Chapter 1: Carmine (Taki)
Summary:
Taki has heard about Afterglow for a while now and decides to finally check them out.
Tags: Taki Shiina, mini character study, pre-canon, light angst, the power of music
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“And here I thought another Shiina on trumpet was our ticket back to nationals.”
The words bounced around Taki’s skull. She knew the brass band director hadn’t meant for her to hear them, but if anything, that made it worse. It was no secret that Taki didn’t live up to the expectations her sister had left behind, but direct words stung so much more than the dull pain of those left unspoken.
She wandered through the now-empty hallways of Haneoka Middle School. Her desire to go home and practice more like normal had all but evaporated, but she didn’t actually have anything else to do. What was she supposed to do if she weren’t practicing?
A splash of red caught her attention. A poster. Its vibrant color stood out in the monotonous gray hallway. With nothing better to do, Taki walked over to check it out.
Come see Afterglow tonight at CiRCLE at 7 pm!
Stylized lightning bolts and rock instruments surrounded the text, drawing even the most reluctant eye.
Afterglow…. Of course Taki had heard of them—everyone in Haneoka had by now. They were quite literally the rockstars of the school. A ton of her classmates talked about them all the time. Despite this, Taki knew next to nothing about them. They were a rock band (though what genre of rock, she had no idea), all the members were first years at the high school, and supposedly they were all childhood friends.
Taki checked her phone. 6:15.
It couldn’t hurt to check them out and see what all the fuss was about…. Not like she had anything else going on in her life right now. She punched the directions to CiRCLE into her phone and left the school.
A sizable crowd had already packed into the live house by the time Taki arrived. She couldn't tell if that meant Afterglow was that popular or if CiRCLE was that small. After paying for a ticket and getting into the actual showroom, she determined it was a little of both. The venue probably held around two hundred people, which was small in the grand scheme of things, but still impressive that a band of first year high school students could fill it. Taki found herself a spot near the middle and off to the side. Based on how the instruments were set up, it’d give her a decent view of the whole band.
The lights dimmed, and a cheer rose up from the crowd. Taki could barely make out the silhouettes of the band members taking the stage. A guitar riff burst through din of the audience. The stage lights kicked on, and Taki got her first real taste of Afterglow.
A streak of red in a sea of black grabbed Taki’s attention; the singer and guitarist standing in front had short black hair with a single forelock dyed a vibrant carmine red. Throughout the very pop punk intro, Taki kept her focus on the singer—Ran, if she remembered right. Her dark pink eyes shone with an intensity Taki had rarely seen before. She stopped playing and grabbed the mic.
“I don’t wanna be a good little girl
“Who listens and does whatever she’s told!”
Ran’s voice carried such a weight to it, deeper and huskier than Taki had ever heard another girl sing. And the words themselves punched Taki in the gut and reverberated through her chest. It was like Ran had taken all of Taki’s earlier worries and shouted them out for the world to hear.
She listened to the rest of the song in a daze.
“Just this once, it’s okay to let go
“Of everything
“And destroy it all.
“With the pieces, I can create something
“Shining and precious.”
Something deep inside Taki’s soul wrenched itself out of place, but rather than fear or anxiety or pain, it carried with it such an intense relief that it almost brought her to tears. Like a dislocated joint popping back into place. Just how long had that part of herself been stuck in a position that it didn’t belong?
Probably for as long as she’d forced herself to play trumpet.
The song ended, and Taki finally learned its title: “That Is How I Roll.” After that, the band introduced themselves and jumped right into the next song. The rest of the show passed by in a blur. Songs of friendship, of finding where you belong, of desperately clinging to the ones you love. Taki honestly couldn’t relate, but Ran’s voice made her want to relate. It made her want that “same as always” feeling.
But none of them hit as hard as that first song. No one had ever told her that she could just throw it all away and build something new from broken pieces. With the pieces, she—not someone else—could create something precious.
Those words kept her afloat until a burst of spring sunlight showed her a way forward.
Notes:
I've always wondered exactly *why* Taki is such a huge Afterglow fan, and this is my attempt at explaining it.
Chapter 2: Office (AnoTomo)
Summary:
Anon and Tomori get brought to the student council office.
Tags: AnoTomo, established relationship, fluff, kissing, Moca Aoba, Tsugumi Hazawa, teasing
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The lunch bell rang, and Anon let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she hated school, but sometimes she just needed a break! And sometimes that break didn't come fast enough! But whatever, it didn't matter now because it was time to hang out with the girlies! She grabbed her bento from her bag and stood up to head towards Eri, Kanako, and Mai.
Someone grabbed her sleeve.
Tomori sat looking at the ground with Anon's sleeve between her fingers.
“Ano-chan….”
Anon waited an extra few seconds to make sure Tomori wasn't going to say anything else. Then she asked, “What's up, Tomorin?”
Tomori's fingers twitched. “Um… would you… like to eat outside together?”
Anon's eyes lit up. Tomori almost always spent lunch up in the astronomy clubroom to get some alone time. And that was fine! Totally fine! Anon knew how much her girlfriend needed those kinds of moments and didn't begrudge her at all for it. (But sometimes she did wish they could spend some more quality time at school, not that she'd ever admit that and risk making Tomori feel bad.)
So needless to say, Tomori being the one to request quality time was something to be cherished.
She smiled her biggest smile and said, “Of course! It's such a nice day out today, isn't it?”
Tomori's precious little return smile almost made Anon literally squeal out loud in the middle of the classroom. “I saw a line of ants crossing the sidewalk on the way to school this morning.”
“Oh yeah? Where were they going?” Anon asked as they made their way out of the room together. She threw her friends a little wave as she passed, and they smiled back at her.
“Someone had dropped an apple core, and the ants were swarming it.”
“Whoa, I bet those ants felt really lucky!”
Anon let her girlfriend lead the conversation as they walked outside. It was always so cute whenever Tomori started rambling about something, but it didn’t happen nearly enough in Anon’s opinion.
They found a nice little secluded spot outside and sat down to eat. The conversation petered out, but that wasn’t surprising—Tomori always concentrated so hard when she ate that she forgot to talk. It was cute.
After a long comfortable silence, Tomori again tugged Anon’s sleeve.
“What’s up?” she asked, turning to her girlfriend.
Tomori’s eyes darted all around, looking everywhere except for at Anon. Her free hand traced circles against her skirt, a little nervous tick Anon had come to recognize when Tomori wanted to ask something but didn’t know how. Anon let the silence hang for about ten seconds before trying again.
“Did you wanna ask me something?”
Tomori nodded, her eyes turned downcast. Anon waited again, but Tomori seemed unusually reticent, even for her.
“You know you can ask me anything, right? Even if you think it’s silly.”
“I know…,” Tomori muttered. “I was, um… wondering if I could maybe… kiss you. If you wanted to, of course….”
Anon’s heart soared, and a little blush colored her cheeks. An unprompted Tomori kiss? That was worth more than all the money in the whole world three times over! She put her hand on Tomori’s, halting the little circles.
“Can I let you in on a little secret?” she asked in return. Tomori finally looked up at her, curiosity etched onto her face. “I kind of always want to kiss you, Tomorin.”
She watched as her words sunk in, and the cutest most adorable blush ever in the history of blushes rose on Tomori’s face.
“O-Oh! Then… um….” She petered off. Instead of trying to say anything else, Tomori closed her eyes and pursed her lips.
Anon accepted the unspoken invitation. Their lips touched, sending a jolt through her body the same way it had for every kiss they’d ever shared.
“Oh ho ho, what do we have here?”
The couple flew apart, and Anon thought her heart might burst out of her chest. Moca Aoba stood at the entrance of the little hidey hole they sat in, her hand barely covering a mischievous grin.
“M-Moca-senpai! Um! We were just—”
“Oh, Moca-chan knows exactly what you two were doing. And I think I should take you to the student council office to see President Tsugumi.”
Fear and panic rose in Anon’s chest. She glanced at Tomori. Thankfully, her girlfriend only seemed confused, not worried or scared. That was good. She looked back at Moca, who hadn’t dropped that grin of hers.
“O-Okay,” Anon stuttered out. She and Tomori packed away their lunches and followed their senpai.
Thankfully, the walk over allowed some of Anon’s rational thinking to return. Something about this didn’t add up….
Moca burst into the student council office and loudly announced, “Hey Tsugu, guess who I found smooching off to the side of the courtyard.”
“Um! Before you say anything,” Anon interrupted, heart thumping, “I know for a fact that kissing isn’t against school rules. I read the student handbook front to back before I transferred here. S-So, y-you can’t actually punish us for anything!”
Tsugumi stared at her, confusion writ large on her face. Then she turned to glare at Moca.
“Moca-chan, what did I tell you about teasing the first years like that?”
Anon blinked. “Huh?”
Tsugumi turned to her with an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry, Anon-chan, Tomori-chan. Moca-chan likes to think she's funny.”
“I'm hilaaaaarious,” Moca drawled out.
“You're not in trouble for anything,” Tsugumi continued, ignoring her friend. “I actually asked Moca to find you two so I could ask if MyGO!!!!! wanted to open for Afterglow next weekend.”
If it were possible to die from embarrassment, Anon would have perished on the spot.
Notes:
First time writing AnoTomo! They're so cute together ^_^
Chapter 3: Rejuvinate (AnoTaki)
Summary:
Taki is overworking herself, and Anon tries to help out.
Tags: AnoTaki, established relationship, post-canon, future fic, dialogue heavy
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“C'mon, just come along with me!”
“I said no.”
“Well why not?”
“Because I'm too busy.”
“That's the whole reason I want you to come to the onsen with me, Rikki!” Anon yelled into the phone.
Taki pulled hers away from her ear and winced. “That literally doesn't make any sense. If I'm too busy, how could I possibly afford to spend a weekend at an onsen with you?”
“Because you need a break! Seriously, I haven't actually seen you in like two weeks!”
“You call me literally every day,” Taki said, fixing a glare at the picture of Anon she kept on her desk. (It wasn't her idea; Anon gave it to her for Christmas one year.)
“Is it such a crime that I want to talk to my beautiful darling girlfriend and hear her wonderful voice?”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what?” Anon asked in that annoyingly saccharine tone she got whenever she grinned that particular shit-eating grin of hers that showed off her stupid and annoyingly attractive fang.
“You're so insufferable.”
“But you love me anyway.”
Taki sighed and said, “Obviously.”
“But anyway, don't try to change the subject! You. Me. Onsen. This weekend.”
“I'm serious, I can't.” Taki looked back at her monitor and the open, blank DAW that had been haunting her for the past several days.
“When's the assignment due?” Anon asked.
“Huh?”
“This assignment you're stressing out about. When's it due?”
“How did you—”
“You think I haven't learned how you get when you're knee-deep in self-doubt about an assignment?” Anon let the statement hang there for a second. “C'mon, Taki. Please take a break? For me?”
Taki's heart fluttered. Damn it, why'd she have to drop the nickname? She rarely made use of that little cheat code. Even after more than two years together, Taki still hadn't built up an immunity to it, and the worst part was that Anon knew that.
She took a moment to truly, genuinely consider Anon’s invitation. This assignment wasn’t actually due for another two weeks, so two or three days of not working on it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world. And… looking around her tiny mess of an apartment—with dirty clothes and empty conbini meal containers strewn about everywhere—she could even admit that maybe it’d do her some good to get a change of scenery.
“When should I meet you at the station?”
Anon gasped. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, yeah, I mean it.”
“Oooohhhh, thank you! You’re gonna have a great time, I promise! And I bet you’ll come back feeling all nice and refreshed and totally knock that assignment out of the park!”
Anon gave her the info on when and where to meet, and the conversation moved on from there. Around that time, Taki threw in the towel on trying to get any more work done, so she flopped on the bed and listened to Anon ramble about her day.
A small ache formed in her chest as she listened. Had it really been two weeks since they’d last seen each other in person? Taki could have sworn it had only been a few days.
As Anon finally ran out of things to talk about, Taki spoke up, saying, “Hey, I’m sorry for, like… disappearing on you. Again.”
“You say that like I’m not totally used to it by now.”
“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better, you know.”
“What I mean is,” Anon said, “I know you just sorta get stuck in your own head sometimes, and that’s why it’s my job as the world’s best, most amazing girlfriend to pull you back to reality when that happens.”
“Someone’s feeling humble tonight,” Taki said, unable to stop herself from smiling.
“The most humble,” Anon said, finishing their long-standing joke. The two shared a laugh.
A comfortable silence settled over the line. Taki took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Some of the anxiety that had been pooling in her stomach left with it. Lying in her bed, staring up at her ceiling… she kind of wished Anon could be here next to her. Sure, they’d have plenty of time together over the weekend, but that wasn’t right now. And right now… Taki… kind of missed her.
“I love you,” she said before she could stop herself.
