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synthneon2023-07-10 09:38 pm
dragontorque) wrote in synthneon2023-07-10 09:38 pmEntry tags:
noein au because ya can't stop us || [song quote]
[Will fill it put when I'm not on mobile]
dragontorque) wrote in synthneon2023-07-10 09:38 pm
🐉 — hunt for the dragon torque.
chapter i.
Why is she out here with everyone?
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
It wasn't even her idea. It was Miho's. She is so convinced they could find a ghost in the graveyard. Where else would they haunt, she argued. Homes, hospitals, schools, argued Isami. But, graveyards were the best place, Miho retorted. The argument went round and round until Ai had settled the matter for their search. She didn't want to search for ghosts. Why, when she sees them so constantly?
They aren't even ghosts.
More like... echoes. Ripples. People who could be there but weren't really there.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Besides, there is only one ghost she'd want to see.
He wouldn't haunt a graveyard.
Snap.
A small branch breaks underneath her bare feet.
She folds the skirt underneath her legs as she bends down. The leggings hide anything that could be seen, but, habits have formed in her time in Tokyo and they are difficult to break. Her bare feet, however, has been there ever since she was a child. It helps ground her to feel the stone, dirt, wood or grass under her feet. She knows she is here and not elsewhere. ]
I'm late, I know. I'm sorry. [ She smiles slightly at the engraved name on the stone. ] Everyone was waiting for me at the ferry. I wanted to come and visit you first. You know how everyone is.
[ Her chin then rests in her palms. What else to tell him? There's been so much in the last few years. He probably wouldn't want her to talk on and on--saying she was being annoying or that he didn't care. Although, he always did care. ]
Tokyo is always busy. It's never quiet like it is here in Hakodate. Maybe you would get used to it if you are there? I miss the ocean a lot. But... it's nice living with Dad. It's lonely sometimes, but, it'd be lonely here too. Mom sleeps and works as much as Dad is away. Some things really don't change, do they?
[ Where other things do.
She hums slightly as debating what else to tell him. He wouldn't want to hear her go on about what it's been like without him. He broods enough. ]
I can't decide if I'm going to stay in Tokyo... but, being here for a long time can be hard too. Everyone else is here. [ And that makes it harder sometimes. ] I don't know. Maybe I'll have the answer at the end of summer break. Want to help me decide?
[ She cracks one purple eye open before giving a dramatic sigh. He probably can't hear her. Which means she does this every time just so she can feel better. Still, she holds onto the idea that he can hear her. Wherever he is now.
A hand stretches out. Fingertips gently trace along the name engraving. It had already been three years. Sometimes it feels like a part of her is missing, but no one else would really understand that. There were things he understood even if he said he didn't in front of the others. Especially Isami. ]
Things keep happening. Those same ones... even when I'm in Tokyo. Dreams, ghosts. Nothings changed about it. [ Her shoulders curl. ] Except, now, it's... it feels like ... [ How does she say it? ] I need to keep running. That's how it feels. Someone's trying to find me, but I don't want them to find me.
[ It scares her.
She curls up with her arms dropped around her legs. Her mouth presses to her knees as her eyebrows curl. Sometimes she wakes up drenched in sweat from the fear. She'll go nights without sleeping. Because, when she sleeps, it feels like that someone could find her easier. And, what would stop that someone from taking her away from everyone? ]
I miss you, Yuu.
[ Haruka Kaminogi closes her eyes again before hiding her face as she curls up once more. It's quiet here, and she misses the quiet. Not as much as she misses Yuu--but enough where she wants to embrace it while she can. The flashlight she brought lays beside her unmoving. However, it flickers.
A feeling of electricity shifts in the air. The hair on the back of Haruka's neck stands up. Her head shoots up with her eyes wide. Her gaze wildly moves around in hopes of finding the source. Sometimes it's the ripples, ghosts, and sometimes it's when she drifts away. This is neither of those times. Her hand grabs the flashlight and she stands up, turning her eyes skyward.
