[RP Log] Shishido, Ohtori_ Part 2 of 2
Date: September 29 immediately after this log
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and battle!
Summary: Shishido and Ohtori are in the park and make an unexpected discovery with the help of two individuals named Speedless.
(Part 2 of 2)
"Yeah, good idea. Like, go to the park or something..." Shishido shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around as they walked outside. It had somehow become a warm day and he headed for the park. It was close by, and kind of secluded, with lots of trees and other cool stuff like that. He didn’t really know what to talk about, realizing he actually knew very little about Ohtori. Good time to find out, he guessed. "So like.. what's your school like?" Great question. Real great. But it was a start.
The park. The junior’s day was getting better. It was autumn and many of the trees had changed color, so Ohtori could help but walk ahead, breath in the crisp air. He’d all but forgotten the small conversation they had about his family. “Shinjuku Northside’s alright,” Ohtori answered, not really knowing what else to say. “It’s a pretty average school, I think. The student body has a lot of personality.” Also, his classmates tending to transfer to Seven Moons a lot, but that was besides the point.
"Really? That's cool." Shishido didn’t think Ohtori would ask about Seven Moons, but he still started trying to think up things he could say that would make his school seem normal. Nothing had come out of the whole supposed dual, so maybe Ohtori had lost interest, but he couldn’t be too reckless. "What kind of classes are you taking and stuff?" Shishido loitered behind, taking his time, watching his companion out of the corner of his eye. He looked happier, relieved, kind of natural and at peace in nature, or something poetic like that. But poetic things made Shishido's head hurt a little so he just kept walking.
Ohtori glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “Probably the classes you took last year, Shishido-san. History, English, classical Japanese… I’m also retaking a few-first year courses, so my schedule’s full.” He had no problem admitting that, though he wouldn’t say it was because his freshman year had been so hard - with his parents and everything, spending more time with the school’s nurse than being in class. There was also a sort of emptiness now in his schooling, an emptiness that made him wander to the music wing even though he didn’t have classes there. Turning away again, Ohtori looked ahead. “What’s your favorite subject, Shishido-san?” He adjusted his bag’s strap.
"Oh yeah.. I'm taking some of those now, just 'cause our schedule’s a little.. uhm, weird." Shishido walked along, scratching at his ears a little as he tried to remember his junior year. It was really kind of hard to remember boring things. "My favorite? Uhm.." He couldn’t mention the Defense Classes that were helping him keep from getting beat up in Fighter Courses, and he certainly didnt have much interest in his confusing Fine Arts class or any class with Sengoku sensei. "I like History. And I'm okay at Math. But my teacher for both is kind of... a big piece of wood who just yells at us if we get anything wrong." He grinned a little--as stoic as he was, Shishido'd take Sanada sensei over Sengoku sensei any day.
“Seven Moons sounds so strict,” Ohtori remarked, watching a red leaves rolled by on a breeze. The comment about the teacher made him think about his own, and then summarize that all teachers where strange - especially his chemistry teacher who insisted on carrying students around by the scruff of their neck. “Is that what you want to study in University?”
"Yeah, it kind of is..." Especially when someone screwed up durring practice duels. That could be pretty damn painful. "I don’t really know.." He should have been thinking about University, but it hadn’t crossed his mind really. He couldn’t be bothered to think about it right now--he didn’t want to do anything, didn’t know what he would be in the future.. So for now, he was just focusing on surviving. "Maybe business or something? No, that sounds boring... uhm.. what about you?"
Shishido stopped dead in his tracks, feeling something in the area. Another Fighter, probably with a pair. He could feel the waves of power and his ears flattened. Someone he didn’t know, and someone aggressive. Casting a glance to Ohtori, he decided to stay quite and discrete, hoping they'd move on.
Ohtori didn’t really have an answer for Shishido, so he just looked over his shoulder again, smiling at him. But that was also when he noticed his companion had stopped and stopped too, turning around completely. “Shishido-san, what’s wrong?” His smile faded.
Little did Ohtori know about the Fighter-Sacrifice pair. He was oblivious to it and to how they sensed Shishido a moment later, making their eagerness to battle very visible.
"Nothing, Ohtori.." Shishido mumbled, turning around to peer through the park to where he could feel the energy come from. This was Not. Good. There wasn’t anyway he could grab the junior and run--the pair was much too close. And if he didn’t respond to the unspoken challenge, he didn’t think they'd back off. It'd just get worse. This was what they had warned him about in class, but he hadn’t really ever thought it'd happen. Who'd ever pick a fight with him?
Shishido's ears flattened as he spotted the pair approaching them and he growled, feeling energy charge through his body. "Shit."
“Shishido-san…” Ohtori trailed off. Something was definitely up. He could practically feel the anxiety building up in the senior, though he stopped in mid-step toward him. Two people had stopped before them - students Ohtori presumed. His confusion only seemed to build from there.
One of the nameless students smirked, seemingly pleased with the situation. He was looking straight past Ohtori and at Shishido. “Well, well, well, how lucky. A Seven Moons brat.”
Shishido leaned back some, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at the pair. Maybe he could intimidate them into leaving, but it was going to get real dangerous if he didnit get Ohtori out of there. "And by the looks of it, suburbia trash. So glad you could make it to our fine city. Now how 'bout you bugger off and be good little babies, mm?"
He risked a glance toward Ohtori, hoping he could catch the junior's eye and some how communicate "get the hell out of here" without seeming suspicious. No real luck.
One of the other students, the girl with short hair and dark ears, noticed the look and turned her sights toward Ohtori. "And who are you? I didnit think there was any school who made their kids wear that kind of a uniform."
“Don’t sound so scared,” the taller of the two mocked, grinning at his Sacrifice. It was quite visible what he wanted: to initiate a spell battle and soon.
On top of confused, Ohtori was feeling intimidated. Who were these people? And what did they want with Shishido? He almost didn’t catch the question directed at him. “Ah, it’s a work uniform…” he said quietly, not sure if they really cared. Ohtori was slowly backing away from them, until he was beside Shishido.
Shishido growled softly, his hands tightening their grip on his own arms. Stupid, reckless brats. Taking a step forward so he was slightly ahead of Ohtori, he tossed back his hair with a lofty glare. "What do you want?" He knew exactly what they wanted, but if he could stall for time, maybe something would go wrong.
The girl grinned, broadly like some Hyena, looking up to her partner for a moment before taking a step forward. "To battle."
“WHAT?!” It was a foot-in-mouth outburst from Ohtori, and he was already covering his mouth, blushing profusely. He had been startled, but the way they put it sounded like complete nonsense. Battle? Then again, Shishido looked like he knew what was going on. Maybe that’s why he seemed on edge. “Shishido-san, what are they talking about?”
