Take what she - Her advice of not thinking about it? That was easier said than done when glancing anywhere but up at him made her swallow hard to keep her nerves down, and he had to know that! Her trembles had yet to completely stop, grip on him alternating between loosening and tightening with each thought that flickered through her mind about it, and looking - Good god, there was no way she was letting herself look down again!
Slowly, Alanna shifted against him, rocking back up onto her toes to curl her arms around his neck a bit more than his shoulders. The action felt… Familiar, somehow… Warm and comforting, it was enough to draw out a sigh from the smaller, eyes drifting closed. She wanted to get offline and home, lose herself in the arms of someone who knew her far better than Soulburner did, but… Why was there something so relaxing about him like this? Why was she giving him her answer like this, instead of verbally?
“A-A break would be great.” Logging out would be as simple as navigating a menu and hitting a button, she knew, but it was less the act of doing so, and more getting home after. Having logged in in a cafe near the library, it’d still be a good half an hour of a walk before she could even reach her apartment building, and another five or so minutes to get up to her place, never mind the time she’d need to call and find out where Takeru was, too. The clearer she could get her mind and the more she calmed down with Soulburner, the less likely it was she’d break down again on the way there and get herself into possibly more trouble.
Which was why she’d take another deep breath and nuzzle her face back into the space between his shoulder pad and collar a moment later, too. “I-I’m… I t-think I’m ready- Don’t l-let us fall? Not again, p-please-”
“C’mon, if we fall from here, then I’ll owe you free rounds of that music game thing you play for a month. Deal?”
Though it’d been a tease, the build up to them jumping from his D-Board had been more overkill than anything. Soulburner could understand Alanna’s lingering nervousness, but with their step to the ground no more than a couple feet at best, all Alanna would have to do is hold on and he’d take care of the rest.
Which is exactly what he’d do too!
Without giving her too much time to think anymore on it, Soulburner pushed off his board; carefully balancing Alanna’s weight in his arms as they both dropped to the ground with a gentle tick of his boots on the digital dirt. And just like that, the two of them were safe.
“There. See? Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Hopefully he’d had been expecting the squeaky squeal that’d lost itself into his neck with his movements, because if not, it’d do little more than make her resemble a startled ferret in his hold. No matter how much she’d prepared herself for the feeling of him moving, it hadn’t been enough… Though at the very least, her once more tight hold on him would loosen the moment it was clear they were in the clear, unlike when he’d first caught her. She was getting there - Just not fast enough, for her liking.
“W-We’re on… Solid ground?” Of course they were - He’d not have chirped that question if they weren’t… Right? So why couldn’t she look up to confirm that for herself, yet? “I-It…. I guess… N-Not…” Yes. It bumped and rustled and you moved and what if we’re on the edge and- No. No, it hadn’t been bad at all - They were fine and safe. She just had to keep reminding herself of that, that was all. After all, the sooner she got to that point, the sooner she could log out and go back home, where it was safe!
Er… Safer, Alanna reminded herself, slowly lifting her face from his neck a few moments later. They were safe, came the quiet reminder once more; the island wouldn’t go anywhere, and even if it did, Soulburner had her close - She’d not fall. Not again, not when the ground was solid - She hoped - and he was right there, warm and comforting, and… H…He wouldn’t mind if she stayed put a bit longer… Would he? “Y-You wouldn’t… H-Have played Beat Saber either way, w-would you?”
A tease. Maybe if she teased, things would go back to normal faster?
“And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run as fast as you did when I was watching Beauty and the Beast,” she teased right back, eyes drifting closed for but a moment. Despite how comfortable she was, the sound of the bus was a welcome one; who knew bus stop benches could be so hard? She’d never had a problem with them in the past, that was for sure!
But the brief moment of relaxation was more to muster her strength back up than it was to rest her eyes, Kiku willing herself upright once more with the faintest of grunts.Her pregnancy was healthy and going as it should, but she still wasn’t sure the sheer energy drain was normal; should it be so hard to simply get up from a chair already? Or to want to sleep in when she’d spent years being unable to sleep past ten, the latest? Wasn’t this something she should’ve been expecting much later? “Mmmm… I might need a hand - And if you do like Ryujiro when his brother was in the clinic last week and clap, I’ll push you right back into this bench.”
Not that she expected him to, her nose scrunching up in pure distaste, but it was better to cover that base before he teased, right? As much of a joke as it would’ve been, she simply didn’t want a repeat of her last work shift, scooting herself towards the bench’s edge - Nor could she get herself to actually hurt him, hence the mention of a push, at best. “Just a little hand, I think. Once I get moving, I’m all right.”
“Kiku, if I would’ve even thought about saying something like that, I would’ve kept myself on this bench. I just told you I was right here to help, remember?”
Though, the next time Takeru saw Ryujiro on the street, he’d definitely earned himself a glare if not more for what Kiku had just let slip. If Takeru would’ve been there, then the youngest of the Mizunuma gang would’ve thought twice, but for right now, Takeru would jump to his feet before offering Kiku a hand.
They had a bus to catch; not a punk to get revenge on. For right now, anyway.
“Here. You can go up the steps first and I’ll pay our fare while you pick a seat. We’re just going into town, so it shouldn’t be that much.” A few hundred yen at most, he’d figured, as Takeru waited for Kiku to pull herself to her feet.
Good… It’d been a silly precaution, but she’d wanted to take it anyway, laying her hand in his and carefully pulling herself up onto her feet. Takeru had never teased with the intention of making her feel bad, she knew, while Ryujiro had just been a jerk, and she’d no idea just how he’d never grown out of it. Last she’d heard, he’d even gotten engaged… She worried for the sanity of everyone that man spent time around, shoving the reminder underneath a metaphorical rock in the back of her mind. They could always talk about that later, when she wasn’t searching for enough balance to stay steady on her feet!
“There’s enough in my pocket to cover my fare, if you want to grab it,” Kiku offered instead, letting the previous topic wash away in favor of a shift of her hip to indicate which pocket. She’d no problem with him grabbing it for her, of course- “I think, at least. It felt like enough when I checked, but do you want a seat near the front or the middle?” Where she’d have instantly run to the back when they’d been dating years earlier, using it as an excuse to steal little touches of his knee and hold his hand in public like the giddy teen she’d been, she doubted now she’d get much past the middle, at best. They just needed a seat with enough space for comfort and he needed a free hand for her to hold, that was all-
“Takeru, you know I can hold my own.” The reminder was just a gentle one, with no trace of a tease or fussing in her tone. She was no stranger to their hometown’s local bullying problem, nor to getting into a fistfight; it’d always just seemed to happen when her habit of snapping and sassing back made itself known every time she had her back to a corner. As it was, she was sure he could remember the multiple times she’d come back to him and Kiku bearing a bruise or cut of some kind from run-ins on a shopping trip, all with the reminder of ‘I told them they were jerks’.
And yet, she’d never deny that in a fight with more than two, maybe three people, she was in over her head - Group sizes the local gangs usually traveled in. It was admittedly half of the reason she’d been lingering around the dojo of late; maybe she could pick up a few more skills from watching…? “At least, you know I can most of the time. You and Kiku worry too much, sometimes - Which is ironic when we worry too much about you and she worries too much about us. Are we sure we’re not all sharing a brain?”
She’d not argue against his worry, though. He had every right to be… She just didn’t want to see him worry himself to the brink! “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ve been watching you and Grandfather sometimes, you know.”
“Grandfather…?” Takeru couldn’t help the small, amused laugh that followed, “Mako, I know you’re comfortable here and all, but you haven’t even been back in town that long.”
And instead of saying ‘your grandfather’, she’d referred to his grandpa like he were hers. Mako really had made herself at home, hadn’t she? But despite his obvious tease-
“And Kiku’s always been like that. If she thinks somewhere’s dangerous, then she definitely won’t let you hear the end of it. I used to get lectures from her all the time about how the ways I took to the pier sometimes were ‘dangerous’.”
Even if both Kiku and Mako both knew Takeru could more than hold his own against the Mizunuma brothers and their gang. Mako would just have to promise to not ever mention to Kiku whenever she ventured out this far.
Especially if she wanted to avoid a lecture.
It was a tease that’d have her pausing, cheeks flushing red; had she really gone and said that? His grandfather - The elder was his grandfather, so why had she gone and referred to him as her own?! “A-Ah… That slipped?” And that had sounded like an excuse despite being the honest truth, but she’d let the red tint to her face darken a bit more instead of saying as much. Besides, she couldn’t deny feeling like part of the family between their engagement and just how warm and welcoming his grandparents had been, even if she was still cautious of stepping on toes… Maybe he wouldn’t be able to blame her if he knew that?
Or maybe she’d be labeled as silly as she felt, giving a light cough to cover her attempt to hide just how flustered she’d gone and made herself. She’d have to watch out for that slip in the future- “T-To be fair though, those lectures w-weren’t wrong then, either. You did take some dangerous routes to the pier, remember? You can hold your own pretty well in a fight, but it was still hard to not worry. We’ve both seen you fight.”
Not to mention every time they’d found him fighting, it was usually against more opponents than any normal person would’ve even attempted to take on, furthering her worries and Kiku’s fear of something happening to him. ‘It takes one hit in the wrong area to cause irrepareable damage’, Kiku’d always reminded, and after nearing thee years with both her and Takeru in her life, Mako couldn’t deny her worries were valid. That meant keeping their treks out past the station a secret; if she ever found out, they’d never hear the end of it, even if the area stayed as empty as it was now!
“She’d kill us both if she knew we were out here right now, you know. You think her ‘Mako and Takeru aren’t listening again’ radar’s working today?’
And had they still been up on that floating island from earlier, Kiku would’ve grabbed him and kissed him senseless for being so willing to wait on her, too. He never had to, but he’d even forgotten his poster this time in his choice to wait while she shopped - He deserved all the kisses for that in her opinion, though she knew better than to throw her arms around him and nuzzle in public. Not only would it be crossing her own line when it came to PDA, she didn’t want to cross his and make him uncomfortable.
But that still wouldn’t stop her from reaching out, curling her hand around his with a light laugh. “With how excited you are, I don’t think it’s something she’d joke about,” Kiku reminded, tone gentle and laced with pure amusement. She doubted their friend would make up something that’d make him as happy as he was; she’d never been mean like that before, why start now? “Everything’s around here, right? I’m sure it can’t be all that far.” Optimism would help here, right? “We just have to keep our eyes peeled for it, that’s all. Central Station can’t be that big.”
No sooner had the words left her lips, the raven’s expression turned sheepish; she’d seen the place from above on his board, how could she even begin to think that? “Before you call me on that, we’re not going to find anything standing here. This is important to you, right? So let’s try to find it. If we don’t spot it today, we can try again tomorrow.” Just as long as they found it before it vanished… She wanted nothing more than to see him light up even more, giving his hand a gentle tug in a step towards the door.
“Should we start looking?”
“Kiku, c’mon. Mako said it was just some poster in the window of some card shop, didn’t she? If we miss it, then it’s not like it really changes anything.”
Even if Soulburner’s face still said otherwise! Just catching a glimpse of one of his monsters being used to advertise something instead of many from one of his idols would’ve been more to set him on top of the online world. They had to find this poster!
“But we should go check by the game corner first!” Soulburner lit up again, Kiku’s small tug turning into him stepping around her to take the lead. He wasn’t too familiar with Central Station, but Soulburner quickly figured he probably knew the virtual city better than Kiku did. She was still new to this place.
“I think it’s over this way…! Or it might be over there instead.” Soulburner paused to think just for a split second before tugging Kiku down a sidewalk to their left, “But it’s not like we’re in any hurry, right?”
Not that she believed him on that, either! He might’ve claimed it wouldn’t change anything, but from the way he talked and how he’d already lit up like a kid on christmas, even Kiku could tell this meant so much more to him than he was letting on. This was important to him, and while she couldn’t quite understand what made his deck special past being the only one of its kind, exactly, all that mattered was the fact it was - And between that and how much it made him smile, there was no way she was giving up until they got to see it!
Which might’ve been easier said than done if he wasn’t sure which way to go, prompting a laugh in her quick turn to follow his tugs. ‘Wouldn’t change anything if they missed it’ her left loafer! “Are you sure you know where we’re going? We won’t find anything if we get lost,” came the tease from a step or two behind him, though if he looked back, he’d find her with a soft, warm smile despite it. He’d not been this excited and eager since they’d been kids; she didn’t ever want to see this end! “Maybe we should ask around, Takeru?”
