Work Text:
The sharp, snaring sound of metal grinding against cement ripped Shoka’s eyes from her phone. A group of Players fiercely duked it out with a pack of mindless Garage Wolves. As the heated battle raged on, Shoka found herself a little too close to the crossfire, so she ducked down one of Shibuya’s many alleyways to escape. The piercing shriek of a Player being hit did nothing to deter her. That was just business as usual. Right now, there were more pressing matters to attend to, she had too much at stake in her new app called FanGO.
Days ago, Kaie had helped her to set up an account under the username ‘Swallow’ after noting how she seemed a bit lonely, even though she’d insisted she was perfectly fine. He had suggested that it might also give her something different to do, and a possible way for her to make some friends too. And much to her surprise, she’d been hooked on the game ever since. She couldn’t believe the thrill she got from catching digital monsters all over Shibuya. It was way better than watching a bunch of wussy-ass Players try to figure themselves out.
Sparks of lightning crackled near the alleyway’s entrance, illuminating its shadows. Turning, she headed further along until she reached a new street where the icon of a monster called a ‘Strawberry Flan’ appeared on her phone’s map. Much like its name, it resembled the dessert, bedecked in decadent little strawberries as it jiggled. She had to catch it.
Dashing along the city sidewalk—hoodie tail bouncing behind her—she breezed through every random person like the ghost she was, and in no time she’d reached her target. Her fingers eagerly tapped the flan monster’s icon, but before she could truly begin the process of catching it, a shadow fell over her.
“Don’t you have Players to greet?” came an annoyed voice.
The young Reaper looked up to find one of Shibuya’s grungy Wall Reapers eyeing her.
“Don’t you have a boring old wall to guard like a dog?” she snapped back. Typical. Didn’t they have anything better to do than provoke her? He was just bitter because the Shinjuku Reapers, her crew, were the ones in charge now.
He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Don’t think you can get away with shirking your duties just because you belong to Shiba’s little posse.”
Ugh. He was not pulling that card.
“How about you don’t tell me how to do my job, and I’ll leave you alone with your menial one. Now scamper along before I get really irritated.” Shoka flexed a hand, ready to charge up a psych.
The Reaper narrowed his eyes at her, but turned and walked back off down the street, instead. At least he knew his place in the scheme of things. Now she could focus on the—
…wait. No! The Flan’s icon no longer appeared on the map. That stupid grunt Reaper had wasted too much of her time.
Grumbling in frustration, Shoka kicked at the wall of a boutique just as a gaggle of girls passed through her, animatedly chatting about their latest purchases—and worse, the thoughts that echoed in their shallow heads as their mouths spat out the words. It was all Shoka could do not to gag at how pretentious and perky they were. It felt like adding insult to injury after missing out on her monster.
With a huff, she migrated towards the shop's entrance and away from the girls. She watched as a Variabeauty, one of the many Player teams, ducked inside it. As far as teams went, Shoka found them a little less obnoxious than most of the others. Their leader Kanon was also a lot wiser too. No matter how smart that plaid-clad geek Fuya thought he was, he had nothing on Kanon. Shoka actually held a mild respect for the Variabeauty’s leader, and maybe in another life they could’ve even been friends.
But that wasn’t how things worked here in the UG. She was a Reaper, and they were the Players. She knew full well that none of these teams would last forever, no matter how much they tried. It was all just the name of the game Shiba had planned for them—an endless loop of struggle, suffering, and thrills.
“Out to do a little shopping instead of making us innocent Players suffer?”
Shoka whirled around to see said leader standing before her. Kanon had a gentle, calm sort of smile that paired perfectly with her lipstick. A look that made Shoka mildly envious of how well she pulled her style together.
With a shrug, Shoka assumed her usual pose, placing a hand on her hip. “Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of new entries today. Which is too bad, since your teams could probably use all the extra help they can get.”
Kanon gave a soft hum, unruffled by Shoka’s insult. “I’d say we’re doing fine as we are. We’re still here, aren’t we?”
“Maybe for now. You saw what happened to the last team.”
“It may not be easy, but I assure you—my team will stick it out to the end.” A fiery spark flared in her eyes.
“Good luck with those dreams of yours. I’m sure you’ll at least beat out Fuya.”
“All I want is for the Variabeauties to make it to the end,” though she said it casually, Shoka noticed the tiniest trace of sorrow hidden there. She basically agreed without actually saying it. Though given her big sis vibes, Shoka doubted Kanon wanted the other teams getting trounced and erased from existence.
“Then you probably should be getting back to your mission. Isn’t it another turf war?”
“We just claimed the Scramble for our own.”
