Odds and Wrongs:
I do not own The World Ends With You, Square Enix does!
Written for Twelve Shots of Summer - Week 10...
A horn rang through the building, blaring through the upper levels of the barracks. At least a thousand groans would be erupting through the male and female quarters by now, from being forced from their slumber to heed the call of the morning...
Well, he was already up at dawn's first light, so he was glad he would miss the morning rush.
Taking a chug of his mug of coffee, putting it away for it to be cleaned, he went out and greeted each of his comrades as they shuffled past him with tired grumbles. He didn't care if they thought he was crazy being up so early, chipper and ready for his duties. To him, it was life, well, not like his old life on the battlefield, but he couldn't help it.
When he was alive, there was order, there was a cause to fight for. He didn't care if the war had ended, he liked to dwell in the thrilling days he was alive. Except when he died, of course...
"Comrades!" he called out deeply to a group of sluggish Reapers. "I wish you luck on the field!" He may have had orders for standby, but that didn't mean he couldn't invigorate his comrades. "Show those Interns what it means to be a Reaper!"
"Oh give it a rest, Saiyama!" snapped one of them grouchily, shaking his head as his friends agreed with him. "Unlike you, we wanted to sleep in, so shut up!"
Iwao merely frowned, stomping over to the Reaper as he grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back. Pleased to hear the Reaper yelp in pain, Iwao growled out slowly, "Show respect to a higher ranking Reaper, Comrade. Those who don't learn that may find themselves alone on the receiving end of the enemy's attack..."
"Ouch!" cried the Reaper through pain and anger. "Okay, okay! Let go!"
In response the Iwao shoved the Reaper to the ground, watching him squirm and squabble on it before he hared away with his buddies. With a huff, Iwao crossed his arms as he thought in frustration, 'Trust and respect is key on the field... My Comrade needs to learn that quickly it seems...'
Iwao Saiyama was a Harrier Reaper, a rank he quickly seized with ease when he first became a Reaper. His Walls had been hard to pass, and he prided himself knowing he gained more Reaper Points that way. Yes, he had a long Survival Capacity now thanks to that. His life in the war helped him with fighting, seeing that he wouldn't back down from the Noise or the Interns... or any order that needed to be carried out. But, on the case of injustice... he tried to tweak the lines he stood with. Viciously if need be. He wouldn't let a Comrade die, or fade, or for anyone to be treated for any unjust reason. His morals cried every time they were tested in those instances. Some Reapers called him crazy and questioned his loyalty... but he knew where he stood.
"Mr. Saiyama."
Upon hearing his superior, he turned and gave a proud salute. "Yes, Oshiro, Sir!"
The overly dressed man merely adjusted his hold on the cane, keeping a pleasant smile on his face as he spoke politely, "As spirited and well-intentioned your actions had been just now, we do not treat Reapers that way."
"I understand, Sir!" piped Iwao with a prickle of disappointment. "I was making it clear to my Comrades that disrespect is not valued in our ranks, Sir!"
"Yes. And as much as that is true," replied Oshiro calmly with a nod, but Iwao saw how the man was trying to suppress his grimace. "We don't throw around Reapers. This isn't a war, Mr. Saiyama."
Trying to hide his embarrassment, Iwao kept his salute firm. "Yes, Sir..."
But then he remembered he was doing the wrong salute. So he thumped his chest, squared his shoulders, then saluted with the same hand. He felt a pang of embarrassment he didn't do the right salute before, seeing how he was so used to the one he gave in the war.
Oshiro studied him, his midnight blue gaze staring straight into his murky green soon. "I have an assignment for you, Mr. Saiyama." he said politely. "One that meets your prowess alone."
Iwao was relieved Oshiro didn't mention how he forgot to do the Reaper's Allegiance sooner, but he merely nodded as he kept his hand firmly pressed to his head. "What is the order, Sir?"
"At ease, Mr. Saiyama. Come with me," said Oshiro as he turned to walk away, having his cane clack at each step taken.
Relaxing, the brown and dark grey haired man briskly strode to catch up before following the man with steady steps. They went downstairs to one of the waterways, where the dark current sloshed and licked the higher ground slightly as it passed. Iwao knew most Reapers barely dwelled on them for too long, seeing how unsteady the river was in the areas. However, these were ideal spaces to talk in private, seeing how the water was quite loud here. Iwao didn't mind, his ears were quite used to loud noises due to the war zones he fought on.
Turning to Iwao, the Conductor merely looked around before he relaxed. "I'd like for you to teach one of our new Reapers their duties." he said firmly.
Surprised at simple order (heck, anyone could do that!), Iwao frowned as he asked with his deep voice, "Shouldn't our Comrade know that already, Sir?"
"Yes, she should..." Oshiro said with disappointment. "However, she won't work with any of the Reapers, seeing that she tries to flee at any given moment... So, she tends to hold herself away from anyone."
"Ah, a lone wolf!" Iwao noted and sighed in frustration. "We can't let that occur here."
"Then you understand you must teach her?"
"Of course, Sir," he replied with a broad smile. "I won't let one of my Comrades shirk their work!"
Oshiro then grimaced. "You should be careful then."
"Oh?" Iwao smirked, anticipating a challenge at once. A sudden shiver ran down his spine as thrill burst into his body. "You know I'm never of that sort, Sir! I head straight forth for whatever order I need to follow, so shoot, Sir!"
"She's an Imprinter..."
At once Iwao grimaced, understanding the concern his superior was suggesting. Imprinters often misused their powers for their own benefit, and Iwao couldn't help but feel anger slash through him. He despised Imprinters with a passion, seeing how they mostly hung back and often Imprinted others to do their duties. It angered him how lazy they were! Sitting back and resting! It was unfair to those subjected, except if the power was used for the means it was supposed to be used for in the Game.
"...Why are you asking for my assistance, might I ask, Sir?" growled Iwao as he glared at the man.
"I know of how you don't stand for disrespect," remarked Oshiro as he earned an angry grunt from Iwao. "You dislike Imprinters, so it's most likely you won't be precarious with her... And from looking into your Reaper File, I found you had a wife when you were still alive, yes?"
The sudden mention of Fuuki made Iwao swallow the lump that formed in his throat, brushing off his tears as he thought of her. "Y-Yes, Sir... I-I loved Fuuki so much, Sir... But, why does that matter?"
Fuuki had been due with their children when he left for the war. They had been twins boys, Rysake and Bouchi, but he learned of his children's birth a few days before he died. A sudden blow to his head from his enemy stole his life and the life he would have as a father when he returned from war. He watched his family grow up as a Reaper, and he remembered that his sons were quite adventurous, like him. He wished he was with them, but he understood he would only be able to watch over them from the Plane he was on now.