Soulburner. Just like he’d find her with a smile, he’d find her slight wince, too; why couldn’t she wrap her mind around the name Soulburner anymore? She’d never admit to having followed him a bit when he’d been away, unknowing her best friend was the fiery duelist she’d liked reading news reports on on slow mornings, but there was something so difficult about remembering the name now that she knew who lay behind the vibrant grin. Just remember - A burning soul. It’s not that hard, Kiku. ….Except it was.
“Exactly - And you know Kusanagi-san doesn’t even have a low calorie menu. If she wants to eat out this time, then it’s gotta be either chicken nuggets or a hot dog.” Or one of Kusanagi’s specialty items, of course, but nothing on his menu was, or had ever as long as they’d known him, been low calorie. “I can understand why she wants to eat healthy, especially since I do too, but… It’s ironic. She’s the one ho told me about the cravings and then turns around and scolds me for following them.”
If they could just get Kiku to try something from Cafe Nagi, maybe she’d relax her strict ‘eat healthier!’ outlook, especially now? Mako could understand the whys behind it and even agreed with trying to stay on a decent diet, especially while she was pregnant, but… Even Kiku had to realize sometimes, a good hot dog or cheese fry trumped everything else, especially after a long day - Or in this case, shopping in a store determined to make her into a pink hippo. It wouldn’t hurt, and maybe she’d even enjoy it-
“It’s just a matter of trying, right? She can’t be too upset if she likes them too.” It was also a matter of hardcore hoping; This plan working was about the same odds of winning the lottery, but they’d never know until they tried, Mako decided, pausing for another fry. “Or if I can show her why we like them. Ah… I’m hoping just a bit too much tho here, aren’t I?”
“Kind of. Kiku isn’t exactly the easiest person to convince to eat dinner out at a place like Cafe Nagi, even if she’d probably like Kusanagi-san’s food anyway.”
Takeru could just hear Kiku’s protests now. Mako was supposed to be watching what she ate and Takeru was supposed to be setting a good example by not suggesting take out every time his stomach grumbled. Keeping Kiku happy by following those rules had definitely been easier said than done though as Takeru took another bite of his second chili dog.
“Maybe if you ask her instead of me though, then she might take it better,” Takeru finally suggested, “I mean, I think she’s already got a sixth sense about when she needs to tell me ‘no’ to eating out. Knowing her, she probably already knows I’m gonna ask later already.”
“Kiku has a sixth sense about everything you do,” Mako joked, pausing mid-laugh to all but inhale another cheese fry. It’d taken her all of a month after ‘meeting’ Takeru for her to realize Kiku seemed to have a built in ‘Takeru radar’; no matter how innocent he acted or how little he said, she’d almost always managed to pinpoint just what he’d been up to before they’d met up for the day. It’d taken a good year or so before she’d learned they’d grown up together was the reason behind that, but aside from that bit of info, Mako’d never pried. How they’d gotten to be such good friends was none of her business until they made it so.
But it also meant trying to get Kiku to try something new was tricky, too, especially when Mako had managed to get close enough to her as well that the ‘Takeru radar’ had turned into a ‘Mako and Takeru need scolding radar’ when they’d been but sixteen. Being sweet and cute didn’t work anymore and god knew they’d never trick her into something she might not want, so how were they going to pull this one off…? “I’m not sure… She was the one who warned me I’d get cravings like crazy, but turned around and expected me to only act on the ones that want healthy food. All it’d take is hearing ‘there’s no salads’ and she’ll shoot the idea down faster than we can blink.”
Which meant they had to try and convince… Her… Mako shifted in her seat, wiggling a fry at him; maybe they could convince her to try it anyway if they didn’t focus on the food? “What if we skip telling her about the menu as a whole and suggest she meet Kusanagi-san? I have wanted to introduce them at some point, what with how they’re both so close to us and heard a bit about each other already, so why not like this? You and I get hot dogs and coffee, and our family makes another connection - That might work out?”
“You never know, though. Sometimes it just takes one more try.” Despite that mention and her giggles, she’d waste no time in adjusting herself against him, picking up her Switch with an amused, yet still soft, smile. If he didn’t want to play Mario anymore, she wasn’t going to make him, a press of a button switching the screen back to the system’s main menu… But if not Mario, then what? Splatoon would be too frustrating, and she didn’t dare let him loose on an rpg when he didn’t even care for reading a novel…
“Have you tried Smash?” Two presses of a directional button highlighted the game tile; maybe a fighting game would help a bit? “You could punch Mario in this one, if you wanted.”
“There’s actually a game like that?” he asked, adjusting himself just enough to glance at Mako’s game system from over her shoulder.
Actually, Takeru had heard of someone mention a game like that before. He wasn’t sure if it was the exact same one as the one Mako had switched to now, but it’d been pretty popular a few months back. The advertisements had been everywhere, but anything Mako would’ve picked would’ve been better than the last.
A hum was his only confirmation, another press of a button starting the game up on the console’s small screen. She’d never been much of a fan of fighting games; her collection had always been either short and sweet, games she could play in quick bursts like Cooking Mama, or long RPG’s requiring careful planning and an even more detailed story to keep her attention when nothing else could. Fighting games had never checked those boxes before, but Smash was different - Where else was she going to find Kirby facing off against Fox McCloud for no reason other than it could happen?
“Smash isn’t your typical fighting game. You could play as Zelda and hit Mario with an arrow, if you wanted. Or play as a Pikachu and just shock everything.” Which sounded ridiculous even to her, but at the very least she’d pull up the roster to show him once the game had started. Maybe it’d make up for all the frustration of Mario leaping into holes? “I… Tend to play as Shulk a lot. And Peach. Hitting things with an umbrella is fun-”
So a few days back or so, I made a post about the girls moving to a main blog and mentioned how I’d update with the new link as soon as things were done… And this is that post! <3 HERE IS THE NEW BLOG!
What does this mean for this blog? That means this side blog is now archived! I’m going to be posting the remaining replies I owe over the course of tonight and tomorrow on this blog, and then that’s it, folks. Everything aside from the small handful I have in my drafts will see their replies coming from the new blog rather than this one - A setup that ensures I get to everything I owe while also allowing use of the new main, and not have to put anything on pause to do so. If I owe you something and you don’t see it on either blog by monday, feel free to come throw a link at me!
This blog WILL remain as an ARCHIVE. Everything I had running, all my verses, everything is continuing as is on the new blog, with a few slight changes I’ll detail there. This way there’s access to the backstory built up still <3
It’s been great, guys - And I’ll see you all on the new blog! <333
Never been able to… Did she just not live anywhere near the water, Kiku wondered? Surely there had to be a beach she could visit offline somewhere, but that was something she didn’t dare point out. She’d just met Aqua, had no idea who she was offline or where she lived; commenting on that would be inappropriate, she decided, replacing the desire to with a sweet smile. “I’m sure you can. Everything is possible in some form - It’s just a matter of seeing ways to make it happen.”
That was exactly how she’d taken to living her life, too, both on her own and with Takeru. She’d never attain anything sitting around and waiting for it to come to her, and she was even more determined than ever to make her bright future come true! “Ahh- Thank you. I’m not sure just how much I intend to duel here - Ta- Ah- Soulburner and Alanna duel far more than I do. I’ve been learning from watching them.” Slowly but surely, anyway, with a few ffline lessons thrown in here and there. Dueling and having an account in Link VRAINS brought her closer to two people she considered her family, why wouldn’t she want to learn?
“Do you duel here, too?”
“That is wonderful! It is good to learn from friends. And even better to duel with them. A friend of mine We duel together quite a bit. Our cards combo with each other really well.” Earth, she meant Earth of course. Though all the ignis had not dueled each other in any sort of tournament, Aqua would predict that Earth would at least get to the quarter-finals.
“And if you have Soulburner aiding I am sure you will do quite well. He is quite renowned.”
At least things seemed to be going well for Flame’s partner. It seemed like he had managed to go forward with his life. Now if only she could get Flame to stop tearing himself up as he oversaw the network…
“A-ah, yes I duel a bit. Usually just with my friends though. We are a bit of a tight-knit group. But I am fine with only dueling them occasionally. It is much less chaotic then dealing with events that Link Vrains throw or anything like that.”
“Is he? I can’t believe he’d have gotten so popular…” Were they talking about the same Soulburner? No matter how much it was mentioned he was some kind of big name among the virtual world, she just couldn’t get herself to believe it; where was the boy she’d grown up with? The one who often refused to do things solely because there would be people there? The way Aqua - and even Mako - made him sound, he was some kind of celebrity here-
“It does seem lively here, doesn’t it?” Rather than question Aqua on Soulbuner’s apparent popularity when she could just question her fiance and their friend instead later on, Kiku stole a glance over her shoulder to the bustling city behind her. “Events are fun, but there’s something about being with close friends that makes things special. I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy my dueling lessons as much if it wasn’t Alanna or Soulburner giving them to me. Being with friends makes everything… Better.” Special. Amazing, warm - She couldn’t pick a word, the raven flashing the smaller avatar a soft smile, but she was sure Aqua understood, anyway. Er… Hopefully.
“You and your friend sound quite close,” Kiku continued; that wasn’t too forward of her to say, was it? “Alanna mentioned once decks that work well together mean the duelists likely do, too… Although I’m sure she was just being a tease.” Again, but she couldn’t say she had any way to counter that claim, either. She didn’t know enough about dueling or the world they were in to say otherwise, so maybe…?
With Liger falling silent once more, head lowering to lay on his paws in a show of obedience, Alanna let her expression both soften and fall a bit. It sounded like Ai hadn’t been taking things well either, if he wandered off… She’d never been all that involved when he’d ‘turned’ on them, choosing to do recon rather than face off against another friend, but… “I see… Thank you for that. If I can’t tell Soulburner Flame’s all right, then Flame should know Soulburner is, at the very least. He’s come far… Moved back home to reclaim his life.”
‘Unlike the other.’
“Mmm. Ai and Playmaker seem to have had the same reaction, though. I wish I could offer comfort to him with news his partner’s well, too, but… Nobody’s seen Playmaker in months. We’re all waiting for him to come back, there’s just been no sign of him at all.” Understandable, really; he’d been through so much, and that was just off the little bit she was aware of. Had he not needed time on his own, even Alanna would’ve been stunned and called him out for lying! “I wish I could offer the same peace of mind to him, too.”
Leaning forward, she laid a hand between Liger’s ears, giving his fur another gentle scratch. She’d not admit she worried for Playmaker, not now, not when everyone seemed to, but Ai… “Will he be all right? Ai, I mean - How much does he remember of what happened? Is he still…” Ai. She didn’t want to ask that, scratches stilling while her free hand raised to the golden sun marking her chest, tracing the edge of one ‘sunbeam’. Did they all remember… Everything? “Forgive me if any of my questions are prying, I don’t intend to. Are you all all right? I mean… Do you… Remember everything that…?”
Earth was pleased that his promise to tell Flame seemed to help, even slightly. Though the matter of the missing hero of Link Vrains did trouble him. Did Flame even know where Playmaker had gone? Perhaps he should pry into that.
The question prompted about Ai made the head of the A.I. droop ever so slightly. The dark ignis’s behavior was much a mystery to him. Earth was silent for a long moment, trying to choose how to answer.
“Ai is… I am unsure, honestly. Whenever I do see him he seems like his normal self. However, him going off-world alone so much is unlike him. I would have expected him to just be lazy in the Cyberse World. But that is all I can say about the dark ignis. As for myself and the others… we have memory files on everything that happened up to the point of our deaths. However, when we were revived we all caught each other up with the events that followed our demise.” Earth paused, thinking about how they had all been slightly off since their demise. Even him. Yet it seemed like they were all avoiding facing the past and trying to forget and move on.
“Ai’s explanation was succinct and to the point, but he would not go into further detail about him lashing out at humans.”
‘We all have memory files on everything that happened.’ Then they all remembered how they’d… Just thinking of it drew out an involuntary flinch from the brunette.Even if she wasn’t aware of the details, or how most of the ignis had died, she couldn’t imagine having to live on with the memories of their passing; wouldn’t something like that haunt them, or cause nightmares? Did they even dream - Sleep-? And that Ai wouldn’t share details, maybe he felt…
“I’m sorry,” Alanna breathed instead, the hand between Liger’s ears lifting and extending out to Earth as a show of not only friendship, but comfort. “I’m so sorry, Earth… I can’t even begin to imagine what it must’ve been like to wake back up and have those memories… I can’t even imagine what your lives must be like now, and all because of…” SOL. Lightning. Hanoi. Humans in general. There was nowhere she could begin that’d sufficently cover all those points, let alone one that would answer her biggest question:
Why had any of it needed to happen?