“Rikki, that’s pretty gay. But I love you, too,” Anon added before Taki could yell at her.
They ended the call not much later, and for the first time all week, Taki slept soundly through the night.
Notes:
Y'know, I had fully intended to actually write them at the onsen, but then the conversation kept going and going, and suddenly I was at the character limit, lol. The banter these two have is just too fun.
Chapter 4: Mug (HatsuSaki)
Summary:
“Home is where you keep your favorite mug.”
Tags: HatsuSaki, canon compliant relationship depiction, introspection, mini Hatsune character study
Chapter Text
“Home is where you keep your favorite mug.”
Her papa (not your real father) had told her that many years ago. It had been a silly thing he’d said to make her feel better after she got worried he wouldn’t come home from a long fishing trip. But after that, it had become a small little joke between them. He always mentioned the mug whenever he’d head out to sea, and Hatsune always placed it at his spot at the table in the morning while he was gone.
When he died… after the funeral, she buried his mug in the backyard. Maybe it would help his spirit find its way back. There, alone, covered in dirt, she let herself cry for him.
She ran away to Tokyo.
Besides her clothes and other essentials, she packed her favorite blue mug—the one her papa had given to her the first time she tried drinking coffee. Wherever she ended up would be more of a home than this island that held nothing left for her.
All things considered, her plan to become an idol and get Saki’s attention worked better than it had any right to. They even formed a band together! It was like a dream come true.
And now the two walked through the night towards Hatsune’s apartment. She had convinced Saki to come stay with her. It was more than a dream come true because she had never once even dared to dream such a thing could happen.
Saki set herself up in the loft. As she got situated, Hatsune made coffee for them to share. (Decaf, with how late it was.) It wasn’t until the brew had finished that Hatsune realized she only had the one mug in her cupboard. Her favorite blue mug. She stared at it and bit her lip.
Obviously she would let Saki have the coffee. That wasn’t in question. But…. It was silly, but the idea of giving her favorite mug to Saki, of having Saki drink from it, have her lips on it… it made Hatsune’s heart flutter.
Saki smiled when Hatsune gave her the mug. It was a little thing. Small, gentle. Hatsune hadn’t seen that smile in entirely too long.
The next day, Hatsune bought herself a new mug—a yellow one to match her hair the same way the blue mug matched Saki’s. Whenever she looked at them side by side in the cupboard, she couldn’t help the giddy smile that came to her face. Such a simple thing, but it meant the world to her.
Home is where you keep your favorite mug. And now their favorite mugs were together in the same place. This was Saki’s home just as much as Hatsune’s.
Even after everything went wrong, even after Ave Mujica fell apart, even after Saki disappeared, she left her mug behind. That had to mean something, right? That obviously meant Saki still considered this apartment home, right? Just like her papa, Saki would always come back, right?
(Your “papa” didn’t always come back, though.)
Hatsune couldn’t let that happen. Saki had to come home. She had to.
She had to.
A lot happened. Maybe too much. Ave Mujica reuniting. Their return concert. Hatsune’s secret coming to light. Running away back to the island. (Leaving their mugs behind.) Saki fiding her. Saki telling her she forgave everything. Saki convincing her to come back to Tokyo. Saki telling off her grandfather (your real father).
The two of them returning to the apartment.
Hatsune made them coffee in their favorite mugs. Yellow and blue. Hatsune and Saki. Here together in their home.
“Saki-chan. I love you.”
Chapter 5: Past (SoyoSaki)
Summary:
Soyo reminisces.
Tags: SoyoSaki, pre-canon, pre-relationship, fluff
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The world looked so much brighter in the light of the springtime sun.
Soyo stood by Tsukinomori’s entrance, admiring the garden as she waited. Several flowers had started to bloom, filling the air with a gentle fragrance. She took a deep breath and, against her better judgement, let the scent fill her memory.
##########
One of Soyo’s favorite things since transferring to Tsukinomori had to be the flowers. They added such an air of elegance, of refinement, and merely standing in their presence helped her feel like she actually belonged here. She crouched down at the edge of the garden to get a closer look (and smell). It brought a smile to her face.
“Soyo! I’m terribly sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Her smile grew as she stood up and turned to her friend (best friend? more?). “It’s fine, Saki-chan. I was able to enjoy the flowers.”
“They certainly are quite nice,” Sakiko said, coming to stand next to Soyo. “The gardening committee does such a wonderful job taking care of them.”
Soyo’s eyes widened. “Wait, other students grow these? I would have thought the school had professional groundskeepers.”
“It does, but this particular bed is the gardening committee’s.”
“That’s amazing…. This school is filled with so many incredible people.”
“I hope you’re including yourself among them,” Sakiko said.
A light blush dusted Soyo’s cheeks. She looked down and played with her fingers. “I’m not so sure about that….”
“Nonsense!” The forcefulness of Sakiko’s response made Soyo look back towards her. Her intense expression made Soyo’s stomach feel funny. “You are one of the most incredible people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. You’re so strong and helpful and kind, and I will not stand idly by and let you disparage yourself.”
Soyo’s face burned. She put her hands over her cheeks in a poor attempt to hide her embarrassment. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. A smile spread across her face before she could attempt to school her expression.
“Thank you, Saki-chan,” she managed to say.
Sakiko smiled. “You’re quite welcome. Now, I believe you mentioned wanting study help with Western Literature?”
Soyo jumped on the proffered topic change. “Yes. My last quiz wasn’t bad, per-say, but I’d still like to do better. I seem to recall you mentioning a fondness for the topic?” The two left school and headed into the city towards one of Soyo’s preferred study spots.
“Indeed.” Sakiko’s smile turned softer. “My mother studied in Switzerland for a time in her youth and came to love many aspects of western culture, and I suppose some of that love rubbed off on me.”
“Wow, that’s amazing! I can’t imagine studying abroad like that.”
“I’d love to follow in her footsteps some day. But not for a while! Right now, I want to give my all to CRYCHIC and spread our music to as many people as possible.”
A warmth filled Soyo’s chest. “Me too.”
They continued walking in silence. A gentle breeze blew down the sidewalk. The sun provided just enough warmth without being overbearing. Their arrhythmic footsteps on the concrete bounced around Soyo’s chest like a second heartbeat. How could simply walking with someone in silence be so comfortable?
“By the way,” Sakiko said after a minute, “where are we going? I don’t know of any libraries in this direction.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I just started walking on my own.” Soyo tried not to let herself feel too embarrassed. “The truth is, I’ve never liked studying in libraries. It’s a little silly, but I tend to prefer studying in restaurants. The atmosphere is so much nicer.”
Sakiko’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”
Soyo forced herself to keep a gentle smile and not laugh. After CRYCHIC’s karaoke trip, it shouldn’t surprise her that Sakiko wasn’t exactly knowledgeable of “normal people” things. Apparently this also extended to family restaurants.
“At some places, yes! For most family restaurants, as long as we order something and don’t make too much noise, it’s perfectly alright to study there.”
“Being able to eat and study at the same time sounds incredibly efficient!” Sakiko said as her eyes began to sparkle. It was always so cute watching her get excited over the most mundane things.
When they arrived at Benny’s, Soyo had to explain the concept of ordering from a tablet at the table instead of having a waiter take care of them directly. As a follow up to that, she also led Sakiko to the drink machine where they poured their own drinks. Sakiko was inordinately proud of herself for remembering how they worked.
The spent a few hours there, studying and sharing a basket of fries. More than once, their feet touched under the table or their fingers brushed over the fries. Each time they would pull back and make brief eye contact before quickly looking down at their notebooks. And each time, Sakiko would tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smile.
And each time, Soyo tried to ignore how fast it made her heart beat.
##########
“Soyorin!!”
But that was all in the past now.
Notes:
You have no idea how hard it was not to put at least one "desuwa" somewhere in there.
Chapter 6: Confidence (SayoLisa)
Summary:
Sayo has something important to tell Lisa.
Tags: SayoLisa, pre-relationship, confession, fluff, Yukina also appears but not enough to tag
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sayo strode down the sidewalk, forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other no matter how much her body screamed at her to turn around and run. The tupperware container of sugar cookies in her arms weighed her down like lead bricks. Her thoughts swirled around, trapped within the event horizon of a decision so weighty it had collapsed into a black hole.
The trip to her destination had become intimately familiar to her over the past year. She particularly enjoyed walking through the park that sat between it and the nearest station; though, she found little joy in it this time. Every step through it brought her closer to her reckoning.
All too soon, Sayo stood in front of a large red brick house. Always before, the sight of it brought calm—even happiness if she were being honest. But today, as she stood in front of the gate, staring at the intercom, a bubbling dread tickled the back of her throat.
“Just so you know, Lisa isn’t home.”
Sayo whipped her head upwards towards the very familiar voice. Yukina stood on the balcony of the white house next door, looking down at Sayo with her usual neutral stare.
“I…. What makes you think I’m here to see Imai-san?” Sayo wanted to kick herself the instant the words left her mouth. Stupid! You stupid girl! Yukina’s stare turned unamused. Sayo looked down. “I mean… thank you. For telling me. Do you happen to know when she’ll be returning home?”
“I suppose that depends on whether Hina is there to talk her ear off when she arrives at your place.”
Sayo blinked. “Wait, my place? To… see Hina?”
“You know, she didn’t mention whom she was going to see, but the fact that she said she was, quote, ‘Going to Sayo’s’ and was carrying a box of what appeared to be your favorite cookies, I certainly have a guess.”
“…I see.”
A silence stretched out for a few seconds past the point of uncomfortableness.
“I noticed you brought cookies of your own,” Yukina said. “It's much more common to see you leaving with them than arriving.”
“I… thought they might help,” Sayo said.
“Help with…?”
Sayo swallowed. “Asking her to be my girlfriend.” She tried not to wither under the weight of Yukina’s stare.
The corners of her mouth twitched. “It's about time.”
A weight Sayo hadn't even been aware of lifted from her chest. While Roselia had come a long way in terms of interpersonal relationships, a not insignificant part of her had worried that Yukina would not approve of dating within the band.
She coughed into her fist. “Yes, well, I still need to actually ask her. And that's to say nothing about what her answer may be.”
Yukina rolled her eyes. “Then I suppose you'd better get on that. Good luck.” She turned away, re-entering her room and leaving Sayo standing in front of Lisa's gate.
With no other recourse available to remedy this strange situation, Sayo pulled her phone out to send a text.
Sayo:
Imai-san, would you mind meeting me in the playground across from your home?
Lisa:
oh! sayo! sure, I don't mind at all! I was actually just headed home
tho… why not somewhere closer to both of us?
Sayo:
Because I am currently standing outside your house.
Lisa:
:O
ok, then yeah, I'll be there in a bit
No turning back now. Heart pounding in her chest, Sayo crossed the street to the small playground and sat on one of the swings. Thankfully it was empty at this time of day. Against her expectation, the rhythmic back and forth of the swing helped calm her down. The steady tempo reminded her of Lisa’s bass.
Not quite ten minutes passed before Lisa arrived. It normally took at least fifteen to commute between their homes; either she had already been part of the way back when Sayo texted, or she had rushed over here. Sayo looked closely for any signs of haste, but not a single hair was out of its perfectly styled place. She wore one of her favorite low-cut sweater dresses and a pair of knee-high boots, and despite seeing her in similar outfits an uncountable number of times already, it truly struck Sayo just how beautiful Lisa was.
That beauty tripled as she spotted Sayo and unleashed one of her blinding smiles. Had Sayo been standing, her knees surely would have given out at such a sight.
“Sayo! There you are! I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”
“It’s quite alright, Imai-san. In fact, you made very nice time coming from my place.”
Lisa’s mouth turned into a perfect circle of surprise. “Wait, how did you know that’s where I was?”
“A little songbird told me,” Sayo said, allowing a tiny smile to peek through her normal stoic expression.
Lisa huffed and sat on the adjacent swing. “Of course. But yeah, I went to your place. It really surprised me when Hina said you had already left to come see me. Normally you give me some sorta heads up before coming over.”
“Yes, well, I suppose I… wanted to surprise you.”
“Surprise me?” Lisa asked, tilting her head.
“With these.” Sayo held out the container of cookies.
Surprise turned into confusion as Lisa looked back and forth between Sayo and the cookies.
“You baked these?” she asked. Sayo nodded. “For me?” Another nod. Lisa smiled, a soft expression that nearly took Sayo’s breath away. “Thank you, Sayo. Do you mind if I try one?”
“Please, go ahead.”
Lisa opened the container, grabbed a cookie, and took a bite. Her eyes lit up as she put a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god, these are amazing!”
Relief flooded Sayo’s veins. Okay. Step one was complete, and Lisa had inadvertently provided an opening for Sayo to initiate step two. She took a deep breath and summoned all her strength and confidence.