"You will likely be immune to her Imprints, from a tactical view, Mr. Saiyama..." replied Oshiro calmly. "She was an Intern who heavily relied on them to shirk most of her missions with her boyfriend. Or, was her boyfriend..." He shifted his cane that rested under the palm of his left hand, soon meeting Iwao's gaze with his clear midnight blue. "So moreover, she will cause you some problems."
"Problems?" scoffed Iwao in mock. Setting a stern stare, clenching his fists so hard he knew he cracked his knuckles, Iwao growled out bitterly, "Sir, when I'm done with her, she will be ready for the cause!"
Sitting in the Dead God's Pad, a teenager rested on the couch as she ignored the looks Reapers were giving her. She merely scowled at their flattery, she held herself away from the other Reapers who tried to start up a half-witted chat.
She wasn't interested!
All she wanted was to sink deeper into the seat she sat, away from the view of others. She didn't want to deal with anything today, not when her heart sobbed from agony. Even if she was now a Reaper, a disgusting title to have, she would not oblige to their will. She would rather be thrown back into the Game than be forced to work, but her Intern Points were too few to pass her into the next round. How frustrating indeed; she wanted to expel her rage onto the Noise, but now she couldn't. She had been too careless as an Intern, and now she had to suffer in the company of the disgusting Reapers!
She despised their customs, she rejected them! If she were to submit to the hounds now... she would rather rip out her wings... The intricate structure did not tempt her, she felt better on the ground, and indoors. Away from that scorching-
"Kurokiku?"
Leiko scowled at once, pursing her lips as she didn't flicker her pale fuchsia eyes to the man. She secretly twirled her fingers, creating a dusting of a heart as she turned to the brute.
A large man, eyes the colour of murky green, his untidy brown and grey slicked hair was under a military cap and slung below his ears, and he adorned an army uniform and wore it properly... She wrinkled her nose, thinking of the filth it held in its fabric. This was a disgusting brute indeed.
She turned away, with her Imprint almost ready when he heard his deep, scratchy voice again. "You're Kurokiku, am I right?"
Ignoring the brute, she threw the Imprint at him. He flinched at once, as if his limbs had every muscle they had pulled, then blinked. Soon the man glared at her, alarming her slightly that her Imprint failed. "It won't work on me, Kurokiku..."
She glared back at him, watching as he glanced around at the Reapers near her who were giggling dumbly. He at once gave another glare to her before charging to each Reaper, thumping them on the shoulder, making them all stiffen and gaze around in a dazed confusion. She pursed her lip more, frustrated he didn't accept her Imprint as easily as she thought and broke the Reapers she had Imprinted out of their state.
With one last glance around the room, he barked out, "Comrades, you had been Imprinted! Now, go back to work!"
Wordlessly the Reapers gradually filtered out, sending scowls at Leiko and the brute who roused them, some rubbing their arms with grimaces. She couldn't believe this brute ruined everything!
Upon the brute's return, she turned her head away when he grumbled, "You Imprinters make me sick..."
"Hmph, I was merely feeding their desires," she said crossly, brushing her brown hair away as he frowned at that. "As long as they don't remember, no harm is done to the hounds..."
Without warning, her arm was seized and she was forcefully pulled to her feet. She cried out with protest when her arm was being crushed by his calloused hand, "Unhand me, you disgusting brute!"
His murky eyes darkly leered at her. "You are coming with me."
"No!" she spat as she readied another Imprint, trying to make a potent one now that she knew her previous one failed. "You are crazy! Get your dirty paws off me!"
Leiko threw another Imprint, watching as the man stiffened once more, but then the grip on her wrist tightened so much that it was unbearable for her to think about anything but the pain. She was pulled into an awkward walk, having the humiliation of being pulled along like a mutt! She was no mutt! She was a lady! She was not one to be made a fool of!
"I don't care about you hating me," grunted the brute as they passed Reapers, Leiko heard whoops of triumph from them as they encouraged the large man. "You have your duties, and you will do them when I'm done with you!"
Iwao knew the sixteen-year-old didn't like her treatment, but he knew she was a spoiled girl. He had been a soldier, so being soft was not a definition in his mind. So he didn't care if he held on too hard, there was no way he was letting an Imprinter get away!
He was lucky he knew about her Imprinting ability beforehand, it allowed him to understand why all the Reapers were milling around the room as if they were in a dream. Plus, he loved the antidote for this form of Imprinting, Emotional Imprinting, and took Oshiro's words to heart: "A good whack will clear their senses, Mr. Saiyama." Oh yes, an excuse to hit things! His mind was in pure bliss at the thought! Oh the fun he had, the thrill at having an excuse to do that without a punishment or scolding! His Comrades he had when he was alive nicknamed him Sadist Saiyama, and he couldn't complain about that! He liked hurting things!
As soon as he neared the exit, he felt his Comrade try to struggle harder against his grip. But seeing how strong he was from his military training, he was able to pull her outside. As soon as the bright sun shined down on them, he breathed in a hefty amount of air and grinned broadly.
Shibuya, the city was nothing like any other... Its citizens ranged far from each other and held the genius of creativity in their hands. Before he thought the city had vast things to offer him, but now there was so much more when he came to the Underground.
The Game... the cause!
Interns streaming in the official and unofficial rounds... Giving him the chance to fight them and nab some more Reaper Points!
Crazy supernatural powers! Allowing him to fight in more creative ways than he had accessed when he still lived!
Noise to silence everyday! His favourite thing to do when he was bored and wanted an adrenaline rush!
Even if he couldn't spend time with his family anymore, he still had a lot of things to do on his hands rather than stewing away at a job to earn his daily wage... He could only revel in the opportunities he was granted, especially the fights he experienced! Although maintaining Reaper Points was his least favourite thing to think about, he hardly had any reason to worry because his Survival Capacity surpassed many of the Reapers', giving him many years to exist... Although, he could easily stack on more if he felt like it, which was a great thing in his mind.
Suddenly he was aware of how Kurokiku was desperately scratching at his hand, but he knew a few measly Reaper Points could heal it effortlessly. So he turned to her, noticing how her skin, which had been so white he nearly had a heart attack when he first met her, now had blotches dotting across it. His broad grin dropped, and he stared at her with concern. "Kurokiku, are you alright?"
"No, I'm not, you adulterated swine!" she hissed angrily as tears formed on the side of her eyes, gasping slightly as she tried to turn away from him and held her head up as though she was a queen. "I have a condition if you haven't noticed!"