“I didn’t see a lot of Ai’s lashing out myself, to be honest. I chose to do recon whenever I was logged in with the others… It was how I found Liger and Progleo. But I will say, it was something that should’ve been avoided - It all should’ve been. And now that you’re all back… It won’t happen again. I promise you, you’ll have the peaceful life you deserved the first time. I’m sure even Soulburner would agree with that.”
If he didn’t throw her off the pier a second time for offering her help as she was, but that was a note she’d keep to herself, willing a smile back to her lips. Heartache and guilt still ran strong, but the least she could do was protect him - She’d just not get any closer until he hinted it was all right.
After what’d happened to him, she’d never subject him to being close to a human unless he agreed, first.
As much as she wanted to stay as supportive as possible, the moment the familiar death tune played and Mario vanished from the screen, Mako couldn’t help but hide her face against her husband’s shoulder and giggle all the harder. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done it at least three times herself, but… He had to have noticed that pit in all his bouncing, hadn’t he? He hadn’t just missed the fact it was there, right? “Pffffft- Take-kun, I’ve done that a few times, too. Exact same way. All too easy to turn Mario into a skydiver, isn’t it?”
And Mako into a fit of giggles, but… At least it wasn’t full-on laughter and came with a nuzzle? “Look, see? You have- Ahaha- another life to try, too.”
Nope, he was done. Just the soft groan from Takeru alone as the over world map popped back onto the screen should’ve been enough to vouch for that. The lost life had been the fourth he’d used just trying to get past this one level Weren’t levels on the first stage supposed to be easy?
“Yeah, but I don’t think another life is gonna get me past this either.” Takeru sighed, shifting the game system down in Mako’s direction. “Do you have anything else I can play on this?”
“You never know, though. Sometimes it just takes one more try.” Despite that mention and her giggles, she’d waste no time in adjusting herself against him, picking up her Switch with an amused, yet still soft, smile. If he didn’t want to play Mario anymore, she wasn’t going to make him, a press of a button switching the screen back to the system’s main menu… But if not Mario, then what? Splatoon would be too frustrating, and she didn’t dare let him loose on an rpg when he didn’t even care for reading a novel…
“Have you tried Smash?” Two presses of a directional button highlighted the game tile; maybe a fighting game would help a bit? “You could punch Mario in this one, if you wanted.”
▮ This is an independant rp blog for Kiku Kamishirakawa and Makoto Takuma, a canon and an OC from Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains. Their portrayal largely follows canon, with both of their default main verses being set in post-canon.
▮ This blog is also semi-selective and OC/AU friendly. This means while I may be slightly picky with who I interact with, it's nothing against you and all only for my own comfort.
▮ My portrayal follows the sub version of Vrains, and will not use terms or names from the dub. However, since Vrains is still considered to be recently finished, info found here can and may change over time as my headcanons and portrayal do.
▮ While I do have verses for the other series for Mako and am willing to put her into them, Vrains is the main/her canon and where I'll automatically set things.
▮ Basic rules also apply: No godmodding. No killing my muse without prior planning. Do not force things on me, or send me hate of any kind, anon or not. These are blockable offenses for me.
▮ Furthermore, I don't follow strict reblog karma! However, I do ask that you don't treat me like a meme or image source and soley reblog one (or both) from me with no other attempts to interact - Please send me a meme or two occasionally if you're reblogging several. Treating me as a meme/image source with no attempts to interact aside from this may result in a block.
▮ I'm not particularly fond of writing out duels due to how long a single turn can be. Heavy planning in advance is required if writing one out is unavoidable, but I'd much rather talk about the details and winner/loser with a time skip, or playing the duel itself out on a website that'd allow it.
▮ I'm aware my writing can get long and I don't expect anyone to match my length, but I do ask that you don't reply to a multi-para with two or three short lines.
▮ There is a canon, and a canon relationship, set in place in this blog that I'm unwilling to change. While I'm more than willing to work with you for comfort's sake on both or our parts, including playing the girls in each other's main verses and toning down their talk about it slightly, I will not remove any aspect of this canon from either of them past this. Please do not ask me to.
▮ Unless Mako's made it known herself or we've planned it out ahead of time, your muse shouldn't know the connection between Mako and Alanna. She keeps her player account secret for personal reasons, even to the point of using a different deck offline to hide her, so this is a no-go unless plotted out beforehand.
Main RP partners / Exclusives.
▮ I frequently practice having main rp partners. There are people I'll turn to first and foremost when speaking of/referencing a particular muse, and are formed through long time, frequent interaction both IC and OOC. Becoming a main with me is just as easy as interacting with me, honestly!
▮ On the flip side, I have no problem with doubles and I'm more than happy to interact with you!
▮ At the moment, I have a single exclusive in Soulburnings. This means that as much as I thank others for their interest in my girls, I am uninterested in interacting with any other portrayals of Takeru Homura/Soulburner and his ignis Flame aside from hers, with either of my muses. Kasa is the only exception to the doubles rule in any form.
▮ Furthermore, Soulburnings is also a major part of the girls' canons, both as their best friend and their ship partner. While they have their own lives to live and things they enjoy on their own, his role in their lives is undeniable and he may come up in conversation sometimes just as they'd speak of their families and jobs, whether or not it's in their particular ship verse. If any of their talk makes you uncomfortable, please come talk to me and we can work something out, within reason.
▮ Mako and Kiku are both heavily tied to another blog I run - That of the Vrains OCs Akahiko Homura, Mako's son with Takeru, and Kasumi Homura, Kikus daughter with Takeru. As a result of this, Hiko and/or Sumi may rarely appear as an NPC of sorts in their replies. When this happens they'll be tagged with 'LINKED - Valkyrianflame'.
▮ Occasionally, there may be times development might seem to jump ahead by leaps and bounds with certain partners. This is because development is happening with them off-dash, and being applied here. I will never do anything pertaining to your muse without checking it's okay first, nor force anything on you.
Shipping.
▮ Kiku is completely single-ship.
▮ Mako is very selectively multi-ship, though her ship status is 100% closed!
▮ Both Mako and Kiku are Vrains ship exclusive with Kasa's Takeru! This means that not only is her Takeru the only Takeru I'll interact with, he's also the only one the girls will ever have a romance with, as well as their one and only Vrains ship as a whole.
▮ However, while I'm not looking for more ships at this time and would prefer the girls make more friends, basic shipping rules still apply: Don't force ship or I'll drop threads, don't auto-assume a ship is going to happen without prior planning/talking, and there must be chemistry between the muses.
Following.
▮ This blog is a side blog, meaning I can't follow back from here. If I follow you back, it'll be from my main, Fireballofinsanity.
▮ While I'm semi-selective, I also suffer from anxiety and a cluttered dash is a source of it. As a result, I may not follow everyone back, but please don't assume this means I don't want to thread! I do! I simply need to keep my dash neat, for my own sake.
▮ The first thing I do on interacting is read your rules and about pages. I do occasionally go back and re-read these as well to keep myself up to date on them, regardless of if we follow each other or not. If we're threading, I'll be reading them.
NSFW.
▮ Despite the girls' being canonically underage and their current canon verses following them into adulthood, as well as I as mun being 21+, there will be no NSFW of a sexual nature here. I'm completely fine with this topic and it may be referenced to whenever applies, but the act itself won't be happening on this blog itself. That remains private and off-dash.
▮ I'm fine with most other touchier themes with a little plotting, from trauma to violence, but please throw me a message before including them, and I'll do the same for you. While I'll probably be okay with it being included, comfort is key and having super heavy themes suddenly appear out of nowhere, especially on certain topics, can be a bit unsettling.
▮ I have no super-specific triggers I need tagged, but if I reblog anything that you do need a tag on, please let me know and I'll add it in!
Artwork and Icons.
▮ 95% of the artwork and icons used here are not mine. I try to keep credit attached as much as possible, but if I reblog something that doesn't have credit and you know who it belongs to, lemme know and I'll add it in!
▮ Most of Mako's icons were found from various icon posts around tumblr, but all of Kiku's were cut, edited, and cropped by both myself and Soulburnings. Please do not take them without asking!
▮ My blog's theme was editied for me by Kasa; please do not take things from it, either! And infinite thanks to her, always, for it~!
Behind the muse!
▮ Howdy! I go by Lita and/or Pom, and I'm the mun here! I'm 21+ and usually near my computer, so I'm almost always about somewhere! My mun FC's Jaden/Judai Yuki, so if you're looking for my ooc posts, you'll find them marked with icons of him~!
I'm autistic and have made writing both my hobby and the thing I enjoy doing most often. Aside from that, I'm also a crafter and enjoy drawing,though writing is where my heart lies and has for most of my life. I've also been into YGO enough for the last 20 years to have amassed quite the card collection, and I have no intention of stopping as long as I can keep playing the game!
I've been rp'ing here on tumblr for about seven years now, across a wide range of blogs and fandoms. I've been here in the YGO rpc for about two years now, though, and I hover most about the GX, ARC-V, and Vrains sides of things, usually running OC blogs - Though I do have one for Yusho and Yoko Sakaki of ARC-V as well. Of course, my other active blogs can always be found under the 'other blogs' tab in my navigation, too!
Honestly, I'm just a complete goober wanting to have fun, and I'm totally harmless, I promise~!
Moving to Japan and the town she was born in was a choice that changed everything for Mako. Though it brought her friends and a stable life closer to her cousin and her family, it also brought into her life a stubborn, frustrating soul named Takeru, a boy she found herself constantly at odds with no matter what she did... Yet every glimpse he granted her of the fiery heart and soul within, sparking inspiration to get up and live her life rather than coast through it.
Two years in their hometown seem to simply fly by, and at the end of them, Takeru's change and choice to move to Den City spark a want in Mako to find her own path. A realization that with the city's better school system and grander everything, perhaps the path she wanted to walk was there - and with that thought in mind, she moves to the city as well, intending on finding the place she belongs. But even though she's able to quickly find her footing, gaining work and an escape in the world of Link VRAINS as well as a friend in Takeru, among others, she can't help but wonder... What is it about Den City that drew any of them there? Is the network as safe as SOL Tech claims? Just what secrets does this city and its massive network hold?
Whatever the answers, Mako's not sure she's ready for them...
Default Main Verse. Three months after the end of the fight, Mako's returned to Hibana, choosing to move back both to be with Takeru and Kiku, and on Kiku's request to have both of her friends home again. Without an apartment to return to, however, she moves in with Takeru and his grandparents, resuming and further growing her relationship with him and finding her footing in a town she can easily call home. Now knowing where her path is leading her, she walks the road to becoming a teacher, taking a job at a local daycare while searching for colleges to hopefully get her on her way to her goal.
Still logging into Link VRAINS, Mako continues to keep 'Alanna' a secret, though begins logging in more and more alongside Kiku as a guide for her friend. More outgoing and active, she's taking part in a lot more both within the virtual world and outside of it, hoping to grow herself and find the bright future she keeps catching glimpses of.
It's out there... She just needs to grab it in both hands and never let go.
Maiami City had always felt like the right choice. Not too big, not too small, and full of things to do, it was the perfect place for Mako to find here she belonged. And after several months to settle in and look around, joining LDS was her next stop - the city's biggest and most popular dueling school. With all the classes it offered, it had to be good, right?
Little does she know, her biggest dueling test wouldn't come from her new school, but the star of a smaller school across town: Yuya Sakaki, of You Show Dueling School. Introduced to Pendulum summoning and making a friend in the boy, Mako's beginning to question her choices... Does she stay in LDS, or move to You Show? Just who is Zarc, and why does he have a dragon so simmilar to Yuya's? Does she open her own restraunt alongside their mutual friend Michio, or look for another path to follow? Maybe she's tripped into something bigger than she can handle...
As the daughter of a pair of archaeologists, Mako's more than used to ancient cultures - and more than tired of being alone while her parents work, prompting a move to Domino, Japan, to be coser to her cousin's family. A normal life, with a normal school and a chance to make friends sound right up her alley, especially when it means being close to Rin!
But rumors circulate around Domino of shadows and strange people in the city - Rumors that sound far too much like the various curses her parents used to speak of when she'd been little. The curse of the mummy, curses of the pharoahs, people going missing after digs... Hadn't she left all that nonsense behind when she'd moved?
Apparently not, though she could honestly do without it coming up while she has an algebra test to study for!
The newest programmer at SOL Technologies, Mako finds herself assigned to a project known as Codename: Soulburner, an attempt by a small team to bring a simple program to life through artifical means. Warned that their result would likely end in failure regardless, she spends months working, keeping an eye on the being they were creating.
The result was Soulburner, an elaborate AI/Android with the capability to pass as a human, complete with emotions, free will, and the ability to feel. Unfortunately for Mako, she's finding herself growing more and more attached to him by the day, especially when she starts getting to know him.
