Japanese
Masashi Awase - a massive, muscular male with spiky black hair, scarred
Mitsu Bondo - a beautiful, blond-haired female with amber eyes, honey drips from mouth
Yurei Yanagi - a small, silver-haired female with blue eyes
Nazo Kaibara - a sleek, well-muscled male with short brown hair
Fushigi Yanagi - black-haired male with ragged eyes
Taji Kaibara - smallish female with a collected yet aggressive attitude, often bends her body in inhumane ways
Yua Yukina - black haired female with large black eyes
Akanji Tsuburaba - aggressive, sturdy male with short spiky hair
Tamishi Kohaku - a boney blond female with sharp green eyes
Mukuro Honenuki - skeletal blond male with no lips and darker stripes on body
Chinese
Tian Rin - massive black-haired male with dark amber eyes
Yong-guo Rin - a small, pretty long black-haired female with blazing yellow eyes
She-pi Rin - black-haired male with orange eyes, eldest of the Rin siblings
Other
Igor Kaede - a massive, muscular male with indigo eyes, russian origin
Nikolai Kaede - a massive, muscular female with yellow eyes, russian origin
Renji Kaede - a tall female with black and gray skin and a white K over one eye, long white hair
Akaibara Kuroiro - a dark skinned female speckled with white flower and petal patterns, white hair
Chiyo Kuroiro - freakishly tall, slender male with black skin, gray faded arms and face, with white patterns found on a normal deck of cards
Atsuo Chirei - an elderly male
Akinji - ginger-haired male
Tomota Kiyoshi - a large, bulky male with skin made of diamond
The dark night of Japan seemed to swallow everything around the young adult as he crept through the shadows of the alley, following the skinny pale ginger shape ahead of him. The man couldn't be that grown up, maybe not more than seven, but Masashi needed someone to lead him to where his pregnant wife was hiding with his child again.
They both slowed to a halt as the view of an elderly man and a young woman came into view, just out of reach of a lamppost.
"Why hide from your husband?" asked the homeless elder. "He is the father of your daughter, right?"
"Yes," came the shallow reply as Masashi grabbed the skinny boy's shoulder and held him still in the shadows. "But Masashi is an ambitious and cruel man. I can see it in his eyes. Whatever happens to my daughter, I don't want him to be her father."
Masashi scowled, anger burning his eyes. Mukuro stared at him for a moment with wide eyes, his teeth nearly gleaming in the dim light, before backing up and letting the shadows swallow him.
The homeless elder had given his wife a look of understanding before offering to bring Mrs. Yukina to where he and the others were camping out. "Us Wilderlives are always open for anyone who needs help and guiddance. Until you feel it is safe for you or your child to roam without the danger of your husband, we can shelter you." he gazed away with uncertainty in his fern green eyes. "We may not have a lot of food everyday or the most comfy places to sleep, but we are sheltered from heavy storms and rain, and the young children who were rejected from the orphanages love to gather moss and fallen feathers to form their own beds for all of us."
Misashi followed silently, careful not to let the angry hiss in his throat out or make a sound as he crept after the pair. He hated that his wife had asked for shelter and safety with a bunch of homeless hags and motherless children.
I am the only option she has to keep our daughter properly cared for! Why does she think this old fool can help my daughter?
at the end of the alleyway was a massive, squared out place surrounded by building walls. it was mostly bricks and stone where he could see, with a view of the sky above, but the silver light of the moon reflected off the tops of boxes and sturdy wooden stumps held up to form little homes. There were more elderly men and women laying about inside, all curled up the best they can together in beds of what was soft moss and feathers. A few younger men were hiding a pile of coal from the rain, keeping the cardboards above it sturdy to protect in case of any rain, with stones at the sides to keep them from moving off the pile.
There were quite a few kids, three to six years of age at least, all huddled up in their own makeshift homes right next to the elders, huddled in a dog pile with a young middle schooler sleeping next to them.
there was a box that had what seemed to be food stored insids it, with another for water and drinks next to it, and roofs to keep them dry. In the middle was a circle of stones that had sticks and a few pieces of charcoal inside, most likely a fire to keep them warm of cold days.
The old man, Atsuo he learned, led Mrs. Yukina to where the children were sleeping, past their dog pile and to the back where more moss and feathers laid untouched.
"Here," he gathered up a massive pile of moss and feathers and passed them to Misashi's wife. "I'll get Akinji to help you make a bed of your own."
"Thank you," Yukina's eyes shone with gratitude as she thanked Atsuo and shuffled the the corner to lay down the soft items in a wide enough blanket.
