Disclaimer: This is a fan based fiction.
Author Notes: Wow, wow, wow! Thanks so crazy much for the favorites, follows, reviews and messages. The support is so truly appreciated! I always respond to PM's so don't be shy. And -constructive- criticism is always welcome.
HUGE thanks to my beta reader, Megan for her endless support and help in all my creative endeavors. You're my rock. I LOVE YOU!
If you're following my SNK fic too thank you! It's a little more complicated so it takes me a little longer to get chapters out for that story but chapter three is coming soon so do not fret!
Onto the chapter!
For the second day in a row Tamina woke up in an unfamiliar place. After a quick check of the room she pulled the blankets over her head. The flood of memories from the day before were just as depressing as they had been when she'd gone to sleep. They hadn't dulled in the least.
"Hey are you awake?" She heard the girl whose apartment she occupied ask.
'Erika.' That was her name. She'd been part of the group that picked her up last night. Tamina came to find out Erika owned the Dollars handle Kahlua Milk, which she chatted with frequently. This made staying at her place slightly less awkward, but only slightly considering the situation.
"Mhm." is all Tamina answered, still hidden among the covers on the futon.
"Great!" Erika replied enthusiastically. "You slept wicked late, but I've got some clothes for you if you wanna get ready. Sorry, they'll probably be a little big."
Tamina sat up with little energy. Even though she'd gotten through last night, depression still gripped her. What was there for her to do now? She refused to go back home. The fact that her mother still hadn't made contact just confirmed what she already knew. There was no place for her there. Not anymore. She was truly embarrassed by her circumstances. She had no money, no ID. She didn't even have her own clothes. There was no way she'd dare call Izaya and ask for her things back. No, she was willing to part with them to avoid ever seeing that awful man again.
After pushing her mess of hair out of her face and rubbing her tired eyes her vision adjusted. Erika was holding the clothes out to her with a big smile and wide eyes. Clearly she'd been awake for a while. She was already dressed and ready. "Where are we going?" Tamina asked, already thinking of excuses she could use to avoid seeing the light of day.
"Well you said you'd never been to Ikebukuro. So me and the boys were going to take you out and show you around!" Erika replied.
"I appreciate that, and everything you guys have done so far, but I'm fine. I'm sure you all have other things-" Tamina started to decline.
"Oh, come on! I even played hookie from work. Come out with us and have some fun!" Erika insisted.
Tamina tried not to hold a suspicious expression. None of them had outright asked last night, so she couldn't be sure they knew of her intentions on top of that building last night. However, Tamina was beginning to suspect that she was on suicide watch. Still, she didn't want to seem ungrateful. "Okay." She finally accepted, getting up to dress in the clothes Erika offered.
Erika called the boys and a short time later they left her apartment building and began to walk the busy streets waiting for their ride. Erika didn't leave room for many words as she went on about the shops and restaurants that were around. It was just as well, as Tamina found herself in a less than talkative mood. She wanted to engage. She knew the mechanics for it were inside her but the energy was absent. Today every part of her dragged as if she were jet lagged, so she let her new friend fill the air with uninterrupted chatter.
The van pulled up next to them with Kyohei leaning out the passenger window. "You ladies looking for a good time?" He asked with a smile.
"Ah Dotachin! Don't you get me started! If you're gonna talk like that can we sit on your lap and call you daddy?" Erika asked, causing Tamina to smile a little despite herself.
"Ew. Come on, get in. I'm starving. We waited all day." He waved them into the van.
It wasn't until that moment that Tamina noticed the Lolita-neko girl graphic on the sliding door of their van. In her haze last night she'd missed that detail, and now it caused her to finally have the laugh she needed. "What is -that-?" She asked, the laughter in her voice.
Kyohei had a smile too, but it came with a blush and an averted gaze. "It's a long story."
Erika opened the door and they loaded up.
"Nice to see you again, LC." The boy she squeezed in next to greeted her.
"Hey, Walker." Tamina acknowledged, remembering him. "And you can call me Tamina. That's my real name."
"Oh, man! With your name and hair you could totally pass for an Elven princess from a kingdom far, far away." Walker chattered.
"Are you into cosplay?" Erika squished in to sandwich Tamina between them. "If your hair was a little darker we could do a sick Sakura cosplay. I have the costume... Oh! Or Revolutionary Girl Utena!"
"Come on, guys, let the girl breathe." Kyohei scolded them from the front seat.
"She's fine!" They both replied in unison.