But with it being deemed nessecary to lie to him, solely to convince him he's human, and the discovery there might just be more to the project than what she's been told, guilt runs strong - Is there any hope for this boy to lead a regular life, or will their attempts to create an artifical life end in disaster...?
The move home to Hibana, a countryside town by the coast, was supposed to be relaxing, a nice place to settle down and start her life in Japan. But for Mako, it was anything but relaxed; Riddled with bullies and gangs who had no intention of letting the new girl - or anyone they deemed weaker than them, really - roam town as freely as they liked, Mako quickly finds herself wrapped up in their business, frequently putting herself between them and their targets. She can't stand bullying; why would she ever leave them to hurt someone if she could stop it?
Unfortunately, her desire to stop the local gangs from hurting others also brings with it another problem: one named Takeru Homura, a stubborn and fiery soul who makes it no secret he thinks she's absolutely insane and deserves any injuries she gets. And yet, he's also a stubborn soul she constantly finds herself running into and arguing with, as much as they'd both rather not, butting heads before they even realize it.
But there's something about Takeru that keeps Mako trying to argue with him instead of fight back... Something that enjoys their banter as much as she wants to punch him, enjoying the spark of fire in his eyes - Maybe she really has gone insane?
Alternate canon.A ship verse that sees Mako and Kiku as close friends, Kiku staying in the country while Mako attends school in the city alongside Takeru. Despite their separation, their friendship never seems to fade - In fact, it only seems to grow tighter with the addition of Takeru as their best friend, rounding out their duo into a trio.
But the girls quickly come to realize during one of Kiku's visits to the city there's something deeper in play. Something deeper in the form of shared romantic feelings for the boy they both call their best friend, discovered in conversation over making dinner. Despite Mako's willingness to back down and let Kiku try for his heart, Kiku refuses, deciding if she's going to try, then so will Mako, prompting a talk between them to work things out.
With their friendship stronger still for it, the girls decide to confess together and leave the choice up to Takeru, spending their time until then enjoying Kiku's visit. Whatever happens, they both know their friendship is strong enough to see it through to a future they're both ready to embrace no matter the outcome.
A Priestess of the Temple of the Red Flame and the knight assigned to protect her, Kiku and Mako are used to the quiet inside the temple's walls. Despite Mako being a transfer and not raised there as Kiku was, the pair are tight and close friends, dedicated to their training and worship to their deity, the phoenix god, while further strengthening their friendship.
Eventually, the girls attract the attention of the phoenix himself, finding themselves claimed by the fiery deity. A claim that turns their world completely on its head; bound to Soulburner, they slowly begin shirking their temple duties more and more and slipping away to see him whenever possible, provided they can get to their hideaway without being followed. No longer dedicated to the temple, they turn to dedicating themselves to the god in question... And their hearts and lives.
Unfortunately for them, the world views the gods completely differently then they do, forcing both knight and priestess to keep their ties to Soulburner hidden while simultaneously showing him more of it. For this world is not kind to girls with their heads lost in the phoenix's fire, no matter how wrapped in it they may be...
Hibana, a quiet, seaside, country town, is all Kiku's ever known. Focused on her schoolwork and trying to decide what she wants in her life, she's motivated and determined, constantly taking new jobs to try and show her family she's capable of doing things on her own.
But regardless of her jobs and family obligations at her parents' harbor-side fish shop, she finds herself keeping after her best friend Takeru just as much. Unmotivated and closed off, the opposite of her eager social butterfly status, she's frequently chacking on him and trying to nudge him into actually attending school with her... Which he usually doesn't, much to her dismay. Rather, he doesn't do much aside from nap at the pier, and yet Kiku's quickly finding she likes that bit of peace he and their chats over the sunset bring her...
She's not sure where her path is going to lead her, but one thing's for certain: It's going to be on her time, in her way.
Alone in Hibana with Takeru away in the city, Kiku is slowly coming to realize the countryside may be her home, but it's far from perfect. Her attempts to please everyone as well as herself are slowly beginning to backfire, while her parents' control is steadily growing tighter, starting to choke off any semblance of freedom Kiku thought her future would have... And she can't stand it.
Chats with her friends in the city have given her enough strength to put her plan into motion, and she begins by starting a fund for her own apartment. A delivery job even grants her a glimpse into how the local clinic works and runs, and ever so slowly, she starts to wonder about where her path is leading her. Hibana may not be as perfect as she once thought, but maybe, just maybe, it holds her path anyway...
Quietly looking into her options, Kiku begins taking steps towards her own change - And her own freedom, no matter what it takes to achieve!
Default Main Verse.Regardless of Takeru's move to the city being to settle his own demons and reclaim his future, the strength and fire that drove him sparked one in Kiku, as well. Reunited with her friends, Kiku is walking her own path, with her own choices, and leading her own life, stading up to her parents and putting her foot down on the matter. Unwilling to spend her life selling fish, she's well on her way to saving for her own apartment... And with her friends back in town, she has the support needed to finally, fully, break free and look for a college to start heading towards a carrer as a nurse.
Content on her new road, Kiku allows Takeru to convince her to join him in Link VRAINS. Unlike her companions, she doesn't see the point in hiding who she is and happily forgoes any kind of fancy avatar or name, simply logging in as herself and quickly coming to find the very Soulburner she's been low-key following is the very boy she's called her best friend most of her life - And now, her fiance, someone she couldn't be prouder of!
With a deck gifted to her by friends in hand and those same friends standing by her side, Kiku walks her own path with her head held high. There's nothing in either world she'll allow to pull her down - This is her road and her life, and nobody's going to take that from her!
Alternate canon.A ship verse that sees Mako and Kiku as close friends, Kiku staying in the country while Mako attends school in the city alongside Takeru. Despite their separation, their friendship never seems to fade - In fact, it only seems to grow tighter with the addition of Takeru as their best friend, rounding out their duo into a trio.
But the girls quickly come to realize during one of Kiku's visits to the city there's something deeper in play. Something deeper in the form of shared romantic feelings for the boy they both call their best friend, discovered in conversation over making dinner. Despite Mako's willingness to back down and let Kiku try for his heart, Kiku refuses, deciding if she's going to try, then so will Mako, prompting a talk between them to work things out.
With their friendship stronger still for it, the girls decide to confess together and leave the choice up to Takeru, spending their time until then enjoying Kiku's visit. Whatever happens, they both know their friendship is strong enough to see it through to a future they're both ready to embrace no matter the outcome.
A Priestess of the Temple of the Red Flame and the knight assigned to protect her, Kiku and Mako are used to the quiet inside the temple's walls. Despite Mako being a transfer and not raised there as Kiku was, the pair are tight and close friends, dedicated to their training and worship to their deity, the phoenix god, while further strengthening their friendship.
Eventually, the girls attract the attention of the phoenix himself, finding themselves claimed by the fiery deity. A claim that turns their world completely on its head; bound to Soulburner, they slowly begin shirking their temple duties more and more and slipping away to see him whenever possible, provided they can get to their hideaway without being followed. No longer dedicated to the temple, they turn to dedicating themselves to the god in question... And their hearts and lives.
Unfortunately for them, the world views the gods completely differently then they do, forcing both knight and priestess to keep their ties to Soulburner hidden while simultaneously showing him more of it. For this world is not kind to girls with their heads lost in the phoenix's fire, no matter how wrapped in it they may be...
Hometown: A rural fishing community in the country
Currently: A student living with her fiance in her hometown/A first-grade teacher living with her husband and son in Den City
Personality
[ + ]
Loyal, Friendly, Determined
Dependable, Humble, Generous
[ - ]
Stubborn, Headstrong, Insecure
Self-Critical, Anxious, Over-Thinking
▮Very much an older sister figure, Mako is warm and friendly, loving to see those around her smile. To that extent, she'll go out of her way for others to be sure of just that, even coupling it with an intense dislike of bullies and fighting on behalf of a stranger if she sees them cornered. Loyal to a fault, she can easily be found by the side of those she loves, giving them all the support in the world and lending them a hand – Though no matter how curious she may be into something pertaining to them, she refuses to pry, and would rather let them come to her if she's meant to know.
For most of her life, Mako's allowed herself to live in fear. Suffering from autophobia and social anxiety and living largely on her own for most of her life, the fear of pushing away the few friends she managed to make was a controlling factor in how she viewed both herself and the world around her. She'd keep her nose in a book, trip over her words, rarely ever argue, and made herself as small and unimportant as possible, as much as possible. Though she wouldn't hesitate to laugh and support her friends, she was also prone to second-guessing herself and her choices, backing out of things in worry she'd bother someone.
After having how her fears control her forcibly pointed out to her by her best friend, she makes the decision to face them and fight through to her own brighter future, refusing to allow them to continue holding her back. Now determined to walk her own path in her own way, she's become more bold, shying back from things less and less. And while it still takes a fair bit to trip her temper, she isn't above fighting for both her place and in defense of her loved ones, giving her all to protect them without a second thought.
With her choice to change her entire life and start anew, she's come to find herself far more in tune with and listening to her instincts. Though she can't explain the odd feelings, they help to guide her, bolstering her faith in her choices when her anxieties re-emerge and try to drag her down. Despite needing occasional reassurance that she's doing well from those close to her, Mako's now very much a friendly and helpful girl more likely to extend a hand in friendship and helpfulness than she is to bite or shy away... Provided those she's reaching out to don't mind having a literal sunbeam for a friend!
Appearance
▮ Standing at 5'3”, Mako has a fairly light, feminine build. She has a light layer of muscle built up from her active lifestyle, and her skin is of a slightly tanned tone. Usually hidden from view by clothing on the back of her right shoulder is a diagonal scar about two inches in length, and somewhat paler in color.
Her hair is golden brown in color, and often worn loose, falling about to her waist. Two shorter sections frame the sides of her face, the ends of which lay against the top of the front of her shoulders, while the rest of her bands part in the center, swept to either side and tucked or, on a bad hair day, pinned out of the way. If she ties her hair back, it's most commonly into a braid or a ponytail. Her eyes are a bright, vibrant shade of violet.
Mako usually defaults to a wardrobe of comfortable and practical, tending to fall back on things like jeans and sweatshirts. She tends to avoid anything too snugly-fitting or revealing if she can help it, staying with things that grant a slightly looser fit and free movement. Her usual turn-to outfit is a pair of blue jeans, dark colored t-shirt, and a dark purple zippered hoodie over it, though she's also not above lounging in a pair of sweatpants, as well.
While she doesn't often do jewelry due to frequently forgetting about it, she has a small selection she never takes off: A set of three necklaces layered to hang one just bellow the other of a silver seashell studded in orange and red gems at top, half of a yin-yang pedant in dark blue opal with a bright red opal spot, and a small silver angel wing bearing a garnet, pink saphire, and blue tourmaline at the end of the wing's rib. She often wears a golden egyptian cat on a crescent moon pendant as a bracelet, and a gold and garnet engagement ring given to her by her fiance.
Only in her Fireflower verse does she add to the above with a black carbonite and blue opal ring, matching Kiku's pink opal and Takeru's fire opal, as well as a pink braided bracelet bealing a small charm of a pink and blue butterfly - A sign of her bond with Kiku.
She can often be found with a duel disk on her left arm, as well.
Hobbies, Interests, Jobs
▮ Mako loves cooking, and taught herself to do so at a rather young age. Instead of living off frozen TV dinners, she chose to get books and look up videos on how to cook things herself, taking the time over the course of years to hone her skills enough to be a rather good cook. On top of keeping her and her friends fed, it's a great way to clear her mind, and an activity she'll turn to when troubled for a bit of relaxation.
She also enjoys reading and can frequently be found with either a book in her possession, or with her nose in one, especially when she's alone. If her nose isn't in a book, it's likely in a video game – Two things she can easily get lost in and let the rest of the world melt away. Unfortunately, this also has the downside of her getting too lost in them and missing signs of danger, like being too focused on a book while walking and wandering past a 'do not cross' sign, or missing her bus stop due to playing a game.
While she tries to keep her backlog small, her games collection contains a wide array of games, ranging from long, story-driven plots to shorter, 'fluffier' games, like Cooking Mama and Minecraft. One of her more notable games is Beat Saber; originally bought solely to be a counter to her autophobia alongside DDR, Mako's managed to gain a fair amount of skill at it, and easily gets lost in the songs she plays. She stil fully believes she isn't good enough to participate in local tournaments, but she can still easily hold her own without problem – And be caught humming her chosen song for hours after!