At once Iwao stared at her arms, watching the twig-like limbs writhe in pain along with the rest of her body. He let his lips become flat-lined as he asked sternly, "Well, what is it?"
"I'm not telling you!" spat Kurokiku as she let out a groan of pain.
"Then let's carry on, Kurokiku," grunted Iwao, pulling her further through the street. "The day is still young enough for your training!"
"No!" she shrieked in alarm through yelps of pain. "Unhand me at once! I can hardly bare it!"
"We must press on, despite your condition!" barked Iwao as frustration snuck into his tone. "You must know your duties!"
"I don't want to know your customs! I'm burning if you haven't noticed!"
Now that she said that, he did notice how red her arms were now...
Halting abruptly, he swung around to face the thrashing teen. "Okay, what's your condition?" he asked sternly.
"I'm allergic to that horrible sun!" she spat harshly, causing him to stiffen. "I need to go back inside-"
He sighed, grumbling under his breath as he dragged her into a patch of shade, watching as she closed her eyes and sighed in relief. Suddenly she waved her hands over herself, and Iwao saw her skin slowly turn into its usual powdery white colour.
Looking around, she pursed her lips and scowled. "This is not inside!" she screeched angrily.
"We're not going back in," he told her curtly. "We're taking a five minute break."
"What!?" she gasped out in horror, suddenly going (somehow) a shade paler. "B-But I'm-"
"Just because you're allergic doesn't mean you get to slack off," snapped Iwao harshly. "This is why you Imprinters make me sick... All of you- all of you waste your time with your brainwashing-"
"Excuse me!?" she shrieked in the middle of his speech.
"-Antics that it gives us Reapers a bad name!" he roared out ill-temperedly as he hardened his eyes. "Shame, that's what Imprinters like you should feel! Where's your honour? Where's your humanity? Do you like messing with the minds of people so much you think you're above all others?" After spitting on the sound, watching as Kurokiku squirmed when it nearly hit her foot, he growled, "Pitiful!"
Kurokiku instantly pursed her lips, narrowing her pale fuchsia eyes as she huffed, "I rather not deal with you sick hounds, you disgusting sick hounds... You're so dumb I have to wonder why I let myself defeat the final Boss Noise of the Game at all to be here..."
"Yeah, then why did you do it?" asked Iwao brashly, cocking his head slightly as he grumbled, "You could have surrendered yourself to that Noise easily, Sunshine."
Her fuchsia eyes narrowed more. "Sunshine?"
"Yeah, your new codename, Sunshine!" he laughed in a loud sneer. "You like it? I'm more creative than most people think, if I do say so myself, heh..."
"What is the meaning of this, you brute!?" snapped the dainty teenager with irk, she scowled at him with deride. "Why are you-"
"Calling you, Sunshine?" he asked in a sneer. After a moment, he added with a cruel smirk, "I give all you Imprinters codenames, ones that I know will annoy you under your skin! It's like my old squad in the war- if a cadet is wimpy, or snooty, or doesn't want to pull their own weight, slap them a code name they will hate you for! So, if you're going to complain about your allergy, then shoot- I will call you Sunshine, Sunshine! Hahaha!"
Leiko hissed as the man dragged her through the sun-touched streets. She could only ponder how atrocious this brute was! How he lacked manners, lacked elegance, lacked everything that qualified as decency! She was clearly in pain, yet this man would rather drag her around without any regard to how her skin itched, how it burned! Oh she only wanted to flee to the safety of indoors...
She decided this brute deserved no regard from her, he would only get limited reactions from her for now on. But if she needed to chat, it would only be reserved for a few words breathed from her... Considering the more she did, the more he shrugged off her insults or pleas. And hearing of his hatred of Imprinters made her understand he wouldn't be easy to roll over like a mutt... he wouldn't show his underbelly to her for certain...
Suddenly the brute halted, making Leiko bump into his side. She at once hissed in pain, grimacing at both the pain and contact with his filthy attire! She couldn't take more of this!
"...Aha!" He smiled shamelessly as he turned to her. "A great spot to train!"
To Leiko, she could suffice a better location. One without sunshine streaming down on them!
At once the man released her, allowing her to instantly try to escape from him at this sudden chance. But she let out a hiss when her wrist was slapped and latched onto by a leather cord... Leiko glared at the man who held her captive by a whip.
"I ain't letting a Imprinter get away," he grumbled darkly as her skin throbbed from how the cord rubbed against her aching skin. She hissed in pain, trying to dislodge it from her wrist, however she was unable to when she was tugged forward by the man.
"Hmph." She looked away, wanting to give that brute a piece of her mind. But he would merely deflect her words, she reminded herself sourly.
In response the man smirked, looking up at the sky before he turned back. "So, Sunshine... what's your Psyche?"
"Don't you know already?" she scoffed.
"I don't think throwing fancy brainwashes is the only trick you flick, Sunshine!"
With a huff, she didn't oblige to answering the question. She didn't see a reason to.
Before she knew it she was struck hard on her shoulder, causing her to fall down with a squeal. She instantly glared at the man who bellowed in laughter, "That had to hurt!"
She couldn't believe he struck her! He struck her! How dare the man!
"Like my Zinger Stinger Technique?" he asked snidely, he cracked his whip on the ground. "I will whip any man so hard that they'll squeal like a girl! And if they don't- I hit harder!"
"But I'm not a man!" she protested through gritted teeth.
His murky eyes glinted with faint amusement. "You still squealed."
Forcing down the temptation to yell at him, she got up slowly as she winced. The sensation of her skin burning still made her curse at the brute's existence. She knew he had to pay, somehow...
"Now..." he said slowly, his voice slick with a strange emotion of exhilaration. "Give me all you got!"
Without warning, he reared his whip back and lashed it forward. But this time, Leiko was ready. She side-stepped then began channeling her Imagination, slowly creating a sphere of dark, thrashing energy in the palm of her hand. Sadly, due to the conditions of the area they were in, producing her attack would take longer...
"What are you waiting for?" roared the man as if he was invigorated by this. "Attack me!"
'Give me a moment, you ugly brute...' she thought bitterly, trying her best to create her attack.
"Stop being slow! I want to see what you're made of, Sunshine!"
'Give, me, a moment!' She wanted to bite her lip, but it would do her no good.
"If my granny was here, she would have struck me faster than you, Maggot!"
Oh joy... Motivational military shouting... She was not amused by his tactic...
"How can you be so slow!? Don't tell me you're this inept!?" he roared with frustration.