“Good for you. Now go pester another Reaper.” She nodded in the direction of the one who’d annoyed her earlier. “Our resident Wall Reaper could probably use a little company.” And before Kanon could say another word, Shoka darted off. She didn’t want to spend any more time getting to know the older girl than she had to.
Once she’d put a good distance between herself and the shop, Shoka checked her phone for any FanGO notifications. Nothing of interest stood out to her yet—just the commonplace fodder she’d already caught…
Oh! But wait, there was a trade open for a Night Coerul. It’d practically jumped out at her the second she’d opened FanGO’s forum app. Ever since she’d caught her first Coerul and skimmed a list of FanGO’s monsters, she’d desperately wanted the inky dark Night Coerul. All she needed to do was trade the other player a Dramut.
Shoka hurriedly tapped a treasure chest icon to open her box of monsters. Dramuts were pretty rare themselves. She’d been lucky to catch one so early on, but she wanted the Coerul more.
Ah! There it was. Her hoodie tail swished with excitement. Good thing she’d hung onto this little guy instead of trading it for something else.
Finger tapping as fast as lightning, she accepted the trade and offered up her Dramut. The other player’s name appeared to be ‘Rindragon.’ A smile tweaked at the corners of her lips. That was kind of a cute name. She leaned up against the pole of a nearby street lamp, waiting to see if this Rindragon person would accept her trade. Minutes passed by, and the UG remained relatively quiet, offering her some reprieve from the chaos that turf wars usually brought.
Finally, a ‘ding’ sounded from her phone. Rindragon had accepted the trade. Yes! The Night Coerul belonged to her now. She held the device close, giddy with glee. What would she name it? Something cool? Something cute? At least no one would know but her.
Suddenly another notification dinged on her phone, and she spotted a message in the inbox of her FanGO account. Curious, she opened it—it was from Rindragon.
< thx 4 the dramut! been wanting it 4ever! btw cool nickname >
Shoka cringed. Was this what passed as texting these days? Who typed like that anymore?
Once her horror subsided, a new feeling took hold. Nervousness. No one she’d traded with had ever DMed her before. Should she answer this random person? Despite their horrible texting, they had good taste in monsters and obviously loved the game. There wouldn’t be anyone else she could gush about FanGO with, considering she had to treat half the people she talked to as enemies to be erased.
Supposing maybe it couldn’t hurt, she texted back.
< same, ty for the Night Coerul :) i just got started a bit ago. >
A reply came back to her almost immediately.
< rly? ive been playing a while. need any help? >
Help might not be so bad…
< long as you don’t mind. >
< nah. i dont rly have any1 to play with >
Their text was followed by a smiley face emoji.
Another ding, and she found a friend request awaiting her. Worry tugged at the back of her mind. She was a Reaper in the UG. Was it okay to socialize with someone from the RG like this? Should she care? It’s not like anyone had to know. What she did on her own time was her own business.
So she accepted the request.
********
A grin lit up Rindo’s face as the boy saw his request from a FanGO user named ‘Swallow’ accepted. There. He’d finally pushed himself to do something new for once. Sure, this wasn’t a person he knew at school, or someone from his neighborhood, but this was a real person somewhere, so that had to count. And they had something in common with him. A win-win for him.
“Anything you want to share with us?” said a very dry, judgemental voice from across the dinner table—Senji, Rindo’s older brother.
“No? I was just checking up on stuff in my game.” Rindo quickly shoved his phone back into the depths of his pocket, hoping to avoid any more scrutiny from his brother.
“You should be focusing on your studies, not some useless game. Those gatchas are such time wasters.”
“It’s not useless,” Rindo grumbled defensively. “And you used to like games, too.”
“We’re not little children anymore. I don’t have that luxury, and neither will you very soon.” Senji snuffed, looking down his nose at Rindo.
Rindo hated that expression more than anything. It made him feel like burrowing into his hoodie, or going in his room and shutting the world out. He didn’t want to think about the same things his brother did, like deciding his future so far in advance. But whenever he tried to express that, the words just fizzled in his mouth. “Yeah—whatever. I’ll get to it in a minute.”
Senji stood, pushing in his chair. “I’m going to work now, since someone has to help support our family.” Though he was still in school, the older boy worked an evening shift at their nearest convenience store to help cover for their dad being out of work. “I’ll check on you again later to be sure you’re earning your keep, too.” Senji then snatched a dark jacket hanging by the entrance to their home. “See you in a few hours.” After stuffing his feet in his shoes, he headed out, shutting the door with such firmness that it left Rindo bitter and annoyed.
Rindo wished he could’ve just chucked a pillow from the couch at his brother. He was sick and tired of Senji throwing guilt trips at him all the time.