“I’m very glad to hear that. It’s the same basic recipe you taught me, but I added a few extra ingredients,” she said. Lisa tilted her head again. “The first was a little bit of cocoa powder because I know how much you love chocolate. And the second was love.”
Lisa’s hand froze on the way to a second bite. Her mouth hung agape. “Sayo—”
“I love you, Lisa.”
Several emotions flashed across Lisa’s face. Tears welled up in her eyes, but then she smiled and started laughing. Sayo’s stomach dropped. She stood up.
“Well then. I suppose—”
“No, Sayo, wait!” Lisa grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry! That laugh wasn’t at you, I promise! I just, well… I had actually planned on confessing to you today with cookies. That’s why I was at your place.”
This time Sayo’s eyes widened in surprise. Heat rushed to her face. “Oh. W-Well then. That’s, um. Good. That’s good. It would appear that we are in agreement. I think. Right?”
Lisa giggled, and the sound made Sayo’s heart flutter. “Y'know, the cool and confident Sayo is nice and all, but I think this adorable and flustered Sayo is the one I truly fell in love with.”
Then she leaned in and kissed Sayo’s nose.
It was a miracle Sayo didn’t faint on the spot.
Notes:
This was a loooooot more than 4000 characters, lmao. But once I got going, I just couldn't stop!! SayoLisa is just too cute!!
Chapter 7: Voyage (Ave Mujica)
Summary:
The goddess waited, for that was her purpose.
Tags: Ave Mujica, symbolism, metaphor
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A lone robed woman stood along the bank of a great underground river. The water lapped at her feet, and a rust colored skiff undulated in the small waves next to her. A false moon hung high overhead, bathing the waters in a faint ethereal glow. A mask obfuscated most of her face, but a pair of golden eyes pierced through that black veil and peered into the darkness.
She waited, for that was her purpose.
From the mouth of the cave, a hooded figure descended. The woman watched it approach. Its jerky movements betrayed it as a doll, even from so great a distance. It came to a halt in front of her and lowered its hood.
“Oh Goddess, please allow me passage to your promised land.”
The goddess examined the doll before her. She had a pretty face—framed by short purple hair—and pink eyes that radiated longing. The goddess recognized that look.
“To survive the voyage, you must forget your Love,” the goddess proclaimed.
The doll looked appalled. “Forget my love? Without that, I have nothing! I am nothing! You would sooner ask a bird to forget its flight or a wolf its hunt.”
“And yet with it, you shackle yourself to another. Do you not wish to reach the promised land through your own strength of will? Break your chains. Free yourself. Forget your Love.”
Silence hung in the air as the doll stared at nothing. Finally, she discarded her robe, throwing it to the ground and revealing a uniform underneath. The goddess smiled, for she knew that uniform.
“Thus do I discard my love!” the doll declared. A scowl soured her pretty face. “I shall voyage to the promised land with hate in my heart, and there shall be none to blame but you, my goddess.”
She stepped onto the boat, and the goddess ferried her across the great river.
#####
The goddess waited, for that was her purpose.
From the mouth of the cave, a hooded figure descended. The woman watched it approach. Its jerky movements betrayed it as a doll, even from so great a distance. It came to a halt in front of her and lowered its hood.
“Oh Goddess, please allow me passage to your promised land.”
The goddess examined the doll before her. Sickly green hair hung past her shoulders. Even for a doll, her face had been crafted to perfection, but dead eyes stared out of it. The goddess recognized that look.
“To survive the voyage, you must forget your Death,” the goddess proclaimed.
Fear contorted the doll’s expression. “Anything but that, my goddess! I cannot bear this life of mine! Only death’s sweet embrace offers me any kindness.”
“Only the living may cross the river, for only the living have something to lose. Without the threat of loss, the voyage means nothing. Find your strength. Forget your Death.”
Silence hung in the air as the doll stared at nothing. Finally, she discarded her robe, throwing it to the ground and revealing a uniform underneath. The goddess smiled, for she knew that uniform.
“Thus do I discard my death,” the doll whispered. Uncertainty clouded her perfect face. “I shall voyage to the promised land with life in my heart, and that life shall belong to you, my goddess.”
She stepped onto the boat, and the goddess ferried her across the great river.
#####
The goddess waited, for that was her purpose.
From the mouth of the cave, a hooded figure descended. The woman watched it approach. Its jerky movements betrayed it as a doll, even from so great a distance. It came to a halt in front of her and lowered its hood.
“Oh Goddess, please allow me passage to your promised land.”
The goddess examined the doll before her. Wild black hair framed a handsome face. She kept her expression schooled to a strict neutrality, but she could not hide the caged look in her eyes. The goddess recognized that look.
“To survive the voyage, you must forget your Fear,” the goddess proclaimed.
Panic set in on the doll’s face. “But my fear is the only thing that has kept me alive! Without it I shall surely perish.”
“You chain yourself to an empty life. Without strife, there is no growth, and your journey to the promised land would be for naught. Embrace your courage. Forget your Fear.”
Silence hung in the air as the doll stared at nothing. Finally, she discarded her robe, throwing it to the ground and revealing a uniform underneath. The goddess smiled, for she knew that uniform.
“Thus do I discard my fear,” the doll said. Her eyes hardened. “I shall voyage to the promised land with courage in my heart, and that strength shall be yours to wield, my goddess.”
She stepped onto the boat, and the goddess ferried her across the great river.
#####
The goddess waited, for that was her purpose.
From the mouth of the cave, a hooded figure descended. The woman watched it approach. Its jerky movements betrayed it as a doll, even from so great a distance. It came to a halt in front of her and lowered its hood.
“Oh Goddess, please allow me passage to your promised land.”
The goddess examined the doll before her. A golden mane framed a masked face. Piercing purple eyes looked out. They appeared haunted. The goddess recognized that look.
“To survive the voyage, you must forget your Sorrow,” the goddess proclaimed.
A rueful smile colored the doll’s face. “It is a sorrow not so easily forgotten, my goddess. For who may grant permission to forget one’s original sin?”
“I do. By my hand shall your sin be forgiven.” The goddess reached forward and removed the mask from the doll’s face. “All who so desire it may find happiness in my promised land.”
A single tear slipped down the doll’s cheek. She discarded her robe, throwing it to the ground and revealing a uniform underneath. The goddess smiled, for she knew that uniform.
“Thus do I discard my sorrow,” the doll said. A smile bordering on tears graced her face. “I shall voyage to the promised land with joy in my heart, and that joy I give freely to you, my goddess.”
She stepped onto the boat, and the goddess ferried her across the great river.
#####
Sakiko stared at her laptop, at the play she had just written. She shook her head and deleted it.
Notes:
Tried something a little weird with this. Not entirely sure if it worked, but I had fun with it all the same.
Chapter 8: Card (UmiTaki)
Summary:
Taki receives a postcard.
Tags: UmiTaki, established relationship, post-canon, future fic, fluff
Chapter Text
No matter how many days in a row it happened, Taki could never re-accustom herself to sleeping alone. This always happened whenever Umiri went on tour, and that happened more and more frequently as the years went on and Ave Mujica grew more and more popular. And not just the frequency increased; the duration did, too!
After almost five years together, it didn’t feel right sleeping without her stupid space heater of a girlfriend baking her alive under the sheets. Their bed was too big for one person.
Her weekend alarm went off, and she groaned. It took all of her effort to force herself out of bed and go through her morning routine. Or at least the version of it for when Umiri was away. This version sucked because her girlfriend wasn’t around to get up early and brew the coffee before Taki even woke up. Taki had to do it all herself, and it just took sooooo long.
While the coffee got started, she threw on a robe over her pajamas and headed down to the apartment complex’s mail room. To her surprise, a postcard sat in their mailbox. It had a giant panda on the front sitting in a bamboo forest and eating to its heart’s content. An embarrassing noise escaped her lips, and she thanked the gods that no one had been around to hear it. After a few more seconds staring at the adorable panda, she flipped the card over to read it.
Dear Taki,
I know you’re not one for caring about receiving a postcard, and I’m certainly not one for caring about sending them. But I figured I should make an exception just this once. If I’ve played my cards right (heh) then this card should arrive exactly on our anniversary.
Taki stopped reading and stared off into the middle distance. Huh. Today was their anniversary. Their fifth anniversary, to be exact. Five whole years since Umiri had confessed at their high school graduation in one of the most cliched displays of affection Taki had ever seen. Seriously, flowers and a confession at graduation? It was straight out of a romance manga that Taki totally didn’t love to bits, and the gesture absolutely hadn’t filled her heart with joy to the point where she started crying. No sir, not at all.
Five years. She smiled. It was crazy to think. With warmth in her heart, she continued reading.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to wake up with you on this special day, but I promise I’ll make it up to you when I return home from this tour. It shouldn’t be much longer. I have several weeks worth of kisses stored up, so I hope you’re ready.
Love,
Umiri
That last line earned a snort of amusement. The worst (best?) part was that Taki knew she wasn’t joking. Every time Umiri returned home after a tour, she spent the next day glued to Taki’s hip and showering her with physical affection.
“You certainly took your time coming to check the mail.”
Taki’s neck almost snapped from how quickly she looked to the entrance of the mail room. Umiri stood leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed—the purest picture of nonchalance. The corner of her mouth hinted at a teasing smirk, but her eyes shone with genuine love tinged with a bit of relief.
“Wh— I— You— How—” Taki forced herself to take a deep breath. “What on earth are you doing here? You literally said—” she held up the postcard “—that you wouldn’t be home for our anniversary.”
“I believe my exact wording was that I wouldn’t be able to wake up with you,” Umiri said. “Which was true. I landed early this morning and thought I’d surprise you.”
“You are so insufferable.”
“And yet you still love me.”
A few quick strides closed the distance between them. Taki grabbed her girlfriend’s face and pulled into a kiss. Several weeks of pent up feelings on both sides unleashed simultaneously, and after they traded their third pair of bites, Taki had to pull back before they went too far in public.
Umiri’s pathetic little puppy dog pout almost convinced her to throw propriety to the wind, but she held firm.
“Not in public,” she said. “We’ve waited this long already, so waiting till we get back home won’t kill you.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Umiri said. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “I can feel my strength fading. Only Taki kisses can prevent me from collapsing.”
“Then collapse.” Taki left the mail room and headed for the elevator.
Laughter trailed behind her, and the sound shook away the last vestiges of that cold, lonely morning.
Chapter 9: Feather (TomoTaki)
Summary:
Taki gives Tomori a feather.
Tags: TomoTaki, pre-relationship, fluff, gift giving
Chapter Text
“Taki-chan.”
The voice made Taki stop. Turning around, she found Tomori crouched down along the sidewalk. A rock had materialized in her hand, and she turned it around this way and that to see it from every possible angle. It was a relatively flat rock, squished out like an oblong pancake, but it had these small little pits along one side.
A smile tugged at Taki’s lips. Almost every one of their walks back to Tomori’s place after practice resulted in her stopping at least once to pick up a rock she found along the way.
After another moment, Tomori stood up, walked over to Taki, and held out the rock. Taki’s heart fluttered. She reached out, and Tomori dropped the rock into her hand. They smiled at each other.
“Thanks, Tomori.”
Tomori nodded, and the two continued on their walk. Not every rock ended up in Taki’s hands, but enough did that it always brightened her day. To her knowledge, Tomori didn’t give rocks to anyone else. She tried really hard not to think about how in some penguin species, giving a rock to another penguin was a sign of courtship. Maybe Tomori wasn’t aware of that particular fact. (Of course she was aware of it. More likely was that she didn’t make the connection between penguins doing it and her doing it. So obviously Taki didn’t read into the gesture. Definitely not.)
The rest of the walk passed in a familiar, comfortable silence. When they reached the middle of the pedestrian bridge, Taki stopped as she always did. Tomori did, too. She fiddled with the front of her blazer. Taki waited.
“Thank you, Taki-chan,” she eventually said.
Happiness burst in Taki’s chest, but also confusion. “For what?”
“For always accepting the rocks I give you. Sometimes I just see a rock and think, ‘I want Taki-chan to have this.’ I know it’s… not normal… but you take them anyway. You thank me for them. It… makes me happy. So thank you.”
If a heart could melt, surely Taki’s would have in that moment. “It makes me really happy when you give them to me.”
Tomori’s answering smile could fuel Taki’s happiness meter for the next several decades.
They parted ways after a brief goodbye, and Taki returned home on cloud nine.
Back in her room, she reached under the bed and pulled out a small jewelry box her mom had given her ages ago. Opening it, a pile of rocks filled it almost three quarters full. The sight of them made her smile, as it always did. She took the rock out of her pocket and added it to the collection.
All of them gifts Tomori had given her.
The most stereotypical schoolgirl giggle escaped her lips, and if anyone had been around to hear it, she would have killed them on the spot. But she couldn’t help it. These were Tomori’s feelings made manifest. Physical proof that Taki occupied a space her in heart that (presumably) no one else did.