At once she hurled her attack, and he at once lashed his whip at it. When her attack contacted with his, an explosion of energy burst into the air, striking the man who cried out in pain, while Leiko merely side-stepped from being hit herself. When the explosion subsided, the man gave her a broad grin, and she nearly choked on her own breath. 'What!?'
"Now we're talking!" roared the brute with glee. "It shouldn't take you so long, though! So do it again!"
Leiko wrinkled her nose. "How could you find joy in my attack, you ugly brute?"
"Practice is practice! Stop yapping, more attacking, Maggot!" he snapped harshly as he lashed his whip at her again.
Huffing and puffing, Iwao grinned broadly as he struck the Wall. Instead of breaking this time, or showing a smidgen of a fracture, a pattern of diamonds danced across the surface he hit. With a nod, he turned to see his Comrade, laying on the ground, wheezing hard as though she couldn't go on... But he didn't care, she could show more backbone than lounging around!
"Great work, Sunshine!" he bellowed proudly. "This Wall makes the cut! Good on you!"
In response, all he got was a wheeze and a glare from the sixteen-year-old.
"Aw c'mon, Sunshine!" he barked as he grabbed her by the collar of her dull grey dress and hauled her up, not letting her fall down. "On your feet, we're getting some grub!"
"Grub?" she growled with disgust.
"Yeah, I know a great place that's on the other side of Shibuya-"
"Not, interested..." she hissed with disgust thick in her tone. "Leave, me, alone..."
He flashed her a smirk. "It's not just grub, I'm getting you a weapon!"
"I'm not using a foul tool that needs me to exert physical energy!" she snapped bitterly.
"Yeah, you will," he said with confidence. "It'll help you hone your Imagination and give you an amplified Psych attack!" He instantly let her go, knowing she was far too exhausted to run, then cracked his whip before him.
At once a rocky pillar quickly fought its way out of the ground, hitting his Comrade's Wall in a constant stream of weaving rocks that were destroyed upon contact. Quickly cracks formed as the slithering rock pillar battered it, and soon the Wall shattered.
Kurokiku gave him an aghast gape. "You forced me to make Walls all morning... only to shatter the Wall you deemed was perfect!?" she screeched in fury.
"Look, the Interns are not going this way for the mission," said Iwao as he crossed his arms. "Thus, having the Wall here is just a complete waste."
"You- You-" Kurokiku pursed her lips, and Iwao could tell she was ready to yell her head off at him. Well, she already did yell at him three times this morning, so the affect it had on him was wasted. However, making her squirm before him made this outing more enjoyable...
Checking the sky again, he turned back to her then said, "Well, we better go get some grub and your weapon."
"After what you've done..." she hissed. "Do you think I want to go out and receive a weapon!?"
"Hmm, let's see... Nope, you're still getting a weapon!" he said snidely with a wolfish smirk. "And it's not just normal weapons."
"Hmph... how would they be anything but normal?" asked Kurokiku with annoyance.
"Well, they fuel your Imagination more so your attacks become stronger," he explained steadily as he showed his whip to her. "Your Psych becomes more concentrated as you create each blow to assault your enemies with... So it's like a..." He paused, trying to find the right word to describe this. Then he flinched, blurting out with excitement when it came to him, "Like a super-charger! Yeah, a super-charger! ...It made it so that I can use my whip better!"
"As if..." she said with a roll of her eyes. "Why would your whip be more special than any other?"
"Well, it's my whip." He earned an eye roll from her. "And Maeda connected my Soul to it, so its composition is in tune with my Soul..."
"I can hardly believe that." She pursed her lips and scowled at him. "It's just a whip."
"Hah, just a whip... That's where you're wrong, Sunshine," he said dryly in a sneer, soon looking down at it. "Whiplash has served me well..." he murmured with pride, fastening it to his belt again and grunting, "Whoo... my earth based Psych has grown tremendously due to this puppy! Who wouldn't want one!"
"I don't want a whip..." she hissed, soon closing her eyes as she shrieked, "And why am I still in the sun, you disgusting brute!? Get me to shade! Indoors!"
"Whoa ho, ho..." Iwao instantly backed away, thrusting his palms up with a snicker, "When you order me around like that, Sunshine... you're on your own!"
She instantly threw daggers at him.
"And did I say you'd be getting a whip?" he asked as he grabbed her arm and tugged her along. "Hell no! You wouldn't be able to crack Whiplash if you tried!"
"Why do you keep-" She hissed in pain before she growled, "Calling it that?"
"Whiplash?" He gave a wry smirk as they entered the Scramble Crossing. "I gave it that name, Sunshine! It's my whip, for crying sour milk!"
"It doesn't need a name, you crazy old coot!"
"Hey!" He grimaced at that insult. "I'm thirty-seven, Sunshine! Or, I was when I died... ...Besides that- I'm not crazy or old!" he spat in frustration. After a pause he continued with pride, "And my Whiplash? Don't sour its name, Sunshine, it's my baby!"
She didn't even say anything on the matter, she chose to angrily glare at him instead.
"...Look..." he said steadily as they were nearly at the center of the grand road. "If you give your weapon a name, you can pump more of your creative juices into your attacks!" He clenched his free hand into a fist, cracking his knuckles. "It amplifies your Imagination and Psych, Sunshine! You should give it a try!"
"As if..." Kurokiku drawled out with a purse of her lips. "You keep telling yourself that, you stupid brute..."
"What?" he intoned with confusion, bellowing deeply a moment later, "As soon as I started calling Whiplash, Whiplash... my attacks got stronger! More fluent!" As soon as they reached the other side of the Scramble Crossing, he turned to her and grinned broadly. "...It's worth your time, Sunshine! Take it from me!"
She huffed at that.
"Before I could shuck off the heads of Noise with my Psych or bare hands as a Intern..." he went on proudly with a smirk, clenching and unclenching his available hand for a few seconds. "But now... I can do it with Whiplash blindfolded!"
With that, he pulled her along. Once and awhile he greeted his fellow Comrades as he passed them, but for the most part he settled into a silence with his companion.
Today the routes he needed to take was open, due to the mission the Interns were sent on. Interns were those who the Reapers had to watch and make reports about during the week, then they were judged at the end. Interns were judged on their creativity, their practicality, their skills, and how well they dealt with any mission. These were the sort of things that allowed them to earn Intern Points, that were later on totalled up for each Intern at the end of the week. That was when the biggest choice that Interns would make in the Underground surfaced. If they had enough of their Intern Points, that proved they were salvageable for another round of the Game as Interns. They could work as a Reaper if they wanted to switch (or didn't meet the status quo of the Intern Points they needed, so therefore they had no choice). Or they would be erased if either option was unattained, thus that option was non-negotiable... There was another option, but he didn't know anything about it-
Dismissing that ponder, his eyes narrowed as he halted abruptly. He ignored how Kurokiku bumped into him again.
