Holy crap! I took literally forever to update. There's no excuse. Gomen nasai. It's especially frustrating since I feel like I had a good reputation of posting quickly originally. I hope you enjoy the coming chapters.
A special thank you to everyone that commented and messaged during my hiatus. Knowing how much you guys are enjoying the story is especially touching to me and a huge inspiration and the sole reason I managed to get this chapter out finally. I'll do my best juggling my other responsibilities so that I can continue writing about our witches.
Our Magic!
Episode 05: Tremors
Part I
Diana faced Croix with her wand drawn and ready to attack. In the time it took for Croix to come to her senses, she had already procured Croix's wand and sent Akko's friends away. After hearing Croix's story, Diana offered her opinion.
"You should turn yourself in."
"I can't turn myself in. I need to find and protect Chari."
"How full of yourself. Professor Chariot can defend herself. What would she think knowing you're on the run from the law?"
"Fuck the law," Croix retorted. Diana stared at her unblinking, "The wizard monitoring me was murdered with dark magic."
"There is a reason you were arrested."
"You—oh," Croix began to snap back before realizing, "You haven't forgiven me. More than being protective of Akko and Chariot, you hold everything against me."
"Did you expect forgiveness?"
"No. This is—this is actually refreshing."
"What is?"
"Chariot and Akko—it was just too easy. I don't deserve forgiveness. Not yet—that's true, but both of them not only forgave me, but went so many steps past forgiveness that it was like it never happened. It didn't feel real. This—this is appropriate. This is real."
"So you'll turn yourself in?" Diana asked unrelentingly.
"Of course not." Diana's face scrunched up in annoyance. Croix couldn't prevent herself from laughing. She hurried to hold her hands up placatingly. "Sorry, sorry. You're too cute when you're flustered—I couldn't help it. Teasing you might be almost as fun as teasing Chari."
"If you do not mind, Croix," Diana put a slight sarcastic emphasis on her title-less name. "Explain yourself."
Croix's eyes twinkled, "You and I both know what the right thing to do is."
"Yes," Diana acknowledged with a curt nod.
"What would Akko do?"
Diana rolled her eyes in exasperation as her brain unwillingly followed the path of Croix's words. Resignedly, she sighed and finally lowered her wand. "Of all the inane arguments to win me over."
Croix smiled fiercely, "Allow me to improve it then. What would you do—if Akko was in danger?"
Diana's eyes hardened, "I would do anything."
"We've reached an entente."
"Hmm. I still believe you are in the most danger, but you are not incorrect in your supposition that trouble that falls on you tends to splash on Professor Chariot . . . and on Akko."
Croix looked troubled. "Y-yes. That's true. It is not my inten—"
"Enough of the self-blame; for better or for worse, I have decided to fall in on your side today. What do you propose we do next?"
"Go to Akko's. I'm sure Chario—"
"Rejected," Diana cut her off again.
"What? Why—"
"You are being pursued. You are also harried and flustered and not thinking correctly. Have you had a complete thought since we began conversing? Do not answer that. It was rhetorical." Croix shut her mouth in consternation. "We shall not lead your pursuers straight to those we wish to protect."
"That's— . . . reasonable. I am overly emotional right now. I can't believe I would make such a mistake."
"It is more than understandable. How long have you been running? You look terrible. Have you eaten?"
Croix was slightly dejected at the analysis of the pretty teenager in front of her and opened her mouth again to deny any discomfort. This time, Diana did not cut her off but the growl of her stomach interrupted what she was about to say.
Diana smiled wryly, "We are not going to be of help to anyone if you collapse. Let us get something to eat and discuss our options. What would—"
"Ramen." Croix interrupted firmly and confidently.
"What?"
"We're in Japan. The birthplace of ramen. It's got to be ramen."
Diana thought about Croix's words and nodded, "Very well. But it shall be real ramen, not the instant variety."
"I don't like it, but I can compromise to that. It's a date."
"No. No it is not. It is a strategy meeting. Stop trying to ignore your state of mind by teasing me."
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The buzzer drew the attention of everyone. Tiredly, Atsumi rose and moved to the door. With her daughter convalescent, her seemingly boundless energy had found its limit. Pushing in the button to speak, she spoke hoarsely, "Yes? Who is it? Now is not a good time."
