A/N: I don't own Muv-Luv nor any of the brands mentioned in this fanmade, entertainment-only story. Copyright remains with their owners.
Hi to any readers, sorry to the present time ones for not uploading for a long while. Life's been kind of a hard grind lately. Due to not having as much free time to write and picking up other stuff, my usual long sessions to craft and draft chapters are gone. Can't stay up 'till 3 AM when I gotta be up before six so can't do much about that.
This little test is one of the many random thoughts I've had to play with the fandom with what I can dish out now. Those who've followed me should know that I struggle to write concise, short stories. This is gonna be a self-imposed challenge to break those limits without me going into my perfectionist editing sprees. Ultimately, I'd like to be able to get back to Reversal's new, and hopefully final, version through this method if it works out. Won't promise anything regarding content or update schedules, though.
In any case, welcome to my small and random stories arc. There won't be any rhyme nor reason to the coming updates, I'll write what I'm in the mood for when I get to the desk and ship it to the data storm. No editing, no second guessing, we're balling. Also, fair warning here. Some stuff might be either completely dumb or kind of fucked up.
Details for this one story are at the bottom after this initial chapter.
Grab some tissues, get some cookies, pick up a flamethrower, and please do forgive the grammar horrors that'll slip through. Here's hoping your stay is a pleasant one!
Stay safe
Zuoriel
Sweet Dreams
[Recommended Music: PX, Muv-Luv.]
How empty the skies were today. How slow was the feeble breeze, cold and lazy. Only a murmur waddled through the hallways, out to the trackfield to cuddle along that soft wind. While one would assume the lackluster gusto of patrolling soldiers to be chained to either the ingrained safety of the rear guard or the established fact that their fates were indeed a reflection of the barren skies and land around, the answer to the query was, actually, much simpler.
It had a name, a face. Also a security pass, an officer's quarters, even the defiance to simply stroll up to the main gate and demand, the gall, to speak with the Vice Commander. By golly, how could anyone not silently stare at the chestnut haired guy that dares to smile bright as the sun in such tense times, with the Fifth peeking over the horizon as if being the cause of the withering, freezing wind.
How did the young recruit not get shot in the face was a mystery which the Instructor was trying in vain to uncover. Watching him train or attempting to speak with the, to her eyes, boy proved more fruitless than to stop a Soldier-Class with her bare hands. Much like an entangled set of puzzles, the center, the core of the matter laid hidden and twister. Forcing the pieces into position only muddied the waters, and gave her more cryptic answers. And a headache as she hadn't had since a long time ago, too.
"Your orders are to watch over his progress, Sergeant. I believe the Cadet to be a useful piece you could employ to further the skills of Squad 207," had been the cold, slow words of the Vice Commander over the comms, and nothing else at all.
"If you want me to accept a last minute recruit, where is the damn folder then?" Marimo repined, lips shrugging harder when looking down at her stopwatch after another completed lap by the mystery boy, the other four not fast enough to even be granted burial by the dust. "Beating their best efforts by a factor of three… Cadet, you say? Yuuko, do you really believe me to be this dense?"
Intel on the boy was like the clouds today. Nonexistent. Yet on the very move, on each step echoed something she always had wanted to see. A driven soldier completing her hellish course without complaining nor shying away. Despite the chilly air of October making itself known her blood was very much overheating in her veins. In cheer for the steady flow of the front runner, in anger at the smiles he flashed her way whenever their eyes met.
Eventually, Sergeant Jinguuji became tired of admiring the rapid current that was the flow of his running and blew the whistle, the white flag the young girls were begging for. Shortly after the six cadets stood side by side, hands at the seams, facing the skies as if statues they were.
"Good work, squad. Perhaps you should've managed your stamina more properly, but otherwise this was a surprise to our opening drills," she says with a simple nod to the girls, who return the courtesy amidst the waterfalls of sweat, before sharply folding her arms, taking a step closer to the lone male, that again met her blaze of a gaze with a smile. "However, I certainly expect that after your show of might right now you still have the energy to complete the morning drills, Shirogane."
"Oh, don't you worry, Instructor, ma'am," he says, widening the smile and giving a lazy salute. "I've got plenty to spare."
And the glares and groans of all women around him would be left disappointed for he was not jesting in this occasion. Exercise after exercise, mock battle after sniping practice, all came with the same result. Once more the whistle and white flags waved to the skies, and he had barely broken a sweat. Dragging their feet the cadets returned to the storage, only one of them whistling to some broken tune.
"…This is asinine, how can you be better than Tamase?" Ayamine complained, walking ahead of the group, slam dunking her supplies onto the top shelves.
"It ain't that big a deal, for real," he replies, slowly striding behind the others.
"Shirogane-san, you scored three successive shots at the bullseye," Tamase, or her shattered remnants to be precise, whispered in wail while dragging herself to the room, leaving a trail of sweat on the ground.
"You can do that too, though," he protests, flapping his tank top's neck for some refreshment.
"Please, do not take us for fools," Mitsurugi warns, sighing as she shakes her head, wiping sweat off her brow, "it is much obvious your skill is not what you've previously alluded to. Our shared reactions are equal to your displays, that they are."
"Heh, a 'greenhorn' he said," Sakaki scoffs, rolling her eyes as she strides to the lockers, lowering the rifles into it. "May I ask what reason compelled you to showing off in such manner, Shirogane?" she asks, looking back in narrow frowning while tapping her glasses.
Takeru shrugs as he messes with his already rebelling hair, still smiling. "Well, what can I say? I do like being on top," he jokes, chuckling while resting his gear into the crates, enlarging already voracious fire.
"…Cadet Shirogane, might I speak with you for a moment?" Marimo taps his shoulder, dousing the pyres and taking the reins after a swift glance over the room.