"Why did you-"
"Shush it, Sunshine!" he barked as he glared at the scene before him.
He saw two Reapers were throwing attacks at two teenagers, who were screaming their heads off as an attack nearly got them. Just from watching this Iwao could feel his vision swirl into a crimson mist, and slowly he set his broad jaw rigid as the Reapers crowed in laughter.
At once he let go of his companion, feeling his blood boil so much as he reached for Whiplash in rigid movements as he watched the battle before him. Closing his eyes, he momentarily felt the ground before him beating, so he filtered past it to search for the echt current it rumbled... Then he sprung forth, swinging Whiplash back before he struck it hard onto the road.
Suddenly a shower of rocks, sharp as spears, burst from the pavement, striking the airborne Reapers. With another crack of his whip, a row of splintered rocks slithered between the Reapers and Interns. The Interns trembled in fear while the Reapers, who lay crumpled and dazed from the sudden assault, lifted their heads up weakly as Iwao stomped over to them.
Grabbing the collar of the shirt of one, he shook the Reaper hard as he spat into their face, "What the hell were you doing!?"
"Wh-What are you talking about, man!?" stammered the Reaper with dismay, soon scowling and letting his tone slip into defiance. "We were just-"
"Just what?" hissed Iwao as he shook the Reaper again for good measure. "Just what, Comrade?"
"We were getting extra Reaper Points, you buffoon!" cried the other Reaper with venom dripping in her tone. "That's what Reapers do!"
"Did you learn how to tell fucking time, Comrades?" he roared harshly as he felt disgusted by the Reapers. "It's Day Five, dammit! Day, Five!"
"So what?" asked the first Reaper, sounding miffed. "Why does-"
"We never, never, erase Interns until the Seventh Day, dammit!" snarled Iwao as he chucked the Reaper at the other one, swearing again before turning to the cowering Interns. "Go! Get back to your damn mission!"
The Interns timidly got up, scrambling away for the next district's gate.
"Now-" He whipped his head to the Reapers with a hardened gaze. "Beat it! Learn the damn day and night cycles for crying sour milk!"
They didn't move, wearing angry defiant looks. So Iwao stomped closer, rearing his whip up in the air... Then they looked at each other, paling drastically, screaming as they hurled themselves into the air to avoid a rocky pillar that shot from the ground.
Iwao waited, watching as the pillar of rock crashed to the ground, barely a few feet from hitting him as it smashed into unequal chunks. After a few seconds of silence, with a swipe of his forehead, Iwao's mind cleared just as he beamed broadly. 'Justice is served once again by Iwao Saiyama! How could the Underground go on without me?'
A rush of excitement swelled into his chest, blooming with adrenaline that coursed through his veins. But he knew he couldn't let himself submit to the effusive sensation, considering the location he had in mind needed none of that running through his system. So he put Whiplash away, cracking his knuckles before he beat down his row of rocks that previously separated the Interns and Reapers. Once that was out of the way, he ignored how his hands stung from repeatedly hitting the splintered rocks. Of course, his choice of actions would make people think he was insane, but he didn't want to risk his chances with the Noise.
With a grunt, he checked to make sure Kurokiku was still here. And surprisingly she was; standing in a shadow of a tree, sunburn free as she boredly met his gaze.
"That was pitiful..." she mused rudely with a roll of her eyes.
"Nah, it was justice!" he replied cheerfully, not bothered by her presence for the moment. "You gotta keep everything smooth or it'll all fall apart!"
She scoffed at that, shaking her head.
"Well, to me it was a fine display..." He flinched, turning his head to the source of the voice. "It saved me from going into the mess."
A woman, who was middle-aged, stepped into the sun-lit road. She had thick, curly strawberry blonde hair, twisted into a messy bun that was held by a brown ornamented comb. She wore a long pale brown dress; with tiny imprints of white flowers dancing across the hem of her skirt, along with a prim dark brown dress jacket with white threaded details sewn into the rims of it that was only done up by the first top two buttons. Her white slippers clicked louder as she got closer.
"It's good to see you again, Saiyama," she said in a clear, amused tone. "Still basking in your glory days?"
"Ah," he said with a smirk. "It's you again..." At once he frowned, soon asking in disappointment when the purpose of her presence dawned on him, "Aw man, is Maeda gone!?"
"Just going in for his reporting period. And it's my term now..." she replied coolly in her sharp-pitched voice as she joined him, frowning soon as she scoffed, "What? You rather see him than me?"
Kotone Fukuhashi, the Producer who was present when Iwao was an Intern. She used to come along and chide him about his 'barbaric antics' for justice... And it was a good thing, he could have erased a Reaper if it weren't for her. He only knew her when he was an Intern, but when he became a Support Reaper her term had ended, then Maeda took on his... That was seven years ago.
"Ah, crud..." he growled with a grimace. "I was looking forward for some grub!"
"Nutritious meals are my specialty. And it is far more refined than what the last Producer could create." Her bright green eyes sharpened as she pursed her lips. "And the trends change quicker than you think, Mr. Saiyamma... Maintaining the rules and order isn't the only thing we follow, as you know."
"Your ittie-bittie veggies are no match for my stomach!" he scoffed as he sighed. "We never just ate vegetables in the war!" That was the worst part about her; she was a vegetarian! The only thing she ate and cooked was vegetables! Unlike Maeda...
"The war ended. That had been four years ago," she said flatly.
"Yeah, all my Comrades tell me that everyday," he snorted as he closed his eyes. "That news is old, Fukuhashi..."
"Well, at least you agree with the result," noted Fukuhashi crisply, her faint wrinkles crinkling slightly. "I would have thought you would still be sobbing about the losses we gained because of it..."
"Real men don't cry in the face of the truth!" spat Iwao harshly with a grunt. "Hmph! You grit it through the salt being grounded into your flesh... you take it like a rock! It's rough, but you must press through!"
With a glance to Kurokiku, she inhaled. "So that's your reason for making this woman go through the streets, when you know she has an allergy?"
"Look, it may hurt her, but she needs to grit her teeth and bare it!" he retorted with a huff. "Only wimps cower away from their fears and weaknesses! They need to learn to face it!"
"Of course," said Fukuhashi with amusement. "You're no different than before..."
"Hey, can you do me a favour?"
Kotone set down their dishes, regarding the brute with curiously. "Yes?"
