Quick thing: thanks, Aniki120, for following! I appreciate your support very much! Thanks, Fer Santos Uzumaki for following and favoriting! It's great to have you on board. Thanks, Akasui, for favoriting! I'm grateful to have your support!
Just an announcement: I've taken the advice of one of you lovely folks, and I've promoted this piece to an "M" rating, for safety's sake. There still won't be anything "explicit" in nature, as this platform doesn't permit such lewdness. However! There are platforms that do. Those who are interested need not worry. Not only will this this new rating will allow me to crank things up, just a notch, but, I've decided that explicit works can be uploaded to "Archieveofourown", alternatively known as "ao3", a platform that permits explicit works. I'll be going under the same pen name over there.
As always, response time is here!
Guest: let's analyze the situation, shall we, friend? Accelerator is looking for an outlet, any outlet, for his feelings and frustrations, at the moment. Fukiyose Seiri has become a convenient escape from himself. She's someone who isn't Last Order, or Misaka Worst, and, therefore, to Accelerator, she's compatible. Whether or not Accel-chan himself will realize this is up in the air. I hope to have your continued input!
Whwsms: I felt that the mystery revealing itself, through dialogue and reader inference would be fun. More entertaining than a narration exposition dump, at least.
Accel-chan's suppression of his own human desires has wrought havoc on him. Maybe, a day out, bumming around with the Kamijous will do him some good.
I'm looking forward to the moment in which Mrs. TouMAN gets to use the "death glare" on one of her husband's less understanding admirers; her instinctual engaging of the "death glare" was just a taste of things to come.
That it should; the former Iron Wall Girl (Iron Wall Woman?) is a character that I'm looking forward to introducing.
The sexual tension's boiling; and our married couple's collective hormones are boiling over. That's an idea I'm really fond of, friend. I might just put it into action. You'll have to read on to find out what, exactly, will happen, as always; additionally, as always, I'm glad that I'm able to consistently gain your approval! I hope to be able to continue to do so.
321jaz: Ch-ching! Let's get down to business.
As always, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying Times Change! I hope to continue to provide you with enjoyment!
"Dr. Kamijou will see you, now!" I could imagine it. Maybe, Accelerator could be the receptionist.
I can reveal here that it was, indeed Osamu Yuki who Touma bumped into. The reveal of who, exactly "the Rookie" is will have to wait.
That it will, friend, that it will. If the TouMAN's less understanding admirers are pests, then, Kamijou Misaki's "death glare" is an electronic flyswatter.
As am I. I think the conclusion will be interesting. I hope you enjoy reading about not only the conclusion, but the events leading up to said conclusion as much as I'm going to enjoy writing about them.
It's exactly what you think it is. In regards to "action", you know what they say about intuition.
A certain French princess and a certain thunder god are up to something in Academy City; that something will, partly, be the subject of chapter ten's narrative.
As always, I hope you continue to enjoy reading Times Change as much as I'm enjoying writing it!
Best Loser Kumagawa: I'm glad we were able to rectify the issues that presented themselves! Just so I don't look like I'm dodging criticism, or, in this case, a recommendation, I'll "fire back", so to speak. I took your recommendation into consideration, and, after some internal debate, I have to agree with you. This piece honestly did start out with more innocent intentions, I swear. Lewdness just happens! I hope to have your continued input, friend.
Destati69: I'm really, really happy that I'm able to gain your approval! Writing Osamu's cameo was just a little bit nerve-wracking; I wanted to make sure everything was to the best my ability, even more so than usual.
At the very least, our friend doesn't have to pleasure himself, anymore, even if his harem annoys him.
Makes me wonder if the Osamu Yukis, both of whom dwell in different worlds, would be jealous of their alternate future counterpart, should they ever meet him. I think such a meeting would be incredibly interesting! If you decide to write something like that, I'll be looking forward to it!
I'm flattered; thank you, so much for the compliments, friend! I appreciate it more than I can properly describe.
I have to agree with you on PDA. I'll be honest; writing about the relationship between Touma and Misaki has changed my own views not only on relationships as a topic, but on marriage, as well.
There really is quite the jarring difference between the Accelerator of the past, and the Accelerator of the present. To think, it was a single act of heroism that changed everything.
Conflict is something that'll be introduced in the narrative, when the time is right; of course, it'll be played off for laughs, similar to the conflict seen between Yamashita Junichi and Kakine Teitoku, but, circumstances of each individual incident considered, most conflicts will probably be less drastic.
Again, thank you so much for the compliment! It warms my heart to know that I've gained the approval of a fellow writer, and someone I greatly respect.
Anon Guest: I really like all of your suggestions! I have to agree that, if anyone's going to become the "cool big sister number one", it's going to be Kaori. The three princesses, and, subsequently, Elizard, will probably try to knight the poor child.
Eheheh. You almost caught me with your comment about Mikoto and Kuroko. Hang in there, friend. Just a little while longer. We'll get to the reveal of what's become of those two.
Konori Mii, could, indeed be a "cool big sister". Whether or not she's one of Kamijou Touma's once-admirers in this universe is, for now, a subject that'll be revealed soon enough.
Everything had been the standard fare; having chased the "almighty" Thor out of the arcade, fists flying, Cendrillon had caught up to her companion. The two had attracted many an odd glance, as they ran through the maze-like halls of school district seven's underground mall, though, this was hardly anything new for the two; their trips to Academy City always involved strange glances and raised eyebrows. They always had, and likely always would.
"How do you even run in those, and, so fast, too?! You must have…"
"Say "experience" again, Thor. I dare you. I double dare you. Say "experience" one more time."
"Dated. Very, very dated. My friend certainly has become pathetic!"
"Excuse me?!"
Thor and Cendrillon, the two bickering companions, passed by an elderly man, who smiled warmly at the two. Cendrillon smiled back, warmly, flashing her pearly whites. Thor, who stood beyond her peripheral vision, pointed to her, and mouthed, "save me". With a chuckle, the elderly man shook his head, and walked on.
Patting her shoulder, Thor grinned, as Cendrillon cast her gaze to him. "It was a joke, Cendri-chan! Let's find what we came here for, yeah? You know, what we were here for, before we both became pathetic, and got distracted."
Cendrillon enthusiastically nodded, her rage suddenly forgotten, cast aside like the useless thing it was. The strange golem, whose mouth never seemed to move, despite the fact that it was clearly capable of speech – almost certainly some dark creation of Academy City – apparently accepted her on-the-fly "explanation"; she wasn't going to let Thor's little slip-up get to her anymore. Besides, when he called her "Cendri-chan", or any of the stupid nicknames that he'd come up with for her, a part of her soared.
Stepping over a puddle, and around a small crew of cylindrical machines, who were making quick work of another adjacent puddle, Thor waved his companion to his side. Producing his phone, he connected the device to the underground mall's wireless network, and opened its Internet browser app. Refreshing the page that had half-loaded into memory, Thor peered down at the screen, as Cendrillon shoved her face close to his, in order to get a better view.
A page, displaying a colorful banner for a website referred to as "Physician Ruination's Toy and Hobby". The banner itself was a dark green, while the blocky text printed over it was dark orange. The text had small, but noticeable cracks on each of its letters. The website's background was white, while the text printed over it was black, and in a font that appalled both Thor and Cendrillon – comic sans.
"Comic sans… ugh," Thor muttered, angered by the travesty before him. "They're still using this font? Physician Ruination certainly is becoming more and more pathetic."
Cendrillon's facial expression turned to one of distaste, as she stuck her head up, as if to silently show her superiority.
"Galrus the Black Knight Volume Three Thousand, Seventy-Seven… hmm. According to their website, they've got…" Thor's voice became considerably less enthusiastic, and, before he could complete his sentence, his voice faded. Cendrillon shifted her eyes to peer at her companion. "Fifty-seven left! Cendri-chan! Move, move, MOVE! Hustle! Move those hips!" Thor commanded, as he took off down the hallway; like a bolt of lightning, ironically enough; he struck down shocked passersby in his way, and toppled a life-sized cut out of some celebrity chef, who the French princess couldn't recognize. With a grunt of annoyance, Cendrillon began to speed-walk in the direction that her enthusiastic companion had dashed.