"Sure thing," he replies instantly, as lax as the breeze, walking equally slow behind the Instructor.
Both of them were followed by tight gazes, further knotted when he turned halfway and waved back before speeding up a bit. Framed by the incoming daylight of noon, she stops, turns and faces the completely loose posture of the young man. No amount of silence, of glaring could even crack at the dandelion that enjoyed the breeze. The towering shade of the base should have left the Cadet without the Sun's cloak to ward off the cold of the gale and the equally glacial glare. Yet it was as if he didn't even need it in the first place.
"…You wanted to speak with me about what, ma'am?" he asks, slowly tilting his head to a side.
"Ahem… I was not told much regarding your abilities, Shirogane. However, I expect no more cocky showing off in my unit. Any unnecessary taunts to your squadmates will be punished," she states, raising her chin.
He only chuckles back. "Oh, come on. Don't be like that, I'm only helping you out, ma'am."
"…How so, exactly?"
"Well, not to brag or anything, but the squad is very lacking. If you must know, I wasn't even trying just now."
"…What?" she asks, struggling to keep her lips from parting as she observed the cadet. Only then she noticed, he truly wasn't sweating that much, only a sliver of it remained on him and his clothing.
"For real, I showed off to see how they compared against the state of the current me, that's all."
"I see…"What an odd turn of phrase, that was."However, still, I advise you to endow in moderation from now on."
"…Nah," he protests, smiling small to her knotting features. "Maybe you should, you know, exploit my presence here?"
For a moment, a certain pair of violet eyes flashed in Marimo's mind at the wording, and that small smile. "Explain yourself."
"Well, it's in our shared interest that my new squadmates become as physically fit as me, and the same goes for whatever skills they may have over me, of course. I believe they need to get into the right… mindset, if you will. Me becoming a target for their anger will make them redouble their efforts to match my performance, me thinks," he says with a nod, puffing his chest to the wails of the stretched tank top.
"Forgive me, but I do not see how clashing with your squadmates will benefit you in the slightest, to be honest…"
"I do like being the center of attention," he admits, ruffling his hair. "But anyways, I'm sure you wanted to double down on the training courses, so feel free to use me as bait whenever you want, ma'am."
"Pardon? Why do you- Did the XO order you to do this?" she asks, taking half a step forward.
"You could say that, kind of," he nods again, shrugging calmly. "On her orders, if there is anything you need simply feel free to lay it on me, Marimo-chan," then he beats a fist to his chest, causing Takeru to cough a bit after the impact.
And an eye to twitch in glitch. "…How did you call me?"
"Oh! Sorry, slip of the tongue, for real," he deflects, standing in attention but still smiling. "I've a bad habit of giving nicknames to my squadmates or calling them by their names. Apologies, but old habits die hard, ma'am. I'll try and keep it to a minimum, I swear."
"Just… Sigh. By the Emperor, how were you trained to have such lacking manners? I thought the rumors regarding your arrival to the base were blown out of proportion, yet it seems they in fact were not. What were your parents thinking?" she protests, looking up to the skies while massaging away the ailing in the top of her head.
"I don't know, haven't seen them in… what feels like an eternity," he whispers, fading into the shading, sighing as he looks down and deflates.
"O-Oh… My apologies, it was insensitive of me. Ahem… I assume, the XO won't be dissuaded from this course of action?"
Taking in a deep breath, he looks back up, not restoring the prior cheer. "XO Kouzuki said she wanted to… test my abilities, to see how she could better capitalize on my talents. I've no clue what she might've said to you but please feel free to call on me whenever you need a hand. On that note, is there anything I could do to help you today, Instructor, ma'am?" he asks, lightly bowing, lightly smiling as he stares into her eyes.
Marimo eyed the young man sideways, sighing then. The notion wasn't odd, no, her old friend had the habit of sending these random issues her way at times. Her stomach belched at the memory of the recent months, having to deal with the visit of a certain cyborg and the whispers that created in the base. Yet it wasn't because of the XO that the sunlight shower came in cold against her skin with the brush of the wind.
Too loose, too relaxed, an apology that weighted less than the clouds. Cast in the shade of the base, the cadet awaited her answer, never blinking nor looking away. There was not an ounce of tension in Shirogane's body as his sight speared into hers, waiting, and waiting.
Features too tight, too solid, yet at the same time completely calm.
No presence of the glint, the brief innocence those who haven't marched to the front still retain.
The prior claim, the bottomless whisper regarding his parents.
And the reminder that this young boy, Shirogane Takeru, had been appointed to none other than her squad of VIPs by none other than the Vice Commander of the base, despite the risks it has, the already rampant demands for explanations from a certain Royal Guard that Marimo could overhear faintly during her talk with Yuuko. To say nothing on the ruckus caused by his arrival at the gates as if he were strolling into his best friend's house.
Many were the mysteries surrounding this one boy. Him not being a cadet was in fact not one of said unknowns.
So, despite the blaring alarm echoing about in the back of her head, she relents a sigh. Because, sometimes, telegraphing one's play is actually one's intended play.
Arms are folded, eyes sharpened, the scythe unleashed as she again takes a step closer and finds no apprehension in him. "If you claim such, then start by integrating yourself into your squadron ASAP. Coordination in the coming group drills will be crucial to my assessment of you, and doubly so your tactful participation on the following lectures. For starters, I advise you to speak with Squad Leader Sakaki and earn her favor. Be a valuable comrade for her, then we'll see if you can do something more for us."
"Understood, ma'am!" he immediately replies, saluting sharp and slicing the air.
And leaving the poor Instructor at a loss of words again. "Uh… Are you… even hearing me?"
