Sigh

[estirose]

Long story short, our complex is being repainted and looks much better than it did. I just wish I'd gotten the blue/yellow scheme instead of the green/brown one. *sigh*

Now trying to move everything back in my garden and taking care of chores before the weekend. Joy.

Work-wise, things are kind of dreadful but tolerable. I'm applying for jobs right now because I am getting rather tired of the high-level politics. (Seriously, they won't even let us put in a new voicemail message for our public line that says "Please listen *carefully* to this message." Because, well, people don't.)


She wasn't home.

Even when Michi was out late - supposedly studying, though he knew now that it was a lie - she'd always come home before nine. And while he was exhausted, busy with work and finding out exactly what she'd been up to, he wanted to be there when she got home. He wasn't ready to confront her yet, but he did want to make sure she was okay. Then, when he had evidence, then he'd confront her. He knew, reluctantly, that what she had found out meant she had to work for Yggdrasill now where he'd hoped to keep her safe. But she was a Kureshima, and true to her blood she'd been intelligent enough to figure out what wasn't always as it seemed and bold enough to do something about it.

And now she hadn't come home, and her tablet and phone weren't giving off any signals. He found himself pacing, commanded himself to stop it, and went over to his computer. He'd already spent too much time on the files regarding Ryugen - he refused to think of Michi as "Test Subject #3", even if he knew that's how the staff referred to her - and everything Yggdrasill knew on her. He knew that she'd undone her transformation shortly after she left the tunnels, blending in with the crowds.

It didn't make him very happy, so he sat down with his laptop and called up the latest version of the information on her. It hadn't changed since she'd left the tunnels, no biodata, which Ryouma had told him was normal; they didn't regularly record that type of data because it was a drain on the battery.

When Michi got back, he would be sure to get her Driver modified so that it recorded even when she wasn't wearing it. There was no excuse for a Kureshima heir to be wandering about without anybody knowing where she was or whether she was alive or dead.

But what if there was a way to get that data? He paused, considering the possibility, and then pulled out his phone. Ryouma might still be at work; sometimes he forgot to go home. He might fuss, but ultimately if there was a way, Ryouma would do it.

"Takatora?" He could almost see the scientist rubbing his eyes under his glasses, but at least he was at work and still answering calls. "What can I do for you?"

"Is there a way to pull data from an inactive driver? You said that we didn't regularly do such a thing, but...."

"Stop worrying about your sister. From her records, she's a nice, healthy - if average - young woman." The scientist sounded amused, but there was a sigh in there. "I could possibly pull some of her biodata, depending on whether the driver is close to her body."

"Do it." At least there might be a way to find out if she was still alive. She could fight as Ryugen - he'd seen it himself - but she hadn't transformed for a while.

There was a rapid tapping of keys, followed by a pause, and then a second round of typing. "I just sent out an order to the driver to wake up and report. I should have something shortly."

Takatora took a deep breath. It might not be anything, but on the other hand, it might give him the peace of mind that he needed.

"This reminds me of the time that you came to me because she wouldn't tell you about her *awful* cramps." Ryouma was typing away again, and Takatora hoped it had to do with their current conversation.

He suddenly wondered if one of the reasons Michi hadn't come to him was because she was afraid he'd somehow found out she was on a Beat Rider team. He'd have to ask her about it. "She's a heir to Yggdrasill, I want to know when she's in pain like that."

At least she wouldn't get pregnant. He hoped for her teammates' sakes that none of them were sleeping with her, but at least she had some protection. Fleetingly he wondered if her push to get birth control was more to protect herself among those street rats than her cramps, and then he decided that even if it was it wasn't important.

"Ah." Ryouma sounded distant on the phone for a moment, and then came back. "So, the good news is that your sister is fine. Biodata corresponds with what we have on her. Looks like she's moving, not sedentary. Maybe she's going home?" There was a note in his voice that suggested - gently - that Takatora stop bothering him and let him get some rest.

"I hope so. You should get home as well," Takatora said, and there was an amused huff at the other end before Ryouma hung up.

And then the front door opened. Takatora headed to the bannister, relieved to see his sister come in, looking weary from the way she hung her head. But she dutifully plodded up the stairs as if nothing had changed. "Michi," he said, coming down the same stairs. "You're late."

It was all he could say, really, without a torrent of questions coming out that didn't need to be asked that night.

"I was studying," was all that she said, and he nodded. It wasn't a lie that he would fall for again, but then again it wasn't going to be an issue anymore, not after she became part of Yggdrasill.