The elder had made his way across the stone clearing and to where the trio of younger men where beginning to stretch. He Paused at a ginger-haired male. "Akinji, a pregnant woman has come seeking for shelter from her husband, who she fears is cruel. Wanna help her make her bed? I'll be seeing that there will be enough food and water for all of us tomorrow."
The ginger man nodded before making his way to where the pregnant woman was, while the other two went to a third makeshift home. It was placed right in front and between where the elders and the kids slept separately, the walls replaced by rags to prevent the harshest of winds and allowing easy exits in case of emergency.
While they were left to their own devices, Misashi turned and made his way out of the dark alleyway and appeared in the lamplight, Mukuro sitting patiently at the sidewalk for his return.
"Well?" the kid asked, his body stripes shadowed on his pale skin. "What happened with Mrs. Yukina?"
"Just... made herself a bed." Misashi hissed. "I will confront her tomorrow and bring her home. My daughter will never live with those filthy dirtbags."
Mukuro nodded before standing and turning away. "I'll be heading back home, then. Goodnight, Mr. Awase."
...
Dawn filtered through the missing wall in the cardboard home as morning began to rise. Mitsu, with a trail of honey dripping through her mouth, crept past the other sleeping kids and to where Akinji and Taji Kaibara were gathering food for breakfast.
The other little girl, the same age as Mitsu, glanced back at her with bored black eyes. "Mrs. Yukina is giving birth next week. There will be another mouth to feed and keep warm. Will we be able to manage with fall coming soon?"
Akinji glowered at Taji. "Of course we can, little Ms. Kaibara! We managed when Atsuo brought you in after you were left to die by your own parents, right? You were a mere newborn then, too."
Taji only hummed quietly. "It's been a long time since you've had another, right?"
"You and Mitsu are the newest," he gestured to the honey-quirked girl as she began to help sort the food out. "and we got you girls five years ago! You'll only be older than Mrs. Yukina's daughter by five years."
"Five years of catching up she'll have to do to be like us." There was darkness and hate in Taji's voice. "I wonder why such beautiful mothers-to-be choose such horrible husbands and dont't leave them until too late. At least Mrs. Yukina had the sense to leave her husband before her daughter was born."
Mitsu winced.
"Kaibara!" she gasped. "Most mothers-to-be don't actually know their husbands would be so horrible to their children until the children are already born. If Mrs. Yukina had known her husband was a terrible man since before her belly started swelling, then he must have been so horrible to everyone without reason."
Taji only glared at her as Mitsu licked up a trickle of golden honey on her chin. "And you speak like your mother didn't stand there and leave you to be killed by the truck before Atsuo saved you." she spat before gathering up a bundle of food and heading to where a couple of elders were chatting.
"Don't listen to her, Bondo," Akinji murmured, watching the girl give the elders their share of food with dark orange eyes. "Your mother may have been bad, watching as you were nearly ran over, but that doesn't stop the rest of us being you mothers and fathers and grandparents."
Mitsu only continued to count the bundles of food she made before reaching for a small water bottle and examining the liquid inside.
Akinji acknowledged her silence with a tilt of his head.
"When Yukina gives birth, you'll be able to care for her like your own sister. And you'll be a better family for her than your parents ever were."
Mitsu smiled at that. "Thanks, Akinji."
As she turned and made her way over to where the other kids were, food and water in hand, the sudden thought of her own kids would be. Yukina seemd to have a hard time being pregnant, yet Mitsu couldn't help but feel excited for her own one day.
What would it be like for me, having my own kids?
After she passed the supplies evenly around for the others, she took a small portion of her own and settled down next to Atsuo and Tomota Kiyoshi, whose body was literally just diamonds.
The diamond kid smiled to her. "Hey, Bondo! Kaibara giving ya a hard time again?"
The blond merely shrugged. "Her fault for being snappy. If she doesn't want friends, let her. Not our problem." she glanced at Atsuo. "How's Mrs. Yukina?"
The elder smiled. "Her daughter is coming next week, and she plans to name her Yua. New lives are always a welcome thing for this world!"
Mitsu smiled before letting her gaze fall on the other children, watching the first two wake up and take their small portions of food. "Do you wanna do a supply run later at dusk, or would we be good til tomorrow?"
Atsuo tilted his head. "Dusk. Mukuro and Yurai always prefer to gift us things to help us thrive when most everyone else are in their homes. Tamishi, Nikolai and her brother Igor would always love to visit our young."
