Quick thing: thanks, spartannob6 for following and favoriting! It's great to have you on board, and to know that I have your support. I hope you enjoy your reading of Times Change!
As we always do around this time, let's jump straight into the section of these pre-chapter words in which I respond to your lovely reviews, shall we? Personally, this section is one of my favorites; I adore reading what you wonderful people have to say, whether you're simply glossing over events that caught your respective attentions and explaining what you thought about them or whether you're offering me ideas or always-needed pointers. It's all great!
321jaz: at this point, I think I might as well just invoke meme magic and surrender to the powers that be. I'm obviously not strong enough to resist the temptation.
Leeeeeeeeet's get roooooiiiigghhttttt innttoooooo the reviieeeewwwwww!
Ahem.
When it comes to Kamijou Touma (and by extension and association Kamijou Misaki), expect the abnormal. Perhaps there's a little more to the saying "a mother knows", or perhaps what we've seen is merely an anomaly reserved specifically for the Kamijou family; who can say what the truth of the matter is?
Though they're both arguably capable of superhuman feats, of mental, emotional and physical natures, Kamijou Misaki and Kamijou Touma are only human, and "suffer" from the calls of nature, which both must heed. It's probably for the best that Othinus fell into slumber's protective embrace.
Who would've thunk it, huh? The Kamijous have quite the exquisite taste in lingerie. I suppose in this case "exquisite" and "peculiar" could mean the same thing.
I do, indeed understand exactly what our hero is feeling. That, my friend, is what we in the business refer to as the "call of the wild", a call which Touma heeded without so much as a second thought. Of course, there's little wrong with the heeding of this call, given that the woman who he leapt upon was his own ready and willing partner.
Oftentimes, the foreplay can be just as entertaining as the dirtiest of 'explicit' scenes depicting penetration, be it vaginal in nature or otherwise. I feel that there's something distinctly human about foreplay; while brood animals engage in mating ceremonies for the purpose of reproduction and reproduction alone, a cold and unfeeling ritual of necessity, foreplay exists as an embodiment of the fact that our species is so much more than a great herd of cattle.
In regards to the piece which I believe you're referring to, you'll have plenty of scenes of this nature to look forward to; keep your eyes open and hope alive.
Thus far, the only roadblock that seems to be keeping our married couple from expanding their family is the ever-mysterious Imagine Breaker, which either can't, or refuses to be contacted. At least our hero has ideas and is actively willing to try and break down the barrier presented by the anomalous force residing within his right hand; that's certainly a step in the right direction, at least in this humble narrator's proverbial books.
You'll be seeing more of the Hamazuras; in fact, this chappy will be kicking off an entire arc surrounding them! I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed your reading of Shiage and Rikou's interactions!
More information on the 'dramedy' which was being viewed by our married couple will be divulged in this here chapter, in fact!
In regards to a 'dramedy' spinoff, that'll have to remain up in there for a while; I've got my hands full! Of course, that's hardly a bad thing.
I will treasure this particular approval forever.
Too far?
I hope to be able to continually gain more of your approvals through subsequent chapters!
whwsms: though I couldn't narrate it due to the incredibly explicit nature of such a scene, a truly explosive climax did indeed take place, bringing a truly climactic end to the most recent instance of A Certain Kami-yan Mating Ritual™. I feel it's safe to confirm there were many disturbances in what we'll refer to as "the force" felt throughout Academy City and even beyond that City's walls.
As I and my betters have said in the past, keep hope alive, Shiina-Sama. You'll be a grandmother one day, if the NKG Faction has anything to say about it; and once they're formed, I'm sure they will.
As stated above, we'll be seeing a bit more of the Hamazura Household, as well as witness the introductions of a few characters related to our married couple. During the first story arc of Times Change's second season, we'll also be exploring "the life and times" of a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl named Hamazura Fremea, so keep an eye open for that, friend!
As always, I think it's great to know that I've gained your approval once again. I hope to consistently do so through subsequent chapters!
DarkBetrayer: that we are; although, we'll be shifting our view to another set of main characters. The Hamazuras need some time to shine, too, sensei!
All of the points you've made regarding the Child Errors of Academy City are insightful, as always; I really do have some very insightful and eagle-eyed readers, don't I? You all make me so proud.
Ahem… erm.
One thing I do feel I should add to your words of wisdom is, while I don't disagree at all in regards to the point made about girls who may or may not fall into the same troubled category as a certain magician formerly associated with New Light, there's also unplanned pregnancies to consider.
Many of the children studying with the intention of developing and subsequently bolstering their esper abilities in Academy City are separated from their parents, only maintaining contact with their caregivers and main source of life lessons electronically and likely infrequently at best; what does a middle schooler really know about upholding safe sexual practices? Who's to say that an older individual with ill intentions is unable to find a way to seduce, or otherwise coerce a young, middle school-aged child into engaging in sexual activities? Anti Skill and Judgement can't be everywhere at once.
Whose to say that two middle schoolers who are absolutely convinced that they truly and deeply love one another won't engage irresponsibly in sexual activities, both likely completely unaware of or otherwise unconcerned by the fact that "pulling out" isn't a reliable means of contraception?
A frightening prospect when you dig deeper into it, really. An uncomfortable subject to think about as well.