As much as she hides her softer games, Mako loves sharing her collection with her friends, and further teaching them how to play, if they're interested in them. If they break her controllers, though, she's gonna make them pay for them-
Mako collects small crystal figurines and adds to her display of them once or twice every few months, though she's often moving them around her room to make room for her cat, Floof – A rescue she adopted off the street. Sweet and playful, she's always making sure Floof is happy and comfortable, spending lazy evenings alone playing with him the moment he so much as purrs at her. Unfortunately, moving back to her hometown has meant Floof's 'adoption' by one of her closest friends, Kiku, though she's still often able to keep him for the weekends.
While living in Den City, Mako holds a job at Cafe Nagi, working the truck's grill under Kusanagi's watchful eye. On moving back home to Hibana, she finds work in a local daycare, tending to snacktime and kids needing to be watched in the afternoons, until their parents return home from work.
As an adult, Mako is a first grade teacher at Den City's Elementary School.
Background
▮ Life has rarely been 'normal' for Makoto. As the daughter of a pair of archaeologists, she remembers nothing of the town she was born in, only the various temporary apartments and motorhomes that come with traveling with her parents. Every new dig and assignment came with a new place to stay and something new to learn from all over the world, making each move an adventure.
Yet life was far from glamorous. Despite the ability to learn things most would never get the chance to, her young age, coupled with her parents' busy schedule and digs frequently deemed too unsafe for her to visit, meant staying home alone quickly became the norm. Being homeschooled did little to help with that, and though she was often able to explore the various towns and cities their family stopped near, loneliness often settled in and stuck to the point even calling her cousin, Rin, and visits from her parents' colleagues and friends did little to help ease it.
Though she could usually find things to keep herself occupied, be it by learning to cook and duel or going into town, nothing could ever quite get rid of the weight of knowing she spent the majority of her days alone. The silence of her temporary homes soon became a hated sound she'd do anything to avoid, and Mako quickly learned how to counter it through noise, always on the lookout for something, anything, to take away the knowledge she was, essentially, raising herself among a world of silence.
Finally hitting the point she couldn't stand it anymore at the age of 14, Mako raised the problem to her parents on a rare day off. To her surprise, they agreed the lifestyle she'd been leading was unfair, and despite having brought her along with them in hopes of learning and growing together as a family, things had long since changed. Her schooling had begun to suffer without the time to dedicate to it, and with work growing increasingly more demanding of her parents' time, they had little of it to spend together.
With that, the choice was made: Mako would return to the small town she was born in in Japan on her own, putting her closer to Rin and giving her a single, solid place to call home. Even if she'd still be alone, she'd be able to attend school and live a life like normal kids, albeit with her parents sending money and supplies, and visiting when able. It wasn't exactly ideal, but still far better than the lifestyle she'd been leading.
For two years, returning to Japan was the change she'd been looking for, allowing her to make friends and find the inspiration she needed to finally start moving in her life. Along with that inspiration and believing one of her friends to have the right idea, at 16 Mako further moved to Den City, choosing to no longer sit and coast through life, but find her own path and direction. Doing so further brought a job and more friends, but also deepened her bond with one in particular... A friend who would soon after call her attention to the fears she allowed to control her, giving her the courage to break free of them and change her world completely.
With her new outlook on life, Mako's focus shifts - While she still intends on following on her path, working towards her own future and what she wants her way, she also turns to aiding her friends as much as possible. Despite not knowing much in the least and keeping herself in a sideline role, she decides to become a shield for them and help protect them in their fight, providing whatever aid she can. After all they'd done for her, protecting them is the least she can do - Even if it means putting herself in danger to see to it they stay safe.
Now three months after their fight's end, Mako's moved back to her hometown of Hibana, settling herself into a far quieter lifestyle. Taking a job at a local daycare is just the first step towards her new dream of becoming a teacher, and with it, a choice to start looking into college that'll allow her to someday attain that dream. At this point, it's just a matter of holding her head high and keeping her eyes firmly set on the future-
And come ten years later, she's attained that goal, as well and doing a great deal of growing in the process. Now married to her best friend and the mother of a hyper five year old, she's finding new strengths in the every day, holding her head higher and higher with each that passes. Content and happy in her life, Mako continues to aim for that bright future... And now, she no longer has to fear being alone, for she's found her home.
Other Info
▮ Mako suffers from both social anxiety and autophobia. The former causes her to frequently overthink things and try her hardest to avoid bothering others, while the later is a fear of being completely, totally alone and oftentimes triggered by absolute silence, resulting, at worst, in an emotional and mental breakdown and driving her to seek out comfort in the form of her family and/or best friends. While she is actively working on both of these, fighting off her fears and working to be braver, and has multiple ways to combat them, she still from time to time has obvious slips back into them.
▮ Confirmation of her pregnancy at age 20 leads to Mako beginning therapy, as well as recieving an official diagnosis for her anxiety and autophobia, granting her an even stronger ability to work harder still on both.
▮ She absolutely loves decorating for every major holiday, and usually tends to go overboard. Ever seen an apartment lit up brighter than the christmas tree in it? Just look at hers!
▮ While she has no training, Mako's able to hold her own decently well in a street fight. While she's able to hold her own against two, possibly three opponents before getting overwhelmed and likely won't actually win, it's not stopping her from trying to help someone stand up against a bully.
▮ She enjoys sports from time to time and tries to stay active if she can, occasionally joining in on a game of soccer or volleyball if she's not at the arcade or busy with other things. Unfortunately, her stamina isn't the greatest, granting her only an hour or two of play before she needs a break.
▮ On quiet days with little to do and nobody to spend them with, it's easiest to find Mako in the local arcade for hours on end. It doesn't matter the game or how many players, she'll happily bounce between each one the arcade has to offer over the span of an entire afternoon, trying to beat her own personal high scores.
▮ If she's not off playing games, the second easiest place to find her is roaming around the bookstore, with the park and beach a close third.
▮ Though Beat Saber is a rhythm game initially picked up as a counter to her panic attacks on her cousin's suggestion, Mako's gained a fair bit of skill with it, and often plays both online and off. She doesn't think her skills are all that good and avoids local tournaments, but the game is steadily becoming something she enjoys more and more, and slowly learning she can talk about as such.
▮ Due to traveling the world with her parents from a young age, Mako's dabbled in multiple languages. She's only fluent in Japanese and English, though she knows key phrases in multiple others - the majority of which boil down to 'can you help me find my parents' and 'where's the bathroom?'.
▮ Mako enjoys building various decks for fun, largely because she's found a series or archetype she likes and wants to test out. While she's dedicated to her current deck and won't ever set it aside for anything else, she still loves to learn about other playstyles and even builds decks for friends and family, including one for her cousin and, with Takeru's help, one for Kiku.
▮ Out of a desire to keep her Link VRAINS account a secret, Mako runs a second, completely separate deck for duels offline: that of a Thunder Dragon build.
▮ Prior to her current deck, Mako ran a Lightsworn build focusing on a more beatdown style of play. This build featured cards she'd been collecting since her childhood, along with her first ace and a card that still remains incredibly close to her heart: Soul of Purity and Light.
▮ Alanna's speed duel skill within Link VRAINS, Light Shield, halves the damage she takes from a single attack. While her skill is active, she gains a faintly visible pair of fluffy white wings trimmed in gold, and sees them vanish in a flurry of feathers once her skill is used up.
▮ Mako has displayed an ability to see duel spirits while logged into Link VRAINS, though it's limited to cyberse monsters, and only those of either her own deck, or the decks of her closest companions. Despite this ability allowing her to form close bonds and hold conversations with the spirits in question, she's quickly learned to keep it a secret and won't speak ot it - or to them - unless she's completely positive she can trust those she's around, especially considering she has no idea how to explain it, or what caused it.
▮ Mako's FC is Aika Fuwa, while Alanna's is Asuna Yuuki.
▮ In hopes of not attracting attention to him, Mako has a third, temporary version of her avatar she uses to follow around her son, Hiko, down the line. Dubbed Solar, this version is fully intended to keep her family out of the public's eye and especially off Hiko as a five year old boy with no clue who his parents' online personalities are. Regardless of the need for secrets having long since past, she wants to keep him safe and keep his bedtime stories something mystical.
Link VRAINS Profile
Account Name: Alanna
Deck Type: Fireshield
Ace Monster: Rasterliger; Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess
Play Style: Stall Burn
Skill: Light Shield
Mako as Alanna
▮ Mako's discovery of Link VRAINS came not long after she moved to Den City, and with it, the creation of her own player account, Alanna. Originally intended as an escape, Alanna granted Mako the ability to be everything she couldn't offline. Bold, outspoken, and impulsive, Alanna was a sense of freedom, a chance to express herself without fear of anyone she knew being offended or bothered, or questioning the 'wallflower' she tended to be otherwise.
For some time, Alanna stayed as such, finding friends in the VR world and beginning to take steps to conquer her fears with their urging, albeit mainly her fear of flying... And usually with poor results. Being unable to 'conquer' even her D-Board usually resulted in a huffy refusal to ever try again and amused companions, though she'd try again later in private - a routine that would continue until Mako's choice to change her life around.
With offline change came online, and Alanna's impulsive nature slowly began to even out, albeit just slightly. More determined and brighter, her focus has shifted more towards getting stronger on her own and proving to herself she's able to stand on her own two feet under her own strength, rather than relying on anyone else. Though she lends her help to Soulburner and Team Playmaker as a whole, making herself available to help should they - or anyone, honestly - need it, Alanna's focus is largely on herself and making herself better.
No longer willing to let life pass her by, she takes the initative to learn more about Link VRAINS and explore more, working on her skills as a duelist a little more each time she logs on by seeking out opponents, be they actual duelists or AI. This even extends to her D-Board; though she's still not exactly good at riding it, Alanna eventually learns how to keep herself steady and balanced enough to stay upright on it... Though getting off is both a completely different story and a show to watch!
...Until someone laughs. Then she's flinging her board at people.
About.
General.
Appearance.
Hobbies + Jobs.
Background.
Misc.
General Information
Name: Kiku Kamishirakawa (Homura)
Age: 16/26
Nationality: Japanese
Height: 165cm (5'4")
Hometown: A rural fishing community in the country
Currently: A student living with her parents and fiance in her hometown/A clinic nurse living with her husband and daughter in their hometown
Personality
[ + ]
Hard Working, Capable, Friendly
Brave, Gentle, Supportive
[ - ]
Stubborn, Bossy, Busy
Restless, Fretting, Perfectionist
▮ Hard-working and determined, Kiku is a girl who doesn't often stand by and take things lying down. Constantly keeping herself busy, she's often working multiple part-time jobs on top of working with her parents, believing if she wants something, then she needs to earn the money for it through her own hard work. Determined to be independant and stand on her own two feet and lead her own life, she keeps herself focused on what she needs to do and her deadlines, be it for her jobs or her hobbies, and rarely lets herself miss them.
However, Kiku is also warm and supportive, and loves spending time with her friends even more. Though her spare time is usually limited, she'll spend every second of it with her friends if possible, be it in lazy conversation over a hot drink or bouncing about her hometown's shopping centers looking for a bargain. Her friends mean the world to her, and if she can see them smile over something she's said or done, why wouldn't she? After all, smiles mean they're happy - And she couldn't ask for anything more for them!
Unfortunately, though, she can also be a fair bit stubborn, and frequently butts heads with her two closest friends. As much as she wants the best for them and will support them until the end of time, there's no changing her mind once it's made up, and she'll stand her ground on her decisions. She wants what's best for those around her, and if it means stopping to argue to a stubborn boy he needs to go to school when he refuses, then she'll do it without hesitation. Likewise, Kiku can and will fret rather easily, making herself more than obvious about it despite actively denying she does in the first place.
Still, Kiku has a generally soft air about her, a desire to please everyone in her life, and a softer touch, both for friend and stranger alike. As a social butterfly, she's known around town and enjoys that fact, though also refuses to let others walk over her. A butterfly at heart, she's one with wings of steel - And she's not afraid to let that be known.
Appearance
▮ At 5'4", Kiku is a petite girl with a rather thin build to match. Due to her active and oftentimes busy lifestyle, she bears the barest hint of a layer of muscle, with skin just barely on the tanned side.
Her hair is a raven black with a dark blue highlight, and while it falls to about mid-back when loose, keeping a bit of a wave to it, she perfers to keep it braided and pulled over her left shoulder. The loose end of her braid usually flare out into four very distinct points and lays against the front of her shoulder, while a small curl pokes free from the right side of her neck, up against the base of her head. Her bangs hold a bit of an M-shape, and fall over her right eyebrow and a slight bit of her left. Her eyes are a soft shade of honey brown.
