. He was an easy target...and he had to learn to defend himself quickly, attacking before he got attacked, and with no restraint.
So after years of growing up this way, with the majority of existence in the cold, empty darkness that was the B.A.D., it was only natural that he would attack anyone that came into his territory: even an extremely short red haired teen only a few years younger than him that had heard tales with wide eyes of the Daedalus Bridge and had come looking for it.
That was both the worst and best mistake he had made in his life.
He had never gotten a beating like that before: the red haired kid was tough, especially so when the taller blond and somewhat shorter spiky-haired teens had found them and joined in, working together with the red-hair so seamlessly it was like they had been together all their lives. (He found out later that he wasn't too far from the truth with that thought.)
However, he had also never gotten mercy like this before either: after they had successfully pinned him down (the blond and Spikey holding down one arm each and the red-hair sitting triumphantly on his legs), he had expected them to loot him for all he was worth.
"What the hell was that for?!"
Red-hair had a surprisingly big voice in that small body of his. He was stunned for a moment before responding-this was the way things were in the B.A.D., attack first or die. At that, the blond yelled at Red-hair for being careless, and Spikey chimed in with a quiet and neutral voice reminding him that someone named "Martha" had told them to be careful there. Red-hair didn't seem to be cowed by the other two, though, instead brushing them off and looking down at him with a curious glance.
"Hey, since we beat you, you gotta do what we say, right?"
Damn. He got beat by a trio of greenhorns that didn't even know the rules of the B-A-fucking-D. He considered telling them no and getting off scot-free, but damn, his pride wouldn't allow him to be so petty.
"...Yeah." The breath came out as a tired wheeze.
"Then, you gotta take us to see that Daedalus Bridge!"
He got beat by a trio of greenhorns that came here to go sightseeing because of a freaking feel-good bedtime story. His barely-remembered father must be rolling in his grave right now.
"Fine."
He had forgotten that he barely knew his way around the B.A.D. himself-everyone had their own territories they stayed in, never straying for fear of meeting someone else.
They spent a lot of time wandering in circles until they got there. This made room for conversation...and the trio surprisingly shared a few interests with him-one being Duel Monsters.
He found himself regretting the fact that they had to go once they had found the damn bridge to nowhere. Despite getting beat to a pulp (and still wincing at several of the heavier bruises), the time he had spent with them was easily the best he had had in his life. But he was in a different world from them-they certainly shouldn't be forced to stay in the B.A.D., and he couldn't just...
"...hey, d'ya wanna come with us?" asked Red-hair, who he had learned was called Crow.
"Are you crazy, Crow?" immediately countered Jack, the blonde. "Martha's already had it up to here-" he motioned to his neck "-with all the orphans you keep bringing in!"
"As much as I dislike leaving him here, we just don't have room at the orphanage, Crow," reasoned Spiky, or as he was called by the other two, Yuusei.
"I already told Martha I'd be getting my own place nearby to take the kids! We just need to finish it up!"
"But it isn't finished!!!" yelled Jack.
"It can be, and soon," soothed Yuusei. "The lighting just needs to be set."
"Then it's settled! Hey, hey," rambled Crow, now ignoring the fuming Jack and turning to the perplexed Kiryuu-were they always like this? "Why don't you visit us at this place in the Main Satellite? Won't be hard, it's close to the only set of trees you'd find there!"
He was shocked that he would receive such an invitation based on only a few hours' acquaintance. (He would soon learn that Crow seemed to have a thing for people being left alone-apparently he was so grateful for being taken in at a young age that he just had to share that feeling with as many orphans as he could.) Stuck in disbelief, he nodded, but didn't plan to visit any time soon. What was the point, forcing himself on their happiness like this.
And yet he found himself at their doorstep a few days later (after his bruises had healed). He couldn't stay away. Going back, feeling that empty, cold, lonely life that was the B.A.D. after those few hours of company, feeling their warmth and sharing their lives with him...it was impossible. Hunger gnawed all too harshly once a starved man had finally gotten a tasty morsel to eat, after all.
