In which Tsuchihara Yuuki haunts places
Apr 4, 2014 16:05:17 GMT -5
Post by Kouichi Osaka on Apr 4, 2014 16:05:17 GMT -5
1. Yuuki haunts his grave on his birthday and meets Lanza as a result.
Yuuki watched quietly, unknown from his spot next to the grave stone. His grave stone. His dad had already been there, but Kouichi... hadn't come. It hurt a little, though he wondered if Kouichi had finally moved on. That thought soothed the slight ache that the younger not being there had caused. But then he heard it. Kouichi's soft, calm voice. He loved that voice so much. When the man came into view, white hair almost glowing in the sunlight, a ginger-haired woman was following him, causing Yuuki to raise an eyebrow. "Hm? Who's that?" Yuuki murmured to himself, brushing a lock of his long red hair out of his face.
He watched silently as Kouichi and the woman, who still had her ears, by the looks of things, came closer, stopping in front of his grave. "...this is it," Yuuki heard Kouichi murmur, obviously talking to the woman. And then he was kneeling in front of Yuuki's grave, and the redhead almost laughed, crouching in front of Kouichi. "Happy birthday, Yuu. How have you been?" he heard his partner ask, and Yuuki could only laugh softly, reaching out to touch Kouichi's cheek, once again completely unnoticed.
"As well as I can be. Lonely, but it's okay. I'm still so glad that I managed to protect you... Anyway, how've you been?" he returned, though for once, Kouichi didn't say anything about how he was doing, ruining the illusion of conversation. Instead, Kouichi forged on to tell him something that the red-head had not expected to ever hear.
"...there's... someone I'd like you to meet... This is my new fighter, Lanza Riva-san." The words were murmured just as quiet as ever, and Yuuki's brows furrowed as he looked up, taking in the young, ginger-haired woman. Her hair shone like copper in the light and Yuuki slowly stood, stepping over and circling her. She seemed to be respectfully keeping her distance, and he nodded slightly to himself. This was okay. It was really about time Kouichi accepted someone else into his life. And she wasn't the nutcase that murdered him and Kou's mom, so he figured they had to be either mismatched, or she was another blank. Man, what were the odds of that? And then the moment of silence was over, and Kouichi was standing, drawing Yuuki's attention again. "Lanza-san, this is Tsuchihara Yuuki, my former partner."
"Ouch, Kou, you wound me!" Yuuki yelped, throwing his hand over his heart dramatically, and stepping back. He then laughed, grinning. "Former, huh? I'm glad to hear you aren't so hung up on me anymore..." He trailed off then as Lanza stepped closer to his grave, Kouichi stepping away to let Lanza into his place. "...huh... and just what are you up to, girly?" he asked, crouching next to her and peering at her face as she closed her eyes and began speaking.
"Hello Yuuki-san. I'm sorry that I don't have anything to leave as an offering, but I'm glad that I got the opportunity to come here and meet you." He scoffed quietly, laughing. Offerings, huh? Only thing they were good for was feeding the cats. The flowers and incense were nice, though. He liked the scents. "I heard about you from Kouichi-san and I want you to know that you have my highest respect." ...huh. Just what had Kouichi been telling her? Looking between this woman, Lanza Riva, and Kouichi, he frowned slightly. She seemed like she was just as serious as Kouichi... but that was probably okay. And then she was speaking again and he focused once again on her words. "I know I can't, and I won't expect to replace you, but I will promise you that I'll look after Kouichi-san for you. You have my word, so rest easy."
"...somehow, I have complete confidence that you'll do just that, Riva," Yuuki muttered, standing as she opened her eyes, getting to her feet to turn to Kouichi, asking him if he thought Yuuki would like what she said. "Heh, yeah. You're a pretty honest girl, aren't you? I wish we could have met while I was still alive. I think I probably would have come to like you a lot," he said with a quiet laugh. And then he heard a soft sound come from Kouichi and immediately, he turned to look. Tears were slowly trailing down Kouichi's cheeks, and Yuuki's eyes widened. "Oh, hey, seriously, cut that out, love... Kou, you haven't cried for a couple years, what gives?" he asked, but then Kouichi was opening his mouth.
