My son Kaizou just achieved enlightenment fams. Ragna wears red, Jin wears blue, Izanami is purple. -Kaizou 2018 Creativity at its finest. This re-write/update is brought to you by my greatly appreciated beta Wild Blue Sonder.
Konoe stared into her shot glass, a mixture of anger and disappointment in her eyes. She was surrounded by a potent haze of beer and liquor. Noise from other drinkers drowned out the rather old yet catchy music being played. She exhaled the breath she'd withheld since setting foot in the establishment, cheered half-heartedly in her head, and let out a sad little "yahoo" as a toast to her failure.
A few days ago she returned home from a botched job. She had just enough time to file her report to the NOL, get yelled at by her superiors, and give her apartment a much-needed cleaning. Plenty of dust had accumulated during her absence, and her place looked utterly dreadful. However, her home and career status were trivial compared to her real pain. What Konoe kicked herself for was being unable to see her younger sister, Celica. She found herself constantly worrying about her sister while going on long jobs, stakeouts, or busts overseas.
Celica filled her dreary world with life. Her kind eyes, smiles, and her warm, soft voice brought Konoe comfort, and she couldn't have asked for a more adorable kid sister. But Celica was a sickly child. Once Konoe found her collapsed on the ground coughing up blood and paler than a ghost. She had never been so scared; luckily she managed to get to a hospital before the illness progressed, but it was still some time before Celica walked the world with her own two feet. Occasionally the poor girl was so weak she couldn't even talk, only blinking in response to questions. It hurt Konoe's heart to watch her little sister suffer instead of running around, laughing and enjoying herself.
Konoe downed her shot and slammed the empty glass beside ten others. She never saw herself as an alcoholic since she didn't derive enjoyment from excessive drinking, but tonight she wanted to keep going until she collapsed. Now she regretted not going with Kokonoe out to drink. Hah, maybe I really did inherit something from my father. She cringed at the thought, but it was a logical explanation since she hadn't passed out after eleven shots.
She waved a tired hand at the bartender for another round, and as expected he stared at her as if she were crazy. Konoe couldn't blame him, though. Before the shots she had three of the bar's strongest drinks and still remained coherent; it was more the atmosphere that made her woozy. She crossed over to the counter when the bartender called and claimed a stool, the old man surrendering her drink. He had a sophisticated appearance and a rather sturdy build for someone his age. Before she lifted the glass her attention was drawn to the blue eyes staring at her. "What?" she snapped.
"Don't you think you've had enough, Ms. Konoe?" the man asked, wiping a mug clean for future use. His voice was calm and almost old-fashioned as if belonging to the butler of some rich princess. "I recommend having a glass of water and returning home." This was the second time she had come in this week, and that was saying something.
"It's none of your business, Valkenhayn. I need this…" And boy did she; Konoe just wanted to drown her troubles in liquor. She put the drink to her lips, and Valkenhayn sighed as she chugged half of it at once before setting the mug down. "Just keep serving me. I've got the money for it all."
"I would advise you be cautious. The neighborhood is a dangerous place at this time of night." Valkenhayn inclined his head and Konoe glanced over to find a group of men who had been ogling her all night. She just sighed dismissively. If they even tried approaching her people would end up contacting their next of kin. The moment Konoe lifted her glass, a hand clamped down on her shoulder and stopped her.
"Don't you think you've had enough?"
Konoe scoffed at the voice and cringed when her eyes landed on the person; even in her current state she recognized him immediately. There wasn't anyone else in the city with heterochromia, or at least anyone else she'd ever seen. "What're you doing here, Ragna?" Konoe turned back to raise her mug.
"You weren't picking up your phone, so I came looking for you only to find you plastered in some junkyard bar."
"Well, the owner of this 'junkyard bar' is standing right here, boy," Valkenhayn snarled, then sighed. "Is she a friend of yours?"
"Sort of," he answered cautiously, receiving a scoff instead of a kick in the nuts. "Sorry if she caused you any trouble."
