Give the Green Light
Author: Green Phantom Queen
Rated: T
Summary: Souji Rippukan is preparing to meet his online girlfriend for the first time in real life. What he isn't expecting are crazy escapades in the hot springs, cosplays, zippers that take people into a strange forest world and, worst of all, a girl who hides combat capabilities that match his own. A night of craziness will ensue for Kyoryu green, one that he'll never forget.
Note: This is a side-story to "Cherry Picking" and "Confessions on a Dance Floor", but is not needed to understand either story. Takes place after episode 13 of "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger" but before episode 20. This story is dedicated to MasterDramon, who without his stories, I wouldn't have expanded my own.
1: Give the Date
"Give someone the green light": To give permission for something to happen
-Proverb
"Save a boyfriend for a rainy day – and another, in case it doesn't rain."
-Mae West
What did I get myself into?
Picture my current situation in your mind's eye: you've just gone to meet your girlfriend that you've chatted through online chatrooms for the first time in a faraway city while your friends give you different directions as to how you're going to approach her. Throughout the whole evening, you somehow, unexpectedly, get involved with boys who get a little too touchy-feely and give you stupid nicknames, and then you and your girlfriend find yourself involved with a murder and monsters that come from zipper-like portals. Then, just when you think you can get a better handle on this entire situation, you're about to get yourself beaten by these strange people who transform into armored warriors from fruit falling from the sky, and the motorcycles they ride on look like their inspirations came from some flower-obsessed girl.
My girlfriend and I are outmatched, seven-to-two. Between us, we only have two guns, a sword, a variety of batteries, a giant claw-like weapon, and no signs of backup. Or at least, I hope my backup knows where I'm at...I myself don't even know what's going on. Our opponents have an assortment of weapons: spears, hammer, guns, a bow and arrow, and swords that somehow double as guns.
"We have to stand tall," I tell my girlfriend. My girlfriend nods her head. It feels weird calling her 'girlfriend'. I've never had one, and being in love is sort of nice. I can't think about that now. Luna and I have to stand tall. If not, then standing here in the middle of the night in some weird forest with even stranger vegetation would be wortheless. My brain is racing. I have no idea what's going to happen...
But I at least know how the heck I got here.
0-0-0-0-0-0
My name is Souji Rippukan, age 16. I am a trained swordsman who goes to Kirisaki Priavte High School. I don't have a lot of hobbies, aside from training my sword skills, but I have a group of friends who support me. Together, we are the Kyoryuger—people who call upon the spirits of dinosaurs to fight against the Deboth Legion. Their mission is to absorb the emotions of happiness, sorrow, and anger from humans so they could awaken their lord who has been kept in slumber for millions of years.
This whole adventure started last January, after one of my classmates, Rin Katsuyama, had called me an idiot, beating me with her school bag just because I handed one of her friends a set of barrettes. I mean, why should Rin be the only one who received a gift? Her friend was also doing her best to help out at school. Unfortunately, my friends weren't taking this lying down.
"Oh my!" Ian noted in English, shaking his head. I was currently nursing a swollen cheek with an ice pack, as the other Kyoryugers looked at me with pity in the Spirit Base. Even Torin was hiding a laugh over my predicament.
"You need to understand a girl's feelings better, Souji-kun," said Amy, placing a hand on my shoulder. I sighed, trying to put that day's events behind me. The only reason they were pitying me was because they weren't on the receiving end of Katsuyama's wrath. I wanted to see them having an over-emotional girl nearly strangle me to death and then having to be their personal punching bag. Katsuyama could really throw a punch.
"I can see that she just can't see how you tried to protect her," Nobuharu joked. Ugh, last thing I need was one of those 'old-man' jokes. Now was not the time.
"Well," Daigo clapped his hands together. "We're not going to do anything about Souji's love life just by standing here. We need to get him to find someone to prove that he is capable of having feelings for another."
...What?
"Wow! Great idea!" Amy chimed in, also in English. "Let's get him onto an online chatroom and see if we can start from there!"