With that, I'd like to announce that we're moving into Times Change's next story arc. Welcome one, and welcome all to what I've decided to refer to as the "Family Matters Arc". There could be a lot more to this title than you might think!
October 10th, 2014. 9:13 AM.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter pitter-pitter patter-patter.
Knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock. Patter.
The sounds, the sounds of tiny, semi-solid objects repeatedly hitting the surface of the large window, obscured by a woolen curtain above her bed weren't a new source of stimuli to Hamazura Rikou, nor had they woken her from her slumber in the first place; she still wasn't sure as to exactly what had woken her up. Though she found herself alone in she and her husband's bed, this wasn't particularly concerning; her beloved goofball wouldn't be too far.
Rolling over on her side, Rikou looked to the nightstand to the right of she and her husband's bed. Facing her was a small metallic alarm clock, with large, bright orange numbers visible on its small rectangular display.
According to the clock, it was 9:13 AM; Rikou had overslept, evidently.
Very little light flooded in between the small, barely-noticeable areas in which the woolen curtain was separated from the windowpane itself; the natural light that did enter through these spaces was dull and wasn't particularly warm.
It was rain; not a particularly heavy rain, just enough to keep her family indoors, at least until the storm (if the light rain could even be called that) cleared.
Maybe it would clear, or maybe it wouldn't. Unfortunately for her, Hamazura Rikou couldn't predict the future, and she wasn't about to dress up in a tribal outfit to pray to the sun god.
"Ooga booga!" her own voice echoed inside of her head; Rikou began to giggle by herself, the palms of her hands running over the warm side of the bed where her husband, her Hamazura Shiage had slept.
She really had spent too much time with him; she'd long ago turned into a goofball, the same kind of goofball he was. Hamazura Rikou had become Hamazura-y.
Still, the light rain beyond the walls of she and her family's home wasn't of concern to Rikou, and, by the sounds of it, it wasn't too concerning for Hamazura Daichi, either.
Judging by where the sound of his sweet, adorable little voice was coming from, Rikou's precious little bundle of positivity was in his big sister's room. Given that Rikou could actually hear the boy, this obviously meant that her beautiful daughter Fremea was already awake.
"In THIS place, creatures called 'dragons' aren't just some myth told around campfires to scare kids into behaving. They're all too real for the people who live here," Daichi spoke, quite formerly, as if he was the narrator of a documentary, his voice oddly and forcibly deepened.
As always, Hamazura Rikou was silently impressed by the five-year-old boy's vocabulary and understanding of the world around him.
What exactly was he up to? Rikou rolled further, fully onto her side, propping her head up beneath her arm. As her lips curled into a small smile, she listened to her son's narration.
"And here we see one now! If you take a close look at him, he's quite large. His wingspend is enormus! It looks like he might be eating something now. Maybe we can get closer and see what the great, big dragon is eating. Let's go slowly now… don't want to startle him!
"Dragons mostly eat lots of meat because it makes them strong and helps to keep the germs out. They have to drink water too, because if they don't, they'll get thirsty. Even if they drink lots of water, the dragons can still breathe fire! They have big sacks in their throats that get very hot, and then fire comes out! Like Shizuri-nee when she gets mad. Eheheh, Shizuri-nee is funny… sometimes they'll make fire to scare their enemies. Sometimes they make fire when they want to get a girlfriend or a boyfriend too! How romantic!"
Stretching her form, Rikou rose from she and her husband's bed, quietly moaning as her muscles flexed, and as her bones produced a series of satisfying cracks, each of which brought more relief than the last.
Throwing either of her legs over the edge of the bed, Rikou lifted herself from its warm, comforting surface, the bare soles of her feet touching the oddly cold hardwood flooring of the bedroom. The sensation sent a series of chills rushing through Hamazura Rikou's spine, and caused her entire body to shudder awkwardly. She placed either chilled extremity into the comforting warmth of a nearby fuzzy slipper.
The young woman groggily made her way towards the bedroom's closed door, and the synthetic, golden light that leaked beneath the small space between the bottom of the door and the flooring. Her torso was clad in a dark, baggy and sleeveless shirt, while her legwear consisted of a pair of booty shorts, which she changed out of before she left she and her husband's bedroom. The less than family-friendly choice of legwear was replaced with warm flannel pants, the bottoms of which completely covered either of Rikou's feet.
Stepping out into the second floor's hallway, Hamazura Rikou passed the second floor's bathroom by as she made her way towards the oaken staircase which lead to the first floor of the family's home. With slow, careful steps, Rikou descended the staircase, her right hand gripping the railing. A part of the young woman wanted to return to she and her husband's bed and sleep the day away; but that would be little more than a waste of a wonderful opportunity to spend time with her family.
In the end, the more realistic and energetic part of Rikou's brain won out, pushing her inner sloth back to the cavernous hole from which it had crawled out from.
Once she'd descended the staircase, and placed either of her oddly cold hands into the pockets of her pants, Rikou listened intently, and curiously. The television in the sitting room was on, with some program of unknown origin being broadcasted. A low, monotonous voice spoke in a formal manner, as if they were addressing a boardroom of suited professional individuals.
She recognized small clusters of words spoken together, forming partially coherent sentences; "military-grade", "assault rifle" and "dozens of casualties, including eight children" were among the recognized words and phrases.
Something clicked inside of the young woman's tired mind, and realization set in. She quickly put two and two together, and a part of her became rather frustrated with her stubborn bullhead of a husband.