Snow? But, it's summer. It looks blue...
Panic suddenly fills her. Someone is coming. Someones. How she knows, she isn't sure but every instinct in her tells her to move and move now before they find her. Her hand grips the flashlight and she turns on the balls of her feet to run. Only a few steps are made before her body is paralyzed. Her purple eyes focus on the black form in front of her, standing on a headstone.
It's him. He's found her. He's come to take her away from everyone. It'll be like she was never there. No one will remember her or what they did. Just a dream...
Yuu, I'm scared.
Something inside her makes her move. She steps backwards once. Then twice. Backwards through the headstones, placing distance between the one come to collect her. ]
no subject
That is just one of the warnings that Karasu was given before the search for the Dragon Torque began. It may share similarities, and she may resemble her, but you must remember: it is not her. But Karasu has always been one to make his own conclusions, and to act as he sees fit, when those with more authority than him do not intervene.
Of course, his intent is more or less in agreement with the others: find the Dragon Torque and return to La'cryma. It sounds simple enough when said that way, but he and the others all knew that it would not be so simple. But with La'cryma and the life that they have known at stake, the pursuit of the Dragon Torque is more than worth it.
But, at the moment, it is more a search than a pursuit, and so far, Karasu has done little more than survey the dimension from the highest vantage points that he can find. The act of searching is both precise and imprecise, with signs of their quarry appearing, only to disappear as soon as they draw close enough.
But still the search continues, as all of them know that time is short: uncomfortably so. At least, that is what they have been told. At the present moment, Karasu is watching and waiting, perched atop a monolithic headstone. Perhaps it is too morbid to be waiting in a graveyard, but the signs led him here. Perhaps this time, the energy signature will vanish as it has at least a dozen times before, but perhaps that will not happen, and this will be the end of the search.
Regardless, he waits, watching as something seems to stir. Stray energy signals, perhaps. This dimension is rather strange and feels considerably different than the one Karasu knows most. Still, they were drawn here by something... perhaps... perhaps it is her. Karasu nearly missed spotting her, given his focus upon the shifting energy signatures, but in the stillness of the graveyard, the movement was difficult to miss.
He is dimly aware of the others who made the journey, but he seems to be the closest to the coordinates out of all of them. If they are keeping a watch on things, perhaps they will join him presently, but for the moment, he is alone. He slowly abandons the headstone, landing all but silently upon the ground, except for a slight rustle as he steps forward. She is moving backwards and away from him, but he still continues moving forward, slowly raising a hand as he does so.
Is it the Dragon Torque? Or has he merely stumbled upon an ordinary girl out for a walk in a graveyard? Once, the thought might have made Karasu laugh, or at least have a ghost of a smile, but he does neither of those things, as he believes he knows the truth of the matter.
What he does is continue moving forward, and two words leave him, breaking the relative quiet of the area. ]
Dragon Torque... [ Haruka... I found you. ]
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[ A chime of a memory comes to her then. A dream so long ago. Where someone that was her, but wasn't her, called her that. Then, another Haruka, but older and full of sad smiles, called her that as well. It wasn't something she found, but something she is. Something she has inside her.
He is stepping closer to her, despite the distance she tries to make. Her heart pounds in her chest. She's afraid--more than she ever has been. She doesn't want to leave. She isn't a dream! She's real. She could fight. She needs to. Otherwise he'll take her away! ]
Stay back!
[ She throws the only thing that she has on her--the flashlight. It sails through the air. The item should hit him and cause him to recoil. Just enough time for her to make her escape. Except, it never does.
It goes through him.
Haruka gasps and keeps moving back. Her fingertips slide past Yuu's gravestone, and panic sets in further. He is supposed to protect her. Yuu promised so many times he would. Especially if they left for Tokyo. Just the two of them, against the world...
YUU! she shouts his name in her mind. He always heard whenever she called out to him. He'd always come running...