"None at all. But she seems ready to finish off every bottle in storage," Valkenhayn gestured to Konoe's table where he stared blankly at the empty shot glasses. She paid Ragna no mind and held the empty glass out for more. Ragna sighed and took a seat beside his co-worker; not like he could say anything to dissuade her. Even Celica had a hard time snapping Konoe out of her moods.
"Mind if I get a drink, old man? Been one hell of a day. You know how it goes."
Valkenhayn placed a mug before him. "What do you want, boy?"
"Something strong," Ragna answered with a weary sigh. The bartender reached for a bottle labeled 'Kaka's Kagutsuchi Katnip'. What a weird name. I hope it doesn't actually taste like catnip. He took an experimental sip and found the taste explosive. Guess they were right about what it means to assume.
"Call me if there's anything else you require." With a nod from Ragna, Valkenhayn went to serve a scantily-clad woman.
Konoe's eyes flicked between him and her beverage before settling on the latter. "You aren't going to stop me?"
"What's the point? Even if I do say something, you'll just drink more to spite me." Ragna took a sip and sighed. "Guessing it didn't work out?" He accepted her snort and lopsided smile as a yes.
"That's the understatement of the year. They predicted our every move and had the drugs relocated outside Akitsu long before we arrived. Shifty bastards!" Konoe slammed the glass on the wooden counter, nearly breaking it, and she scowled. "But I'll make sure to force the information out of their boss's buddies though. Count on it."
"Don't do anything that could land you in jail. I don't think Celica would want to hear about her sister getting locked up," Ragna said with a grin.
She groaned. "Don't pull the sister card on me."
"Only way to stop you from doing something stupid." Ragna downed the rest of his liquor. He went for two more and stopped there. He had no reason to get drunk tonight, but a certain someone wasn't of the same mindset. He gave Konoe a sideways glance when she began hiccupping, finding her cheeks pink and her eyes half-lidded like she was about to fall asleep. Finally reached her limit huh? "Alright, you're done. C'mon, I'll walk you home." He stood and helped her out the chair. She flailed a bit.
"I don't need you to walk me home," Konoe spat, her words slurred. "I can...walk home myself."
"Like hell you can." She was as limp as a noodle. Ragna left one-hundred dollars on the counter and made his way out; whether or not that was too much or not enough wasn't his problem. Thankfully Konoe's apartment wasn't too far away.
"Ugh...let me go...you idiot. I know where you're looking…"
"Shut up and work with me, damn it."
Ragna exited the elevator when it dinged open, his arm wrapped tentatively around Konoe as he remained awkwardly aware of her chest crushing his. She looked as if she were about to collapse at any moment. He hurried to her door where she took out her keys and fumbled with them. When he tried to help she swatted his hand away. Stubborn. "Just give me the damn keys…"
"Shut up… I can do this myself, just you watch. I don't need some man doing anything for me…" After a few more failed attempts Ragna snatched the keys away and opened the door. Seriously, he never understood her distrust of males. Sure, there were some real sick bastards out there. Ragna had dealt with quite a few in his line of work ranging from psychopaths and pedophiles to rapists and homicidal murderers. Of course not all men were bad, but he didn't want to try convincing her otherwise since it wasn't his problem. However…
"I'm dizzy... And I don't...feel so good…" Konoe pressed a hand to her stomach as her eyes widened with panic.
Her spilling her guts all over his clothes was.
"Fuck!" Ragna rushed her into the bathroom as she groaned in agony. He flipped the toilet seat up and pushed her to her knees as she began to heave, but he wasn't quick enough to get her head over it. He grimaced at the myriad concoctions staining Konoe's blouse and pencil skirt before he managed to position her over the commode, but then her hair fell in her face.
Ragna swore again and looked away while trying to gather the pink strands. As he waited for Konoe's stomach to show mercy, he recalled going through these motions with Kagura every time he went out drinking, and he thanked God when Kagura got transferred. Now Jin was the one responsible for his drunken aftermath, the poor bastard…
Sadness clouded his eyes when he thought about what had driven Konoe to drink so much. The only time she took a sip of alcohol was when she had Celica on her mind. She meant everything to Konoe. She would raise hell if anything happened to Celica, the world be damned. Ragna recognized the hurt in her eyes since he knew the feeling all too well. His little sister Saya was just as sickly as Celica; hell, much worse. By age fifteen her hair began to fall out, the once-beautiful blond tresses she'd ask him to comb as they chatted covering her floor like straw.
