Alright! Last chapter was hot-blooded to the max and was awesome to write too! I'm feeling really happy with what I wrote so far, so I decided to work even harder and get the third chapter out on time.
This chapter is less dramatic than before, since it deals with the aftereffects of Gentaro's first day at Honnōji, and Mako introducing him and Ryūko to her family.
I hope you are all prepared for some whacky antics, because this chapter will be a comedy chapter!
Oh yes, and it'll have something added in for later. Will it be dramatic or important, who knows? The Swordslinger and I do, but we ain't telling!
Disclaimers go here and are sent to outer space. Toei and Trigger own, I own not.
Without further ado, I present to you… Meet the Mankanshoku Family, Gentaro and Ryūko!
Translations for this chapter:
Yatta – Same as Yosh, which you can see on the first chapter/Yay!/Yeah!/I did it!
Choice of Song for this chapter: Kill La Kill OST: Light Your Heart up.
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"What an incredibly awesome day! I made four new best buds! I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds in its hand, and who becomes my friend next!" Cheering loudly, Gentaro pumped his fist in the air as he walked home with his school bag slung over his back.
Next to him Ryūko walked with Mako cheering behind him, her outfit now completely replaced with Senketsu in his default form. The Kamui in his basic shape resembled an average school uniform save for being washed in his colors, and exposing her stomach, as well as gaining a red glove with a pin-trigger attached to it.
That was something she was given to help trigger her transformation by directly giving him her blood, Gentaro remarking with wide eyed amazement, "He drinks your blood and helps you fight?! That's… SO COOL! Best buds working together and sharing their strength like that, I wish my Suit and I could do that!"
"Oi, is your pompadour rooted in your skull or something?" the irritated red-locked asked with a deadpan look.
He tilted his head to one side, "Not that I'm aware of, but that could explain why this pompadour feels so much like it's a part of my own spirit."
Despite her initial reservations about the differences between their respective transformations, and the look of disbelief she had to shake after hearing such a thing, Ryūko felt her face break into a crooked smile at how childish and happy her best friends were. Their good mood was infectious and she couldn't help but feel more secure in her relationship with Senketsu.
Something that the Kamui remarked upon, "Ryūko, your blood is feeling more at ease. Are you finally accepting that I am the only outfit you will ever need?"
She really didn't need that kind of question, "Shut your mouth- face- whatever! Just shut it, dammit! I'm not going to sleep in you or crap like that!" being eloquent was hard when you argued with your uniform.
As always, Gentaro's pompadour seemed to do all the thinking, "Ryūko-chan! Senketsu just wants to be your bud! And I support him fully in that! Do your best, Senketsu!"
The uniform's eye on the red muffler perked up happily, "Thank you, Gentaro-san! I definitely will!"
There was a limit that everyone had, and Ryūko had reached hers, "Can't you two just shut your pie holes?!"
Laughing happily, Mako felt her chipmunk like cheeks widen into a huge bright smile as she watched her two best friends talk, "Gen-chan is super cool when he's trying to make new friends! I can't wait to make new friends with Gen-chan! But more importantly! Mako remembered! Her best friends need a new place to stay, right?"
Digging her pinky finger through her ears to dig some wax out she immediately blew off, Ryūko looked confused at the question before Gentaro banged his hand against his fist with a loud exclamation of agreement, "Ah! You're right! The No-Star Dorms are completely riddled with drafty rooms and huge roaches, right?"
That caused the red-locked girl to suddenly stop in her tracks, a rapid twitch overtaking her eye at the very thought of gigantic roaches. She had horrible flashbacks to a god awful horror film she watched back at her old private school. Said film involving terrifying flesh-eating roaches that swarmed over a small resort town and started turning people into disgusting cockroach human mutants.
Meanwhile the sheriff and his sexy ex-girlfriend had to deal with a sociopathic scientist woman that quite frankly had more than a fascination on them, more like some urges that needed to be sated in all the wrong ways.
"Why not stay at Mako's home then, Gen-chan, Ryūko-chan? You two would be welcome, most definitely! Mako's family would love to meet friends of hers! And she wants to introduce you to them too!" Mako said happily, her finger raised as she eagerly clapped her hands in excitement as she talked in third person out of sheer glee.
Gentaro grinned widely, his smile shining brilliantly, "I'd love to meet your family Mako-chan! It'll be really fun! Bonds born from blood, heart and soul are truly unshakable and unbreakable! I want to meet the people that helped Mankanshoku Mako to become the friend I cherish!"
"YATTA! Gen-chan, Ryūko-chan let's go! Mako wants you to meet them now!" Grabbing their arms, the coconut headed girl dashed off, dragging them both dramatically making them both yell in excitement and surprise respectively.
Senketsu tasted something odd, "Hmm… Being this close to these two makes your blood warm and sweet. It's as if you were at a complete ease, no matter how odd they are."
Ryūko grimaced, "Hey, don't say stuff like that while tasting my blood!"
"But Ryūko-chan, your bond with Senketsu is one of literal blood!" Gentaro as always tried to defend his friends in the way that made the most sense to his pompadour.
Mako, however, didn't hear the odd trip banter as she kept pulling them forward.
"C'mon, we just go down this dark alley, down this creepy corner, through these sewage drains, and we'll get to my home!" Mako led them on a path that even the slimiest of people would admit was disgusting, Ryūko felt bile rise up in her mouth as she waded through tons of refuse, through piles of garbage, and down into the slums.