"Ah... Truthfully, I think he would have liked you a lot, Lanza-san..." Yuuki heard Kouichi whisper while turning to wipe uselessly at his tears and he smiled sadly. Even now, it was like Kouichi could read his mind. "Sorry... it's... been a while since I cried when coming here... dunno why I'm doing this now..." He sounded choked, and Yuuki frowned deeply, wishing he could just hold Kouichi once more. The red-head could only watch uselessly as Kouichi sat in front of the grave, hugging his knees. Yuuki hadn't seen that hopelessly sad face since Kouichi had come the first time, still obviously recovering from a long stay in the hospital, Yuuki's father helping him along.
"Really? Is that so? I really hope so." Lanza's words distracted Yuuki from his worry and he turned to look at the female fighter as she was pulling a white handkerchief from her pocket, using it to gently wipe away the worst of the tears, though more quickly followed, seemingly prompting her to hand over the cloth. "Don't apologize to me about the crying, Kouichi-san. I understand. I... might not have not have lost anyone important in the way you have, but I understand sort of what it's like to be left behind. For years after I was abandoned, I was afraid... and lonely. To be quite honest, I'm lucky Papa was there for me the entire time or it might have consumed me. So I understand. Besides, if there is any place for tears shed in memory, isn't this the one?"
"Okay, yeah, I like this girl, Kou. You hang onto her, and don't... don't follow me any time soon, you hear me?" Yuuki placed his hand lightly on Kouichi's tear-stained cheeks as the younger man turned to look at Lanza. Yuuki's gaze followed, and he touched her arm. "And you... I guess you do understand in your own way. Don't let him give up on life. He's been a shell for so long that I was afraid for him. He seems a little better now, even though he's crying, so you just... keep supporting him. I'll haunt you if you don't, got it?" he grinned then, totally ignoring whatever Kouichi was saying to Lanza at that moment. "You two be good to each other... and make sure to get that bitch that murdered me and Kou's mom so I can beat her up in the afterlife!" he chimed, then stood, leaving the two to their conversation. That was really enough eavesdropping. Kouichi would certainly be okay now. He really could rest easy, with Lanza there. He trusted her and her kind heart to piece Kouichi's broken one back together.
Yuuki watched quietly, unknown from his spot next to the grave stone. His grave stone. His dad had already been there, but Kouichi... hadn't come. It hurt a little, though he wondered if Kouichi had finally moved on. That thought soothed the slight ache that the younger not being there had caused. But then he heard it. Kouichi's soft, calm voice. He loved that voice so much. When the man came into view, white hair almost glowing in the sunlight, a ginger-haired woman was following him, causing Yuuki to raise an eyebrow. "Hm? Who's that?" Yuuki murmured to himself, brushing a lock of his long red hair out of his face.
He watched silently as Kouichi and the woman, who still had her ears, by the looks of things, came closer, stopping in front of his grave. "...this is it," Yuuki heard Kouichi murmur, obviously talking to the woman. And then he was kneeling in front of Yuuki's grave, and the redhead almost laughed, crouching in front of Kouichi. "Happy birthday, Yuu. How have you been?" he heard his partner ask, and Yuuki could only laugh softly, reaching out to touch Kouichi's cheek, once again completely unnoticed.
"As well as I can be. Lonely, but it's okay. I'm still so glad that I managed to protect you... Anyway, how've you been?" he returned, though for once, Kouichi didn't say anything about how he was doing, ruining the illusion of conversation. Instead, Kouichi forged on to tell him something that the red-head had not expected to ever hear.
"...there's... someone I'd like you to meet... This is my new fighter, Lanza Riva-san." The words were murmured just as quiet as ever, and Yuuki's brows furrowed as he looked up, taking in the young, ginger-haired woman. Her hair shone like copper in the light and Yuuki slowly stood, stepping over and circling her. She seemed to be respectfully keeping her distance, and he nodded slightly to himself. This was okay. It was really about time Kouichi accepted someone else into his life. And she wasn't the nutcase that murdered him and Kou's mom, so he figured they had to be either mismatched, or she was another blank. Man, what were the odds of that? And then the moment of silence was over, and Kouichi was standing, drawing Yuuki's attention again. "Lanza-san, this is Tsuchihara Yuuki, my former partner."