He really was his own worst enemy.
Making a left from the staircase's lower landing, away from the nearby kitchen area and the ornate, oak-carven front door, both of which were to the right, Hamazura Rikou passed through the doorless archway which lead into the sitting room.
There, she caught Hamazura Shiage in the act.
"Shiage," Rikou hissed, a bit more aggressively than she'd wanted to. Instantaneously, she felt remorse wash over her like a tidal wave crashing upon sands. Acting aggressively wasn't supportive, nor would it help anything.
The young woman made her way towards her husband, who was seated upon one of the sitting room's three large couches, constructed of sturdy metallic frames and bound with soft, brightly-colored fabric. Shiage stared intently at the screen of the television, mounted upon the easternmost wall, its screen displaying a news broadcast. He was clad in a simplistic set of matching plaid pajamas, their sleeves and legs, respectively, quite long.
A few delayed moments following the uttering of his lover's vocalization, Shiage jumped, and whipped his head around to face her. He almost looked as if he was guilty; he awkwardly grinned in her direction.
The paleness of his face made Rikou's heart throb.
Quickly seating herself next to her husband, Hamazura Rikou first turned the television off by pressing the small red button on its remote, and then took Hamazura Shiage into her arms and pulled him close. She repeatedly placed warm kisses, full of affection and understanding upon the top of her husband's head, speaking in a way that she never could with mere words.
"Shiage. You know you're not supposed to be watching these things by yourself. Look at you, you're as white as a sheet."
"Morbid curiosity," Shiage remarked. Though deep and steady as always, Rikou could detect a hint of unease in her beloved's voice. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hide from her, not for very long.
"You're not wrong though, it's not an excuse. I just… I finished doing some stuff, got the kitchen, first bathroom. Just wanted a rest, you know? Sat down, turned on the idiot box, and there it was. Still, I shouldn't have left it on and I know it. You've told me, Fremmie's told me, and Dr. Highlander's told me… in the end, I guess Kinuhata's right. I can be pretty Hamazura-y at times. Nah, nah; I am Hamazura-y."
Rikou lovingly lowered her husband, bringing him even closer to her, and rested the back of his head in her lap. She smiled warmly as she ran the tips of her fingers through her beloved's shaggy, sand-colored hair.
"So am I. I'm Hamazura-y too. Being Hamazura-y isn't a bad thing, I'm proud to identify as someone who's Hamazura-y. Why don't you tell me what you saw? What upset you? If you talk about it, you'll get it off your chest, and out of your head. Don't start obsessing, okay? I'm here to listen."
Shiage nodded in agreement, clearly enjoying the lap pillow Rikou provided for him. He raised his arm, and rested his hand on his lover's shoulder, gently massaging it.
"It was… it was fucked up, man. Some maniac in Baggage City just… you know how it ended. Suicide attack, this… this psycho, this animal had military-grade gear, apparently he was a veteran who'd... lost it. It's been happening so much over there, Rikou, in Europe, especially in Baggage City. There were kids…"
He closed his eyes, and produced a long, drawn-out sigh.
"I can't look at something like that and not think about you, about Fremmie, about our little man… they're our children, man. It's a sick thing to think, I get it, but that's what comes into my head. It's right fucked up."
"It's okay," Rikou cooed. "It's okay. It's a terrible tragedy that you witnessed. Being scared and upset is what any normal person would do in a situation like this, but nothing's going to happen to you or me, and nothing's going to happen to our family.
"Academy City and Japan are very different from Europe, and most certainly different from Baggage City. Shiage, you need to stop doing this to yourself. I understand that you want to know what's going on out there, but you're not the kind of person who can expose themselves to it as often as you do, and you especially can't expose yourself to these things alone! You suffer from anxiety as it is, as much as you don't want to admit it; watching that kind of disturbing brutality unfold right in front of your own eyes, even on a television screen will of course just make everything worse."
"You know, this is why I like it when you get up before me. Thanks for helping me check myself. Last think I want to do is wreck myself."
"Oh, shut up… you're obviously feeling better."
The tension dissipated as Shiage chuckled, and Rikou quietly giggled. Both forcibly shrugged off the tension that'd formed around them through their vocalizations.
The young woman ran the palms of her hands over her husband's pale cheeks, softly pinching them between either of her hands' index fingers and thumbs.
"Let's get your mind off the bad that's out there. It's awful, and I offer my thoughts and condolences to those who lost their lives, and to the families who've lost loved ones, but… there's nothing you or I can do about it, not right now. It's the way of the world, these things happen, as terrible as it is. Focusing on it will destroy you, it'll destroy anyone with a mind that functions properly. Why don't we throw some breakfast together? I heard Daichi-chan playing in his big sister's room."
Shiage managed a grin. Attempting to shrug off the panic that'd gripped the fringes of his mind, he rose, and placed a soft, loving peck upon his wife's lips.
"Works for me; let's go on a quest, then, a culinary quest. A quest of cooking. There's gotta be something we can put together to feed Gargantuan Boy. I'm feeling like I could fill the old tank up, too."
"Like father, like son. You're both Gargantuan Boys."
Both Hamazura Rikou and Hamazura Shiage fully lifted themselves from the couch upon which they'd been seated, and made their way towards the nearby kitchen area, which was separated from the sitting room by a small archway, its ornate oaken door fully opened.