"…Yeah? I mean, I gotta support Chi- Squad Leader Sakaki and try to bring her to my level, lending a hand in whatever problems she has. No idea if she'll hear me out but I'll give it a fair shot, Marimo-chan!" Takeru nods with another smile, pounding his chest and causing more coughs to fume out of him.
"…Certainly, the XO didn't order you to address me in such fashion, did she?" she asks, brows twitching.
"N-No… Sorry, it's really a bad habit, ma'am. So, uh, any advice you have for this task?"
"Sigh… You truly are going to attempt this 'supporting' role? Well, don't mind if I accept," she relents, rubbing her forehead for a second. "The squad as a whole is, well, not exactly cohesive at the moment. While I admit that your argument to employ your feats and force them to combine their strengths has some merits, it places you on the proverbial other side, if you will. Thus, if you mean your words, try and assist Sakaki with the issues that the squad is subjected to. I assume you know they've failed a CCSE already, correct?"
"Yeah, got briefly told I only get one shot to get commissioned here. Won't be an issue, ma'am."
"Good. Lend your Squad Leader a hand, offer whatever advice you have to give. I know scarcely little about your background but I allow you to divulge what details you deem are appropriate. Show me you are a valuable asset to your comrades, then we'll see if we can 'exploit' whatever talents you may have. And under no circumstances," she whispers, leaning down and leaning forward, slowly so, to match his own sight and height, "are you to incite an argument or employ your abilities to settle one or become a target. Are we clear?"
"Ma'am, yes ma'am! Got a question, though," he says, slowly raising a hand and not caring about the small distance between them.
It almost made the Instructor flinch, the carelessness of the boy being so close. "What is it?"
"How fast do the deliveries of merchandise ordered from the PX arrive here?"
"Ahem…" Chizuru cleared her throat, halting the inquiries that upon Takeru fell from all corners of their table in the PX, sobering up as she tapped her glasses. And one second later, slowly she begins. "It may be unnecessary to remind, but the CCSE is nearing. And repeating myself again but, we cannot fail it this time. So, while I admit your displays earlier have been surprising, I still must ask. Shirogane, will your abilities be of use to our squad, to our nation?" she asks, her and the rest's eyes focusing on him, stalling the spoons.
Closing his eyes as he swallows the dear mackerel, he nods, sight unopened. "…I'm intending to exploit whatever I can currently achieve for the betterment of humanity's situation, yes. You can count on me to always be there, even if I there's stuff I can't do well."
"Oh? For example?" she asks, leaning a bit forward as if drawn to a magnet.
Yet Takeru's eyes narrow, an edge of his lips twisting in. "Repairs, mostly. I suck at 'em."
"…May I ask why?"
"Well, some of my old squadmates were a bit, uh, how to say it, hot blooded. I tend to make lame jokes without meaning to, and that ended with them slugging wrenches and the like at me as if they were tomahawks all the damn time," he protests, grabbing his bowl and swallowing a cascade of rice and mackerel in one fell gulp.
"My, the savagery. You have my sympathy, I cannot imagine what manner of brute would fall to such conduct," Chizuru says, nodding short before going back to her meal.
Takeru had to hurry to a water source before the chuckling turned into suffocation through rice.
"Sigh… Truly, there is no reason to hurry your dinner so, is there? The meal shan't depart the table," Meiya scolds after handing him a glass, patting his back once as he coughs.
"Sorry, just… It's nothing, really. Anyways, enough about me. What about you gals? Anything you wanna share, things to look out for, you know, so that we can break the Iceberg nicely."
"I believe the saying is 'breaking the ice'?" Miki asks, tilting her head, spoonful of rice in midair.
"I said what I said."
"Weirdo."
"Aw, don't compliment me too much, Ayamine; Might fall for you, otherwise," he returns a sweet smile her way, causing brows to twitch a bit. "So, you guys already took a CCSE. Lay it on me, what's waiting for us?" he asks, losing the cheer, sinking to poker.
And the young women around him rose the dare, falling into further stillness, gray as the walls. All that noise barely contained within the PX, the rumble of jokes and complains of mundane patrols seemed to be drifting so far away. Only a crack of light shining through in their eyes was left as they looked at their food and nowhere else, cards close to their chests.
"…The amount and diversity of the traps present was truly something to admire, looking back on it," Meiya offers as a starter, wiping her lips.
"Y-Yes, it honestly hampered our march much, to always be on the lookout for hidden guns and pitfalls," Miki admits, a spoon's tip passing as a flotsam in her miso soup. "If only Yoroi-san hadn't injured her elbow then too…"
"I told you we should have used the toolkit to repair the bridge," Ayamine whispers under her breath before filling herself with yakisoba, to try and stymie the thorns crawling in her lungs.
It only made a hand to twitch, a frown to screech and ignite. "Again with this?" Sakaki asks, causing Miki to petrify herself and Meiya to sigh and roll her eyes.
"You two, please let us not start again."
"No Mitsurugi, this is the umpteenth time. And even Yoroi failed to account for the sonic mines, with the intel available at the time saving the tools was the correct choice," she insists, tapping her glasses, sitting straight, too straight.
"…Almost good won't make us pass next time," Ayamine counters, choking and spinning her fork onto the dish, giving it a spiraling afro of pasta.
"Oh, and tell me, are you going to grant us an answer with your crystal ball next time?"
"No, but maybe you could start by getting down from the pony and listening to what your squadmates tell you before barking out orders."
"Hilarious, coming from you. Not a single time have you followed orders when it mattered."
"Because I don't get married to any plan. And we now know, I was right back then."
"Come on, let us not fall to such animosity," Mitsurugi softly says, patting Sakaki's shoulder, eyeing Ayamine frontally. "These arguments won't grant us no boons, will they?"