"It's okay." Tamina assured him. "Actually, I used to work in a manga cafe in Shibuya. I'd cosplay as Chibi USA sometimes..."
"Whhhhhhaaaaattt?" The two chimed in an excited pitch together, startling Tamina a bit.
"No way! A fellow anime, slash manga, slash cosplay enthusiast!" Walker rejoiced.
"Now you've done it." Kyohei remarked with a head shake.
"This is incredibly exciting! I have this amazing personality test I can give you!" Walker raved. "Hurry! Without thinking! Name the first three manga that pop into to your head!"
Tamina blinked. "Wait, wha-"
"Without thinking! Go now!" Walker shouted.
Pressured, Tamina fumbled but tried to blurt out the first ones that popped into her head. "I-Uh—Fruits Basket... Full Moon o Shagashite... and Shingeki no Kyojin..?"
"I see..." Walkers hand came to hold his chin. He started to ponder. "So you're 20 years old... You're an organized girl with a talent for house work like cooking and cleaning... Fondness for animals... Potential tragic backstory... But overwhelming potential and desire to overcome insurmountable odds..." Walker beamed with a clenched fist.
All Tamina could do was stare. It was a bit of a stretch, but he was, in a strange way, kind of accurate. She was unsure if he was spewing nonsense or if there really could be some reason behind it.
"Knock it off!" Kyohei ordered. "We just met her. Can't you guys contain your fuckery for just a little bit?"
"She doesn't seem bothered in the least by said fuckery. Are you Tamina?" Erika asked.
"Ugggghhh, you guys are giving me a headache already." Saburo groaned, reaching to turn up the volume dial on the stereo to drown them out. Tamina imagined she wore a pretty surprised expression as one of the bonus tracks from Ruri Hijiribe's latest album filled the car. She stifled a laugh when she noticed Saburo tapping the beat on the steering wheel with his fingers.
Tamina found her smiles coming easier every passing second. A familiar feeling was starting to come over her. She sat among all the funny banter she'd read through for months and it was better than she could have imagined.
Tamina blinked when she came to a realization. "Oh wait." She tried to pause the group. "I don't have any money. My wallet is in my bag and I don't...have it.." She trailed off, embarrassed yet again by her circumstances.
"That's fine." Saburo said. "We've got you."
"No, you've all already done so much..." Tamina protested.
"Don't worry about it." Kyohei assured.
"So you have a bag somewhere?" Erika asked. "Where is it? Maybe we can grab it for you."
"No, it's all the way in Shinjuku." Tamina shook her head.
"Is that where you're from?" Walker asked.
"No. I'm originally from Shibuya."
"Oh, then what brought you to Shinjuku?"
Tamina breathed a heavy sigh. "This guy did."
They all seemed to understand so they let the subject go.
The van pulled up to a sushi restaurant unlike Tamina had ever seen. She did a double take, reading the sign. "A...Russian sushi bar?"
They all began to pile out. "It sounds strange but it's a staple around here." Saburo assured her.
Tamina couldn't contain her surprised expression when a towering black man dressed like a sushi chef waved to them. "Ah! Kyohei and friends!" His thick Russian accent had Tamina even more perplexed. "Come, come! Eat good sushi! I'm having very good specials for you today!"
"There are a lot of things on this menu that concern me." Tamina noted, scanning through the menu.
"A lot of it will surprise you." Saburo reassured.
Eventually she settled on a sweet potato maki roll. Seemed like one of the safest choices. And they were right. Everything about this place was surprising in a delightful way. She made quick work of her roll and shared some edamame that Erika offered. It was so strange to her how the passing of time could change things like your fears and your pains. She found it easier and easier to talk and laugh again. By the time tea was served Walker and Erika were in a heated debate, comparing the works of Mamoru Hosodo and Hayao Miyazaki.
"So Tamina," Kyohei began suddenly. "We've had our fun. Now that the ice is kind of broken I'm sure you'll understand we've got some questions. Like what leaves a girl from Shibuya crying on the roof of a building in the middle of the night?"
The rest of the group remained silent. It seemed out of respect they'd waited until now to ask. But by the look they all shared, Tamina felt like they already knew. From that she felt no harm in admitting. "I was going to jump." She confessed.
"Why?" Kyohei asked. When she hesitated he reassured her. "We're just here to help. Not to judge you."
In the past Nakura would have said something similar. There was an ache, something like a tightly wound knot in her chest. She let out an audible breath and started to explain. "I just... I keep trying to start fresh and find a place for myself, but time and time again, I put myself in the path of people who have the worst intentions for me..."