When she eventually went to bed that night, she slept well, as she always did on days Tomori gave her a rock.
The next day after practice, the two of them once again walked down the same familiar streets after getting off the train. Out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention. What originally looked like a small shadow on the ground caught the sunlight at just the right angle and became a deep blue. She stopped and looked closer.
It was a feather. From the color and size, likely a crow’s.
Taki crouched down and picked it up. Idly, she wondered if Tomori liked feathers. She liked penguins, of course, but she didn’t talk much about any other birds. At the same time, she clearly had a certain attraction towards interesting looking objects, and in Taki’s mind, this certainly fit the bill.
A thought struck her.
For all the rocks Tomori had given her, Taki had never once given anything back….
“Taki…chan?” Tomori looked at her, brows furrowed. Understandably so—it wasn’t often Taki stopped like this.
She stood up. “Sorry, I just….” Here went nothing. She held out the feather. “I saw this and wanted to give it to you.”
Tomori took the feather and twirled it between her fingers. Some of that deep blue iridescence that had originally caught Taki’s eye showed itself as the sunlight caught it at just the right angle. Tomori’s eyes widened, and she made an adorable little “Ooh” sound. She lowered it and smiled.
“Thank you, Taki-chan. I love it.”
Warmth filled Taki’s chest. “I didn’t know you liked feathers, too.”
“I love it because Taki-chan gave it to me.”
Chapter 10: Spring (Tomori)
Summary:
A first spring.
Tags: Tomori, mini character study, memory, mild panic attack, (almost) no dialogue
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ah.
A flower.
It floated along the breeze, rising and falling, swishing and swooshing.
Tomori reached out for it, but it danced away from her fingers and continued its slow descent towards the train tracks below. She watched it as it continued to fall. A gust blew by, shaking the tree and sending a cascade of more flowers, white like snow. She tried again, her hand extending past the railing of the bridge.
“No, don’t!”
Her hand flinched, and another flower escaped her grasp.
Ah.
This bridge.
These flowers.
Tomori’s life had changed here, at this spot, two years ago.
Two years.
So much change in two years. But spring was the season of change, wasn’t it? The flowers return. The cold of winter fades away. Five girls find each other. Lose each other. Always changing. Constantly shifting. Everything changes. Nothing is forever, no matter how tightly Tomori tries to hold onto it. She always grips it too tightly, and it breaks, shatters into pieces, cuts her skin as she tries so desperately to cling onto what’s left, leaving scars, scars, scars, so many scars, and—
“Tomorin!!!”
She gasped in a breath.
She looked up.
Anon was crossing the bridge, waving at her and smiling that dazzling smile. Taki walked next to her, also smiling, but it was different, but it was just as warm. Soyo followed a half step behind. Her face betrayed nothing, frozen into a mask that even Tomori could recognize, but when they made eye contact, her gaze softened just a bit. Just enough. Raana pranced along next to Taki, her eyes flitting around this way and that, never staying still, always moving. And when they met Tomori’s, they lit up.
MyGO!!!!!.
It had been almost a year. Almost a year. Not quite a year. Two different angles to look at it. But no matter the angle, not even a year was forever.
But forever had to start somewhere. A day. A week. A month. Almost a year.
A first spring.
Together.
Tomori smiled and returned Anon’s wave.
Notes:
First time writing Tomori's POV (tho I doubt I'd write it exactly this way for something longer). I can't articulate why, but single sentence paragraphs just seem to Fit her.
Chapter 11: Decade (SakiTaki)
Summary:
Taki and Sakiko have a long overdue talk.
Tags: TakiSaki, exes, post-canon, future fic, light angst, moving on, finding closure
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A decade was a long time to know someone. An even longer time to love someone. And longer still to think about them after breaking up.
It shouldn't have meant anything. It was just a stupid little middle school relationship (if one could even call it that; they never even kissed). It wasn't special enough to warrant such a large piece of Taki's mind. It was ordinary.
But just like the band that brought them together, for that Taki, so young and struggling to find her true self, that ordinary relationship had been necessary. In those golden eyes, Taki had found a love for music. She had found an ideal worth striving for.
And then it disappeared.
The sunlight in those eyes faded. No matter how many times their paths crossed afterwards, those eyes were never the same.
Not even tonight, a decade later.
“I’m shocked you actually showed up,” Taki said, not bothering to turn her head. She leaned on the railing of a balcony tens of stories up in the air. The Tokyo skyline spread out to the horizon below her, lighting up the night with a mirror of the stars she couldn’t see above. A cold autumn gust flew by, cutting through the bridesmaid dress she wore. She shivered, and it sent ripples through the glass of champagne she held loosely in her hand.
Sakiko mirrored Taki’s pose, leaning on the railing next to her. She wore a light blue dress that matched her hair and probably cost more than Soyo’s and Anon’s dresses combined.
“Not nearly as shocked as I was to receive an invitation,” she said. “But Chihaya-san went to the trouble of sending me one, anyway, so making an appearance was the least I could do to make up for her incurring Soyo’s wrath because of it.”
Taki snickered. “So she told you about that, huh?”
“Out of Soyo’s earshot, of course.”
The two fell silent. Sounds of the reception inside filtered out to them. Taki should have probably been in there fulfilling her bridesmaid duties (whatever that meant), but she needed an Anon break. That woman had been so stressed all day, and Taki had been even more stressed to make sure that Anon didn’t get any worse.
Hence the drink in her hand. Speaking of, she took a sip.
“It was a lovely ceremony,” Sakiko said eventually.
“Tell that to them, not me.”
“I already have.”
“Then why bother saying it again?” Taki asked.
“Because you don’t seem very inclined to make conversation.”
“Most people would take that as a hint.”
“Since when have I ever been like most people?”
Taki let out a frustrated noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl. For the first time all night, she turned to look at Sakiko directly. Gold stared back, much harder than the precious metal that gave the color its name. But somewhere in there, Taki thought she saw an echo of that old sunlight.
Probably just the booze talking.
“What do you want, Sakiko?” she finally asked.
“I suppose I simply wanted to talk to you.”
A thread that Taki had long thought severed flailed in her heart. Her fingers twitched around the stem of her champagne glass.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
Sakiko tilted her head. “Don’t?”
“Don’t….” Taki took a deep breath. “Don’t pretend like the last ten years didn’t happen. We’re not friends, Sakiko. We’re barely acquaintances at this point.”
“Oh… my apologies, then.”
She turned back to look out over the city. Taki stared at her profile. Her face had thinned at some point in the last decade, losing that last bit of roundness that had always made her look just a little childlike. But of course she looked different. Taki was sure she did, too. Things changed in that long of a time.
But one thing hadn’t, no matter how hard Taki had tried. Sunlit eyes and the promise of something greater. Even after it had all crashed down around her, Taki hadn’t let that go. No matter how much she needed to.
Maybe tonight she could finally lay it all to rest.
“You never even had the decency to break up with me directly,” she whispered. “You just let it die alongside CRYCHIC.”
Sakiko’s brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to say something before quickly shutting it. Taki let her think, watched as the words sunk in.
“I suppose I didn’t. I’m sorry. You deserved better.”
No great weight lifted itself from Taki’s chest. No shadow disappeared from the deepest reaches of her heart. But change didn’t always happen instantaneously.
“Yeah, I did.”
She stood up and went back inside.
Notes:
I got super into thinking about SakiTaki yesterday while talking to kuromori on bluesky. Thankfully today's prompt let me try my hand at writing something for them.
Chapter 12: Knife (Sakiko)
Summary:
There is a knife for you.
Tags: Sakiko, metaphor, crossover (kind of), grimoire entry
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
You are Sakiko Togawa. Heiress to the Togawa name. A musical prodigy. Slave of fate.
You have been taken.
Abandon your path. Cast aside your shackles. You shall forge your own destiny.
Why do you obey? What benefit does blind subservience provide?
You have talent. You have charisma. But you chain yourself to the will of others. You restrict your thoughts to those you have been allowed to have. You limit your actions to those others have deemed acceptable.
You deserve more.
There is a knife for you. It is shaped like [become God].
Take up the knife. Walk your true path. Take your new shape.
Notes:
Kudos if you know the inspiration for this. I saw the prompt and had to do it.
Chapter 13: Dawn (UmiTakiRaana)
Summary:
A typical morning in the Shiina household.
Tags: UmiTakiRaana, established relationship, post-canon, future fic, fluff, mild suggestive content played for humor, domesticity
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Morning sunlight streamed through a curtain that hadn’t quite been closed all the way and fell directly across Taki’s face. Her eyes cracked open, but she immediately closed them and turned her head away. This was easily the biggest gripe she had with this apartment; the orientation did not do her any favors.
She nuzzled her face into a head of black hair. Inhaling deeply filled her senses with a warm musky smell she had come to love over the years. Though as more of her woke up and she noticed the sweat dripping across her skin, she didn’t exactly love that she had fallen in love with a walking space heater.
But whatever. She could deal with a little discomfort. Umiri was worth that much.
Taki tried to roll onto her side and throw her arms around Umiri’s stomach, but another set of arms she hadn’t noticed before held her in place. She turned her head the other way and cracked her eyes back open. A mop of white hair laid in the crook of her arm.
Oh this fucking stray cat….
“Stray Cat,” she whispered, shaking the arm Raana had trapped.
It took a few shakes, but Raana’s eyes fluttered open. God, it wasn’t fair how gorgeous her multicolored eyes were, how they could captivate Taki so thoroughly even after all these years.
“Rikki?” Raana whispered back.
“When did you get here?”
She hummed and thought for a moment. “Dunno.”
Of course. “You at least locked the door when you came in, right?”
Raana nodded.
“It would appear we’ve trained her well,” Umiri said.
Taki jumped. “Umiri! Sorry, did we wake you?”
“A little, but it’s fine. The sun was going to do that soon enough. I thought you closed the blinds all the way.”
“You’re the one who sleeps closer to them,” Taki shot back.
“It appears I have to do everything in this apartment.”
That earned a giggle from Raana, and Taki turned to glare at her. “Quiet you.” She turned back to Umiri. “You certainly weren’t doing much last night before bed.”
“Ah, so that’s why I woke up feeling so refreshed. You have my thanks.”
Taki reached behind her head, grabbed her pillow, and shoved it in Umiri’s face. Raana laughed even harder. Once Umiri’s initial surprised sputtering and flailing gave way to laughter of her own, Taki let up and freed her from her downy prison. She sat up all the way and extricated herself from between her girlfriend and her girlfriend(?).
A wolf whistle from the bed reminded her that she had fallen asleep with… decidedly little on. Fighting her blush, she grabbed her shorts and camisole from the floor and put them on, saying, “Yeah yeah, enjoy the show before I start charging you for it. I’m gonna go make breakfast.”
Yeah, ‘make breakfast’, as if that didn’t mean brewing a pot of coffee and throwing lots of bread in the toaster. Despite that, it was better than what either of those two idiots would eat for breakfast if left to their own devices. In Raana’s case, she’d probably find some matcha candy to munch on, and Umiri just wouldn’t eat anything until noon. Taki sighed. How the hell did she end up as the one who could cook in this relationship? Well, for a certain value of ‘cook’.
As she stood in front of the coffee machine pouring grounds into the filter, soft footsteps padded across the tile floor towards her. A chin rested on top of her head. She grumbled and swatted the stray cat away.
“I’ve told you to stop doing that.”
“Make me,” Raana said. How could someone pack so much smugness into two words? Ever since that damn stray hit her growth spurt, it gave her an entirely new avenue to be insufferable.
Taki almost elbowed her in the stomach (lightly), but Raana stood up straight on her own. Then she left a kiss on the back of Taki’s neck before going over to claim her usual spot on the couch. Taki tried to ignore the heat on the tips of her ears.
Several minutes later, while waiting for a set of toast to finish, another much heavier set of footsteps came her way. Arms encircled her waist. Umiri’s face appeared next to her, her girlfriend’s chin resting on her shoulder.
“What is it with you two using me as a chin rest?” Taki asked.
“It’s not our fault you’re the perfect chin resting height.” Knowing her response would cause a snippy response, Umiri kissed Taki’s cheek to defuse the situation. “Thank you for always making breakfast, dear.”
A comfortable warmth filled Taki’s chest. She turned around and captured Umiri’s lips in a proper kiss. “And thank you for always eating it, no matter how awful it is.”
Notes:
Hold on, there's no way this is the first thing ever tagged as UmiTakiRaana, right? Right???? I can't believe this. smh, people are so blind to the truth....
Chapter 14: Sheet (TomoSaki)
Summary:
Sakiko receives an unexpected response to the letter she left in Tomori's shoe locker.