He kept coming back. At first it was only about once every week. Then once every three or so days. Then once every day. Then he was just there.
Indeed, Crow kept his word and moved them all into a building with his orphans. And for the longest time, Kiryuu was scared that this would end, that suddenly they would choose to move out of the hideout, that it was too difficult to support themselves and so they would leave him and return to the place where there was no room for him to stay.
And so he decided to help them support themselves.
That was the beginning of their exploits together. And Kiryuu wasn't going to let it have an ending. He was going to keep them close to him.
After so many years of being alone, they had finally given him life. Filled him up to the brim with it. He had to give them something in return, or they would leave, would take the life they had given him with them and leave him empty again...he couldn't go back to being empty like that again. Never again would he spend his days in loneliness.
He gave them Team Satisfaction.
"Hey guys, I had this thought...don't you think it's unfair that we don't have so much compared to others? If we can't make it out of here...we have to be satisfied with what we have to the fullest, don't you think...?"
Full of life...yeah, that sounded about right.
FIN
Author/Artist: Northwind Gale/Artemis Ignitan
Rating: PG
Pairing: Kiryuu x Yuusei x Jack x Crow friendship stuffness
Genre: Friendship
Prompt: #006-Lonely
Disclaimer: Don't own. That's why I write.
Summary: The times before the days of the Team were empty, cold and lonely, and he never wanted to go back to those days again. Fic exploring the beginnings of Team Satisfaction. Written for both the Days of Satisfaction Challenge at Riding Duel and prompt #006: Lonely for 5ds_100 .
The days with the team were always full. That's how Kiryuu couldn't help but see it. Full of what, he wasn't certain.
Sometimes he thought it was full of suspense: always plotting, planning, waiting for that right minute to strike, to claim another piece of territory for their own.
Sometimes he thought it was full of exuberance: Crow certainly had that department covered for the four of them (and he needed it, considering all those kids he kept around him constantly). Jack too, had it, and it showed whenever he boomed out in his loud voice that spoke of unrivaled confidence and skill. Yuusei...it was hard for him to place at times; however, he never doubted that his inner fire was there-it had shown itself when it was needed, and nothing more.
Perhaps it was full of life, Kiryuu couldn't help but think sometimes. It certainly wasn't before he had met them. Life in the B.A.D. was dreary, dull and monotonous-surprising for a place renowned for its overabundance of dangerous criminals that had managed to evade security.
But that was the point that many missed: they had come to evade. They didn't want to fight. They didn't want to draw attention to themselves. They spent all their days in isolation, skulking around for their needs, fearful of that one day where Security would finally grow the balls (or, even more likely: finally get off their lazy asses) to just grab some helicopters and troops and be done with the lot of them...or worse, find someone else who could and might just betray them to Security. If even one person came close to another, it was an immediate brawl...and the encounters between hardened criminals often left one or both injured, sometimes lethally.
That was how it was when Kiryuu had been left alone in the B.A.D., son of a criminal who had died in one of those brawls, was one of the few left there with no marker to speak of. He was an easy target...and he had to learn to defend himself quickly, attacking before he got attacked, and with no restraint.
So after years of growing up this way, with the majority of existence in the cold, empty darkness that was the B.A.D., it was only natural that he would attack anyone that came into his territory: even an extremely short red haired teen only a few years younger than him that had heard tales with wide eyes of the Daedalus Bridge and had come looking for it.
That was both the worst and best mistake he had made in his life.
He had never gotten a beating like that before: the red haired kid was tough, especially so when the taller blond and somewhat shorter spiky-haired teens had found them and joined in, working together with the red-hair so seamlessly it was like they had been together all their lives. (He found out later that he wasn't too far from the truth with that thought.)
However, he had also never gotten mercy like this before either: after they had successfully pinned him down (the blond and Spikey holding down one arm each and the red-hair sitting triumphantly on his legs), he had expected them to loot him for all he was worth.
"What the hell was that for?!"