As the married couple entered the room, the flooring transitioned from hardwood, colored a soft brown to tiling, light and almost chalky in coloration.
Shiage extended his arm and flicked on the lightswitch as the lights in the home's sitting room automatically switched off, no longer detecting a presence within the room that required the aid of synthetic illumination.
Though not as large as some of the kitchens the married couple had seen on those tacky home décor programs, it was their own, and that's what counted more than anything.
It wasn't overly small, nor was it lacking space to place both culinary utensils and utensils required for the consuming of food and drink. There were plenty of ornately-designed oaken cupboards and equally ornate drawers. A large, stainless metallic fridge was present within the kitchen, along with a dishwasher constructed of the same materials. A few inches away from the dishwasher was a large oven, white in coloration rather than silver. A pair of sinks were present, mounted within the dark limestone counter.
As Hamazura Shiage began to root around in the fridge, Hamazura Rikou took to preparing some basic utensils required for their culinary activities.
"Look what papa found!" Shiage remarked, as he produced a large box of chocolate chip pancake mix from within the depths of the fridge; Rikou could do little more than giggle aloud, shaking her head as she rested her face in her right hand's palm. Of course; Hamazura Shiage wouldn't have been Hamazura Shiage if he hadn't gone for the chocolate chip pancake mix. He really was Hamazura-y.
Still, she wasn't going to deny him. She couldn't; the goofy smirk on his face melted Hamazura Rikou's heart and made her want to take her husband, her Shiage into her arms, hold him close, and kiss him again and again.
"By the way, if you'll hear this lowly Hamazura out, there's something I wanted to talk with you about; it slipped my mind, what with all the excitement this weekend."
"I'm listening, Sir Goofsalot," Rikou remarked. She retrieved the box of mix from Shiage, who'd handed it over to her. As he retrieved a bowl from a cupboard above the kitchen's sinks, and then placed it down onto the counter, he spoke his piece.
"You know how the Orders to Engage Championships are next weekend, right? The sixteenth?" Shiage inquired, whether rhetorically or not Rikou couldn't quite tell. She carefully poured the required amount of mix from its box, and then water from the nearby pitcher which her husband had retrieved from the fridge, allowing the cool, clear liquid to make its way into the bowl. It began to blend almost instantaneously with the mix.
"I do," Rikou finally answered, removing herself from her trance-like state of advanced concentration.
"I also remember how Oshiro-san turned last year's Championships celebration into a nightmare… but do go on, Sir Goofsalot. I won't leap down your throat without good reason."
"We don't invite him anymore," Shiage spoke quickly, as if he was attempting to assure his wife that disaster had already been adverted. "Jayceon thought the same as you, insisted Yoshi ruined the whole thing. You probably remember that, though. Jayceon sort of lost it. That won't, or wouldn't happen again, I promise. It would just be me, Jayceon, Chin, Hanzou, maybe Accelerator if we can actually get him to come, and that's it."
"I always was fond of Jayceon," Rikou stated. "He's likely the most rational of all of your friends, excluding Kamijou-san and, well, the other Kamijou-san of course. That's really saying something. Don't worry now, just because I'm complimenting another man that doesn't mean I'm going to NTR you."
"That was my primary concern," Shiage joked. He crouched downwards, towards one of the cupboard beneath the sinks. As he balanced on his crossed legs, Rikou repeatedly patted her husband on the head, as if he was a loyal hound searching for a bone he'd buried.
Her husband dug himself into the opened section of storage space beneath the sink, and eventually reappeared from within, a blender in one hand, and the long cable that trailed out from the blender's rear held in the other. He rose and placed the utensil on the counter, away from the bowl which Rikou stirred.
Hamazura Rikou turned to Hamazura Shiage for a moment, before she returned her attention to the bowl, and the sloppy, dark-colored mixture she stirred within it, in order to physically inform her husband that he had her continued attention.
"Can we come to a compromise? I don't want to sound selfish, but I'd really prefer it if you could host the event here, or maybe have it at the home of one of your friends. I don't really like the idea of you running out to a, or the bar and being out late out there, even if it's on a weekend. I love you, and I want to give you as much space as I can, but we have to think about our family, and we have to think about what's best for them."
Shiage nodded enthusiastically, as he walked towards the nearby oven. Pressing a selection of buttons on the small panel above the oven's burners, the oven was set to preheat at the appropriate temperature.
"Way ahead of you; that's exactly what I was thinking," Shiage asserted. "If you're feeling it, I could host the Championships celebration down in the wreck room like last year; I don't even have to be down there the entire time. I can help with whatever you might need; you know, whether it's with cleaning up or giving Gargantuan Boy his bath. I wouldn't just up and leave you like that. Last thing I'd want to do is leave my family behind to go and sit in some chaotic, loud bar or something."
Allowing her lengthy spoon to come to a temporary rest in the bowl containing the thick, paste-like mix, Rikou quickly approached her husband, and, throwing her arms around his neck, she pulled him close. Rising, Rikou stood up on her toes and pecked Shiage on the lips; not once, but twice, before she parted.
"Thank you for being a responsible father and a responsible husband. I really can't put into words how much I appreciate it and you, but that won't be necessary. You should enjoy your night with your friends. We're not a middle-aged couple yet."