"It's right down the hall, you doofus! Nobody's going to buy almost sixty comics in the span of a few…"
As Cendrillon turned down the corner, passing by a small, vaguely homey-looking coffee shop, she just barely stopped herself from bumping into a young man; bumping into him could've potentially caused a domino effect, which would've resulted in said young man falling into another person, and then another. The French princess' eyes widened; before her was an orderly, but overwhelmingly long line. If only fifty-seven comics remained, only a fraction of the people waiting in the line were going to actually get a copy.
Thor seemed to be in a similar state of disbelief. His own eyes were wide, his eyebrows had become arched, while his brow had furrowed, and his jaw had dropped; to Cendrillon, he almost looked to have been turned to stone. Approaching her companion, Cendrillon stopped mere inches away from Thor, and began to examine him, as if she was an inspector, checking over some public landmark.
"Thor?" Cendrillon inquired, as she inspected his neck, and then his shoulder. Giving him a poke, Thor didn't move. He didn't even blink. Cendrillon checked his pulse; he clearly had one. Looking back up, Cendrillon poked his cheek.
A single bead of sweat trickled down Thor's forehead, to his nose, and, then, down to his chin, from which it fell to the floor beneath him.
"Thor…? It's… you know, okay? I'm sure they'll get… more in stock… soon?" Cendrillon spoke, almost nervously. "We still have the rest of our… vacation, right! We can just go… somewhere else?"
"The first ten thousand copies of Volume Three Thousand and Seventy-Seven come with a limited edition Valrus the White Knight figurine. Limited. Edition. It'll be worth thousands, someday, Cendri-chan. My hopes. My dreams. Shattered, like an illusion exposed to Kamijou's hand. The dumb Kamijou."
Collapsing to his knees, Thor thrust his arms into the air, and cried out, "such misfortune!" as onlookers ogled, or otherwise gawked at the sight unfolding before them. Cendrillon shook her head as she grabbed him by the ear, and began to drag him away.
"Honestly! Ugh! you're unfathomable! Why do I even hang around with you?! UGH!" Cendrillon complained.
"You know well enough, as to why you "hang out" with this… f-fool."
"LIMITED! EDITION! FIGURINE, CENDRI-CHAN! I'll have to buy a… a bootleg! I have certainly become pathetic! All of my experience, gone!" Thor cried out in despair, as his arms and legs dragged along the floors, limp.
Touma raised a hand to his brow, as he looked left, and then right, for what felt like the thousandth time. Thus far, Kamijou Touma, Kamijou Misaki, and Accelerator had been standing outside of the condominium in which the latter lived for nearly fifteen minutes.
"Five-minute arrival, guaranteed!" my ass," Accelerator grumbled, his arms folded. Othinus hung out of Misaki's purse, arms dangling over the edge.
Misaki, out of boredom, had taken to fiddling with her husband's left hand, as she stood next to him. For the umpteenth time, she uncurled each of his fingers, starting from his thumb, all the way to his pinky finger, and then, from his pinky finger, she'd curl his fingers back towards his palm, all the way to his thumb. Her newest cycle would be her hundredth.
"Having fun, there?" Touma remarked, as he watched cycle one hundred come to a close. Accelerator ground his teeth, as he pulled out his phone, and then, like Touma before him, looked from left to right.
"I am!" Misaki spoke softly, but enthusiastically. "I hope I am not pestering you."
Touma shook his head, "no way, beautiful. Do what you do. Doesn't bother me one bit. I love when I have your attention, which, to be fair, is almost always."
"Fucking finally! I was just going to fly us there, if this asshole took any longer," Accelerator remarked. The taxi, a rather spacious, bright orange minivan, plastered with various stickers, such as a wide one that scrolled across the doors that faced the Kamijous and Academy City's "top dog", which proudly advertised the taxi service's phone number, and boasted about their "five-minute arrivals". When Accelerator's eyes scanned over that bit, he clicked his tongue, and resisted the urge to rant.
The trio – Othinus had slipped herself back into Misaki's purse – were taken by surprise, when the driver of the taxi, pale-faced, stumbled out, and fell to his knees, hands clasped. A young man, with thick, messy black hair, clad in a pair of dark sweatpants, and a zipped-up jacket to match, he was quite the sight to see.
"F-forgiveness, Accelerator-Sama! If… If I would've known that it was… you… my employers would have…"
Accelerator clicked his tongue. "Fuck's sake. Shut up, and get back in the car. I'm not any more fucking important than you are, so knock this shit off. Where's your pride? Do you have some overbearing wife who hits you with a rolling pin when you forget to take out the trash?"
"That's oddly specific, Accel," Touma remarked. Misaki nodded in agreement, silently; internally, she was preoccupied with Accelerator's words.
"You have come so far; from the moment when we first met, eyes wide, teeth bared in a feral display of mania. From walking the path of absolute, psychotic power, to… this. "I'm not any more important than you are."
The driver of the taxi, shaking slightly, picked himself back up, as he began to stumble feverishly back into the vehicle.
"This guy going to be okay to drive? Looks like he's fallen off his fucking rocker," Accelerator commented.
"He will need a few moments to compose himself, that is certain. Once he regains control, everything should be fine," Misaki spoke.
"I'm with Misaki; we can just talk to him, make him feel more at home. Looks like you're still the talk of Academy City, buddy," Touma teased. Accelerator shook his head, and chuckled, as he shrugged his shoulders. Othinus clambered up from Misaki's purse, as her guardians, and Accelerator began to move towards the taxi, whose doors had slid open.
"What in my name was that all about? Did the Accelerator make mincemeat of someone? More importantly, did I miss it?" Othinus inquired, as she turned her head from side to side.
"What in my name"? Listen to you, stuck-up, one-eyed brat," Accelerator grumbled, as he clambered into one of the seats that was second farthest to the back. He'd correctly predicted that the married couple sought the combined seats that were farthest to the back of the vehicle.
"They're going to start engaging in "the Mating Ritual of Kami-yan", as it's known in the field… Accelerator, save me from this fate!" Othinus squeaked.
Touma moved himself into the combined seats that were farthest to the back; before Misaki had the chance to follow in her husband's footsteps, Accelerator reached into the Mental Out user's purse, and plucked the tiny former Magic God out. Placing her in a nearby cup holder, he grinned malevolently.
"You might think this entertaining, Accelerator; but, I will have you know that this is actually quite comfortable! So, there," Othinus stated; leaning back in the cup holder, she allowed her legs to dangle over the edge, as she pressed her back against the cool, hard plastic interior of the taxi.
"Whatever, one-eyed brat," Accelerator remarked, before he leaned forward. The driver of the taxi awkwardly looked back to face him. Accelerator forced himself to supress a grin. The young man in front of him was quite obviously having trouble looking Accelerator directly in the eye.
"District six," Accelerator commanded. "Uh. How's it going, "dude?"
"V-very… well, A-Accelerator-Sama! T-thank y-y… y-you!" The driver stuttered.
Accelerator leaned back in his seat, and folded his arms. He didn't put his seatbelt on; he had no need to. Flicking his choker on, he, with the aid of the Misaka Network, blocked out the noise around him. He knew well enough that the Kamijous probably wouldn't be talking to him for the duration of their ride.
In the combined seats that were farthest to the back, Kamijou Touma had, unintentionally, placed himself in a rather vulnerably position. The seats in front of the married couple were wide enough to block the driver's view of Touma; he would have to look into his rear view mirror to see them, and, even then, he would only be able to see so much.
Kamijou Misaki, thus far, hadn't taken advantage of the situation. She, with her husband's hands in her own, had simply been adoring his existence, and her existence with him. With her starry eyes closed, Misaki smiled warmly. As her beloved brought her closest hand to his lips, and kissed it, she produced a small, wordless vocalization, which made Touma's heart skip a beat.