Kiku is most commonly seen in her school uniform, though she's also partial to a modest wardrobe. Unwilling to wear anything tight-fighting or too short, she rather enjoys knee-length and longer dresses and skirts, and occasionally decently-fitting jeans and sweaters. Her favorite and most common go-to outfit is a sleeveless, knee-length pale yellow dress topped with a brighter yellow cardigan, though she's also partial to a pair of lounge pants and matching t-shirt when she's home and has no intention of leaving her room for the day.
Despite jewelry rarely being in the forefront of Kiku's mind when she'd getting ready in the mornings, she has a vibrant amethyst and diamonique butterfly ring she rarely takes off of her left index finger, as well as a gold and garnet engagement ring that never leaves her left ring finger, given to her by her fiance. Occasionally, she wears a pair of white flowered hairclips normally saved for special occasions, and a pale yellow teardrop-shapred pendant necklace that glows in the dark.
It's only in her Fireflower verse that she adds to this with a black carbonite and pink opal ring on her right ring finger, matching Mako's blue opal and Takeru's fire opal, as well as a lilac woven bracelet bearing a charm of a tan ferret face - a sign of her bond with Mako, and two pieces she'll never remove if she can help it.
Occasionally, she can also be found with a duel disk on her left arm, as well.
Hobbies, Interests, Jobs
▮ Unlike most people she knows, Kiku's rather fond of keeping herself busy. Be it with work of hobbies, she's always off doing something - Though one of her biggest hobbies and loves is gardening, and she can be found far too easily most of the year tending to a small garden beside her house. Half of her garden is dedicated to growing fruits and vegetables, changing with the seasons, while the other holds flowers of the brightest, boldest colors she can find. While she's very much in love with her namesake - Chrysanthemums - even she knows they won't grow year-round, and spends time at the start of every season picking out new blooms to add in place of the old, though with space for the old to grow back in the next year.
It's also easy for her to get lost in the world of celebrities, often caught skimming through and buying magazines simply to read about their lives. While she recognizes there's a limit and won't go any further than swooning over them like a typical teenage girl, it's yet to stop her from hanging posters on her wall or reading just about anything she can get her hands on when it comes to her favorites!
Her interest also falls in the medical field, to the point she'll notice herself watching doctors and nurses whenever she's at the local clinic to study how they do things. Despite the fact she's not actively studying the medical field, she's learned enough between clinic trips and tending to her best friend to be able to take care of mild injuries without much trouble, and how to care for others when they're sick. It's steadily becoming more and more interesting to her, though, and she can't help but linger on medical programs on TV...
Kiku won't actively admit to it, but she's also becoming a small bit of a gamer herself, preferring to keep to casual games, and only usually with friends. Her favorite at the moment is Minecraft, albeit commonly with a multiplayer file she'll otherwise check in on at least once a week alone for a couple hours to play around with.
While she's not as into dueling as others she knows, she occasionally peeks into the goings-on of Link VRAINS, developing a very minor interest in its celebrities - Especially Soulburner. However, his true identity is something she only discovers after creating her own player account and logging in alongside her friends, and only makes her all the more willing to explore this new world alongside them. Having a deck in hnd they built for her, with her in mind, totally helps, too!
Kiku's held multiple jobs in her life, though her most common one is working in her family's fish shop by the harbor, doing anything from stocking shelves to manning the register. While she's there more often than not, usually requiring someone to walk her home after dark and spend time with her on slow, boring days, she's also held - and frequently goes out and gets - a wide array of other part time jobs, ranging from working in the local bakeries to stocking shelves at a market. If it's part time work, she can do it, and she needs to earn the money for something, she'll take it!
As an adult, however, Kiku holds a job in a local clinic as a nurse, loving every second of her job and the ability to help others.
Background
▮ The daughter of a fisherman, life in Hibana is all Kiku's ever known. Peaceful and quiet, she began learning how her parents' shop, where they sold the fish her father caught, ran at a very early age - Though being a child meant 'learning' was more 'running and playing', even if it quickly taught her the store's layout and when and where people would be, so as to not get in their way. Coupled with visits from an out of town friend, she wasn't sure she'd ever want her life to change.
Unfortunately, whether or not it did was a choice completely out of her hands. While the age of six brought her friend to town to live, it also marked the year her family turned 'helping out at the store' into actually learning how to run various parts of it, much to her slowly forming frustration. Games of hide and seek among containers of ice and crabs fell by the wayside in favor of stocking shelves and keeping an eye on the back room's stock, her parents determined to start setting her on the path to a brighter and better future.
Escape to her best friend was quickly becoming no longer an option; despite his move to town, Kiku steadily came to realize the boy she'd once known had fled, replaced with one determined to distance himself from everyone. Though initially hurt by his desire to pull away, she eventually accepted the turn their lives had taken, and settled into the place he offered beside him. She'd never ask what had happened to cause his sudden personality shift and he'd not explain, but she'd made up her mind: She'd not let him go through it alone. Not as long as she could help it.
As the years passed, Kiku's priorities began to shift away from the games of her youth, though not entirely by her own hand. While school became more of a focus, she lacked any real idea of what to do with her life, choosing instead to keep after her best friend and keep herself busy with varying part time jobs. Always antsy with nothing to do, she was constantly looking for a new hobby or an activity to keep her moving about, and turned to earning her own money for the things she wanted, gaining a sense of independance... And when she did finally choose to wind down and relax, it was oftentimes beside Takeru, watching the sunset from the pier.
Yet no matter what she chose to do, none of it seemed to be enough for her parents. Distrustful of Takeru and believing her lack of direction to be a mixture of his bad influence and her own 'desire to coast through life', her parents grew more and more controlling, deciding her life choices for her. Under their watchful eye and desires, she'd graduate high school and work in the shop full time - And nothing else.
Frustrated with having her hobies deemed trivial and being the only one with any faith in the boy who'd become her best friend, she slowly began to buck her parents' choices for her, no matter how small her fighting was. Trying to convince them and make them see her side of things rarely went according to plan, and Kiku began to focus on her own independance even more, buying even the smallest item with her own, hard-earned money. If they wouldn't listen to her, she'd just have to show them... Unfortunaely, though, to no avail.
At 16, her world found itself abruptly turned upside down with Takeru's choice to move to the city. While she wouldn't question him and even encouraged his choice, being alone afterwards hit her like a ton of bricks - Doubly so when their mutual friend of two years left, as well. With no support to back her up, Kiku slipped ino a funk for a few weeks, following her parents' desires to the letter.
It took a phone call from both friends to snap her free of her sullen mood and re-examine her life - And, more than displeased with how it'd been going, to finally stand up to her parents and fight for her freedom from underneath their thumb. She'd spent 16 years trying to please everyone along with herself, and it'd backfired; it was time for her to lead her own life, with her own choices and mistakes, on her time!
While her parents still actively fought her on the matter, refusing to let her 'lack of direction' be her 'downfall', she's countered by beginning to save a chunk of her pay towards getting her own place and working twice as hard to show her family she can lead her own life. It takes several months to even begin convincing her mother, but by the time her friends reutrn from the city, she's well on her way with the elder woman's (not very freely given) respect earned.
Now three months after Takeru and Mako's return, Kiku's looking into colleges for becoming a nurse, deciding her medical skills are something she'd like to make a carrer out of. She's still yet to earn her parent's blessing, or her father's respect on the matter, yet she doesn't care - She's found her path, and there's nothing that's going to knock her off it...
And come ten years later, she's succeeded in making that goal a reality. Married to her best friend and the mother of an infant daughter, Kiku's achieved her dream of becoming a nurse, finding work in Hibana's local clinic and breaking free to live her life, her way, on her time,with her parents' blessing. Bessed with constant smiles and a strength found in both herself and her family and loved ones, Kiku continues walking her path towards a bright and happy future - Especially now that she's learned to hold her head high, and found the best home to come back to.
Other Info
▮ While Kiku doesn't duel much, she runs an Aroma deck built for her by her best friends, with her love of gardening in mind. She's not quite sure just yet how to really play the game, and definitely not like them, but that's not stopped her from counting her deck as a prized possession, making her smile every time she looks at it.
▮ Still, Kiku's discovered herself a favorite card: Aromage Rosemary and her synchro version, Aromaseraphy Rosemary.
▮ Just like her namesake, Kiku's favorite flower is a chrysanthemum! Whenever they're in season, she's either growing them in her garden or keeps a vase of them on the windowsill of her bedroom, where she can look at the every day - And if she can't get chrysanthemums, then she'll fill her vase with a mix of the most vibrant purple and blue flowers she can find. Anything to give her room an extra pop of color and reasons to smile.
▮ While she loves the pier, especially at sunset, she's very much fond of the beach as a whole, and loves to wander along the shoreline both early in the morning, and just after dusk. There's a sense of peace that comes with those two times, a feeling of being in a completely other world, that she just can't really get enough of...
▮ Kiku hates fighting. It doesn't matter if she's been brought up around it and the local gangs of her hometown, she hates the senselessness of it, and the fact that one tiny slip, or one hit to the wrong area, could rob the world of a life... And that's never more obvious wth her than when a loved one fights. Just because she understands doesn't mean she has to like it.
▮ She can speak fluent Japanese, and nearly fluent English - She just has to sometimes stop and remind herself of words before she replies to someone in the later!
▮ Though she doesn't realize she wants to be a nurse until later on, Kiku keeps a moderately-sized first aid kit on her at all times. She never knows when someone's going to need a little patching up, and it makes her feel better having it on her on the off chance she gets hurt, too.
▮ Kiku regularly gets some of the highest scores in her class, with her favorite (and best) subjects being math and history.
▮ She loves shopping, and keeps a note in her phone's callendar of what stores have sales when. Being a social butterfly usually helps her find the best deals, but keeping her away from them is about as easy as keeping a fish from water!
▮ Kiku won't admit it, nor will she ever let herself be found doing it, but occasionally on rainy evenings, she'll put on a show in her bedroom. Dressed up in her bathrobe and PJ's, she'll turn on music videos and put on a 'fashion show' before breaking into song into her hairbrush - A moment of silliness she'd probably crawl into a hole for a year over if anyone found out!
▮ Whenever she's nervous, fretting, or fussy, she tends to pace and fiddle with anything she can get her fingers on, usually the hem of her shirt. Despite the fact he'll actively deny she frets even when she's in the middle of it, it's usually easy to tell - But calling her on it is also usually a bad idea, too. Not unless you want a huffy butterfly on your hands.
Mako's fiance and best friend, though they've not always been as close as they are now. For several years after meeting, the two could barely stand each other - between Takeru's closed-off nature and dislike of everyone not Kiku, and Mako's own hiding within her own fears, getting them to actually talk, originally, was like pulling teeth. Thankfully, with Kiku's help, that was a path they'd slowly get off and beging wandering down first the road of friendship after meeting again in the city, then into a relationship on their own, tightening their bond by the day.
Mako knows incredibly little about the reason behind why Takeru moved to the city, despite lending him her help in his fight and even partnering with him, and doesn't question it even after moving back to their hometown and in with him and his grandparents. As far as she's concerned, if she's meant to know she'll know - Though it hasn't stopped her from picking up on hints of something lying under the surface as they headed into their engagement, preferring to keep those observations mostly to herself and focus on the brighter future laid out ahead of them.
A future that leads to their marriage at the age of 19, and later at 21, the birth of their son, Hiko, seeing them move back to the city for their family's future. Though their road began with bumps and rocks galore, it's led them into a tight and unbreakable bond Mako's sure she couldn't ever do without. Takeru is someone she trusts with her life, and looks forward to facing the rest of both the highs and lows of their road with, for the rest of their days.
Sweet, kind, and bubbly, Rin is Mako's cousin, and one of just two reasons she moved to Japan in the first place. Always close, the two have spent most of Mako's life stuck to phone calls and emails between Rin's busy schedule with the occasional visit home, and finally moving back has allowed them to be closer and do far more together.
This has never been more true with Mako's further move to Den City, plopping her right in Rin's back yard and giving the girls an excuse to do anything and everything together. Able to further deepen their bond, Mako wastes no time in tugging Rin around and involving her in much of her life, wanting to keep her family up to date and as close as possible, much to RIn's probable amusement. Even if she can't tell her everything, exactly, Rin is involved in just about as much.
Even Mako's move back to Hibana hasn't done much to dampen their relationship, with her taking frequent trips back to the city for a 'cousin's day out' or simply to be there in support of Rin. She hopes she can get Rin to come visit her hometown, someday... There's so much more she still wants to share, and she wants her favorite cousin to be as involved - and as loved - as possible.
