Name: Umiko Yukino
Title: Originally Far East Branch First Unit Leader, now No. 2
Hair Style: Originally Style 19, Color 1
Face: Face 9
Skin: Skin 7
~(*)~
Name: Sora ******
Title: No. 1
Hair Style: Style 11, Color 1
Face: Face 8
Skin: Skin 7
She's Gone
Taiyoko Yukino stood outside her house sweeping her walkway. Or what she could consider for a house in the Outer Ghettos of the Far East Branch. The place was more like a shack, but it would have to make due with the limited resources Fenrir would provide. There was no point of sweeping her front porch, she lived in a dirt wasteland. The wind would simply blow in more dirt by the time she was done. All it did was make her tan dress and cream apron get dirt on them.
But she did it anyway, she needed the distraction. The poor woman needed any break she could get from worrying about her children. Her long straight raven hair covered her blue eyes as they began to water up from just thinking about her children for a second. Her husband was the first to go, taken by Fenrir to be one of the older model God Eaters. He use to come home for visits and show them his God Arc pistol, but he would never let them touch it... always saying that it was dangerous.
Mitsutsuki, her beautiful moonlight, he blessed her with two precious children. They both had their father's eyes, but her daughter took a little more after her father's looks than her son. According to Fenrir, he had died. Not in action, but from an accident in the Lab. They couldn't even send them the body so the family could properly bury him, they just sent them condolence rations and then they were gone.
Years later they had came for her daughter, said that she was the perfect candidate for a New Type Gods Eater. With no choice she had to send Umiko off. She was required to since she was under the protection and ration recipient of Fenrir. So Umiko left, under the condition that her family would be safe. Not so much as a few months ago they came again and took her son away... they took her babies. All she had to let her know that Umiko was okay were the letters she would ritually write every week, and now she would have to wait for letters from her son.
Some higher up had even came to pick up her son. Said he would create a great opportunity for human kind if he had join Fenrir's forces. But his sister had begged for him to be left alone, even joined Fenrir long ago so he didn't have to. But he still left with the man, the boy was always willing to do his share if it meant a better life for everyone else. Selflessly selfish, just like his father. Two weeks later she had gotten the crushing letter from one of Fenrir's Gods Eater saying that her son was killed in action. She was torn, crushed. Fenrir was taking everything good that she had and breaking it into pieces.
She hated Fenrir, she hated them so much she could barely take it. Wretched men in suits taking what they could from the not so fortunate and using them as shields to protect their power under the pretense of false security. The people in the Outer Ghettos weren't safe behind the Branch's Anti-Aragami Walls, they were caged. Prisoners of an asylum where the wardens would take and take until they had nothing left, always saying that it was for the good of everyone. Yet they were still there... trapped in deplorable conditions with barely anything to eat.
But her hatred was soon clouded by her worries. The end of the week was coming, it was almost time for her daughter's weekly letter. She feared that Fenrir would take her daughter too. Umiko's letters were the only thing that kept her going, she was battered and beaten down by the constant grief that the Branch caused her. If she had lost her daughter now, she didn't know what she'd do. It was bad enough that she had been staling to write Umiko about the news of her brother, Umiko was already fighting for her life out there she didn't need more weight to carry.
But all movement stopped for Taiyoko as she heard footsteps approaching her house. The broom stopped in its motions, she had hoped that it was the mailman. But all hopes shattered as she looked up to see that it wasn't the mailman, but a Gods Eater from Fenrir.
"No..." was all she could say, backing up as she saw the letter in his hand.
"Mrs. Yukino." The Gods Eater addressed her, he always hated this part of the job. But this woman looked broken, like she had already lost so much. His conscious told him not to continue, but his orders were absolute. He lifted his arm to hand her the letter.
"No!" She shook her head, refusing to take the letter. Reluctantly he placed the letter in her hand which explained Umiko Yukino's honorable discharge. She fell to her knees as the feeling of the letter in her hands verified the reality of the situation.