But, he's dead.
Yuu, please. I'm scared. Don't let him take me away! ]
Stay away!
[ She turns in the balls of her feet and starts to run. Yuu can't save her. He's not there to save her anymore. She has to save herself. She has to get away as far as she can. Her bare feet hit the grass and she shoots off.
The hair on her arms sand up as another sense of electricity returns. It's someone else. Another one. They're coming from her--all of them... ]
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A small smile turns his lips up when she tells him to stay back and then throws her flashlight at him. ]
Brave, aren't you? [ She always was brave, so that is hardly a surprise. The flashlight phases right through him and he does not give it a second thought as he continues advancing forward.
He is certain that others will be joining them soon enough; perhaps they are already on their way, and so he needs to use this time carefully. His mouth opens slightly as he intends to say something, to make some comment about the situation, but then his eyes land upon the gravestone she is standing closest to. The name engraved upon it catches his attention and for a moment, his eyes widen as comprehension sets in. ]
.... I see. [ That was not something he had expected. A part of him wondered when he might encounter himself in this dimension, but it seems that that is quite impossible. Strangely enough, a sense of feeling sorry for her takes root now that he knows she has been dealing with a loss of her own.
But he finds his thoughts interrupted once he realizes she is attempting to run from him. For a moment, he pauses to consider his next moves. Should he give chase or allow her to escape? It is inevitable, of course, as the reason for his being here is clear: the Dragon Torque must be found.
And so, with a sense of inevitability, he follows after her, relying upon the speed of his abilities to catch up. She has not gotten a great head start, but he cannot let her get away either. ]
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Dreams that aren't normal d reams have always been things she has experienced. Dreams of different places, different people, and sometimes of the ones she knows the most. Dreams where she and Yuu were still together; ones where they were torn apart. Then, the dreams where he was trying to find her. The man who wanted her not for her, but what she could do. It took years before she could finally tell Yuu about them. She had thought he would dismiss her or call them stupid, but instead, he declared he'd protect her from him. Whoever came to collect her, he'd stop them, and keep her safe.
Now, when he's here, you're not here...
She doesn't let it stop her. She wills her body to move faster, to push herself harder, to put more distance between herself and the one who wants to capture her. Surely, if she has such amazing abilities, she can find a way to save herself.
Her gaze catches the flashlights of her friends on the hill above. They can't be pulled into this. So, abruptly, she turns on the ball of her feet again and starts dashing down the hill. The momentum carries her and soon she is almost flying downwards. The street is below them, so surely, her captor wouldn't follow her there. It might distract him long enough for her to get further ahead at the very least...
Feet hit the paved road quickly and she winces slightly. Haruka knows she'll be fine, she may just need to bandage herself up once she's safe. She keeps going. In a few strides she's halfway through the street when a screeching sound catches her ears. Her purple eyes turn to see a pair of headlights coming straight at her. Her eyes widen as she realizes the momentum won't carry her through the rest of the trip.
Haruka stumbles, her feet scraping along the pavement. The momentum carries her forward... ]
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And so he chooses to focus on that even as he follows after her, thinking all the while that he is surprised she can move as fast as she is. She may well be the Dragon Torque, but he was not under the impression that that translated to any abilities beyond affecting time and dimensions.
But he does not have time to think about that, as he has caught up with her just in time to see her launching herself forward at a breakneck pace that is putting her right in the path of an oncoming car. Without even a moment's hesitation, he launches himself towards her so that he can attempt to scoop her up and propel both of them to safety in the air. If she tries to resist, he will have no choice but to try again, but he cannot simply let her get hurt.
Of course, if what he knows of the Dragon Torque is correct, then she more than likely does not need saving at all, but there is no stopping him from making an attempt. If only he had made more of one, he could have saved her... but there is no use in thinking about that now, not when the Haruka of this dimension is right in front of him and in danger and he can do something about it. ]
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Until she feels the arms around her.