Red-hair had a surprisingly big voice in that small body of his. He was stunned for a moment before responding-this was the way things were in the B.A.D., attack first or die. At that, the blond yelled at Red-hair for being careless, and Spikey chimed in with a quiet and neutral voice reminding him that someone named "Martha" had told them to be careful there. Red-hair didn't seem to be cowed by the other two, though, instead brushing them off and looking down at him with a curious glance.
"Hey, since we beat you, you gotta do what we say, right?"
Damn. He got beat by a trio of greenhorns that didn't even know the rules of the B-A-fucking-D. He considered telling them no and getting off scot-free, but damn, his pride wouldn't allow him to be so petty.
"...Yeah." The breath came out as a tired wheeze.
"Then, you gotta take us to see that Daedalus Bridge!"
He got beat by a trio of greenhorns that came here to go sightseeing because of a freaking feel-good bedtime story. His barely-remembered father must be rolling in his grave right now.
"Fine."
He had forgotten that he barely knew his way around the B.A.D. himself-everyone had their own territories they stayed in, never straying for fear of meeting someone else.
They spent a lot of time wandering in circles until they got there. This made room for conversation...and the trio surprisingly shared a few interests with him-one being Duel Monsters.
He found himself regretting the fact that they had to go once they had found the damn bridge to nowhere. Despite getting beat to a pulp (and still wincing at several of the heavier bruises), the time he had spent with them was easily the best he had had in his life. But he was in a different world from them-they certainly shouldn't be forced to stay in the B.A.D., and he couldn't just...
"...hey, d'ya wanna come with us?" asked Red-hair, who he had learned was called Crow.
"Are you crazy, Crow?" immediately countered Jack, the blonde. "Martha's already had it up to here-" he motioned to his neck "-with all the orphans you keep bringing in!"
"As much as I dislike leaving him here, we just don't have room at the orphanage, Crow," reasoned Spiky, or as he was called by the other two, Yuusei.
"I already told Martha I'd be getting my own place nearby to take the kids! We just need to finish it up!"
"But it isn't finished!!!" yelled Jack.
"It can be, and soon," soothed Yuusei. "The lighting just needs to be set."
"Then it's settled! Hey, hey," rambled Crow, now ignoring the fuming Jack and turning to the perplexed Kiryuu-were they always like this? "Why don't you visit us at this place in the Main Satellite? Won't be hard, it's close to the only set of trees you'd find there!"
He was shocked that he would receive such an invitation based on only a few hours' acquaintance. (He would soon learn that Crow seemed to have a thing for people being left alone-apparently he was so grateful for being taken in at a young age that he just had to share that feeling with as many orphans as he could.) Stuck in disbelief, he nodded, but didn't plan to visit any time soon. What was the point, forcing himself on their happiness like this.
And yet he found himself at their doorstep a few days later (after his bruises had healed). He couldn't stay away. Going back, feeling that empty, cold, lonely life that was the B.A.D. after those few hours of company, feeling their warmth and sharing their lives with him...it was impossible. Hunger gnawed all too harshly once a starved man had finally gotten a tasty morsel to eat, after all.
He kept coming back. At first it was only about once every week. Then once every three or so days. Then once every day. Then he was just there.
Indeed, Crow kept his word and moved them all into a building with his orphans. And for the longest time, Kiryuu was scared that this would end, that suddenly they would choose to move out of the hideout, that it was too difficult to support themselves and so they would leave him and return to the place where there was no room for him to stay.
And so he decided to help them support themselves.
That was the beginning of their exploits together. And Kiryuu wasn't going to let it have an ending. He was going to keep them close to him.
After so many years of being alone, they had finally given him life. Filled him up to the brim with it. He had to give them something in return, or they would leave, would take the life they had given him with them and leave him empty again...he couldn't go back to being empty like that again. Never again would he spend his days in loneliness.
He gave them Team Satisfaction.
"Hey guys, I had this thought...don't you think it's unfair that we don't have so much compared to others? If we can't make it out of here...we have to be satisfied with what we have to the fullest, don't you think...?"
Full of life...yeah, that sounded about right.
FIN