"Better to let the poison out than to let it fester," Takeru says, finishing his rice.
"…Easy for you to say when you're not under her scrutiny all the damn time," Kei protests, slamming an elbow onto the table, looking away.
"Soldiers must obey their orders, Ayamine," Chizuru relents back, resuming her food, stealing glances. "As the Squad Leader it is my responsibility to bear, accounting for all options and their possible repercussions long term. Thus, my decisions are final."
"…And that's why Suzumiya's squad didn't fail."
"Wh- Why don't you repeat that, you-"
"Sakaki, do not," Meiya wraps fingers, bolts them to the forearm, barely stopping it.
"A-Ayamine-san, there's no need for provocations," Miki dares, barely looking up from the twister she made in the soup.
"Isn't she always speaking over us with the excuse of her rank, though?" Kei shrugs, scowling back. "She did it once, she's saying she'll do it again. Always looking at 'better returns' for her image as a leader, even if we have the right solution in front of us to proceed without risks. We won't make it if you keep this up, princess," she spits out, again looking away to devour the remaining yakisoba.
Through the teeth and lips, a small furnace was just handed more coal to fume out blaze. "…Why don't you ever try and be a part of the conversation without resorting to insults and one-liners? And my orders on the field are absolute, I'm thinking ahead instead of merely focusing on the small picture in front of us. If you do not cooperate you'll bring chaos to our unit."
"Leaders that do not take into account their underlings' reports are trash, command is split into smaller and smaller units for a reason. Considering a suggestion might make the difference between life and death."
"And doubly so for dissent spawning on the squadron."
"…Can I say something?" Takeru softly asks, raising his hand. As the fuse was doused, if ever slightly, he faced the razor in the eyes, the embers awaiting a spark. "Sakaki does have a point, it is basic knowledge that command is absolute for a reason. If you want more freedom, you gotta climb the ladder."
Kei rolled her eyes, taking the afro pasta and shoving it down her throat.
"However, being the small picture grunt doesn't make you into a mindless machine. We soldiers are more than meat shields to sacrifice, it is our choices that shape a battle and all the lives that ride on it. Under a decent commander these issues would be ironed out long before the sortie, hopefully."
"You speak as if we had the luxury of amassing a perfect plan on demand to every setback," Sakaki repines, arms retreating inwards, gaze lowering more and more.
"Necessity is the seedbed of heresy, I know. But a commander that instills trust knows their comrades will speak out when it is truly necessary, and they in turn will learn how and when to make battle reports in a timely manner. Unless shit hits the turbine, in which case, fuck it," he shrugs with a chuckle, going for a long gulp of water. "But it's clear this ain't about these tools and mines, you two don't seem to get along at all. Bring that poison to the CCSE and we're cooked," he warns, holding Sakaki's and Ayamine's stare in prison, under the iceberg.
"…His words have some merit to explore, Sakaki," Meiya says, elbowing the leader.
Who then coughs, straightening her hair a bit. "I suppose, we both should put some effort in communicating in a better manner, yes."
"…Just try and listen once in a while. It's not that hard, is it," she counters, shrinking in place.
"Ayamine-san, please," Miki scolds and stares in plead, Kei shrugs. "A-Anyways, Shirogane-san-"
"Takeru."
"U-Um… Takeru-san, how was-"
"No honorifics, I ain't your superior nor older than you. Simply Takeru is fine with me, Tama."
"You still plan to refer to her in that manner?" Meiya asks, lips parting on their own as he nods immediately.
The smaller one tapped her fingertips for a moment, laughter cracking at the seams, the loose strings pulled as he looked deep into her eyes. "Uh… Takeru…-san, how was your old squadron like? I assume, there were also similar disagreements from time to time?"
"Yeah, kind of. Things were more… black and white back then," he admits, sighing as he looks into the empty glass, tasting salt all of a sudden.
"Anything you might want to share?" Chizuru asks, observing the slow shuffle of his jaw, the barrel roll in avoidance of his eyes.
"…Necessity is the seedbed of heresy, as I said before. We may craft the most detailed plots, outline an stellar progression, but no plan survives the fire of battle. And when you're out there, alone between monsters, explosions and screams… orders soon lose meaning. Remember we're still people at the end of the day."
And equally, the other four shared the iceberg he had impaled on his chest, the shivering static tickling at his ears, smoke acting as mercy and hiding melting echoes whose pleads could not be granted.
"…Of course, I only heard stories from other soldiers about the frontlines," Takeru quickly deflects, waving a hand, restoring a small smile. "There ain't a point to stick so much to the plan like a script, but in the same way we can't simply do our own thing without a care for our comrades. No pilot will ever be a one-man army."
"I agree," Meiya nods, interlocking hands. "Let us all make an effort to polish our communication skills, more so considering we now need to account for Shirogane's adaption to the team."
"…I'll see what I can do about that," Sakaki says, bolting the words out. "For the moment, Shirogane, I must ask you to be upfront with us on your skills. I do not doubt we're more than ready but," her gaze veers to her prior comrades, all of them grimace in silence, "something tells me our test will once more be far more perilous than expected."
"Don't worry 'bout it, for real. No need to freak out before the match," he says with a chuckle, causing them all to share looks of confusion. "On that note, how 'upfront' should I be?"
"Pulling your punches is not an option," Sakaki asserts with a nod as she goes for a sip of soup, the others join in the gesture.
"I see… Hmm. Do we have a library in this base?"
"Oh, yes, we do in fact. Why do you ask?" Chizuru asks, tapping her glasses.
"Well, if you don't mind, maybe we could do a review of the material you have been seeing after our lectures? Catch you all and me on where each stands at the moment."
