Hey, yo, and other human greetings.
See? See? I come back, unlike Outlast! *dodges thrown coffee mug*
Jerk... Anyway! Just a quick update for everything. I have now chosen the pairings after taking both votes and ideas that I brainstormed with a few friends into account! The winner was Yuuki and Asuna, beating Yuuki and Shinichi by nearly 2 to 1.
Or as one creative review put it... "If I had to pick between Asuna and Recon, I'd ask Recon to suddenly get hit by a bus."
There is one thing I wanna touch on though; Klein may have a romantic partner in the story, but it would absolutely not be Yuuki. While the show does sometimes downplay the age gap between all the characters, Yuuki would be 16 during her resurrection, and Klein would be around 26. That's a 10 year age gap. In no way would I be comfortable writing them together. Sorry, I might give him a pairing, but not Yuuki. Gotta respect them laws yo.
Finally, and this bit of news I think most of you will like, someone PMed my account with concerns that while I may have taken over this story I might end up making it only a few more chapters long before ending it in an effort to get it done asap. I'm happy to say this isn't the case, as I have up to chapter 17 planned out in outline form, and that's before you count the ideas I have for it afterwards. So no worries about this story ending soon! HI HO SILVER!
(Also I'm stealing Outlast's quote-thingmy from his RWBY story because I like it-... OH GOD ANOTHER COFFEE MUG!)
Second Chance Chapter 7: Pathways and Hallways
"That was an awesome fight girl! You're definitely the one!" -Yuuki Konno
The sun was setting by the time Asuna and Yuuki finally left the crowded venue, and what seemed little more than a few minutes later the moon hung overhead in the sky, it's soft glow completely outshined by the night life of the city that had quickly begun to engulf the darkness that would have normally loomed over the towering structures like a blanket.
Even the pathways of the small park through which the two girls strolled felt as if they were walking in the mid afternoon sun. The true time was made apparent only by the almost menacing darkness that lay behind the tree lines, the shadows of various groups of forest critters skittering and shuffling about their usual routine flashing to and fro on the ground, making the roots of the trees seem almost as if they themselves were mobile.
A gentle breeze passed as Yuuki stared down at the shadows, her red eyes scanning the dark ground, desperately hoping to make out at least one or two of the tiny animals that sprinted by them, only to be yanked from her venture by the sound of Asuna's voice.
"...There's a lot of them, huh?"
"Yeeup."
"..."
"So..."
"So?..." Yuuki turned to the older girl, grinning up at her.
"How was it?... I never actually got the chance to ask." Asuna whispered, her voice nearly lost under the flutter of the leaves as another breeze blew.
"How was what?"
"Dying." The older girl inquired after a brief hesitation, "What was it like? Did it hurt or?-..."
"Ohh, uh..." Yuuki glanced up at the moon, staring down at them like the eye of some titanic figure silently watching the world, "It was... It was kinda like going to sleep I guess. I mean, I remember I fell over, and I gave you my Original Skill... And I think I started talking to you, but..."
"But?..."
"...Everything just faded to black after that. I don't even remember closing my eyes." Yuuki concluded as she turned to face the other girl, a sad sparkle dancing in her red irides.
Asuna felt her heart tighten in her chest, it's rhythmic thumping in her ears, "So you don't remember anything you said then?..."
"No, sorry..." Yuuki replied with an apologetic smile, though even she seemed less than thrilled that she had forgotten, "I probably said something real corny, huh?"
"N-no! No it was sweet!" The older girl insisted, waving both her hands dismissively.
"What'd I say then?"
"Oh, nothing just-..."
"C'mon seriously; what'd I say?" Yuuki pushed, the pair finally slowing to a halt under one of the dozens of lights that illuminated the pathway.
"You said..." Asuna began with a sigh, the memory of Yuuki's last words still as fresh as virgin snow in her mind, "That in your last moments you were happy with the way you were going. That you'd finally had the fulfilling life you'd always wanted, surrounded by so many great people..."
Yuuki was silent, her expression unreadable as Asuna continued.
"And that... You got to spend your final moments in the arms of-..."
Someone you-...
"...A true friend."
Moments passed like hours. Asuna felt as if she could have painted a picture in the time it finally took Yuuki to respond. And so instead of staring back at the girl she found her eyes pulling down towards the ground, examining each and every crack in the pavement as if it were the most important thing on earth.
"...You're lying, aren'tcha?"
Asuna's head shot back up to find Yuuki had taken a step towards her, though there wasn't even the slightest sign of anger upon her features, "H-huh?! No, Yuuki I-..."
Asuna was cut off as Yuuki shook her head.
"It's cool." She smiled, giving a shrug, "After all; they aren't my last words anymore!..."
"No... No, I guess they aren't..." Asuna shut her eyes as she felt herself breathing a sigh of relief. She certainly wasn't afraid Yuuki would be mad, but if she found out what she had really said on that day-...