The sound of a Chocobo chirping drew his attention back to his phone, and he fished it from his pocket. A little blurb about a Cactuar outbreak appeared on it—apparently happening right now! His studies would have to wait. It wasn’t every day an outbreak of this magnitude happened. And as soon as he made certain his brother was long gone, he hurried off in search of the prickly, yet elusive creature.
Later that evening, and after a couple hours worth of cramming, Rindo flopped onto his bed with a muffled ‘thwump.’ The outbreak hadn’t gone exactly as he’d hoped. It would’ve been nice to farm some Cactuars to trade later, but the slippery creatures had mostly evaded him—except for one. Still, one was lucky enough. He wondered if his new friend had been lucky too, or if they’d even found that outbreak. Lifting his phone, he sent Swallow a quick message.
< hey! u get to join that massive cactuar outbreak? :) >
Would Swallow still be around? He wondered as several minutes passed with no response. They might be busy, or asleep.
A Chocobo chirp later, and sure enough, Swallow had responded.
< yeah. it was pretty intense! i managed to snag two. how about you? >
< 2 rly? damn, talk about lucky! i only got 1 >
< nice! one’s not bad. it’s something :) >
Rindo grinned, thumbing back his next response.
< still gotta decide what 2 name it tho >
< ugh. i know, right? names are so tricky sometimes! >
< srsly >
< hope you figure it out soon. > Swallow’s response was accompanied by a chocobo emoji with the blurb ‘you got this’ above it.
< thx! >
He tapped a finger on the side of his phone, scrounging for something else to say. He didn’t want to let their conversation die just yet.
But rather than having to think of something, Swallow did the work for him, sending another message.
< have any fav monsters btw? >
Did he have a favorite? There were a lot of monsters he loved, but… one in particular popped to mind.
< i rly like all the dragons! but i think my fav is prbly bahamut >
< you really live up to your user, huh? > Swallow sent a Chocobo emoji with a tongue sticking out its beak. < the king, huh? not a bad choice if you like dragons.. i looked up a list earlier and bahamut’s evolutions are epic looking :) >
< what about u? got a fav yet? >
< so far i really like the coeurl. i got the common one a few days ago, then the one you traded me. >
< nice! they have good stats. u can use crystals to give them diff abilities 2 >
< really? thanks, i’ll keep that in mind! :) >
“Rindo? Are you still awake?” his mom asked, poking her head into his room. “You should be getting to sleep soon, Sweetie.”
He internally groaned at her use of the word ‘sweetie.’ Whose mom talked like that? “I will in a sec. I was just…” ‘Texting a friend’ is what he almost said. But was Swallow his friend yet? They’d only been talking for a day, so that’d probably be too weird to assume. Not to mention his mom would probably go overboard if she thought he’d made a new friend. “I’ll go to bed soon,” he said hastily instead.
“Alright. Just make sure you get enough sleep.” She blew him a kiss goodnight before shutting the door with a soft click.
Sighing, he settled back and tapped out a slow and reluctant text. < i should sleep, but hope u get more monsters soon! >
< will do. chat later? >
His heart skipped a beat. They wanted to keep talking tomorrow?
< sounds good! > he replied back eagerly. Maybe soon he’d be able to officially call Swallow his friend.
********
Several weeks passed, and it was the same cycle over and over again. Teams got erased, and the Game continued like nothing had changed. Hell, it’d gotten predictable—a match their team couldn’t lose, especially when they’d rigged the odds in their favor.
Shoka hated it. Why couldn’t Shiba just… ‘spice things up?’ As he so loved to put his stupid heat and fire puns.
She’d just abandoned a brief meeting with the other Shinjuku Reapers, eager to get out and about in search of some new monsters that had just been released. All Shiba had been doing was drawling on about how ‘easy’ it was to get rid of these simple minded teams, and how they needed something more enticing.
“Shoka, dear. Are you all right? You left the meeting very quickly.” Ayano breezed past her, heels clicking along the gaudy marble floor of their Death God’s Pad. Shiba had created the penthouse at the very top of a skyscraper, so it had a lofty view of the city below.
“It was just getting too boring. I’d rather be doing something more interesting right now.”
“I see… Why don’t we have a training session, then?”
“Training?” Shoka bit her lip. It’s not that she minded honing her skills with Ayano. In fact, she’d learned most of what she knew from the elder Reaper, but… Today, she had other plans.
“Maybe later, Ayano. Thanks, though.”
Ayano frowned, as if displeased with her response. “You’ve been quite busy lately. Is there something distracting you?”
“N-no. I’ve just…” Shoka fumbled for a good response. She didn’t want any of the other Shinjuku Reapers besides Kaie knowing about her FanGO habits, and they absolutely couldn’t know she had contact with someone in the RG. “There’s a sale at Gatto Nero I want to hit up.” That wasn’t totally untrue. There was a sale going on, but she’d left out the part where she’d already gone to it.