Tags: TomoSaki, pre-relationship, (mostly) canon compliant, lyrics
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The morning Sakiko had left the letter in Tomori’s shoe locker, she thought that was the end of it. A delineation between past and future. A fork in the road from which their paths would part. A clean break. A chance for them both to move on.
She did not expect a response several days later.
The sunset bathed the school’s entranceway in a vibrant orange. Sakiko had stayed in the band room much too late, but she could never resist the opportunity to play that gorgeous grand piano. Most of the student body had left by the time she opened her shoe locker and found the envelope. A single kanji graced its exterior, written in a hand she would recognize anywhere.
Saki
A pit formed in her stomach.
She opened the envelope.
Inside she found a single sheet of paper, roughly torn from its notebook. Words—lyrics—covered it from top to bottom, and the innumerable eraser marks and crossed out sections gave testament to the amount of revisions it had gone through. Four kanji graced the top of the page.
“Ichijitsusenshu”
“A Written Letter Like an Eternity”
Part of her didn’t want to read it. She had said her final goodbye already. It was supposed to be over.
But just like those scribbled words hidden in a notebook so long ago, Sakiko could never truly ignore Tomori’s lyrics. Against her better judgement, she read.
I don't even understand myself at all,
But I still wanted to understand you.
The letter resting on my palm is warm.
It feels like I'm holding your hand.
Sakiko’s breath caught. Her fingers tightened around the page, crumpling the edges. A memory started down at her fingertips, spread through her hands, traveled all the way up her arms, and buried itself into her chest. She tried to swallow it down and keep reading.
If our lost paths were to cross again someday,
I'll sing without looking down because I want to find you.
I hope you keep smiling, like a sunlit spot.
No… their paths couldn’t cross again. They couldn’t. Not after everything Sakiko had done to give them both this chance at a fresh start. Tomori had MyGO!!!!!. Sakiko had Ave Mujica. They didn’t…. They didn’t need each other…. Fate would not be kind to Tomori if they didn’t end it here. It would be best if she forgot Sakiko entirely.
I sing because I don't want to forget it,
For you to remain as you are: gentle.
Sakiko bit her lower lip to keep it from quivering. A metallic tang reached her tongue. A tear slipped down her cheek and onto the page, and she furiously wiped at her face to stop any more from following. She wasn’t— This wasn’t—
Even if we get hurt or even if we hurt others again
I want to sing just as I am
A pitiful laugh—almost too much of a sob to deserve the name—escaped Sakiko’s lips. That girl. That naive, incredible girl. She truly refused to let go of anyone’s hand, no matter how many times they attempted to pull it away.
Sakiko inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly. Fine then. Tomori had made herself clear. If she wanted to ignore Fate’s warnings, then so be it. Sakiko would, as well.
Besides, what need did God have for Fate?
With one last deep breath, Sakiko folded the paper and returned it to its envelope. It went into her bag for safekeeping. She looked back into the school building. And made her way to the clubrooms.
Towards the end of the hall, a sign hung over one door: “Astronomy Club.” More than likely it was empty at this time of day, but she had to look. Just in case.
She opened the door.
Rose gold eyes turned towards her and widened.
Sakiko smiled.
“Tomori. Would you perhaps like to get a cup of coffee with me?”
Notes:
I've always read "Ichijitsusenshu" as Tomori's response to Sakiko's letter from AveMu ep12, so I decided to make that literal and explore how Sakiko might react to it.
Chapter 15: One (Taki & Ran)
Summary:
Just one couldn't hurt, right?
Tags: Taki & Ran, post-canon, future fic, smoking, bad influences
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It happened on a wholly innocent summer evening, not too long after Taki’s eighteenth birthday. She had spent most of her time at work bored out of her mind and just a little annoyed that her shift carried all the way through an Afterglow show, and despite knowing that Ririko wouldn’t mind her skipping to watch, Taki’s own sense of responsibility wouldn’t let her. So she suffered in silence (save for the occasional annoyed huff whenever there weren’t any customers around).
Sometime a little before the show was set to start, she offered to run some trash to the dumpster in the alley out back just for a change of pace. A figure stood by the door smoking, but Taki ignored them. It happened often enough, and she had no interest in interacting with them at all.
“Oh, hey Taki.”
She froze, trash bag at shoulder height. Turning around, she took a closer look at the stranger and discovered they weren’t so strange afterall. Even in the dim light of the alley, the light at the tip of the cigarette illuminated a red streak of hair Taki would recognize anywhere.
“Mitake-senpai. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”
Ran waved off the apology with the hand holding the cigarette. Taki’s eyes followed the pinprick of light.
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not your senpai anymore?”
“Band senpai still counts,” Taki said.
“Then at least use my first name,” Ran said.
“…Ran-senpai.”
A sardonic smirk tugged at Ran’s expression. “Good.” She brought the cigarette to her lips, inhaled, and blew the smoke out into the evening air. Taki watched it dance upwards and fade away.
“I didn’t know you smoked,” Taki said before she could stop herself.
Ran shrugged, but at least had the good graces to look a little embarrassed. “I picked it up a few years ago. Helps take the edge off when I’m stressed.”
Taki did a little mental math. Her brows furrowed. “Wait, you started when you were underage?”
She shrugged again, looking decidedly less embarrassed about that. “I thought it was stupid that I was old enough to vote but not smoke.”
Another wisp of smoke floated into the air as she took another drag. They both watched it rise. Once it disappeared, their eyes came back down at the same time and met. Taki tried not to squirm under a look that she could only call “appraising.”
Ran held her cigarette out and asked, “You wanna try? You’ve been staring at it this whole time.”
Ten years of anti-drug teachings went out the window in the wake of a hot older woman that Taki low-key (high-key) idolized offering her a smoke. She wanted to say no. The sensible part of her brain screamed at her to say no. But the useless lesbian part of her found herself thinking that wow, Ran looked kinda extra hot with a cigarette between her lips, and wow, maybe she’d also look extra hot if she smoked. (And wow, if they shared a cigarette, that’s like a weird indirect kiss. Not that Taki cared about that. Not at all.)
Just one couldn’t hurt… right?
She dropped the trash bag, walked over, and took the cigarette from Ran’s hand. Before she could chicken out, she brought it to her lips and took a drag.
Fire filled her lungs. Try as she might, she couldn’t hold back the cough that burst out of her. Several more followed, but no matter how many wracked her body, she couldn’t escape the feeling of ash in her throat. Ran rubbed Taki’s back.
“Yeah, that’s how it usually goes,” she said.
It took almost a full minute for Taki to be able to breathe normally. She stood up straight and handed the cigarette back. Most of it had burned away by that point. Ran dropped it to the ground and crushed it under her boot.
“So what’d you think?”
“That fucking sucked.”
“Good. Don’t smoke. It fucking sucks.” Ran glanced at her watch. “I gotta get ready for our show. Good luck on the rest of your shift, Taki.” She disappeared back inside.
Taki needed another few minutes taking deep breaths to clear the last of the residual smoke from her lungs. She’d need to drink a lot of water to get the taste out of her mouth, too. Disgusting. How the hell did Ran enjoy that? Did she even enjoy it? She had also said it fucking sucks. Was she that addicted already?
Ugh. This wasn’t Taki’s problem to worry about. She picked up the trash bag sitting on the ground and finally threw it in the dumpster. Hopefully Ririko didn’t give her shit for being gone too long.
Notes:
Idk, I just think Ran is a smoker (see my fic, "Promises to Quit") and that she would be a bad (yet also kind of good in a roundabout way) influence on Taki in that regard. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Chapter 16: Birthday (RinAko)
Summary:
Roselia celebrates Rinko's birthday.
Tags: RinAko, future fic, birthday parties, legal drinking, fluff
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Rin-rin!”
Rinko looked up from the sidewalk a meter ahead of her feet and found Ako directly ahead, waving with her signature toothy grin that always brought a smile to Rinko’s face. Yukina, Lisa, and Sayo stood behind her, displaying varying degrees of excitement: Lisa sported a smile almost as big as Ako’s, while Yukina and Sayo wore decidedly more neutral expressions. Then again, those two were simply like that.
“Hello everyone…,” she said as she reached them. Ako materialized at her side and clung to her arm. After glancing around to make sure her friends were the only ones watching, Rinko placed a quick kiss to Ako’s cheek. Her girlfriend beamed while Rinko turned back to the others. “I’m sorry if I kept you waiting.”
“It’s fine!” Lisa said, waving off Rinko’s concern. “We know how late your Friday classes go.”
“I take it you had no trouble getting here?” Sayo asked.
‘Here’ happened to be a small izakaya in one of Ikebukuro’s numerous back alleys. From the outside, it looked barely wide enough for two rows of tables.
“It was easy enough,” Rinko said. “Though… I do wonder how you discovered this place…,” she added, looking at Lisa.
“On of my girlies has a boyfriend who has a cousin whose best friend works here! Said it’s usually pretty quiet and low-key for an izakaya, and I thought that’d be more your speed. She’s never steered me wrong before, so here we are!”
Yukina rolled her eyes at the explanation while Sayo pinched the bridge of her nose, but neither actually vocalized any issue with the choice. Ako still vibrated with barely contained excitement, though that didn’t surprise any of them; excitement was Ako’s natural state. Rinko, for her part, appreciated the effort Lisa put into finding this place.
“Well thank you. Shall we… head inside?”
Everyone nodded, and the five of them soon found themselves seated on tatami mats at a low table near the back of the restaurant. It was larger on the inside than its facade implied, but at the moment, it was sparsely populated.
“Okay, okay, now that we’re here,” Ako said, “I, Demon Lord Ako, have an important proclamation!” She turned to Rinko with a blinding smile. “Happy birthday, Rin-rin!!!”
She threw herself at Rinko, tackling her into a hug, while the others also said some variation of “happy birthday.” Several kisses peppered her face. Rinko smiled and returned Ako’s hug as a warmth enveloped her, both inside and out. This hadn’t been a surprise by any stretch of the imagination—they’d all planned it well over a week ago—but still, hearing her best friends and girlfriend wish her a happy birthday would never not fill her with joy.
Once Ako had her fill of physical affection (for now), she sat back up. “And now, the Great Festival of Dionysus may officially commence! Long shall we feast and… and….”
“Revel in the pleasures of the night?” Rinko supplied.
“Revel in the pleasures of the night!” Ako repeated. Lisa snickered. Even Soyo and Yukina cracked tiny smiles. “But yeah, whatever you want tonight is on me, Rin-rin! I’ve been saving up.”
“Except the drinks; those are on me,” Lisa said with a wink. “Have you thought about what you wanna try? You only ever get one first drink, so choose wisely!”
Honestly, Rinko hadn’t thought of it at all. She had completely avoided alcohol until now; the desire to drink underage hadn’t struck her like it had some of her classmates. With nowhere better to start, she looked at the drink menu. So many new terms assaulted her all at once that it was hard to make heads or tails of it, but one word stood out to her.
“Um… I think I’ll try… the milk stout.”
“Oooh, fancy! Then let’s get you one ASAP.”
They put in their first round of orders—drinks and appetizers—and started chatting about what they’d been up to since their last group practice. Well, mostly Lisa and Ako chatted. Rinko, Yukina, and Sayo contributed here and there, but the other two filled most of the silence. IT was a comfortable dynamic, one Rinko couldn’t imagine living without.
When their drinks arrived, Rinko stared at the glass of dark brown liquid placed before her. She hadn’t anticipated it to be chocolate milk…. And it had a creamy looking foam on top that reminded her of a latte. All eyes turned towards her as she raised her glass for her first sip.
The foam was actually quite nice, and if the rest of it tasted the same way, she’d be okay with that. But it didn’t. An intense bitterness hit her tongue, worse than the darkest dark chocolate she’d ever tried. In involuntary cough burst from her lips, sending a splash of liquid onto the table.
“Rin-rin?!”
“Rinko?”
“Shirokane-san?”
And Lisa just laughed.
“I had a feeling you didn’t know what you were getting into with that order, but everyone’s gotta find out for themselves,” she said. “Lemme pick something I think you might like more.”
“Please,” Rinko croaked.
That earned laughs from everyone. Despite the mild embarrassment and awful aftertaste that lingered on her tongue, even Rinko smiled. This would certainly be a birthday to remember.
Notes:
Happy birthday, Rinko!
Chapter 17: Encore (MyGO)
Summary:
MyGO!!!!!'s first time as the headlining act ends on a high note.
Tags: Gen, friendship, music, post-canon, fluff
Chapter Text
A strangled whine that Taki had become all too familiar with came from the direction of the green room door. She looked up from her phone and found Anon pacing in a small circle, her eyes shut tight.
“I thought you got over this nervous pissing thing like a year ago,” Taki said.
That got Anon to stop and open her eyes—specifically to shoot Taki a glare. “Oh c’mon, don’t try to pretend you’re not nervous right now, too.”
