Disclaimer: I do NOT own MAR: Marchen Awakens Romance! All credit for the characters and story plot goes to Nobuyuki Anzai.
Warning/s: OOCness, one-shot, can be classified as heading towards BL (boy love). All spelling/grammatical errors are my own. If you spot some, let me know and I'll get to correcting them as soon as I can.
Nameless
The boisterous and glee filled laughter of the people he's been staying with rises to his ears. The air is tainted with it, just as it carries the forceful scent of alcohol and carefully prepared food up to his nostrils leisurely. The noise seems familiar somehow, he thinks. Or perhaps he's imagining it.
"Well then. We'll call you Nanashi: One with no name." The memory echoes around the teen's head painfully as he stares down at the forest beneath the small set of cliffs whose ledge he is perched on. It is his only important one so far, bar Galian's rescuing of his life using his strange magic, his ARM.
He supposes, with a sour quirk of his lips, that the name rang true. He really can't remember his name, so in a way, he doesn't have one. Not one he is capable of remembering anyway. Not until Galian had named him.
The blonde teen utters his new name, once, twice, then again, tasting it, feeling it, attempting to familiarize himself with it. He, however, finds that it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth and a small pang of pain –or perhaps it was disappointment? - In his chest. He feels lost without his memories and he can't help but question his reasons for getting injured in the first place, or why he is here, or how he came to be.
Who am I? He asks himself with little mirth, and raises his visible emerald green eye to the star scattered sky.
Nameless…
"What are you thinking about, Nanashi?"
He almost doesn't respond, before the name clicks inside his blonde crowned head as his own new one. When it does, he turns with a small 'huh?' and stares up at the man with a clueless expression as Galian sits himself down beside him, a glass of alcohol in hand. Nanashi finds it annoying how he is able to remember the smell of alcohol, to remember how to speak and yet not remember who he was as a human being or his name. It was like he was being reborn. Had he done something bad in his past – the one prior to his memory loss – life?
Nanashi turns, so he is facing the leader of the thieves of Luberia, his fore arms resting on his knees. Despite the questions running amok within his mind, he realize he must look incredibly relaxed, "What'd you say?" he asked.
Galian smiles. It's a kind expression, "What were you thinking about? It must have been of some importance for you to not have noticed me." The thief cocks his head to the side, his dark bangs brushing against his cheek with the movement, then doing so again as a gentle breeze blows against his face and tugs at them playfully, "Is there something bothering you?"
Nanashi blinks slowly as he turns back to the view he'd been ignoring. He really hadn't noticed how magnificent it was. The vast ocean of trees made him feel almost free. He smiles a catty grin towards the camp below, "Nothing much. I'm tired more than anything."
"You ought to get some rest. Your body is exhausted from trying to heal your old wounds, despite me having healed them for you." Galian sets his concealed eyes on the view as well, "Or perhaps it is your past that remains in your mind?"
Nanashi chuckles almost bitterly, "It's more like an annoying blackness than my past. Not remembering my name's bugging me."
When a chuckle bursts from Galian's own throat, Nanashi can't help but turn towards him, his expression set as one of surprise. The sound is rich and loud, but it doesn't hurt his ears. The most unforeseen thing is that the man sounds thoroughly amused, his lips quirked into a large grin. He almost wishes to pout, should it have not been a completely wimpy gesture; the guy was seeking amusement from his own mental anguish. A moment later, Galian turns towards him and abruptly claps a hand over his right shoulder, smiling whilst he does so, "I expected as much. It must be terribly hard for you to not remember who you are. But rest assured, until you do, you have the Theives of Luberia as a family."
"Family?" Had he had a family? Had he had siblings he'd annoy and protect? A mother to hit him around the head whenever he did or said something stupid? Or perhaps he'd had a father who he'd gone fishing with? Memories… Nanashi idly wonders.
His thoughts are cut in half as he finds Galian nodding, before the other night's expression turns to one of seriousness, "Of course, you're staying here comes at a price."
"Er," Nanashi pats at his pockets, hoping that he has some sort of currency stuffed inside them, "Well, I'm sort of broke right now. Could I get back to you on that?" He grins, as he rubs the back of his head.