“Is that so? Well, be sure to make time later. There’s still plenty I can teach you.” The hint of a smile graced Ayano’s violet lips.
“I will, don’t worry.” Shoka returned the smile.
She gave her an affectionate pat on the head, then wandered off down a long hallway, leaving Shoka to go about her business.
Not that she had any, really, other than to run off and play her game. She cringed as her phone buzzed, drawing a frustrated groan from her. To her great dismay, she found an order to go greet a new Player who’d just joined the UG. Great.
Sadly, FanGO would have to wait. She had to go deal with this snooze fest first.
Deciding it better to hurry and get it all over with, Shoka rushed out of Shiba’s lair and into a bright sunny day. Too sunny for her liking. Where were the pleasant clouds that had been out the other day?
She managed to reach Hachiko Square at top speed, just as their latest arrival appeared. More like fresh meat. She doubted they’d last long. Not when they had the same general look of every new Player she encountered, like a deer caught in the headlights. As she closed the gap between herself and said Player, she mentally prepped herself for the usual spiel.
The Player’s gaze darted to meet hers. He had floppy dark hair and wore a striped blue and white shirt. Ugh. Who’d thought that was a good fashion statement?
“C-can you see me?” he asked in earnest.
“Obvi. I wouldn’t be looking directly at you if I couldn’t.” She grinned like a cat about to prey on a mouse.
“Why can’t anyone else?” His voice quaked.
“Because that’s just how the UG works. Now let’s speed this along, shall we? I’ve got things to do, places to be.”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“The UG, which is where you are, is this magical place of the ‘oops, you’re not alive anymore. Too bad, so sad.’
“But… I’m not dead!” the Player almost yelled. “I can’t be! T-this has gotta be a nightmare.”
There was the denial portion of the process. “Pinch yourself if you’d like. It won’t change anything. I suggest you find yourself some team members before things really get dicey. Oh, and try not to get yourself erased, otherwise you'll cease to exist altogether. Fun, huh?”
This time the boy didn’t say anything, but simply stared at her like she’d crawled out from a horror movie.
“Better shoo along now. Before you get eaten by a Noise,” she taunted.
“Noise? Like the traffic?”
“Nope. More like…” she peered around, hoping to spy another Player in a battle. “That.” She gestured.
The Player’s eyes drifted to where the sharp nail of her finger pointed. An Electro Popguin slid right into another Player, knocking them down like a bowling pin.
His eyes winded in panic. Ah, the sheer and utter fear of a Player freshly plucked from the RG. Their squirming still managed to break the monotony that otherwise plagued her existence.
“Where did that m-monster come from?!”
Just as she was about to respond, her phone dinged. A quick glance told her she had a new text from Rindragon. She needed to wrap this up, now. “Go figure it out for yourself. Anywho. You’ve got a new app on your phone, better check it out. Later.” She fluttered her fingers at the boy and went on her merry way. He called after her, but to no avail. Shoka had another game to get to.
Ducking around a building, she heaved a sigh of relief, glad to be rid of the kid. Lifting her phone, she read her text from Rindragon. They’d finally switched from chatting within FanGO’s clunky messaging system to casually texting one another.
< catch anything good today? >
She tapped back. < not yet. haven’t had the chance. ): >
< ouch. schools been pretty rough for me 2 >
School… There was something she hadn’t thought about in a while. A twinge of awkwardness stole at her, but she smothered it all the same.
< lots of cramming? >
< ya. my brother’s been on my case a lot >
She remembered them talking about their brother. He seemed like a real wet blanket.
< you should tell him to lay off. you said you get good grades, right? >
< ya. i do decent. but he doesn’t care. i never do enough >
Annoyance on behalf of her texting buddy began to bubble up from somewhere deep inside of her. She wished she could show Rindragon’s brother a thing or two.
< what matters is how you feel about your grades. not what your dimwit of a brother thinks > She added on a huffy Moogle emoji.
< thnx, swallow. i’ll try :) >
Shoka grinned in spite of herself, glad she could make her friend feel better. Assuming she could call Rindragon that. Were they friends now? They’d grown comfy enough to tell her small personal things, at least.
< no prob. better get to monster catching now! i’m behind. > She answered back.
< let me know what u catch. >
< sure! text you tonight. >
< sounds good. >
********
His morning started without the usual text from Swallow, and it had given Rindo a slight tug of concern, but he’d let it go, assuring himself they were probably just busy. But in the last several months that they’d been talking, it had become routine for him to wake to a text from them. It felt weird not to have that.