"I love it when you make those cute little noises that you make. Have I ever told you that?" Touma inquired, softly. "If we didn't have to have our seatbelts on, I'd ask you to slide over here. I just want to snuggle you up. You're actually so cute; really, really cute. Adorable, even. I wanna cuddle with you, now."
Misaki's cheeks broke into a bright pink blush. Butterflies flew about in her stomach; she had been his partner for ten years, and, yet, where some relationships might've devolved into a less physical, less openly adoring type of love, the Kamijous' marriage hadn't.
"I want to be snuggled up by you, among… other things," Misaki spoke, just a bit quieter than Touma had. She looked to him, starry eyes looking into Touma's own. Licking her lips, Misaki reigned in the desire to grab at his crotch. With a quick breath, Misaki prepared to speak her mind. Her voice faded to a whisper, her tongue, and lips beginning to form words, as she pressed her lips against her husband's ear.
"I want you. I want you so badly. Fuck me. No; you will fuck me, when we return home. You will not make love to me; you will lift me up, bend me over, and use me to relieve yourself. Empty yourself inside me, husband of mine. Mine. Mine, mine, mine, MINE. All mine. Do I make myself clear? I want to be used by you, as a depository, as a container.
"Use me the way you would use your hand. No matter how much I scream, I want you to keep going, until you are finished – well and truly finished, until you can produce nothing more. Fucking molest me. Overtake me, defile me. Fill me. I want to be molested by you. Make me scream your fucking name, until I can scream no longer, and I am reduced to whimpering. Then, when you are done, you can lick the sweat from my body, from head to toe, and I do mean head to toe. At this point, there is very little choice in the matter, for you, husband."
Touma's eyes darted back and forth. In any other situation, he would return his wife's dirty talk with great pleasure, even if she was drifting towards dark, and extreme pleasure; he knew well enough that everything between he and his wife was, and would always be consensual, despite her choice of vocabulary. It wasn't that, in particular, that was unnerving him. Kamijou Misaki did have this submissive side, this side of her that liked playing the victim for him. It wasn't even the fact that Accelerator was in the seat ahead. Accelerator, nor the driver of the taxi hear Misaki's lustful words. It wasn't even the fact that he could feel a throbbing bulge in his pants, that felt like it was threatening to tear his pants' crotch apart, and burst out.
Othinus was looking straight at Misaki, with a wide, knowing grin. There was no way that she could possibly hear Misaki's words, yet, Touma believed that Othinus, somehow, knew exactly what her co-guardian was speaking about.
The taxi hit a bump in the road, and Misaki started, slightly. Blushing heavily, she continued to look into her husband's eyes.
"T-Touma… I fear that I may have made you uncomfortable. I can see it. Oh, my; I am so, so sorry. I… I know how much of a gentleman you are; how humble you are. I love you so much for it. I love how much of a gentleman you are. I am so lucky, so blessed, to be so happily married to you… my body's desires got ahead of me. I should save such conversations for the privacy of our bedroom, or… our shower. Or, on top of our table. Mm… oh! Not again! Touma, I… I…"
Before Misaki could continue her whispering, Touma kissed her on the lips, as he stroked her cheek. "It's okay, precious. If we were anywhere else, you know I'd welcome those disgusting words of yours, my Ojou-Sama... my Queen. If anything, you're just building the hype up. By the way, I think Othi-chan's onto us," he whispered back.
Misaki turned her gaze to Othinus, who still sat in the cup holder adjacent to Accelerator. She smirked, smugly, and waved slowly in Misaki's direction. With a shudder, Misaki looked away.
"I apologize, my love. I should not have let my desires take hold of me. I hope I did not make you feel too uncomfortable. Please, if I should begin to do so again, at any time, do not feel bad about reminding me to watch my behavior."
Touma squeezed his wife's hand between his own, and smiled at her, warmly. Misaki's heart, like Touma's before her, skipped a beat, as her blush returned. When Kamijou Touma looked at her, Kamijou Misaki, with those big, warm eyes of his, when he looked through her, and into her very soul, with unconditional love in his mind, and in his heart, Misaki felt like the flustered little schoolgirl she'd once been. "I'm so… I'm so fucking madly in love with this man, my husband, my partner, my best friend. I… I cussed? So unladylike, yet, such raw desire burns in my veins. It is almost uncontrollable."
"Nothing to be sorry about. We're both humans, people, with needs, right? We're married, beautiful, it's only natural that we're going to talk about this stuff. Not only that, it's not like you're sitting here, talking about it out loud. You're whispering, nobody else can hear you. Just me. Othi-chan's just messing with us, and, for all the taxi driver knows, you could be whispering to me about taxes," Touma remarked, finishing his explanation with a chuckle. Misaki giggled. Her husband's humor wasn't always the most unique, or, even inherently the funniest, but, to Misaki, her husband's sense of humor was perfect, because it was his.
Misaki smiled, and nodded in agreement, before she ruffled Touma's hair. Misaki returned to her side of their combined seats, her husband's hands returned to being in her own, their fingers intertwining, as always.
Accelerator looked down at the former Magic God; she was waving her arms, and her lips were moving, though, Academy City's "top dog" couldn't hear her. He flicked his choker off, and, leaning forward, he rested his chin in the palm of his hand, his elbow pressed against his knee. His lips were straightened, unenthusiastic and neutral.
"Alright, one-eyed brat. What the fuck do you want?" Accelerator inquired. He yawned, as his crimson eyes looked into Othinus' singular green eye. Despite herself, despite the world-breaking power she once wielded, despite the fact that she knew Accelerator was a bona fide sissy, Othinus felt a tremor run down her tiny spine.
Othinus crossed one leg over the other, as she allowed her arms to hang over the sides of the cup holder. "Our hosts are preparing to engage in "the Mating Ritual of Kami-yan". I can tell. I have been observing some interesting things, over the past weeks, in particular, more than ever," Othinus began.
Accelerator raised an eyebrow. "The… "Mating Ritual of Kami-yan"? Are you a member of that fucking "Delta Force" now?"
Othinus nodded sagely. "I am an honorary member, sworn in by that fool in the glasses himself, in fact. I also believe you're a member, as well. Such a tsundere. Listen to me, and listen to me clearly, one who wields the power of Yahweh. I will not repeat myself. Our hosts seek to create offspring. Doing so, as it stands, would not be wise; there would be repercussions. The impossible power within Touma's right hand could react in any number of ways, none of which are positive. I know little about the "Imagine Breaker", but, I know enough to safely come to this conclusion."
Accelerator's crimson eyes shifted upwards, as he looked past Othinus. The taxi traveled over another bump; Accelerator's body shifted in place. From behind him, he heard Misaki giggle, before she and her husband returned to their conversation; they were talking about some "lost film"; certainly nothing that Academy City's "top dog" cared about. Accelerator sighed, before he clicked his tongue.
Lowering his voice, Accelerator looked back down to the former Magic God. "Yeah. I know. It's way too fucking easy to see that they want a goddamn brat. What would happen with that… those things, in the hero's hand, if they had one? From what I gather, you've been around for a while."
Othinus seemed to become uncomfortable, as she shifted awkwardly in place. If the topic of their conversation was anything less serious, Accelerator would've permitted himself to smirk triumphantly; it was quite obvious that Othinus didn't have an exact answer.
"The Imagine Breaker", as it has been dubbed by our mutual benefactor, is the result of the collection of the hope, and the fear of all magicians. Regardless of how far the world has been distorted, the "Imagine Breaker" can return the world to its original state,"
Othinus' left eye looked down, as if she was experiencing shame, as if she couldn't look Accelerator, who continued to observe her, in the eye.
"It can be… used as a… a… a reference point, from which all phenomenon…"
Othinus' small voice cracked, slightly. Accelerator clicked his tongue. He knew well enough what remorse was. She remained silent, for some time, before she cleared her little throat, and continued.
"… may be undone. It has had many a host, though who the first wielder of the "Imagine Breaker" was is unknown, even to me. As of now, as of this moment, "Imagine Breaker" seems to feel at home with Touma. It has had many a chance to fly free, and choose another to bear it, yet, even now, now that he's settled down, even now, that he wants to… create life with his chosen mate… "Imagine Breaker" remains."