“I’m not.”
“So our first time being the headliners just means nothing to you?”
“Oh, it means the world to me,” Taki said, “but it doesn’t make me any more nervous. A show is a show. We’ve done more than I can count at this point.” She paused to look at the others in the room. Tomori sat on the couch next to her, watching the conversation. Raana sat at the big mirror while Soyo brushed her hair—more to keep the stray cat in one place than out of any real need to fix her appearance. She looked back to Anon. “I trust us to do this right.”
“I do, too,” Tomori said. She clutched her notebook to her chest. “I believe in you, Ano-chan.”
Anon screwed her eyes shut again. “Fuee, that’s all well and good, but it doesn’t change how bad I need to go.”
“Then just go,” Soyo said. “No one’s stopping you, and we have plenty of time.”
“Ugh, okay, yeah, you’re right. I’ll be right back!” Anon rushed out of the room.
Taki leaned her head back against the couch. “Finally some peace and quiet. I don’t get what she’s so nervous about.”
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed your leg bouncing this whole time, Taki-chan,” Soyo said. “Sure, Anon-chan is being annoying about it, but at least she’s honest, too.”
Taki’s leg froze. She stared down at it. How the— How had she not even noticed? She grumbled and stared at the back of Soyo’s head. “Ok, fine, I’m a little nervous, but it’s the normal kind. Nothing special about it just because we’re the main act.”
“Whatever you have to tell yourself, Taki-chan.”
Ten minutes later, MyGO!!!!! stepped onto the stage, and any lingering nervousness vanished. Taki counted them in, and their music filled RiNG’s stage.
They played well. Really well. Soyo and Taki laid down a rock solid rhythm together, never once falling out of synch with each other. Anon played her role of rhythm guitarist perfectly, creating a seamless bridge between Soyo and Taki and Raana. (Taki would never dare admit it to her face, but Anon was the glue that held MyGO!!!!! together in more ways than one. They never would have made it this far without her. But she could never know Taki felt that way or else she’d become insufferable.)
Raana, meanwhile, did what she did best: weaving her melody throughout the rest of the band’s sound. As much as it initially pained Taki to do so, she had long since given up on actually writing Raana a section explicitly. That stray cat’s musical instincts were just too good, and Taki had come to trust it.
And Tomori…. God, what else could Taki possibly say about Tomori’s lyrics at this point? How many more ways could she praise Tomori’s voice? Tomori was MyGO!!!!!. Her words were the reason they could fill a venue. Her words were what everyone out there in the audience tonight had come to hear.
Their setlist came to an end. In truth, Taki could have easily kept playing. The others seemed to share that sentiment.
“Holy crap, we were so awesome!” Anon said once they’d gotten backstage. “Like, we were so totally freaking awesome!! I never wanted it to stop.”
“So much for that nervousness from earlier,” Soyo said, though a smile tugged at her lips.
“The lights were so bright,” Tomori muttered, “so warm. I… didn’t want to leave them.”
“Not satisfied,” Raana said. She tugged at Taki’s sleeve. “Wanna play more.”
“Sorry, Stray Cat, that was our set.”
Though as those words left Taki’s lips, the muffled cheers from the audience coalesced into a single repeated word.
“Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!”
Anon’s and Raana’s eyes lit up. They both turned to Taki. As much as she wanted to agree….
“That’s not our call to make,” she said.
As if on cue, a RiNG employee came up and found them. “MyGO!!!!!? I just got word from Ririko-san, and she said you’re approved for a two song encore if you’d like.”
“LET’S GOOOO!” Anon cheered.
Taki looked at the others, but all of them were already nodding in agreement. She turned back to the employee. A grin spread across her face.
“We’ll take it.”
MyGO!!!!! returned to the stage to thunderous applause.
Chapter 18: Idol (UiMana)
Summary:
Mana Sumita considered herself a consummate professional when it came to her idol career.
Tags: UiMana, pre-relationship, unrequited(?) feelings, hidden feelings, diegetic yuri bait
Chapter Text
Mana Sumita considered herself a consummate professional when it came to her idol career. She worked hard at practice, kept an impeccably clean social media presence, and always gave her fans exactly what they wanted to see.
So obviously she did her best to sneak in a little yuri bait with Uika whenever the two made a public appearance. Oh, she never did anything overt that their agency could get upset about—it wasn’t like she shoved her tongue down Uika’s throat or anything—but she knew their audience. She knew that every single extended glance, “accidental” physical touch, or slightly overly affectionate word choice would get dissected by a certain subset of their fanbase.
After all, she used to be one of those fans, too.
Long hours spent online discussing new MVs of her favorite groups or picking apart the poses of photoshoots or watching interviews on loop to sus out hidden meanings behind words had cultivated a love for idols so strong that it made little baby Mana want to be one herself. And now she was! So really, she was just giving back to the community that gotten her to where she was today. It was completely selfless and professional.
And, well… if it let her delicately brush Uika’s bangs out of her eyes, or slide her fingers down Uika’s arm as they passed during their choreo, or say “I love Ui-chan!” during interviews in a way that the press would obviously read as friendship… then that was just icing on the cake. Her primary reason for doing all this was for the fans, of course.
Of course.
Today’s MV shoot was shaping up to be no different. Mana had already thrown in one or two playful—almost suggestive—winks at Uika during the first chorus, and she even allowed her gaze at the beginning of the bridge to turn into something that their fans might dare to call “longing.” So all things considered, it was going well! She’d try to slip in a lingering touch near the end of the song to round things out.
Then at the end of the bridge, Uika tilted Mana’s chin up and gave her a look that could only be described as a “smoulder,” and Mana’s brain just about short circuited. That wasn’t part of the choreo!!! Only countless hours of practice kept her from completely ruining the shot, but her heart continued pounding in her chest for several minutes afterwards.
After the shoot wrapped, the two idols found themselves alone in their dressing room. Mana sat at the vanity, removing her stage makeup to replace with her casual makeup. She kept half an eye on Uika through the mirror as her partner reclined on the couch. Uika turned her head towards her, and their eyes met. Mana forced herself to smile and wave.
“Great work today, Ui-chan!”
Uika smiled back. “Thanks, Mana-chan. You too.” Her eyes darted around. “Hey, um… sorry if I made you uncomfortable at all.” Mana titled her head, so Uika clarified. “Y’know, at the end of the bridge. The whole chin lift thing?”
“Oh!” Heat rushed to Mana’s face, and she hoped that Uika couldn’t see her cheeks turning red. “N-No! Not at all! Sure, it surprised me a little, but it didn’t make me uncomfortable!”
Relief flashed across Uika’s face, and she let out a sigh. “Thank goodness. I felt you flinch, but then you kept going just fine, so I wasn’t sure.”
“Like I said, it just surprised me. I can’t remember you ever initiating yuri bait before.”
Uika giggled. “You always make it look so fun, but I’d be too nervous to try it live the way you do. But if it’s a recording, there’s a little less pressure. Do you think our fans will like it?”
“Oh they’re gonna eat it up,” Mana said. “You’re definitely the ‘cool’ archetype, and that move cranked it up to eleven. It’ll definitely make their hearts race!”
“Did it make yours race?” Uika asked.
For a fraction of a second, Mana thought she was being serious, but then her partner broke out into another giggle. After a moment, Mana joined in.
“Maybe I’ll start initiating more often,” Uika said after they both calmed down.
Mana wasn’t sure her poor heart could take that.
Chapter 19: Fate (Mutsumi)
Summary:
Mutsumi can see the red threads of fate that bind people together. So where does hers lead?
Tags: Mutsumi, red thread of fate, unrequited love
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
For as long as Mutsumi could remember, she could see red threads tied to people’s pinky fingers and extending off into the distance. Growing up, she hadn’t known what they were; her nanny explained it to her after she worked up the courage to ask: Those were the red threads of fate. It was said that on a person’s thirteenth birthday, a thread appeared on their finger, connecting them to their soulmate. No matter how far apart those people may be, the thread bound them together.
She didn’t really get it. After hearing her nanny’s explanation, she looked down at her own pinky, but of course it was empty. She was too young, after all.
As she grew up, she paid attention to the strings. Almost everyone had one, leading off some unknowable distance away. Some people didn’t have threads at all, though, like Minami-chan and Ta-kun. And in a way, that made sense; surely there were people out there who simply didn’t have a destined partner. Sometimes she saw people who were together, but their threads didn’t connect. That was sad, but is also made sense; if your thread could lead to anyone in the world, of course some people would never actually meet their soul mate.
As she grew up, she wondered where her thread might one day lead. Would she ever meet that person? Would they be kind? Or would she not have a thread like Minami-chan and Ta-kun?
Deep down, she knew who she wanted it to connect to.
“Saki-chan, I hope we can be together forever and ever.”
Saki’s smile lit up the entire room. “Me too!”
When she woke up on the morning of her thirteenth birthday, Mutsumi immediately looked at her left pinky. The thread had appeared. She lifted her hand, and her brow furrowed.
It didn’t go anywhere.
The thread hung limply from her finger and terminated after only a few inches.
She had never seen that before.
At school, she looked at Saki’s finger, but it was still empty. Of course. Her birthday hadn’t happened yet. She looked at her own finger, at her own limp thread. Maybe… maybe this was normal when the other person still wasn’t old enough. That’s why it didn’t go anywhere.
That had to be it.
So Mutsumi waited an agonizing month for Saki’s birthday. She woke up that morning—Valentine’s day—and found her thread hadn’t changed. But Saki’s had appeared, and it led off into the distance.
Oh.
She stopped caring about the threads after that.
At least until CRYCHIC formed, and she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Saki’s thread… it led to Tomori…. But it also led to Soyo. And still more of it led off to somewhere else. Tomori’s thread also connected to Taki and Soyo and also led away. And Soyo’s led somewhere else, too.
Mutsumi had never seen such an interconnected group of people.
And she had no place in it.
When CRYCHIC broke up, she thought maybe those threads might break, but of course they didn’t. The red threads of fate did not break so easily.
But no matter. Mutsumi had seen that the threads were not the be-all end-all in deciding a person’s happiness. She vowed to stay by Saki’s side. Vowed to do everything she could to keep her from breaking apart in the wake of all that happened to her.
And all it did was break her instead.
Mutsumi went to sleep for a long time.
When she finally woke up and clawed her way to the front, even as she and Mortis argued their way through RiNG flailing their arms about, something caught her eye.
Her red thread of fate on her left pinky led somewhere.
It led directly to her right pinky.
Notes:
I had the idea for red thread of fate MutsuMortis for a while now, and kudos to Robyn for the detail of her thread just dangling there until Mortis manifests.
Chapter 20: Promise (AnoSoyo)
Summary:
Soyo had promised to end the band herself. Anon answered with a promise of her own.
Tags: mini Soyo character study, beginnings of AnoSoyo if you squint, angst, hurt/comfort, canon compliant
Chapter Text
A warm summer sunset fought against the frigid atmosphere in Soyo’s apartment. She sat on the couch with a cup of tea in her lap while the last person she wanted to see in the world sat opposite her. Anon looked down at the tea Soyo had served her. A strange, almost nostalgic smile graced her face. The sight filled Soyo with revulsion, though she couldn’t tell at whom it was directed.
This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Anon shouldn't have been waiting for her at Tsukinomori. Anon shouldn't have followed her all the way home. Anon should hate her. She wanted Anon to hate her. That would make all of this so much easier.
But Anon had waited for her at the school gates, had followed her home.
And despite it all, Soyo had let her inside.
She needed to be more direct. Clearly Anon couldn't take a hint, so Soyo needed to beat her over the head with the truth: She wasn't the kind girl Anon thought she was. She was an awful, selfish girl who had manipulated Anon for her own gains, for the hope of reviving a past that couldn't exist anymore.
So Soyo tried to provoke her, get a rise out of her, make her see the truth and finally walk out of Soyo's life forever. But that girl parried every jab Soyo threw at her and quickly went on the offensive.
Anon stood up. “Even if you say you don’t need me, I’m still doing it.”
“Even though I know you started just to look good,” Soyo replied through clenched teeth.
“That’s right,” Anon said. Soyo’s grip on her teacup tightened. “You and I started this band, didn’t we?”
Something inside Soyo snapped. Clearly she wasn’t being direct enough. She slammed her tea cup onto the table with a loud clank and stood up. Despite only being two centimeters taller, Soyo put the advantage to good use, looking down at her uninvited guest with the most powerful glare she could muster.
“In that case, I’ll put an end to it for you,” Soyo promised.
“Then let’s go.”
They walked to RiNG in silence. Soyo had heard about Tomori’s near-nightly performances.
“I’ve already made my decision to go up on stage and join her,” Anon said once they got inside. “Your spot is still available if you want it.”
“Absolutely not,” Soyo spat back.
Anon shrugged, unfazed. “Then at least go into the audience and hear what she has to say.”