A day of school dragged by, the teachers’ voices grating with his nerves so on edge. By the end of it, there had still been no reply. He had to keep reminding himself Swallow had a life outside of FanGO, and most likely more of one than he had.
Turning up the volume of his phone, he let the latest hit from his favorite band blare their rock metal as he clung to the bar of the train taking him home. However, the heavy strums of their guitars did nothing to ease the gnawing in his stomach. After leaving school, he’d hopped the train to the nearest merch store in order to purchase a limited edition Mist Dragon plush. He’d happily texted Swallow to let them know of his latest prize, but they still hadn’t seen any of his messages, not even the one he’d left the previous night. A small part of him wondered if they’d found better things to do than talk to him, but he mostly worried something bad had happened.
Stupid, he chastised himself. It had only been one day. That was perfectly normal, right? He forced that thought to stick in his brain and let his mind wander to others. Did they live anywhere nearby? They must if they caught a lot of the same events he did… but that only made him wonder if he’d ever unknowingly passed them.
Eventually, the train rattled into its platform, and Rindo was swept off it, pushed along through a throng of random people. Rather than fight it, he let the crowd carry him out onto the busy city street.
Checking to make certain his bag of merch was still secure on his arm, he hurried on his way home. He couldn’t wait to arrange it all on his shelf and take a pic to send Swallow… Assuming they replied.
No. He had to trust Swallow would get back to him soon.
Unlatching the gate to the tiny yard before his house, he made his way to the front door and entered. “I’m home!” he called out.
“Back already?” his mother’s chipper voice answered. “I thought you had an event going on?”
“Sorta. It was just for some mer—” he stopped short upon entering the kitchen. Senji sat at the table with a glare so frosty, it could probably freeze Tokyo Bay.
“Don’t you have exams soon?”
“Yeah, but I’ve already studied for them plenty the last three days—”
“Do you think that’s enough?”
“Well, I…”
“It’s not. You’d better hope you pass, and with high marks. Not sloppy ones.”
Why couldn’t he just mind his own business? “I always do my best with them.”
“Your ‘best’ isn’t going to get you into a good high school.”
Biting back a twinge of frustration, Rindo tried to remind himself of what Swallow had told him weeks ago—how he felt about his own grades is what mattered most.
“I’ll study some more after I set my stuff down.”
“You’d better,” Senji said sternly.
“Senji, sweetie, you don’t have to be so hard on him,” their mother chided.
“If I don’t, who will? You and Dad are too busy most days to look after him.”
A subtle spark of irritation flickered deep within Rindo, but rather than act on it, he let it fizzle out, sighing in frustration instead. “I’m gonna go work on stuff now,” he mumbled before running off to his room and shoving his door shut.
His room offered the perfect space to find some solitude and comfort after a long day of mostly stress. A sharp squeak from his phone snapped his attention to it. It was from Swallow! Relief washed through him like a tidal wave as he fumbled past his lock screen, opening their text.
< sorry for the late reply. kinda had a crazy day. >
< its cool! hey i wanted to show u something! > As quickly as he could, he arranged his new Mist Dragon on a shelf filled with other FanGO merch—figurines, little builders he’d made, and some standees—then snapped a picture. He tapped ‘send’ on his text box and watched as the image popped into it.
< for real? > came Swallow’s response. < ugh. you’re so lucky! i’m jealous i couldn’t hit that event up. >
Did that mean what he thought it did? Swallow was somewhere nearby. Or somewhere in this part of Tokyo.
< sry u couldn’t. maybe next time? >
He thought for a moment, debating. Should he ask Swallow if they wanted to meet up sometime? It would be cool to actually meet them, but… That might be too much. He liked their friendship as it was.
< hopefully :) it looks great with all your other stuff, though! >
< thx! >
Footsteps echoed outside of his room in the hallway. Probably Senji. He’d better start studying before his brother got on his case again.
< gotta study for exams now tho >
< oh yeah. hope they go well! >
Rindo frowned. Didn’t Swallow have exams too? Temptation to ask beckoned his fingers to move, but more footsteps down the hall swayed him to sit at his desk and begin studying instead.
********
Winter’s frigid air did nothing to Shoka as she strolled down the slope of Spain Hill. Thin patches of ice stretched along the gutters, formed from a recent night of rain. The longer she was in the UG, the more time and the passing of seasons had begun to feel inconsequential. She didn’t mind that part so much—it was a lot better than being in the RG. No, what truly bothered her about the UG right now was the way Shiba hosted their current Game. Would it ever be over? It wasn’t even fun anymore. Though she’d never admit it out loud, she had started to wish one of the Players would pull one over on Shiba and shove the comeuppance he deserved right up his ass.