Gentaro was like Mako, he saw nothing wrong with the path they were taking, in fact his smile was only widening even more at the thought of meeting her family, something that made his best bud even happier.
Said coconut head knew that the people of her clan would love Ryūko and Gentaro, and Senketsu as well! Her good mood proved as infectious as the Rider's own, and she begun humming a song she loved listening to as a child.
Both Rider and Kamui wielder gave each other nods, seeing their best friend so happy was worth the path they were going through, and even if she still felt reservations about this whole situation the red-headed girl had to admit that if Mako was really happy to introduce them then that's what mattered.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaannnndddd~! TADA~! Mako is home! Mom! Dad! Mataro! Guts! Mako has brought friends!" She led them to what was little more than a hole in the wall door in a back alley, with a worn and filthy looking sign above the entrance reading: "Mankanshoku Back Alley Doctor Clinic."
A loud ruff was heard before a wildly running small dog dashed right up to the three of them, said dog wore an odd hoodie-sweater, had a huge mutt like face with a vacant pair of googly eyes, a tongue that stuck out, and best looked like some kind of weird mutant animal.
"Guts! Guts!" It barked energetically, leaping onto Gentaro's face. The small mutt begun frantically licking him with abundant doggy passion and love, covering the Rider in dog-slobber which only made him laugh.
Gaining a mildly disgusted look when she saw the dog didn't seem to run out of saliva, Ryūko ignored Gentaro happily cheering as Guts barked and ran around him, wagging his tail with such passion it was impossible not to see that Gentaro made friends with animals just as easily as he did humans.
She was startled when the dog leaped onto her face and begun chewing her hair quite suddenly, forcing her to let out a muffled cry while her hands rose up and twitched nervously.
Since it was an everyday thing for her, Mako happily exclaimed, "Guts loves chewing on the hair of people he really likes! But he also farts on them too!"
And cue a smell that made Ryūko violently slap the dog off of her face, her eyes watering due to the repugnant stench. She almost felt her hand shoot to her Scissor blade in pure fury before Guts ran up to Gentaro and did the exact same thing.
Unlike her he merely laughed at the dog, Gentaro did cough and had to wave off the bad smell briefly, but he didn't seem to mind. He just put his pompadour back into place with his grin growing even more. Guts happily leaping into his arms as Mako cheered eagerly at her dog accepting her two best friends.
"Jeez Louise, I hope he doesn't do all the damn time…" Ryūko gave a grunt of disgust, looking deeply annoyed at Guts who merely barked his name happily with a "Guts! Guts!" Gentaro reached down and pet the dog happily who ran in a circle of pure joy.
Mako noticed that Gentaro was still holding his briefcase, and cocked her head curiously, "Is that where you keep all of your switches, Gen-chan?" Gentaro merely flashed her a wide grin as he reached into the briefcase and pulled out a switch with a 6 on it.
"It keeps more than that, this is one of the Foodroids! Say hello to Burgermeal!" Pulling out a mechanical looking burger, one that had Guts and Mako slobber until they both realized that it wasn't real food, he plugged the switch into the burger. All three non-Riders were promptly surprised when the machine flipped into the air.
Transforming midair when it landed, the former burger was an oddly adorable robot halfway resembling a mouse and a sort of rolling vehicle. The machine let loose a cute series of beeps as it tilted its body inquisitively at Gentaro, he merely picked it up then aimed it at the three of them. Its eyes glowed light blue as it scanned them all, then transmitted the images to the Rabbit Hutch far above them on the moon.
Then he turned the machine to his face and gave it a wave, grinning widely as he exclaimed, "Guys! Say hello to my new best buds! This is Mako-chan, Ryūko-chan, and Guts!"
Sadly no one was on the other end, which made Gentaro rub the back of his head, but he knew that the data would transfer. He could get an update or call from Kengo when he was at the Rabbit Hutch, and so for the moment he was fine.
Handing Burgermeal to Mako, the chipmunk cheeks let loose a loud ooh of surprise and joy as the machine beeped at her pleasantly, "It's so cute, Gen-chan! Where'd you get this?"
"My best bud Kengo made it! He's a genius with them, heck, he made all of the Astro Switches I use in battle and for Fourze!" Ryūko scratched the back of her head, suddenly realizing that her best friend really was an idiot.
An idiot who knew how to fight, but still, an idiot. She got the oddest and most suspicious feeling that this Kengo was effectively the one who thought for Gentaro, and that if he was there he would have agreed with her thoughts. A sweat drop rolled down her cheek when she saw Guts playing with Mako who eagerly filmed the dog barking and running around.
Suddenly, socks screeching across the floor, as the boy from earlier in the day slid on his knees, trying in vain to jack Gentaro's suitcase. The pompadour clad rider seemingly lifted it without even thinking, making the boy scream with his jaw dropping when he slammed right into a wall.
He collapsed against the ground, groaning bitterly, "What kind of paranoid bastard, are you? Make my stealing of your shit easier, why don't you…"
Gentaro turned around just as Mako eagerly told him, "That's my baby brother, Mataro! He's a good kid, but he likes stealing too much and thinks that taking things without paying is a good belief structure to hold!"