"It's nothing," Shiage mumbled, chuckling quietly, a small, almost effeminate blush present on his cheeks. "Family comes first. I'm far from perfect, but I try to be the best that I can. This is where I'm happiest anyways; I'm in my element when I'm just spending time with the best wife and the best children a man could ask for."
Hamazura Fremea's eyes could hardly even stay open. She wasn't tired, not by any means; her sleep schedule hadn't been harmed, nor had she succeeded in, or even attempted an "all-nighter".
Instead, Fremea quickly realized that she was leaning too close to her television. Sat upon her room's floor with her legs folded beneath her posterior, Fremea's sweat-plastered hands gripped her console's controller, her right hand's thumb nearly slipping from the right thumbstick, while her left's thumb just barely maintained its grip on the controller's 'X' button. Fremea quickly scooted away from the television, pushing herself some three feet back. Her wireless controller was quite the boon to have in such a situation.
"What's your loadout?!" an excited voice proclaimed, broadcasted throughout the large, unwieldly headset Fremea wore. Protruding from the rightmost grille, a long, bendable microphone was aligned with the young woman's lips.
Into the microphone Fremea spoke her response, her words hushed and almost feverish, filled with nervousness and excitement alike.
"Hellbringer, best-in-slot primary, combat rifle. Baby Magnum, best-in-slot sidearm… well, it's a magnum. Your girl worked her pretty, little as— I mean, butt off to get these babies. Azumi, are you ready to fill Hivelord V'sharh with lead?"
Azumi didn't immediately reply. Fremea raised an eyebrow, and waited for a response to come.
Then, she looked to the right of the game's HUD. A small box, designed with a vague sense of old world gothic architecture in mind displayed the members of Azumi's band of ragtag raiders, the greatest players Fate's random Raid Finder system could offer.
There were a total of twenty-eight individuals who had signed on to act as damage-dealers. Fremea herself was excluded from this group, as she had signed up to act as one of the band's multiple secondary tanks.
There weren't any healers, not anymore at least; seemingly, all ten had dropped out, or had been disconnected. The band's chat box didn't show any signs of trolling or flame wars having taken place.
Frantically flicking her controller's left thumbstick downwards, Fremea's first-person view of the game world shifted, and she looked to the enormous, flesh-covered, writhing gate behind her character; closed. The raid band was locked to the instance's boss encounter.
The gate behind them, and the gate north of the band's location would only open once the boss encounter had ended, either with the boss's unlikely defeat, or the very likely wipe of the raid band.
"Izumi," Fremea whispered. "L-let's re-que… I g-guess… two h-hours wasted. Wow. V'sharh will wipe the floor with us without heals… Izumi? Hello? Izumi? Yo! Izumi! Lame-o! Loserface? … for gosh's sake. You could've at least said "bye", you di… dill pickle."
The tension that'd suddenly filled the room had caught the attention of Hamazura Daichi. Ever astute, the boy tilted his head in his big sister's direction. He rose and made his way towards her, taking care to avoid tripping over his own scattered playthings as he walked.
He plopped himself down next to his sister, and looked up to her.
"Hi Fremmie."
Placing her controller on the hardwood flooring next to her, Hamazura Fremea placed either of the palms of her hands on Hamazura Daichi's cheeks. Smiling, she then ruffled his hair, as her fingers danced across his soft little scalp.
"Hi, bug boy! Long time no see," Fremea spoke jokingly, as the boy beneath her hands giggled happily. Almost instantaneously, any and all negativity within the young woman's mind was banished to some dark, dusty corner; she couldn't have felt negative as she looked down at her younger brother's smiling face if she'd wanted to. The way he smiled simply lit up her existence the way no one else's smile possibly could.
The boy place either of his little hands on the tops of Fremea's own and tilted his head to the side once more; Fremea's hold loosened, offering her younger brother the breathing room he needed.
"Happy Fremmie? I feel happy." Daichi's smile widened, and, once he'd freed himself from his sister's grip, he tossed himself backwards, catapulting his five-year-old form into Fremea's lap with as much force as his little legs could muster.
Descending into a fit of laughter, Fremea nearly found herself falling backwards as she caught Daichi in her arms. The strength of her lower body managed to steady her balance, saving her from an unceremonious meeting with the floor. She wrapped either of her arms around her younger brother and, embracing him, Fremea pulled him close. The boy cooed in pleasure as he did his best to throw his own little arms around his sister's shoulders.
"I'm very happy," Fremea spoke, reassuringly. "How could I not be? I've got the greatest little brother a girl could ask for. You're so loving, I could just kiss your face off, you know that? I'm so blessed to have such a happy little brother."
"Gorf."
Both Fremea and Daichi turned their respective attentions to Fremea's unmade bed. Within the comforter and the sheets, there was a large lump, the head of which protruded from the bed's left side. This lump was in fact a large, tired-looking St. Bernard. The canine tilted its head to one side, and then repeated the same vocalization he'd previously produced.
"Noggin!" Fremea scolded. "How did you… bad dog! You're not supposed to be in there, boy… you'll get your hair all over… ah, you know what? It doesn't matter. You can stay if you want, boy. You're the best dog, too, you know."
"Noggin's good!" Daichi added, nodding his head, as if he sought to re-affirm his own words. "Want to go for a walk, Noggin?"
The tired-looking canine responded by pulling himself back into the warmth of the comforter and sheets of Fremea's bed, becoming an amorphous blob within them once again. Apparently, that was a no.