"Today is challenge day though…" Kei repines, spilling into the table.
"Challenge?" he asks.
"Um, Ayamine-san and I were looking forward to our free time today, actually," Miki says, shrinking further into herself, scratching her head. "I was wanting to write a letter, and we had a game of marbles to settle for a long time."
"Mitsurugi, what of you?"
"Apologies, Sakaki. I've my laps to do at night, and in fact also must attend to this showdown. A warrior must never let an opponent waiting overlong."
"You're gonna lose anyways."
"We shall see, Ayamine. We shall see."
"Huh… Good luck, I guess. So are you free today, Sakaki?" Takeru asks, leaning forward. And once more, smiling small into her eyes.
"Well, yes, if you do not mind only us two being there."
"No, it's perfectly fine."
"Be careful not to get brainwashed, though."
"Ayamine, what do you mean by that?" Sakaki asks, features tensing up again.
"Nothing, nothing…"
"C-Come on, she was merely kidding, right?" Tamase quickly jumps just as boiling milk, hands waving in a blur to dispel the sparks between them.
Mitsurugi sighs short, relenting a small smile when looking at Takeru. "This is how things usually are between us, by the way. Sakaki means well however, there is nothing you should be afraid of, Shirogane. Ayamine is exaggerating, is all."
"Eh, it's cool, for real. Don't think she could possibly make me worse than how I already am."
"Someone's dancing mad then," Ayamine smiles, lightly elbowing his side.
And receiving a slow extension of the smile into the arc of a dirtied scythe. "You said it. No one can do a loop-the-loop dance better than me."
"Well, that's an odd boast if I've ever seen one," Chizuru says, narrowing her brows while readjusting her glasses.
"You truly are a weirdo, you know," Ayamine simply asserts, nodding once.
"…The insanity comes on its own with the years, I guess."
"You don't… look much older than us, however?" Miki asks, staring at him, flinching away upon the smile when Takeru acknowledged the ongoing scanning.
"Well, I'll simply take the compliments. Anyways, thanks for making the time today, and for the tour from before too. Looking forward to working with you," he says, leaning over to offer a handshake.
"Oh no, on the contrary, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the team. However, I do not intend to remain behind in the trainings. Coming on top of you is now my first priority," Chizuru nods, returning the soft grip, trying to bask into the surrounding light for further effect.
"Don't tempt me with a good time, Chizuru, honey, I've only just arrived," merely smiling, lingering his hand in hers for a second too long, he returns the nod, drowns a chuckle. Then Takeru stands, tray in hand, making them imitate the initiative. "Likewise, my door is always open if you want to pass by. You need anything, hit me up, okay?"
"…It'd say go get a room, but it seems you two already have plans made up. Aren't you fast," Ayamine taunts, elbowing Sakaki from behind.
Causing a red flush to flare below the glasses, almost dropping her tray a bit too early. "Wh- Ayamine, there is a limit to the jokes you can make!"
"Why would you be raising your voice so, Squad Leader, mmh?" she asks, to the chorus of giggling and laugh on the tables nearby.
"Grr… I hate you. So much."
"The feeling is mutual."
"C-Come on, Ayamine-san. Sakaki-san is only going to ensure Takeru-san is up to speed with our lectures!" Tamase deflects, squeezing her frailty in between the two dragons as they depart the PX.
"Sigh… It is a grave offense, to strike at the intentions of our leader in this manner, Ayamine," Mitsurugi scolds, arms folded as she paces behind, shaking her head as the argument once more deploys smoke and sparks, to the wails of Tamase. "Shirogane, do not take the accusation seriously. As you can see-"
"Yeah, I know. Oil and water," he laughs at the storm ahead.
"Well, precisely. In any case, I too shall be looking forward to your future contributions. By the by, are you proficient with a blade?"
"…I wanna say yes but also don't know how good is 'good' in the Empire, to be honest. I guess we'll see tomorrow."
"That is true, I suppose. I certainly hope you do not mind to become the defeated one on tomorrow's trainig, Shirogane," she says with a smile as radiant as the incoming sunshine.
He simply smiles and nods back. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you do… enjoy our time together if you're insistent on coming on top of me, Meiya. Even if you end up slashing me in half or something."
"Come on, now. I would not go to such lengths, rest assured," she protests, cheeks ballooning as he laughs back. "Also, do you still plan on calling me by name?"
"Yeah. Get used to it, old habits die hard. And again, Takeru is fine. No need to be so formal around me, I can't Keigo to be honest."
"Did your parents not try and teach you the basics, at the least?"
"More like I simply can't hold my manners in check. Apologies in advance, but I really do prefer to stay on good and simple spirits. If you rather keep your distance though," he slowly says, looking away, taking some steps of distance, "I'll catch the hint, Mitsurugi-san. Even someone as simple as myself can… see the resemblance. I meant no disrespect, of course," he adds along a bow, remaining in position, hiding the rising smile at the groans she eventually releases.
"Well… I suppose there is no harm. We are to be comrades, please do not let my… image be a roadblock to that end. My apologies, I did not intend to so coldly dismiss your goodwill," she says, stopping short to offer a brief bow.
"…As serious as ever, hehe."
"What?"
"Nothing. Thanks, Meiya," he smiles again, offering his hand.
Which she takes, and shakes with slow but strong movements. "No, the pleasure is mine, Shiro-"
"Takeru."
"Are you certain? I do not mean to criticize howe-"
"If I get to call you Meiya, it is only fair for you to do the same with me. Or would you be more comfortable with Meiya-san?"
"Please, I said before that such respect was not necessary. I am… not used to forwardness like yours, to be honest," she admits, taking half a step back, rubbing one of her forearms.
"…Sorry?"
