Faded Lines and Future Signs

A Sauce Project Production

By: Aviantei & Chronic Guardian

}Hybrid::Mixed Feelings x Muse{

[Shibuya Operation – Story Storm]

-Chapter 7: Discover a Way to Move Beyond-

Ganabara observed the crowd with one hand resting on the skull badge embroidered to his jacket. According to the woman he talked to earlier it marked him as a "Player" for the Game and afforded a few supernatural abilities. Other badges could be pinned on to expand his repertoire, but the skull patch was currently the most valuable tool in his arsenal. Right now, it was allowing him to find a partner.

Reaching out with his senses, Ganabara could hear thoughts from those around him, as if he were tapping into their private offices unannounced. The world became more open, more direct. He could see desires and needs, the weighing of risks, the statement of objectives. He could see it in everyone but the ones he was looking for. In a twist of cruel irony, Players were not allowed to know the intentions of the person they were asked to trust most: their partner.

Ganabara frowned as he stumbled on another blank spot. She was young, frantic, but didn't look particularly delinquent. Still, she wouldn't make the cut as a partner. Ganabara had only one, high-risk deposit to place and he wasn't interested in throwing it to slush bonds.

"Yo, Grandspank."

Ganabara looked up to see a younger man with bleached hair and an eyepatch holding out a hand towards him. An unfinished Yakuza tattoo snaked along his arm like a bad credit line "You need a pact?"

Ganabara stared back calmly, evaluating the offer. It wasn't the first he'd received, but like the others the contracting party seemed less than eligible for the job description. Ganabara needed someone who could cooperate. Someone strong, cunning, but not flagrantly stand-offish. He needed someone who could make up for his weaknesses without asking the impossible of him.

In other words, he needed someone who didn't need him to change.

"Hey, Ragmagnet, Imma talkin' to—"

"I heard you, young man," the accountant confirmed politely. "But I'm afraid I can't help you. Perhaps that young lady there?" He indicated the girl he tried to scan.

The man with the eye-patch gave him a dirty look, but took the advice and stomped off.

What, not good enough for you? the looks said. Ganabara smiled in response before going back to scanning. Still nothing.

It was not long before another Player came to interrupt his efforts. "Well, isn't this interesting?" A smooth voice chuckled. "No Noise making a free lunch out of you, eh?"

Ganabara did not turn towards the new voice, but he allowed himself a small smile at the wordplay. "Perhaps the Noise actually respect the elderly. A shame the other Players don't."

"Ah, sorry about that, ojiisan," the newcomer apologized, an odd note of sincerity poking through. "Just thought it might come in handy later. Not having to deal with Noise? With a partner like that, this time around would be much easier."

"This time?" Ganabara echoed. He turned to look his latest companion, a young man with sharp eyes and a cool, confident air about him. Unlike the delinquent, this boy actually looked responsible enough to survive the week. Of course, judging by that last statement… "You've been through the Game before, then?"

"Once, yeah," the young man replied, a small smile flickering across his face. "If you'd like, I can show you how to survive."

"Hmph," the accountant offered a wry look before turning back to the streets. "I appreciate the offer, young man, but I'm afraid I may not pass your quality control. Why not partner with someone who shares your production capabilities?"

"Because I'm not looking for a twin," the young man answered without missing a beat. "I'm looking for a partner. I need someone who gives me an advantage I can't develop on my own. The way I see it, that means I'm looking for you."

Ganabara slowly twiddled at the end of his mustache and pressed his mouth into a thin line. It did not sound like a particularly bad deal. However, appealing proposals were notorious for hidden costs. He had to make certain of the synergy before committing to the merger.

"I suppose you're awfully confident in your own skill then?" he offered, raising an eyebrow.

"I made it through once," the young man returned nonchalantly. "All I need is a partner to play with."

"Someone to train as your assistant?"

The young man shook his head and smiled. "No training necessary. Just don't die."

Ganabara took a moment to look his companion over, scanning for signs of insincerity, before grunting to himself and nodding. "Well… if you would be so kind as to offer a name, I dare say we have a deal."

The young man broke into a grin as he bowed. "Yukimura Jun."

"Ganabara Hideo." The older man returned the bow. "The pleasure is all mine."