Saya's beautiful smile became a façade to keep his worry at bay and let him know everything was going to be all right. Ragna sometimes felt like crying when he looked at her; she was so innocent, gentle, and brilliant. She asked him why her body was so fragile, why she had to waste away in a hospital, why couldn't she go outside and play like other kids? Ragna could only answer that he didn't know. He hoped to God Celica wouldn't end up like Saya. In fact, Konoe was lucky; at least she still had a sister to visit.
Ragna was glad when a low groan from Konoe pulled him out of his thoughts since his past wasn't exactly something he liked revisiting; nothing but shitty recollections and failures for the most part. But along with the present, the stench of her vomit returned. He's smelled worse busting drug deals and prostitutes in brothels, so he could take it, but he'd rather not have his guts joining hers, so he kept his gaze away and quickly flushed. "Finally done retching?"
"Shut up..." Konoe achingly rose to her feet. Ragna grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with water from the sink. She swiped it from him and quickly cleaned off her face, then cringed when she noticed the state of her clothes. The presence of a headache summoned a palm to her forehead as Ragna rubbed her back.
"Everything's gonna be alright," he told her in a soothing tone. "You don't have to worry about Celica so much, or it'll be the end of you. That girl's just as stubborn as you. She'll pull through."
"You mean like Saya did?" Konoe snapped, spewing the words before she could stop them. While she wasn't as bad as a certain silvervine-loving beastkin, her drunk self didn't know the meaning of 'restraint' and said whatever came to mind without fear. She expected Ragna to react angrily but he remained passive, although his hand disappeared from her back. "L-look, I didn't mean to say that…"
"I'll be in the living room." Ragna said tersely, cutting her off. "Take a shower. You reek."
Tension lingered after he left. Damn me and my big mouth. Still holding her head, Konoe looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were soiled, and the contents of her stomach in the unflushed toiled burned her nostrils. But it wasn't the only thing that smelled like shit. "I really do reek."
Sometime later Konoe strode into the living room clean and refreshed, wearing a white T-shirt and pajama pants. She found Ragna on the couch, tie loose/off and suit jacket thrown over the chair. He sure got comfortable quick. Konoe tossed her damp hair over her shoulders, hesitant to approach him. He had only been trying to help and she responded with a terrible slip of the tongue.
Ragna looked over his shoulder as she approached him. "Hey, you don't smell like shit anymore. Guess you finally sobered up?"
"Shut up. Keep talking and I won't apologize," she grumbled.
He waved it off. "You don't have to. It's in the past, and if I've learned anything, that's where it should stay." He patted the couch before grabbing the TV remote. Konoe just rolled her eyes and joined him. She didn't see a reason to drone about Saya, though her guilt didn't exactly go away; she'd caught the hurt in his eyes.
Saya had been a good, honest, innocent girl. Her smile often reminded Konoe of Celica, and she was far better than her obnoxious older brother. So full of life and aspirations, she strove to achieve her dreams in the medical field. Ragna helped her every step of the way, and the two were inseparable. But that tight bond proved to be a double-edged sword, and when she passed, the blade twisted.
The day he received that phone call, he abandoned everything he was doing and ran to the hospital, knowing it would be the last time he looked into Saya's emerald eyes. She smiled and told Ragna not to blame himself for her death, but he did. He spiraled into depression, his once-bright eyes growing cold, distant, and emotionless as he seemingly gave up on his own life. He spoke to himself, claiming that he was talking to Saya and lashing out when they told him she was dead. There was even an instance where Ragna attacked her and Celica with a shard of glass from a table he'd broken in his rage. Thankfully that was behind them now, but there was one incident Konoe could never forget.