"Um, I don't really think this is a good idea," I stammered, not liking the look in everyone's eyes. I looked to Utsusemimaru, or "Utchy" for short, for guidance. Knowing that the man had no idea what the heck the Internet was, and more specifically what a chatroom consists of, I would be in the clear. Hopefully.
"So...Utchy," said Ian, turning to the samurai. "What do you say in helping this poor boy out?"
I looked at Utsusemimaru with a look that read, "Please save me." Unfortunately, the 400-something year old samurai didn't understand modern body language. Instead he was smiling and bowing toward me.
"I agree with Amy-dono," Utchy replied, nodding his head. "It will be so 'pafeckt'. Even if I don't know anyting about 'online' or 'chatroom', everyone shound find love. Plus when you see Katsuyama-san again, she will understand just what a great guy you are, Souji!"
Great. Just freaking great. Even the samurai knew that I had dating problems apparently. What was I getting myself into?
"Let's go!" said Daigo, dragging me by the arm. "We are off in the pursuit of love! It's about to get wild!"
I just wanted to commit seppuku right there and then.
0-0-0-0-0-0
At Uzuki manor, Amy hooked me up to this online chatroom/forum thing called "Family Circle". The plan, apparently, involved me making my own online portfolio, and the first girl—not GIRL or "guy in real life" as Amy explained—that signed in and said hello would be the girl I was dating. Why did it have to be this way?
"All you need to do is make a username and that's it!" Amy clapped her hands together. "Come on Souji-kun, try it out!"
I really didn't like having confrontations like this. I was sitting in front of Amy's laptop, fingers on the keys as the first thing came into my mind was...
"Ripper?" Nobuharu read aloud. There was some silence before he started laughing out loud, hands on his stomach. I was blushing red as Amy clicked the confirm button and I was soon thrust into an empty chatroom. There was some silence for a minute or two, my heart pounding against my chest in nervousness.
"Come on, Souji," said Daigo, shaking me. "Type something! Don't be shy."
"R...right," I stammer. I slowly typed out a message.
Ripper: H...hello there.
Everyone watched with slight impatience, hoping for someone to come foward and talk to me...and to make sure that it was a genuine female speaking to me. Four minutes passed before someone came online.
Midnight: Hi there! Welcome to the Family Circle chatrooms. My name is Midnight.
"Oh my!" Ian said, ruffling my hair. "That means you're not a lost cause after all!"
"Um...thanks?" I replied, while typing another message out. "Are...you...a girl...in...real life?"
After another minute of silence, Midnight spoke, or rather typed, once more.
Midnight: Of course I am! Here's a photo for reference!
A photo popped up, revealing a girl in a white and blue sailor fuku, along with a matching blue plaid skirt, and her hair tied up with a blue ponytail. Something caught in my throat...was it...love?
"She's...pretty cute!" Utchy noted, seeing the girl's cheery smile. "You found such a good match, Souji!"
"I agree," Ian replied, a smirk playing on his lips. Of course Ian would be interested with the ladies. "Now, why don't you ask her another question, boy?"
What to ask her? I felt pressured to give the correct response. I didn't want to disappoint Midnight by showing how I wasn't good around girls. I mean, Katsumaya was pissed off of me and all.
I steeled my nerves and began to type my next question out.
Ripper: Will you be my girlfriend?
"EH!" The other Kyoryugers exclaimed after I pressed Enter. I didn't think they expected me to say something so bold immediately..at least, that's what I thought in the time. I wanted to do something when it came to finding love. Is this what it felt like when you ask someone if you want to be together? I hoped that it wasn't like that...if it did, then it would feel very awkward.
"When I said that we're going to find someone for you to date, I didn't mean you had to be in a relationship on the second question!" said Amy. "Now she's going to know you're a newbie."
"Well, what else was I supposed to ask?" I said.
"Her shoe size, her family, her favorite foods, books, movies..." Ian counted numerous subjects on his fingers, none of them being 'Let's be girlfriend/boyfriend'. Now I felt like a complete idiot. There was no way that Midnight was going to take me seriously.