It was a short walk from Shibu-Q Heads to Tipsy Tose, but certainly long enough for Tendo to express her concerns on the most recent developments.

"Maybe you forgot, but we're kind of on a tight schedule," the younger Processor gritted out, matching Ganabara's case with a heavy stride. "If you want to waste time playing games with Lolli-ribs you can do it on your own time."

"Kariya-san is more resourceful than you might think, Tendo-san," Ganabara replied calmly. He kept his arms tucked in his sleeves and contented himself with watching the road ahead. "Truly, you cannot think one of our best Harrier agents is all that he sells himself to be?"

Tendo snorted. "Well, he's an anomaly, I'll give you that. Didn't think it was possible to be so damn lazy and live so long."

"I suppose his efficacy is waning, yes. He's not the young man he was thirty-some odd years ago."

There was a pause in the conversation and it took a moment for Ganabara to realize Tendo was giving him a shrewd look. He answered it with a raised eyebrow.

"Thirty?" She echoed. "Well…"

Ganabara allowed himself a smirk. "How many years of service were you previously sold on?"

"Something old." She brushed off the question with characteristic ease. Now that she'd regained her bearings, the walls we coming up again. "Didn't think he'd be anywhere in your ballpark, though."

"The very same ballpark, actually," Ganabara observed. For whatever odd reason, he was enjoying this moment of correcting his subordinate. "Our entry into the Underground happened in the same Game."

"Is that so?" Tendo's tone was quickly drifting into an uninterested drone. Perhaps knowing Kariya was anywhere near Ganabara's generation was a turn-off.

In a way, Ganabara didn't blame her. He "harumphed" and rolled his eyes, but that didn't mean he didn't expect it. He was old, and the old were boring. Respect wasn't earned by surviving; anyone could survive in the right circumstances. It was only the inspired who earned the right to honor and life.

Ganabara subconsciously winced at the thought, and his pace slowed to a crawl. If he was being honest with himself, it was the reason he had not returned to life. When he had played the Reapers' Game years ago, he had played only well enough to get by. He hadn't known it at the time, but it was also the way his partner played.

Yukimura was a second-time Player. He'd survived his first game by being pacted to an outstanding partner. The problem with the arrangement was that it left Yukimura unfulfilled at the end of the week. The young man put on a weak performance and thus was not eligible for resurrection. In his second week, he was determined to remedy that flaw by contrasting against a weaker partner.

Unfortunately for Yukimura, Players were not judged on a bell curve.

Ganabara only learned the truth much later, long after being instated as a Processor. By that point, he had already accepted his place in the UG. Ganabara was weak; having Yukimura acknowledge that only made it visible.

A few steps ahead of him, Tendo stopped to give him a flat look. "You need a breather, sir?"

"I'm fine," he growled, pushing himself back up to speed. "Please, save the patronage for later."

"Whatever you say..." Tendo's tone shifted to the slightest hint of skeptical sing-song before she resumed moving. Her swamp-weed hair swayed behind her, as if shaking from side to side in disapproval.

Ganabara glared at her back and followed. Why he should care what a young upstart thought was beyond him, but he found her disruptive all the same. Of course, the problem with disruptive upstarts was that they were usually right.

So what could he do to make himself more relevant to the market? He was too old to rebrand. Perhaps he could play the shell company game and rebuild his reputation through a younger colleague? No, that wouldn't work; he'd been an exemplary administrator for years. If he were to be acknowledged for his influence it would have happened already. The sad truth of the situation was that his game was over before it had begun. At this point, he was just seeing how long he could cheat the system into validating his existence.

How did the young ones do it? Mininaka had said something about changing, hadn't she? Was that kind of market mobility reserved for the young and agile?

Well… perhaps. Ganabara again focused on the young woman in front of him and indulged in a brief, weary smile. Not all change was for the best. He'd personally handled Tendo's entry fee for her Game. That particular nudge hadn't done much for her emotional health.

The thought was vindictive, but Ganabara wasn't feeling particularly choosey. If nothing else, it helped to recognize he was not the only Reaper struggling to perfect his market strategy.

By the time they arrived at Tipsy Tose, Ganabara had regained his place parallel to his subordinate. The wind had calmed and even with the murmuring, milling crowds the world felt properly quiet for the first time that day. While it was certainly not the silence of the den, there was a soothing quality almost like the babbling of country brook. It felt peaceful but, more importantly, it also felt alive.