Meeting Flame was a bit of a surprise, as it came long before Mako had any clue of Soulburner's true identity. Despite his spooking her as an eye in a duel disk during a regular conversation, an actual, real meeting came shortly after discovering who her friend was (and vice versa), as well as real friendship. Flame quickly proved hard to not befriend, and became a part of the small family Mako'd made for herself in Den City even faster with his wisdom and kindness, helping to guide her as well - Albeit to a lesser degree than his origin.
Flame's passing is something that absolutely crushed Mako, and for a long time, she refused to deal with his loss, instead dedicating herself to helping Takeru through it. It takes Takeru gifting her Salamangreat Almiraj and reminding her of how Flame would want her to stay safe for her to finally break and face the truth... And the heartache.
Mako honors Flame's memory by trying to apply his guidance and advice to her life and hold her head high, as well as support Takeru in his stead to the best of her ability. To her, the Salamangreats are a piece of Flame's spirit, watching over them... And Almiraj will always be her connection to an ignis she'll forever miss, and forever love.
Though Kusanagi is one of Mako's first friends in Den City and her boss, he's also someone Mako quickly learns she can turn to whenever she's in need. Kind and supportive, he offers her work not long after their meeting, giving her somewhere other than her apartment and school to spend her time. Doing so has further allowed her a reason to get out and see the city rather than stay cooped up at home, and for the two to deepen their bond on a near-daily basis.
Kusanagi's warmth and having a younger brother of his own quickly allows him to take on an older brother role to Mako as well, one she accepts wholeheartedly. Whether it be at work, inside Link VRAINS later on, or on their own, he's never failed to be there when she needs him, and vice versa. His various nicknames for her, with the most common soon becoming 'Maki-Roll', are a source of smiles, and she finds herself wandering to Cafe Nagi even on her days off, solely to spend time with him.
Even though distance with her move home has put a damper on their ability to see each other in person, it hasn't done much to halt their relationship, with Mako calling occasionally just to say hello. To her, though it may not be by blood, the man is very much her older brother, and she'll have it no other way.
Kiku is the first friend Mako made on moving to Hibana, and with her warm smile and sunny personality, even faster her first best friend, as well. Frequently together, Kiku wastes no time in showing her everything there is to see across their hometown, and how to survive it on an every day basis, using their time 'touring' as a chance to deepen their friendship to a level even greater than that of family.
Though she was left behind in Hibana on Mako's move to Den City, their friendship continues to grow by the day. She never has to be there in person to play middle man between Mako and Takeru, nor to make her friends smile and brighten their day, even with how little knowledge she has of just what's going on in the city itself. Keeping her in the dark to what's really going on is key, for her safety, but Mako sees no reason to do so with the rest of her life, and includes Kiku in everything, otherwise.
In fact, Mako's return to their hometown is partially on Kiku's request, and between it and the braided girl adopting her cat, Floof, as to avoid more trouble for the Homuras, their friendship has resumed its normalcy and allowed them to spend much of their free time together. Closer than sisters, Kiku is a part of her life Mako refuses to give up, and someone she plans on standing beside for the rest of their days.
In their Fireflower verse, their road has led them to a future neither ever would've thought they'd have: A family. Their relationships with Takeru have grown into a marriage, and further into a family, and by the age of 26, both girls have found themselves with a bond tighter than that of family and raising two kids together with their husband. Even now, Mako sees Kiku as her ultimate confidant and closest friend, and refuses to ever give her up - Her bond with Kiku is one she'll treasure, forever.
Though their friendship began over quite literally running into each other, Akira quickly became someone Mako loved to see around the city. Surprisingly warm and easy to talk to, he's someone she rather enjoys bumping into on the wanderings around Den City, and won't hesitate to ask him out for a walk or for coffee, if he's not too busy to join her.
Fully aware he works for SOL Tech, though unaware just what his job is or how high up in their rankings he his, she frequently worries for him whenever something goes on inside Link VRAINS; does it affect him? Is it more work for him, or will it get him in trouble? Unwilling to pry by asking, she simply tries to keep a smile on his lips and avoid pulling him into anything if she can, instead focusing on their friendship and the conversations they have over coffee.
While things have definitely slowed between them since moving home, Mako makes it a point to leave a note at SOL Tech whenever she visits the city for her cousin, just to say hello and keep him up to date on how things are going, and make sure things are all right with him. Just because there's distance between them, doesn't mean they can't stay in touch!
Akahiko, nicknamed Hiko, is Mako's son with Takeru. Born when they're only 21, he steadily grows into a bright, bubbly and happy boy, fueled by the same fire she's determined drives his father. His innocence and sweetness never fails to amaze her... Nor just how much Hiko loves his lions and his dad, to the point he can rarely be found without one or the other, or at least humming the soundtrack to The Lion King!
However, it's also Hiko's bravery and dedication that constantly awes his mother. As a diabetic, his having to deal with a medical routine he honestly hates and choice to take change of his own health at a mere five years old never fails to catch her - The same as his choice to protect them, taking after both of his parents and their dedication to their family without a second thought. For someone so young, there's a great deal of strength in him, and Makonever fails to find herself learning from him.
Regardless of what every day brings, Hiko is a spot of sunshine she loves having around, and that is something she's convinced will never change.
Kasumi, Sumi for short, is Kiku's daughter with Takeru and a young girl Mako sees as her own niece. While still just a baby, Sumi is very much a warm and sweet child who's often reaching for her parents and aunt in hopes of not only gaining attention for herself, but obviously to make them smile, as well. Oftentimes offering her toy bunny to her loved ones, Sumi's made it no secret she likes being around a happy family, even if Mako doubts she understands what she's doing is what's causing it. Still, it hasn't stopped Mako from spending time just carrying Sumi around in her arms to talk to her, something both girls seem to love whenever she's allowed to babysit.
In their Fireflower verse, Mako instead sees Sumi as her adoptive daughter, as she, Kiku, and Takeru are in a relationship together. Regardless, there's little that changes otherwise, though Mako does catch herself spending more time happily sitting with their tiny firefly, if only to make her babble in glee!
Gifted to her by Takeru after Flame's passing, Almiraj is the sole Salamangreat in her deck. Though he's easily the weakest monster in her deck with his 0 attack points, his true strength lies in his small, but fiery, heart, and his desire to protect at all costs, much like the two duelists who've owned his card, and his creator.
But it's not just his fellow monsters he's vowed to protect, either. As the first spirit to make himself known to Mako in full, Almiraj often tries to mimic Flame in his support and mannerisms, frequently draping himself over her shoulder for a free ride and squeaking as a means of communication. Regardless of his inability to actually talk, Mako's noticed he tries to keep both her and Takeru on the right path as best as he can... Even if Takeru lacks the ability to hear him, as well, resulting in a sad rabbit squealing by her ear for pets she rarely ever denies him. For Mako, Almiraj feels like a piece of Flame that's never left her side, though she's never seen fit to say as much to anyone else, either.
Almiraj's fire is one she knows will never burn her, and through it, she's never hestated to call upon the small techno-fire rabbit, be it in a duel or simply to spend time with.
A pair of light-attribute, cyberse link lions, Mako met Progleo and Rasterliger deep in Link VRAINS' main city's alleyways only after hearing Liger 'calling out' to her. While initially wary of them, as their creator was the recently defeated light ignis, Lightning, she couldn't help but take them in after hearing their story and realizing they'd been abandoned by that very same ignis long before.
Even so, it takes some time for Mako to form a bond with the grumpy Liger and hyperactive Progleo, though once they do it's very much an ubreakable one. The second and third spirits to reveal themselves to her after Almiraj, Liger becomes her source in learning of Cyberse world and its fall, though not much more than that. His admittedly overprotective nature, however, comes to be a bit of a problem when he forms an intense dislike for the rest of her friends and a hatred of Salamangreat Heatleo he makes rather well known - Or rather, a more tsundere approach to the fire-attribute lion nobody but the light lions themselves are able to ignore.
Combined with Progleo's innocence and playful nature, clueless to the crimes of his creator, Mako's been able to form a tight bond with both lions she loves more than she can ever say. No matter how protective they are or how much they might bound about and/or grump over things out of their control, she can't help but love them and decide to keep them as part of her family, even passing their cards down to Hiko once he's old enough to care for them as she does.
Though Yusaku isn't exactly the easiest person in the world to talk to, it didn't stop Mako from running into him rather often. Originally bumping into one other at Cafe Nagi, where the extent of their conversation remained 'would you like a coffee refill', she slowly began finding him in more and more places - At school, around the city, and even online, though she'd not know him to be the frequently irritated Playmaker until well after discovering Soulburner's identity.
But actually talking wouldn't be something that'd come any too easily, and through that, Mako often avoided doing so until being urged to by Takeru. With them sharing mutual friends in the fiery boy and Kusanagi, Mako made the choice to give interacting with him a bit more effort in hopes of befriending him... Only to be introduced to a Yusaku-branded roadblock nearly every time. Despite this and her anxiety keeping her at an arms' length distance from him for the most part, Mako's yet to stop trying, wanting to remain on his good side, regardless of if friendship is in the cards for them.
Even after returning home, Mako tries to stay in touch with Yusaku, alebeit with absolutely no reply despite her occasional messages. Still, she tries once in a while, leaving something in support of him - He might be stubborn and closed off, but she still can't help but admire his drive and dedication, and hopes he's doing well, whereever he's gone off to.
Although Mako wasn't present for the death of the ignis, she'd heard enough from her time around Team Playmaker to know of and be horrified by their fates, with Earth's being one of the worst. So when the small, socially awkward AI made himself known on a floating island some time later... She just hopes he won't hold her shock against her!
Regardless, Earth's kindness and awkwardness has made him relatable and easy to get along with, and Mako's found herself quickly forming a bond with him, even trying to make up for her earlier lack of aid by lending him her hand and deck as a guardian. Knowing he and the others have a second chance at life is more than enugh for her to want to work with them... Hopefully this time, they can get the life they deserve.
She'll make sure of that chance, no matter what it takes.
Sarcastic and definitely well on his way to being a theater major once he hits college, Masquerade is a dramatic soul Mako fully regrets meeting. Under the guise of helping someone within Link VRAINS, Mako, as Alanna, is tricked into a warehouse and held captive, only to be forced to duel her way out of the darkness against Masquerade... Though frankly, learning he's only 14 doesn't quite help, either.
Still, dealing with him doesn't stop once she's moved home, either, and while their fighting does eventually even out into bickering, Mako is still convinced he just needs a good slap across the face with a written copy of Hamlet!
Heartbound. With Yuya's grades slipping due to being away from the dimension as a whole, it was Mako assigned by the school to be his tutor before their next big exams. However, she hadn't expected introducing herself as such to lead them quickly into a friendship, though Yuya's smile and sunny personality made it incredibly difficult to keep her focus on work from even day one!
Bonding over Duel Monsters, the two quickly formed a friendship outside of their required tutoring sessions, and his welcoming her to You Show has allowed her a chance to watch him dueltain, as well - A show she wouldn't ever miss if given the option. Even shopping together and trips around Maiami become a complete blast in no time at all, be they planned or not, and their bond is very much a tight one Mako treasures.
But Yuya is very much a source of confusin after she meets Yugo and Yuto, as well; just how do these boys know each other? Why do they have similar looks to them, and how are they oftentimes showing up in places she was so certain Yuya would be...? How is it his dragon is held by another, too? Just what is the connection in Yuya that ties everything togehter?
...Mako's not entirely sure she wants those answers.
Heartbound. Yugo's napping on a public bench was what originally drew Mako to him, though she'd never expected trying to lend her umbrella to a boy about to be rained on would spark the beginnings of a friendship, either. Warm and easily excitable, Yugo reminds her much of a puppy - That is to say, constantly bouncing around and exploring like the world presented to them is something new and always exciting. He's even had no problems referring to his deck, and his favorite dragon in it, like it's his best friend, and Mako absolutely loves the sunshine he brings to her life simply by bouncing into her day.
And yet, Yugo has also never ceased to confuse her, as well. His talk of other dimensions and dueling on motorcycles is something Mako would expect from grand stories and fairy tales, yet he speaks of them like they're real, even insisting on the matter when she tries to counter with the impossibility of it all. As much as she wants to believe it's nothing but stories made up by a boy with too much time on his hands, just as she'd done as a child herself, there's just something about the way he insists on it she can't quite get past, let alone understand. On top of his mentions of Yuya like they're twins while also denying any relation to the boy... Just who is Yugo, and is allowing herself to get so close to him a dangerous idea...?