The boy looked like he was about to burst out laughing. “Oi, hurry up and get it together!.” His hands flexed, anticipating the initiation of the battle system.
"Shit. Ohtori." Shishido turned, running a hand through his hair, trying to keep the slight panic from overtaking his cool. "I cant really explain right now." He didn’t like that look of fear in Ohtori's eyes, didn’t like knowing that he had basically been lying to the junior since they had met. But it wasn’t that simple, now was it? "But it'd just be really, really better if you left."
"Oh no, that wouldn’t be any fun." The girl laughed, placing her hands on her hips. "If he's not your Sacrifice, then we'll just have to make him one."
Shishido spun, the battle system flaring up around them before he had time to blink. "No one touches Ohtori."
If Ohtori was stunned before, he was now hopelessly in shock. There was that word again - Sacrifice - and with everything suddenly going black, surrendering to a dark void, he thought for a split second that he’d passed out. Yet when he blinked, he could still see Shishido and the other two students. And on top of all that, with what Shishido had said… well, he wasn’t going to forget them and the tone of determination with them anytime soon.
“Ah, here we go.” The opposing Fighter grinned, venturing a step so he was beside his Sacrifice again, rolling up his sleeve to show a mark that read Speedless. “We accept your challenge.”
"Speedless. What a lame-ass name. Did you come up with that yourselves or what?" Shishido pulled his hair back quickly, smirking towards the pair. If they were speedless, then they were about to get an ass kicking, because even Sacrifice-less, Shishido out did plenty in that skill. And now that he didn’t have Ohtori to worry about, he'd be able to go at the battle without holding back.
"You just going to watch, kid? Or are you gonna help out?" The Sacrifice laughed, tipping her head as she blinked at Ohtori, rolling up her sleeves as well.
"What?" Shishido blinked, confused for a second until he realized she wasn’t talking to him. Spinning, he stared dumbfounded at Ohtori. Wasn’t he supposed to be passed out or something? Didn’t they say normal humans couldn’t see the battle zones?
Ohtori’s mouth opened and closed for a second - like a fish out of water - before any sound came out. “Err.. Me? Uhh.. Hi, Shishido-san.” It was all his spinning mind could work out in the moment. All else was lost in the questioning of what was going on.
The taller Speedless was still smirking though, and took the opportunity gladly, clasping his hands in concentration. A wave of fire leapt up moments later. “Inferno! Heat to 10,000 degrees! Destroy all with your blue flame!”
"Shit-- Shield!!" Shishido spun around, throwing his arms up to cover his face just as lines of almost solid-looking wind flew up in a grid, blocking the fire. This was bad--he hated fire users. Ears flat, he gave the pair one quick glance before calling back to Ohtori. "You gotta get out of here, Ohtori. I'll explain later." If he had some how found his way into the battle zone, then he could probably get out, right? Shishido really hoped he could.
"Oh, a fast one, are you.." The girl chuckled slightly, eyeing him before whispering something back to her Fighter. "But wind only makes fire stronger, don’t you know that?"
The sights, the sounds - the real heat of the fire. Ohtori was overwhelmed. He swayed on his feet as he tried to fit two and two together, shivers running down his spine. Spells? It had to be a dream, but the more Ohtori thought on it, he found he didn’t want Shishido to just be a dream. “I’m not leaving you here!” he heard himself shout stubbornly. It was dangerous, but Ohtori was detached, part of him elsewhere, so full of questions and confusion that it fell victim to the void.
Across from them, the Fighter was grinning at his Sacrifice’s words, instantly starting up another spell. They’d come all the way here to battle a Seven Moons student - and crush them. “Nothing can resist the flames! Devour the air! Grow and consume everything!”
"Shit shit shit." Shishido was going to have to go on the offensive to drive these kids off. He couldn’t keep throwing up shields, and he was going to get burned real bad if he didn’t think up something soon. "Don’t be stupid, Ohtori! You're going to get hurt!"
The fire wave came again and Shishido jumped infront of Ohtori. "Cyclone." Shishido mumbled, focusing the wind in one beam to slice through the flames and shove the Sacrifice far back onto the ground. It worked, but the fire still reached him, licking up his arms and singeing his clothing.
“Shishido-san…” Ohtori shook his head, trying to get himself back together. If this was real, he couldn’t keep standing there being stupid. But Shishido… casting spells? For some reason, that fact felt like it was filling an empty space inside him. Though he was still being stubborn. “And what about you?! I’m not going to leave and let god-knows what happens to you!” Not that he knew a way out anyways. Wherever they were.
The opposing Fighter cringed as his Sacrifice took a hit. The brat was fast and he had no time to put up a shield. “Simple spells? Can you not fight properly?” he mocked though, holding his ground. “Consume with an unmatched hunger - blue fires, destroy their weak flame of life!” He maintained a strong offensive, focusing his attacks on the other Fighter until his Sacrifice told him otherwise.
"Ohtori, I do this every day." Although he obviously wasn’t showing off very well. This was really starting to be unfair. "Don’t worry about me, I'll be fine!" Shishido changed tactics and dashed to the side, far from Ohtori so that their attacks would keep coming for him.
"Sparrow!" he snapped, covering his face from another burst of flames as bird-like sparks of electricity shot forward, zigzagging their way through and over the Sacrifice.
The girl screeched, whipping blood from her face where one bird had sliced her. He was fast, but not very adept. She turned for a moment, lips curling as her eyes settled on the other boy. "Ohtori, was it? Do you want to play?"
Everyday? Ohtori swayed on his feet again, not uttering a sound as Shishido distanced himself. As much as he wanted to deny, it all starting to make sense on its own - the wounds on Shishido’s hands, everything. It completely changed Ohtori’s grip on reality, though he was snapped out of that realization from the gril’s words. “Eh?” And he felt a sort of nervousness descend over him. True, he felt this strange, incredible sense of safety when he was with Shishido, but with the space the senior put between them now made Ohtori feel vulnerable. Were they going to attack him?
Ohtori received an answer quickly as the Speedless Fighter raised his hands toward him. Of course, the Seven Moons brat had a weakness, and with his Sacrifice’s words, the Fighter was going to distribute it. “Tough luck, kid.” He had a special spell for him, swirling the blazing flames around and focusing them. “Eternal fire, maintaining the cycles of birth and death, burn brightly! Take away all life! Nova!” A blinding blast of fire and debris shot out at the junior.