"Kagari-obasan? This is Tanaka Megumi. We met a witch that left us with a message for Akko."
Fury ignited behind Atsumi's eyes, granting her a temporary allowance of energy. She pushed the button and snapped, "There's no one here called that!"
"Oh come on. Seriously?"
"Just say it. She'll never let us in otherwise."
"But she's Akko's mom. It's weird to call her anything but obasan."
"You're holding in the button! She can hear us!"
"Oh shit!"
"Um . . . " a long silence followed which Atsumi finally, mercifully broke.
"Yes? Do you have something to say to me?"
A chorus of "Atsumi-nee" greeted her, followed by assurances they were just joking.
Atsumi haughtily replied, "You're 100 years too early if you think you can join my comedy troupe with weak humor like that!"
"Can you believe she's using that idiom after just complaining about us calling her an obasan?"
"The button!"
"What?! Again?"
"Why are you holding it down?! Have you learned nothing?! Where do you think we are?!"
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Diana stared blankly at the slurping Croix. "What? In Japan it's considered rude not to slurp."
"That cannot be true."
"It definitely is. Would I lie to you?"
Diana stared at the bowl of ramen in front of her. She looked around furtively at the walls of the private room they were eating in as though the walls had eyes. Using her chopsticks to pluck a single strand, she pushed her hair back behind her ear and daintily slurped up the noodle. Croix stared at the entire act with wide eyes.
"What?! You were lying!"
"No! No I wasn't! I'm just glad you and Akko are an item now so I don't have to worry about Chariot around you."
Diana fumed, "We are not exactly an item."
Croix slurped up another mouthful and pointed at her with her free chopsticks, "Bup dats ush uh diming ing."
"I have no idea what you just said. You are not going to tell me it is considered impolite to not speak with your mouth full in Japan next, are you?"
Croix hurriedly swallowed, "I said, 'but that's just a timing thing'. Right?"
A faint blush appeared, "I hope so."
"And speaking of timing. I didn't notice before because I was—uh. . . "
"Sick? Vomiting? Flustered? Harried? Going insane?"
"Sure, those things," Croix decided it would be easiest just to agree with Diana instead of rising to her insults. "Anyway, you seem incredibly off. What's up with that?" She continued slurping up ramen.
Diana lay her chopsticks across her bowl and used a napkin to dab at her mouth before answering. "I feel . . . off."
"Elaborate please." Croix picked her bowl up to cover the bottom half of her mouth as she continued shoveling food in, but her eyes were focused intently on the blonde witch.
"It's like . . . it's like there's a part of me, but it's not a part of me."
Croix sat her bowl back down. "That's incredibly descriptive."
"Like I have lost an arm or there is a hole in my . . . chest."
"I really think it is important that we at least check on Akko."
"What is this now? I thought we moved past this. We need to quickly ascertain the danger facing Japan, figure out how it is connected with the sorcerers chasing you, and launch a counteroffensive. No part of that includes exposing Akko to the dangers of whatever you are mixed up in."
"Not for me," Croix said firmly. "I didn't say we need to check on Chariot. That leyline shot me out, but I'm thinking now maybe it was cut off at the source."
"At the source . . . at Yggdrasil?"
Croix nodded, "And who do you think might—"
"Akko!" Diana slammed her hands down on the table as she shot out of her chair, then slowly deflated back to her seat. "Even if I check on her myself, now that I am with you, I do not want to take the chance of leading a murderer back to Akko."
"We just need to trick anyone coming after me is all."
"How do you propose accomplishing that? Neither of our wands have enough magic remaining to effect such a thing and even if you had your gadgets, we are just too far from Yggdrasil."
Croix raised an eyebrow at the mention of her gadgets, "When you get desperate for Akko you even consider my gadgets, eh?"
Rolling her eyes, Diana replied, "I said I would do anything, did I not?"
"We don't need magic. There's a roof access for this building. You're a beautiful girl."
"I am going to tell Professor Chariot you were flirting with me."
Rare fear flashed across Croix's face, "Let's not be hasty. I just meant you should go charm a waitress to let you up on the roof for some air."
