At first glance, some would say Taiga Baisotei was your average, teenage girl—modest grades, ever-watchful grey eyes, firey red hair—and you'd be right... If it weren't for the series of grisly murders that changed her life forever.
She's not sure when it happened, exactly—she doesn't keep a calendar, marking every event that occurs to date—but she does think it all started around the time her father was announced missing in action. She started to slip, faster and faster, but she didn't say a word. Didn't scream. Didn't cry. Kept it all in until it exploded.
They were there to save her—a rag-tag team of unlikely teenagers, if you could believe it. They told her it was okay. That they had all gone through this. That she had to accept the figure that shared her features, and with reluctance, she does. She awakens to a power... One that would be the key in solving the murder case in the small, little rural town they lived in known as Inaba.
The news is overwhelming. It's too much for her. She falls, a black blanket cascading over her world, smothering the light within it. She remembers a pair of strong arms carrying her home, and then...
He's the first to visit her. Kanji Tatsumi. She knows him well—well enough, she thinks—since her mother is good friends with his. He was a bit rough around the edges, but he meant well. Had a soft side he didn't like to show. Each visit had been awkward—long silences because neither knew what to say—but nice. Nice to have someone else take care of her for a change, while she laid in bed, drinking tea, and laughing at his attempts at conversation.
Their relationship has grown since then, grown considerably. He pushes her out of the way of Bufu-spells in the TV, and she listens to his problems, his worries, his dreams. They were perfect for each other. The Emperor and the Sun. He would never let her burn out.
That was one year ago, though. Taiga is now a senior at Yasogami High. All is peaceful—the murders long forgotten, people beginning to move on—but she still has her doubts, just like anyone her age. She's torn between going overseas for school, or staying in Inaba. In Inaba she had her friends, her family, but if she left...
She sighs as she tosses another rock into the water, and watches it sink to the bottom. Depressing. The ripples. The fall. This activity would've been more enjoyable if she could actually skip rocks, but since she can't, she lets another sigh leak from her lips and sits down on the ground, absently picking at the grass. How long has she been there? Minutes? Hours? It all feels the same to her, the time blending together seemlessly. She's never felt this low before. So lost in her thoughts, she doesn't notice someone take the seat beside her, nor does she notice the huge coat suddenly drape her petite frame.
She got cold easily—the reason why she wore heavy combat boots and sweaters over her uniform—so the added warmth is appreciated. She doesn't need to turn to know who it is. Call it a superpower of hers. Taiga smiles, and leans back, inhaling the smell of the jacket. There's a bit too much cologne there for her taste, but she's grown used to it. It's comforting. The person next to her smirks, and crosses his arms, "Man, you reaaaally suck at that, Senpai~"
A pout, he laughs, "T-That may be, but...!" She doesn't have an excuse. He laughs harder, and stands up, his bleach blonde hair looking like golden wisps against the warm wind. It had grown, she noticed. He was taller, too, more lean. He looked so much lighter without that jacket he usually hauled around on his shoulder.
"Somethin' up?" Kanji suddenly turns to her, and she shifts uncomfortably at the intensity of his gaze. She didn't know where she was with him. He never confessed to her, but she has seen the long glances he gives her when he thinks she's not looking, the blush when she gets a little closer. It's obvious to her and everyone around them. He seemed to be in denial, though. Maybe because there was still Naoto, or maybe the thought of a relationship with anyone terrified him. That did sound like his Shadow, now that she thought about it... She wasn't there for it, but Chie had mentioned it to her once when she asked.
"It's nothing, Kanji-san," She flashes him a tiny smile to solidfy the lie, but he sees right through her. He was always able to do that. Unlike anyone else. Call it his super power, "Please don't worry about me." She hears him clearly 'tch,' even underneath his breath.
"Bullshit. You've been all moody ever since this year started. Is it me? Did I do something to piss you off?" He gives her a look, and it reminds Taiga of a wounded puppy that's just been kicked and she starts to feel bad. She stares at her lap. She couldn't tell him. She knew how he was. He would want to stay, and then their... Whatever they had, would be terminated. She didn't want that, never did.
So that's why she had avoided him entirely. Had kept quiet, and only spoke up when addressed. Had headed straight home afterschool. She still met up with the old Investigation Team every once in awhile at Junes, but it felt empty without Yu. Without the case, there was nothing to talk about. Members skipped meetings in a row. Some didn't even give notice first. They had slowly gone on to do their own things. It wasn't the same as it had been last year.
Things were changing, and even though she was afraid, even though she didn't want to, she knew she had to change as well. And that meant leaving Inaba forever, and making something for herself. Somewhere not here.
"Look, you don't gotta tell me now, just..." Kanji starts again, reaching for her face, but then he stops, and looks away instead. He always had trouble finding words around her. He could never be brave. Her heartbeat quickens for a moment before falling back down. He's blushing, and she feels worse.
"I'm fine, I assure you," Taiga reaches for his hand, but he pulls away like her touch was fire. They had never held hands. They had never kissed. They were stuck in a place they couldn't get out.
They had reached their maximum level, their maximum capacity.
Was it even worth all this?
She shakes her head, and climbs up and onto her feet. There's so much she wants to tell him, but now's not the time. Her throat is dry, and anything she wants to say dies somewhere along the way. No, she'd have to wait. Think this through, "I'll see you at school, okay?" A smile, a wave, and then she disappears entirely. The smell of her still lingers even after she's left. She always smelled nice. Like apples, or berries, or flowers. Pretty, girly smells that made him feel warmer. Kanji remains there at the Floodplains—mulling over his thoughts for a while—before deciding that he should follow her lead, and head home. The stars gleamed above him.
Of course he was worried for her. Of course part of him wanted to chase her down, spin her around, and see what was up, but the other, more reasonable part of him knew that'd be a waste of time. Taiga was the type of girl who gave everything to everyone, and left nothing for herself. The suffer-in-silence type. She got picked on because of it, used, and trampled on. If someone was giving her crap, they were going to have a nice conversation with his fist.
But that other part of him ringed through again, shouting, yelling that it must've been something else entirely. She wouldn't get so upset over something like that. She was oblivious. And he was determined to get it out of her one way, or another. Being blunt wasn't going to work—because she found ways to dance around the subject—so maybe talking to Rise about it would? They were best friends, after all. Yes, the more he thought about it, the better it sounded... He falls asleep on his pillow with a smile on his face.
Not knowing that was the day that everything had fallen apart.