"No, it is alright… Takeru. If I want to cross these bridges, having someone who burns his with such willingness is more than welcomed."
"You mean, to make the squad get along better?"
"Yes. Your honesty is appreciated, I believe it may do us good for our…" she says, walking again, both gazing at the twisters of sparks and the small kitty squished in between, "absolute lack of fellowship seems rather inappropriate at the moment, to be honest. Apologies, I suppose we are not making the best first impression," she deflates while pinching her nose, before bowing short again.
"Haha, it's fine, chill out."
"…Chill out? Why would I? I'd become bedridden were I to remain outside, with this cold as well. For what purpose would you suggest said course of action?"
"Gah… It means that you should relax, dude."
"…Takeru, you've said that before as well, so allow me to clarify that," she says, slightly sticking her shoulders and chest out, "I am a woman, if you haven't noticed."
The facepalm is instantaneous. "…My B, I walked straight into this one."
"Your what?"
"Don't mind me, I should've expected you not getting my words," he admits, ruffling his hair for a moment.
"Was that some sort of slang from your prior location?"
"Yeah, you could say that," he shrugs, chuckling at the truce signed to the wails of the smallest one. "Anyways, all squads have their fights from time to time. It's clear you're all pushing for the same goal, at least. Better than to have someone breathing down your neck for your every move…"
For a moment her steps lower their pace, staring at his face, the knotting of his lips. "…Were you removed from your prior cadet course, perhaps? Honestly, someone of your skill arriving this late into the year is… strange, to say the least."
A simple shrug, he looks out the window. Into the emptiness of the trackfield, and that of what in the glass is reflected back at the void. "…There was nothing, nobody I cared about left back there. I'm more than happy to rest the horns for a little while."
"Horns?"
"…You know, always having to stay on your guard, as if the walls had ears and eyes. The expectations I had to measure up to over there were quite high."
"For someone of your aptitude, I can understand the promise your superiors must have seen," she nods twice. "Were you their star cadet, perchance?" she asks, swallowing down her throat a second after upon the sudden halt of his steps.
Smiling in cracks, he nods. "…They called me their champion. But at the end of the day, the people I cared about, what I wanted to uphold simply wasn't there anymore. Rather than waste my time away, I prefer being able to move forward, for what I still believe is right, even if my current methods are… a disappointment to them. Just that," he shrugs, matching her pace again.
"…On that we agree, seeking progress to align with your values is always the right choice. Hopefully, Sakaki and Ayamine can begin to better express themselves shortly."
"Don't worry, I'll try and talk with Chizuru when I get the time."
"…Takeru, I personally do not mind much, however, Sakaki will certainly reprimand you for using her name," she nods again, arms folded. "The hare will fall in its certainty compared to the small efforts of the turtle; Haste makes waste."
He eyes her sideways, chuckling a bit. "Someone's a philosopher."
"Oh, do you dislike philosophy?"
"Nah, it's just, it has been a long time since I had someone to talk to about poetry and the like," he says, staring at her for a second too long, before sighing. "And for real, I'll see what I can do about Chi- Sakaki. Maybe all she needs is a reminder, of what a leader is meant to be. Nothing a small session with the pillow cannot do," he asserts, smiling small, licking the inner side of his lips while watching the squad leader's back.
"I hope it'd be so simple, to be honest. I've deployed my white flag on this front far too many moons ago to attempt to meddle again now, I'm afraid," she admits, shoulders sagging. "Ah, do let me warn you on our lectures before we arrive to class, however. Instructor Jinguuji is very strict with the oral lessons, under no circumstances are you to look away from the blackboard or-"
[Recommended Music: Dark Reality, King's Field IV: The Ancient City]
Scribbling fast, scribbling lots.
On the walls, on the desk, on her own arms even.
For ink is blood, ink is knowledge crafted from the day's sweat and blood. And knowledge is power.
Babel towers of papers rose, blocking the cold white light from the ceiling, or what was supposed to be that. A cage of papers, a ravine of information that rather than slowly being eroded rose further and further upwards. And the seismic shocks were made by those incessantly moving hands, swollen and reddening, scrambling to a mad alarm to scribble and note down all.
"And Tamase still cannot finish her laps in the threshold required…" Chizuru repines, looking at the times she engraved on her left arm, comparing them to galloping graphs on the wall.
A small doodle version of Miki ran over some graphs' hills and valleys, Awawa'ing her way to the finish line only to trip on her own, spin in a mimicry of a blue hedgehog and then ends up eating dirt. Can't catch a break even on someone else's mind, poor little Miki.
"Mitsurugi's long range remains unacceptable, must be paired with someone capable of handling explosives and traps as well…"
The jungle grew and grew, her personal space almost breached.
"Yoroi has not recovered, her impulsivity might cost us an injured member again. And her attention span remains an issue to be solved…"
In a spiral the scribbles raise, to the ceiling on the papers, over her neck in her body, trampling each other in the walls to the wails of poor doodle Miki.
"Ayamine… still is Ayamine…"
One of the towers of papers was then set on fire.
"But as things stand, we're still so far away from our expected scores… If the CCSE is as it was back then-"
A tremor rose from the ground, like dried leaves the papers started to rain down. And as if it were indeed raining, the scribbles, the effort starts to wash away from their faces, from the walls.
Cubes of sugar atop tea, the towers thus became. A dark torrent of ink swarmed, a makeshift pogo leaving Chizuru screaming nonsense, waving both arms up wildly. Not even doodle Miki could remain afloat.
"No, not again! All I've worked for, it can't disappear so easily!" she declared, nibbling her lips, touching the bottom and trying to rush forward, catch some of the falling papers.
Another tremor, one she knows well. A sonic mine.
"I told you we should've used the fucking tools on the bridge!"