"Is weapon creation a thing in your book?" he asked as he swung his thumb rudely in Leiko's face, making her flush in anger that he nearly poked his thumb into her eye as he barked, "'Cause Sunshine here seriously needs one! I mean seriously!"
"Just because Mr. Maeda is not present, doesn't mean the same services are gone." Kotone turned to Iwao and blinked, looking unpleased with the brute. She should be, and Leiko was glad she wasn't the only one who disliked the man in some way. "As long as the Composer allows it, I will hear you out."
The Composer... Leiko had only heard so little about her. The only time Leiko came in contact with the woman was the Seventh Day, when Leiko's heart was burning in anger and agony... The memory gave her a bitter taste in her mouth at once.
"She's slow on her attacks!" he growled with frustration.
"My attacks benefit in the shade, not the sun!" Leiko said bitterly as she scowled at the man. He lacked sense, that's for sure. After witnessing her attack, he subjected her to keep attacking him under the full rays of the sun that beated down and burned her skin... Darkness was hard to create in direct sunlight, unless shadows were there to lay as an anchor for her...
"Then why didn't you say so earlier, Sunshine!?" He gave her a glare, curling his lip as he looked displeased.
"It's not hard to understand that darkness dwells better in dark-"
"Break it up," said the strawberry blonde sternly, giving two loud, clear claps. "I do not tolerate fighting in my presence or in my humble abode!"
'How could she do that!?' Leiko threw her a glare. 'Interrupting me!? Absurd!'
Waiting until the both of them stopped talking completely, Kotone turned to the brute then asked him politely, "Now then, back to what you were saying, Mr. Saiyama?"
"She needs a weapon, old woman!" He thrust his fist down on the wooden table. "Are you deaf!?"
"I am not, I merely wanted to hear more about her Psych." Her eyes sharpened instantly, and Kotone turned on her heel as she explained, "The specialty weapon she needs can only be suited to what she can or cannot do, which is crucial for me to understand what is needed for the wielder." After a moment, she sharply met the brute's gaze. "So, I rather you keep your old woman insults to yourself. I'm not the only one who is old!"
The brute hmphed at that, shoving more vegetables into his mouth sourly.
"None?" asked the Producer with a edge to her tone. "Very well." She turned to fully face Leiko. "My recommendation is for you to wield a parasol, Miss Kurokiku..."
"What!?" shouted the brute in dismay, spitting out some of the food he was munching on a second ago. "An umbrella!? Pff, you have to be joking, Fukuhashi!"
"You are wrong, Mr. Saiyama," she murmured as she leaned down on the table, her green eyes sharply watching him, and breathed out a sigh. "Parasols keep people out of the sun, it creates shade for them. It benefits not only Miss Kurokiku's Psych but her allergy as well."
'Well, at least she knows I need to keep out of that horrible sun...' thought Leiko with a hmph. 'She's not stupid, which soothes a part of my soul...'
"All in favour?" asked Kotone as she turned back to check on the steaming pot behind her.
The brute hummed back while Leiko hmphed.
"...Hey! I need another helping!" yelled the man as he pointed his at his bowl with his chopsticks, being lucky that Kotone was looking in his direction at the time.
Cocking her head to the side, Kotone asked sweetly, "Please?"
With a roll of his eyes and shake of his head, Iwao growled out with annoyance, "Please."
"Very well," said the woman warmly with a nod as she took the bowl from the man. Soon she looked at Leiko and asked with her sharp tone of voice, "You're not eating? Eat, eat! Vegetables are good for you!"
"Hmph." Leiko let out a huff of annoyance, "I am waiting for my meal to cool, clearly."
"Ah, someone with good judgment," remarked the older woman, sounding pleased.
The brute let out a hmph at that.
Taking the empty bowl to the pot, taking off the lid, she waited until all of the steam escaped the pot before she scooped out some more vegetables. Soon she returned, setting down another bowl of steamed vegetables in front of the man.
"For what you did today, all your helpings will be on the house," Kotone said gently with a weak smile, causing the brute to bolt up and grin madly in happiness. "You did save me from getting involved with the skirmish after such a long day of renovation... I was already tuckered out from doing so much work, so I appreicate the help."
"Fukuhashi, you're my favourite woman for the moment!" piped the man as he nodded at her. "Only, for the moment!"
"I'm hurt," Kotone said in mock sadness. "And here I thought you respected my authority...?"
"Nah, how can I miss you scolding me like I'm a kid?" asked Iwao with a groan, after a moment he shook his head as he sighed. "But yeah. You saved my hide from being erased back then, so your good in my eyes..."
When the woman went back to her work, Leiko saw a smile on her face. But Leiko didn't even comment on the matter between the two. She found that those who didn't get involved most likely would be-
"So, Sunshine?"
Leiko grimaced at her misfortune.
"Like the grub?" he asked her with that disgusting, upbeat grin he wore a lot.
"Hmph..." Leiko merely took a bite of the food, chewing slowly so she didn't have to chat with the brute. If he saw that she was eating, he would ignore her soon, or so she hoped.
"Heh, you must love it!" cried the man smugly. "Or you wouldn't be stuffing yourself!"
And upon that statement, she glared at him when she swallowed the disgusting, mushy food. "I hate it, you pigheaded swine!" she hissed as she turned her body away from him.
"Then why did you swallow it?"
"Spitting out food is unrefined!" she scoffed. "Only slovens would do such an action! Like you!"
"Refined, refined!" he said with annoyance, shaking his head with disbelief. "Why must women care so much about that?"
"Women have honour, unlike you hounds..." she spat with disgust. "Most men have no manners, no taste-"
"Then why did you have a boyfriend?" Leiko froze, feeling anger rise inside her heart.
"Excuse me!?"
"A, boyfriend...?" repeated the brute pointedly in a sneer. "If you hate men so much, why'd you have one, Sunshine?"
"I don't have one!" she spat bitterly, narrowing her eyes. "Not anymore! I'm done with them!"
"Oh ho, ho..." said the brute in mock as he grinned, throwing his chopsticks back into the bowl as he stared at her without waver. "Sounds like I scratched a wound, Sunshine... Care to explain?"
"You will kill your curiosity at once!" snapped Leiko furiously as she got up, finished with being near the brute a moment longer. "Put a muzzle on your jaw before I do it myself!"
With a chuckle, rubbing his hands together, the brute said deeply, "Looks like I did... So spill the beans, Sunshine! Who's the lucky man you had?"
Instantly Leiko slapped the man, breathing heavily as she seethed. Why couldn't the man leave her alone! Didn't he understand privacy!? She wanted the man to stop asking questions, stop trying to dwell on the stale matter! She didn't want to say a word about it! She wanted to forget about it! Yet this man pushed too hard, and would never understand the agony coursing through her veins as she existed in this very moment!
