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[hippocarnival]

YUYA SAKAKI UN: FUNDIRECTION

STATUS: Student Grade 9

ACCOLADES: (Here is a list of leading roles Yuya's has in school theater performances over the past two years, plus a glowing review of his familiar Odd-Eyes)

BIO: Hello! You can call me Yuya. I'm from Sendai, Japan. This is my second year in Daybreak Academy. I'm a Tamer, and Odd-Eyes is my familiar. He's the big red dragon that hangs out in the courtyards. He's friendly but he tries to steal food sometimes. I speak Japanese and English but not very good French. I'm also in the theater club. I'm in Lumiere 203. Let's be friends!

© TESSISAMESS

Comments

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's not sure he believes that, but Kano says it with a sureness he can't really argue, so he won't. He pauses, shifting his grip on Odd-Eyes as he considers a different question, one he can give a little more attention to now that they're no longer in danger.]

... What was your mom like?

[suddenlybees]

Hm? My mother? Depends on her mood, I guess. Ha, we caught her in a bad mood... How unfortunate for us~

[ But when is she in a good mood? It'd seemed like he could barely go a few days without accidentally upsetting her, back then. And back then, he'd tried his best to be good, to be accommodating and kind and quiet and careful... He did his absolute best, and it was all for naught.

Still, he did his best for her, and if he could go back in time, he'd to it all over again. ]

Mother was a hard worker. She always had to work a lot, but she worked overnight too, so sometimes I would only see Mother for a couple hours a day, or she'd be at work or asleep. She had to raise me, and that's a tough job! So I'm very grateful for Mother!

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya could relate to some of that description, if not for what he'd just seen. He doesn't think of himself as terrible astute, but it was obvious Kano knew how to navigate around the screaming, insults, hitting. He knows it's wasn't his mother, and yet he treated that monster like it was, like--that was normal.

Yuya feels a little sick in a way he can't quite explain, looking back forward. Kano speaks kindly of her, even when he's out of her hurtful hands. He's just not sure why.] I see. Can I... ask what happened to her?

[suddenlybees]

About her dying? You don't have to tip-toe around it.

[ Since he'd already told Yuya that she's dead, got that meaningless "I'm sorry" for it and they'd since moved on because they had more pressing things to worry about back then- it feels like ages ago, that they'd been walking down the halls trying to find a bucket. ]

It was murder. I tried to get in the way, and got stabbed too. How stupid, huh? Mother wasn't as lucky as me. —ah, my room's a mess, isn't it? The window's wide open, and there's water all over the ground, we should hurry back so I can clean it up.

[hippocarnival]

Ah--right. [It's still awkward asking about someone's dead parents, even if Kano says he doesn't have to be vague around it.]

Before your roommate sees? [Honestly, given the state they left it in that's a fair worry.] You're not going to fall off if Odd-Eyes goes faster?

[suddenlybees]

Haha, yeah, I haven't told Ellie any of this, so she's going to think I'm super careless, making a mess and running away! I think I'm more scared of her than my mother...!

[ Mostly because he can deal with his mother; with Ellie, she just sort of goes at you until you're dead or close to it. But Ellie's always justified in her anger, so it's harder with her. ]

I'll hang onto you, so I won't fall if you don't fall! This whole "trusting you with my life" thing, let's give it another go~

[hippocarnival]

You got to room with your sister? [Yuya smiles a touch.] That's really nice.

[Yuya leans over, tightening his grip on Odd-Eyes' neck.] Okay, let's go!

[His familiar growls in response before picking up speed, zipping back down to the school grounds. Does drying wet clothes with cold air make things worse? They're going to find out.]

[suddenlybees]

[ It absolutely does make things worse, but it's worse for Yuya than it is for Kano, who gets to sit behind him and use him as a literal wind shield. Holy fuck, he's never leaving his room again, his feet are never leaving the ground, this is the worst. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Chances of catching a cold have gone up 90%.

Yuya doesn't talk the rest of the trip by virtue of being too cold to function Odd-Eyes seems to be utterly impervious to the temperature, and carries them all the way to the Lumiere dorm.

Yuya releases a full body shudder.] O-okay, we're here! I'm--g-going inside.

[suddenlybees]

[ RIP Yuya, thanks for your sacrifice. Kano doesn't need any prompting to get inside either, at least having the presence of mind to go full illusion- no wet clothes or shivering hands for him, so nobody will stop him on the way upstairs and to his room. ]

I'll see you later, 'kay? Take care of yourself!

[ LIKE NONE OF THIS EVERY HAPPENED
he's going to pretend none of this happened, he's never going to talk about it ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya slides off of Odd-Eyes and hurries after Kano. They're both going the same direction up until the second floor. When Kano tries to disembark after, Yuya almost goes after. Almost, but he holds himself back and watches him at least until he gets halfway up the stairs. And then he starts.]

Ah--Kano! [He calls out from below, smiling warmly despite the chill.] I'm glad you're here.

[Alive. Surrounded by two sisters who seem good. Lucky.

He thinks... it wouldn't have been fair if Kano died with his mother that day, or today.]

[suddenlybees]

Hm? Ah... Yeah.

[ Being called out to is confusing enough, but he doesn't really get what the comment means either. "I'm glad you're here." It's vague, and there's probably a deeper meaning to it that he isn't going to pry into and make Yuya clarify, so he settles with smiling and nodding. A softer one. A gentler one, the sort of smile that's unmasked and he's always felt a little self-conscious about, but there's nobody else to see. ]

I'm glad you were there too.

[hippocarnival]

Anytime! [Yuya grins wider, unguarded, but before he can respond further his words get caught up in a loud sneeze that makes him stagger back in surprise.

He sniffs, rubbing his nose.]