Chapter 24d: Yoko: One Angel's Name by kirbymanx/huskynator
"Have you heard?" Someone somewhere at the school said.
"Depends."
"Harpy is returning."
"What?! The school isn't even fixed yet!"
"I know! And I can't find my earplugs…"
The school had been fixed for the most part. It was at least safer to walk around in, the building is on a steady course of recovery. Almost every student dares to come to school again.
As can be said of most of the students; with Harpy out of the picture, everyone did breathe a little easier.
So understandably, with the cause of the school's destruction returning, everyone was on edge again.
Vice-Principal Accord invited everyone to the auditorium first thing in the morning to reintroduce the angel.
Everyone is nervous. And that goes for Yoko as well. "M-Maybe I sh-should just go to a new school." She threw out there over the phone.
"Don't say that, Yoko!" Panotty said.
"It could get better, Yoko." Jaan said over Panotty's shoulder into his phone. "They don't know you yet. They'll like you better once they get to know you." Jaan said that a few times to Yoko now in an effort to combat the fears her friend has.
Yoko moaned over the phone. "I doubt it…" Her thoughts were directly transformed into speech.
"We'll protect you, Yoko!" Panotty passionately said with unmistakable conviction. "We'll do our best to make you feel happy again!"
Yoko made a noise over the line.
"Trust us." Jaan reaffirmed.
"…I'll try…"
The school bell went off.
"Man… We gotta go. We'll see ya tomorrow, Yoko."
"Seeya."
"Bye…" The sad angel said good-bye to her friends.
Yoko wanted to take her time to get to school as she really didn't feel up to it. But the fear of the school's reaction if she were to be late was more than enough motivation to be on time. Or to retreat to her nest and never leave her sheets.
As the school came closer and closer into view, more and more guilt washed over the angel. It paralyzed her wings with guilt. Not she was in any mood to fly, but now her most prominent extremities are firmly folded in.
It didn't matter to her if the school was in a better state than she left it in.
"Th-This day c-can't be over soon enough…"
F0 - Outside(/Entrance)
Panotty, Jaan, and Ally waited by the gate for the angel. The three simultaneously gave the angel a warm hug. Jaan less tight than the other two.
Yoko squeaked in surprise. She wasn't expecting them. The girl was busy looking at her feet. "Hi guys." Yoko felt her heart warm up a bit, and it did her friends good to hear that reflected in her voice.
"How are you feeling, Yoko?" Panotty beat the others to that question.
"…"
"You can tell your friends." Ally told her.
Yoko nodded in agreement. "Uuuhm… I feel scared, and something else I don't- Idon'twannathinkaboutit!" Her breathing sped up. "Idon'tknowwhatI'mfeeling."
Jaan raised an eyebrow. If what she presumed was correct she was surprised she hasn't felt it up to now. "Yoko, it's alright. You're feeling anxious, that's normal."
"Ang...see us? Who's Ang?" The three supporting the pink-haired angel were a bit baffled that that word seemed foreign to her. Neither of them were looking forward to explaining that word to her.
Ally broke off from the hug. "Yoko. I know we're not officially friends. But I wanna be yours. Because you need more love in your life. Even if you don't wanna be friends, I haven't forgotten that I offered you some support, and I'll do my best to help you wherever I can."
Yoko had trouble boiling down the point of that paragraph in that frazzled head of hers. "Y-You wanna be friends?"
"Yes~" Ally said with a smile and the warmth she's known for.
"Take it, Yoko, take it." Panotty coerced.
"I… could use some friends. Three friends is better than two…" She tried to be optimistic, but she was struck by the realization of how sad that sounded. She first met her first friend, Panotty, when she was 13, she's 16 now and just this month she made two new ones.
She choked up. Her friends asked her if she's okay. "No!" Yoko yelled, her much-hated cacophonic voice showed its face again. She quickly covered her mouth. Her guilt sank even deeper when many students panicked and when Ally, a non-magical being, winced a little in pain at the soundwaves. "I'm not ready…" Yoko covered her face.