Accelerator looked behind him, a second time. The married couple still appeared to be none the wiser, as they were quietly talking about something, which the "top dog" of Academy City didn't know the context of. For all he knew, they still could've been talking about that same "lost film". He looked up, and saw that the taxi was passing through the border between school districts seven and five. The tall, wide gap in the great wall between the two school districts made Accelerator feel surprisingly small, despite the fact that he knew he was larger than life itself.
"What you're inferring is that, if the hero and the fifth ranked have a brat, that thing in his hand could transfer, from father to child? I fucking thought so. Never knew it was sentient," Accelerator mumbled. "You think the hero can talk to it, somehow? Or those things inside of it? Maybe he can reason with them, tell them to fuck off. Reasoning is something that the hero's good at. We both know well enough about that."
The tiny former Magic God shrugged. "I've spent a lot of time with the dullard. I know him well, even more than you. There is only one who knows him better than I do, who knows his truest, rawest desires. I know Kamijou Touma as a protector, a guardian, someone who's supposed to be my "jailer", but has never treated me as a prisoner.
"Kamijou Misaki knows Kamijou Touma as a friend, as a lover, as a human being. She knows things about him that I can only begin to imagine. Does "Imagine Breaker" know? Is it truly, as you suggested, "sentient"? One could come to this conclusion, and it would be a safe conclusion to come to. Yet, it could potentially be the wrong conclusion.
"There is one, who wields a similar power to the "Imagine Breaker", so to speak, but, I'm certain he has enough to deal with. Hypothetically, if he was to consent to bearing two curses, rather than one, would "Imagine Breaker" accept him? Could it? I'm not fond of being put in such predicaments. I know many things, one who wields the power of Yahweh, but, this topic is not among them. I have potential ideas, none of which may work, if put into action."
Academy City's "top dog" leaned back in his seat, and sighed. He turned his face away from Othinus, and, from his seat, looked out of the window, to the world around him. School district five's academic facilities passed him by; pristine in their construction, these structures were bright, welcoming temples of knowledge; school district five seemed like the only district that wasn't filled to the brim with silver, or white skyscrapers. Its architecture was almost ornate; most of the academic facilities in the district were built from bricks, their exteriors painted with bright, positive colors; yellows, oranges, limes, and lavenders were some of the colors that Accelerator spotted in his observations.
All of this brightness was around him, and, yet, he was feeling rather disheartened.
"This is a man, and a woman who both saved my fucking life. I owe these people, the goddamn stupid hero, and the fifth ranked everything that I possess. I owe them my life. Why can't I help them? I have the power to challenge every country's fucking army, and come out on top, yet, I can't help my… my best fucking friends have a chance to do what they truly want to fucking do."
With a restrained snarl, Accelerator turned his vision back to Othinus' tiny form. "Oi. One-eyed brat."
Looking up, the former Magic God tilted her head to one side, and offered him a thin smile. Accelerator didn't know exactly why, but, strangely, it felt as if the expression was, to some extent, one of hope. Perhaps she was thinking the same thing he was? Perhaps, she was willing to sacrifice everything in order to help the one who'd saved her life a second time?
Accelerator looked to the driver of the taxi, who, like the married couple behind him, appeared to be non the wiser. His attention was focused on the road in front of him, not on his passengers.
As Academy City's "top dog" cast his vision to the streets beyond the taxi's windshield, he took in just how packed school district fifteen was. Vehicular traffic wasn't even the main issue; pedestrians were everywhere, walking out in front of cars, raising their hands in exasperation when they were rightfully honked at. The driver of their vehicle had bigger fish to fry, clearly.
As Accelerator began leaning in, Othinus quickly got the hint, and leaned forward in the cup holder.
"I'm not going to "find" a way to help the hero. I'm going to fucking make a way. I know some people. Pretty tight individuals, they know how to get their information, and they know how to get it fast.
"There's someone in Academy City who knows more about the fucked up power in the hero's hand than anyone else. They've got access to information that nobody else does. If anyone knows anything about the hero's hand, it's the person who's got access to the data that was held by… him."
Othinus tilted her small head to the side, as her left eye blinked. "Will you, "Accel-chan?" Will you step into the territory of a man-child whose name even you are afraid to speak openly? Be warned, should you go searching, you might find more than what you originally bargained for."
Accelerator held back yet another snarl, before his voice turned to a whisper, full of malice. "You don't think I fucking know that? Who, precisely, do you think you're talking to, one-eyed brat? Academy City's darkness is something I know all about. Beneath their heel, I fucking killed ten thousand people. Living, breathing, knowing people. I know everything there is to fucking know. I was fucking played by them. They made me what I was, before… before… before Misaki and Touma stepped in, and ended it all."
The nose of the "top dog" of Academy City was pressed nearly against the former Magic God's face; she reeled back, as Accelerator's crimson eyes stared into her single remaining pupil. Othinus' heart was beating a mile a minute. She felt like a prey animal, inches away from the gaping maw of an unstoppable predator. "I'll kill those fucking dragons myself, if I have to. I'll fucking make my wings come out, and then, those things will see who's laughing. I can get that goddamn beetle, the second ranked, and that goddamn robot, the Protectron. I know that thing can phase through just about anything but the second ranked's Dark Matter. It could hit those fucking dragons from the inside, while the second ranked and I fuck their day up. We…"
"Accel? Othi-chan?"
Accelerator instantly leaned back in his seat, with a snort. Othinus piped up, and forced a smile on her face.
"Yo, hero," the "top dog" remarked, as he craned his head to the right. Othinus waved to Touma, whose head was sticking out from behind his seat. Misaki looked at the two with concerned, starry eyes.
"Dullard! Welcome to the conversation. The Accelerator and I were engaging in a heated debate about the possibility of which novella is superior; "My Cakes Will Burn", or "This is Illegal, You Know".
"The Accelerator" didn't know about the existence of either novella, and decided to take quite the risk, when his lips parted. "Yeah… Uh. "My Cakes Will Burn". Huckleberry Finn is a goddamn asshole. I… I liked the part where he blew the robot pirates apart with the laser cannon attached to his wrist, though. They… uh. They had it coming."
Othinus couldn't help but chuckle. "Go write a book, "number one". You'll make millions."
"Ah; I don't really read all that much. That's cool, though! Glad to see you two bonding!" Touma happily remarked, as his face disappeared behind the seat. The top of his hair could be seen, though, this was due to the fact that, behind the seat, he was in something of a relaxed, slouched position.
Misaki smiled, and reached forward, patting Accelerator on the shoulder; Accelerator had moved to flick his choker off, only to see that it had already been disabled. With a sigh of relief, he allowed the act of friendly affection to occur. "As am I, Accelerator. Othinus really is not all that bad, once you get to know her. In the process, though… that is when you feel the real pain. She is quite the card."
"I can hear you, loud and clear, Mental Out!" The former Magic God squeaked, as she shook her fist.
Accelerator plucked Othinus from her seat in the cup holder; the former Magic God produced an unceremonious squeak as she did so, kicking her legs, as her tiny feet swatted at the air. Academy City's "top dog" turned towards the married couple behind him, and gently dropped Othinus onto the seat between them. He could hear Touma's maniacal laughter, as he plucked Othinus from her new seat.
"You big brute! Put me down, this instant!" Othinus proclaimed.
Touma placed Othinus in the outstretched palm of his left hand, and pinned her beneath the index finger of his right. With his finger pressing against her belly, Othinus glared up at her "jailer".
"Aww, little Othi-chan. She's sooooo cuuuhhhuuuttteee!" Touma exclaimed sarcastically. "There wouldn't be a whole lot that you could do, if I started tickling you."
Othinus' left eye widened, as she shook her head viciously. "No! Not that! Anything but that! Mercy! Misaki, aid me!"
Misaki watched on, amused. Kamijou Touma's wife shook her head, with a smug expression on her face. She winked in Othinus' direction.