Daichi shrugged in response, unconcerned. "Maybe next time, Noggin."
The term her brother had used, "walk", triggered something within Fremea's higher mind, something she'd nearly forgotten about; if all was still held in place, even though the declaration of a plan had been loose at best, Fremea had a playdate to prepare for.
Rising, with Daichi clutched protectively in her arms, Fremea looked down at him, and couldn't help but smile again. Hamazura Fremea leaned in, and rubbed the tip of her nose against the tip of Hamazura Daichi's own nose.
"Hey, bug boy," Fremea began. "You reminded me of something. I might have plans today with my friends. I'd love to bring you with us, I know everyone would love to see you, the life of the party, but I don't think you'd have fun. There won't be a lot of fun kids' stuff for you to do, and we'll just be going around to girly shops. Before I start making calls and getting ready, maybe you want to play something with me on the Nabonn Eight? We could throw on some Danger Zone or something! We saved your progress last time, so we can continue from world three! You were really close to getting to world four!"
Though he'd seemed mildly disappointed at first, Daichi began to nod enthusiastically upon the mentioning of his beloved video game. "Okay! Yay! Noggin and me and mama and papa can have adventures until you get back, Fremmie."
After kissing his forehead, Fremea set Daichi down, feet first upon the hardwood flooring. The boy carefully sat himself down before the game console, backing himself a few feet away from it, the words imparted to him by his papa alive in his mind; sitting too close to the television for too long could do bad things to his eyes. If those words were something Daichi's papa knew and followed, it was obviously important for him to follow those words as well.
"Fremmie, who are you going out with?" Daichi inquired, curiously. "Will Shin be there? Shin's happy and nice."
Having stepped away from her game console, and from the television to which the console was connected to, Fremea remained facing her room's dresser, her head lowered, vision focused on the contents of the dresser's third drawer. With its third drawer open, she had begun to search throughout said drawer for her console's second controller. She'd been stopped in her tracks, however, by the mere mentioning of that boy's name.
Fremea had completely frozen up, like she was the character on a television's screen or a monitor, the game she belonged in having locked up.
His face instantly leapt into her mind's eye like some great cryptid leaping out into a deserted roadway, with intentions of scaring the daylights out of a driver bored to tears. His soft, feathery hair, the top slightly thicker than the sides, with its bangs curled upwards, aided in its suspension by gel, his big, handsome blue eyes and his kissable lips all rushed to the front of Fremea's higher mind, and her face had erupted into a scarlet blush.
"D-Daichi? Bug boy? Can Fremmie tell you a secret? You'll keep it a secret, right?"
Though Fremea couldn't have seen it as she faced her dresser, with her hands cupped awkwardly behind her back, Daichi nodded.
"Mhm. I won't tell ANYBODY!"
Finally, the young woman had managed to fish the game console's second controller out from within her dresser's third drawer. She grasped it in her right sweat-plastered, awkwardly shuddering hand, while she closed the drawer with her left.
Fremea set herself down next to her younger brother, who she invited to sit in her lap, waving him onwards. Daichi accepted this invitation and once again threw himself back into his older sister's protective embrace. Before she began to speak, Hamazura Fremea placed a soft, affectionate kiss atop Hamazura Daichi's head, causing him to quietly giggle.
"You'll understand it all a little better when you're older," Fremea began, her voice quiet, though characteristically confident. "Being friends with someone is a funny thing, Daichi. Sometimes, you don't even really know if you're only just friends… it could be something else entirely! Fremmie and Shin, well, they're good friends, very good friends. Sometimes, when two people are the best of friends, their "friendship level" gets upgraded, and they become… super friends, kind of like how Otter Oswald gets stronger and faster when he eats crab shells in Danger Zone!"
Hamazura Daichi looked back to his older sister with wonder in his eyes, his lips parted slightly. Within his developing mind, his imagination ran wild. The idea of being "upgraded" was truly a fascinating one.
"That's… so… cool…" Daichi murmured. "So does that mean you're gonna power up?! Like Oswald?! Fremmie is so cool! Shin is cool too!"
"Maybe, bug boy," Fremea spoke, her voice almost an awkward whisper. Her blush had deepened, as the embrace she held her younger brother in tightened. Softly, Fremea rested her lips and chin against the crown of Daichi's little head, nuzzling him all the while.
"I'd like to power up like Oswald does, but it's not as easy as Oswald makes it look! Shin and me can't just go out collecting crab shells… you know what? Let's just play some Danger Zone, Daichi. I'll talk more with mom and dad about it. Thanks for listening, I love you."
Handing the second controller to the patiently-waiting boy in her lap, Daichi eagerly took it into his hands, as, on her own controller, Fremea pressed down on a large, bright green button mounted to the center of the controller.
"I love you too, Fremmie!" Daichi happily remarked, as he bobbed from side to side, quietly humming a soft tune to himself as he waited for his older sister to first find, and then launch the application that would begin a session of Danger Zone.
Following the display of a short loading screen, the game's title screen soon faded in from the relative darkness of the screen before it. The rolling foothills were laden with long, brightly-colored green grass with tall, pointed mountaintops visible in the background, while in the foreground, several tall, exotic-seeming flowers were visible, their pedals spinning in a clockwise fashion. The sky above the bit, rendered in all of its sixteen-bit glory was bright and blue, with only a few clouds visible in the sky. Running along a pathway among the tall blades of grass, Oswald the Otter, clad in his trademark blue overalls and fishing hat ran as the game's title, rendered in a large, cartoonish and blocky font was lowered from the sky.