"Me?" Diana shrilly squeaked.
"Yes, you. Now hike your skirt up like your girlfriend does and go out there and flirt your way up in the world—literally. Don't worry. I'll finish the rest of your ramen. It won't go to waste."
"This. This is a bad idea."
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Diana strutted up to the counter and leaned with her back to it. She casually flicked her hair back over her shoulder and batted her eyes at the aghast waitress. "Often you come here?" she asked in her broken Japanese.
"I work here. Can I help you?"
"I don't know. Can you?" she leaned in closer to the waitress as she breathily replied.
"Let me get someone else to assist you, honored customer." The waitress fled faster than Akko after a tarte-heist. Diana leaned too far into the newly vacated space and stumbled, catching herself on the counter.
"Ugh, Amanda makes this look so easy." Ignoring the two waitresses obviously arguing about her, she steeled her face into another smile as their debate finished and a new waitress came up.
"Hello. May I help you?" The waitress was speaking English, thank god!
"YES! Please help me." Diana's sudden relief transferred through her body language and she practically slumped over. Unfortunately, the top button of her cardigan was loosened by her evil professor and the her rapid movement caused her wardrobe to appear extra lascivious.
The waitress's eyes were slowly, inexorably drawn beneath Diana's neckline. Like lightning, her eyes shot straight up to Diana's and the poor girl began stuttering in Japanese. Diana could only watch as red seeped up the waitress's neck until she boiled over and fainted.
"Are you kidding?! This is ridiculous! I look absurd! Am I not attractive to anyone here at all?!"
Like he was summoned from the aether, a college-aged bishounen appeared. "Hi there pretty girl. Would you like to have morning coffee with me?"
Diana pulled back involuntarily to see Croix waving at her from across the restaurant. "I! I have to go to the toilet!"
Diana ran. When she finally caught up with the laughing Croix, she couldn't stop herself from smacking the—now Diana was sure of it—truly evil witch on the arm. Repeatedly. "I was just a diversion!"
"How are you supposed to flirt with people when you barely speak the language? You were a great diversion. That finale was perfect."
"How did you get the key? Did you steal it?"
"Yes I did, Miss I'll-do-anything. And here you go." Croix dropped the key in her hands.
"What are you going to do?"
"If they are following me magically, going out the roof isn't going to help anything. I'll start researching. I'll come back here for dinner every day, so when you get the chance, meet me back here."
"Croix," Diana began, "I want to be able to trust you."
Croix smiled wryly, "It's healthy to doubt me. For the both of us."
"That is true, but the both of us do trust in and believe in Akko. And Akko believes in you."
Croix blinked and turned her head away. "Akko is a fool."
"She is, but it does not mean she is wrong. I have never gone wrong believing in Akko. Prove Akko's trust in you right. Do it for you if you can, but if you cannot, then do it for Akko. And for Chariot too, of course."
"You really don't play fair. Get going. I know you're as worried about Akko as I am. Go get your girl."
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Returning back to their private room for a final bowl of ramen, Croix was not surprised when it was occupied. She calmly sat down and began eating. The merry laugh that rang out was a surprise, but did not dissuade her from her food.
"For how long did you sense my presence, little girl?"
"Little girl? That's your schtick? You definitely look younger than I do."
"And yet you know that looks mean little. Please do not do something like rudely refuse to answer my questions when we are having such a nice discussion."
"I know what the eyes of a predator feel like."
"Indeed you do. You have caught my attention for a number of reasons. It was impressive the young Cavendish did not blink at your change in tactics."
"I know her weakness after all. She'll realize something was wrong when she has the time to think back on our final conversation."
"Such trust in another is an undesirable surprise from you, but we can use that as well. And you do not fear my chasing after her and gobbling her up?"
"I've had time to think. More than that, I've been recharged with this delicious food."
"And what conclusion have your ramen-fueled thoughts brought you to?"
"That you are not a danger to Chariot, nor Akko."
The red-lipped smile widened, showing pearly white teeth. "Oh, but I am."
"You're correct of course. But you're not after them. You're after me."
"Yes. I do want you."
"And if I tell you that I'm already seeing someone?"
"We have ways of making you forget."