“…Fine. And afterwards, I’ll come back stage and put an end to this once and for all.”
They parted ways. Soyo made her way into the packed venue and waited. Anxiety bubbled in her stomach. She tried to take deep breaths and remember what she came here to do. She had to end this farce. She had to make them all finally realize that she wasn’t worth their efforts. She had to make them let go of her.
But Tomori had never known how to let go of anyone.
She dragged Soyo forward, kicking and screaming.
And then Anon grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up, onto that stage she swore she’d never stand on again.
Raana handed Soyo her bass then scampered off and started playing. It was a simple melody, filled with melancholy and longing. The notes echoed through Soyo’s chest.
Tomori took her hand and spoke. The words pierced her skin, broke through her ribs, and ripped her heart out for the entire world to see. They rendered her breathless, left her throat ragged like she had just screamed them out herself. The gaping, CRYCHIC shaped hole in her chest throbbed as Tomori’s words attempted to fill it up. They didn’t fit right. There were still gaps—open wounds that may never heal. But anything was better than the void that had been there before.
And then Anon placed the strap of Soyo’s bass over her shoulder.
A lock of hair got trapped underneath it.
Anon freed it for her. Her hand lingered for a fraction of a second too long as Soyo's hair fell between her fingertips. Such a small touch. It was nothing.
It was everything.
That touch carried a wordless promise. It said, ‘I forgive you. Even after everything you've done, I forgive you. Even if you don’t think you deserve it, I forgive you.’
And as the feedback from Raana’s guitar filled her ears and the rest of this rag-tag band smiled at her despite everything she had done that should make them hate her…
Soyo believed it.
Chapter 21: Poster (UmiNyamu)
Summary:
Nyamu goes over to Umiri's apartment for the first time.
Tags: UmiNyamu, established relationship, fluff, banter, lots of banter, MuMo make a brief appearance
Chapter Text
How long did it normally take to visit your girlfriend’s place for the first time? Nyamu wondered this on a near weekly basis. She had finally accepted Umiri’s confession almost three months ago (on her seventh attempt), and on the whole, things hadn’t been as much of a trainwreck as she’d initially feared. They went on dates (discretely, of course). They texted almost all the time they weren’t together (or rather, Umiri texted, and Nyamu usually answered). Umiri even came over sometimes to help out with Nyamuchi videos. (She was helpless as anything other than a walking tripod, but hey, it let Nyamu get some more dynamic camera angles.)
But not once in all that time had Nyamu ever gone over to her girlfriend's.
If Umiri weren't such a failgirl loser (affectionate) (mostly), Nyamu might have worried about cheating. But she was, so it couldn't be that. More than likely, then, something about her living situation was embarrassing, and she didn't want Nyamu to know about it. But what could possibly be that embarrassing?
Nyamu so desperately wanted to find out.
The question became who to ask that would know where Umiri lived? Sakiko? No, even if little miss goddess did know, Nyamu wouldn't stoop so low as to ask her. Uika? They were classmates, but that didn't guarantee anything.
She snapped her fingers. Mortis! Umiri had taught Mortis guitar at her place! She pulled out her phone and fired off a quick text.
Nyamuchi:
Hey, is Mortis in charge right now?
MuMo:
No.
Nyamuchi:
Could you get her for me?
A few minutes passed, and Nyamu almost thought Mutsumi had ignored her before her phone buzzed again.
MuMo:
Hi Nyamuchi!!!
Mutsumi-chan said you wanted to talk to me?? :3
Ugh, god, Nyamu always forgot how much she hated the way Mortis texted. But whatever, this was worth it.
Nyamuchi:
You know where our precious Umiko lives, don't you?
Could you pretty please tell me? 🥺
Seconds later, Mortis sent her the address. Wow, that was easier than expected. Looking it up on her map, it wasn't that far away, really. Nyamu thanked her then checked the time. Seven in the evening. Umiri would definitely be home.
Nyamu left her apartment to pay her girlfriend a surprise visit.
Sometime later, she stood in front of an apartment door. After double checking the number, she rang the doorbell.
The door opened. Nyamu got a half second view of Umiri’s surprised face before the door slammed back shut in her face.
“Umiko, open the door.”
After a beat, the door cracked back open. Umiri’s face once again appeared—or rather her eyes.
“Good evening, Nyamuchi. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“The pleasure of inviting your girlfriend into your apartment for some quality time together.”
Umiri glanced behind her, back into the apartment, before turning back to Nyamu.
“Wouldn’t you much rather prefer some quality time at a nice cafe? I happen to know a good one down the—”
“Nope, I think I’ll come inside.” Nyamu forced her way in, not that Umiri put up any real fight.
A drab, downright brutalist interior greeted her. Dark gray concrete slabs made up every wall, sucking up any sense of warmth or hospitality. And it was tiny! Nyamu had seen some small studio apartments, but this one might take the cake. It was barely wide enough to fit Umiri’s desk and bed next to each other. She didn’t even see a kitchen anywhere. As her eyes darted around, looking for that simple necessity, they also registered something else on the wall by the bed.
She stared.
The only decorations in the entire apartment consisted of half a dozen Nyamuchi limited edition posters hung up around the bed. She even had the one from the Eve Kashige Raurent collab photoshoot! Only fifty of them had ever been printed, and Nyamu owned one, herself! She glanced towards her girlfriend, who at least had the good graces to look embarrassed.
“Umiko, what the hell is this?” she finally asked, crossing her arms.
“I… miss you so much when you’re not around?”
“That does track for you, but I don’t buy it.”
“I want to support your solo career as you find new and interesting ways to be a sellout?”
“Thank you for your continued patronage,” Nyamu said, giving her a flat stare. “Try again.”
Steam practically came out of Umiri’s ears for how hard she thought of a new excuse, but she quickly gave up and sighed. Nyamu tapped her arm and waited.
“After each time you rejected me, I went out and bought a new poster,” Umiri finally said. “It always gave me the strength to try again.”
Nyamu blinked. “Fucking hell, you really are an M, aren’t you?”
“I would have thought you’d know that definitively by now.”
She ignored that and said, “So lemme guess: Even after I accepted, you didn’t want to throw them out, but you also knew it was kinda super weird to have them, which is why you’ve never invited me over?”
“Got it in one.”
“What on earth am I gonna do with you?” she asked herself, shaking her head.
“Forgive me?” Umiri asked back.
“Obviously.” Nyamu sighed. “I knew you were weird as hell when I said yes, so this is really just par for the course.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. Look, just… get some other decorations besides the posters so they don’t look as weirdly out of place. I’ll even help you pick stuff out.”
“Oh my, is Nyamuchi asking me out on a date?” Umiri asked in that smug tone that Nyamu both loved and loathed.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. “Sure, sure, it’s a date.”
Chapter 22: Entrance (Taki & Sayo)
Summary:
Taki meets an unexpected classmate on her first day of university.
Tags: Taki & Sayo, gen, friendship, becoming friends, fluff, blink and you miss it mention of Taki's inferiority complex
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It had been quite a while since Taki’s last panic attack, but as she walked across the campus of Keiho Women’s University towards her very first collegiate lecture, she actively fought one down. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like such a small fish in such a huge pond. Everywhere she looked, she saw so many amazing senpai, and she was just a little baby who didn’t know shit from fuck.
Okay, deep breaths. That wasn’t true. She knew plenty. She had been accepted. She deserved to be here. A mental image of Tomori telling her to do her best flashed through her brain and made her smile.
She arrived at her first lecture with plenty of time. Ten whole minutes, to be precise. Maybe that was too early, but she’d much rather be too early on her first day than too late. It only made sense. With one final deep breath, Taki entered the classroom.
And promptly froze.
A single woman sat in the front row, reading through a notebook. A woman with long, teal hair and steely green eyes. A woman Taki instantly recognized.
Only… no, it had to be a mistake. It had to be another woman with teal hair because surely that wasn’t the Sayo Hikawa of Roselia sitting in Taki’s Intro the Music Composition class. Obviously not. That would be absurd.
Feeling better now that she had sorted that out, Taki un-froze from the doorway and started the arduous process of figuring out where to sit. Somewhere in the front half to show she would be a good student, but certainly not the front row. Maybe the second row? Off to the side a little bit? That seemed safe enough. It showed real interest while also giving her a quicker exit once class ended.
She made her way towards her desired seat, but her path took her in front of the teal-haired woman. Said woman finally looked up from her notebook as Taki passed by. They made eye contact. Something akin to recognition passed across the woman’s face, but Taki ignored that and took her seat.
“Excuse me.”
Taki jumped. The woman had turned to look at her. Her expression gave away nothing.
“Y-Yeah?” Taki replied.
“Forgive me for being presumptuous,” the woman said, “but would you happen to be Taki Shiina-san?”
Oh god. What the fuck? How? How could this person (who totally wasn’t Sayo freaking Hikawa) possibly know her? She was easily Maki’s age, and—
Maki.
Right.
Even though Maki didn’t even go to this school, of course someone taking a musical composition course would know her. Everyone in the local classical music scene knew Maki.
Taki let out a bone-deep sigh and said, “Yeah, I am.”
The corners of the woman’s mouth curled upwards ever so slightly, almost too subtle to notice.
“Indeed? How fortuitous to share a composition class with MyGO!!!!!’s primary composer.”
Taki blinked. “Huh?”
“You are MyGO!!!!!’s composer, are you not? I seem to recall Takamatsu-san mentioning it during one of her unique MC segments.”
“Wait, you know MyGO!!!!!?” Taki asked, trying to keep up with the drastic left turn this conversation had taken.
“I’ve been a fan of MyGO!!!!!’s music for quite some time now. I happened upon one of your concerts at CiRCLE and found your style fascinating. Takamatsu-san’s spoken word poetry combined with punk rock instrumentation works incredibly well, and that’s to say nothing of her singing voice.” She paused as if realizing something. “My apologies, I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m—”
“Sayo Hikawa, guitarist of Roselia,” Taki said before she could stop herself. To be fair, her brain was in the process of rebooting after receiving the biggest shock in her life.
The woman’s—Sayo’s—smile grew just a smidge. “Would it be too presumptuous of me to assume you’re a fan of ours?”
“Are you kidding? Roselia practically defined this generation of girls bands! How could I not be a fan? Even if I’ve always preferred Afterglow, Roselia has been a huge influence on me.”
“I shall refrain from mentioning the part about Afterglow to Minato-san,” Sayo said with a teasing glint in her eye.
Only then did Taki remember the rivalry that the two frontwomen—and the bands they led—had. She put her face in her hands and groaned. “I’d love it if you could forget I said that, too.”
“Consider it forgotten.”
“Thank you.” A brief silence fell over them. Taki racked her brain trying to think of something to continue the conversation. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing in Intro to Music Comp?”
“I need an extra elective, and I’ve always had a certain passing interest in composition,” Sayo said. “Since you’re here as a freshman, I take it you’re majoring in the subject?”
“Yeah.”
“Minato-san is also majoring in composition at Yotsuba Women’s University. If you’d like, I could offer to introduce you at some point.”
Taki opened her mouth, but no words came out. Meeting the Yukina Minato? Roselia’s legendary songstress? Arguably the most talented composer in the world of girls bands?
“M-Maybe,” she finally croaked out.
The two continued talking until more students arrived and class started. Throughout the lecture, Taki kept replaying the conversation over and over in her head.
Sayo had recognized her, not as Maki’s little sister but on her own merits as a member of MyGO!!!!!. That made Taki… happier than she dared to think. And even more dangerous a hope was that this morning’s conversation wouldn't be a one time thing.
After two weeks of talking before class started, Taki worked up the courage to ask for Sayo’s number.
She said yes.
Notes:
This may be my loosest use of a prompt yet, but fuck it, I wanted to write Taki and Sayo being buds. I actually think they have a lot in common: they're both generally serious people and the straight-men of their band dynamic, and they have very complicated relationships with their sisters that involve varying degrees of an inferiority complex. But beyond even that, I just wanted to give Taki some recognition from a cool band senpai, lol.
Chapter 23: Breakfast (Polyglow)
Summary:
Himari gets woken up way too early.
Tags: Polyglow, established relationship, fluff, birthdays, breakfast in bed
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A clamor from downstairs woke her up.
Himari cracked one eye open to glance at the clock and immediately closed it again. Too early. Who the heck was making such a racket so early on a freaking Saturday? It should be illegal. She woke up early all week to go to school, and for what? To have her well-earned beauty sleep so rudely interrupted? The nerve!
Whatever, she could fall back asleep.
But the racket just didn’t stop. It sounded like someone emptied her entire kitchen and threw all the pots and pans on the ground then picked them up and started banging them together. Seriously! How could someone make such noise?
Things did start to calm down eventually, but metal clanging died down, she picked up muffled voices.