Her eyes focus and the sense of urgency takes her once more. Purple eyes snap upwards to her captor, expecting to see a crazed look and hear a snearing voice. One that echoes in her dreams. A voice that calls her name, and knows who she is, and asks her to join him.
Those aren't the eyes she sees looking at her.
They're intense, agitated, narrow focused, but a vulnerability to them deep down. She knows that look. No one else has those eyes with that stare. All that is logical would tell her that she's wrong, but she knows she isn't. Only he has those eyes. Out of anyone she has met or could ever meet.
It's been so long since she's seen that gaze...
The tension in her frame instantly disappears, rolling off her like waves. She seems to instantly make herself comfortable and her hands unclench from the fists they turned into. Deep marks remain in her palms from her nails. ]
I know you. [ Her voice is gentle and almost dream like. ] I know who you are.
[ Emotions make her mind spin. It's him--another him. He came back like he said he would. Only, it's a different him. Except that also makes him not the same.
The expression on her face softens. ] I know about you...
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The look in his eyes may not be crazed, but there is a certain agitation contained within his gaze that could be mistaken for a sort of fear. But of course, Karasu says nothing to give that away, choosing instead to merely tighten the hold he has upon her; not to the point of discomfort, of course, but it would not be acceptable to let her fall now that he has caught her. And, he is all too aware that he could be found like this at any moment. Atori or any of the others could find them, and then where would they be?
Any explanation he could give would not be received well, he is sure. He tenses once more when she speaks, and if he were given over to being nervous, his heart would have jumped into his throat. ]
How? [ She can't know that he is another version of the person she knows as Yuu... the person who has evidently met his demise. ] How do you know?
[ He is as far removed from being Yuu as it is possible to be, and he is all but unrecognizable, as far as he is concerned. She couldn't really know who he is. ]
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Still, a part of her had hoped that he had come for her. Maybe, somehow, Yuu had sent him to be where he could not. The idea sounds ridiculous now that she truly thinks on it instead of merely feeling it. Yuu couldn't do anything like that. He is dead, and despite what Miho says, there's no way to contact the dead. Not in a way that would make her believe in it anyways.
I always know it's you, is what she almost says. Except, Yuu of any world would surely find it stupid to hear. He's never been one to share his thoughts or emotions without her prodding him. ]
Your eyes are the same. [ She states it as a matter of fact, despite how her heart pounds painfully. A quick glance to the side and then she gently raises one hand to touch his cheek--but stops just shy of his skin. ] They're narrower, but, they're the same. The color, the look...
[ She smiles then. ] Yuu.
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But even if she is alone and missing her Yuu, that does not mean she would seek him out for anything. After all, she does not even know him, as their lives have most certainly taken drastically different turns. She may not even want to get to know him, and he would not blame her if that turns out to be the case.
He freezes for just a moment as she tells him what she sees. Well, it seems as though there is no pretending that he is a version of Yuu, as she has already worked that out for herself. ]
But not much else is the same. [ He is older, and sadder, and not as optimistic as she still seems to be. ] Haruka. [ Surely she will decide she does not wish to speak with him for much longer. ]
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[ Something tells her that many things are the same. He still seems to act more on his own, because no one else is here with him. He doesn't speak much, but maybe he listens. A world of thoughts inside his mind that no one else is allowed to know unless he lets them. At least, that is how it seems to be to her. He's said very little in the few moments they've known one another.
Her fingers twitch as if they'd wish to make contact.
It dawns on her then that they're in the air. How can Yuu fly? Why is his hair white? How did he come to her dimension like she can seemingly slip into others in dreams or daydreams? He's physically here, but when she travels, she is there but no one can see.
Did... could he really have come to her because her Yuu is gone..?
No, of course not.
But, what if he did?
She catches a glance of the blue tube that connects to him and goes up... and up... before it disappears. A small tilt of her head as she tries to put the pieces together. ]
You said something about a "Dragon Torque"...