He was almost sad to hear it end of it when Tendo cleared her throat.

"Mm? Yes?" He blinked and looked to the side. "What news, Tendo?"

The young woman took a moment to roll her eyes and give him a flat look before making a sweeping gesture to the surroundings. "You remember what we came here for, sir?"

Ganabara stopped to process the statement as he realized the significance. "...Kariya."

"Yup, Kariya," Tendo repeated testily. "And guess who isn't here?"

Ganabara was about to form an answer when a familiar red-headed figure emerged out of the crowd behind Tendo. "Dunno, is it game?" A lazy smile formed around a bean-paste lollipop stick. "Mind if I join?"

The younger Processor flinched and threw a punch that the red-head easily caught and brushed off with a chuckle. "Hey, easy now! I ain't looking for trouble, Queen Bee. We're both on the same side now, a'ight?"

"Huh," Tendo scowled and spat to the side. Ganabara watched Kariya's eyes trace the saliva through several bystanders until it plopped on the sidewalk. "Still the same trolling bastard, aren't you?"

"And you're still charming as ever," Kariya replied with a shrug. "Well, what ya gonna do, huh?"

Stepping between the two before Tendo could get out another come-back Ganabara grunted and adjusted his glasses. "If you're quite done," he began, giving each Reaper an admonishing look, "we do, in fact have a few questions for you, Kariya-san."

"Oh, goody, questions," Kariya smirked. "Y'know? I was hoping you'd do this on my day off."

"Week off," Tendo put in emphatically.

Kariya smiled back. "Details."

"As I was saying," Ganabara started again. "We were wondering if you could help us solve a bit of a mystery. You see, something's not right in the UG."

"You don't say…" Although the statement was still leeringly casual, it was not an outright rejection. Kariya was still giving them a chance to explain themselves. Seizing the opportunity, Ganabara pressed on.

"We have reason to believe someone is trying to usurp the Composer's throne," the older Processor explained, sticking to the earlier story Koizumi had given them. "Have you noticed anything off today? Any suspicious characters?"

"More suspicious than you two?" Kariya idly twirled his lollipop between his finger and thumb as he raised an eyebrow.

Ganabara gave a flat look. "Kariya-san..." The red-head ignored him.

"Suspicious as… Oh, I don't know, Jack the Ripper?"

There was a beat of silence as Kariya let the statement sink in.

Tendo crossed her arms and sniffed. "What about Jack?"

"Not much, really," Kariya admitted. "Just saw him stalking an RG girl I know."

"An RG girl you know," Tendo repeated in a flat tone. "Who you haven't also been stalking."

"Ex-Player," Kariya explained, waving his lollipop a little for emphasis. "She made an impression. You know, the kind of girl who doesn't just play the Game. The kind who make things fun. Too bad they didn't let her become a Reaper; she'd be cleanin' house in the points department."

"And putting you out of a job," Tendo added cooly. "Yeah… too bad."

Ganabara sighed. They were getting nowhere fast with these constant jabs. Unless someone kept them on task, Tendo would just feed Kariya's personal amusement until the cows came home.. "Let's not get carried away," the older Processor chided them, folding his arms in his sleeves before nodding to Kariya. "Focus on the current job: What was Jack doing stalking this girl?"

"Why does Jack do anything?" Kariya answered without really answering anything at all. "The guy's a regular basket case. Half the time we keep him off commission just to keep everyone sane."

"If you had to put a guess to it, though?" Ganabara insisted.

"Then I'd guess he's not what you're looking for," Kariya shrugged. "Simple as that."

"Gee, thanks for that then," Tendo muttered, massaging her temple with one hand. "So basically you've been wasting time like always?"

"Sure, if that's the way you wanna see it. Be my guest."

Tendo groaned in response, but Ganabara held up a hand for patience. "And what if I want to see you as the missing supply link for our little mystery?" the elderly man asked slowly.

"Well then…" the red-headed Harrier took a pause to lick his lollipop and close his eyes. "I'd say 'tough beans'. I'm off the clock as far as official duties go."

"And I'm a Master Processor," Ganabara returned. "Would you like me to clock you back in?"