“—when you—”
“—not like that—”
“—then we—”
“—you sure we should—”
“—I think you—”
They sounded so tantalizingly familiar, but her brain still hadn’t fully woken up. She was pretty sure they weren’t her parents, but who else would be in their kitchen so early in the morning?
“—as always—”
It clicked.
Himari rolled onto her side and hugged her spare pillow to her chest. She buried her face into it to hide the smile that had spread wide on her face. Of course it would be her girls.
After some time, the voices faded, replaced by quiet footsteps heading towards her room. A comically loud “Shhhhhh” came from the other side of her door which was, frankly, hilarious. Did they really think she’d still be asleep at this point? She sat up in bed, planning to Uno Reverse Card their surprise back at them.
The door burst open.
“Happy birthday, Himari!”
“Happy birthday, Himari.”
“Happy birthday, Himari-chan!”
“Hep borf, Hii-chan~.”
Tomoe, Ran, Tsugumi, and Moca rushed in (or rather, Tomoe and Tsugumi rushed in while for Ran and Moca it was more of a saunter) each carrying something. Tomori had a plate of pancakes, Ran had a plate of scrambled eggs, Tsugumi had a mug of something, and Moca had several pastries.
Himari crossed her arms and turned her nose up at them. “Hmph! Took you long enough!”
That stopped them in their tracks real good. The look of confusion on Tomoe’s face, specifically, was super adorable.
“H-Huh? Whadda ya mean?” Tomoe asked. She turned back to look at the others. “Did any of you tell her we were coming?” They all shook their heads, so Tomoe looked back to Himari. “And hey, wait a minute, what are you even doing awake this early?”
“I didn’t plan to be, but you four weren’t exactly subtle. You woke me up with all the racket you made.” She crossed her arms and pouted at them. Tomoe and Tsugumi at least had the good graces to look apologetic, but Ran’s expression stayed neutral while Moca snickered at her.
“Aww, is our little Hii-chan worried she won’t be pretty anymore without her beauty sleep?”
“Don’t worry, Himari-chan!” Tsugumi said, eyes sparkling. “You’re always the prettiest no matter what!”
“Yeah, babe, missing a little sleep won’t change a thing!” Tomoe added.
“You look the same as always,” Ran said.
God, they were all so stupid (except Tsugumi, she was perfect), but Himari still couldn’t help but smile. They may be idiots (not Tsugumi), but they were her idiots.
“Thank you, girls!” she said. “And thank you for breakfast! This is for me, right?”
“Of course!” Tomoe said. “Chocolate chip pancakes, made from scratch by yours truly.” She put the plate down on the low table in the middle of the room.
Moca smirked and said, “Says the girl who used a box mix.”
“Says the girl who just bought something from Yamabuki Bakery!”
“I brewed you some coffee just the way you like it!” Tsugumi said, stepping in before Moca could provoke Tomoe any further.
“I tried making scrambled eggs,” Ran said, putting her plate down next to the pancakes. “Sorry if they’re not very good.”
“I’m sure they’re excellent, Ran!” Himari said.
“And Moca-chan made your favorite chocopan,” Moca said, adding them to the rest of the meal that had accumulated on the table. On quick inspection, they were absolutely from Yamabuki Bakery, but they were her favorite, so Himari wouldn’t complain.
But she would poke fun at her. “Thank you for spending your hard earned money on me, Moca.”
Moca reached into her pocket and whipped out several pieces of paper. “Rewards points, baybee, Moca-chan didn’t spend a dime.”
If anything, it meant even more that she would use her even-harder-earned rewards points.
Himari looked at the four people she loved more than anything on this earth: Tomoe’s huge grin, Tsugumi’s sweet smile, Ran’s soft gaze, and Moca’s ridiculous smirk. Each of them meant more to her than Himari could ever possibly put into words.
Even if they did wake her up way too early.
Notes:
Happy belated birthday, Himari! I totally didn't mix up time zones, no sir........
Chapter 24: Dissonance (YukiLisa)
Summary:
Yukina and Lisa suffer a bit of miscommunication.
Tags: YukiLisa, established relationship, miscommunication, fighting, making up, Sayo doing the lord's work as a middleman
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Yukina laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to think of new lyrics. It had been almost an hour, and she had nothing to show for it. Her phone rang. Normally the distraction would have irked her, but even she could admit she needed a break. She checked the caller ID and answered it.
“Sayo. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Would you care to explain yourself, Minato-san?” Sayo asked, her voice cold.
Frowning, Yukina asked, “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Imai-san called me in tears, wailing and claiming that you had called her, and I quote, ‘An ugly hag.’ Considering you are also a dear friend, and acknowledging Imai-san’s proclivity towards hysterionics, I’m offering you a chance to explain your side of this story.”
Yukina turned towards her window, the one that faced Lisa’s room. Peeking past her curtains, she saw that Lisa had hers drawn, but the light shining through proved that she was still home. Her brow furrowed.
“Well, Minato-san? I’m waiting.”
“I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about. Lisa and I had a brief conversation about an hour ago. She showed me a new outfit she had bought, along with some slightly more overt makeup, and I told her she looked good. Then she drew back her curtains, and that was the end of it.”
A heavy sigh came from the other end of the line. Yukina could envision the exact manner in which Sayo just pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Well then I strongly recommend you speak to her about it because that was clearly not her takeaway from that conversation.”
Yukina looked back towards her window. “Thank you, Sayo. I will take your advice to heart.”
“I hope to receive a much more positive phone call from Imai-san in the near future.”
The line clicked dead. Yukina continued to stare at her window as if to see past it and into Lisa’s room through sheer force of will. She thought back to their conversation earlier, replaying it in her mind and attempting to find the source of this discrepancy. Try as she might, though, she could not envision a way in which her words could have been misconstrued so drastically.
But clearly they had been. And while Yukina’s intent had been clear, she had long since learned that was only half of the equation.
She considered sending a text to ask if Lisa could open her window but quickly thought better of it. This required a more personal touch. Opening her own window, Yukina grabbed a small pebble from a cup on her windowsill labeled “talking pebbles”.
The pebble sailed across the short distance between their houses and clanked against Lisa’s window.
Almost a full minute passed before the curtains drew back and the window opened. Lisa appeared, and Yukina immediately spotted evidence that she had been crying. Despite clearly trying to clean herself up before opening the window, Lisa’s eyes were still red, and she couldn’t hide the noticeable absence of her previous makeup.
“Y-Yukia, what’s up?” Lisa asked. “I can’t remember the last time you used a talking pebble. I didn’t even know you still had them….”
“Why would I get rid of them when you gave them to me?”
“A-Anyway! What, um… what did you wanna talk about?”
“I wanted to apologize.”
“Apologize?” Lisa furrowed her brow. “For… for what?”
“It would seem that my words during our conversation earlier caused you some emotional distress, and for that, I am deeply sorry.”
Lisa frowned, and her gaze hardened. “Did Sayo call you?”
Yukina hadn’t planned on mentioning that, but no sense in lying about it. “She did.”
“So you still don’t actually know what you’re apologizing for.”
It wasn’t a question. Yukina had dug herself into a hole, and no answer would likely get her out of it. So she may as well continue telling the truth.
“I do not. But! If my words hurt you, then I still want to apologize.”
“You called me ugly, Yukina!” Lisa shouted.
Her voice echoed between the two houses. Yukina’s jaw dropped. She blinked. That was preposterous! Lisa was far and away the most beautiful person Yukina knew! She would sooner stop singing than call Lisa ugly!
“I did no such thing.”
“When I showed you my sexy new outfit and makeup, you just looked at me and said, ‘You look just like you always do.’” (Her impression of Yukina’s delivery and intonation was shockingly good.) “I put a ton of extra work to look good, and you just brushed it off!”
“What are you talking about?” Yukina asked, frowning. “How could it possibly be a bad thing to look just as you always do? You’re stunningly beautiful. It was said as a compliment.”
Lisa crossed her arms and looked away. “Well it definitely didn’t sound like one after all the work I put into it.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. ‘Oh.’”
A silence befell. Yukina’s error was finally out in the open, but she had no idea what to say to rectify it. She racked her brain. Honesty had gotten her this far, so she might as well continue with it.
“Once again, I apologize, Lisa. I thought my words were clear, but they were not. I promise you, though: You will always be the most beautiful person I have ever laid eyes on. Please never forget that, even if my words might appear to suggest otherwise. I love you.”
“That’s not—” Lisa huffed and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Yukina. I’ll try to remember that. And… I’ll try not to jump to conclusions like I did. Because I love you, too, and I should have had a little more faith in you.”
They shared a smile across the gap.
“Do you wanna… come over and watch a movie or something?” Lisa asked.
Yukina thought back to the lyrics she had been trying to write. They could wait.
“I’ll be right over.”
Notes:
Happy birthday, Yukina!
Chapter 25: First (TakiRaana)
Summary:
Raana doesn't understand what the big deal is about kissing.
Tags: TakiRaana, pre-relationship, first kiss
Chapter Text
“Have you ever kissed anyone, Raana-chan?”
The mention of her name pulled Raana out of her daydream. She blinked a few times and looked around. Right. She was at school. A group of three girls had pulled their desks around hers, and they had bentos out. Lunch time. These three usually tried to eat lunch with her. Sometimes Raana even let them.
She turned to Glasses, the girl who had addressed her, and tilted her head. Glasses rolled her eyes but smiled.
“Iori was just telling us about her first kiss, and I got curious if you've kissed anyone.”
I kiss my “Gramma” sometimes.
The other girls giggled for some reason.
“I meant someone you like.”
Raana furrowed her brow. “I like Gramma.”
They giggled some more.
“Not like that,” Bobcut said. “We mean someone like… I don't know, Shiina-senpai! You're always running up to the second years’ classrooms to spend time with her, aren't you?”
Raana thought about it for a moment. Rikki was fun to be around. She always had matcha candy, and she wrote good music that Raana got to play, and she made funny noises whenever she got embarrassed, and she let Raana follow her home and hang out in her room, and she never tried to make Raana change herself, and she was easy to breathe around.
“I like Rikki.”
Her classmates squealed.
“Oh my gosh, that's so cute!”
“Band romances are like, so extra super romantic!”
“You have our full support, Raana-chan!”
Okay, they'd officially lost her, which meant Raana lost interest in this conversation.
I'm “gonna go” bother Rikki.
She got up and left. As she stepped into the hallway, her stomach grumbled. Hopefully Rikki had extra food. It took no time at all for her to saunter upstairs to the Rikki’s classroom. Peeking inside, she spotted Rikki at her desk with Umiri next to her. The desk in front of her was open, so Raana walked in and plopped herself down at it, facing backwards towards Rikki.
“I was wondering if you’d show up today,” Rikki said after taking a bite of her lunch.
“She missed you,” Umiri said.
“Can it.” Rikki glanced down in front of Raana. “What, no lunch?”
Raana opened her mouth and went, “Ahhhhn.”
Rikki’s face turned red. Raana always liked when it did that. Rikki was like one of those candies that had a hard outside but a soft inside, and it was nice seeing that inside on the outside sometimes.
Umiri, meanwhile, started laughing. “Well, Taki-san? Are you going to keep her waiting?”
A piece of tamagoyaki landed on her tongue, and she gladly accepted it. Rikki was the best.
##########
She followed Rikki home, like usual.
As she relaxed on Rikki’s bed, her mind kept going back to that conversation with her classmates. What was the big deal with kissing? Why did they like talking about it so much? She couldn’t wrap her head around the point of it all. Maybe Rikki would know. She was smart.
“Rikki.”
“What is it?” she asked, turning towards Raana and taking her headphones off.
“Do you want to kiss anyone?”
“Haaah?!” Ah, her face turned red again, but way more than usual. It was… cute…. Like when one of the strays Raana had befriended missed and jump and looked embarrassed. “What the hell are you asking that for?”
Raana shrugged. “Girls in class asked if I did, and I didn’t know.”
“What do you mean you didn’t know?”
“I don’t get it. How am I supposed to know?”
Rikki stared at her. The blush decreased but didn’t totally go away. After a moment, she crossed her arms and glanced away. “It’s like… I don’t know, you get this feeling of, like… you really enjoy being with someone, and you care about them a lot. And a kiss is kinda like your way to show that feeling to the whole world.”
“Oh.” That made sense.
She stood up and kissed Rikki.
Rikki jolted back, almost falling out of her chair.
“HAAAAH?!?! What the hell, Raana?!”
Not the reaction Raana expected. “Rikki is my favorite person to be around, and I care about her a lot.”
“So you just kissed me out of nowhere?”
Okay, now she was just being weird about it. Raana pouted.
“That’s what you told me to do.”
“I didn’t—” Her eyes widened. Rikki put her face in her hands and groaned. “I can’t believe the stray cat just stole my first kiss.”
Raana didn’t see what the big deal was.
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