Truth be told, she was beginning to feel numb inside. Not in the same way she had before winding up in the UG. Back then, she couldn’t stand it—dealing with her aunts and uncles, being compared to her cousins, the torment she’d received at school… Somewhere along the way, she’d completely given up. Life was frustrating, but straightforward.
Now her reasons seemed more complicated. She got along with her fellow Reapers, and even got treated like a beloved little sister by Ayano and Susukichi. Hell, she was the one tormenting Players these days, and she thought she enjoyed it. She should’ve enjoyed it… except nothing ever changed. All the fun she had with Ayano or teasing the Deep River nerds lost its flavor when it’d just be the same old crap week after week.
“Hey, Girlie! Watchu doin’?”
Shoka looked up at the towering mountain that was Susukichi.
“Just looking for a few Players to mess with,” she said, playing it casual.
Lifting a finger, Susukichi gave his ear a scratch. “Haven’t seen too many on the board down this way. Might wanna look somewhere else.”
“They’re probably hiding from the cold. Not like they can feel it, though.”
“Nah. They’re jus’ weak. Anywho—here, I gotchu a little something.” He offered out a styrofoam cup, steam filtering through its lid.
“What’s this?” she asked, giving it a curious whiff. It smelled like…
“Jus’ some of that coco stuff. Ya like yer sweets, don’t’chu?” He grinned toothily.
A little of that numbness ebbed away as she took the drink in her hands. “You didn’t have to do that, but… thanks, Big Su.” She grinned back up at him.
“Eh, don’t worry about it.” He waved away her thanks like he was swatting at a fly. “Jus’ thought since you’ve been runnin’ around lots, you could use something.”
She took a slow sip, letting the comfort of chocolatey goodness seep into her soul. “It’s perfect.”
Susukichi’s grin widened. “Aight, I’d better move along. Got some ‘chores’ to take care of.” He cracked his boulder-sized knuckles.
“Knock ‘em dead,” Shoka teased, watching the behemoth of a man stroll away. Even if Susukichi was all wrapped up in Shiba’s stupid plans, she didn’t feel the same salt towards him as she did their leader.
Another swig of her drink was enough to clear away how she’d been feeling, at least for now. It was funny how a big, rough, tough guy like Susukichi could have such a soft side. Sometimes it really did feel like she had an older brother, silly as it was. Before she’d been offered the role of a Reaper, she’d spent most of her life aimless and alone. Sure, she’d had relatives to care for her after her parents had died, but their version of ‘care’ wasn’t what one would call picturesque. This—what she had now—felt more real.
A pair of Players rushed down the road, likely carrying out a mission for a Wall Reaper. Shoka bet they all had families who would miss them. Families who’d mourn when they inevitably didn’t get their second chance at life. Her family probably hadn’t even batted an eye, except maybe to shame her for how she’d exited life. Shoka scoffed lightly. Heck, they were probably glad to be rid of her. Not that it mattered, since Shinjuku was lost to the earth.
Pressing her lips together, she shoved any thoughts of her family out. They were part of the past, a past that didn’t belong to her anymore. Instead, she whipped out her phone and checked FanGO’s map. Nothing stuck out at her yet. She already had all the lower-leveled monsters available, so she moved on to her texts instead.
< ya. maybe. ill think about it. >
A notification from Rindragon flashed at the top of her list, continuing off a conversation they’d been having about their sad love life. Apparently they had a crush, but were being way too wishy-washy about whether to act on it. Shoka had been spending the last couple of days nudging them to just suck it up and make a move already. Deep down, though, the idea did worry her. If Rindragon got a significant other, would they have time for her anymore? In all likelihood, whatever real life they had waiting for them outside the fantasy life the two of them shared was bound to whisk them away eventually. But she’d known Rindragon long enough now to know she wanted whatever was best for them… Even if it meant losing her FanGO buddy later.
< don’t think too long, or you might lose out ;) > she texted back.
< whatever. ive got better things to wrry about. like fango >
< never fear a fight; fight your fear instead. > Shoka quoted an influencer both Rindragon and her had come to admire.
< ill keep that in mind lol >
< are you out playing? > she added, moving on from the topic of crushes.
< ya. just left home. rly wanna get a quacho now that its winter > Rindragon responded, referring to the cute, penguin-like creature. Shoka wondered what they’d think of the Popguin Noise. It was too bad she couldn’t snap a pic and show them one.
Sighing, she passed right through a crowd of people, paying them no mind. The more she got to know Rindragon, the more she began wishing she could share certain things about her own life. But considering her lack of one, it could never happen. Even if they happened to cross paths, they were worlds apart. She belonged to the UG, while Rindragon didn’t. Someday, they’d move on in life, she wouldn’t. For the first time since she’d joined the Reapers, that acknowledgement brought a slight twinge of sadness.