A sudden weight pressing against Asuna's shoulder tore her from her thoughts, her eyes flying open.
She tilted her gaze downwards once more towards the ground, only to find Yuuki leaning her head against her shoulder, gently hugging her around the middle, "So if you know that, then smile."
With a tremendous amount of willpower Asuna finally felt a forced smile creep onto her face.
She held it for what she would later consider to be an admirable amount of time before it finally fell as her arms clamped around Yuuki like a vice, tears stinging her eyes.
"Please... Just never leave me again..."
"Don't worry; no plans on it, sis..." Yuuki replied, tightening her own grip on the older girl, "One thing's for sure, I'm never gonna waste an opportunity. I lived by that rule before, and I'll live by that rule now..."
"It still feels like some sort of dream..." Asuna muttered, pressing her face against the top of Yuuki's head. "I feel like I'm gonna wake up and you'll just be gone again..."
"It's not... Believe me, I checked."
Asuna finally let out a small laugh, and as weak as it may have seemed to others, Yuuki could hear the genuine amusement under the somber tone, "You checked?"
"Yeah," Yuuki's hands finally loosened their grip on Asuna's back, only to suddenly fly down to her sides, "Like this!"
"Ow! Hey, Yuuki!" Asuna laughed as Yuuki playfully pinched her, "Alright, quit it! Ow!"
"Never!"
The sound of laughter seemed to carry out throughout the park, seemingly even piercing the darkness of the tree line as several forest animals stopped their nightly foraging to stare up at the girls.
"See?" Yuuki asked as she relented, "No dreams here!"
"Good." Asuna replied as her laughter died down, "And I promise I'll make sure I do everything I can to let you experience all the stuff you missed while you were in the medicuboid."
"I'm holding you to that." Yuuki promised.
Before Asuna could say anything though, the subtle tapping sound of what seemed to be approaching footsteps echoed throughout the empty pathway, drawing the attention of both girls.
Both Yuuki and Asuna glanced back behind them just in time to watch as a man in a hoodie strolled past them, his face hidden behind a thick woolen scarf that hid almost all of his features, save for his eyes, which were locked firmly on the path ahead.
He was obviously extremely thin, despite the thick sweatshirt veiling his exact build, and his hands were stuffed into the pockets, also concealing them from inspection.
Asuna felt something in the back of her head tingle. Like every mental alarm bell in her head flashing at once. Something didn't seem right with the man. His outfit certainly didn't seem to match up with the season, and even his very stance seemed off; unnatural even.
As he approached though, Yuuki didn't seem to possess the same perception, or paranoia, as her slightly older companion and soon began waving at the man with an accompanying smile.
"Good evening ladies." The man muttered upon noticing Yuuki, the small bow of his head noticeable despite the thick hood on his head.
He said nothing more though, and quickly continued past the girls, setting his sights back onto the pathway ahead.
As if driven by some primal survival instinct, Asuna found herself turning to watch as the man departed, and as his back finally faced she and Yuuki the older girl noticed a strange logo on the back of the man's coat, it's bright white lettering standing in stark contrast to the pitch black sweater.
"Ooh, AC/DC..." Yuuki muttered as the man continued walking. Evidentially she had turned around too, and unlike Asuna, recognized the emblem.
"AC/DC?"
"Yeah, and old band my aunt used to listen to." Yuuki explained, "She would bring me old optical CDs to listen to in the hospital."
"Huh... Wonder how that guy knows them." The older girl pondered, her hands on her hips.
"They were pretty famous, it's not like there aren't at least a few fans of theirs still out there."
"Yeah, I guess..." Asuna hummed, looking down the street in the direction the man had disappeared to.
If what Yuuki said was true then surely her sense about that man really had just been playing tricks on her. Wasn't like it hadn't happened before in the past. But still, something-...
"Hmm? Somethin' up?"
"Huh?" Glanced over to find Yuuki staring at her with a raised eyebrow, quickly bringing her hands up as she shoo her head, "Oh, no! Nothing!..."
Yuuki smiled and shook her head, "Didn't we just talking about how bad you were at lying?"
Asuna was quick to open her mouth in an effort to offer a rebuttal but soon realized she would merely short, and so let out a defeated sigh.
Instead of pushing the issue however, Yuuki let out a bright laugh as she grabbed her friend's hand, pulling her along, "C'mon! We still gotta get to your place, and the gang isn't gonna wait forever!"
Quickly putting the encounter they'd had behind them, Asuna and Yuuki quickly broke into a jog, continuing their to the formers home, both hearts and minds ever so slightly lighter.
Kazuto hated this little habit of his.
He had first noticed it a few months ago, though according to most of his friends it had been a problem with him since day one.
That problem? He had a tendency to stand in front of doors for an uncomfortably lengthy amount of time before he actually worked up the nerve to finally knock. Part of him wanted to blame a lack of preparedness, and another part on him wanting to give the person on the other side just a few more moments of peace before shattering it with his presence.