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His eyes stray towards her fingers when he sees them move, and although he knows he should not wish for it, he would not pull away if she touched him just once. But first things first. They are still in the air, and he should decide where to take her. La'cryma is the obvious answer, but he is not willing to do that even though he knows his orders. ]
I did. I have been looking for the Dragon Torque. [ For you. ] We are too visible here. I should take you somewhere else. [ But where? And would she willingly let him take her? ]
I could let you go. [ That is also an alternative option, but if he does let her go, then Atori or any of the other Dragon Knights could find her, and he would not be able to stop them from carrying out their mission. ] You could hide, but would it be enough? [ He knows it wouldn't, as her location would be found and she would be tracked down once more. But then again, he can be tracked as well, so it seems that there is nowhere safe for them to go. ]
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His statement seems to answer some of those questions. Somehow, her heart sinks and it shows in her eyes. He wasn't looking for her then. Instead, what is inside her. It'll be easier to pretend she has no idea what he's speaking about. ]
I don't know what that is. [ Part of her hates lying to any Yuu, but, there's a reason he is looking for it and not her. The only other person looking for it... ] I can run if you let me go.
[ She's been running in many ways already.
Then again, if he's really Yuu, then... ]
No one else knows our spot. We could go there.
[ Their place was where they would sneak off to when they needed time for just them. A place they hid away in when he would come back from school in Tokyo. It's where she finally told him of her dreams and the man looking for her. Where they made plans for where they'd look to move in together. They planned out the start of their lives together there. Before...
Haruka frowns slight with the realization that maybe this Yuu doesn't know what that place is. Or, even worse, maybe he never had a place like it with his Haruka. ]
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I did not always know what it was. [ He hopes to find some common ground with her once more, even though he is very clearly not from this dimension, this world that she knows. ] And when I learned, I wished that I hadn't. [ In some ways, he sees it all as the thing that took someone he cared about away from him, and while he has no claim to the Haruka of this dimension, he knows he does not wish to see that a second time. ]
Do you want to run? It would be smart, although... [ She would not get far. ] Our spot...
[ He remembers a different spot that could be similar to what she is thinking of, but whether similar or different, it was a place that he and the Haruka he knows went when they wished to have a moment alone. Could it be that there is a similar place in this dimension? ]
Would you show it to me? [ He feels as though he has no right to see it, but if she said that she wanted to show it to him, he would not argue. ]
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No one has understood it. Miho comes close with her out of mind explanations, but even with those, that link is remains severed. No one can know what it feels like around her, which is why frustrated comments of He died three years ago, shouldn't you move on, Haruka?! always come. She can't. They weren't--aren't--simply boyfriend and girlfriend. They aren't simply dating after a long childhood of "will they or won't they."
Yuu is hers, and she is Yuu's. They're tied together.
It's why she feels she shouldn't be trying to be close to this Yuu. Even if his hair is different, and he is paler, and he can fly. He belongs to his Haruka. She surely misses him while he is so far away. He is only here because he's looking for the Dragon Torque--not her as another Haruka.
Her eyes close before she tilts her head to the side as if to gesture to the way to go.
Of course he wouldn't know their spot. His with his own Haruka--if they have one--is surely different. ]
The path that's behind my mom's house. [ Not her house. ] Follow it until it ends. That's where we need to go.
[ Her hands curl into his cloak (or suit?) when he moves. It takes no time at all, wether it be through teleportation or flying. The path is hidden, but an obvious natural one by how the brush and trees move. At the end of it rests in a pond.
She gently slides from his hold once he lands. In a few steps she is at the pond and takes a seat. Her feet slide into the colder water and she begins to gently rub the blood off from where she's scraped. She's done this more than once, given her habit of running around without shoes. ]
I know how to run away from anyone. Even if they come from far away like you, Yuu. [ Her gaze fixes on her task to avoid looking at him for now. The knowledge that he has his own Haruka to return to weighs her heart down more than she expected it would. If she looks at him again, that need to have him stay may come out. She can't hear him say that he has to leave her behind. ] I've run away before. Countless times.