Shishido dove for Ohtori. He didn’t think, just moved as fast as he could, dashing towards the junior and throwing himself in the path of the flames. Their tactics were cruel, and underhanded, going for the unarmed one to win the duel. Shishido hated that kind of cowardice, hated anyone who tried to hurt the weak or use it to their advantage. But he wasn’t thinking about any of that. All he knew was that Ohtori was in danger, and he had to protect him.
He tackled Ohtori to the ground just as flames flared across his back. His shirt was gone, and he was pretty sure those burns would last a nice long time, but he pushed himself up, looking down at Ohtori with wide eyes. "Are you okay!?"
“Idiot!” No, Ohtori wasn’t hurt, but he looked furious, on the verge of tears. His hands were gripping Shishido‘s arms - clinging to him - as the confusion and shock overflowed, his voice finding words that didn‘t really make sense. “Why did you do that?!” It was an unspoken command not to protect him, not to be hurt because of him, but it had been a moment too late. Ohtori felt like throttling Shishido for what he’d done, but his hands stayed clear of his wounded back.
Yet all at the same time, as he touched him - looked up at him - Ohtori was overcome by that unnerving sense. The same one he’d felt every time he was around the senior, though now it was stronger. A warm feeling of calm that - even in the horrid moment - made him feel okay, complete. “Shishido-san…”
"Shit, Ohtori, don’t cry.. please don’t.." Shishido mumbled, panicking over the look of fear and hysterics in Ohtori's eyes. Maybe his body was okay, but how could he recover from this? This was a shock to Shishido, what could the junior be feeling?
But then he felt it. Like a single heart beat heavy against his chest, he felt the bond. Ohtori was looking back at him, suddenly so calm and perfect, and Shishido knew. "I'm your Fighter..." And then there was a sharp pain high on his shoulder, just next to his neck and he knew what it must be. His--no, Their name. "I'll explain everything to you later, just... you and me... we're.. Hell, Choutarou," the name slipped out without him realizing it, but it felt right like that, "it'll be okay, I promise."
The other pair stood silent, the Sacrifice planting her hands on her hips as she waited. It'd be too easy to finish them off now, but if they were going to keep cuddling like newly weds, she might puke. "Are you quite done? What's going on over there??"
Fighter. Sacrifice. He’d heard those words before, but now it was different. Now Ohtori realized they must’ve gone together - like two halfs of a whole - for whatever those roles meant. Shishido said he was his Fighter, and he was so definite about it that Ohtori couldn’t deny it. It was real, like the throbbing sensation on his own shoulder, and he didn’t mind at all. He accepted it. That and the promise of having it all clarified later.
So Ohtori smiled - gently, warmly. He’d come to like that feeling of wholeness, the feeling of not being lost anymore - of being found. Everything else besides that and Shishido seemed like a minor detail. “Alright, Shishido-san!”
The opposing Fighter put a hand on his Sacrifice‘s shoulder, snapping his fingers impatiently - igniting little flames. Something was up, he knew that much, and kept close watch over the other pair. He was ready to send another spell their way once they stood back up, and the battle was now more in their favor with the damage the other Fighter took. But his ears suddenly flattened when he sensed what suddenly radiated from the two - that painfully noticeable connection. “Aw, fuck. He’s powered-up.”
Shishido grinned, relief flooding over him. He didn’t have to really worry anymore--Ohtori was taking it in stride. He touched Ohtori's cheek once, just a shy brush against his cheekbone before pushing himself to his feet, reaching down with both hands. It was strange to feel this giddy when his body was still in pain, and when the other pair's power was pushing against him. But he was giddy, almost light headed and it kind of didn’t matter if they lost. Which, of course, they wouldn’t.
"Just.. focus, okay, Choutarou? If something happens to you, I'm really sorry. But I'll try my best so it doesn’t." His vision and focus was clearer now, his mind sharper and he had never felt this powerful. If just being with his Sacrifice-- Shishido still couldn’t really believe it --made him feel this way, then he wondered how great they would be after training.
Speedless' Sacrifice cursed, clenching her fists as she stared across at the other two. This sudden bond was unnerving. "Just finish the--" She barely got a few words out before wind hit her square in the chest, knocking her down hard into the ground.
Ohtori nodded to Shishido’s command, staying close. He didn’t know what he was focusing on, so he remained sitting, trying to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. The battle was still going on, wasn’t it? And there had to be something he could do. Though having Shishido facing the other pair gave Ohtori a clear-- and worrying --view of his back. He still felt guilty about the injury , but some strange part of him was convinced and proud that he wouldn’t be hurt anymore. Ohtori pushed away the troubling “why?” and focused.
“O-oi! D-defend!” The other Fighter stammered as his Sacrifice went down. The spell had come so suddenly, so quickly. It just showed how terrifying the other’s agility was. Speedless wondered for a moment if they’d made a mistake about challenging the other pair. Right now, if his Sacrifice took anymore damage, she’d be restrained, but the other pair had to be new. Had to be weaker. With that realization, the Fighter left his partner be and threw forth a spell-- blue flames licking everywhere --seeking the other’s Sacrifice.
"Shit, Choutarou! Shield!!" Shishido threw up a shield as fast as he could, almost forgetting that he was no longer the one taking the hits. The flames hit hard against the weaker shield and broke in places, fire reaching for Ohtori's clothing and singeing what it could. Growling, Shishido's vision narrowed to the pair in front of him. They'd pay dearly.
Before the sacrifice could even stagger to her feet, she heard Shishido's simple "Bind" seconds before a chain clamped around her neck, heavy and hard. Shishido wasted no time, grabbing the long chain and pulling hard, dragging the girl to the ground. He tensed, wind rising up around him again as a threat. Pulling again to drag the girl farther, causing her to choke and squirm, he looked the other Fighter right in the eyes.
"Yield."
Ohtori gasped an winced, feeling more awe than pain when the flames moved passed Shishido like they were nothing at all, burning him instead. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but was this the role of the Sacrifice? Too many questions again, and Ohtori touched a burn lightly. Then his attention snapped back upward when Shishido restrained the girl, catching the battle-light in the senior’s eyes. “Shishido-san…”
The opposing Fighter glared. With his Sacrifice down, he was cornered and with no way out other than proclaiming his defeat. If he cast another spell, he might’ve be able to restrain the other Sacrifice too, but his focus was broken-- and his own partner was at great risk as it was. “Ch’..” He scowled, dropping his hands. The flames disappeared as he moved toward his fallen partner’s form, touching her shoulder. “I forfeit. Speedless forfeits.” They had been too short-sighted with going after Seven Moons students.
Shishido grinned at the other Fighter's words, feeling better than he had in a long time. They had won. Somehow, that validated everything. He dropped the battle system casually, chains disapearing and the world spinning slightly as it turned to normal. He tossed his hair back with a smirk, eyeing the two for a moment before nodding slightly. "Thanks for playing."