Blinking slowly, Ryūko rose a finger to ask how exactly Mako knew a psychological term like belief structure, but thought better of the question, as there was no doubt that the coconut headed girl wouldn't be able to tell her an answer that wouldn't hurt her head. Or one that made sense when using it with a thief.
Mataro snapped up when Guts leaped onto his body, the boy grumbling as he rubbed the back of his head with a wince, "Owww… Damn, so you knew this jackass, sis? And whoa Mama! Who's the total babe at your side? Hey honey, why don't you try to get with a real ma-" Appearing right next to the red-locked girl, Mataro tried schmoozing with her only for her to snap her Scissor Blade up and give him a glare that scared the living Hell out of him.
"Say another word and you'll be wishing that your tongue was lodged up your ass after I'm done with you." Backing away slowly, Mataro bumped into Gentaro, then stared up at the tall young man who merely flashed the boy a grin that shone like the sun.
"Any family member of Mako-chan is a friend of mine! Let's be best buds, Mataro!"
Backing away from Gentaro now, the boy saddled up to his older sister with a wince, "Is this guy really that stupid? Best buds? Does he even hear what comes out of his stupid pie-hole?"
Such a comment earned him a headlock from his sister.
"Gen-chan isn't stupid! He's my best friend after Ryūko-chan! He accepted Mako in her entirety, and she thinks the world of him! He might be a bit of a weird looking delinquent, and his hair is weirder than that Mystery Croquette Mako had a few weeks ago that made her think that Frog people were invading from the sewers and that owls could read her thoughts! But… He's the best friend that Mako wishes she always had and finally does have!" The coconut headed girl surprisingly was more defensive than anyone ever had been of Gentaro as a friend.
She made various gestures, pretending to be a creepy frog person with Mataro being stomped on by a webbed foot, then acting like an owl with mind-beams coming from her eyes that slowly burned her brother's brain, before she passionately pointed to the Kamen Rider who pumped his fist at her happily!
"That's right! Mako-chan is one of my best buds, and I'll always be there for her!" His words made the girl nod firmly at Mataro who just shrugged and rubbed the back of his head. While still in the headlock.
"Whatever, sis. Mom's getting ingredients for dinner tonight, if you want to help, she's outside. Dad's in the back if you want him. I'll be… uh, looking for some stuff myself… see ya!"
He dashed off, free, Guts barking excitedly after him while Mako clapped her hands happily, "Gen-chan, Ryūko-chan! Want to help me find ingredients with my mother for dinner?"
Said Rider beamed a smile so bright it could be seen from the atmosphere, "Of course we would, Mako-chan! Making dinner and helping prepare it is the sign that people can get along by pouring their heart into a delicious meal! Let's go! Yosh!"
Ryūko wondered if there would ever be a line said by Gentaro that wouldn't be filled with passion, but knew the answer, "Right… Well, I am hungry, anything that helps getting some nosh in my stomach is fine by me."
Senketsu piped up suddenly, making the red locked girl turn red in embarrassment and anger, "Ryūko, if you eat unhealthy food that is nothing more than processed trash, then your blood will suffer and taste the same. Try and eat a balanced diet, maybe add in a little seasoning so your blood tastes better."
"Who the Hell asked you!? If I wanted your opinion on what I eat, you'd be a talking chef's hat!" Stomping out with Mako and Gentaro, the three of them walked out into the alleyways to find her mother and help gather ingredients for dinner.
Mako stared at the scene with wide puppy eyes, "Ryūko-chan sure seems to have fun talking with her uniform, right, Gen-chan?"
"Of course, Senketsu is one of Ryūko's buds along you, so he's bound to be fun!" Nothing could stop the delinquent looking hot-blooded teen's mood.
Mako tilted her head to the side and laughed a bit, "You two sure are weird, but it's fine. The weirder, the better!" they finally reached their destination, "And this is where the magic of the Mankanshoku Family's Mystery Croquettes happens!"
They were greeted to one odd sight that had Ryūko feel her jaw drop while Gentaro tilted his head to one side in confusion, "Oh dear, that mouse is much too thin for tonight's meal, off you go you, little dear… That rat, however, he looks quite plump and good!"
If one was to think of the matriarch of the Mankanshoku household, the first image that they would see pop into their minds would be of a well-endowed and gorgeous woman with Mako's brown hair and amber eyes, as well as a curvy and slender figure. One could clearly see where Mako got her looks from. Clad in a pink dress, with an apron over that and a green jacket, she also wore white shoes which completed her visual image of a motherly, loving figure.
The woman always had a pleasant smile on her face, the most current of which was shining beautifully even as she fired a well-polished handgun, a Glock, which pinged a huge fat rat and left the creature dead in an instant. Grabbing it and dropping it into a shopping bag, she hummed thoughtfully as she collected various other creatures the same way, shooting them with closed eyes and that gorgeous smile never leaving her face.
This would be a terrifying sight, but then again even women breastfeeding their infants carried Tommy guns to fire at the unruly students should they be told so by some of the more deranged members of Satsuki's society. If Satsuki gave the Ok, you didn't question it.
Gentaro being himself didn't question the woman shooting the rat in the slightest, in fact he walked forward with a wide grin, Mako's mother noticing him and her daughter behind the Kamen Rider.