"Would you be okay if we all stood backstage cheering you on?" Ally threw out there slowly uncovering her ears.
Yoko looked at her funny. "Why…? I…" Yoko didn't wanna finish that. She felt bad enough.
Ally guessed what the angel was gonna say. "Because we're friends. And friends are there for each other."
That was such a simple reason and Yoko still had trouble comprehending it. For Ally specifically. She grasped it a bit better for her other two friends who were eager to be there for her backstage. "Th-Thank you." She hugged them instead of them hugging her.
As this group hug went on, the vice-principal walked up to the group. Her heart warmed from the support Yoko was getting. Accord let out a giggle, signaling her presence to them. "I am glad to see you're here, Miss Yoko." Yoko averted her gaze. "Shall we get to the auditorium for your apology and to explain to everyone you're sorry?" Accord pointed with an open palm to the entrance of the main building.
F1 - Auditorium
To say Yoko was nervous was an understatement. She could hear the crowd from backstage, something she once aimed to please is gonna voice their hatred to her once she steps on stage.
Yoko crouched down at Panotty holding him tight. "I'm not ready…"
"Yoko please…" Panotty pleaded.
"..."
"Miss Yoko." Accord spoke. Putting her hand on her student's shoulder. "As long as you don't scream like that anymore and don't break anything, the school will see to it that you won't come to any harm." Accord reminded her with a smile.
Yoko slowly stood up, Panotty still in her arms. Holding him like a big plushie as if she's a little girl. She didn't look ready to let go.
"I'm going to announce you in a moment on stage. Please walk onto the stage when I give the word." The vice-principal gently commanded.
"..." Yoko looked down at Panotty's hair. Panotty looked up in her eyes.
"Yoko. The faster you do this, the faster we can go home and play." That widened the girl's eyes.
"I can go home after this?!" She swiftly asked Accord.
"Oh! Now Mister Panotty, don't make promi… Well… This was not the..." Another look at the angel told Accord that, no, she isn't emotionally prepared for the rest of the day.
And while Accord assumed that is partly an excuse on Panotty's part to skip school…
"Very well, you have my blessing." Panotty wins. The elf felt Yoko's heart beat less rapidly. "But you still have to reintroduce yourself." And it went up again, tightening her grip on Panotty to boot.
"Think of it like a trip to the dentist." Ally tried to help. "It's over before you know it."
"...'mmkay." Yoko agreed. She put Panotty down. "Please, Ms. principal lady."
'That worked?' Panotty, Jaan, and Accord thought.
The latter shook her head. "Don't fret your head too much about it. Overcoming adversity is something everyone has to do sooner or later." She said with her usual smile as she walked on stage.
The crowd went quiet as the vice-principal approached the microphone. "Thank you all for coming. I know there's still resentment towards a certain sophomore student. You know who and what I'm talking about, and I don't think anyone would be happy if I described it."
The audience agreed in many different tones at once. Yoko did too. It didn't make her feel too well.
"Let's not dwell on it anymore. The girl you know as Harpy was just very distraught. You may have done the same if you had vocal cords like her and megaphones."
The crowd had varying mixed responses. The vitriolic ones stuck out.
Accord gave a violent slam all while keeping her unwavering smiley demeanor in play. That got them to shut up. Pause. "Can you please walk onto the stage, dear?" Accord signed for Yoko to join her on stage.
Yoko looked at her friends, they gave her encouraging words. The angel took a few deep breaths and slowly walked on stage.
As expected, all she heard from the crowd were boos, and general things against her. What she didn't notice is that it's not as many as she would think that actually booed her. Most were kinda baffled at Yoko's new demeanor. Or just plain scared of her.
No matter what their reaction was, through Yoko's eyes everyone looked meaner than they would've otherwise. She averted her gaze best as possible.
Accord took off the microphone and put it in front of Yoko. "Please introduce yourself."
Yoko nervously sweated at the sight of that thing. She swiftly covered her mouth with both hands and furiously shook her head. This cowering turned a few heads. That's not the Harpy they know.