Hamazura Fremea could almost see herself with that boy Shin, maybe sitting amongst the mountaintops, or maybe lounging in the soft-looking blades of grass. Her blush only deepened as these images passed her mind's eye by like a slideshow.
October 10th, 2014. 10:01 AM.
Set atop an enormous plate in the center of the kitchen area's table, a truly glorious feast – by the standards of both Hamazura Shiage and Hamazura Rikou – had been laid out. So many thick, fluffy pancakes, laden with so many large and juicy-looking chocolate chips had been piled onto the great platter, a meal fit for a king, or in this case, two kings and two queens. Near the area of the feast was a large, plastic jug filled to the brim with "authentic Canadian-made" maple syrup, ready to be poured all over the tower of pancakes.
"Good teamwork, pardner," Shiage remarked. From within the kitchen's fridge; he'd produced a large jug filled to the brim with peach juice.
Rikou nodded her head, as she rubbed the palms of her hands along the surface of the apron she'd taken to wearing; it'd taken more than a few blows for her during the time in which she and her husband had prepared breakfast. Leaning towards Shiage, Rikou affectionately pecked him on the lips.
"Good teamwork, partner. If you want to grab the kids, I can prepare everything we'll need out here."
"Right on," Shiage nodded. "I'll return bearing gifts, love. Hold down the fort!"
"Go away, you annoying man." Rikou turned, shaking her head and quietly giggling to herself. "You're such a goofball. I love you too, for some reason."
Hamazura Shiage couldn't help but laugh heartily as he made his way out of the kitchen area, through the sitting room, and down the nearby corridor, which lead to his kids' respective bedrooms, the first floor's bathroom, the laundry room, and to the doorway which lead down into the wreck room; his wife's loving jabs were a great source of enjoyment for the young man; it helped greatly that Rikou could take a joke, as well.
Passing by the ornate oaken door which lead into his son's room, Shiage made his way to the door some five or six feet away from the previous. Though the adjacent door was closed, unlike the door to Daichi's room which was open, Hamazura Shiage knew he was anything but forbidden from entering. Still, he wasn't about to barge in unannounced.
Softly knocking his right hand's knuckles against the door's oaken surface, a small grin tugged at the edges of his lips.
"I demand an audience!" Shiage announced, hardly able to control his laughter. He stepped back from the door, placing either of his hands into the pockets of his pants.
Fremea's own giggling voice responded, "I grant ye audience, unworthy one!"
A soft 'ping' could be heard, as the sound of hardwood shifting beneath a fair bit of weight became audible. The door was opened, though Shiage wasn't greeted by his daughter.
"PAPA!" Hamazura Daichi happy exclaimed, leaping upwards into the air, the legs of his five-year-old form catapulting him as far as they possibly could; as he always had and always would, Shiage threw his arms open and caught his son's form, bringing the giggling, overjoyed boy up to his chest. Setting his right arm beneath his son's rump to support him, Shiage wrapped his left around the boy's shoulders, and held him tight.
The young man couldn't have possibly hoped to hold back the smile that his lips curled into as he felt his son, the unconquerable, unbreakable love between he and his wife made flesh nuzzle him and offer his overwhelming, overflowing love to his father.
No matter how old Hamazura Shiage got, no matter how much his mind threatened to slip from him in the distant future, he would never forget the first moment he'd met his son, introduced for the first time to the world outside of the protective embrace of Hamazura Rikou's belly.
Shiage would never forget how hard he sobbed as tears of ecstasy slipped down his cheeks. Shiage would never forget the image of Hamazura Daichi's cute little face; the boy had, surprisingly, and much to Shiage's initial concern, been utterly quiet as he looked around, curious of the vast new world around him, the tiniest of spit bubbles forming between his little lips.
It'd been five years since that faithful meeting; Hamazura Daichi was as handsome as ever. He was almost growing up too fast. Shiage found himself feeling oddly nostalgic. The desire to have the little month-old bundle of warmth and love fall asleep in his arms after a long evening shift was alive and strong with Hamazura Shiage.
"You're getting so big. Feels like every time I look at you, you're a little bit taller. Mama and papa's little man is growing up so fast… bring it in, Fremmie," Shiage offered; his beautiful daughter, though not of his blood but an equal in the young man's heart to his biological son took her father up on his offer. After closing the distance between them, Fremea threw her arms around her father's waist, smiling widely.
"Morning, daddy," Fremea spoke, softly. The fact that his daughter, his little girl still called him daddy brought warmness to Shiage's already warmed heart. "What's for breakfast? I smell… something good."
Daichi sniffed the air like a hound searching for the scent of their prey. His eyelids parted as his pupils dilated, his heartrate increasing as excitement coursed through his body. The boy would recognize that smell anywhere.
"What's for breakfast? Well… I'm sorry to say, but you might find it a bit boring, Fremmie. All mom and I could throw together was CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!"
"D-daddy. You and m-mom are… THE best."
If Hamazura Fremea had been a less civilized (and less well-raised) young woman, she might've found herself drooling. Rising, she stood as tall as she could on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss to her father's cheek before she rushed off down the corridor, sock-clad feet slapping against hardwood.