"Oh my, you must be Mako-chan's friends. I heard down the grape-vine about you two, seems that you made quite an impression, Kisaragi-kun." The woman said with a hand raised to her mouth.
Gentaro gave her a thumb up and a wide smile, "So you've already heard of me! That's great, I've been meaning to meet you, Miss Mankanshoku!"
"Please Kisaragi-kun, call me Sukuyo-san, Miss Mankanshoku is my mother-in-law." Her radiant smile belied the fact that she wasn't requesting him to call her by her first name but downright ordering him.
Noticing this and Gentaro's obliviousness to the threatening vibes she was getting from Mako's mother, Ryūko stepped forward with a weak wave, "Uh, yeah… Sukuyo-san, I'm-"
"Ryūko-chan! You look just like what I heard about you. The uniform is new, though. Is it custom made?"
She interrupted the girl warmly and walked over to embrace her, the Kamui wearer looked rightly embarrassed at being so close to the elder woman's most sizable rack, and even more embarrassed to actually feel said sizable rack squish hers.
'What the hell do they feed Mako?! She's almost half the size of her mother and still growing!' Her thoughts went in a frantic manner before Sukuyo pulled away thankfully.
"So what brings you and my beloved daughter out here while I'm gathering ingredients for dinner?" The Mankanshoku matriarch asked as she calmly drew a bead on a sleeping pigeon, then shot it through its body and dropping it like a sack of potatoes.
Swallowing her spit, Ryūko felt nervous as she watched the woman pick up the dead bird and put it into her bag with a smile, Senketsu piping up and annoying her, "Ryūko, your blood tastes of fear. You must calm yourself or your blood will make me nervous."
"Shut the hell up…!" She bit out furiously.
While she went back into another rant with her uniform, Gentaro eagerly stepped forward and told the woman, "We're here to help you gather your dinner! People's passion is best shown when helping others out, especially if it's getting food!"
The mother of two placed a hand on her cheek in thought as she examined Gentaro and Mako eagerly saluting her, exclaiming, "Oh my, so you three want to help me? Well… here then!"
She tossed the three of them three Paintball guns, smiling so brightly that it made them all a little better.
"My husband is busy fishing for some other ingredients on his way back home, so we may get some poisonous octopus which adds flavor so long as you can stomach the toxins." She explained cheerfully before she explained the guns functioning to the three teens, holding a fourth gun in her hand as she did so.
"The paint rounds these carry are strong enough to cause a fatal concussion to anything smaller than a small dog. You kids should be able to use these, right?" Mako was already examining her gun and taking it apart to readjust the weapon, her words coming out in a surprisingly coherent bit of gun knowledge. "
"Full clip, the barrel's clean, the grip is steady, the safety's off… Yes, this will do, Mako thinks! This gun is custom made too! Thanks, Mom!" Mako cheered while Gentaro looked at his gun, then at Ryūko who was eying hers with a suspicious look.
"Well! Let's go and hunt!" Bless his pompadour clad head, the Rider rushed off with his wary friend, Mako following behind them.
Between the four of them, they bagged several rats, a few chipmunks, a particularly large looking grub, and a collection of birds. However all three of the students were coated utterly in paint, with Gentaro and Ryūko having their hair slick and dripping down their back, with black splotches covering their eyes in a sort of mask, Mako had a small beauty splotch on her cheek and had her hair in a slick looking style.
If they had a paint-roller or color coded hairdos with long pigtails or ponytails, they'd have made an interesting trio and considering their splattered appearance, it was a wonder that they managed to keep their wide smiles, even Ryūko was pleasantly surprised by how much fun she had.
Sukuyo stuffed all the gathered ingredients into her bag and smiled at the three of them wondrously, "You did excellently, you three! Why, with these ingredients, we'll be able to eat for a good week and a half! Let's get home and prepare them into delicious mystery croquettes."
"Sounds delicious! I can't wait to try them!" Gentaro cheered as he walked alongside Mako, the two cheerful idiots amplifying each other's joy up by talking about something or another that lost their more cynical best friend.
"So you think that the hardest game involving the pink puff ball is that one where he gets cloned a lot?"
"It is! It even has a giant undead clown wizard! That was super spooky!"
"Huh! I think that the blood squirting eyeball was scarier, don't you?"
"But he's so weird, and he's not an evil zombie clown wizard!"
"True!"
"God, if you're listening, just strike me down…" Sighing that out while messaging her temples, the red-locked girl tried to ignore the two idiots as they talked.
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Small house or not, the wooden building provided both Rider and avenger with something they never thought they'd find so easily, not even Gentaro could believe he'd find it so soon: a welcoming aura and a nostalgically comfortable atmosphere like being in one's own home.
"Aaaaahh! Nothing like a good shower… Senketsu, you okay being washed?" Walking out of the shower – more like a barrel heated with logs on fire - with a towel wrapped around her frame and another smaller one being used to clean her hair, Ryūko looked to Senketsu as he was being hand-washed by Sukuyo who had her tongue out between her teeth as she got the paint stains out of the Kamui.
Said outfit weakly reached for his wearer with his sleeve extended, his eye comically wide to the point where he was displaying open terror, "He-Help me…! She's a devil, a demon, a monster, a beast in human skin! She's washing every single inch of me, and it's painful!"