"You're here with me, and you were the only presence I sensed. Seems like I've accomplished what I set out to do."
Again, like a clear bell, the raven-haired witch's laugh rang out. "You've miscalculated. You've accomplished exactly what I wanted you to do."
Croix frowned, her thoughts racing to understand. She slurped up the final mouthful of ramen before acquiescing her defeat. "Explain."
"Very well, only because it amuses me." The raven-haired witch picked up a chopstick in each hand like a knife and fork, and Croix shook her head in exasperation at the show of ignorance from her opponent. "My sisters and I watched you as you fled from that place we had our fun in."
"You . . . watched me?"
A nod. "Put it together now. Show I was right to believe in you."
"You watched me without me being able to know. You were there when I was at my most alert."
"Good. And?"
"And you deliberately revealed yourself tonight. To . . . to get me to send Diana away."
"Very good. And you played right into my hands, just like always. I do so love a good servant."
"I will never serve—ahh!"
Faster than Croix could blink, her hands were nailed to the table. She stared down in horror at the single chopstick sticking up from the back of each hand. The black-hearted, raven-haired witch luxuriously lounged as though she had not made a movement, but the sudden gust of displaced air belied her appearance.
"Everyone says that in the beginning . . . well, the interesting ones do anyway. I know you think you know pain, fear, and anger, my dear Croix, but I have come to complete your education. I am doing this for you. I will show you the beauty of misery."
"What a pretty speech. Forgive me for not applauding," Croix tilted her head down at her hands. The beautiful smile of her captor was starting to chip away at Croix's bravado and internally her stomach was doing somersaults.
"You make me so happy, Croix."
"Do you have a name?"
"Indeed, but I don't think you're ready for it just yet. For now, call me Ana."
"Very well then, Ana. Know that I will utterly destroy you."
The smile was the last thing she saw before electricity and raw pain flooded through her body causing her to fall backwards, her nailed hands the only thing keeping her from falling from her seat to the floor.
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"I suppose being up high is completely different without a broom," Diana sighed in frustration, but resolutely made the jump to the next building yet again. Her heart was pounding, but she pushed through. "Is this what humans feel like all the time? Is this what it was like for Akko before she learned to fly?"
The next building was an entire floor lower than the current five story department store she stood atop. "This is going to suck."
She climbed up on the cement barrier to ready her jump to the next building. So far, every building she's tried has either not had roof access or the doors have been locked. It's turned into a long night of jumping roof to roof.
Diana wiped her sweat as she set herself to jump once more.
The earthquake probably could have occurred at any other time and Diana would have been fine.
However, when the tremor worked its way through the elastic supports of the building at the very instant she began to jump, it's probably not a surprise that she stumbled.
That she fell.
The preeminent prodigy that was Diana still managed to put enough lateral force in her bungled leap to cross the gap to the next building.
But she was hanging on by the very tips of her fingers.
Additionally, the impact against the building took her breath away and left a dull ache in the right side of her chest.
"Akko. Akko. Akko."
When people are close to dying, they say their lives flashed before their eyes. In those moments hanging from the building, Diana's life with Akko flashed before her. From her first sight of the brunette crashing the matriculation ceremony, to her food-filled-mouth of an introduction. Did my heart know then that I was already in love with her?
Fighting with Akko. Trying to encourage her to take classes seriously. Saving Akko. Racing Akko. Akko at Andrew's ball. Being saved by Akko. Seeing Akko in her old birthday dress.
Akko in the snow. Akko crying. Akko Akko Akko.
Fighting hand in hand with Akko.
Being tackle-kissed by Akko. Akko! I love you! I want to be with you! Akko! "Akko!"
Her love gave her strength. Clinging with her left hand, her right arm stretched up to secure her handhold.
The innocuous popping sound confused her momentarily. The burning pain of her finger bending out of place was too far from her thoughts to process. Why am I falling?
Before she could react, she hit the ground.
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"I should stay with Akko." Chariot's insistence was surprising after the trouble they had getting her to come.
"Professor, we don't know what's out there. We need you. Leave it to Constanze, Hannah, and Barbara," Amanda pleaded for the umpteenth time.
Lotte nodded, "I can handle it until we meet back up with the sprites, but we have no idea why Croix is here or what we will need to do after. If we have to meet up with any sort of officials, we definitely need you."