"You can't blame yourself for other peoples intentions for you." Kyohei told her. She knew that, but it didn't inspire much comfort. "This guy in Shinjuku. Was he your boyfriend?" He asked.
"Kind of..." After thinking on it she wished to change her answer. "No... not really. We met online and we talked a lot... He was like my best friend. But he turned out to be a complete asshole..."
The group seemed to share a knowing look. "A complete asshole you met online from Shinjuku, huh?" Kyohei inquired. "You wouldn't be talking about a guy named Izaya Orihara, would you?"
Tamina felt a cool feeling wash over her. So this guy had a reputation. She should have known. This was even more embarrassing. "You know him?" She asked softly.
"We went to the same high school." Kyohei explained. "Now he's an info broker, which is shady to begin with, but I heard lately he's into even shadier things. This definitely fits his M.O." Tamina averted her gaze now. Everyone could feel the tension Izaya's name brought, but Kyohei pressed on. "So he has your things?" Her tense silence was his confirmation. "Me and Saburo know where he lives. We'll go get them."
"No, you don't have to do that." Tamina protested.
"If he makes you uncomfortable you don't have to deal with him anymore. We'll take care of it." He insisted. "But if you're planning on staying here, you need your stuff, right?"
Tamina wanted to object more, but there was no sense. She had no money, or clothes and she couldn't go on borrowing a phone charger.
"You are going to stay, right?" Erika asked. Tamina hadn't considered what she would do from here. "You can stay with me as long as you need. We'll all help you get on your feet." The group shared a nod of agreement at her statement.
"Why are you doing all of this?" Tamina asked, staring down into her lap. After the cruel reality check she'd endured, this sort of kindness was overwhelming. Yesterday she'd asked the same thing to a man that took such fun in toying with her life. Now she asked this small gang, who desperately seemed to be trying to stitch and weave her solidly back into this world.
"Because you're a Dollar." Kyohei answered almost immediately. "Don't get me wrong, we'd probably do it even if you weren't, but I dunno. That's how we want the Dollars to be. We take care of our own."
Tamina never could have imagined that the online community she'd found herself in just a few months back would be anything but that. But it wasn't just a chat or a message board. It was something tangible. And this humble group had taken it upon themselves to give it shape and purpose. It seemed a purpose in life didn't have to be anything transcendent or grand. Just anything you found yourself clinging to. Anything that truly agreed with your soul.
Tamina felt herself becoming emotional, but not entirely from sadness. She kept her eyes and head down. It was as if something was welling up inside her again. When she had woke in the morning she'd felt empty, and little by little, all day she'd been filled. Her heart had ached, and it still probably would for a while but another day was passing and the world hadn't ended. Life was going on, and she finally felt herself fully embracing that.
Kyohei sensed her tension. "Why don't you guys go talk to Simon." He told the group. It wasn't a job for three people, but Erika, Walker, and Saburo got up all the same and began to shuffle out. Walker even closed the door behind them. Tamina silently marveled. There were times it seemed the group was so in tuned they didn't even need to speak their intentions.
"I just have a quick question for you Tamina, I really hope you don't mind me getting a little personal." Kyohei started. Unsure, Tamina just nodded, so Kyohei continued. "Did Izaya do something to you?"
Tamina froze. Of course he had, but how would she explain without explaining everything. It was all so fresh. She wasn't eager to pour salt in the wound just yet.
"Did he hurt you?" Kyohei pressed.
"No." Tamina answered. 'Not physically, anyway.' She silently thought.
"Because I swear, you say the word and me, Saburo and Walker will go over there and set that motherfucker on fire." He assured her with a serious look.
Tamina was taken aback by the sudden aggression, but it was clear Kyohei didn't play those games. His respect for women and morals were too great. Even though he made it a point not to get too mixed up with Izaya these days, he knew his former classmate's manipulative and crooked ways well. He was sure the info broker was intimately tied with this girls near suicide.
Tamina had never had many male figures in her life. Positive ones anyway. As an only child who lost her father young she'd yearned for that kind of protective presence. Despite the harshness of Kyohei's words, they made her feel kind of good. " No, no, it's fine." She assured. "Really. I'm an adult and I should have been more responsible. I really want to just forget about him."
"Fair enough." Kyohei concluded the matter. He wasn't going to make her explain something she didn't want to, so he took her word for it.