"Ouch, Kou, you wound me!" Yuuki yelped, throwing his hand over his heart dramatically, and stepping back. He then laughed, grinning. "Former, huh? I'm glad to hear you aren't so hung up on me anymore..." He trailed off then as Lanza stepped closer to his grave, Kouichi stepping away to let Lanza into his place. "...huh... and just what are you up to, girly?" he asked, crouching next to her and peering at her face as she closed her eyes and began speaking.
"Hello Yuuki-san. I'm sorry that I don't have anything to leave as an offering, but I'm glad that I got the opportunity to come here and meet you." He scoffed quietly, laughing. Offerings, huh? Only thing they were good for was feeding the cats. The flowers and incense were nice, though. He liked the scents. "I heard about you from Kouichi-san and I want you to know that you have my highest respect." ...huh. Just what had Kouichi been telling her? Looking between this woman, Lanza Riva, and Kouichi, he frowned slightly. She seemed like she was just as serious as Kouichi... but that was probably okay. And then she was speaking again and he focused once again on her words. "I know I can't, and I won't expect to replace you, but I will promise you that I'll look after Kouichi-san for you. You have my word, so rest easy."
"...somehow, I have complete confidence that you'll do just that, Riva," Yuuki muttered, standing as she opened her eyes, getting to her feet to turn to Kouichi, asking him if he thought Yuuki would like what she said. "Heh, yeah. You're a pretty honest girl, aren't you? I wish we could have met while I was still alive. I think I probably would have come to like you a lot," he said with a quiet laugh. And then he heard a soft sound come from Kouichi and immediately, he turned to look. Tears were slowly trailing down Kouichi's cheeks, and Yuuki's eyes widened. "Oh, hey, seriously, cut that out, love... Kou, you haven't cried for a couple years, what gives?" he asked, but then Kouichi was opening his mouth.
"Ah... Truthfully, I think he would have liked you a lot, Lanza-san..." Yuuki heard Kouichi whisper while turning to wipe uselessly at his tears and he smiled sadly. Even now, it was like Kouichi could read his mind. "Sorry... it's... been a while since I cried when coming here... dunno why I'm doing this now..." He sounded choked, and Yuuki frowned deeply, wishing he could just hold Kouichi once more. The red-head could only watch uselessly as Kouichi sat in front of the grave, hugging his knees. Yuuki hadn't seen that hopelessly sad face since Kouichi had come the first time, still obviously recovering from a long stay in the hospital, Yuuki's father helping him along.
"Really? Is that so? I really hope so." Lanza's words distracted Yuuki from his worry and he turned to look at the female fighter as she was pulling a white handkerchief from her pocket, using it to gently wipe away the worst of the tears, though more quickly followed, seemingly prompting her to hand over the cloth. "Don't apologize to me about the crying, Kouichi-san. I understand. I... might not have not have lost anyone important in the way you have, but I understand sort of what it's like to be left behind. For years after I was abandoned, I was afraid... and lonely. To be quite honest, I'm lucky Papa was there for me the entire time or it might have consumed me. So I understand. Besides, if there is any place for tears shed in memory, isn't this the one?"
"Okay, yeah, I like this girl, Kou. You hang onto her, and don't... don't follow me any time soon, you hear me?" Yuuki placed his hand lightly on Kouichi's tear-stained cheeks as the younger man turned to look at Lanza. Yuuki's gaze followed, and he touched her arm. "And you... I guess you do understand in your own way. Don't let him give up on life. He's been a shell for so long that I was afraid for him. He seems a little better now, even though he's crying, so you just... keep supporting him. I'll haunt you if you don't, got it?" he grinned then, totally ignoring whatever Kouichi was saying to Lanza at that moment. "You two be good to each other... and make sure to get that bitch that murdered me and Kou's mom so I can beat her up in the afterlife!" he chimed, then stood, leaving the two to their conversation. That was really enough eavesdropping. Kouichi would certainly be okay now. He really could rest easy, with Lanza there. He trusted her and her kind heart to piece Kouichi's broken one back together.