"Eh, you'll be fine, Senketsu. Hey Gentaro! The shower's open if you want it, I'm done." Walking away, Ryūko gained a slight self-satisfied smirk at seeing Senketsu struggling to reach her and being hilariously dragged back into the sudsy water by an oblivious Sukuyo.
She walked by the tall Rider who was shirtless, exposing his very toned, lean and muscular upper body. The Kamui wielder indulged a brief look at his frame, admiring his slim but strong frame before she focused back on getting some decent clothes on her body while Senketsu was being washed.
Her female best friend offered to let her wear some of her spare pajamas, so she was going to get those on before she waited for dinner. Sukuyo was kind enough to invite them over, and in fact told them that they could stay with their family for as long as they wanted.
Gentaro naturally accepted instantly with a spiel about friendship, and actually performed the Friendship Handshake with Mako's mother. Sukuyo had seemed even more radiant following that, and had in fact given the Rider a chaste and motherly peck on the cheek.
It made the red-locked girl feel flustered, "Are you sure you're okay washing my uniform while making dinner?"
Sukuyo smiled cheerfully, "I take great pride in taking care of my children. I want them to focus on their studies, so I focus on making sure they look their best."
Gentaro smiled, "That's Mako's mom for you, as easy to fill your soul with joy as Mako herself!"
"H-H-Hi…"
The brief conversation ended with an odd sight. Pigtails, pale blonde hair, a body that rivaled models while not being needlessly thin due to the girl training to be the best and not a pretty thing to look at. Those things were easily recognizable, the cute sailor uniform that mirrored Mako's was not, nor the thick bottle glasses that hid the eyes. But one thing remained unmistaken, the shark teeth.
"Omiko-chan?" Gentaro asked with a tilted head. "You… wear glasses?"
Said girl blushed up a storm, "Sh-Shut it, dumbass! What if I do?! I… I couldn't afford others, ok?! The lens I had and my contact lenses had to be sold to get me this No-Star uniform." Her lip was quivering, "I… I…"
"Um…" an awkward Fukuroda started as he walked in, "What Omiko means to say is… Can we ask for a solid and… crash here?"
He got bopped on the head by the much taller girl, "Idiot! Don't be so pathetic, have more pride!" she then turned to Gentaro and blushed even more, making Ryūko's lock look pale, "L-Let us stay with you! Take responsibility for taking what we worked so hard for and ma-making me cry in front of everyone!"
Sukuyo appeared, a hand on her cheek and her eyes shut as usual, "Oh dear, Gentaro-kun, making girls cry isn't something a man should pride himself."
"Gack!" Gentaro was hurt by those words, literally. An arrow contained what Sukuyo said pierced his heart and shot him backwards, forcing him to straighten back up and look worriedly at the two former club captains, "That's right! Because of me, you-"
"Who cares about the little things?" Takaharu said with a smile, extending his hand to the taller fighter, "I had the fight of my life, I'm fine wherever I stand so long as I can get a rematch." He then hooked his thumb to her, speaking with a blank look on his face, "And she's the one that dragged me here. She kept barking at me how we needed to make you responsible."
"Uh…" was Gentaro's very thought out response.
"Shut it, you pint-sized brute!" the now redder Omiko barked before looking at Gentaro with a tight lipped scowl, "Y-You do owe us, so it's time to pay up. Let us stay wit-"
"Oh, sure." Sukuyo said with a smile, "Any friend of Mako's is welcomed."
This cheered the chipmunk girl up, who leaped up and hugged her former captain, "Yay! Mako gets a new friend! And it's Omiko-senpai! Senpai, will you help me in tennis?!" her arms were around the girl's pigtailed head, her legs wrapped around the captain's ribs, and thus her bust was pressed on Omiko's face.
"Geddoff!" the spectacled girl cried through the muffling flesh pound mouthful.
"I'm so glad to see you getting along Omiko-chan! It does a man's soul good to see his dear friends getting along!" Gentaro's warm smile filled the room up, Sukuyo noticing Omiko's face gaining a massive blush, while Mako smiled happily at Gentaro.
The mother of two just smiled to herself, washing Senketsu out despite his protests.
"S-Seriously, this is real f-frickin' embarrassing having to stay w-with you and all." The ex-tennis club captain muttered to Gentaro.
Said Rider merely gave her a huge grin that made her heart beat extremely hard, "It's no problem Omiko-chan! I beat you, so the least I can do is make you welcome!"
"That's our best buddy for you, Hakodate. Best get used to Gentaro-bro." The boxer suddenly clapped a hand to his mouth at what he said.
The Rider looking at him in surprise, "Gentaro-bro? Me?"
"Yeah, jeez, man. You're the first guy besides Sanageyama-senpai that actually got my respect. You're like a brother to me now, our fists met in battle, and we learned each other's hearts, so we're like brothers now. You know me now, and I'll regain my place as champ from you one day. So hold onto the belt and keep it safe, because I'll take it back when I'm ready! That's a promise to you as a man!" Takaharu held out his fist to Gentaro, the two of them grinning as they banged their fists together, their blood boiling red hot at the thought of their rematch.
Omiko merely let loose a snort, looking at the Rider with a slight blush, her hand adjusting her glasses in embarrassment. Sukuyo let loose a hum of satisfaction as she pulled Senketsu out.