When they came out of the private room they found the rest of their group at the bar. The couple of empty shot glasses on the counter hinted that they might have added to their tab rather than closing it. The slight flush in Walker and Erika's cheeks just confirmed this.
"Tamina!" Erika called to her. "It's time for your first Russian Kamikaze."
"That sounds intimidating." Tamina laughed nervously.
"It like everything in Russia! Little bit of flavor! Mostly vodka..." Simon chimed with a big smile, already pouring the drinks.
Kyohei nudged Tamina. "Hang out with these two for a bit. Me and Saburo have something to take care of."
Tamina knew his intentions, but didn't protest. "Alright." She relented.
Before she could say anything else, Walker and Erika tugged at her wrists, dragging her to the bar.
"Come on! Come on!" Erika piped.
"I usually don't drink this much..." Tamina gave a half hearted protest. She'd definitely made some regrettable decisions the last time she drank...
Walker handed her the shot glass, as if she hadn't said anything. "Simon! Tell us a story!"
"Oh yes! When I was little boy in Russia..." Simon began.
The perplexed look on Tamina's face was only interrupted when the glass that had been forced onto her was coaxed to her lips by Erika's hand.
Kyohei tapped his foot impatiently as he waited outside the apartment. When the door finally opened Izaya greeted him with a big smile. "Dotachin! What a nice surprise!" He gushed. The falseness oozed from his words.
"Just give me Tamina's stuff." Kyohei told him.
"Oh, so you're a friend of Tamina's too!" Izaya went on. "How is she doing?"
"She's fine." Kyohei replied, trying to keep it short and mask his irritation.
"Last I saw her she was looking kind of blue. I do hope everything is working out."
At that, Kyohei couldn't bite his tongue anymore. "Cut the innocent bullshit. I know you did something to that girl."
"Wow, wow." Izaya raised his hands defensively. "It seems you've got the wrong idea. I didn't do anything that wasn't invited, but she bit off more than she could chew. It's hardly my fault."
"Just give me her stuff. Now." Kyohei demanded again sternly.
"Fine, fine." Izaya relented and went back inside to get Tamina's bag while Kyohei waited in the doorway. "Here." He said when he returned with the pink duffle bag. "Have fun with that one. And just so you know, she definitely puts out."
That was it. Kyohei momentarily snapped, roughly snatching Izaya by the shirt. "You're lucky I'm not wiping the fucking floor with you! So stop testing me."
Izaya was hardly fazed, seemingly expecting the outburst with a smirk. He had bated it after all. It was just another thing he loved about humans. How easily provoked some could be. "Touchy, touchy. I'm just being honest. And since we're being honest, you're honestly no comparison to Shizu-chan." Izaya's face suddenly shifted from an amused look to a more serious one. "So let me go." He ordered.
Kyohei growled and shoved Izaya back, releasing his shirt. " If I catch you messing with that girl again, or any girl for that matter, I'll be back here." He warned, snatching Tamina's bag.
Izaya smirked. "Is it really smart for one of Dollar's key players to be running around making threats based on things he doesn't know anything about? I certainly hope you don't make a habit of that. Could be bad news for the Dollars."
Kyohei seriously contemplated decking him. He wanted to. But he exhaled a heavy breath and turned to leave. "You don't know shit about the Dollars." He mumbled as he left.
This caused Izaya to have a soft laugh. "Is that so?" He said, shutting the door.
"...And this is why I am firm believer in old Russian superstition. If your nose is itching, you will most certainly be drinking soon." Simon finally finished his long, drawn out story.
Tamina stared back. When she realized he was finished she blinked. "Oh..!" She felt compelled to say something. There was a soft flush in her cheeks now. She'd only had two of these 'Russian Kamikaze's' but she knew that she shouldn't have anymore.
Erika and Walker, on the other hand, by now had had at least four. "Wow Simon! That was great!" Walker piped. "Reminds me of the age old tale of a girl who customizes her own lover and receives the perfectly modeled android boyfriend!"
"Oh! Oh!" Erika snapped her fingers. "Absolute Boyfriend! What a classic..."
Tamina was fascinated by their connection. Even if it was an insanely obscure reference considering the strange story Simon had just told. Erika and Walker became consumed discussing the details of the aforementioned manga.