No. Shoka scolded herself. Why was she questioning this? She’d made her choice with zero regrets. Whatever consequences there were, she’d accepted all of them—including this. It was pointless to stress over the future when she could focus on the present, especially since right now, she had FanGO to play.
Checking her phone again she spied a quacho on her radar. Blinking in surprise, she quickly texted Rindragon. < might be able to get you one now, if you want? >
Their response was almost instantaneous.
< yes! if u dont mind. im not seeing anything >
< i got you covered! >
And so, Shoka set after capturing the slippery polar monster.
********
Rindo settled himself on a bench in Miyashita Park, enjoying the weak rays of sun filtering through the shady trees above. Summer’s breeze rustled their leaves, bending them so the sunlight moved sparrodically. He’d just finished an extra hectic FanGO event with a summer-themed Moomba as the prize. Typically, events were held in one general area where participants had the chance to catch a rare monster not found anywhere else. Those weren’t too bad. But this time the event had been open to the entirety of Shibuya, and the rare Moomba had a chance at switching its location within five minutes of appearing—so you had to act fast and hope you made it in time.
He let his gaze sweep the park. Plenty of FanGO enthusiasts were still milling around. Could Swallow be one of them? He’d told them he planned to go to this event, but he didn’t even know what they looked like.
Slowly, he lifted his phone.
< hey, u get to the moomba event yet? >
Several minutes passed before he got a response.
< yeah. got one pretty quickly after everything started :) >
Huh… So that probably meant they’d be done now.
< cool. i just got mine! it kept changing location on me. >
< aw. rough luck there ): but at least you got it! >
< ya. might go get a drink to celebrate! >
< sounds fun :) i had to book it to a drycleaners after getting a nasty grass stain on my hoodie): >
< damn, tht’s rough. >
Should he… ask if they wanted to meet up? Sometimes he wished they’d be the one to suggest it…
“Hey!”
Startled by the sudden shout, Rindo jerked his head up to find a group of girls leaning over him. “H-huh?”
“We’ve been trying to get your attention for like the last minute,” one of them complained. “We wanted to use this bench. It’s the only one with some shade right now.”
“Oh, uh…” Rindo hesitated. He supposed he could just leave the park now. It wasn’t like he had a reason to stay. “Sure.”
The grumpy girl’s expression smoothed out. “Thanks.”
She and her friends claimed the bench as soon he got up, eagerly chatting about whatever they’d purchased at 104. Rindo really didn’t understand girls sometimes.
With one last glance around Miyashita Park, he left, making his way to Spain Hill for a cool drink.
Shibuya, ever packed as usual, made it a struggle to maneuver its busy sidewalks, but eventually he made it to the sloping street. His sights were set on a small shop aptly named ‘Bubblevision’ for its bubble tea.
A soft tinkling echoed as he opened a glass door. Vibrant fruity scents hit his nose upon stepping inside, drawing a ripple of hunger from his stomach. Pushing through a small crowd of people who’d already gotten their drinks, he joined the line for those who hadn’t ordered yet.
While he waited, he decided to see if Swallow was doing anything fun now.
< getting my drink now. u get urself anything fun? >
Somewhere behind him another person’s phone dinged, but he paid no attention as he busily checked out his new Moomba’s stats. It had great speed and offense, but poor magic defense. Not too bad all things considered.
Moving up the line, it finally became his turn and he ordered an iced strawberry boba latte, mouth already watering for those chewy strawberry-flavored pearls. He took a big slug as soon as he paid for the tall drink. He was so focused on savoring it that he didn’t notice the slight girl standing behind him and practically knocked into her shoulder.
“Sorry!”
The girl seemed a little thrown off by the contact, but he barely had time to pay attention to her, as a crowd wanting out of the shop pushed into him.
“I-It’s fine,” she said in a rush, then rushed past him to place her order just as Rindo was swept along.
Once outside, he took a few more gulps of his latte and checked his texts. Swallow hadn’t replied just yet, so he decided he’d find somewhere to sit.
An unoccupied table down the street seemed perfect enough. Hopefully this time, no one would ask him to move.
His phone dinged not long after.
< yep! just got myself a drink too :) >
< what did u get? >
< mango boba tea. >
They’d gotten a boba too? He frowned, wondering if… No, there were a lot of boba places around Shibuya. But his mind wouldn’t let go of the possibility that they’d gone to Bubblevision too. What if they’d been one of the many people in there?
He desperately wanted to ask them, but worries of whether that’d be weird or awkward kept him from it.