Midnight: Sure! Let's start dating!
Wait...what?
I double checked the chatroom to make sure I wasn't seeing things. In front of me, as clear as day, were four words that pretty much said, "Yes". Midnight was going to be my girlfriend. I...I didn't know what to say. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, everyone else took the words out of my mouth.
"Wow!" Amy cheered once more in English. "That's so amazing!"
"Congratulations, Souji!" Utchy hugged me and pointed to Midnight's photo. "She looks very cute!"
"Eh, the boy's growing up!" Ian added, lightly punching me in the arm. "Tell me when you will have your first real-life date; I have great makeover tips that will help that complexion of yours."
"We'll host a party for the two of you!" Daigo replied, jumping up and down like he ate a bowl of sugar.
"And it will be a date to remember!" Nobuharu added. The joke was met with silence, and I had my hands covering my face in total embarrassment. I really hoped Midnight wasn't kidding and really wanted to have a relationship with me, because if not, I was going to be going through my friends' teasing for quite some time.
0-0-0-0-0
By mid-April, Midnight and I got to the point where we wanted to see each other in real life, going as far as to reveal our real names (Midnight's real name was Luna, but I still kept calling her Midnight as it made her seem more...mysterious). We would meet in Zaname City on the last Saturday of the month—April 28th—and she would be decked out in a specific cosplay so she'd be easy to identify. I wished that she would wear her blue sailor fuku—as she looked pretty cute in it overall—but the whole costume thing interested me. What could go wrong?
"She's all dressed up, don't you think?" asked Nobuharu, as the six of us sat at our usual booth at the Tiger Boy Restaurant. Midnight's usual ponytail was replaced with her hair down to the waist, and she dressed in a periwinkle and white striped long-sleeved shirt along with an orange vest with fur trim, and a pair of "nerd glasses". Amy was already doing an online search.
"The character is called Carly Nagisa," she said, turning her laptop around so I could see the images accumulated online. "And she has a crush on this guy named Jack Atlas!" Amy clicked on another tab that showed this so-called 'Jack Atlas'. Just one glimpse of the character's spiky blond hair told me that he was going to be the exact opposite of me.
"Eh!" said Daigo. "You know what would be cool, Souji?"
Oh no...I thought to myself. Please don't tell me what I think you're going to, Daigo. Please, PLEASE don't say...
"We'll get you to dress up as Jack Atlas to Midnight's Carly!" Daigo said, pumping a fist into the air. "What do you say?"
"Souji would look like such a gentleman in white," Utchy chuckled. "He'd make an exact opposite to Ian over here."
"Maybe Souji can become such a charmer with ladies like I am if he was this 'Jack Atlas'," Ian smirked, kissing one of the Zyudenchi in his hands. "So, what do we have to do?"
The following week after classes and training, I was in Amy's house, simultaneously texting Midnight on the chatrooms, and being measured for the cosplay that I was going to endure. Daigo, who somehow is skilled at sewing, along with Nobuharu, who helped sew his niece's clothes every now and then, were the ones who helped make sure my coat was crafted with the best of care. Amy scrounged up some old nylon leggings to form makeshift wig caps while she also took care of stylng all of the spikes for my wig. I declined asking for a Duel Disk though; I needed my arm free to use my sword if need be.
A week before the date, the costume was finished and I was fitted for the first time in the Uzuki Manor. The wig made my head itch, the coat weighed me down, I was sweating all over despite wearing all white, and I had to wear a pair of platform boots to simulate my Jack towering over Midnight's Carly. I nearly tripped on them after taking just three steps toward Amy.
"Keep practicing!" Amy giggled, clasping my hands. "Come on, hold my hand and-"
"SOUJI-KUN!" A familiar voice cried out. I turned to see Katsuyama rushing into the mansion with a bento in hand. "Your father told me I'd find you-" She stared at me in my outfit, clasping Amy's hands. It was one of those situations when someone walked in and thought that the scenario was entirely different than what it truly was.