[ Because he keeps trying to find me and you're not here to protect me anymore.
She leans against her pulled up knees then. Hands still and her gaze softens. ]
...why are you looking for the Dragon Torque? [ Arms curl around her knees. ] Does it really matter that much?
[ Her arms curl more as she lowers her head. She can't lie to Yuu--any Yuu. He already knows it's her. She can't hide it away. ]
Maybe she doesn't want to be found. Maybe she just wants to be left alone ...like she's been left. [ Haruka hides her face away from him. ] Maybe I don't want to help anywhere else. No one's ever asked. They just look for me and assume I'm going to help or do what they want because I can.
Maybe I can't help. I can't help here. I couldn't keep Mom and Dad together. I couldn't bring back Obaasan. I can't... I can't bring you back. So, why does everyone want to find me?!
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The connection he felt with his Haruka may as well be severed, but if he dared be forward enough to hope for forming a new connection... He shakes his head as soon as that thought occurs. He has no right to ask for anything or to expect anything. And he may not even be here in this dimension for much longer.
If she feels that she ought not be so close to him, then he is wrestling with similar feelings. She reminds him of his Haruka, but she is different in other ways too. A part of him wishes to learn more about those ways, to learn about her, but again, that isn't his place. ]
I'll go wherever you tell me to. [ He doesn't know this dimension, and so if she wants them to go anywhere, he'll simply follow her directions. ] Why are you running? [ His eyes narrow for a moment, not out of anger but something close to worry. ] Who are you running from? Other than me... [ And others like him, but he doesn't want to frighten her more. ]
The Dragon Torque is very important, or so they tell us. The Dragon Torque will save our dimension. [ Whether he really believes that or not, even he hasn't quite decided.
He pauses when her outburst begins, and inexplicably, he feels a strong urge to help her that seems like it has come from out of nowhere. Whether that's helping her stay hidden, or offering what support he can give (if she'll accept it), he wants to do something. Perhaps his feelings have changed too quickly, but there is no ignoring the fact that she is Haruka, and he cares about her even though he does not know her well. ]
They want to find you because they think you are the key. [ The words slip out before he can stop them, because part of him thinks she isn't looking for an answer. ] They believe you can help. But if you don't want to help, if you don't want to be found... you shouldn't.
[ He told his Haruka similar things, although she wanted to go through with her decision. He wanted her to stay with him, but there was no changing her mind once she'd made it up. ]
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She glances up at him as if to ask if he will be sitting beside her. Then, she glances down the empty spot beside her, and back up at him. Is this the same spot that he shares with his Haruka? Would he mind if he shared it with her? She would ask if she felt she should. Maybe it would be intrusive? Then again, she had always been upfront and intrusive before.
Her knees pull closer to her chest as she wraps her arms around them entirely. ]
I'm not sure what I want matters to anything in the universe... especially the Dragon Torque. [ Her head tilts down as she presses her forehead to her knees. ] Maybe all I'm meant to do is whatever they want.
[ Tips of her fingers begin to draw circles along her shins. Another glance towards him as she continues to debate inwardly. It had been this much of a debate to tell her Yuu. At that time she had worried if he would find her insane, or stupid, or think she was making it up. Now, she worries that he'll know who her hunter is. There's no reason for this Yuu to keep her safe, or to protect her, because he must have his own Haruka he's protecting.
A sigh before she tilts her head down to her knees and presses her forehead to them. ]
He's looking for me. The man in white. [ She doesn't know his name. Only what he looks like and what he sounds like. Both are enough to terrify her and she feels as if she's been terrorized by him for years now. ] When he finds me, I slip away for a little while. Another place that's like here, but different, then I come home. It works for a little while.