Turning-- trusting them not to try anything tricky --Shishido blinked in surprise to see Choutarou there, still standing, still alert despite all that had happened--despite the burns on his skin that he had failed to protect. "Choutarou.." Rushing over, Shishido grabbed his shoulders, frowning. "Are you okay???"
The junior was blinking owlishly, finding himself back in the park, leaves dancing around their feet. It was almost surreal now that the incident was over, but past Shishido’s shoulder, he had all the proof he needed-- watching the other Fighter help his Sacrifice up and retreat. It was then that Ohtori’s shock had a chance to start catching up with him again, and he struggled to keep it at bay, trying to focus on the senior’s grip on his shoulders. “Y-yes, I’m alright.” A little light-headed and his burns were throbbing, but he was alright. Ohtori’s eyes grew round when he remembered Shishido’s own wounds. “What about you?! Your back, Shishido-san! You need to go to a hospital--”
"No, I'm fine. Theres a good nurse at Seven Moons.." Shishido stared at Choutarou for a moment, noticing the returning panic and he bit his lip. "Look, can you come with me? We gotta get you bandaged up. I'm.. really, really sorry I couldnt get the shield up in time. But we'll have you fixed up in no time, okay? I'll explain everything." He didnt like the idea of telling him that whenever Shishido screwed up, Choutarou had to take the hit. Being a Fighter was going to be harder than he thought. He never, ever wanted Choutarou to get hurt.
"I'm sorry, I know you dont like Seven Moons, but we're a school training Pairs so thats why its so mysterious and.. " Shishido couldnt stop himself. He threw his arms around Choutarou, hugging him tight. Thinking about school made him realize how damned lucky he was. He found his Sacrafice.
Being hugged by the senior made Ohtori gain a realization of his own: that he’d started to tremble. That was how much his stunned state was effecting him, though the embrace itself was the simplest thing in the word and he returned it just as tight, careful not to touch his back. Here Shishido was, worrying about him when he himself was far more wounded. It made Ohtori’s concern increase by tenfold, practically clinging to the shorter boy. Ohtori could barely dwell over his words either, being compliant. “I’ll go with you…” He’d go anywhere with Shishido, and kept the promise of having everything explained in the back of his mind. “But please get looked at? Please, Shishido-san.” What remained unspoken at the moment was the “I’m sorry” and the “I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
"Yeah, I will, dont worry. We'll go together." Shishido grabbed his hand, too excited and worried to really feel embaressed about holding Choutarou's hand so tightly in his own. "It's really close so we'll be okay." He was glad it was kind of a sleepy afternoon--less chance of people spotting them and worrying. He looked around before quickly heading off for Seven Moons. He didnt even know where to begin, how to explain everything.. maybe one of the teachers could. Because he didnt understand half of it all himself. But there was something he really needed to know.
Getting closer to where he could see the gates of his school, Shishido paused and glanced back over his shoulder. "Choutarou? Move in with me?" After a second, he realized how odd that must have sounded and flushed. "I mean, its easier to train if pairs stay together and I mean, it'd be free and you wouldnt have to work so much and.. Shit, you dont even know about training. I'm sorry, I promised I'd explain it all..."
Ohtori knew the general area he was being led, since Seven Moons was the neighboring school of Shinjuku Northside. He wasn’t paying too much attention to his surroundings because of it either, having only enough focus left to put one foot before the other. But even that became a problem at times, stumbling over his own feet from the dawning realization of one thing or another. Again, like how all the answers to the questions he’d previously and unknowingly been seeking were starting to fall into his lap. Yet Ohtori was quiet now, remaining patient for them.
He wasn’t ready when Shishido stopped and practically blurted out the proposal, making Ohtori freeze. Move into Seven Moons? Go to Seven Moons? With Shishido? He only thought scouts could find potential transfer students, but Ohtori was also guilty of instantly wanting to. This “connection” he felt made him want to stay with Shishido, to never be parted from him now, or ever. Or at least Ohtori liked to blame the feeling on that “connection,” and was dismayed at the same time with the former ideal being crushed by the fact his parents wouldn’t support it. “I’d… like that, Shishido-san.” Even if it was close to impossible. He flushed a bit himself, giving Shishido’s hand a squeeze.
Shishido blushed too, feeling ridiculously happy and terribly nervous at the same time. He'd get to live with Choutarou on the top floors with the other bounded pairs. And they'd be together, and they'd train together and do things as a Pair and wasn’t that just the best thing in the world? But that also meant he'd have to be a good Fighter, work harder than he had ever had in his whole life. And what, if a month down the line, Choutarou realized that Shishido Ryou wasn’t the world's greatest guy and came to hate him? What would happen then?
But it was no use worrying over things that had yet to happen, so Shishido just grinned and pulled Choutarou through the gates. "The nurses office is really close. We'll get you fixed up, I promise. You know Dan Taichi transferred here, right? Well now you know why. I'm sorry--I mean, I know you have friends at Shinjuku and its not like you'll be stuck here or anything, but you know..." Great. He was babbling. But he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, wanting to keep Choutarou as calm as possible.
Having Shishido chatting like that was different, almost perfect. In the short time he’d known him, Ohtori hadn’t heard or seen the senior with this much energy before. It could’ve been from the adrenaline the battle caused, since he himself was still feeling those effects-- his hands shaking ever so slightly, heart still beating quickly. He tried to keep up with the enthusiasm too, but rather found himself quite content with just listening, though he was willing to fill in the gaps. “That’s alright… I wouldn’t mind.” Not that Ohtori was too close to a lot of people at Shinjuku. Only a select few-- one of which being Dan Taichi, who went to Seven Moons ahead of him.
And Ohtori couldn’t help but be washed over by a strange feeling as he entered Seven Moon’s grounds. It felt the same-- yet oddly different --as the sense he experienced around Shishido. The junior hoped he could label it soon, but he was able to disregard it a moment later, taking a few quick strides forward so he was walking beside his companion. One of Ohtori’s hands was still being held by Shishido’s, so he wrapped his free arm around his, as if cuddling it, smiling all the while. The action was surprising even to himself. “And again, happy birthday, Shishido-san.”
Shishido froze, somehow feeling nervous at Choutarou's closeness. It just seemed different, here at Seven Moons, somewhere he knew he belonged and now--now, his Sacrifice and him belonged there. He couldn’t help return the grin, reaching up to brush his hand through silver hair and over soft ears. Maybe things wouldn’t work out in the future, but right now, it was just perfect. "Hell, Choutarou. This is about the best damned birthday I've ever had. Thanks."