"Oh, zing!" Kariya chuckled and gave an amused look. "You're not foolin' around, are ya? Do I at least get a plea bargain?"

"No good, we're on a mission from the Composer."

"Really?" Another chuckle. "Well, isn't that a coincidence? So am I."

"Ye-pardon?" Ganabara paused mid reply to frown. "But… didn't you just say-?"

"Off the official clock," Kariya said, wagging his lollipop at the Processors. "This part's kinda more under the table."

"Yeah, sure it is…" Tendo planted her hands on her hips and gave the red-head a sour look. "Because you just love taking on extra work. Yeah, that definitely lines up."

"Well…" For a brief moment Kariya's demeanor sagged and Ganabara saw the man age all the years lost in the Underground. Something weary flashed in his eyes and the hidden toll of many Games passed rose and fell in a single breath.

"It's not work if you make it a game, right?"

And then Kariya was smiling his secretive smile again, enjoying the world behind his amber-tinted glasses. The world was a joke, and he understood the punchline.

"Alright, troll," Tendo said, clenching her hands at her sides. Ganabara almost wondered if Kariya understood how close he was to getting mauled. "So this is just a game, huh? Then what are you trying to win?"

"Something good," the Harrier answered vaguely, breaking eye-contact to look back towards Shibu-Q heads. "Why, you got something better?"

"I don't know... how does 'not-a-knuckle-sandwich-to-your-damn-face' sound to you?"

Kariya gave a tight smile and raised his eyebrows.

"Forgive me for thinking so, but I don't think he's convinced," Ganabara noted dryly. "If I may, Tendo-san?"

Tendo kept her eyes on the Harrier's head, but she didn't interrupt. Taking that as his cue to attack, Ganabara switched tactics and decided a deal in Kariya's natural currency was in order.

"How about a game, then?" the elder Processor asked, dropping a frank smile. "Winner tells all."

"Sorry, no dice," Kariya said, taking another pass at this lollipop.

Ganabara paused to notice Tendo was now eyeing him. Grimacing, he pushed on. "You're not curious?"

"Well…" the red-head tilted his head from side to side, bouncing his bushy hairdo like a living flame. "More hungry, really."

"Okay, so we buy you ramen if you win," Tendo asserted, nodding her head before Kariya had chance to decline the terms. "Great. Now play the stupid game."

Kariya gave them a measuring look, but ultimately shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Sure, why not?"

The quick agreement unnerved Ganabara. Either Kariya didn't actually have anything useful, or he was very confident he wouldn't lose. Or perhaps he didn't care either way. Kariya also liked mind games.

Unfortunately, that didn't make the situation any less difficult.

"So… this game," Kariya continued. Making a rolling motion with his fingers. "What's the gig?"

Ganabara forced a confident look. He could always play a game of the market. Kariya had some experience in the area, but not nearly as much as Ganabara. It would not be very sporting, but if there was any time to be abandoning fair play, now was it.

Of course, if he played things that way Kariya might just as well avoid the point. For all the time Ganabara had known him, the lollipop loving red-head never had a problem putting one over on a would-be hustler. To get anything out of this, Ganabara would need to play to his opponent's sense of honor. He would need to play something with that gave them both a fighting chance.

"Do you remember our Game, Kariya-san?" Ganabara asked, twiddling thoughtfully at the end of his mustache.

"Sure… been a while though. Why? Lookin' for a reenactment?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," the older Processor stopped and looked out on the surrounding crowds, crowds that would be gone and passed once Golden Week was over. So many lives sharing a single moment that would someday be only a memory. "I want to know how we've changed since then."

Kariya paused for a moment, then grinned. "Reaper Sport Eight: Psychiatrist. A'ight… I'm game. Guess away, doc."

"Wait… Psychiatrist?" Tendo gave an incredulous frown and crossed her arms. "Since when is this a Reaper Sport?"

"It's an older game," Ganabara explained, moving his gaze to rest on Kariya. "The rules are simple: I guess the truth about my opponent without the use of a Player pin and he guesses the same about me. Then an host party determines who guessed the closest to the truth."

"Although it's not quite fair," Kariya mock-whined, stretching out an arm across his body. "Seeing as you've got the arbiter on your side."