Nee, Yuu. [ As he has yet to share any other name to call him. ] Why... why did you come to take me to your home? Why did they send you?
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Too often he responds with silence and gestures rather than words, but Haruka tried her best to get him to come out of his shell. It worked to some degree, but in her absence, he's found himself lapsing back into his old habits.
But sometimes actions talk just as well as words do, at least in his mind. Without thinking, he moves to sit next to her, because if nothing else, at least he can offer his company and a listening ear, even if he does not know what to say in response. ]
Do you think so? [ He isn't sure what to think, exactly, but maybe talking about it will clear things up for both of them. If she is anything like his Haruka, he's certain that she can do more than she seems to believe, but how to communicate that? ]
The man in white? [ The look he gives her is a questioning one, as if he isn't entirely sure just who she means. He has a suspicion, but he isn't sure just how much he should talk about. And as she goes on to describe her encounters with this man, Karasu begins to worry just a little bit more.
She calls him "Yuu", and then he looks at her, something inscrutable in his gaze. Before he properly answers her question, he decides to extend a sort of olive branch. ] Karasu. [ She might as well know his name, if they're going to be talking at length like this. ]
Why? [ He shrugs once. ] Just following orders.
[ He's sure that's not the answer she's looking for, but he doesn't have a better one to give. ] Orders, and I wondered if I... [ Would I find you in this dimension? He isn't sure how to ask that or even if he should, so he adds: ] Do you want me to leave? Pretend that we never saw each other? [ It isn't what he should be doing; the ones who gave the order to find and apprehend the Dragon Torque would not be pleased. Karasu himself doesn't know why he's even asking, much less entertaining the possibility of doing as he said.
Leaving wouldn't protect her, of course, not if someone else is after her, but what more can he do? Could he disobey orders in order to protect her? Even he doesn't know the answer to that. ]
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[ There's always been what she should do, shouldn't do, what will benefit her and what won't. Nothing she's ever truly wanted stayed--it's always out of her hands. ]
The man in white who wears a mask.
[ She pauses as he extends what seems to be a name. A stillness takes her then. He doesn't even go by the name she knows him by. Even though she can see her dearest in him, its painfully obvious now how much he isn't Yuu. His eyes are the same as well as his temperament, but he isn't simply Yuu now. ]
Karasu... [ She repeats his name to try it herself. ] Just following orders.
[ Even of those orders were to take her away? ]
They'd know I'm here Even if you pretended not to find me. They know I'm here, don't they?
[ Karasu... ]
What did you wonder?
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For now, he keeps that to himself, deciding to wait for another opportunity. ]
I see... [ He has heard of this strange man, but he has yet to actually see him with his own eyes. Haruka, however, seems to be more acquainted with him than she would like. He watches for any reactions to his name, when he gives it to her, but to him, it looks as though she is disappointed.
By way of response, he merely inclines his head in a nod. ] At least, until this happened. [ Saving her from when she nearly stumbled into the road, having this conversation with her now... It was not what he had intended, but perhaps it was supposed to happen. ]
They might not. They can find me, but that doesn't mean that I was ever with you. [ But what he doesn't say is that it's inevitable. Even if they part ways, the others still can find her, and that is what he doesn't want to allow. But how far is he willing to go? That is the part he is not sure of. ]
I wondered... [ He hesitates again, because maybe she doesn't really want to know. But then, she asked, so he presses on. ] I wondered if I might find you in this dimension. [ And he doesn't mean finding her to take her away. ]
It seems that I have. [ And he hesitantly offers her the smallest of smiles, hoping she understands what he's saying. ]
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"Until this happened"? Does he mean talking with her? Had he intended to simply grab her and return home with her, without realizing she was a Haruka? Maybe the fact she is one doesn't matter as much because his Haruka surely is back home waiting for him.
She smiles slightly then. ] I don't think they'd believe that. How could any version of you not find any version of me?