The Kamui seemed limp and wet, his eye gazing at the floor blankly, "It hurts everywhere, even my stitches feel sore." His lackluster attitude suddenly changed when Sukuyo pulled out an iron and begun drying him, "Gurgh… It… feels good…! I feel so warm, like the world is giving me a hug! Or I'm being rubbed by you Gentaro-san! I feel like I could take on the world now!"
Perking right up, his voice sounded excited as he actually posed a little, laughing loudly which made Gentaro cheer, "Nice to hear that, Senketsu! I'm always rooting for your passion as a man!"
Omiko leaned in to Ryūko who was drumming her fingers against the table in a manner similar to a song, the red locked girl quietly humming the lyrics to herself, "After severing what fate has to offer me…" The girl's odd eyes shot to the blonde's, her voice coming out in a harsh but not entirely unkind tone, "What is it? I ain't your friend, even if Gentaro is ours, as far as I'm concerned you're just a groupie of that Kiryūin bitch."
The shark toothed girl bore her teeth furiously, her glasses showing her furious blue eyes flashing behind the thick lenses, "Don't refer to Satsuki-sama with that rude tone! I just wanted to ask you something!"
Wincing and rubbing the back of her head in some mild embarrassment, Ryūko gave her a half-hearted apology, "Sorry. What is it?"
"Grr, I just wanted to ask what's for dinner. I haven't eaten anything since I got my uniform taken from me." As she said that, she had to put a hand to her stomach which seemed to shrink from the reminder.
Spinning around, the boxer and the Rider realized that they were also famished, Sukuyo giving out a little laugh of amusement at the growling stomachs of all five teenagers, "I'll fix dinner then if you lot can be a little patient! And Gentaro dear, put your clothes out for me before you go to bed so I can wash them. Oh, did you bring any spares?"
"They're all in my bags!" Gentaro gave the mother a bright smile that made her laugh, it was at this moment that the door opened and a man with an exceptionally large body walked in with Mataro and Guts barking at his heels.
He was quite overweight, with glasses covering his eyes, slicked back brown hair, he had teeth poking out from a smile on his face, thick eyebrows and a quite friendly looking face that also didn't show any signs of intelligence for first impressions. He wore a tan jacket, black tie, and white shirt, as well salmon colored shorts with blue stripes, completing his outfit with a pair of white slippers. Oh wait, those weren't shorts, those were boxers, and they made Omiko and Takaharu cringe.
Setting down a bag filled with what looked like blue ringed octopus, a species only found near Australia and Wales, how the hell they got into the Tokyo Bay was a story for another time.
"Oh dear, so who are you four? Two pretty girls and two strong looking boys." His voice was a bit rough but overall warm and kind as he asked that of the four of them, his eyes trailing over Ryūko and Omiko's well-endowed bodies until Sukuyo whapped him comically with an oversized cooking spoon which made him let loose a loud ouch.
"This is my father, everyone! Daddy, how was work?" Mako cheered with a theatrical wave, happy as she introduced the huge man.
"It was great, Mako-chan! We only had two people dead today instead of the usual twelve! At least ten got to keep their limbs intact!" Mako's father said, his cheery voice coming out as he flopped down next to Gentaro on the floor.
The Kamui wearer turned pale while Gentaro merely blinked slowly at the man, Takaharu and Omiko wincing visibly at his reveal before he laughed loudly, wiping a tear away while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment and some amusement.
"Just back-alley doctor humor, kids! I swear, I don't kill people… at least not on purpose!" he mumbled the last part too cheerfully for their liking.
"Oh dear! You need to not scare the children, honestly." Sukuyo laughed and yet her smile hid a promise of danger which the man cheerfully nodded to, he turned to Gentaro who thrust his hand in front of the man with a huge grin that made him blink.
"Nice to meet you, sir! I'm-"
"Gentaro Kisaragi! You're one of the people I wanted to meet most! You made me really happy you know, Mako-chan was so lonely here, she didn't have any friends before we came here, and when she met you… Well, you made us all really happy, she needed someone like you and Ryūko-chan in her life."
His words came from the heart and were as honest as the man ever got. In response Gentaro gained a surprisingly serious expression. Omiko grabbed her heart suddenly as it began beating so rapidly she could feel a blush come over her. Ryūko rose an eyebrow at this reaction before she felt electrical tingles come over her body as well.
'W-What the…? What's this feeling like he's going to do something really cool…?'
Takaharu gained a huge grin on his face while Mako felt tears suddenly appearing in her eyes, Gentaro rising up and bowing to the man in front of him, "Mako-chan… I could tell she needed a friend, everyone deserves to have a good bud in their life, no matter what. No matter what they've done or what they've said, no matter if their sins are uncountable, or if their greed is too great, even if they let their despair consume them with no hope in sight or harm those who live for the next day…"
Banging his chest twice suddenly, Barazō heard feudal drums bang dramatically in his head as Gentaro stepped forward with a truly serious look," They deserve, more importantly, they need friends. My greatest desire, no, my true dream, is to make as many true friends as I can, so I can smile with all of them. I want to see them happy, to laugh when they do, to smile at bad jokes, or to help shoulder their pain even when it becomes too great to bear. That's… just the kind of man I am! I'm the one who should be thanking you, because I got the chance to meet someone as awesome as Mako-chan and can be her friend now!"
Mataro looked shocked as he noticed his mother and father openly crying now, the punkish kid felt something wet trickle down his face, looking even more shocked to feel tears running down his face.