Slowly the man looked at her, frowning as he wore an unreadable expression. He touched his cheek, soon grimacing as he sighed. "Still stuck in heartbreak city..."
Leiko flinched at that. 'How did he...?'
"He did it, am I right?" he asked in an uncharacteristic gentleness as his murky eyes closed. "He's the heartbreaker..." Soon his eyes reopened into slits as he growled in a low voice, "That sleazebag! Not honouring his woman or his commitment!"
"N-No, I..." Leiko blinked, trying to understand why this man was acting this way upon hearing the situation. Although, he had it partially right. "I did it..." She tried not to bite her lip, especially when she shook a bit when she remembered her old boyfriend. "When I found out he..." She turned back to the man. "During the war, he..."
Instantly the man nodded. "Changed." After a pregnant moment, he grimaced as he growled, "Let me guess, Sunshine... Your man decided you weren't worth it, and went after other pretty faces."
Leiko hardened her eyes, nodding curtly.
"That bastard!" he spat harshly, slamming his fist down. "He left you in the dust, even playing the role of 'boyfriend' throughout your week as an Intern!"
Instantly Leiko glared at the man. "You knew about that!?"
"Of course," snorted the man as he huffed, "I'm a Harrier Reaper! I fly around the city a lot and notice things. Other than that, the Conductor confirmed your actions. How you did hooky with the man using your brainwashing antics!"
"The sun burned me!" she hissed through frustration. "I could have been erased if I partook in any mission under the sunshine! That is, until one of you hounds told us we would be erased on the Seventh Day if we continued skipping the missions!"
"At least you had sense!" snorted the man as he curled his lip. "You didn't become erased and didn't join the Noise's family! But who's idea was it? You, or your boyfriend?"
"My boyfriend kept telling me I didn't deserve running around in the sun to do them!" protested Leiko loudly as she closed her pale eyes. "But I knew, I knew we had to..." Shaking, her heartbeat pulsed faster as her memories spilled into her mind from that day. "Then he... when we faced the final Boss Noise of the week... he gave up fighting and told me how he didn't care if I was erased! He told me everything! How he cheated on me before we died! How much of a pain I was to deal with! How sickeningly imperfect I was! And I couldn't believe it!" She breathed in shakily, clenching her very pale hands as she hissed out slowly, "I... I loved him so much... I put aside anything for him... I tried to be perfect for him... even if my allergy limited my abilities to be that... A-And he still threw me into the dust!"
She lowered her gaze, too absorbed in the memory to even regard the man with her. "I couldn't take another moment with him! I couldn't take another moment in this cursed place! So I..." She let herself smirk as a ragged laugh ripped from her lips, "So I ended it! I ended him and the Noise!" After a moment or two, she finally whispered bitterly, "And as my heart was ripped apart that day, so did me... I don't care about what I do to anyone, everyone makes me want to vomit... Everything in the world, is cruel and pitiful! So it doesn't matter if I fade because I don't do anything, I'm done with feigning the fact that I care about anything this Underground has to offer..."
Suddenly she was hauled to her feet, feeling her small shoulders be clasped onto as the brute glared down at her. "Don't say that... Don't tell me you're surrendering yourself!"
"So what if I am?" she hissed as she chuckled bitterly.
"Sunshine," barked the brute, with his scratchy voice sounding as though it was going to burst into rage. "You're here! Not that sleazebag! Grit your teeth and be proud!"
Leiko stiffened, gazing at him with surprise as he continued on boldly, "You braved the battle, and showed the world that it deserved you, not him! You were the victor! You should be hooting and hollering about your victory, not letting yourself wither to erasure!"
"Excuse me!?" she hissed at his crazy claims. "He cheated on me! Erasing him was not a victory!"
"Cheated or not," said the man sadly, letting her go when his eyes appeared to look past her. "You should live your life to the fullest..."
"We're dead."
"Dead, alive-" He flicked his hand with a shake of his head. "Whatever! You exist! Be happy, Sunshine!"
Leiko glared at him, watching as he turned to look at her sadly. "I know what's it's like to lose the people you love. I had a wife, I had sons..." Then his eyes darkened, and he swallowed as if he had something stuck in his throat. "But I can't experience being there with them."
When Leiko had nothing to say to him, he smiled in a bittersweet way. "I died in the war, I didn't take my role as an Intern seriously and tried to fight every wrong I saw in the Game." After a pause he went on slowly, as if he was having a hard time telling her, "I went back into another round as an Intern, I managed to score a second chance to live... but I gave it up."
'What?' She widened her eyes. 'How could he? He acquired what everyone desires... then gave it up!? Th-This man... must be mad!'
"Yeah, I gave it up!" He gave a grin, despite how Leiko knew he should be frowning. He soon said in a strained voice, "I knew it wasn't worth it! To tell you the truth, I knew the odds were against me. Anyone would know that getting revived then having a great chance at death again is stupid. There could have been a chance I could have survived, but there was a chance I wasn't going to end up in the Game again... So, I shot for the option that was practical: stay and work as a Reaper.
"The war ended later, but by then I realized my life wouldn't work out if I tried for another second chance then..." explained the large man grimly, soon sitting down with a frown. "My wife got over my death, and yeah, it hurt to know that... And from what I see now, she's moved on, so I know I have to do the same." Biting his lip briefly, he soon added coolly, "...She's interested in a man at the moment, but I'm not going to interfere with that."
"Why not?" asked Leiko pointedly as she glared at him. "You love her, so why are you letting her go?" It didn't make sense at all! Didn't he care about her!?
Slowly he gazed at her with a small smile. "My sons will live on, they're my legacy... But, they need a father, one that is actually there for them." With a sigh, he added curtly, "Look, he's not a sleazebag, and I want Fuuki to be happy. As long as my wife is happy, I'm glad. Even if I was cheated of my life with Fuuki and my sons, I know it's not the end of the world. I have other opportunities that I can take, but my life with my family is not one that is there for me anymore."
Once he closed his eyes, he finished with a large grin, "I want to make the most of my existence, so should you. Cheated or not, try to make your existence a good one."
Instantly he got up, heading for the door. "C'mon, Sunshine! We got work to do!"
"I do not want to work a moment longer with you, you horrible, brain dead brute!" she snapped as she made no move to follow. She couldn't believe he brushed over her story like it was nothing important! She poured her heart into it then he acts as though they were the same!? Outrageous! That brute was the worst hound that the Underground had!
