yamaboshi | ❥ closed ( au ) psl.

[Inaba Himeko is one of those ability users, unfortunately. However, she didn't inherit it from her family - as neither of her older siblings or even her parents had it. The reason was unexplained.

And it's because Inaba didn't hold any trust for her family, much less anyone else -

They're her enemies, after all.

She is more than just a 'normal' human, after all.

- that she finds herself struggling with her ability. She doesn't exactly have anyone that she can turn to about this sort of thing. After all, they'd make her into a monster. And all she really wants to do is live her ordinary life.

...Except she isn't allowed to do that for a second the moment she gets herself stuck in a rather crowded area, having made the attempt to run away from some thugs.

What a pain in the ass.

Of course, being in a crowded area means that she can hear everyone's voices. Feel their emotions. It's enough when it happens randomly at school, but in a crowd like this?

It's a whole different story.

One that makes her grimace and try to turn tail - panic, anger and frustration burning in her eyes as she tries to scramble and leave, trying to find her way into a more secluded place.

...Except that she does wind up running into someone dangerous in the process. One that a certain weretiger might notice is a member of the Port Mafia.

It's definitely now or never when it comes to wanting to save someone. Especially when that someone that is in a possible terrible situation looks simply like an ordinary teenage girl.]

[Yokohama City; A gangster's paradise, they say. Atsushi had begun settling into the idea that this city was 'home' for him, but it still brought a strange feeling to think of it that way. It was strange to feel "used to" things around the city; The way the city never slept, the sights of shopkeepers in their places, the familiar faces on familiar trains, the dangerous men chasing innocent girls--

Atsushi abandoned his previous task (snack run,) to follow after Inaba. He did not know her name, her face, her story, or anything else that might prompt a normal person to follow her. He didn't know she had an ability and did not actually know if she was threatened by those thuggish men. But he didn't need to. In a split second, he judged her innocent and them a threat: That was reason enough to drop everything and follow a mere chance to be helpful.]

Hey! You there! [As he catches up, Atsushi finds that the girl has been led into a secluded part of town. These backstreets are quiet during the day, with their shuttered restaurants only opening after dark.

He looks between Inaba and the men. Port Mafia, he only realizes after the fact. What would the Port Mafia want with a teenage girl? None of the answers he imagines seem very good.]

Back off! Can't you see that she wants nothing to do with you?

[Back off, Atushi says.

The men who were trying to corner Inaba just seem to sneer, and she can feel their confidence and how they think that they can just defeat this kid and grab Inaba. They don't know she's an ability user, and neither does the man in front of her who's made the decision to defend her.

She doesn't know why.

Is he just being a selfless person?

Who knows.

Nevertheless, she backs him up. Not with actions - she's very much aware she's miles out of her league here with these goons, but with her words.]

That's right. I just want to go -

[She winces a bit.

Ah... even in this secluded area, there's still plenty of people to make it a bit overwhelming on the senses.

Meanwhile, the Port Mafia men laugh, aiming their guns at Atsushi. "Why would we let a cute girl like her go? I bet she'd fetch a pretty little penny in the black market. Boss would certainly be proud of us, then!" Disgusting. It gives Inaba goosebumps to hear them say that, not to mention feel the emotions conveyed by the words.

If she could control her ability better, maybe she could block out the proverbial static noise.

But naturally, she can't have nice things.

When was she able to have them to begin with?

Never.

"What are you going to do, hm? Be the prince that'll save the little princess' life?"

Oh, she is going to tear them a new asshole-]

Just shut the fuck up already...!

[Watch out, though. Because the Port Mafia members are going to attempt to actually shoot.]

[Even if they only had words to attack with, Atsushi would have been there. From the moment Inaba said aloud that she wanted to go, Atsushi was going to stay and help that happen. There didn't have to be a black market threat, there did not have to be guns pointed at him, nothing of the sort: Just a person who needed help.

The threats to take Inaba and sell her have a visible effect on Atsushi: He clenches his fists, eyes narrowing with more and more hatred. Having guns drawn on him is nothing compared to hearing those goons threaten her life. He's moving before he hears the shots, instead having been motivated by Inaba's shout. He's almost as fast as the bullets thanks to his changed limbs. Within a blink's time, he's in front of the men and swinging a paw full of claws.

Atsushi swings a tiger's arm at the gun that just went off, sending it smashing against a wall and actually breaking into its separate pieces when it falls. The second gun is luckier, in that it clatters without breaking. While they're confused about their weapons, Atsushi slides himself between the men and Inaba. His foot smears his own blood across the ground in the process; Atsushi's been shot in the shoulder, but he's got more adrenaline than time to care.]

You heard her. She wants to go.

So leave!