"Ayamine, now is not the time! Sakaki, help me bandage Yoroi's arm."
A perfect, frame by frame replay ensues. Left in a stream already known, all Chizuru can do is try and not drown, flail and wail as the roles are repeated along the mistakes.
And yet, for some reason, once she finds stable ground and coughs a trout out of her lungs she finds herself on the other side of the river this time. No scribbles had made it this far, or at least she doesn't remember ever doing so.
"Tamase can shoot the knot," Ayamine said, holding her gaze.
'What' is what she desired to answer, yet "The anti-materiel rifle only has one bullet, it is too valuable to lose over a rope. To say nothing if she fails the shot, we lose both items here," was what spurted out of her lips.
Were the scribbles? The water, the ink? Seeing the scenery, smelling the intense mud, hearing the rainfall and an accelerated stream nearby.
"Am I awake? Where is this? The CCSE?"
Yet she couldn't move. Or speak, or do much of anything. Observing her surroundings revealed foggy silhouettes, those of her squadmates. The smallest one, that pink hair sank down, relented to the rain's gavel and drowned much like her doodle counterpart had done moments before.
"Sakaki, I believe there is some merit to the proposition. Also, there is no need to remind us of the usefulness of the anti-materiel rifle," Mitsurugi's cloudy shape tried to get closer, tap her shoulder.
For some reason, Chizuru flinched away as if it were an oven in overheat. "What are your arguments in favor of shooting the rope, then? Yoroi, what do you think- Yoroi? Yoroi!"
"Huh?! O-Oh, sorry, the river's moving so fast I just-"
"Could you kindly try and participate in the conversation, please? Unless, of course, you've nothing to add, again."
Salting a wound that already had plenty of salt, Chizuru in vain struggled against shackles she couldn't see. The constriction over her throat did not lift, the hooks piercing her tongue and cheeks forced them to move, and her squadmates moved in kind. The argument soon rose and drowned the rampant drizzle, making it seem to be only a light shower.
"No- Not like this! Why won't they understand?! Shooting such a small target under the rainfall is madness! Placing Tamase in that position, risking her to take the blame… I cannot do that, not when there is no need to gamble on this risk, while we're being worn down by the rain. Why can't you get it? I only- I always-"
"It doesn't have to be this way, you know?"
Turning around, a shadow towered over her. Hair by the shoulders, eyebags in strong pink. Pierced by the rain, spotless and dry, with a stench of smoke, of burnt remnants, dressed in them and their ashes. The shadowy silhouette garbed in dark clouds and orange embers crouched, a gloved hand reaching out, cupping Chizuru's cheek.
"You don't have to shout and impose yourself. You're not him."
"What? Who are you talking about?"
"Don't you hate that about him? You do, don't you?" the hand, the fingertips run to her neck, up and down, over and over. "A schedule set in stone, your wishes be damned. A piece made to move to some higher design, that was all you were. Even your enlistment was taken from you, wasn't it Chizuru?"
"H-How do you- No, I am not like Father! I am not! I've made it here with my own efforts, cut any and all ties to him!"
"And yet, look well," the fingers clutch her chin, turn her gaze backwards. "Look at their eyes, haven't you seen these eyes elsewhere? In the office he always made you wait in, all dolled up for some meet and greet? Weren't his guests wearing these same masks for him?"
"N-No, I… They simply need to hear me out, if I explain myself-"
"But you've already tried. All they see is pride. Sometimes, you have to… listen rather than speak," the hands move to the back of her head, treading in circles, untying her ponytails, threading the hair in between fingers.
"But I already detailed our shortcomings, as the leader it's my duty to-"
"A leader without a supporting team cannot go on for long. You cannot protect your life on your own, can you Chizuru?"
"Ah… Well… Mmh…"
The rain begins to fade, the tempest dulling into white noise, a pleasant and liquid xylophone. Down to her shoulders, brushing her upper bones, the massage continued and dried what the water had stagnated, lighting up the engraved scribbles again.
"You try too hard on your own. Take a step back, just one. Concede, relent, trust. They will return it, you know they will."
"But they need- I can't-"
"Why do you fear? Because you don't know. But you do know, Chizuru," the voice asks, fingertips running down to her sides.
It tickles, the contact with her bare skin.
When and how had she gotten rid of her tank top, she did not know. Why was the pressure exerted not fought, why did she sink into the grass and why was it so soft and cushy were concerns her too tired, too foggy mind saw as unnecessary.
"I know?"
Because that answer, it was much too precious to let go off.
"Yup, for real. Close your eyes, yes? You know what will happen if you rely on Miki to shoot down the rope. Come on, close your eyes…"
And so she did, pieces of the previous scenery returning with every pull of his hands. From the tip of her toes up to her knee the current washed up, and down, and up, and soft. Same for her elbows, to her shoulders, down to her sides, kneading and exploring the curves of her bones and muscles. When and why had she taken off her boots, socks and pants briefly worried her, but it was so warm, so soft, the pokes, the rubs, the… kisses? They felt like that, even if she never had anyone explore her every nook and corner in that manner, much less to dig into her navel with saliva as if attempting opencast mining.
Amidst the cloak that the shadow threw all over her body, the fog left slowly. Shards had their edges defined, falling into a picture, into motion.
"Ah… Yes, Tamase does shoot the knot, even under the rain…"
"But is that the correct choice, Chizuru?"
"Huh? The correct… No, it's not?"
"Which one would be the correct one, mmh?"
"Mmh… To wait… the rain out…"
"Good, good. You deserve a reward, honey," the whisper says, a slow crawling of many, many fingers leaving her navel in peace, brushing hills and ringing the doorbells.