"You're worse than that cat!" Othinus squeaked in terror. Her little arms and legs began to thrash about, as Touma looked down at his "prisoner", with an amused grin. "Put me down! Down, I say! Obey my commands, dullard! Down! Put me dooowwwnnnn! Please? Pretty please? Please put me down. Touma? I'll tell the nun, and, then, she'll bite you. Your wife won't save you. If you dare tickle me, I'll climb into your throat while you're sleeping, and I'll kick the inside of your neck! HA!"
"You're no fun," Touma commented, before he relented. He gently sat Othinus on his shoulder. After dusting herself off, as if she'd been dirtied by Kamijou Touma's touch, Othinus tossed her head back, causing her golden hair to trail behind her. She adjusted her bangs, moving them away from her eyes, before she crossed her legs, and used her arms to keep her balance.
With Othinus settled into place, Accelerator went back to sightseeing, while the married couple, still hand in hand, quieted down. The duration of their ride through district five, and into district six was a peaceful one. The silence that had descended was far from uncomfortable for the parties involved; the driver of the taxi was too busy concentrating on the road in front of him to even have noticed that his passengers had been speaking.
On the school district six side of the border between school districts five and six, Accelerator, Kamijou Misaki, and Othinus, who had taken to riding on Misaki's shoulder exited the taxi, as Touma paid the fare, with a quick swipe of his debit card, and a quicker input of his security code. With a polite wave, and a warm farewell, Touma stepped out, as the taxi began to pull away.
"Might I go back into your purse?" Othinus inquired, turning her head to face her co-guardian. Misaki smiled at Othinus; it almost looked somewhat sad, as if to say, "I understand". Misaki gently picked the tiny former Magic God up, and set her carefully inside of her purse, where she curled up, rubbing the side of her face against the purse's soft interior.
"So, hero, fifth ranked," Accelerator spoke up. The married couple had already taken to holding hands; Academy City's "top dog" just couldn't restrain the grin that his lips curled into. "No pit stops along the way? I don't really care. Just asking."
Kamijou Touma looked down to Kamijou Misaki, who smiled warmly up at him. "Where to go, huh? Are we just going to head straight to this "new kiddie park", or are we going to go clothes shopping?"
With a gentle, harmless slap of his wrist, Misaki giggled. "Oh, please, husband; you know well enough that I am not that type of woman. Now, an abstract art museum, for example; that would be my forte. Have I ever told you about the museum in district fifteen?
"Within, among other oddities, is an entire display dedicated to the works of Andreas C.L. Schnaas. Among his art, is a wax replication of his "Wilds Unrestrained" piece, in which he covered his body with copious amounts of silver-dyed clay, created a large, beastly mask with said clay, and, then, planted multiple burning twigs within the clay. The end result, while grotesque, is genius, in its own way. It invokes the savagery of the human spirit."
Accelerator was anything but surprised; throughout her explanation, Touma had turned his attention entirely to his wife, never interrupting, eyes never straying from hers, as she spoke. Though passersby sometimes came dangerously close to crashing into him, Kamijou Touma's attention never left his wife's form. From Accelerator's point of view, it was if Touma had been pulled into a trancelike state.
Touma, when he believed his wife had finished her explanation, responded, as the two followed behind Accelerator. "Andreas C.L. Schnaas?" I've heard you mention him before, beautiful. Norwegian, right? Didn't he produce the "Tribute to False Gods"? Statue made out of torn-up pieces of old religious texts? Stirred up a lot of stuff, no? If you want to go to that museum, one day, we should. Never been a big art guy myself, but, I wouldn't mind taking a look; always good to learn about new things, right? Especially if it makes you happy."
Quickly standing on her toes, Misaki planted a kiss to her husband's cheek, before she returned to her normal stance. "Just how much attention have you paid to my lectures, Touma?! Y-you're so… so adorable. You are the ultimate. You are without rival. Best husband ever."
Touma couldn't help but grin. In front of them, Accelerator looked to the sky, as he continued to contemplate his conversation with the former Magic God.
"Lectures? Nah. I love listening to you talk, about anything, really. When you're passionate about something, you just… you light up, in this really amazing way, and I love seeing you glow the way that you do. You're the ultimate, too; best wife ever," Touma complimented, before he tapped Accelerator on the shoulder.
"Yeah, hero? Done being a brownnoser?" Accelerator teased in response, through his mirthful laughter. He gently punched Touma's shoulder, before he returned his attention to the street in front of him. He awkwardly wiped the corners of either of his eyes with his knuckles.
"From then, to now. Shit. Where has the fucking time even gone? Hero and the fifth ranked are the only ones who have stayed the same, it feels like. I'll find some way to repay you, both of you. If I have to get fucking shot in the head a second time, I'd do it. I'd do it in a goddamn instant. I'd take the bullet with a smile."
"Allergies, man, your eyes are red as shit," Touma commented. "I sympathize. Mine haven't been so bad, this year, but, last year… anyways, what's this park's name? Do you know it?"
"You're so fucking dense," Accelerator grumbled under his breath. "Yeah. Name's something real fucking stupid, like "the Grand Kingdom", or some shit. Real generic, play it safe sort of thing, probably trying to appeal to the widest audience."
Touma nodded, satisfied with the answer. Misaki took to asking the question that was, to no one's surprise, on Touma's mind. "Do you know where it is located, Accelerator? Or, do we need to ask for directions?"
"Of course I do… actually, I don't. Fuck," Accelerator remarked. "We'll find it."
The trio shared a chuckle, as Othinus popped her head out from Misaki's purse; seeing the many, many passersby, she squeaked in panic, and returned to her humble hiding hole.
Stepping out of the way, the trio stepped onto the deck that sat just outside of a small family restaurant. Wide, spacious, and crafted from fine, dark wood, the patio was a breath of fresh air for the trio, when compared to the silver and white hues most of Academy City sported. Sitting themselves down at a vacant wooden table, whose large, almost vaguely throne-like wooden chairs looked more than welcoming, Accelerator produced his phone, and, after unlocking the device, opened its map app. He proceeded to quickly allow the app to track his location, for the purpose of pinpointing him. Accelerator typed in the name of the ride that Kamijou Misaki had provided to him; "the Citadel of Dread". Doing so yielded multiple results – the top result was the attraction's location, which was, as Accelerator had accurately predicted, the amusement park that was known as the "the Grand Kingdom". During this time, a waitress had approached; in order to avoid being loiterers, the Kamijous ordered two ice waters, one for Touma, and one for Misaki.
"Accelerator? Would you like anything to drink?" Misaki inquired, as she placed a hand warmly on his own pale hand. Accelerator looked up from his phone, and shrugged.
"Yeah. Water's fine…" Before he could forget his manners, Last Order's voice played in his head.
"It's always important to remember to use your manners, Accelerator; that way, people won't think you're some type of delinquent, MISAKA MISAKA explains, as she uses her "good girl" ways to woo you into being a respectable member of society!"
"… please."
"Another ice water, please?" Misaki inquired. The waitress smiled, and nodded, before she quickly went on her way.
Accelerator tapped on the location of the Grand Kingdom, and commanded his phone's map app to offer him directions. From his position on the map, a small, glowing, blue light darted, and eventually ended up at the location of the Grand Kingdom.
By the time Accelerator stuffed his unlocked phone into his pocket, the waitress had returned, with three fair sized glasses of ice water; Touma was quick to suck his back, while Misaki began to sip on her own. Accelerator couldn't see it, but, beneath the table, Touma's hand had come to rest on his wife's thigh; Accelerator wasn't aware of the context, when Misaki turned her gaze to her husband, and shook her head, with a small, seductive grin.
"So, hero, fifth ranked, we've got about a fifteen-minute walk, if we hustle our asses. I… appreciate the drink, but, let's not sit around all day," Academy City's "top dog" commented, before he proceeded to chug his water. Touma watched on in awe, as Misaki's eyes, too, fell upon Accelerator.
"… what the fuck are you two looking at? Go stare at each other, or something," Accelerator jokingly remarked, as he moved his bangs from his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, and crossed one leg across the other's knee.
"F-forgive me, mighty Accel-chan," Touma teased, trembling, as he placed his hands together, and proceeded to move up and down, as if to beg for forgiveness. Misaki began to blush, as she looked away, giggling at the sight before her.