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and battle!
Summary: Shishido and Ohtori are in the park and make an unexpected discovery with the help of two individuals named Speedless.
(Part 2 of 2)
"Yeah, good idea. Like, go to the park or something..." Shishido shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around as they walked outside. It had somehow become a warm day and he headed for the park. It was close by, and kind of secluded, with lots of trees and other cool stuff like that. He didn’t really know what to talk about, realizing he actually knew very little about Ohtori. Good time to find out, he guessed. "So like.. what's your school like?" Great question. Real great. But it was a start.
The park. The junior’s day was getting better. It was autumn and many of the trees had changed color, so Ohtori could help but walk ahead, breath in the crisp air. He’d all but forgotten the small conversation they had about his family. “Shinjuku Northside’s alright,” Ohtori answered, not really knowing what else to say. “It’s a pretty average school, I think. The student body has a lot of personality.” Also, his classmates tending to transfer to Seven Moons a lot, but that was besides the point.
"Really? That's cool." Shishido didn’t think Ohtori would ask about Seven Moons, but he still started trying to think up things he could say that would make his school seem normal. Nothing had come out of the whole supposed dual, so maybe Ohtori had lost interest, but he couldn’t be too reckless. "What kind of classes are you taking and stuff?" Shishido loitered behind, taking his time, watching his companion out of the corner of his eye. He looked happier, relieved, kind of natural and at peace in nature, or something poetic like that. But poetic things made Shishido's head hurt a little so he just kept walking.
Ohtori glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “Probably the classes you took last year, Shishido-san. History, English, classical Japanese… I’m also retaking a few-first year courses, so my schedule’s full.” He had no problem admitting that, though he wouldn’t say it was because his freshman year had been so hard - with his parents and everything, spending more time with the school’s nurse than being in class. There was also a sort of emptiness now in his schooling, an emptiness that made him wander to the music wing even though he didn’t have classes there. Turning away again, Ohtori looked ahead. “What’s your favorite subject, Shishido-san?” He adjusted his bag’s strap.
"Oh yeah.. I'm taking some of those now, just 'cause our schedule’s a little.. uhm, weird." Shishido walked along, scratching at his ears a little as he tried to remember his junior year. It was really kind of hard to remember boring things. "My favorite? Uhm.." He couldn’t mention the Defense Classes that were helping him keep from getting beat up in Fighter Courses, and he certainly didnt have much interest in his confusing Fine Arts class or any class with Sengoku sensei. "I like History. And I'm okay at Math. But my teacher for both is kind of... a big piece of wood who just yells at us if we get anything wrong." He grinned a little--as stoic as he was, Shishido'd take Sanada sensei over Sengoku sensei any day.
“Seven Moons sounds so strict,” Ohtori remarked, watching a red leaves rolled by on a breeze. The comment about the teacher made him think about his own, and then summarize that all teachers where strange - especially his chemistry teacher who insisted on carrying students around by the scruff of their neck. “Is that what you want to study in University?”
"Yeah, it kind of is..." Especially when someone screwed up durring practice duels. That could be pretty damn painful. "I don’t really know.." He should have been thinking about University, but it hadn’t crossed his mind really. He couldn’t be bothered to think about it right now--he didn’t want to do anything, didn’t know what he would be in the future.. So for now, he was just focusing on surviving. "Maybe business or something? No, that sounds boring... uhm.. what about you?"
Shishido stopped dead in his tracks, feeling something in the area. Another Fighter, probably with a pair. He could feel the waves of power and his ears flattened. Someone he didn’t know, and someone aggressive. Casting a glance to Ohtori, he decided to stay quite and discrete, hoping they'd move on.
Ohtori didn’t really have an answer for Shishido, so he just looked over his shoulder again, smiling at him. But that was also when he noticed his companion had stopped and stopped too, turning around completely. “Shishido-san, what’s wrong?” His smile faded.
Little did Ohtori know about the Fighter-Sacrifice pair. He was oblivious to it and to how they sensed Shishido a moment later, making their eagerness to battle very visible.
"Nothing, Ohtori.." Shishido mumbled, turning around to peer through the park to where he could feel the energy come from. This was Not. Good. There wasn’t anyway he could grab the junior and run--the pair was much too close. And if he didn’t respond to the unspoken challenge, he didn’t think they'd back off. It'd just get worse. This was what they had warned him about in class, but he hadn’t really ever thought it'd happen. Who'd ever pick a fight with him?
Shishido's ears flattened as he spotted the pair approaching them and he growled, feeling energy charge through his body. "Shit."
“Shishido-san…” Ohtori trailed off. Something was definitely up. He could practically feel the anxiety building up in the senior, though he stopped in mid-step toward him. Two people had stopped before them - students Ohtori presumed. His confusion only seemed to build from there.
One of the nameless students smirked, seemingly pleased with the situation. He was looking straight past Ohtori and at Shishido. “Well, well, well, how lucky. A Seven Moons brat.”
Shishido leaned back some, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at the pair. Maybe he could intimidate them into leaving, but it was going to get real dangerous if he didnit get Ohtori out of there. "And by the looks of it, suburbia trash. So glad you could make it to our fine city. Now how 'bout you bugger off and be good little babies, mm?"
He risked a glance toward Ohtori, hoping he could catch the junior's eye and some how communicate "get the hell out of here" without seeming suspicious. No real luck.
One of the other students, the girl with short hair and dark ears, noticed the look and turned her sights toward Ohtori. "And who are you? I didnit think there was any school who made their kids wear that kind of a uniform."
“Don’t sound so scared,” the taller of the two mocked, grinning at his Sacrifice. It was quite visible what he wanted: to initiate a spell battle and soon.
On top of confused, Ohtori was feeling intimidated. Who were these people? And what did they want with Shishido? He almost didn’t catch the question directed at him. “Ah, it’s a work uniform…” he said quietly, not sure if they really cared. Ohtori was slowly backing away from them, until he was beside Shishido.
Shishido growled softly, his hands tightening their grip on his own arms. Stupid, reckless brats. Taking a step forward so he was slightly ahead of Ohtori, he tossed back his hair with a lofty glare. "What do you want?" He knew exactly what they wanted, but if he could stall for time, maybe something would go wrong.
The girl grinned, broadly like some Hyena, looking up to her partner for a moment before taking a step forward. "To battle."
“WHAT?!” It was a foot-in-mouth outburst from Ohtori, and he was already covering his mouth, blushing profusely. He had been startled, but the way they put it sounded like complete nonsense. Battle? Then again, Shishido looked like he knew what was going on. Maybe that’s why he seemed on edge. “Shishido-san, what are they talking about?”