Wha—

[It's only in a flash, a short moment in time but she immediately notices how his limbs turn into that of a tiger's.

So, he has an ability, too. It's her first time seeing another person with an ability, and one that could be considered as cool. That is, if this were any other situation - if she weren't being threatened by a gun.

Each of the men get knocked down rather easily before suddenly realizing who they're targeting. It seems that they only now recognize who they're going up against, based on what they actually see.

"It's the weretiger! Leave!"

"Y-Yeah, we should just-" And they scramble away, knowing that they have absolutely no chance in fighting against him. They would need ample reinforcements, things that they just simply do not have at the moment.

It's then and there that her ability seems to steady. Now that there are less people, the only emotions and thoughts that she'd be able to feel is Atsushi's.]

...thank you.

[He stands his ground, watching until the men are out of sight. It's a relief, honestly; Atsushi never wanted to fight them in the first place. It works out in his favor that they've heard of him and are frightened by the mere threat of his existence. He earns that karma, too.

Atsushi has also ruined a perfectly good outfit. How is he going to explain this to the Agency? It'll be almost embarrassing to come back with torn pants, blood on his shirt, and ruined shoes... But at least no one is hurt. Atsushi sighs, sinking onto his human heels as he changes back.]

Ah...?

[He turns his attention to Inaba, startled by her gratitude. Also, as she might sense, relieved that she didn't run away. While saving her had never been up for debate, he had not planned on what to do after he saved her. Does he just leave now?]

Ahhh, yeah. You're welcome. [No, he reminds himself. He can't leave yet. Those men might come back with reinforcements, if only to properly collect her next time.]

Are you okay? They didn't hurt you?

[She can sense the relief and it easily feeds into her own and she's just glad that she can't shove that back in Atsushi's direction. But her own relief is different from his own.

And when he says those two worlds - the whole 'you're welcome' - is enough for her shoulders to relax... just slightly.

Checking herself over, she sighs.]

I'm-

[Well, she's feeling better now that there's not so many voices and emotions in her head.]

... Better. They didn't hurt me. [As blunt as that might be.] You... have an ability too, huh.

[Atsushi relaxes. Compared to Inaba being going, his ruined clothes and associated shame don't matter. He's done a good thing. After all, no one would be able to replace a human life as easily as his shoes.]

I'm glad to hear it.

[His sincere statement is accompanied by a light smile. One that gives way to a confused expression as her second comment sinks in. 'Too?']

They didn't have abilities. Just guns. [It didn't sink deep enough.] You know about them, huh...?

[While rumors certainly fly in Yokohama, few people (as supposed to) see abilities in action. Even for Atsushi, who has one, they were once more of an urban legend than a plausible reality.]

Yeah, they didn't. Guns are still just as dangerous.

[After all, her ability can't do anything against that. At least - not in the state it's in right now. Maybe if she found out how her ability actually works, then she'd be able to.

But right now?

No.]

Yeah. Kind of hard not to, when you have one of your own.

[It's a bit of an admission, but it should be okay to reveal this much, given that he saved her with her life with his own.]

[Now it clicks. And when it clicks, it does so with some overthinking attached.]

Oh! You're an ability-user?! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize!

[Wait, maybe that's a good thing? It isn't as if Atsushi wants for the first thing that people notice about him to be his ability. Especially because of that old bounty... Oh! On that note, maybe...?]

Is that what they wanted from you?

It's okay. You're the first person to know, actually.

[Her answer comes off a little awkwardly, glancing away as she rubs at the nape of her neck.]

So, no - that isn't what they wanted from me.

[He catches himself wondering "Why me?" for a brief moment. Why would she tell him, of all people? But after thinking about her statement further, he's surprised not that the first person she tells is Atsushi Nakajima, but that she's gone so long without telling anyone. She looks like a highschooler, at the very least. How long has she lived with her ability as a secret?

Atsushi wonders how stressed she must have been.]

I see... Then... [What does he say to that?]

... I'm honored to be the first, then? Or? [He looks at her with uncertainty,] I'm not bothering your ability, am I?

[Is that why she brought it up?]

[The answer to 'how stressed she must have been' is 'very', and she's pretty much lived her whole life - or at least, as young as she had the ability - at around seven - without speaking a word of it. Honestly, she's rather impressed that she got this far.]

Don't worry too much about me. As long as I don't go down a crowded road again, I'll be fine... probably.

[Although if it somehow goes off when there's just a single person in front of her... it's definitely a lot more intimate and loud.

She prays for her not to be able to sense his emotions or thoughts.

Which obviously means she doesn't get nice things and the opposite happens, right?]

[The emotions that Atsushi radiates are concern. A lot of it. She says that so easily, but she must know that Yokohama is compromised almost entirely of crowded streets. The streets that are scarcely populated tend to be dangerous ones. Atsushi cannot look away and let her take those dangerous paths alone, especially after what just transpired.]