Once again Galian's lips quirk into a beam, "I am sure you will do fine after a bit of training."
"Do you want me to fight or something?"
"It is best that you, in the very least, learn how to use a sword. I'd also like you to learn how to use ARM and increase your magical ability, but that is not necessary."
Nanashi scratched at his cheek and smiled stupidly, "ARM? Like that weird necklace thing you used on me earlier?"
"Yes."
Nanashi thinks he can do that. Sure, he is willing to learn. Why not? There couldn't be anything negative side effects should he learn how to use a sword or these ARM trinkets he was hearing so much about. He would then be able to help protect his new family when he got the hang of it or if they needed an amateur like himself. Unless he got killed during training, but Nanashi was sure Galian wouldn't allow that; there was no point in saving him if he was going to let him cut his own arm off with his first attempt at using a glimmering sword.
"Alright," He says with determination, "I'll complete this training of yours."
Galian nods in return, "You'll be learning how to steal as part of your training also, should you have no moral issues with it."
Nanashi's face breaks into a grin immediately, "None what so ever!" He confirmed.
"Good." Abruptly, Galian stands, "I expect you to start in two days." He then points to the mug of liquid malt sitting beside Nanashi's right foot, "Drink the rest of that; there's no point in wasting it, and then go to bed. I don't want you exhausting yourself even more than you already are. Is that understood?"
Nanashi nods. Then Galian mimics his action, "Good. Sleep well, Nanashi. And do not fret; your memories are sure to return with time."
Emerald eyes watch the dark haired man, bound down the cliff's edge, leaving Nanashi as prey for his thoughts. He had almost forgotten that he had no recollection of his life before that morning. Galian's talk of training and gaining a family had pulled all those wonderings and the frustration they caused from his mind.
With a stony constitution, Nanashi lifted the large mug to his lips, so that the cool metal that decorates the rim and outside stylishly is ghosting over his bottom lip. He takes a hasty sniff, regretting it as his nose is assaulted by a bitter tanginess that causes his head to pound. Nanashi grins at it, "Wish me luck," he says to the sky, before he tips his head back and swallows the warming liquid in two, three, four gulps. He coughs roughly when the liquid finally goes down but his head lifts and the hand he'd put to his mouth moves away to reveal a grin much like a Cheshire cat's.
It seems he doesn't feel so nameless anymore; he has a place to stay and now a new family to look after and to look after him, and he vows to practice what ever he learns in training with much gusto so he can. Galian would want him to do that.
Suddenly Nanashi's grin turns into a large yawn. Of course, he'd work on his training and whatever else Galian saw fit after he takes a long catnap. He feels absolutely drained.
He hastily remembers to pick up the mug and return it to wherever the Theives of Luberia wash up, as he starts his awkward descent down the cliff's side, "Show off, how the hell did he jump this." Is Nanashi's ground out mutter as he slips and slides; He's most definitely learning how to do Galian's jumping thing.
Woffy: I'm convinced that Nanashi is Joker from Flame of Recca. Seriously! Go to wikipedia and search for them (in the same search; heaven knows what'd you'd get otherwise) and compare their characters! Not only is the manga/anime created by the same person that created MAR, but Joker has the same clothes/jewellery (the white pants, black singlet top, bracelet) that Nanashi has when he's first found by Galian, he gets stabbed across the stomach before he chucks himself through a the black hole he makes whilst Nanashi is found with his stomach slashed, Babbo comments on how Nanashi smells like another worlder (much like Ginta), Nanashi's got super strength like that of another worlder and will you look at their hair?! So I'm convinced. I'm currently attempting to track down both the MAR and Flame of Recca mangas. So wish me luck!
Anyway, I got side tracked (though this realization did help me get this story out). I'm testing Galian and Nanashi's characters with this little one-shot. I don't think I have their characters down yet; I need another viewing of the episode they fight in to pick up on their quirks and how they speak and such. With that said, do an author a favour and review please; I need all the advice I can get. Besides my obvious naivety to them both, I hope you enjoyed reading this!