The boy looked like he was about to burst out laughing. “Oi, hurry up and get it together!.” His hands flexed, anticipating the initiation of the battle system.
"Shit. Ohtori." Shishido turned, running a hand through his hair, trying to keep the slight panic from overtaking his cool. "I cant really explain right now." He didn’t like that look of fear in Ohtori's eyes, didn’t like knowing that he had basically been lying to the junior since they had met. But it wasn’t that simple, now was it? "But it'd just be really, really better if you left."
"Oh no, that wouldn’t be any fun." The girl laughed, placing her hands on her hips. "If he's not your Sacrifice, then we'll just have to make him one."
Shishido spun, the battle system flaring up around them before he had time to blink. "No one touches Ohtori."
If Ohtori was stunned before, he was now hopelessly in shock. There was that word again - Sacrifice - and with everything suddenly going black, surrendering to a dark void, he thought for a split second that he’d passed out. Yet when he blinked, he could still see Shishido and the other two students. And on top of all that, with what Shishido had said… well, he wasn’t going to forget them and the tone of determination with them anytime soon.
“Ah, here we go.” The opposing Fighter grinned, venturing a step so he was beside his Sacrifice again, rolling up his sleeve to show a mark that read Speedless. “We accept your challenge.”
"Speedless. What a lame-ass name. Did you come up with that yourselves or what?" Shishido pulled his hair back quickly, smirking towards the pair. If they were speedless, then they were about to get an ass kicking, because even Sacrifice-less, Shishido out did plenty in that skill. And now that he didn’t have Ohtori to worry about, he'd be able to go at the battle without holding back.
"You just going to watch, kid? Or are you gonna help out?" The Sacrifice laughed, tipping her head as she blinked at Ohtori, rolling up her sleeves as well.
"What?" Shishido blinked, confused for a second until he realized she wasn’t talking to him. Spinning, he stared dumbfounded at Ohtori. Wasn’t he supposed to be passed out or something? Didn’t they say normal humans couldn’t see the battle zones?
Ohtori’s mouth opened and closed for a second - like a fish out of water - before any sound came out. “Err.. Me? Uhh.. Hi, Shishido-san.” It was all his spinning mind could work out in the moment. All else was lost in the questioning of what was going on.
The taller Speedless was still smirking though, and took the opportunity gladly, clasping his hands in concentration. A wave of fire leapt up moments later. “Inferno! Heat to 10,000 degrees! Destroy all with your blue flame!”
"Shit-- Shield!!" Shishido spun around, throwing his arms up to cover his face just as lines of almost solid-looking wind flew up in a grid, blocking the fire. This was bad--he hated fire users. Ears flat, he gave the pair one quick glance before calling back to Ohtori. "You gotta get out of here, Ohtori. I'll explain later." If he had some how found his way into the battle zone, then he could probably get out, right? Shishido really hoped he could.
"Oh, a fast one, are you.." The girl chuckled slightly, eyeing him before whispering something back to her Fighter. "But wind only makes fire stronger, don’t you know that?"
The sights, the sounds - the real heat of the fire. Ohtori was overwhelmed. He swayed on his feet as he tried to fit two and two together, shivers running down his spine. Spells? It had to be a dream, but the more Ohtori thought on it, he found he didn’t want Shishido to just be a dream. “I’m not leaving you here!” he heard himself shout stubbornly. It was dangerous, but Ohtori was detached, part of him elsewhere, so full of questions and confusion that it fell victim to the void.
Across from them, the Fighter was grinning at his Sacrifice’s words, instantly starting up another spell. They’d come all the way here to battle a Seven Moons student - and crush them. “Nothing can resist the flames! Devour the air! Grow and consume everything!”
"Shit shit shit." Shishido was going to have to go on the offensive to drive these kids off. He couldn’t keep throwing up shields, and he was going to get burned real bad if he didn’t think up something soon. "Don’t be stupid, Ohtori! You're going to get hurt!"
The fire wave came again and Shishido jumped infront of Ohtori. "Cyclone." Shishido mumbled, focusing the wind in one beam to slice through the flames and shove the Sacrifice far back onto the ground. It worked, but the fire still reached him, licking up his arms and singeing his clothing.
“Shishido-san…” Ohtori shook his head, trying to get himself back together. If this was real, he couldn’t keep standing there being stupid. But Shishido… casting spells? For some reason, that fact felt like it was filling an empty space inside him. Though he was still being stubborn. “And what about you?! I’m not going to leave and let god-knows what happens to you!” Not that he knew a way out anyways. Wherever they were.
The opposing Fighter cringed as his Sacrifice took a hit. The brat was fast and he had no time to put up a shield. “Simple spells? Can you not fight properly?” he mocked though, holding his ground. “Consume with an unmatched hunger - blue fires, destroy their weak flame of life!” He maintained a strong offensive, focusing his attacks on the other Fighter until his Sacrifice told him otherwise.
"Ohtori, I do this every day." Although he obviously wasn’t showing off very well. This was really starting to be unfair. "Don’t worry about me, I'll be fine!" Shishido changed tactics and dashed to the side, far from Ohtori so that their attacks would keep coming for him.
"Sparrow!" he snapped, covering his face from another burst of flames as bird-like sparks of electricity shot forward, zigzagging their way through and over the Sacrifice.
The girl screeched, whipping blood from her face where one bird had sliced her. He was fast, but not very adept. She turned for a moment, lips curling as her eyes settled on the other boy. "Ohtori, was it? Do you want to play?"
Everyday? Ohtori swayed on his feet again, not uttering a sound as Shishido distanced himself. As much as he wanted to deny, it all starting to make sense on its own - the wounds on Shishido’s hands, everything. It completely changed Ohtori’s grip on reality, though he was snapped out of that realization from the gril’s words. “Eh?” And he felt a sort of nervousness descend over him. True, he felt this strange, incredible sense of safety when he was with Shishido, but with the space the senior put between them now made Ohtori feel vulnerable. Were they going to attack him?
Ohtori received an answer quickly as the Speedless Fighter raised his hands toward him. Of course, the Seven Moons brat had a weakness, and with his Sacrifice’s words, the Fighter was going to distribute it. “Tough luck, kid.” He had a special spell for him, swirling the blazing flames around and focusing them. “Eternal fire, maintaining the cycles of birth and death, burn brightly! Take away all life! Nova!” A blinding blast of fire and debris shot out at the junior.