"Um...Katsuyama..."I stammered, retracting my hands from Amy. "This...this is, um..."
"Souji-kun...Souji-kun no baka!" Katsuyama ran off, on the verge of tears. I tried to run after her, completely forgetting the boots I wore. I stepped on the hem of my coat instead, and fell flat on my stomach. Amy was at my side, helping me rise to my knees, while Daigo and Utchy raceed off to make sure Katsuyama wasn't too crushed by what she probably saw. I looked back at Amy's laptop, seeing a string of conversations from Midnight while I was busy practicing my posture.
Midnight: I planned reservations to the Blake Belladonna Hot Pot restaurant a week in advance. If you want other things to do, Zaname City has an onsen that you can relax in.
Midnight: Also, be very careful of dancing groups, especially if they hold locks in hands. Trust me, you'll thank me for this later.
Midnight: So, are you excited for our date next week, Souji Ripper-kun?
Focusing my weight on the boots, I took a step forward, then another. I sat down in front of the laptop and froze a bit, blushing at reading Midnight's personal nickname for me. Should I continue this date with her? I already hurt Katsuyama's feelings...if I continued with the date, I felt like I'd be cheating in a sense. I was starting to find love...or at least maybe I was finding a person that I related to. Love was weird.
"What do I do?" I asked Ian. Ian looked into my eyes, and I was thinking that he started to truly understand my dilemma. Perhaps he had a girl that he fell in love with for the first time, and maybe he had to go through the types of dilemmas I was facing. He approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder...which was weird because I was slightly taller than him by about an inch with those boots.
"Sometimes, you follow your heart," he answered. "You decide what's right. If you love Midnight, then go to her and have a good time on your date. Go on, boy."
I took a glance at Nobuharu and Amy, the two also nodding their heads to support my decision. I knew what I had to do. I was going to see Midnight, and nothing would stop me. Smiling, I sent my reply.
Ripper: I'm ready, Midnight. Thanks for the head's up. What time is dinner next Saturday?
0-0-0-0-0
Finally, the day had come. April 28th, 2012.
Katsuyama hadn't spoken to me ever since she accidentally barged in on my "dating practice". Daigo and Utchy told me that it was best to leave her alone for the time being. Whenever Katsuyama and I crossed paths at at school, she would just hand me items, but not even look my way. It sounds a bit strange, but I would've loved it if she called me an idiot rather than give me the cold shoulder. I'd talk to her the Monday after the date, and tell her the truth. Whether or not she'd forgive me was up to her. I couldn't live her life, after all.
Dad was kind enough to send me some money to buy something nice for Midnight. Amy also went shopping with me to find the perfect gift for her. Ian took the time to give me some wooing tips on how to make Midnight swoon in my arms. Nobuharu gave me a notebook full of jokes to try out. Utchy suggested that Midnight and I discuss ice cream flavors and share a dessert after dinner. Daigo's contribution was that I find a dance club to get closer to Midnight. All in all, I was both grateful that my friends were helping me and slightly annoyed that they were getting in my space.
Gaburincho! Deinoschaser!
Pointing the Gaburevolver on the ground, I summoned my Deinoschaser bike, following a set of instructions Midnight emailed me the night before. Amy and the others were going to come a little later to help me prepare the Jack Atlas costume, seeing as it would be hard to have the mousse-styled wig in a backpack without the chance of it being crushed on my way to Zaname City. I had to do this though. No matter what, I wanted to see Midnight.
I would pursue this feeling deep in my chest, no matter where it lead to. Midnight was waiting for me, and I would not run away from her.
A/N: I haven't done these in a while, huh?
This story is in dedication to MasterDramon, who helped me find inspiration to keep writing again. I don't know where I'd be without with him. Thus the cosplays of Carly Nagisa and Jack Atlas are in tribute to him, and the story that rekindled my desire to write once more, "My Dark King". Thank you for your kindness, Dramon. I couldn't have done it without you.