Sucy added, "And if we meet up with any crazy dragons or other monsters, we'd need you even more."
"But Akko."
Atsumi laid her hand on the red-haired bishoujo's shoulder. "We are so touched by how much you care for Akko. If twelve-year old Akko knew you wanted to stay to watch her sleep, she'd die from embarrassment."
"More like she'd die from embarrassment from you saying that, Atsumi," her husband commented.
"Shush, Suke. She hasn't noticed I'm touching her yet, let me enjoy this while I can."
"I think she's noticed now that you mentioned it, you know."
"Wow, I didn't know you could teleport!" Atsumi gushed at the now distant professor.
"Akko's parents aside, what if something else happens? I should stay."
"Even if Croix is here, it doesn't mean she's betrayed you," Hannah said.
Chariot turned her head, tears coming to her eyes, "What else could it mean?"
"It could be a conspiracy like in Nightfall 312 where the recently paroled Edgar was committed to an asylum after his parole officer was murdered by an invisible wizard."
"That's completely implausible!" Hannah couldn't stop herself from saying.
"Hey! It's also completely implausible that Akko would fight a magic missile on the edge of space and end up stopping it, but almost the exact same thing happened in Nightfall too!" Lotte defended both her series and her friend.
Chariot shook her head. "I'm your teacher. There's nothing I can do for Akko right now, let's do what we can elsewhere."
"There's our Chariot," Amanda said.
"That's Professor Chariot," she chided. "I've been too lax and getting myself turned around. You girls are all special to me, but I am your teacher. You can count on me."
"Hai, Sensei!" The girls chorused, surprisingly all mimicking Akko spontaneously.
Chariot turned to the predatory mother in the room, "We'll figure out what's going on out there. Please keep Akko comfortable here."
"What about taking her to the hospital?" Atsumi asked, even though they had already gone over this before.
Chariot frowned, "If she gets any worse, then don't hesitate, but there's nothing they can do for her there at this point. If we can meet up with Croix," she spared a glance towards Barbara, "And if she is still the Croix I hope she is, then she may know more and be able to help."
"Then I will be praying you meet up with her. You girls are sure you won't at least stay the night?"
"Diana is out there right now with Croix," Amanda said.
"And a leyline has been severed," Jasminka added.
Chariot nodded, "We don't have time to spare."
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Diana's vision narrowed to the space directly in front of each step she took.
Her existence was occupied only by pain and the thought of Akko.
Occasionally, her thoughts would start to try to catalogue the damage of her body, but losing focus meant stumbling and stumbling meant a sharp uptick in pain that stole her ability to reason.
Dislocated finger. Split nails. Broken wrist. Ribs . . . probably broken. There's a lot of blood. Stumble. "Ah!" Her breath escaped in an involuntary shout as she fell to her knees.
Skinned knees. Bloody broken ankle. Headache.
Using her unbroken wrist, she twisted her arm underneath her to push herself to her feet.
Akko. Akko. Akko.
Fighting off the dizziness from rising once more, she struggled on.
And on.
Hours passed.
Her feet stopped moving.
Confusedly, she looked around. Why did I stop . . . Kagari?
Following the directions of Akko's middle school friends, Diana had waveringly reached her objective. "Akko."
Tears flowed freely at the thought of being able to see Akko again.
She lifted her hand to push the buzzer, narrowly avoiding her broken index finger, she pushed the buzzer with her remaining strength.
"Excuse me. My name is Diana Cavendish. I apologize for my sudden intrusion on your home and my disheveled appearance. I would very much like to speak with Miss Akko Kagari."
She breathed out, releasing the button on the intercom. And collapsed to the ground.
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Bolting awake with a groan of pain, Diana ignored the deluge of pain that was already assaulting her senses.
"Whoa there, Diana. You're at Akko's. You're safe." Barbara's voice greeted her.
Diana locked on to the familiar sound, "Where's Akko? How is she?"
Hannah and Barbara were laying on futons near Diana. Constanze had built a raised bed out of stanbots and slept soundly on the platform. Barbara woke up from Diana's involuntary groan upon waking and instinctively moved to sooth her friend.