"My condolences... your rations will be sent in the mail shortly." The Gods Eater awkwardly stood there as her body began to shake and the letter wrinkled in her hands. She began to wail as the tears poured out.
"Damn you Fenrir! You took everything from me! And you expect to make it all better with measly rations?! My Boy!... My Girl!" She began to cry into the letter, soaking the envelop. "My babies... My Babies! Oh God..."
The Gods Eater bumbled away from the grieving woman, a mother that had just lost everything. The Higher ups always sent the God Eaters to do their dirty work, even if it was destroying lives. But even if it was an icky job and would make him unable to sleep that night, the mission was cleared. All ties to Umiko Yukino had been severed, she was now the property of the Finland Branch.
*** Back at the Den with Soma ***
It had been a long day out there in the wasteland. His mission was long done, but he stayed out there longer to simply clear his mind. He had a lot to sort out about himself; about his bitterness; about his Unit Leader. He shouldn't have lashed out on her like that.
Soma was disgusted with himself for doing it, but when he looked inside himself to ask why he did it he would just get the same answer. I don't know. He didn't know why he did it, the First Unit Leader was always an enigma to him. It was like everything went blank whenever she was around. Those crimson eyes would always get his blood running when they were directed at him. The sun would catch in her raven hair and blaze as she moved like a corrosive flame. She was like fire, his fire, a fire that would burn through his skin. It made Soma lose control of himself and was turning him to bewilderment.
He couldn't explain the feelings he had around Umiko. It was nothing like what he felt for Shio. He loved Shio, with her it was a simple affection between two common understanding souls. With Umiko... it was far from that. The girl sent him on a roller-coaster of emotions. At times she would irritate him to no end with petty argument banters, then he would find himself smirking at the littlest joke she would make, or she would give him a scare with her reckless fighting techniques. He would find himself glad when she sought his company whether for a mission or just to relax. Soma was baffled at how a girl that could get under his skin would make him feel so at peace.
But this wasn't love. No, Soma would never call this love. His heart belong to the girl on the Moon, there was no way for there to be room for the reckless Leader of the Far East Branch's First Unit. But then... why was he so angry? Why did the inside of Umiko's mind rattle him? Soma was confused by what he saw through her eyes, what she felt. It broke through his comfort zone and made him snap at her. But was it really her fault that he invaded her mind, did she really deserve it? Even he had a few secrets he kept in the darkest corner of his mind. However, he just couldn't take what he saw in there. He was frightened and pushed her away.
It was bad enough Soma was confused by how crushed he was when he heard the news that she wasn't going to make it. He died a little inside at the notion that his last moments with Umiko would be with her bleeding in his arms as he rushed her back to the Den. It startled him that he was more crushed than the time he devoured Shio. He was startled at the thought that if Umiko and Shio switched roles, he would've let the world be destroyed. He was scared and angered by these wild traitorous thoughts. But he wouldn't let them rule him; he wouldn't let the guilt of how he treated Umiko weigh him down; he wouldn't let the hurt in her eyes make him feel like more of a monster than he's ever felt before.
It was for the best that he make Umiko keep her distance. She was a distraction, one he didn't need. He refused to identify the feeling he was going through right now as regret. Soma did what had to be done and he wouldn't go back to change a thing, or... tell Umiko he was sorry.
Soma made his way back to the Den carrying his Evil One on his shoulder. It felt heavier than usually, almost like it was accusingly heavy. But Soma brushed it off as he dropped his God Arc off at the Hangar. When he made it into the elevator he had to berate himself for the first thought that popped in his mind. He expected Umiko to be waiting for him in the Entrance with a warm smile and a snide remark, but that wasn't happening. If anything... she would be avoiding him for a while. No... he refused to acknowledge the sting that came with that thought.