"What, you're trusting me?" Tendo blinked, then shifted her mouth to the side and shrugged. "Well, okay then. Your funeral, I guess."

Kariya grinned at the girl, then locked eyes with Ganabara. "You ready, old-timer?"

Ganabara stared right back and nodded.

"A'ight, then let's get started…" Kariya's glasses flashed and he leveled his lollipop at Ganabara's sightline. "You've learned to stand on your own. No more crying to your partner, no calling time out for the grown-ups. Your manners haven't aged well, but you made sure to snag a spot where you wouldn't need 'em.

"On the flipside, you're still afraid, still old, and still struggling to understand anyone who comes in under thirty," the red-head stopped to smile and hover the lollipop back to his lips. "Sound about right?"

Ganabara looked back to Tendo and nodded. Consciously lowering his barriers he waited for her to scan him.

He endured the moment with dignity. Although it was the mental equivalent of stripping off his clothes (and in front of a lady, no less), he stood with his back straight and his chin strong. The piercing cold of invisible eyes would always feel intrusive, but he at least knew he didn't have anything to hide.

When she was done, Tendo crinkled her face into a repulsed look, as if she'd just sifted through a dirty laundry bin thrown in the dumpster. "Well… That was-"

"Save it until the end, please," Ganabara said softly. "It's my turn now." Turning his eyes back to Kariya again, the Older Processor smiled and proceeded.

"You've become more personally engaged in your work."

"Is that so?" Kariya's face was practically cracking in half with his smile.

"When you first came to the Underground, you lost your drive to work," Ganabara pushed on. "It was part of your entry fee. Then, when you got it back, you didn't know what to do with it. For a long time, you only worked the Game because your first partner made it a game for you. You never had the drive to reach the top because you never had anyone waiting there for you. You've become a people person, Kariya-san, your currency is no longer wealth or accolades, it is personal understanding.

"However, it was not until you were partnered with the Yashiro girl that you had a reason to really care about advancement again. These past few months you've been pushing your numbers incrementally, yet you still deny every promotion offered. Almost like you're waiting for something. You've changed your mind about moving up, but it's not for yourself. You're engaged in your work because you have something, no, someone you're working for.

"You, Kariya Koki, have learned to care again, and the person you care about is moving up."

"Huh," Kariya smirked and shifted a contemplative glance to his lollipop. "Interesting theory…"

"Very well then," Ganabara nodded to his companion. "Tendo?"

"Easy there." The Harrier held up a hand as his tone dropped into playful resignation. "Just tell me if I was right."

Tendo looked between the Harrier and her superior before sighing and showing her hands palm up. "How the hell am I supposed to score this? Three out of six?"

Kariya paused for the briefest moment before giving a smile and a shrug. "Ah, well… can't win 'em all."

"Wait…" Tendo's eyes shot back to the red-head. "So that means-"

"Let's keep it professional, shall we?" Kariya interrupted. He gave a quick glance around as if looking for eavesdroppers before leaning forward a little locking eyes with Ganabara. His eyes were still playful, but they were tempered with a hint of respect now. "The girl I was watching… I was actually supposed to be keeping people like Jack the Real-head-case off her tail. Her name's Amber Hanekoma."

Ganabara kept his face straight as his hopes began to deflate. Had this been a wild goose-chase after all? Was Kariya pretending to lose and making up for it with false information?

"And?" the Master Processor pressed, trying not to sound to desperate.

Slowly, Kariya's smile came back as he pointed the way towards Shibu-Q Heads.

"And she's got a date with the Composer in Udagawa."


[Avi's Once Again Preemptive Author's Notes]

Another week has come and gone, and we're back at it again! And you know what? I love Kariya. Seriously. Man. What an awesome character. And CG has such a great handle on his character that it's a pleasure to read.

Anyways, this time around we get to see...even more Ganabara! And Dai! I, for one, am effectively stoked for when we get to see this game in From the Underground Up, just because of the characters involved. That's a long time coming, but, hey, Muse is honestly gonna be a long time coming, too, so that's fair enough.

Erm, wait…

That being said, I really enjoy working behind the scenes with CG and seeing how he builds his chapters and stories. I also enjoy seeing just what hints from Muse I can get him to weave in without spoiling things too hard for him. So far it's been successful, and we've got some good nuggets slipped into this one. Hopefully Muse will be worth the wait… I managed to build some more concrete scenes thanks to the development of this chapter, so someday on the horizon!