"Akko? Um, she's in her room."
"Oh thank god. Croix thought she might have been hurt."
"Well." Barbara didn't know how to respond.
"Barbara, what is it?"
"She's unconscious. She hasn't woken up. Chariot, excuse me, Professor Chariot said a leyline was severed and she's suffering from feeling its loss."
Diana turned to Barbara. "Would you take me to her?"
Barbara frowned, "You need to rest. What happened to you? Did Professor Croix do that to you?"
"What? No. Last I saw Croix she was eating ramen. I came to check on Akko."
"Then what could do that to you? We were really freaked out, especially Constanze."
"Oh." Diana's face colored, but was thankfully hidden in the darkness of the room. "I, sort of, felloffabuilding."
"You did what?"
"I fell off a building." Diana ducked her head, even though every movement made her want to gasp in pain. She could feel Barbara's stare across the dark room. "What is it? Why are you staring?"
"You've really been hanging out with Akko a lot. You sounded just like her just now."
Diana colored more, "Please take me to Akko. I need to see her."
Barbara made up her mind and stood up, "Alright, but we're coming straight back after you see her."
Barbara helped Diana stumble down the hall and to Akko's room. Seeing Akko's small form laying in a pool of moonlight in bed took Diana's breath away. "Oh Akko," she took tremulous steps away from Barbara and sank to the ground at Akko's side.
Barbara sighed in worry. Seeing the chair Atsumi had been occupying most of the day, she moved it a little closer and gently helped Diana up and to the seat.
Diana let Barbara move her without realizing it. Her hands sought out Akko's. Tears fell from her face.
She did not notice when Barbara left and barely acknowledged when she returned and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
"Diana?" Jolted from her reverie, Diana jerked around to see who could only be the mother of her first love standing in the door. The predawn light cast the worried mother's features into relief.
"Ah, excuse me." Diana struggled and rose on sheer willpower. "My name is Diana Cavendish. I am in love with your daughter. Please accept my courtship of your daughter."
Diana bowed as low as her body could stand, but it was too low. She struggled to raise back up.
Warm arms enfolded her and helped her stand. "I had no idea my daughter was in love with such a proud, serious, young woman."
"In love?"
"Ah, but you are dense like she is. Maybe only when it comes to her though?" At this point, the tiny mother's arms were completely supporting Diana's weight. Ashamed at her weakness, Diana only grew weaker the longer they stood.
"Please accept me."
"Oh hush, darling. Accept you? I want you to marry Akko. She's been talking about you since her first week at Luna Nova. She couldn't stop talking about you. You mean everything to her. Seeing the two of you fighting together against that missile and holding hands as you saved everyone—the whole world knows you two love each other. I could never reject you so long as Akko loves you like she does. Please don't say foolish things."
Diana began to cry. "Shh. Shh. It's OK. You're here now. Akko's here. It's only a matter of time now until Akko wakes up. You don't have to worry."
"Forgive me please. I was so worried and I am just so relieved now. I haven't been held like this in quite a long time and I lost control."
"Shh. It's OK. As long as you love Akko, please consider yourself one of our family. Suke and I would be so proud to have you join our family."
Diana couldn't help but nod as she drifted off to sleep in Atsumi's arms.
"Sasaki?" Atsumi called lightly behind her to where she knew her husband was. "Please bring a futon in here. I can't bear to separate her from Akko again, and I don't think she would cooperate if we put her back in the guest room."
"Yes dear." He returned shortly with a folded futon. Looking curiously at the blonde witch his wife was cradling, he said, "So this is our daughter's girlfriend?"
"This is our daughter's future wife, hun."
"She's only in high school, how many relationships last past high school?"
"Wanna' bet?"
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Worth the wait? Haha, don't answer that! Please let me know if you liked it. I promise you won't have to wait anywhere near that long for the next chapter and any future hiatuses will be announced and hopefully at good stopping points.
Also, you may have noticed I finally figured out a good name for Akko's father. It was getting way too obvious I was avoiding calling him anything. Going with Sasaki/Suke. Yes, this is a reference to the famous period drama Mito Koumon. In that, Sasaki and Atsumi complement each other as retainers of Mitsuemon (although those are their last names).