Shishido dove for Ohtori. He didn’t think, just moved as fast as he could, dashing towards the junior and throwing himself in the path of the flames. Their tactics were cruel, and underhanded, going for the unarmed one to win the duel. Shishido hated that kind of cowardice, hated anyone who tried to hurt the weak or use it to their advantage. But he wasn’t thinking about any of that. All he knew was that Ohtori was in danger, and he had to protect him.
He tackled Ohtori to the ground just as flames flared across his back. His shirt was gone, and he was pretty sure those burns would last a nice long time, but he pushed himself up, looking down at Ohtori with wide eyes. "Are you okay!?"
“Idiot!” No, Ohtori wasn’t hurt, but he looked furious, on the verge of tears. His hands were gripping Shishido‘s arms - clinging to him - as the confusion and shock overflowed, his voice finding words that didn‘t really make sense. “Why did you do that?!” It was an unspoken command not to protect him, not to be hurt because of him, but it had been a moment too late. Ohtori felt like throttling Shishido for what he’d done, but his hands stayed clear of his wounded back.
Yet all at the same time, as he touched him - looked up at him - Ohtori was overcome by that unnerving sense. The same one he’d felt every time he was around the senior, though now it was stronger. A warm feeling of calm that - even in the horrid moment - made him feel okay, complete. “Shishido-san…”
"Shit, Ohtori, don’t cry.. please don’t.." Shishido mumbled, panicking over the look of fear and hysterics in Ohtori's eyes. Maybe his body was okay, but how could he recover from this? This was a shock to Shishido, what could the junior be feeling?
But then he felt it. Like a single heart beat heavy against his chest, he felt the bond. Ohtori was looking back at him, suddenly so calm and perfect, and Shishido knew. "I'm your Fighter..." And then there was a sharp pain high on his shoulder, just next to his neck and he knew what it must be. His--no, Their name. "I'll explain everything to you later, just... you and me... we're.. Hell, Choutarou," the name slipped out without him realizing it, but it felt right like that, "it'll be okay, I promise."
The other pair stood silent, the Sacrifice planting her hands on her hips as she waited. It'd be too easy to finish them off now, but if they were going to keep cuddling like newly weds, she might puke. "Are you quite done? What's going on over there??"
Fighter. Sacrifice. He’d heard those words before, but now it was different. Now Ohtori realized they must’ve gone together - like two halfs of a whole - for whatever those roles meant. Shishido said he was his Fighter, and he was so definite about it that Ohtori couldn’t deny it. It was real, like the throbbing sensation on his own shoulder, and he didn’t mind at all. He accepted it. That and the promise of having it all clarified later.
So Ohtori smiled - gently, warmly. He’d come to like that feeling of wholeness, the feeling of not being lost anymore - of being found. Everything else besides that and Shishido seemed like a minor detail. “Alright, Shishido-san!”
The opposing Fighter put a hand on his Sacrifice‘s shoulder, snapping his fingers impatiently - igniting little flames. Something was up, he knew that much, and kept close watch over the other pair. He was ready to send another spell their way once they stood back up, and the battle was now more in their favor with the damage the other Fighter took. But his ears suddenly flattened when he sensed what suddenly radiated from the two - that painfully noticeable connection. “Aw, fuck. He’s powered-up.”
Shishido grinned, relief flooding over him. He didn’t have to really worry anymore--Ohtori was taking it in stride. He touched Ohtori's cheek once, just a shy brush against his cheekbone before pushing himself to his feet, reaching down with both hands. It was strange to feel this giddy when his body was still in pain, and when the other pair's power was pushing against him. But he was giddy, almost light headed and it kind of didn’t matter if they lost. Which, of course, they wouldn’t.
"Just.. focus, okay, Choutarou? If something happens to you, I'm really sorry. But I'll try my best so it doesn’t." His vision and focus was clearer now, his mind sharper and he had never felt this powerful. If just being with his Sacrifice-- Shishido still couldn’t really believe it --made him feel this way, then he wondered how great they would be after training.
Speedless' Sacrifice cursed, clenching her fists as she stared across at the other two. This sudden bond was unnerving. "Just finish the--" She barely got a few words out before wind hit her square in the chest, knocking her down hard into the ground.
Ohtori nodded to Shishido’s command, staying close. He didn’t know what he was focusing on, so he remained sitting, trying to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. The battle was still going on, wasn’t it? And there had to be something he could do. Though having Shishido facing the other pair gave Ohtori a clear-- and worrying --view of his back. He still felt guilty about the injury , but some strange part of him was convinced and proud that he wouldn’t be hurt anymore. Ohtori pushed away the troubling “why?” and focused.
“O-oi! D-defend!” The other Fighter stammered as his Sacrifice went down. The spell had come so suddenly, so quickly. It just showed how terrifying the other’s agility was. Speedless wondered for a moment if they’d made a mistake about challenging the other pair. Right now, if his Sacrifice took anymore damage, she’d be restrained, but the other pair had to be new. Had to be weaker. With that realization, the Fighter left his partner be and threw forth a spell-- blue flames licking everywhere --seeking the other’s Sacrifice.
"Shit, Choutarou! Shield!!" Shishido threw up a shield as fast as he could, almost forgetting that he was no longer the one taking the hits. The flames hit hard against the weaker shield and broke in places, fire reaching for Ohtori's clothing and singeing what it could. Growling, Shishido's vision narrowed to the pair in front of him. They'd pay dearly.
Before the sacrifice could even stagger to her feet, she heard Shishido's simple "Bind" seconds before a chain clamped around her neck, heavy and hard. Shishido wasted no time, grabbing the long chain and pulling hard, dragging the girl to the ground. He tensed, wind rising up around him again as a threat. Pulling again to drag the girl farther, causing her to choke and squirm, he looked the other Fighter right in the eyes.
"Yield."
Ohtori gasped an winced, feeling more awe than pain when the flames moved passed Shishido like they were nothing at all, burning him instead. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but was this the role of the Sacrifice? Too many questions again, and Ohtori touched a burn lightly. Then his attention snapped back upward when Shishido restrained the girl, catching the battle-light in the senior’s eyes. “Shishido-san…”
The opposing Fighter glared. With his Sacrifice down, he was cornered and with no way out other than proclaiming his defeat. If he cast another spell, he might’ve be able to restrain the other Sacrifice too, but his focus was broken-- and his own partner was at great risk as it was. “Ch’..” He scowled, dropping his hands. The flames disappeared as he moved toward his fallen partner’s form, touching her shoulder. “I forfeit. Speedless forfeits.” They had been too short-sighted with going after Seven Moons students.
Shishido grinned at the other Fighter's words, feeling better than he had in a long time. They had won. Somehow, that validated everything. He dropped the battle system casually, chains disapearing and the world spinning slightly as it turned to normal. He tossed his hair back with a smirk, eyeing the two for a moment before nodding slightly. "Thanks for playing."