"Papa, I tried to find the monsters last night, but they didn't come. What should we do, papa? I want to meet them bad."
Looking into his son's big, round eyes, Shiage's lips curled into a mock-frown of disappointment. With Daichi held tightly in his arms, apparently not in any hurry to be put down, Shiage began to carefully make his way down the corridor, intending to deliver the boy to the kitchen area.
"Yeah? I don't know why they're hiding from you, little Mr. One Two, Buckle My Shoe," Shiage spoke, softly; the nickname he'd given to his son caused the boy to giggle. "If I was a monster, I'd like to meet you. We could go on adventures together, and everything. Of course, I'd bring you back to your nice, warm bed, safe and sound before morning. Don't want to get mama bear mad, right? GRR!"
Once both father and son had entered the kitchen area, Shiage carefully lowered Daichi towards the tiled flooring, and cautiously set him down on his feet; once loosed, the boy quickly bolted in his mother's direction. Standing before the table, Hamazura Rikou had begun to carefully place a fourth and final pancake on Hamazura Fremea's plate.
"MAMA! Hi!" the boy exclaimed, rushing towards and then throwing himself against his mother's legs. Rikou's sturdy form helped steady her and kept her balance. She set the spatula she'd held down onto the table's surface, unconcerned by the fact that it was plastered with sticky, thick syrup; the mess could be cleaned, and every moment with her son, the boy she'd carried with her, the existence that had lived inside of her, which had been one with her for nine long months was a precious moment, one not to be squandered.
Rikou crouched low, taking her son into her arms, while a chuckling Shiage picked up where his lover had left off, as he continued to dish up the feast.
As she ran her fingers through her son's hair, Rikou rested her lips against his right ear. Softly, she whispered. "Good morning, my precious little bum! Pleasant dreams?"
"Adventures," Daichi stated, firmly. The boy placed a series of kisses to his mother's cheek before he scrambled towards his seat the table. With his mother's tender assistance, the giggling, perpetually-joyous boy was placed into his Gekota-themed booster seat.
"Everyone hungry? Rikou inquired, looking from one member of her family to the other, taking each of them in. Shiage pecked the top of his wife's head as he passed her by; having loaded up Rikou's plate, he sought to load up his own; last, but certainly not least.
While Daichi enthusiastically nodded, beginning to dig into his carefully cut pancake with his hands as his only utensil as his mother set herself down in her seat, Fremea offered a verbal response.
"Very hungry. I kind of got caught up in something last night, so I didn't get the chance to have a snack… I was regretting it. That channel was on again, and I just couldn't resist."
Shiage's attention perked up. That channel was still a thing? He was surprised. It must've been run entirely by one crazy person.
He'd seated himself casually in his seat directly across from Rikou's, and, as he began to cut first of many pancakes piled on his plate, he raised an eyebrow.
"Academy City Local?" Fremea's father inquired, curiously. "What kind of insane quackery did they have running there? If we'd known they… or it – the station could be run by a dang robot for all we know – were broadcasting, I would've bugged your mother into tuning in. Would've been better viewing than the movie we watched."
Rikou found herself quietly giggling, which caused Daichi to begin laughing to himself, seemingly only affected by his mother's apparently contagious laughter. Fremea found herself falling under the spell's effects as well.
"It was that weird Bible… science… alien-thing show I caught, I think it was some really, REALLY low-budget kids' programming before that," Fremea explained. "Little Catholic Bible Science Outsiders Teaching". I can't believe I memorized that title. Stick me in a straightjacket and be done with it already."
With Daichi too deep in ecstasy, his little taste buds being tingled and pleasured with every second that a carefully cut piece of chocolate chip pancake sat inside of his mouth, he had little to offer to the conversation. His thoughts, as scattered as they were, drifted towards adventure, a world of chocolate chip pancakes where the very grass could be eaten like a fine dessert, and Danger Zone. Rikou seemed to be out of the loop, but listened on intently, regardless of this fact.
Shiage rested his fork and knife on either side of his plate, rolling his shoulders about before he responded to his daughter's words.
"You have to admit, Patsy is an admirable character. He's super mean, but there's something about him that I respect. He tells it like it is, and just doesn't give a flip what anyone else thinks."
"That little pink piece of sh… poopie?" Fremea almost blurted; her oddly aggressive reaction caused Daichi to begin giggling aloud, seemingly for no reason. Reaching over to her little brother, Fremea poked his shoulder. In response, he leaned forward and placed his syrup-covered lips to her finger, and planted a soft kiss upon it, causing his older sister to swoon, both internally and externally.
Silent, but completely contented, Rikou's lips couldn't have curled into a larger smile. Watching her family happily interact, as they always had, and as they always would brought great satisfaction to the young woman's heart.
Fremea turned back to her father, as Daichi returned to his meal. "You have to admit, Fire Tank Frankie is probably the most complex character in the entire series. Of the few characters who actually question Patsy's weird, culty sermons, Frankie's the most skeptical."
"I am so lost," Rikou admitted, shaking her head from side to side. Fremea and her father looked to one another and broke into a shared fit of laughter; both Rikou and Daichi found themselves joining in, as the infection made a resurgence.
Not one of them wanted anything else. It was a moment that would be treasured, along with so many others.