Suddenly Soma's inner battles came to halt. Something was wrong, there was a lot of tension in the air. It seemed to be covering the whole Den, putting Soma on edge. Coming up to the Entrance Floor, the elevator doors opened to crestfallen God Eaters and civilians alike. What really caught his eyes were Sakuya and Alisa, crying their eyes out on the lounge couches as Kota and Lindow comforted them.
"Those eyes... those horrible pleading eyes!" Alisa cried out as Kota rubbed her back and wrapped an arm around her. "She was reaching out to us and we did nothing! Did you see her eyes?! They went blank, like she had become numb!"
"I know... it got to me too." Kota said trying to comfort her.
"I don't understand... how could this have happened?" Sakuya gently sniffled, begging for answers.
"I don't know, Sakuya. I don't know." Lindow tiredly sighed to her. This whole situation drained the life out of him, how could they have been so powerless?
"What's going on?" Soma asked, whatever it was must have been really bad if it got the whole Floor riled up. The First Unit's heads shot up and looked to Soma, the pitied look Lindow and Sakuya were sending him did not sit well with Soma.
"She's gone, Soma. They took her." Alisa whimpered out.
"Who?"
"Umiko."
"!" What...?
"I-it was a forced transfer; she didn't even have a chance to put up a fight." Lindow somberly explained.
"No..." No, Soma couldn't believe it. He had just seen Umiko an hour ago, she couldn't be gone.
"Soma?"
"No, you're lying." Soma rejected the idea that she was gone.
"The Director from the new Branch just got done collecting her." Lindow continued, trying to break through Soma's denial. "She's on her way to Finland as we speak."
"No!" Soma growled, storming off to the Floor elevator.
"Soma!" Lindow called out him, but Soma tuned it out. He made his way to the Veterans Floor filled with rage and fear.
"UMIKO! If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny!" Soma shouted out toward her room as the elevator doors opened. But he was greeted by no answers, just silent hallways that lead to an eerily quiet door. Figuring that she was ignoring him, Soma marched toward her door. "Now you're brushing me off?! If you're mad about this afternoon this is not a mature way of handling it!"
"Soma!" Lindow and Sakuya had followed him down on the next elevator ride. Sakuya sadly followed, letting Soma let out his inner affliction, while Lindow tried to get Soma to pull it together. "She isn't there anymore, get a hold of yourself!"
Soma continued to pass over Lindow's words. Pushing Umiko's door open, Soma was greeted by the same unlock doors. However… the room was emptied; cleaned out as if no one ever lived there. Panicked and disgruntle, Soma dragged his feet over to her wooden dresser. Where her various photos usually stood now only dust gathered. Soma couldn't believe it… she was really gone. Something in him snapped. Smashing his fist into the dresser, Soma's eyes began to water.
"Damn you, who do you think you are leaving like that?!" He continued to punch into the dresser with more force and the other fist clinched. "Who do you think you are?! You little brat! Who am I going to fight with now? Who am I going to fight?!"
"That's enough, Soma! She's gone!" Lindow shouted to him, grabbing his arms before he did any damage to himself or the dresser.
"No!" Soma shouted, giving the dresser one final punch. His fist shook on the dresser as it rested, tears dripped down onto his fist. "She was supposed to be here, for me."
"Sorry, buddy…" Lindow consoled to Soma as he dragged his limp body out of the room. Sakuya moved out of Lindow's way at the door way, tearing up again at the raw display of emotions that Soma rarely showed. She had recognized that display of feelings anywhere, she had lived them once when Lindow was gone… agony. It was once Lindow had dragged Soma pass the threshold of the room that Soma had sprung back to life. He had kicked and struggled in defiance of Lindow's grip as he was dragged away from the room.
"NO! No...!" Who would've guessed that Soma would react this way to the news so strongly? The others did, but Soma certainly didn't. The poor guy was so oblivious to what was in front of him that Lindow feared that Soma would let it slip away. Turns out he was right, but he sure as hell didn't wish to be right.