Heartbound. Though there's a lot about Yuto that eludes Mako and she has no intention of ever questioning him on it, friendship with the far more serious boy came surprisingly easily. Meeting in You Show on one of her trips there to find Yuya for a tutoring session, she was instead granted a chance to catch the very end of one of Yuto's duels and a chance to speak with him - And though she shied back on more than one occasion, Yuto quickly proved to be nice to talk to.
Serious and blunt yet gentle, his mention of both Yuya and Yugo has left her far more than confused; aside from having similar features as them both, just what ties does he hold to them? He doesn't seem the type to get along well with Yugo, and yet he spoke of him like they were friends... No matter the asnwers, Mako honestly hopes to get to know Yuto better, valuing his input and loving every chance she gets to talk to him. Even if he doesn't look it, there's something comforting about this boy...
Heartbound. A suggestion from a mutual friend led Michio to stop and introduce himself to Mako on pocky day, complete with offering to share a bit of the treat with her. Touched by his kindness, she caught herself opening up to him long before she ever realized it, and th two quickly stumbled into a friendship that only continued to grow with each and every meeting.
From that day on, meetings became more and more frequent, be it to swap recipes or simply head out for dinner, until the two slowly inched their way into a relationship. Deciding to work in a kitchen together ater graduating, Mako's found herself spending much of her spare time with her boyfriend around his kitchen when she isn't with Yuya, Yugo, Yuto, or dealing with her own chores, either lending him a hand or learning a few tips and tricks. Growing a a couple's been slow, especially when paired with Michio's naturally stubborn attitude, but they'll get there... Just one slow step at a time.
Lightbound.'Getting off on the wrong foot' has never applied more than it does with Mako and Jou. An easy target for Jounouchi the bully, Mako frequently finds herself poked and taunted by the blonde teen, though not without fighting back. At any given time they could be found eyeballing one another and huffing, irritating one another into sheer frustration.
Underneath it all, however, Mako's fully aware of how his 'gang' treats him, and can't tand idly by while they treat him like dirt. it's brought her into his path more often, but she's determined to do something about it... But can she? Or is it just a pointless hope?
Artificial Flame. An AI born from a project she was a part of, Soulburner is an innocent, sweet soul Mako very quickly found herself befriending, even long before he could even speak to her. Gentle and eager as a puppy, he's always been there to make her day brighter with even something as simple as a smile, and between that and his release date from his isolation tank being continuously pushed back, Mako took it upon herself to hit the release button and let him into the world.
Doing so, however, has only given them more questions than it has answers. Forced to lie to him to prevent him learning he's not as human as he claims, Mako's ordered to keep him within the lab - Yet that hasn't stopped them from growing closer as friends. From finding a place to stay and making it their own, looking for a path to take together... While it's also left her to question the truth behind his creation. Just what Project: Heatleo, the full project behind it all, is for, why it needed Soulburner, why he holds coding triggered by anger as well as a black box of locked code she's never seen...
Despite her questions, Soulburner is someone Mako would give her all to protect. Regardless of if he's human or not, he's proven to be a gentle guy with a heart of gold, and above all else, she plans to see him suceed and gain the freedom he deserves.
Artificial Flame. A programmer part of Project: Heatleo, Yusaku had a heavy hand in creating Soulburner's code and developing it. Despite gaining 'legend' status among much of SOL Tech's programming staff, for reasons unknown to them all, he was somehow removed from the team - creating an opening filled by Mako not long after.
The legend himself later becomes a key part of Mako's job when she releases Soulburner from his tank, though it's much to his obvious disapproval. Not bothering to hide how stupid he thinks she is for doing so, he offers his help through online messages on her pleading, though Mako's sure he knows something about the project kept from her. There has to be a reason he left, and as one of the code's creators, he has to know what's locked away behind the wall she'd been told not to touch, right?
If he does, Yusaku's not telling, and Mako's not really fighting him on it just yet. She just hopes he can tolerate the two of them long enough to help her find answers... And maybe, just maybe, get Soulburner out from SOL's thumb before something happens to him.
Fighting With Fire. Stubborn, closed-off, and frustrating, Takeru usually shows up right when Mako doesn't want him to - That is, right when she's fresh from a fight with the local gangs and beaten down, never holding back a snarky comment on how stupid he finds her. Even their regular meetings in town are a source of them butting heads as often as possible every time he triggers her irritation in return, be it through arguing or actually fighting, albeit keeping their physical altercations to the back alleyways.
Yet despite their frequent fighting, Takeru's drive, determination, and strength has become something Mako admires in him. As irritating as he is to her, she loves the chance to watch him fight and the fire in his eyes, regardless of if it's against her or one of the more local gangs. Still, telling him that is completely out of the question when he's nothing but a stubborn, stuck up jerk-
Or rather, it'd simply be easier to say if their frequent fighting hadn't started giving way to makeout sessions and gentle touches hidden away from public eyes - and more importantly, from the prying eyes of their opponents. While actually saying she finds him attractice is easier said than done, Mako's quickly finding herself lost to a thug she's never thought would mean so much to her... Or be so easily used against her.
Phoenix's Fire. Everything her training had taught her and every lesson from the temple did little to prepare Mako for the truth: That the phoenix, the very god the temple she resided in worshiped, was little different from the very humans they lived among. Warm and charming, his interest in befriending both Mako and Kiku won them both over rather quickly, forming a tight trio that somehow managed to keep his existence among humankind a secret... Though Mako is completely unaware of how they managed to do it in the first place!
Eventually moving their meetings to an abandonded cabin in the woods after Soulburner's nearly caught trying to visit them has allowed for them to have the peace and time they need to grow closer, slowly sliding into a relationship. With Soulburner, Mako no longer feels the need to keep up a strong front as a knight; though she's still determined to protect her priestess in Kiku and her god in Soulburner, being able to relax in his arms and listen to the animals outside their cabin eases her determination to be seen as strong, and allows her a chance to be herself. To be simply Mako - A girl who's won the favor and heart of Soulburner alongide her best friend Kiku.
And regardless of what the temple or her training's told her, standing with Soulburner is where Mako fully intends on remaining. With her allegiences switched from them to the phoenix and her best friend, Mako's slowly begun pulling away from the temple as a whole - She'd rather go back to spending her days beside a fiery bird who gives her strength and a smile, anyway!
Meeting at the age of four, Takeru has been Kiku's best friend for as long as she can remember. Regardless of the things life's thrown at them, Takeru has always been someone Kiku trusts with everything - From every secret to her hopes, dreams, and even her life, Takeru is the first to hear it, and oftentimes the only, despite his originally closed off nature. Always there and always supportive of her, however, she's never seen any problem with their relationship growing closer by the day, even when it started to come with cuddles and holding hands, as well.
It wouldn't be until Takeru's choice to change him life around and move to the city that she'd realize she'd fallen in love, though that was also a discovery she'd wait several months to share with him, both out of hopes she'd not interrupt anything he had going on, and that she'd be able to persue a relationship despite being stuck under her family's thumb. Willing to wait for him, she turned her attention to her own fight for freedom - A fight that would be fueled by Takeru's support and offerings of strength, though whether or not he knows just how much he's done for her, even Kiku isn't aware. All she knows is that she'd never have been able to do it without him, and is beyond thankful for his place in her life.
Upon his return home, their relationship is finally able to take flight, first with a confession, then an engagement later on in the year. Steadily, they've been making up for lost time, much to Kiku's utter glee, and she's been given a chance to learn even more about the boy she's called her best friend for the last 12 years... THough ever so slowly, she's been catching hints there's more to him and she's ever thought, despite her unwillingness to push him on the matter. If their road should lead to her learning more, then it will - She won't force fate's hand.
Instead, said hand leads them later to a marriage, and at the age of 26, the birth of their daughter Sumi. Being with Takeru has meant a life much like a rollercoaster with its ups and downs, but it's given her the one thing she never thought she'd have: A life and a family she loves, lived out by the side of her best friend and closest confidant. Her road has given her a place she wants to spend the rest of her days... Caught in an inferno named Takeru Homura.
Though Mako has only been a part of Kiku's life for going on three years, nothing has been able to stop them from forming a bond closer than that of family. The first one willing to step in and introduce herself to Mako, Kiku was more than willing to play tour guide to the transfer, sharing not only her knowledge of their hometown, but also of everything Mako wasn't used to as a regular student. But tour guide soon turned to friends, and further to something akin to sisters in ittle time at all, and by the time Mako chose to follow their mutual friend to the city, the two girls had a bond deeper than they could put words to.
Even with the distance between them, it did little to come between their friendship, Kiku ensuring that she spoke to her best friends at least once a week. Whether or not they were together in person had little to do with their meetings, and the two continued even their weekend movie nights, albeit through video calls rather than each others' living rooms. Kiku even found herself continuing to play middle man between Mako and Takeru - A sense of normalcy that while she needed, Kiku has yet to admit helped to drive her in her own fight.
And with theirs complete, Kiku pleaded with Mako to return to Hibana, overjoyed to find her request granted and both Takeru and Mako back by her side in only a matter of weeks after requesting it. Their time together has resumed as if they'd never been apart, and Kiku's never been happier - She has her sister, her best friend, home again, and she won't ever let them be apart again. Not when she definitely can't drink an entire jumbo milkshake on her own!
In their Fireflower verse, their road has taken them even further: To that of being actual family. With their relationships with Takeru leading into marriage with him for them both, they've formed a tight-knit family and by the age of 26, settled into a comfortable life with their children and husband. Sharing a bond tighter than that of family, Kiku refuses to give Mako up for anything - She's become her absolute best friend alongside Takeru, and she'll treasure her forever.
Akahiko, nicknamed Hiko, is Mako's son with Takeru and a boy Kiku sees as her own nephew. Bright, bubbly, and warm, he reminds her far too much of his father at his age - Albeit with a love of lions the elder never really shared. He's so warm, in fact, Kiku can't help but be drawn to Hiko and his hyperactive nature, wanting to protect and support him much the same as his father does before him. His innocence and kindness is a breath of fresh air, and Kiku absolutely loves to babysit whenever the family is in Hibana, taking the chance to spoil him as much as possible.
In their Fireflower verse, Kiku instead sees Hiko as her adoptive son, as she, Mako, and Takeru are in a relationship together. Even so, it doesn't change just how much she loves Hiko and his warmth, aside from allowing her to see him and his brght smile every day, instead. Always available to their little lion, shes free to let him pull her around on advantures far more often - just as long as he doesn't get them stuck on another tiny dry spot in the middle of a rushing river again while reminding her how much cats hate water!
Kasumi, Sumi for short, is Kiku's daughter with Takeru. Though she's no more than a baby, born to a pair of 26 year olds, Sumi is a brilliant spot of light Kiku had never thought she'd ever have in her life; always soft and sweet, she catches herself simply sitting by her daughter's crib on the regular, amazed at the tiny life the world's seen fit to give her. Sumi seems to have inherited her mother's love of making others happy, as well, and while even Kiku doubts the infant knows just what she's doing by offering up her bunny to her parents, she knows one thing: The goal is to see them happy, and she's always succeeding.
Kiku very much treasures Sumi and can't see her life without her, though she's also just as worried; will she continue to be a good mother? Will Sumi grow up safe, healthy, and happy? Kiku isn't sure, but she's got faith in their family to pull through everything and anything... Just as long as they do it together. As long as they do, she's positive Sumi'll be a happy little girl, and that's all Kiku could ever ask for.
Phoenix's Fire. Everything her training had taught her and every lesson from the temple did little to prepare Kiku for the truth: That the phoenix, the very god the temple she resided in worshiped, was little different from the very humans they lived among. Warm and charming, his interest in befriending both Mako and Kiku won them both over rather quickly, forming a tight trio that somehow managed to keep his existence among humankind a secret... Though Kiku is completely unaware of how they managed to do it in the first place!
Eventually moving their meetings to an abandonded cabin in the woods after Soulburner's nearly caught trying to visit them has allowed for them to have the peace and time they need to grow closer, slowly sliding into a relationship. Residing in the cabin has given Kiku a chance to live a life outside of the temple's walls for really the first time, and she's coming to see the world for what it is: An open adventure full of excitement and brightness the temple's tried to tell her doesn't exist. Combined with Soulburner's gentle touch easing her out of her shadow, she's slowly realizing perhaps, just perhaps, her life isn't meant to be lived within those walls... But out beside the phoenix who's claimed her heart and shown her a world she'd never known existed.
Slowly shifting her allegiences from the temple to Soulburner and her best friend, Mako, Kiku is slowly working her way out of her shell, keeping an eye on the two she considers her family along with it. Her place is with them, she's found, and the life and world she's been shown - And she'll give anything to stand with her phoenix and see him at his happiest, always.