... Where are you headed? I'll walk you there.

[That's probably not the answer to 'don't worry too much about me,' that a normal person would give. Atsushi is not only worried, but he's being nosy about it.]

These streets are empty for a reason, but I can protect you. If you'll let me? ["Please don't say 'no.' I don't want to argue over this."]

Home. It's, well -

[She gives an apt description of where she lives, in one of the quieter areas of Yokohama, in a rather nice, wealthy class neighborhood.

Although her brows knit in frustration when she feels the concern, and hears those thoughts.]

But that figures. And I'd rather not argue with you, but please stop worrying so much.

[Atsushi is relieved to know of the area. That means that he can focus more on getting her home safely and less on not getting lost.

But his brows furrow when she seems to read his mind. Did he say that out loud..?]

Oh. Do you... ["Uh, oh. If it's true, then..."]

Do you read minds?

["Does she know what I'm thinking? I'm not thinking anything bad, am I?"]

[She has a cell phone with GPS in the off chance they do get lost, so it isn't as big of a deal as it might seem. Not to mention that Inaba knows how to read a map.

But her shoulders sag a little pathetically as a short breath that could barely be considered a sigh passes through her lips.

Do you read minds, he asks. She made it painfully obvious.]

Yeah, I do.

[She's pointedly not mentioning that she can't control it because she doesn't want to let down that much of her walls. Gotta keep herself in charge of the situation, for as much as she's allowed to.]

Got a problem with that?

[”Isn’t she the one who would have a problem with reading my mind?!” He’s not sure if his mind is very pleasant to read. There are times when his thoughts are a mix of reality and memories that he can’t separate.

He’s consciously trying to empty his head now.]

No! I don’t mind or anything! Uh... Just, you probably don’t want to read mine?

[He motions down the alleyway.] Let’s go. This way, I think.

Edited 2020-07-10 12:07 (UTC)

[To be honest? She does take some issues with it, but she can pretend not to care!!

That makes her crease her brow, though. What exactly is he thinking that he wants to hide? Okay, fine, maybe she'll just try digging a little deeper because you know about curiosity and cats.]

I'll follow you. [Even if it means doing it in awkward silence. Sorta.]

[There’s so much to want to hide, Inaba. Loads and loads of guilt, heaped in piles where the fact, fiction, and manipulative lies are all gathered together. He doesn’t want to think about the orphanage in particular or disturb her with any mistreatment. Or what about the fights he’s gotten in? Those memories might make him seem scary! She might become afraid of him? Or all of the times he’s fallen for tricks or proven to be useless..!

Atsushi is desperate to keep his mind empty, but that doesn’t seem to be working... He is going to try to think about his next meal instead. You can’t be sad when you get three meals a day and have a roof over your head.

It’s because he has filled his head with food that he asks, seemingly out of nowhere;]

Have you had lunch?

[That is definitely... a lot, but if she's heard it, she doesn't seem to show it on her face. As for the idea of lunch-]

I haven't yet, but I was planning on just eating at home. Unless you're planning on treating me?

[Free food? She'll take it. He seems to be a jumbled mess of a person, but not someone who would hurt her.]

[Wait. Did he just offer to buy her lunch? Did he just ask a girl out to a meal? Is this even allowed?

"Ranpo wants his snacks though..." Ahh but he's in too deep to turn back now! Plus... He's kind of hungry. Very hungry. And he's already going to be very late returning to the Agency.

And he does not have the capacity to say 'no.']

I mean, uh. If you... want? I'm practically a strange, so maybe it's weird and creepy? [He can't say 'no,' but maybe she can?]

I'll take it.

[Even if he is practically a stranger, her frugal self cannot say no to free.]

Besides, we can get to know each other a little better that way.

["Damn, I thought she'd say no." Oh well. This isn't a bad thing. Actually, it might be nice? The only person he treats to meals is Kyouka. Inaba would be a nice change of pace.]

You know the area better than me. Do you have a favorite place to eat? [And does it have a value menu?]

Oh, I do. There's a little cafe nearby that I like a lot, actually.

[It's actually a place that's pretty well known for couples, too, but it's cheap.]

[Couple=2 People and Cheap=Good,

so Atsushi is 100% down.]

Could you direct me there? I'd hate to waste your time with getting lost.

[And he needs to send the Agency a text. Honestly, they should be used to Atsushi's bleeding heart getting between him and simple tasks sometimes. He did take home a stray 14 year old girl once. No context needed.]

I can do that.

[It isn't too hard, and she has the ability (not literal) to navigate a GPS application on her phone if it's necessary.

It is thankfully not necessary.]

❥ closed ( au ) psl.

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