Accelerator folded his arms, and clicked his tongue; he could only hold the cold façade for so long, before he, too, broke down laughing. Misaki only began to giggle more, as she heard the "top dog's" mirthful laughter. Touma struggled to finish his water, as he resisted the urge to join his wife and old friend in their merry chuckles.
Kamijou Misaki proceeded to softly clear her throat, before she tossed her head back, and let the remainder of her water pour into her mouth, as if it was a waterfall, streaming down onto the earth to form a body of water. Pulling her head back up, she grinned, as Touma's eyes shifted in his head, in his beloved's direction.
"Good shit. I'll grab the bill. You paid for the ride, so it's only right. Don't fucking protest, goddamn hero, I know how you are," Accelerator remarked, as he rested his arm against the backrest of his chair.
"Accel-chan, I'll save you from the evil forces of finances!" Touma exclaimed, thrusting his right fist outwards; the air around him gusted, as a swift, sudden "swoosh" sound was produced.
"You've still got it, hero. Almost makes me feel bad for any moron who fucks with you," Accelerator remarked. Touma chuckled, as he began to awkwardly lower his arm back to his side.
"You will have to save yourself, first," Misaki remarked, as she placed her hands over her mouth, and turned away; she almost looked like she'd just told some offensive joke. Her husband's lips parted, and then, his lips curled into a frown, before, like Accelerator before him, his façade faded; he began to chuckle, as he folded his arms across his mighty chest.
"I'm man enough to admit it, I'd rather leave all the money stuff to you, beautiful. You're way better with it than I am," Touma confessed. Accelerator smirked in response, and rolled his crimson eyes. Misaki nodded, almost smugly, in approval, before she wrapped her arms around her husband's form, and sighed contentedly, as she nuzzled him.
"Ready to go, baby?" Kamijou Misaki inquired, as Touma's left arm went around her shoulders. Touma offered a nod of agreement, as he quickly ran his hand down his wife's back, causing her form to shiver, slightly.
Rising up, Accelerator held his position until the waitress presented herself; calling her over, Accelerator moved to produce his wallet, which held his debit card – unfortunately, as Accelerator began to root around in his pockets, he found only his phone. Touma took the initiative, and quickly paid the bill, offering Accelerator a grin, as if to say, "it's cool". As the waitress bade her short-lived customers a warm farewell, the trio left the patio.
"Sorry, hero, fifth ranked; I fucked up. Thought I had my wallet with me," Accelerator remarked, as he stuffed his hands into his wallet-less pockets.
"Accel, man, it's cool. Honestly," Touma spoke, as he patted Accelerator on the shoulder.
"Absolutely correct, my love," Misaki, too, said, before she turned her attention to Accelerator. "There is no need to feel that you must pay us back, either; consider this day to be on us, as a gift. You certainly deserve a day out." Her husband nodded in agreement.
Accelerator allowed himself to smile, and, he allowed himself to properly thank his friends. "T-thanks. Misaki, Touma. Means a lot… to me."
The married couple smiled to one another, before their hands clasped, and their fingers interlocked; and as they and their friend continued on their way towards the Grand Kingdom, down the cobbled walkways of school district six, passersby, both in vehicles and on foot, zoomed past, though, the quartet were very much caught up in their business together.
Othinus had peaked her head out over the edge of Misaki's purse, and examined the great, tall world around her. The sky above the quartet was right, and blue, with only small, fluffy, clouds that smiled down onto them, as if they approved of the peace that they witnessed from above. Othinus recalled her conversation with "the Accelerator"; she'd almost fallen back into that darkness, that all-encompassing realm of self depreciation and remorse, hailing back to a time before a certain spiky-haired boy, and a certain blonde-haired girl had shattered her illusions.
Those thoughts still lingered, and, though they clung to the edges of the tiny former Magic God's mind, as she looked to the sky, with her functioning eye; the light, warm breeze brushed and caressed her golden hair, and massaged the scalp beneath. Despite everything that Othinus had been through, not only with Kamijou Touma and Shokuhou Misaki, as Kamijou Misaki had been known, then, but with her once-enemy, a man named Ollerus, and those who had once served beneath her, forming the cabal known as GREMLIN, Othinus smiled. She smiled warmly, and with mirth. Despite the fact that she was a powerless, fifteen-centimeter thing, little more than a pixie, Othinus smiled, truthfully, and without hesitation. If, someday, the opportunity to be restored to her full size presented itself, she'd take it. If not, she'd live this way. It was hardly anything to complain about.
Othinus felt herself begin to tear up, as she clambered back into her co-guardian's purse. The former Magic God closed her left eye, and, cupping her tiny hands, she placed them to the right side of her chest.
"Thank you, for giving me this opportunity, to live, and to love with you, dullard, Mental Out, nun… even you, cat. Thank you. I love you."
October 9th, 2014. 5:23 PM.
The door to the Saten and Uiharu residence was flung open with a thud. Standing in the doorway was what, to some, might've been a terrible sight to behold: Protectron. Closing the door behind it as it walked into the residence, the synthetic lifeform emulated the sound of a human's sigh of relief; it was home.
"Hi, honey! I, Protectron… er… I mean, I'm home!" The synthetic lifeform proclaimed, mouth unmoving.
The Saten and Uiharu residence, which was an apartment in school district twenty, was a small, but comfortable abode. Its walls were made up of large, light brown tiles, which varied in size. Most were rectangular, while some were smaller squares. The ceilings were painted beige, the floors made of treated hardwood. The living room, which the synthetic lifeform casually strolled into was of fair size; the kitchen was connected directly to the living room; two entrances in the wall that separated the two rooms allowed access into it.
In the center of the living room's ceiling, there was a large ceiling light, which was turned off, as natural daylight flooded in through the glass balcony doors, whose blinds were pulled back. A large television sat across from the couch; between both, there was a long coffee table, which was mostly empty, save for a tablet, whose screen was black and inactive. Beneath the television sat a large wall unit, whose shelves were almost entirely covered with collections of manga, light novels, DVDs, and small trinkets that were of importance to the home's residents, one of which was a small, white flower pin, that sat next to a flowery headband; both looked far too small to fit with the adult forms of their respective owners.
Protectron, body producing a soft humming as it made its way into the living room, where, shrugging off its Aloha Shirt, and then unbuckling and tossing away its slacks, revealing the entirety of its metallic form, plopped down on the wide, long, black leather couch. Reaching over to the right arm of the piece of furniture, Protectron swatted at the remote, as it tossed its clothing into a pile on the other side of the couch. Unable to obtain it through "normal" means, the synthetic lifeform's lower arm extended; its lower right arm shot out from its upper right arm, as a long, thick metallic beam slowly began to appear, which connected the two. Grabbing the remote, the lower right arm slid back into the upper right, with an audible, metallic "zwoop" sound.
The television itself was quite large; attached to the wall across from the couch, it was fifty inches horizontally, and thirty-five inches vertically. Its flat, plastic frame was black, and, in the center of the bottom of the frame, there was a small "LCA" logo.
Protectron's auditory stimuli detectors picked up on a thud, which came from down the hall, behind the couch, and away from the entrances to the kitchen, that separated it from the living room. Protectron recognized the sound instantaneously, simply by the speed in which the sound came, and to what degree the loudness of the thud was.
The lights upon the synthetic lifeform's body changed in their coloration; from cyan, to bright pink, as it rose up from its seat on the couch, arms held wide.
"Awakened! Awakened!" The voice of Saten Ruiko called, as she came rushing down the hall; by the looks of her outfit, she had changed into "relax mode". The young woman's long, dark hair was tied back in a ponytail that fell to her tailbone. Dressed in a white top, with short, red sleeves, and a pair of cottony white shorts, Saten Ruiko's sock-clad feet slapped against the hardwood floors of she and Uiharu Kazari's residence, before she leapt into the air, and tossed herself into the waiting arms of Protectron, who caught her without fail, lifting her from the ground, and pressing her waist against its upper torso, as it looked up at her.