"Mukuro, the striped biy with no lips, three years older..." Mitsu murmured to herself. "Nikolai, dark skinned female, muscular, two years older... so many names!"
Atsuo chuckled as Tomota leaned closer to her. "Mukuro and Koharu are close friends, both eight. Igor and Nikolai are of Russian origin and siblings, Nikolai seven and Igor six. Yua aould be five years younger, and Yurai is six. Then there is Fushigi, who Atsuo and Akinji see roaming the city at night, who is seven."
The blond smiled warmly at Tomota, a drop of honey falling onto her chin. "Thanks, Kiyoshi." She loved how warm and friendly his heart was, despite his timid nature.
Atsuo stretched his arms. "If you two want, me and Akinji could take you with us."
Bith of them shot their heads towards the elder. "Really?"
"Yep," Atsuo was watching Taji, who laying next to Yukina and Akinji. "Taji could come with us if she wanted to, as well. A few of the other kids have come with us a few times, why not you three?"
Mitsu and Tomota shared joyful glances. Their first tike outside the Wilderlives Camp!
They always stayed in the one area, the deepest part of the alleyway big enough to hide an entire highschool. Nobody brave enough would go into the alley, to small and dark at night and small and unwelcoming at day. Except for the Wilderlives, who lived outside of the law within the city, nobody knowing their home or bothering to enter without an escort.
To see the world outside...
Atsuo had approached Taji and Akinji, chatting to them in a low voice. Akinji seemed to beam at what he said while Taji glanced, surprised, at Mitsu and Tomota.
I just hope Taji won't ruin the experience.
...
Taji shuddered as the dusk's chill air wafted through her hair.
Atsuo and Akinji were waiting at the entrance the creepy alley that led to and from the city, with Tomota and Mitsu chatting playfully.
Taji scowled at them, ignoring the pain of envy in her veins. Lovers.
Akinji called a goodbye to the others that weren't settling down to sleep and led the way for the four of them outside. The alley was pitch black, the only light being the dark sky and the faded dim light of the streetlights outside.
the walk seemed to last forever until she saw the sight of a road and buildings at a corner.
She and Mitsu raced ahead of the others to see.
Taji froze at the overwhelming sight of the massive buildings and the big roads, all illuminated by the streetlights and the dark sky.
"It's so big!"
"It gets bigger." Atsuo and Akinji led them down the sidewalk, passing many building and not gazing at the few people still outside. A woman stared the thr group, catching Taji's eye before quickly looking away with disgust. Taji hissed quietly. "Why did that woman just look at me like that?"
Akinji glanced at the woman before answering. "Those are the Citypeople. Me and Atsuo are homeless men in her eyes, and you are a homeless girl to her as well. Citypeople hate people without homes, view us as lower creatures to be walked on. They are the same thing as us in the eyes of Pro Heroes, though."
The elders have told many stories of Pro Heroes, and UA highschool, where students lewrn to become heroes that fight for the safety of the city.
Mitsu's blond hair seemed to glow like honey covering a bright light when walking under a lamplight. "Do heroes patrol this part of the city?" she asked.
"They patrol everywhere," Akinji told her. "Even on the rooftops. Only two heroes, Vlad King and Odd-eye, have ever seen the Wilderlives Camp, though."
Good thing only two. Akinji is a powerful fighter, and perhaps may even be able to fight those two off if they try to evict us from our home.
Atsuo held out his hand, signaling for them to stop. "This is where Mukuro lives. He's usually gazing out of his window at the streets everyday to spot one of us. Has been before we met Yukina two months ago."
The elder led them to the area between Mukuro's house and another house, the shadows swallowing their bodies.
After a moment of silence and waiting, a skinny pale cream shape appeared, his teeth glistening and the tabby stripes on him just barely visible. "Atsuo, Akinji, who have you brought with you this time?"
Taji peered closer into the darkness. There was something in his hands, but she couldn't see it.
Akinji stepped forward. "The blond girl is Mitsu Bondo, and the smaller one is Taji Kaibara. The boy is Tomota Kiyoshi."
I can introduce myself, Akinji!
The boy nodded before handing them the supplies. "Tell the others I said hi."
"Will do, said Atsuo as Mukuro bowed and headed inside. "Take care Honenuki!"
meeting Yurei was a pain. The quiet girl only glared at them without making a sound, unblinking and unmoving, as she passed Atsuo and Mitsu some old blankets and a few bottles of water.
"Thank you," Taji murmured quietly, glowering back at her with her own unmoving glare.