[ She pauses and blinks at his admission. It sets a bell off in her mind, and a strong pull comes from deep inside her. One hand lifts and hesitantly reaches out for him. She stops part way--hand in between them--realizing he may not wish to hold her hand. Still, the invitation remains there if he wishes to take it. ]
You have. [ She smiles gently once more, as if to properly say hello to him now...
Then, she feels an electric charge in the air again. Her eyes widen and her head snaps forward to the water of the pond. It ripples as another hooded figure comes upwards. Long blonde hair comes to a sharp point from the hood. Beaded eyes meet her gaze and Haruka immediately snaps her hand back and stands, stepping a few paces back. ]
Of course, YOU would find the Dragon Torque first. [ The figure stands on top the water and turns his attention to the other one. ] Karasu.
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As far as meeting with her and talking with her like this, Karasu had no particular expectations about how the situation would unfold. Perhaps a part of him hoped for an easy apprehension of the sought-after Dragon Torque. But perhaps another part of him hoped for the chance to talk with her. And although he might pretend that he didn't want to do so because of the chance of a possibility that she shared more than just a name with his Haruka, he would be lying to himself if he continued holding to that pretense. ]
You're right. [ He shakes his head once as if silently laughing at himself, even if he shows no sign of really laughing. ] It doesn't make sense, I know.
[ He finds himself reaching out for her too, as if some force is guiding him to join hands with her. But before they can connect, he also feels the same electric charge that draws her attention, and he immediately tenses in grim anticipation. Of course it was foolish to think that they would remain uninterrupted and undetected.
And of course it would be Atori who found them. ]
Atori. [ If looks could kill, Atori wouldn't be still standing there. ]
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Haruka takes a step back.
Atori sighs. ]
Always there to steal the glory. Though, if we've found the Dragon Torque... [ Suddenly, he is in front of Haruka. Looming over her. ] We don't need to observe it anymore.
[ Haruka tries to step back once more to put space between them. Atori is faster. His hands reach up and clamp onto her arms. Haruka screams in surprise and tries to wedge herself free.
Then, a crackling.
She stops as her eyes drop down to Atori's hands. They crackle with lightning. ]
Behave and we won't have an accident.
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I found the Dragon Torque. [ The glare on his face deepens as he stares Atori down. ] Let go of her.
[ If any sort of accident happens here, it will be because Atori got in the way. ]
Let go. [ He would rather not resort to using force, but he will if Atori does not back down. And then he moves closer to Haruka, sparing a glance behind him to see if she is all right. ]
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You found her and didn't tell anyone. Don't tell me you've gone soft. We will just bring her back. [ Then, his lips curl. ] I hate that look on your face.
[ Haruka yelps suddenly as her arms start to tingle. ]
Make me.
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I must protect Haruka. [ The words slide out before he can call them back, but that is his intention now, regardless of whatever one he came here with originally. ]
You want to take her? [ He scowls at Atori, the glare on his face deepening. ] You'll have to go through me.
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[ Atori shoves Haruka down to ground. Hard. Then, he moves backwards in order to summon what seems to be rods from his back. A charged shot is blasted at Karasu.
Haruka pushes herself up, shaking from the sudden pain in her side. She watches as the two clash. Time seems to freeze then with no breeze, no animals, even the water does not ripple. Haruka can see the Dragon shape take form in the sky.
She opens her mouth to tell them to stop fighting. It's dangerous. It'll react and then...
Nothing.
Time returns to normal and in a blink of an eye Karasu and Atori are gone. Haruka pushes herself to stand with her eyes wide. She can't sense them anymore--they're not far away. They're just gone. As if they were never there.
Except they were. She knows it. Not by her location remaining in the spot she shared with Yuu, but by the sudden pain and numbness in her heart. He was gone again.
Yuu left her behind.
Haruka's eyes water before she slumps to the ground. A hand rests over her heart. That bond feels severed again. How... ]