He halted, slowly looking behind his shoulder to grin at her. "What? I was going to go get some clothes for myself!"
"What!?"
"The war's done, I think I could say goodbye to it by wearing something else!" He frowned at her as he asked in confusion, "Wait? You don't want me to?"
"Of course I do!" She pointed her nose up in the air, pursuing her lips. "They're disgusting!"
"I'm not throwing them away, but I need something new..." he said as he marched towards the door. "Oh! And let's get you some pants!"
"Absurd!" she growled as she despised the thought. She was a woman, not a man! Why would a woman wear pants!? That was the most absurd idea that she'd ever heard of!
"Your loss!" he bellowed as he exited the building.
As soon as it was silent, Leiko let out a sigh. 'That brute... I hate him so much!'
"Hmm... Mr. Saiyama sees it."
Leiko turned to the old strawberry blonde, who smirked as she gazed at the door with amusement. "Looks like he understands..."
"Understand what?" asked Leiko sourly.
"I told him once that the world moves ever slowly, even if no one realizes it," explained Kotone mildly. "People change, life changes, even if you don't notice..."
"And why does it matter?"
"He's moved on, even if he still has scars left on him, he knows it is time." Soon the woman turned to Leiko, studying her with her sharp eyes. "Producers like myself come and go. Interns work through missions and try to survive. Reapers work to exist another day. The Noise are always a pain to the Realground and Underground..." She soon smiled gently, her faint wrinkles creasing slightly. "Life continues on, it changes... So we must balance ourselves in the wake of facing these subtle nudges."
The sixteen-year-old was not impressed with the older woman's words of wisdom. She didn't care if she was expected to pay heed to them and somehow gain an understanding to use it in her own life. This was merely advice that Leiko would never use.
"Take it from, Mr. Saiyama," Kotone said warmly as she blinked. "Rocks can be rough. Sometimes the edges are serrated, and you may cut yourself... But, when you crack them open, you may not find gold or fool's gold... but you may find somehing, or nothing at all. Yet, it's worth a shot trying to find something. And that something, is not seen so plainly."
Leiko glared at the Producer, displeased by what she was trying to say. It was cryptic enough as it was.
Suddenly the strawberry blonde chuckled. "Confused?" Meeting Leiko's eyes, the middle-aged woman said firmly, "Go find out for yourself, Leiko Kurokiku. It takes a while to crack the rock, so don't keep him waiting."
With her lips pursed, Leiko braced herself for the pain the sun would greet her with outside.
- END -
I hope you enjoyed the story! =3
...
EeveeGen9988: Um... this is the weirdest idea I think I've ever come up with... When you consider it, putting Iwao and Leiko together in a story to co-star in it together is a very unlikely thing to be seen (or read)... And throughout the story, I seriously had a The Odd Couple vibe going through my mind... And I have to wonder whether or not everything fell apart in the end... *shrugs*
Hey, would you look at that? I wrote about Iwao Saiyama again, and it has been over a year or more since then... And we only got to know him when he was heavily immersed in justice for the Underground, so it was a real treat to see how he is as a 'civil' human being for once!
What I learned when writing this story: Leiko and Iwao both had similarities and it shocked me when I wrote this. Both of them together don't work well if they are forced to be together, why? *dramatic pause* ...They sort of conflict more than cooperate!
Also, I sadly had to rewrite some parts of the scenes because somehow I lost the parts, which never happened to me before! Now I understand how others feel when it happened to them! I luckily recovered the scenes based off of my memory so 85% of the parts of scenes are back but 15% of them are not. They aren't 100% exactly like they were before (which saddens me) but I'm glad I have a good memory! *hangs head* But it still bugs me that this happened...
For [Scars], it was mostly where Leiko and Iwao reveal their stories. Once the [Scars] are seen and in the open, Iwao sort of chose to move past his war days. While with Leiko, whether or not she will get past her past will only be decided upon her choices and actions in the future, whether she uses the advice others have given to her or not. So the prompt was mostly used to show that the pains of the past can be healed (not always completely, but you get the idea, right?), but the [Scars] will still remind them of it until they fade away when given enough time.
*those who have read this far somehow stumbles upon an ancient folder that they could make out in faint words: 'Fukuhashi's Secret Report of 1924 - Imprinters and Imprinting'*
Congratulations! You found a Secret Report!
...
- Fukuhashi's Secret Report of 1924 - Imprinters and Imprinting -
Side-Note - For the moment, the details in this said report will be subject to change and be included in future Secret Reports if anything changes or comes up. For future purposes, I will investigate more on the matter, considering how I haven't been on the Lower Plane for seven years.
Imprinters: Imprinters mostly are chosen from the batch of Interns that have the Imagination to do so, without even a tool or weapon to aid them. Although, sometimes a tool or weapon is needed to help with the potency of the Imprint. Imprinting is an Art that can also be steadily learned by Reapers over the course of the years in the Reaper's Game for each Cycle, however, whether or not they can Imprint depends on the Reaper.
There are different classes for each type of Imprint: Emotional Imprint, Thought Imprint, Inspirational Imprint, and Compelling Imprint.
Emotional Imprint: Deals with Imprinting a certain emotion into the target, making them feel the emotion you want them to feel. However, some Emotional Imprints fail to work if the individual holds a certain immunity to it for a certain condition that allows them to reject the emotion. Also, those who are subjected to the same sort of Emotional Imprint for enough time can slowly feel the effects of it lessen each time it is Imprinted on them.
Thought Imprint: Deals with Imprinting a certain thought into the target, giving them a certain idea that can help them during their times of great need. Thus, they gain a rush of inspiration, but this can sometimes be confused with Inspirational Imprints because of the fact that the target becomes inspired by that thought directly.
Inspirational Imprint: Deals with Imprinting certain ideas into the target indirectly, which can lead to them being inspired for over many uses. Inspirational Imprints can be Imprinted onto objects or places, rather than people. It is not a direct Imprint, so it cannot be used on people. But if people come in contact with the Imprinted object or place, the Imprint will seep into their minds which causes the person to be Imprinted. Only certain individuals, such as Producers, have this type of Imprinting.
Compelling Imprint: Deals with a strong source of authority being forced onto the target, causing the target to bend almost completely to the Imprinter's will. The stronger the Imprinter is, the harder it is for the target to resist any command that is Imprinted onto them. This can even include the command that can erase memory or an individual's mindset and thoughts entirely, so this Imprint can have lasting damages on the individual if used listlessly. Composers, Producers, and Angels often have this ability. Only an Angel can undo the Imprint, seeing that they have a stronger authority above all, but that does not always compensate the damage on the target's Frequency or Soul.