A chorus of buzzes and chimes rang out in the room. Erika and Walker quickly checked their phones and read the Dollars email notification that had alerted them. Tamina noticed Simon too checking his phone. She smiled softly to herself, completely amused by the scope of people she found herself connected to. Hearing hers, she reached for her phone on the counter. Her hand collided with the person next to hers when she did. They had also been in the process of the same action, his phone resting on the counter right next to hers. They both recoiled their hands instinctively and blurted a 'sorry.' She noticed the message on his illuminated phone screen was identical to the one on hers. It was then she realized he must be in the Dollar too. Her eyes shifted to look at the man next to her. She blinked and took the time to really have a good look. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked up too, meeting her gaze. She didn't mean to stare, but he had caught her, so she just had to ask. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like a blonde Yuuhei Hanajima?" She asked the blonde man dressed like a bar tender seated next to her.
Shizuo Heiwajima breathed a soft laugh, averting his eyes and pushing his blue glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, once or twice." He admitted.
Tamina scanned the message. It wasn't anything important. Just the usual bustle of Ikebukuro. Something she used to admire from a far. It was a strange sensation being completely submersed in it. And the network just seemed to grow. She closed the message and placed her phone back on the counter. She noticed the man next to her do the same. She decided to ask. "So, you're in the Dollars too?"
"Uh, yeah, I am." Shizuo admitted. "Are you new here, or something?" He asked.
"Yeah. Why?" She replied.
"I've just never seen you before." He said.
"Well, I'm a Dollar, so I could have always just been super transparent." She joked.
He chuckled at this. "No, I'm sure I haven't seen you around before. When you travel with that entourage it's hard to be discreet." He nodded toward her friends.
She followed his gaze and noticed Erika and Walker in the process of demonstrating the fusion technique from Dragon Ball Z. She coughed a laugh and shook her head. "I see what you mean. But yeah, I'm kind of new here." She confessed.
"Just be careful with this Dollars stuff." He felt compelled to warn. "I'm sure your friends have your back, but this city had been pretty crazy this past year."
"Crazy how?" Tamina asked.
"Eh." He waved. "Forget I said anything. I hate scaring girls." He gave her a warm look, causing her to gain a soft blush. It was really incredible. He looked -just- like Yuuhei Hanajima.
"Hey Shizuo, you about done?" The blondes friend called to him after returning from the bathroom.
"Yeah, Tom, I'll be right there." Shizuo answered and started to stand. "It was nice meeting you."
"Yeah, you too. I'm Tamina." She wanted to introduced herself before he left.
"Shizuo." He replied with a nod of acknowledgment. He grabbed a small zipped cash bag off the counter and gave a wave. "See you around."
Tamina gave a wave and a soft smile in return, watching him leave. She didn't notice the redness in her face until Erika clutched her into a tight hug.
"Well, well, well. I suddenly have a new OTP!" Erika mused, rubbing her cheek against Taminas.
Tamina squinted one eyes at the nudging. "I don't even know him."
"That was Shizuo Heiwajima! He's about the closest thing we have to a real life manga character around here!" Walker explained enthusiastically.
"He's not kidding!" Erika confirmed.
"Why? Because he looks like a pop star?" Tamina asked.
"They call him the strongest man in Ikebukuro, but it doesn't stop there. He's probably the strongest guy in Japan." Erika told her.
"The world!" Walker added.
They'd treated most matters with similar enthusiasm. On top of that they were clearly intoxicated by now. So Tamina couldn't take them entirely seriously. She didn't doubt that this Shizuo was probably strong, but she couldn't comprehend the true meaning behind her friends words. And regardless of all that, she reminded herself this probably wasn't the best time in her life for another love interests.
Simon placed a cookie on the counter in front of Tamina and walked away before she could question him. 'A...fortune cookie?" She found herself examining it to find that it, indeed, was. With a quick confused look around she broke it in her hands and pulled the tiny strip of paper out to read. It read: 'Pay attention to the signs. The universe is speaking to you.'
Her brow was tight with skepticism at first, but it slowly softened. Listening to the universe... It wasn't something she typically tried to do, but with everything that had happened, she considered maybe she did need a new perspective. Even if it came from a little cookie.
A new batch of costumers entered the establishment. The door hung open momentarily, flooding the restaurant with the noises of the city outside. Tamina glanced at the door as it slowly shut. She swore she'd heard the sound a loud horse whinny. It wasn't something she'd ever expect to hear in this busy city. She watched a moment after then looked back to the little paper in her hand. With a soft smile, she tucked the fortune into her phone case for safe keeping.
Author Notes: It's the start of something new! New life. New friends. New chemistry... Things seem to be coming together! Wouldn't it be a shame if a certain info broker started scheming...
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-Jhene Jhene