< cool, sounds good! i got a strawberry one :) >
< oh yeah. forgot strawberry’s one of your favs. > There was a brief moment before they sent another text. < funny how we both got boba :) >
< right? its perfect for a hot day >
< that’s for sure. >
He’d just been delivered a golden opportunity to ask if they could meet up sometime, but he let the chance slip by yet again.
Maybe he’d ask next time… someday.
********
Seated on a cushy chair in Kaie’s dark yet cozy shop, Shoka watched as he shuffled a stack of fanciful tarot cards, cut the deck in half, then began laying some out. She held a dainty teacup in her hand, filled with the fragrant scents of chai. She’d made it part of her routine to visit Kaie’s shop almost weekly, either to get her fortune read or just to talk. He was the only Shinjuku Reaper she felt comfortable enough to vent all her frustrations to, and probably the only one who fully understood her. Though, ‘talking’ wasn’t quite the word for it. The fortune teller much preferred using his phone to text than speak verbally, and she was fine with that. She was the same, in a way.
He hummed thoughtfully as he finished laying out the cards, then sent her a text.
< How’s texting your friend going, by the way? :D >
Shoka felt her cheeks warm. Sometimes he felt more like an embarrassing uncle than a co-worker.
< not bad. > She hesitated then added, < rindragon seems like they really appreciate it when i give them advice :) >
< That’s wonderful news! :> Take heart, for fate smiles on this budding friendship. >
Shoka bit back an embarrassed twinge. < i guess. >
< 8( Is something wrong? >
Shoka shook her head. < no. it just feels weird, to call them my friend. they’re from the RG too. >
< And you fear that might get awkward? >
< maybe? i mean eventually they’ll move on… >
Kaie stared thoughtfully into his cup of tea for a moment. < Perhaps. But for now, is it wrong to enjoy having a friend? Even if they aren’t part of the UG? >
< everyone except you would say it is. >
< That doesn’t matter to you, though, does it? >
Shoka had to think about it. Did it matter to her? She didn’t want the others knowing, but if they did find out, would she care what they thought?
< i don’t know. >
Kaie smiled gently.
< Let yourself be happy to have a friend. UG or RG, connecting with others can be a worthwhile experience. That’s part of the reason I helped make you this account in the first place. :) >
< it is kind of nice. weird, but nice. :) >
< Then embrace the weird with all your might! :p >
Uttering a soft snicker, she finally relented. “Okay. You win.”
Kaie only grinned and texted again. < Shall we continue your fortune? I feel plenty in the cards for you. ;) >
Shoka rolled her eyes at the pun. “Very funny.” She took another sip of her now lukewarm tea.
Kaie began flipping the cards over and observed them close.
< Your daily life is not likely to change… yet. > He flipped more cards, then texted. < It looks as though change is on the horizon for you, but it will not come soon. >
Shoka scoffed. “Change would be welcome. Be nice if it were true.”
Kaie flipped another. < You have a double-sided surprise in store. Both good and ill will come of it. It cannot be certain when, but it will happen someday. >
A surprise that was both good and bad? She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
Flipping another he continued. < Past events may haunt your memories more frequently, but fear not, for they will pass. :) >
Shoka squirmed a little. She didn’t like the thought of her past flaring back up. But she knew this was all just speculative. Nothing was set in stone.
< Some advice would be to always keep your eyes open, and never let a chance slip by. :) > Kaie finished.
Swirling her tea in its cup, Shoka watched the sediment cloud what was left of her drink. “That one was a little weirder than usual.”
Kaie shrugged. < You can never know what will truly come. >
“Yeah… you’re right. Thanks for the read, Kaie.” She smiled.
< Don’t mention it! ;) Perhaps some of those changes will come from your friend. >
“I guess we won’t know until something happens.”
< Hopefully sooner than later, if Shiba permits it. :p >
“Seriously, though,” she groaned. As soon as the exasperated sigh had left her mouth, her phone dinged.
< u around? sry, my brothers just giving me crap again > Rindragon accompanied their text with a frustrated Moogle emoji.
< aww. i’m sorry to hear it. i’m all ears if you wanna talk! :) > She rushed to respond.
“Do you mind if I cut our visit short?” she asked, looking up at Kaie. “My… friend, is having some personal issues, and I want to be there for them.” It felt good to say the word aloud and mean it.
< But of course! Go talk to them. We’ll visit again another time. :) >
Waving goodbye, Shoka wandered out of the fortune teller's shop and back into a mildly drizzly day. She waited as Rindragon typed their text, practically on the edge of her seat as she wondered what he’d say next. Though her fortune had been vague, and maybe not the best, it felt like something would progress someday, and that in itself gave her a shred of hope for the future.
In the meantime, at least she had a friend she could count on to shake up her afterlife.