Turning-- trusting them not to try anything tricky --Shishido blinked in surprise to see Choutarou there, still standing, still alert despite all that had happened--despite the burns on his skin that he had failed to protect. "Choutarou.." Rushing over, Shishido grabbed his shoulders, frowning. "Are you okay???"
The junior was blinking owlishly, finding himself back in the park, leaves dancing around their feet. It was almost surreal now that the incident was over, but past Shishido’s shoulder, he had all the proof he needed-- watching the other Fighter help his Sacrifice up and retreat. It was then that Ohtori’s shock had a chance to start catching up with him again, and he struggled to keep it at bay, trying to focus on the senior’s grip on his shoulders. “Y-yes, I’m alright.” A little light-headed and his burns were throbbing, but he was alright. Ohtori’s eyes grew round when he remembered Shishido’s own wounds. “What about you?! Your back, Shishido-san! You need to go to a hospital--”
"No, I'm fine. Theres a good nurse at Seven Moons.." Shishido stared at Choutarou for a moment, noticing the returning panic and he bit his lip. "Look, can you come with me? We gotta get you bandaged up. I'm.. really, really sorry I couldnt get the shield up in time. But we'll have you fixed up in no time, okay? I'll explain everything." He didnt like the idea of telling him that whenever Shishido screwed up, Choutarou had to take the hit. Being a Fighter was going to be harder than he thought. He never, ever wanted Choutarou to get hurt.
"I'm sorry, I know you dont like Seven Moons, but we're a school training Pairs so thats why its so mysterious and.. " Shishido couldnt stop himself. He threw his arms around Choutarou, hugging him tight. Thinking about school made him realize how damned lucky he was. He found his Sacrafice.
Being hugged by the senior made Ohtori gain a realization of his own: that he’d started to tremble. That was how much his stunned state was effecting him, though the embrace itself was the simplest thing in the word and he returned it just as tight, careful not to touch his back. Here Shishido was, worrying about him when he himself was far more wounded. It made Ohtori’s concern increase by tenfold, practically clinging to the shorter boy. Ohtori could barely dwell over his words either, being compliant. “I’ll go with you…” He’d go anywhere with Shishido, and kept the promise of having everything explained in the back of his mind. “But please get looked at? Please, Shishido-san.” What remained unspoken at the moment was the “I’m sorry” and the “I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
"Yeah, I will, dont worry. We'll go together." Shishido grabbed his hand, too excited and worried to really feel embaressed about holding Choutarou's hand so tightly in his own. "It's really close so we'll be okay." He was glad it was kind of a sleepy afternoon--less chance of people spotting them and worrying. He looked around before quickly heading off for Seven Moons. He didnt even know where to begin, how to explain everything.. maybe one of the teachers could. Because he didnt understand half of it all himself. But there was something he really needed to know.
Getting closer to where he could see the gates of his school, Shishido paused and glanced back over his shoulder. "Choutarou? Move in with me?" After a second, he realized how odd that must have sounded and flushed. "I mean, its easier to train if pairs stay together and I mean, it'd be free and you wouldnt have to work so much and.. Shit, you dont even know about training. I'm sorry, I promised I'd explain it all..."
Ohtori knew the general area he was being led, since Seven Moons was the neighboring school of Shinjuku Northside. He wasn’t paying too much attention to his surroundings because of it either, having only enough focus left to put one foot before the other. But even that became a problem at times, stumbling over his own feet from the dawning realization of one thing or another. Again, like how all the answers to the questions he’d previously and unknowingly been seeking were starting to fall into his lap. Yet Ohtori was quiet now, remaining patient for them.
He wasn’t ready when Shishido stopped and practically blurted out the proposal, making Ohtori freeze. Move into Seven Moons? Go to Seven Moons? With Shishido? He only thought scouts could find potential transfer students, but Ohtori was also guilty of instantly wanting to. This “connection” he felt made him want to stay with Shishido, to never be parted from him now, or ever. Or at least Ohtori liked to blame the feeling on that “connection,” and was dismayed at the same time with the former ideal being crushed by the fact his parents wouldn’t support it. “I’d… like that, Shishido-san.” Even if it was close to impossible. He flushed a bit himself, giving Shishido’s hand a squeeze.
Shishido blushed too, feeling ridiculously happy and terribly nervous at the same time. He'd get to live with Choutarou on the top floors with the other bounded pairs. And they'd be together, and they'd train together and do things as a Pair and wasn’t that just the best thing in the world? But that also meant he'd have to be a good Fighter, work harder than he had ever had in his whole life. And what, if a month down the line, Choutarou realized that Shishido Ryou wasn’t the world's greatest guy and came to hate him? What would happen then?
But it was no use worrying over things that had yet to happen, so Shishido just grinned and pulled Choutarou through the gates. "The nurses office is really close. We'll get you fixed up, I promise. You know Dan Taichi transferred here, right? Well now you know why. I'm sorry--I mean, I know you have friends at Shinjuku and its not like you'll be stuck here or anything, but you know..." Great. He was babbling. But he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, wanting to keep Choutarou as calm as possible.
Having Shishido chatting like that was different, almost perfect. In the short time he’d known him, Ohtori hadn’t heard or seen the senior with this much energy before. It could’ve been from the adrenaline the battle caused, since he himself was still feeling those effects-- his hands shaking ever so slightly, heart still beating quickly. He tried to keep up with the enthusiasm too, but rather found himself quite content with just listening, though he was willing to fill in the gaps. “That’s alright… I wouldn’t mind.” Not that Ohtori was too close to a lot of people at Shinjuku. Only a select few-- one of which being Dan Taichi, who went to Seven Moons ahead of him.
And Ohtori couldn’t help but be washed over by a strange feeling as he entered Seven Moon’s grounds. It felt the same-- yet oddly different --as the sense he experienced around Shishido. The junior hoped he could label it soon, but he was able to disregard it a moment later, taking a few quick strides forward so he was walking beside his companion. One of Ohtori’s hands was still being held by Shishido’s, so he wrapped his free arm around his, as if cuddling it, smiling all the while. The action was surprising even to himself. “And again, happy birthday, Shishido-san.”
Shishido froze, somehow feeling nervous at Choutarou's closeness. It just seemed different, here at Seven Moons, somewhere he knew he belonged and now--now, his Sacrifice and him belonged there. He couldn’t help return the grin, reaching up to brush his hand through silver hair and over soft ears. Maybe things wouldn’t work out in the future, but right now, it was just perfect. "Hell, Choutarou. This is about the best damned birthday I've ever had. Thanks."