"Hello, Love!" Protectron spoke, as it pulled Ruiko into an embrace. Despite the coldness of its body, Ruiko, without hesitation, threw her arms around the synthetic lifeform's neck. Looking into Protectron's eyes, Ruiko retrieved her right arm, and poked at its head with her right hand's index finger.
"How was your day, huh?! What crazy, exciting things did you do? Tell meeee!" Ruiko excitedly demanded. "You should take your helmet off, too. That face is too great to hide."
Protectron awkwardly cocked its head to one side. Emulating the sound of a human being's sigh, it placed Ruiko down on her feet, before it ruffled her hair. "For you. Being Protectron has always been easier than being… "the Awakened". Being an object is simple."
Placing its metallic digits to either side of its 'head', it pressed them into the bottoms of its 'head'; with two small clicks, Protectron's 'head' came loose, and, as Protectron lifted its 'head' with one hand, the synthetic lifeform unplugged a series of wires that snaked from its neck, and into the interior of its 'head' with the other, until each fell. As each wire was unplugged, it snaked automatically back into Protectron's neck.
Protectron ceased to be, as it finished lifting its 'head' away; the Awakened was revealed. What was revealed beneath Protectron's helmet was something that much more resembled a human being. "It" became what Ruiko saw as "him".
His metallic 'skin' was reflective, pristine in its condition, and was colored a shade of dark silver, eyes bright pink in coloration, in line with the rest of the lights on his body. There was an indent at the point in which his scalp and forehead became one, from which a rectangular design was born. A bright line ran from the top of the Awakened's head, to a metallic, vaguely furry-looking 'eyebrow' that sat above either of his eyes, and then continued from the bottom of either of his eyes, to his chin. He had a nose that was approximately the size of an average human male's, with two nostrils. Some distance beneath his nose, was a pair of silver lips.
"See? Now, isn't that better? You don't need that helmet, and, you don't need to be an object. Not here. It doesn't matter where you got this idea that you need to hide yourself, does it? You don't," Saten Ruiko spoke. She stood up on her toes, but still couldn't reach the Awakened.
Leaning down, so that its line of vision was equal with Saten Ruiko's, the Awakened looked into Ruiko's big, blue eyes. Tilting his metallic head to one side, the synthetic lifeform yet again emulated the sound of a human's sigh, lips moving as he did so.
"Many would consider our union to be strange enough, were anyone outside of our closest to learn of it. Some might consider it to be a crime against nature – I am no man, Love, as much as I try to be one. It's easier for all involved to believe that a simple, eccentric "robot" is amongst them, as my fathers have said. The truth could be too much. It's an identity that works."
Ruiko placed her hands on the Awakened's cheeks, their relaxing coolness pleasuring her senses, before she smiled her biggest, warmest, widest smile. If the synthetic lifeform possessed a stomach, it would've fluttered, as Ruiko looked into his glowing pink eyes. Her lips were full, and light pink in coloration – the Awakened knew that this wasn't her lips' natural color, but was, in fact, the result of lipstick being applied to them. The Awakened could 'feel' Ruiko's soft, silky skin pressed against his own hard, smooth metallic outer layer. It felt spectacular. "I think a lot of people could look past that; I did, when I met you for the first time, almost eight years ago, when you were in that… oh my gosh, that getup; and I know that I'm a happier person for it. The only difference between you and me is what we're made of! You're as much of a person as am I, silly!"
Taking the Awakened's hands in her own, Ruiko led the synthetic lifeform back to the couch; she threw herself back onto it with force, giggling; if the Awakened possessed a physical heart, it would've been beating a mile a minute. He performed the same action, but, with considerably less force behind his backwards thrust.
"Eheheh. I miss you. Come 'ere," Ruiko said softly, as she threw her arms around the Awakened's shoulders, as best as she could, given their position. Pulling her legs up, Ruiko snuggled herself up to him. As gently as he could possibly manage, the Awakened, the synthetic lifeform, placed his arm around Saten Ruiko. "As I was asking earlier, how're you doing, stranger?! I haven't seen you in a long time!"
The synthetic lifeform's lips curled into a smile, as he played with strands of Ruiko's ponytail, twirling them between his metallic digits. "I'm well enough, all things taken into careful consideration, "stranger". It's been too long since we last spent time with one another. Yourself, Love?"
"You know! Surviving," Ruiko answered. "You should pick up your clothes, before you forget, by the way. You were saying, earlier, that you went off with Anti Skill to the underground mall? Was everything okay? You were gone a while."
Dropping the remote, the Awakened's available arm extended outwards, and, in his hand, the Awakened scooped up the clothing he'd been wearing. Arm retracing, the synthetic lifeform placed the heap in his lap. "All was well, Love; boringly so.
"Either, the mall's sprinkler systems had been encountering some type of problem, or, a prank was played. The mall's encountered both instances before. By the time I'd checked the premises for any type of terrorist paraphernalia, the mall's security force had already begun to take measures to prevent hysteria. They were doing quite the job, I must say."
Saten Ruiko produced a soft sigh of relief, as she let her head fall into the Awakened's lap. Regardless of the fact that a pile of clothes would've cushioned her head's descent, the Awakened still, with blindingly quick reflexes, caught Ruiko's head in his hands, and gently lowered her down, in the direction that she sought to travel in.
"That's a relief. I'm… wow, I'm really pooped. Hard shift today. It seemed like customers just wouldn't stop arriving in droves. I'm glad I got to see you before I passed out. I mean, I won't pass out just yet! I've still got some fight in me!" Ruiko exclaimed, giggling awkwardly.
"Lunar Elegance is… quite the haunt, for quite the odd bunch," the Awakened remarked.
Ruiko closed her eyes, as she lowered the synthetic lifeform's hands down to her shoulders with her own. "Can I get a massage? Shoulders, and neck, are killing mmeeeeeee. Pretty please?" As the synthetic lifeform immediately proceeded to go about the task that had been set before him, Ruiko produced a rather loud groan of pleasure.
Though the Awakened's hands were cold, the coolness was relaxing; it felt like her skin was being pressed against porcelain. His touch was soft, despite the incredible strength Ruiko knew him to posses. Ruiko proceeded to continue with her response, after another small, relieved groan. "You could say that the Dianoid is "quite the place". It'd be really easy to just assume that everyone who hangs around there is a stuck-up snob, but, that's not true, honestly."
"It isn't?" The Awakened inquired. Ruiko rolled her shoulders, as his metallic digits ironed out their kinks. Allowing her legs to dangle over the arm of the couch, Ruiko shifted in place, as her lips began to curl into a small, pleasured grin.
"Noooo. I've got to say, the Dianoid has a lot of nice people. Customers, employees of the different stores and the other restaurants, a lot of people are really cool. I mean, don't misunderstand me, there're a LOT of…"
"Dicks," the Awakened stated, assisting Ruiko in completing her statement.
With a giggle, Ruiko opened her eyes, and shook her head. "Not quite "dicks". Some are close to reaching "dick" levels of meanness, but, nobody's properly reached that point, just yet. Honestly, the worst I've ever encountered, was, ironically… well, Worst. As in, Misaka Worst, Mikoto's Sister."
The Awakened's lips curled into a frown, though his massaging didn't stop. Love was clearly enjoying herself, and, therefore, Awakened had no excuse to cease his actions. One of his few purposes in life was to bring Love happiness, and joy. "Mm. The Sisters."
"/Enablecaptainslog: Captain's Log:/ - /return. Entry date: 2014-10-09: Shameful business, all of that. To think, there were individuals in power who condoned the mass slaughtering of innocents, as a means to an end. Though before my time, I still have knowledge. Inborn knowing of these incidents, for what reason I cannot possibly know. Quite troublesome. To find vengeance would serve no purpose; those who have not already been brought to justice lurk in places dark. I know these places, as I know all things, yet, what would be the point? To destroy would bring me down to the Accelerator's level. I am no monster. I am no murderer. I…
Recreation sequence initiated. /Beginquote: "Oh."
"It's dark."
"It feels like I'm sinking into deep waters."
