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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

[yokeye]

I wasn't your fault, Yuya.

[His voice is soft, trying to keep the emotion out of it. Trying to state it like a fact.]

Would leaving have helped you? There's a lot of resources here, and people who care about you, who don't want to see you suffering. It's going to be hard and take time to... not feel responsible or guilty, but running away won't be the answer.

[He snorts a little after that hypocritical advice, but he doesn't want Yuya to fall so far down inside himself than he can't come back. It's so easy to slip.]

[hippocarnival]

I hurt people! You, and even Gongenzaka... [He shucks in a sharp breath between his teeth, burying his face in his arms to try and wipe the tears off on his sleeve.

It doesn't matter if it would've helped him or not. He was ready, excited to tear apart people he cares about. And if it catches him off guard again, he's not safe around them.]

[yokeye]

I know, and you can't change what happened and that's-

[He wants to hug Yuya, but it wouldn't be appreciated. He doesn't know how to handle this, and maybe it's best he doesn't try.]

Have you talked to Gongenzaka?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya shakes his head. He hasn't been able to face him. To face anyone, really, but especially after what he did. That wasn't even what Yuya expected when he thought he'd crew up with their relationship. It's a little hard to stomach.]

[yokeye]

Is there anything I can do right now?

[The direct approach is best sometimes, so he doesn't make a mistake here.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya shakes his head again, more firmly. Toki sounds so concerned, but wasn't he the one who hurt him?]

No, I'm sorry, I just--[He shouldn't be putting this on him. He barrels forward suddenly, trying to get around Toki to rush to the bathroom.]

[yokeye]

[Toki doesn't attempt to stop him. After Yuya's disappeared into the bathroom, Toki hovers for a moment outside the doorway.]

I'm going to go now, because I don't want to make you talk about things when you're not ready, or upset you. I'll be outside for a while, but... if you want me to come back, I'll be here in less than a second, okay? Just...

[He doesn't finish, not really knowing what he was getting at. This is a huge mess and it's an awful thing that's happened. With no warning. Valvatorez had told him they'd not even taught students about the Hunt because it usually happened in rural areas. It was an oversight, and he's got some reading to do on other folklore that won't be mentioned in classes. In case he has a vision about something no one expects to happen.

He sighs and heads for the hallway. Maybe he can run around campus and the woods and try to find Odd-Eyes somewhere.]

[hippocarnival]

[And then Yuya sobbed alone in the bathroom.

Odd-Eyes won't be around campus, but Toki can find him in the forest if he goes far enough up: lounging by the river with his forearms crossed, tail lazily batting at the water.]

[yokeye]

[He doesn't find any signs of the dragon on campus, he even checks the roofs. He hesitates a moment before starting the search in the woods. He's been free for less than an hour, and it's probably not a good idea to go wandering off the first day, but this is important. Odd-Eyes has a bond with Yuya, and for some reason Toki is convinced that reuniting them would be the best idea.

Avoiding the section of the woods occupied by the Giraffe, Toki runs through the forest. He tries to go in methodical sections, but he forgets where he came from and goes over the same paths a few times. He doesn't realize it until he runs out into the clearing with the rock by Soleil for the third time.

Heading back through the woods again, he goes a little closer to the amphitheatre, where he doesn't want to be, but it gets him new ground to cover. He ends up at the river and Odd-Eyes is easy to spot, several yards away. Now that Toki's found him, he has no idea what to say. He can't understand the dragon.]

Uhh... Odd-Eyes? Hello~! You remember me, of course... uhh...

[He walks closer, with his hands raised a little, like Odd-Eyes might eat him.]

Look... Yuya is very upset and I know he hurt you and maybe you need space, but... I think he needs you and maybe you could just... talk to him?

[hippocarnival]

[Odd-Eyes lifts his head, looking Toki up and down... and then rumbles a low growl in reply.

This conversation might be a little. One-sided.]

[yokeye]

[He can't tell if that growl was "go away" or "please elaborate", so he's going with the latter.]

Okay, so like... No one knew the Hunt was coming here and like there weren't any precautions on campus for it and it's something that shouldn't have happened. I don't know where I'm going with this, so just ignore that because it doesn't matter! Yuya's like really upset and he's... lost and scared and afraid of the things he can do, the things he's capable of, and distraught because he hurt people that he loves, and you've been with him for a long time and like even if you can't forgive him right away I don't think you... you hate him, and maybe... it would be good to let him know that much?

[hippocarnival]

[Toki gets in his whoel speech with little interruption, in part because Odd-Eyes is well aware he can't understand him and it's pointless to try and communicate.

It isn't just the strain that was put on their bond. Odd-Eyes isn't a welcome sight around campus to those who were on the wrong end of him. It's harder to staff to tell a student to leave because people are nervous than an oversized familiar.

But Toki doesn't speak Outlands spirit, and Odd-Eyes can't write, so they're at a bit of an impasse.

Odd-Eyes stares him down, then lets out a more guttural cry before settling back down on the ground.

Good talk.]

[yokeye]

[Toki looks sadly at Odd-Eyes.]

I guess I knew this wasn't going to work. I forgive you, if that helps.

[He's run out of ideas, and talking to Odd-Eyes hasn't accomplished anything. Instead of speeding all the way back to campus, he walks; contemplating what to do or how to approach things in another way. Ultimately, he doesn't think there's anything he can personally do to make this any better, or any easier, for Yuya.

He returns to the dorm room very late, trying to give Yuya space and hanging out in the art studio for most of the day.]