Loudly blubbering, Mako latched onto Gentaro, snot and tears running down her eyes as no matter what he said or did, she always felt like it was the first time he made her his friend, "G-Ge-Gen-chan!"
"J-Jeez… What kind of dimension is this guy from? Friends? Does he really love making them that much?" Muttering to herself, Ryūko still felt some measure of happiness now. Gentaro's words were always from the heart, and no matter what they always made her cynicism go away for a little while.
Omiko on the other hand…her face was so red it could rival the sun, steam pouring from its surface and fogging up her glasses, "I-Idiot! Stop making m-me feel so weird when you say inspiring stuff!" She stuttered out in a true blue tsundere fashion, looking away from the Rider and actually turning an even brighter red.
Fukuroda on the other hand just laughed loudly, his smile widening to the point where it threatened to come off of his face, "Spoken like a true man Gentaro-bro! No regrets and no looking back, that's a man to admire!"
Wiping the snot and tears from his face, Mako's dad extended his hand to the Rider who gripped it tightly, the two of them shaking once, then twice, pulling away, both made a fist, Gentaro banging his once on top, while the man reversed it and banged it once underneath, "You can call me Barazō, Gentaro! You're a friend of Mako's and I shall treat you like part of the family. You can stay here as long as you want, because you're someone who cares about our Mako-chan. The same goes for all your friends!"
"Yosh! Thank you!" His smile was infectious, and it made Sukuyo let loose a little "Oh my!" in joy.
Sitting down at the table, Ryūko asked the question that Omiko, Takaharu, and herself were all wondering but didn't voice," So, uh, what's for dinner?"
Smiling as widely as Gentaro did, the Mankanshoku Matriarch put down a huge plate of steaming fried croquettes, her entire family and even Gentaro cheering out with their arms raised high, "Mystery Croquettes! There's a surprise in every bite!"
With that the entire family and Gentaro begun savagely digging in, Gentaro a little more politely as he still used a pair of chopsticks but he was still shoveling food into his mouth. The Mankanshoku's didn't even bother with that much beyond spearing them with their clean wooden utensils.
Stabbing into one with her chopstick to see what the surprise was, Omiko gained a disgusted look when she saw it ooze an odd purple smoke that took the form of a skull moaning something about pain and despair. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Takaharu digging in just as easily as the others did, she looked back at hers and even though she saw a small worm peek out at her and wave happily. Thus, she bit into it out of sheer hunger and desperation to eat something.
She expected to be revolted, even disgusted by this peasant food, she after all was used to five star menus prepared by the best chefs in the Academy, Two Star Goku Uniform users ate just as well as the Elite Four and Satsuki did, but instead she found herself actually enjoying it.
Despite its less than wholesome ingredients, and its sketchy make up, Sukuyo worked wonders with what she had and what she lacked in quality she made up with skill and most importantly, genuine love. She cared in a city where just about everyone looked out for themselves, when she made Mystery Croquettes they were more than food.
They were a sign from the woman that she considered those she fed as the most precious people she had in her life, family, and loved ones. She opened her home and heart to Gentaro, Takaharu, Ryūko, and now even Omiko. Tears came to the blondes eyes as she had never tasted anything so delicious or wonderful, meals prepared from the heart for those the cook loved and cared for were better than any meal cooked by a top chef.
Somewhere out there, a blond man looked to the ocean sky above him and nodded in approval with a manly expression, smoke coming from a cigarette at his lips and a fine suit worn over his body. Then he heard something odd from a moss-headed swordsman with three katana at his side, which started another fight between the smoker and the swordsman.
Omiko remembered what it was like to make her own meals for herself, when all she had to her name was a threadbare racket, some old sneakers, and a moth-eaten tennis uniform.
Back then she only had herself, only had her training, and had no friends or even free time to herself. It was lonely, hard, and overall sad for her. She rose up from nothing then was cast back down to nothing, but to her she was happier than she had ever been, because she saw Gentaro's wide smile at the end of the path she now walked.
Satsuki would always be her number one, but the Kamen Rider… he was pretty damn close to that great woman.
In a single day she had met the first true friend she had ever had in her life, and it had impacted her so deeply she felt like a brand new person.
She knew Takaharu felt the same as her, the boxer had once been nothing more than a mere nobody, not even worthy of a gym.
The boxer dwelt little on his past, but what it was like was just as hard as hers was. He had no one growing up, but he had something that had inspired him.
He had boxing tapes of some of the greatest matches and boxers to ever come from Japan and compete in the greatest bouts the world had seen.
Names like Takamura Mamoru and the legendary matches he had with Bryan Hawk and David Eagle, Alfredo Gonzales the God of Death and Ippo Makunoichi the God of Wind, the legendary Lightning God Miyata Ichirou, Alexander Volg Zangief the White Wolf, Eiji Date and the King Ricardo Martinez, they were the heroes that had inspired Takaharu as a boy.
He had watched those tapes to the point that they wore down, because he believed in the glory of boxing, and it was through them that he learned how to box. His pride was claiming the champion belt of Japan, and earning his place among the heroes of his childhood.
To give it up to Gentaro meant he acknowledged the man as a true example of a friend, a brother, and a comrade.