"I see." Accord aimed the microphone back on herself. Yoko eased up. "Want me to introduce you?" When the microphone was turned back to Yoko she closed off again. Accord put the microphone back on her stand.
Yoko nodded, though she still preferred not to say anything.
"What do you want me to say?" Accord crouched and put her ear to Yoko's face. If they weren't already out this is where the phones were pulled out.
SLAM!
"Heeheehee, silly me." Accord giggled. "Mute those, please, as I relay what she has to say:" The vice-principal cleared her throat. "My name is Yoko Tamura, I'm sorry, please stop calling me Harpy." She relayed, imitating her voice.
Yoko
"..…"
"Tamura? Yoko?"
"She's eastern?"
"I thought she was Apotosian."
"I thought Harpy was her name."
"Same."
"I thought her parents…"
"Screw you! I'll keep calling you Harpy!"
"Cute name at least."
Etc.
Yoko wished they were as inclined to speak as she was.
"Anything else you wanna say, dear?"
Yoko moaned and shook her head.
"Sounds like she wants to go home." Accord correctly assumed, lightly giggling. "One final word is that we're not asking you to be friends with her or even to forgive her, but please go easy on her. She'll be back at school tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Yoko whisper yelled.
"That is all, kiddies. See you in class." Accord said as she gently pushed her student backstage.
'Nobody likes me…' Yoko said before pulling her head up and running up to her friends with open arms.
F1 - Hallways
They are escorting her out of the building, Panotty had been given permission to leave with her. Both Yoko and Panotty had to do homework however, but that didn't bother them much.
"They all hate me." The angel said involuntary, it just slipped out.
"Iunno." Jaan started. "The crowd was quieter than expected."
"Because they don't like me…" Yoko reflexively said.
"Need another hug?" Ally proposed.
"..." Yoko was too deep in thought to accept. To Panotty, Jaan, and Ally it was clear what they needed to do as if they didn't know already. They knew, just not how. Even if their methods are different, or haven't even had a fully formed plan yet, their goal was the same.
It is to make this girl be happy again.
Weaving through the crowd of fellow students leaving the auditorium to their classes. Yoko averted all her eyes to all of them. Any and all chattering went quiet as she walked past them when the chattering went back up behind her...
Meanwhile in a different friend group: "What… what a change, huh?" Lagnus broke the ice.
"...Yeah." Marvett concurred as Rabbie took notes on their tablet. "Almost scary how much Harpy changed."
"…" Sig didn't have much to say. Well, he had a lot to say about it. Articulating it was the problem.
As these friend groups almost crossed paths, Jaan spotted Sig. She immediately grabbed Yoko by the wrist much to the surprise of Panotty, Ally, and of course Yoko. Who snapped out of her thoughts.
"Siiiig!" The genie called out.
The boy raised his head. "Hi…, Jaan." He said while looking at the shaking and whimpering Yoko, as did Lagnus, Marvett, and Rabbie.
"I wanted to show you Yoko has really changed."
"I, uh, saw." He awkwardly responded.
"Ummmmm…" As Jaan uttered that, Panotty and Ally caught up. "Yoko really needs friends. Can you two shake hands?" She nervously asked.
Yoko let out a big whimper.
"Oh, what a wonderful idea, Jaan~" Ally liked the plan, while Panotty was more skeptical.
"Jaan, Yoko doesn't even know these guys beyond being the red-armed kid, the part-time baby, and the girl with the cute bunny." Lagnus grumbled, Sig and Marvett didn't react, and Rabbie was flattered.
"Sig's cool!" Jaan immediately replied. "Please, Sig?" She asked nicely while holding Yoko's hand up for shaking.
The angel's eyelids were closed tight, only for them to slowly open one-by-one by a gentle handshake. "Name's Sig." It sounded so flat. Regardless though, Jaan and Ally were happy Sig did it.
Panotty, Lagnus, and Marvett looked a little apprehensive. The former for different reasons than the latter two.
"Y-Yo-Yo-Yoke… Y-You already know… I want to go home…"
Sig let go of her hand. "Hope you'll feel better."