She and Celica found Ragna unconscious in his home, collapsed on the ground. Doctors were initially unsure what caused his collapse, but subsequent bloodwork revealed heavy traces of aspirin and Tylenol in his system. The notion made their heads spin since Ragna rarely took medication. Of course he got headaches from time to time, but this didn't feel right, so they looked into it. When Konoe and Celica searched his home they found two empty pill bottles, and they couldn't believe Ragna had really tried to kill himself.
By pure dumb luck, he pulled through. Perhaps it was sheer willpower that kept him alive or maybe Saya was watching over him, saying it wasn't his time yet. Several times after that Ragna tried to commit suicide, saying life just wasn't worth living, but Konoe wasn't having it. Celica would never have forgiven her for letting him go. Maybe that was why he was so gung-ho about helping her: payback. Konoe didn't know whether to kick Ragna or thank him. She could certainly use someone to talk or bitch to these days.
"You know, Konoe, maybe you shouldn't take what you have for granted." Ragna's voice drew her from her thoughts, and noise from the TV flooded her ears. "You never know what'll happen in the future. Celica's been doin' better as of late so there might be a chance. Lighten up." Konoe said nothing; it sounded like he was giving himself a pep talk instead of her. Tension still lingered between them, though.
"Did you know I used to have a lover?" The randomness of the statement completely stole Ragna's attention from the TV.
"Oh yeah?" Ragna just chuckled to himself. Some way to break the ice. "What was his name?"
Konoe blushed. "It was a long time ago, I didn't know him all too well back then. One day he came up to me and asked me out. I thought he was cute, so I said yes." She took a deep breath to gather her bearings but paused. Ragna noticed her odd expression. "You know how I hate men, right?"
"To a scary degree, yes. Does this guy have something to do with it?" Ragna instantly regretted asking the moment she nodded. So much for alleviating tension.
"I never really grew close to him, but we were steady for about a month. It felt...kinda nice having someone by my side." Konoe laughed with false happiness, her smile seemingly about to give way to tears. Her lip then curled in disgust. "But he didn't really love me, he just wanted to use me to fulfill whatever sick, carnal desires popped into his head." She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "He even tried to bring his friends over to...use me like some slut." Ragna bit the inside of his mouth. "Of course, I gave them a good taste of hell's fury before I called the cops. In the end, seeing him taken away didn't satisfy me at all. Knowing that all he cared about was my body instead of anything inside me, it…" Konoe didn't finish her sentence.
The story sat with him long after Konoe fell asleep. Ragna watched her for a minute, his eyes narrowed as he imagined wreaking vengeance upon the men her story. He picked her up, treading lightly on the way to her room. Ragna laid her down and covered her up and left.
He's an idiot. He's a goddamn idiot for not appreciating what he had. That was what he wanted to say before, but the words had frozen on his lips.
Ragna was not blind. He was a man and he acknowledged that Konoe had the body of a goddess, but there was a lot more to her than her pretty face and her assets. Konoe was an all around bitch and stubborn but she could also be kind and compassionate. The long bangs concealing her eye provided an air of mystery, like she had something to hide. What did he know about her beside she had a sister, a distaste towards men, and some unknown ties with her father that definitely wasn't good.
Ragna stopped in the middle of the main road, shivering. He glanced back at Konoe's apartment and felt something stir, gulping in realization.
"Ah, shit…"
I'll leave it at that. Might continue this. I'm just in a writing mood. This idea popped into my head a while back. Mainly because there aren't many fics that really center around this charcater, and these two are so similar... Both are rageboners incarnate, have an overprotective sister complex, and oh so much more. I figured why not? Ha, would you guys believe me if I said what stopped me from posting this was a tittle and description? Welp, I'll be bumping to that CTB final boss OST trying to get infinite possibilities out ; )
Update: Sadly this isn't a new chapter to this story, which I still plan on posting since people like it and it happens to be a personal favorite of mine. Chapter one has been updated/re-written is brought to you by my beta Wild Blue Sonder. Enjoy it. And to the guest who questioned if that was Litchi... good job. You're litterally the only person who caught that XD