Eating at this table, with the Mankanshoku family, Ryūko Matoi, Takaharu, and Gentaro Kisaragi, the man who had the biggest influence on her, the ex-tennis captain, felt true happiness.
Watching Mako and Guts fight over a particularly juicy croquette, the red-locked girl felt some amusement come over her as she ate her own delicious croquettes, hers tasted a little like poultry, making her realize that she had the pigeon filled croquettes.
She felt at peace for once after her long day, and she felt like a part of this family and circle of friends. Her expression softened slightly as she allowed herself to laugh, smile, and bicker with them over dinner.
Bedtime came all too soon for her, and she watched as everyone seemed to just pick a spot to sleep, grab a blanket or in Gentaro's case a sheet with a red switch clutched in his hand, its warmth being felt even from where she was.
Ryūko sat down near where Mako was already snoring, her hand reaching up and feeling her trademark red lock in a thoughtful manner.
'I still need to find out who killed my dad, and figure out why he made Senketsu for me in the first place, and get the answers from that Satsuki bitch. But for now, I think I'll get some rest with my friends… Heh. Friends, I wish you could've met Gentaro, old man, you'd really have liked him, I think.' Laying down she closed her odd eyes, and went to sleep with thoughts of what was to come on her mind.
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"Zzz… zzz…" Waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of snoring, the red locked girl got up and scratched her side in exhaustion, but something made her snap to blinding attention.
A dark figure was standing over Gentaro's snoring body, due to the lack of lighting beyond the pale light of the moon, she couldn't make out any true details to the figure beyond a vague blob of features.
This entity reached down and touched his face, poking it slightly before actually pinching it. Sinking its fingers into his cheek and making him mumble something about, "Stop pinchin' me, Yuuki-chan…"
The figure poked him some more, making him sleepily swat at its hand, which easily darted away from his cheek to poke at the opposite one.
She watched this figure repeat this process for a while, a soft giggling coming from it as it seemed to take genuine joy in teasing the sleepy Rider, before it stopped abruptly. Slowly it careened its neck around to stare her right in the eyes.
The moonlight hit it just right when it did so, and she could see a single blue eye glow with unrestrained psychotic killing intent as it stared her down. She felt an outbreak of terror wash over her as she was trapped in that gaze, the figure seeming to grow massive and imposing, with her pulse racing and sweat breaking out, the young girl felt like she was in front of a monster.
With a suddenness that had her gasping for breath, the pressure let up and she heard the figure giggle again. It raised a single dainty hand to where she assumed its mouth was, then made a shushing noise, its head looked down, and when her gaze followed it she bit back a loud scream of rage and concern.
It was holding a scissor blade, the other scissor blade, the one that killed her dad! Right to Gentaro's neck, and somehow she knew that fucking monster was smiling so wide it could put the god damn Cheshire cat to shame.
It shook its finger at her mockingly, warning her not to make a sound as it leaned down to Gentaro again. Its hand removing the blade from his neck before it reached out and actually touched his hair this time.
It stopped all of a sudden, before it seemed like a murderous psychotic, now it seemed normal and even dare she admit, kind of enraptured. It stroked his currently messy hair in a gentle caress, seeming to take a genuine and almost lover-like care in touching it.
Ryūko could only grit her teeth furiously at the murderer who killed her dad touching her best friend like that, she had never before hated someone or something as much as she did before. Was this fucking freak going to keep on taking people she cared for away from her?!
It drew away when Gentaro seemed to awaken, his eyes staring up at its face she assumed, and she was ashamed to admit that for half a second she envied him for being able to look at that killer's face, if only because she wanted to kill them.
Leaning down, it started humming. Yes, she could make it out, it was a gentle hum, a lullaby or croon, of a sort used to make a sleepy child to go to bed. Against all odds, it soothed him and lulled him into the embrace of Hypnos once more. Yawning tiredly, the rider rolled over, while her heart was beating a hundred miles per second.
Rising up, the figure gave her another unseen smile before it disappeared in a blur. Disappearing like the wind and going out of the house. The girl let loose a breath she didn't know she had even been holding, biting her lip so hard she drew blood, she knew better to say anything and wake her friends up.
'You degenerate, venomous bitch! I swear, I swear to any deity listening, I'll kill you for daring to touch him! You won't take my friends away from me like you took my dad, I'll kill you first! I swear that!' She went to bed with those dark thoughts, overcome with hatred, rage, and overall genuine urges to protect the people she cared for.
She wouldn't let that psycho hurt Gentaro, touch Mako, or lay a single finger on the Mankanshoku's and the ex-Two Stars.
That night it was really hard for her to sleep.
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"Everything's fun with poopsies…" a single figure sang while skipping away from the Mankanshoku house with a cheery smile on their face, letting out a giggle, "How sad, I was expecting that guy to not be human, but… It feels odd being near him, kinda felt good really. I may keep him alive, if only to open him up and see what's so fun about him. Or…"
Another giggle, and they disappeared into the night. But one thing the figure knew for certain, they really could grow to like Gentaro, human filth or not.
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And that's the end of this chapter! Lots of joy and humor, and leaving off on an extremely ominous note.
Who was that figure? Why did they touch Gentaro like that? What will happen next chapter?
The Swordslinger and I know. And you'll have to find out for chapter four!
Next chapter we'll deal with the school life, and the fights that follow in its wake!
The Lord of Pages off to record another story!