"Thank you." She quietly doubted if he did. Yoko walked past him and his friends. To the stairs leading down to
F0 - Outside(/Entrance)
Yoko and Panotty have almost left the school ground. Ally and Jaan followed them to say bye.
"Wanna face-cam later, Yoko?" Ally smiled. "That way we get to know each other better."
"I'll join." Jaan added.
"... Will you join too, 'Notty?"
"Duh, I'll probably still be at your place by the time they're home, I'll be right next to ya." The elf made sure the angel understood her.
Yoko's spirits visibly uplifted. It was great to see. "I'd love that~" Her voice sounded closer to how it used to be. Though it was clear she was fighting the urge to sing as she did.
"YOU!" Out of nowhere, an aggravated young male voice ran up to him. It was Schezo's newest goon: Alucard! Yoko hid behind her friends as Ally (with a brave face), Panotty, and Jaan stood their ground.
"Can't it wait until never?" Panotty said.
"NO!" The vampiric classmate of Panotty pointed to the angel behind the genie and human's heads. "YOU broke my Golden Axe cabinet with yer screechin'! You gotta pay!" He lurched at them! "Urk!" Only to be restrained.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Coach Satan said. Lifting up the dhampyr up in the air with one hand. The freshman's flailings and rantings went ignored. Yoko's group was about to thank him, but: "And that goes for you four too. You girls should be in my class right now. Even you, Harpy."
"It's Yoko!"
"It's Yoko!"
"She prefers Yoko, Mr. Prince."
"I do not owe her that courtesy. I was hospitalized because of her!"
"And we're sorry to hear that. Don't take that too hard, Yoko." Jaan said. "We were just seeing her and Panotty off, right Ally?"
"It's true. Mr. Prince. They have permission to leave."
Satan assessed the situation. Only Ally would get his benefit of the doubt, and she's outnumbered. Harpy was planned to stay the school day. "Oh!" When he got out of his thoughts he had a piece of paper in his face. It was Accord's handwriting. "Yes, Akuma/Satan, I gave per-" He didn't need to read the rest. "Very well. You two may-"
"Wait!" Another new voice came along.
IT WAS SCHEZO! OH NO! A teacher's around, he won't do anything. He just snatched his potential new lackey from the coach's clutch. He searched the dhampyr's body and snatched his wallet. "Hey?!"
Schezo threw money in Yoko's direction. "Here! Buy yourself something nice! Have a safe trip home." The white-haired bully looked uncharacteristically scared. He tried to hide it, but he couldn't fool anyone here besides Yoko and Alucard. "Don't pick fights you can't win, vampiric twerp!"
Panotty smirked as he picked up the money.
Ally looked at the stolen(?) money with concern on her face. "Aren't gonna give him his money back, coach?"
"No." He said bluntly.
"Let's get some ice cream, Yoko!"
"Yay~ Ice cream!" Panotty and Yoko cheered.
"Oh, uuuuuuuhh, Coach, uuuuuummuh," Yoko almost forgot, is still forgetting, to tell Satan something. "Oh, yeah, sorry for stealing your megaphones." She shyly apologized. "I'm deeply sorry about that. I didn't mean to steal!"
'THAT'S THE LEAST WORST THING YOU'VE DONE TO ME, YOU ANGELIC DITZ!' "Apology accepted." He was still sore from the angel-induced crash. "Now go away!" His annoyance shined through despite his efforts.
"Yes, thank you, Coach~" For once in a while, tone completely flew over her head. She held Panotty's hand and walked off towards her home. Waving good-bye to Jaan, Ally, and the nice coach.
End of Season 1.
Authors' Notes:
HUSK: This was written far later than the other Chapter 24 sub-chapters. Interesting how phrases are repeated since I didn't look back on those chapters when writing this one. Perhaps you can tell. Anyway, we hope to stick around for Season 2. Yoko will take a backseat, this is an ensemble fic after all.
WARE: And with this concludes Season 1. Took a bit longer than expected, but there are no hiatuses on the horizon and I'm glad to continue this project with new momentum.