Or... As Klein liked to put it; he was anti-social. Probably that one.
And that was where he was now; standing in front of Shino's door like a dim witted orphan.
Sighing, he rapped his fist against the wooden surface, listening as shuffling began to echo from inside the apartment, accompanied by an approaching voice, "Coming!..."
Only a few moments later Kazuto watched as the doorway was pulled open, revealing Shino, dressed almost identically to the day when he had first met her, minus her glasses, which were curiously absent from her face.
"Hey, Kazuto. Sorry about calling you so suddenly."
"It's fine, what's up?" The black clad boy asked, "You said something about Seijirou on the phone?..."
"Yeah. He called me about an hour ago; told me he had something to give to me-..." Shino glanced down to the floor, her shoulders slumping, "From Kyouji..."
"Kyouji? Really?"
"Yeah..."
"I know it's been almost a year, but I thought he still wasn't stable enough to be allowed any visitors?" Kazuto asked, shifting uncomfortably.
"He's not. But I guess your 'friend' has enough clout to bypass the rules." Shino replied. While she certainly didn't share the same distrust that Asuna did for the man she still kept her guard up around him.
"I don't know if that's comforting or terrifying." Kazuto grinned.
Shino gave him a smirk of her own in return, "Little of both."
There was a few moments of shared mirth between the two before they fell into silent, the distant sounds of cars and people milling about dominating the air for nearly a minute.
Just as Kazuto felt like he was about to begin to sweat from the ever lengthening silence Shino raised a confused eyebrow, "...So, you gonna come in or just stand there like a moron?"
"Uh, in! In's good, thanks!..." Kazuto mumbled as Shino stepped aside, letting him into the apartment.
As he heard Shino close and bolt shut the door with practiced persision Kazuto found himself taking in the view of the tiny apartment.
It certainly was a utilitarian abode. Everything one person would need to sustain themselves in their day to day living, no more and no less. Even the entrance was designed to save space, almost immediately transferring into the hallway-like kitchen and laundry room combo that lead directly into Shino's bedroom and connecting bathroom; the only real open space in the entire apartment.
Despite the cramped space though, Kazuto could've easily seen himself living in quarters such as this. It suited a gamer. Each and every item in this apartment had a use. No unnecessary tat.
"So when's Seijirou due to show his face?" Kazuto finally asked.
"Couple more minutes." Shino replied, glancing at the clock on the wall, "He said he was coming from across town, so he's probably locked in a sea of rush hour traffic."
"Oh..." Kazuto hummed, his voice trailing off.
Shino was taking this news of a message from Kyouji surprisingly well.
Since the Death Gun incident, Shino hadn't really gone out of her way to mention Kyouji, and for a time Kazuto silently suspected she was attempting to bury him and his memory in the past, but this meeting quickly made to defy that particular suspicion.
Kazuto felt his shoulders tense up as the image of Kyouji's demented face looming over him flashed in his mind's eye. He would never forget how desperately the psychosis addled teen had fought. Like a wild animal. That haunting shriek he had let out as the two wrestled for control of that retracting syringe...
Kazuto let out a strangled breath. He certainly wouldn't have blamed Shino if, despite her promise, she never actually attempted to make contact with the boy ever again.
"Kazuto?"
"Huh?"
"Were you even listening?" Shino asked, giving the boy a soft glare.
"Sorry, guess I kinda zoned out." Kazuto awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"I'll say..." Shino said with a roll of the eyes, "So do you want anything to drink or?..."
"Sure, just... No oolong tea, please." Kazuto half asked half begged, earning a nod in response.
"Got it."
The swordsman watched as she quickly whirled around and began searching the nearby fridge for a suitable drink.
"So... How's GGO going?" Kazuto asked as he leaned against the counter, "Are you going to try for the BoB again this year?"
"Yeah, and without you to slow me down I'll be headed straight for the top." Shino replied, her head still hidden behind the fridge door as the sound of shifting jars and cans echoed throughout the room.
"Aw, c'mon, I wasn't that bad." Kazuto laughed, "I mean... I did cut one of your bullets in half during the pre-lims."
"I was goin' easy on you."
"You missed me like!-..." Kazuto paused to silently count on his fingers, "Six! Six times! And that's not counting the one I cut!"
Shino finally paused to peek her head out over the fridge door, "Is that your way of saying you want oolong tea after all?"
"Uh, no! Sorry!..."
"Mhm." Shino hummed, the small smile on her face still concealed by the metal door.
Just as Shino turned back towards the fridge another knock at the door sounded.
With a small sigh Shino plucked a can of soda from the fridge, handing it to Kazuto before quickly making her way to the door.
After giving the potential visitor a brief inspection through her peep hole of her front door she stepped back, opening the entranceway without a word.
And there Seijirou stood, a calm smile on his face as he gave the two teens a friendly wave. In his other hand was a small video player, it's power cord hanging loosely down by the man's feet.
"Hey there you two; sorry I'm late."