Other than these rambling notes, though, I feel like we're really working out a lot of connectivity points and truly bringing the Hybrid and Muse worlds together, one step at a time. With a talented author like CG helping me out, I'm sure keeping it up won't be an issue. Now I just gotta do my part, too!

Ah, that Suzume and Kariya dynamic...

Next week, it's me once again! Man, we're really running this thing close to the end. I'm excited, and I hope you are, too. With that being said, in regards to my chapter next week, please look forward to it!

-Avi

[02.12.2017]


[CG's Hopefully-Not-Garglemesh Notes]

Ouch. School hurts.

In other news, this chapter is out on time! So, hey, at least there's that.

But seriously, not to bog you down with my personal troubles, but it's been a little... uh, rushed lately. Pretty much the only reason I got this chapter out was because 1:I have creative friends like Aviantei and EeveeGen9988 who spur me on and fill me with Determination (yes, that reference was just for you, Eevee), 2:Because I have to maintain some form of image as a Sauce Project Manager, and 3: Because I'm gonna need to be used to deadlines once I get out of school and start writing my first piece of original fiction. More on that later (probably).

As for writing this chapter, I feel that this chapter was smaller than others because this is pretty much the climax of Ganabara's character arc and the action needed to be focused. Ganabara has already gone through his major conflict at this point and the rest is just gonna be falling action from here. He's settled his character points and now there's nothing left but to tie it up in a neat bow and gift it to the readers.

Getting him to this point, however, required that he confront two things: his ability to work in the present (shown through his interaction with Suzume) and his past flaws (shown in his showdown with Kariya). Although this definitely could have been planned better, I'm pretty happy with how the themeology came out and fell into place.

Speaking of Kariya, he was originally going to be accompanied by Uzuki in this encounter before I decided it would be more fun to shadow his motives a little closer. Confused? Don't worry, Chapter 9 will explain.

Last but not least for now, I would like to invite you to take a moment and drop by the Shibuya Operation - Story Storm forum and say hi at the Scramble. Not much, just a "I am Commander Shepherd, and this is my favorite forum on fan fiction dot net!" blurb or what have you. If you would be so kind, if would really help out my fellow SOSS Players...

I'll be seeing you again in two weeks! Until then, enjoy what Avi's got for ya!

-CG

[02.12.2017]


[Character File: The Mysterious Tendo Suzumebachi]

So... Tendo has sort of been my link to Muse for a while now. Diligent readers will note she already showed up in Hybrid::Mixed Feelings, and that cameo was kind of a precursor to this story. At that point, I was already asking around about connecting universes and Avi brought up Miss Tendo as a possible character I could borrow. From there on out, I've been slowly uncovering her character while double checking my work against Avi's (sometimes frustratingly) spoiler free critiques. Basically, imagine painting a picture or a character with a fish tank distorting the perspective between you and having to shout out to someone on the other side of the fish tank to know whether or not you're actually seeing what you're supposed to be seeing. Is that a weird metaphor? Oh, yeah, absolutely, but that's what CG specializes in.

Here in FLaFS, it was decided very early on that Tendo would not have a resolved character arc. You will notice that the RG side features both Rueban and Hotaru while the UG side only narrates from Ganabara's perspective with Tendo as a sidekick. Sort of like having Sonic and Tails on the same screen but you can only control Sonic (and Tails has developed a super vindictive streak). As a framing character, I'm allowed to brush on pieces of Suzume's past, but her main function in the story is to foil Ganabara for now.

That's not to say we don't know anything about her, though! Suzume is said to be a fairly recent addition to the Reapers, so I'm guessing she played the same game as Hotaru. She's a very passive character who doesn't have a whole lot of attachment in the current UG so for the most part she's content to turtle down and only bite the fingers poked at her. However, the major exception to this rule is Yoshiya. For some reason, she really does not like Yoshiya. That's a big piece of why she tolerates going on this adventure with Ganabara in the first place, but in the big picture her feelings can't be resolved until Muse.

Gosh dang it.

In the meantime, at least she makes a good snarky sidekick...