Stifled moans almost left, nibbled lips cried in their stead, legs and thighs shut down like an industrial press, trapping a hand and causing further flaring up.
"And what else, Chizuru?"
"Ah… Ah… I think… I think the rain stops? And then we can recover… the rope, yes. Once we cross the middle of the island- A trap! Guns, there's-"
"Shh, easy there…" a soft smooch to a cheek, softer circles on the underside of the hills and brushing the bells, the embers wrap around Chizuru, sitting her on the lap of the smoke. "It's okay, you're just remembering. Tell me, what happened then? You have the rope, the rifle."
"Yes, I- Mmh! Yes. Oh, yes. T-Tamase locates a dome, shoots it from afar. The guns, they stop with that. Then there's, ah, a bridge. It's rotten, mmh, we have to repair it with the rope… but then we can safely cross… Um, a bit lower- Ah, yes, right there…"
"Sigh… Hard to please even in this situation, huh," a smile raises in both, her lower back cracking a bit, softening under the kindling offered by the embers, that soon begin to roam and burn her thighs, inwards as well. "Good so far… But that's not all, is it Chizuru?"
"Huh? Oh, no, you're… right, yes. We can… find a boat?"
"Yep. Come on, lay back. You're too tired. Tell me about it, how do you find the boat?"
"Mmh… I don't know… One of us simply comes back, saying they found it, that they have some fuel in their canteen… Who was it? Yoroi? No, not Tamase… I was with Mitsurugi, so not her either, and also not Ayamine- Wait, but then who?"
"You know, don't you?"
"But I- Mmh."
"How cruel. Don't you remember me?"
"…You?"
Pulled in tight, an embrace that spills the air out of her, replaces it with ashes and embers, raw heat.
Light pain in her fingertips, in her lips as she parts them slightly to meet the tempo.
Heartbeats rising to match the presses of her bosom's doorbells, mashed for frame perfect combos with the kiss.
Despite herself, she found her legs already entangled, already mingling with those below her. And speaking of below, the main source of heat was she sitting on.
And her favorite cartoon flashed in her eyes for a moment, pierced by that warmth.
Paintings and the like surrounded her as if she were on a large gallery, arts so fine it made her heart leap. Not as much as the shocks and feathers all running a grand prix with every suction, every new paintjob of saliva given to her chest.
"You know who I am, Chizuru."
Tossing and turning, dancing the loop-the-loop, riding the manatee and the tea cups. An entire amusement park was she on at the moment, only on fire, only embracing her with all its might.
"It's okay, you've done enough. Being self-sufficient and being a lone wolf are not one and the same, honey."
Hugging back for dear life, impossible it is for her to let go even when the speed crawls back to calm waters, even when she erupts in blazes and returns a hug far tighter to the shadow.
"Just try and remember… You will in due time. And you know, if you need anything, all you gotta do… is say my name."
Hands roam, caress, pinch and poke. Lips curl in, cheeks sink, her saliva coating and spilling from the rim of her lips. Poor pillow, twisted and abused in its mimicking.
The seizure in the sheets happening at midnight had calmed down, even if it came with a cost, a spreading stain.
Kissing and drooling onto the pillow, her long hair made a tornado under and over her shoulders, Chizuru snuggles onto the cushion. Smiling as she cuddles herself, breathing calm like a pond, features as well. And as her feet rub each other, lips part and bubble something or the other as her doorbells remain in attention.
"Shiro… gane-kun…"
"…Yes, just call for me when you need it," said the shadow in dark and orange from within his own dream, spilled in his own bed in a state almost mirrored to the beloved visited tonight, save for the cerulean fireflies sparking away from his body. "Sweet dreams, Chizuru."
A/N: So first, noblesse obliges due credit is given. Shoutout to the author SomeoneBlue, whose stories have given me inspiration to write this one. Same for a song I got introduced to recently, Fiend from Final Fantasy XIV.
Second, to keep a record for myself more than anything, this story is part of the CHAOS side of the spectrum.
What I mean by this is, the MC will lean more towards that 'alignment' than in canon. Old readers will know from Reversal that there was a dark issue with Native Takeru that I never got to explore because I suck at exposition. While masking his abilities through ninja tricks and junk was my original idea another more dangerous one popped up when doing my previous rewrite, to the last chapters I uploaded before deleting. I never really made it click solid, though.
Playing with the effects of the anomaly Takeru is has been fun, and him using it for not entirely good reasons is the meaning behind the CHAOS label. Basically, Keru took Yuuko's advice about being ruthlessly effective literally and he's gonna save(?) the world through the power of orgas- love, I mean. Loophole abuse, ain't it fun. Not as much fun as abusing other kind of holes, but I better stop before the alcohol makes me write something stupid.
Anyways, this fic has been built from the inspiration mentioned, the causal quantum BS as a basis, and the fact that, canonically, Squad 207's girls saw intimate memories about Unlimited during the introduction of Sumika Zero. Making Keru an active participant with control of his quantum shenanigans' effects to persuade key figures is what this will be about, with a spin towards decidedly not good practices. It's both a challenge to write short, to not rely on long talks, and force myself to get to the parts I'm not good at. Namely, the smut and the actual action.
And yes, there will be drawbacks and consequences to the use and abuse of the 'blinding power of love'. You guys know me, I get too dark even when I don't mean to. I blame my song playlists and the liquor.
And that's all, I guess. I don't guarantee that I'll do them but if anyone has suggestions for settings or charas for Takeru to brainwa- seduce I'm all ears.Just keep in mind that this is a CHAOS story, be careful what you wish for because I might pull a Chapter 46.
Thanks for reading, sorry for any typos or tense errors here and going forward, as well for the incoming flood of random oneshots or stories.
See you later, keep staying safe over there.
Zuoriel