"Is this death?"
/Endquote. Recreation sequence complete. Returning to Free Roam. Returning to Love. /return."
"Awakened? Awakened?! Hello? Yoo-hoo! Awakened? Everything okay?" Ruiko inquired. For a moment, the synthetic lifeform continued to stare, blankly at the turned off television across from him, his hands still gently massaging. "Awakened, you're scaring me. Are you alright?"
With a start, the Awakened returned. Shaking his head, the synthetic lifeform looked down to Ruiko, and smiled. "Forgive me, Love. My brain was forced into a recreation sequence, while I was attempting to record a Captain's Log. Quite disturbing to hear. It was something of a struggle to break the sequence, but, I've succeeded in doing so."
Ruiko frowned, as she gently moved the synthetic lifeform's hands from her shoulders, and took them into her own. "It was when I mentioned Worst, wasn't it? Sorry… I forget sometimes, you… you know about almost everything that's ever happened. I didn't mean to, Awakened. It must be hard, being… being tied into the City like that. I couldn't even begin to imagine it. There has been a lot of messed up things that've happened. I love you."
"And I love you, as well," the Awakened stated. "There's no need to apologize; most incidents do not trigger such a volatile response from my brain. The events surrounding Misaka-san's Sisters are particularly traumatic. I dearly wish that the Sisters' Saviors, as they are called, finished what they started. Sadly, I can't do so myself."
"Finish… what they started? Awakened, you don't mean…?" Ruiko shook her head. "It wasn't his fault, Awakened. They were using him. You know that, you're just angry, and I can't say I blame you! Mikoto's one of my best friends; I love her as much as I love your sister. Knowing that, when we were children, barely teenagers, she was holding in that kind of pain, it nearly made me think the same thing you do. I wanted him, Accelerator-san, to suffer just as much as you do, but… times change. So do people, and the way we all think."
"Do you well and truly believe that, Love? I don't know what I should believe. Ignorance is bliss, but, ignorance is not a commodity that I can afford. This is precisely why I so thoroughly enjoy the persona of "Protectron"; there's an innocence behind it all," the Awakened explained. "There's an old adage that goes, "time heals all wounds". Does it? Or does time help those who've been wronged forget about their wounds, despite, or perhaps because of their festering? I feel that the Accelerator should be treated as any criminal is. I can never be the executioner, but, one should be noble enough to do what needs to be done."
Ruiko ran her fingers across one of the Awakened's metallic cheeks. Smiling thinly, she tiled her head to the side. "You know? I can't say I agree with you, Awakened..."
The synthetic lifeform gave a nod. "I understand, Love. I wouldn't demand that you do. We're all entitled to our own feelings, and thoughts."
"… but I can understand why you feel the way that you do, too, about a lot of things," Ruiko finished. "I can understand why you feel strongly about all the things that've gone under the radar. I didn't even know about any of this until a few years ago. Your sister just sort of found out on her own; I guess working with the City makes that happen. She's… she's taken it all really well."
The Awakened flicked on the television, with the remote, and then smiled down at Ruiko. "Our conversation took a dark turn. Might we let it pass? I'd much prefer it if our dwindling moments together on this evening were spent focusing on matters of a more positive light."
"Fine by me," Ruiko replied. "Yeah. Let's just let this pass. Gotta stay positive, right? That's the best way to play it safe, I think."
For a while, the two lifeforms, one natural, born of a father's seed and a mother's womb, the other synthetic, born of metal, wires, and an artificial spark of life in a geothermal power station, sat together. Ruiko was eventually given possession of the television remote, to which she changed the channel to a station whose programming was more focused on comedy.
Another door behind the two lifeforms opened, and then closed, with some force. The Awakened craned his neck; as he expected, it was the home's only other current occupant, a pointy-haired boy. His hair was spiked, even more so than usual; it stood taller, and was less casual than how it usually appeared. Clad in a tight-fitting, blue and black, vertically striped V neck shirt, and a pair of dark, and equally tight-fitting sweatpants, whose cuffs covered the tongues of a pair of particularly expensive-looking orange and silver trainers, the boy raised his right hand.
"Oi, pops. Didn't know you were home," the boy spoke. "I see at least half of… someone. I know Kazari doesn't wear girly blue socks like that, so… it's got to be Ruiko."
"Hey!" Ruiko proclaimed. "Don't make fun of my socks, you! I happen to like them a lot!"
"And that's why I make fun of them," the boy shot back. "I should shut up, before pops kicks my ass."
"Hey there, champ." The Awakened spoke. Ruiko smiled, as she picked herself up, and moved from the synthetic lifeform's lap, allowing him to rise up from the couch. Doing so, the Awakened made his way over to the boy, and offered him a hand.
"A handshake? Come off it, you big suck. I'll give you a damn hug. A manly one, though. None of that "booboo I love you" shit, be a man."
Wrapping their left, and right arm around one another, respectively, father and son embraced in a way that was just "manly" enough to satisfy both. With a smirk, the pointy-haired boy broke away.
"So, Touka, the great "man" of the house? How was school?" The Awakened inquired.
"Typical Tokiwadai shit," Touka remarked, as he traversed into the kitchen, the Awakened heard the sound of the refrigerator door being pried open, before the rattling of glass bottles could be heard. Following the sound of the door being closed, the pointy-haired boy emerged from the kitchen's right entranceway with a bottle of soda in hand.
"Just how many of those have you had, boy? Got to watch your sugar intake," the Awakened remarked, to which Touka scoffed. The pointy-haired took a long sip, and then folded his arms across his chest.
"Alright, mom, whatever you say."
Ruiko, who'd sat herself up properly on the couch, produced a small giggle. "I remember Tokiwadai, even before they started letting little boys in. It was… actually a pretty intimidating place. Rich girls' school. Misaki, Mikoto and Mitsuko, just to name a few girls were really nice, but, there were a few bad apples."
"Little boys? Ha, most of 'em are. Not me. I'm going to be the ninth level five. Tokiwadai's become a joke, needs a fixer-upper. Mitsuko? That's the forehead girl, right?" Touka inquired. "She can get this dick. So can Misaka-san… I'd say something smart about Kamijou-san, but her man scares the shit out of me; I'm manly enough to admit it!" Turning to his father, Touka grinned malevolently. "Eheheh. Imagine making Misaka-san spark up, when you plug your, um, prongs, into, her, uh… socket. Yeah, that sounded a lot better in my head. Point being, she's HOT! Great curves, dude!"
The Awakened shook his head in disappointment, as he placed his arm around his son's shoulder, and pulled him close, with a rather forceful tug. Touka started, at first, but quickly adapted to the pace of his father's sudden action.
"I don't have "prongs". Besides, listen, champ; you're never going to find a girlfriend with an attitude like the one you're showing off to us right now. I know that's not really you. I've known you for a long time. Well, I also keep tabs on you; enough to know all about what you keep in your closet; poetr…"
"Shut it, old man!" Touka fumed; Ruiko held back a giggle, as she could practically see the smoke being pushed from the pointy-haired boy's ears. "Not putting up with you! Quit goin' through my stuff, too! That's private!"
As Touka stormed back to his room, slamming the door shut behind him, the Awakened looked to Saten Ruiko, and shook his head. "Hormones… the most potent of all mind-bending drugs."
The young woman nodded in agreement. "Yup. He seems more grumpy than usual, though. Maybe we should talk to him? I hope everything's going okay for him, at school. You haven't heard anything from any teachers, right?"
To Ruiko's concern, the Awakened nodded his head, though, he didn't appear to be answering "yes", or "no", to the question she'd posed. Instead, his lips curled into a grin.
"One or two fights; nothing particularly major. That dorm manager is overzealous. Someone hits my boy? I expect him to hit back."
"Honestly," Ruiko stated, exasperated. Still, her own lips had curled into a small grin, as she fell forwards, and sprawled herself out, legs dangling over the arm of the couch, arms splayed out awkwardly. With a groan, the young woman turned her neck, so that her eyes could look in the direction of the standing, synthetic lifeform.
"Wanna do my back? It's sooorreeeee."