"Good," he said, trying to sound soothing. "Go to bed, it's late."

She nodded, lowering her head and continuing her plodding way up, and Takatora didn't move until he was sure she was safely upstairs.

Comments

[reka]

I think she knew she'd have to do that from the beginning. It's one thing she definitely shares with Takatora-- the idea really awful choices are ultimately necessary and society at large wouldn't be able to handle making them. But Michi's also just a kid who wants to rebel from familial expectations and not have to deal with consequences. Being really smart and capable doesn't in itself make you mature.

[estirose]

...and my Michi muse just marched off to go home because she feels she has to.

Yeah, Micchy in canon isn't very wise for being so bright. Smart definitely does not mean mature.

[reka]

As you may have guessed, I'm a bit of a Micchy fan. It's not that he hasn't done awful things or that he shouldn't be held responsible, but he's a teenager. Minors are treated differently by the law for a reason. And I have a giant soft spot for characters who feel constrained by their families anyway.

I hope none of her friends interpret her going back as anything but her own decision. I don't think she'd appreciate that interpretation at all.

[estirose]

I really like Micchy as well. He does have problems, but he's a fascinating character because he's an emotionally immature teenager who's kind of stuck in his sitution and absolutely goes the wrong way in trying to get out of it.

Michi's probably as convincing as her canon counterpart when it comes to things she wants from Team Gaim. She probably goes home and waits for her brother so that she can do what she needs to do to keep her friends safe.

Total crackfic

[estirose]

(Or what Michi absolutely wouldn't do because she isn't stupid and Takatora is probably a bit OOC)

Kouta stared at the man who had come in with Mai, claiming to be Michi's brother. He was a well-dressed businessman with a grim demeanour, and Michi was staring at him with a strange mix of anger and fear, very slowly backing away.

"It's time to go home now, Michi," Michi's brother was saying.

"How did you find her?" Kouta asked. He was kind of relieved that someone was actually worried about his friend, because he thought the man might be, but he didn't like the way that Michi was reacting.

"You left your tablet's signal on," the man said, not paying attention to him.

"I didn't...." There was a strange look on her face for a split second, or maybe he imagined it. "I guess I did."

The man nodded. "So I came to look for you."

"Well, you don't need to look any longer, because I'm not going to be a Kureshima any longer," Michi said, stepping to Kouta's side. "I'm going to get married." She wrapped a hand around Kouta's arm, continuing to glare at her older brother.

"Wait a minute, I didn't agree to get married!" Kouta said. He was willing to put up with a little deception on Michi's part, but this? This was insane. "And you're too young to."

"It doesn't matter. You agreed to take me in, and that means that we're going to get married."

"Kouta, did you...." Mai was looking from one to another.

"I said that my sister would be willing to have her stay the night if she'd go home after that!" He was sure that the offer didn't include getting married to a teenage girl, no matter how smart she was.

"And I did, because I'm going home that way. You and your sister are people I can live with."

"Uh, Michi...." When he'd suggested it, he didn't think she'd take it that way.

Her brother was staring at him in an unreadable way, but Kouta was sure he was about ready to kill Kouta for daring touch his baby sister.

"In any case, while you'd make an excellent member of the family," Michi said, as if he hadn't spoken, "I'm choosing to make myself one of yours."

"I want you to go home to yours," Kouta said, gently trying to detach Michi's hand from his arm. "Maybe if I go with you?"

He might not come back, but he wasn't willing to risk Mai, and maybe if Michi could see she was safe, she'd drop the whole thing and he could convince Michi's brother that no, Michi was not sleeping with a guy four years her senior.

"Michi has a path in life that doesn't include you." The man spoke calmly. "Either of you."

"Maybe if you give me a chance, I can change your mind." Michi needed support, and even if he had to play boyfriend for while, he could extract himself eventually.

The man studied him. "Maybe you can come with us," he said.

Kouta nodded. He just hoped doing this wasn't a mistake.

Re: Total crackfic

[reka]

It may be crack, but I really like how the narrative flows. Everyone but Michi is completely confused, while she has just jumped into the decision whole hog.

Re: Total crackfic

[estirose]

Yes, but I feel so sorry for Kouta and Takatora, especially Kouta since Takatora can beat him up easily. Good thing Takatora is reasonable and might listen when they get home.

Re: Total crackfic

[reka]

Yes, for the most part. He could also end up completely ignoring Kouta out of a belief that they have nothing in common to talk about.

Unless one of them realizes they can easily relate, most notably in how neither of them knows what's going on.

More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Michi's family was rich, Kouta realized as they went through the gates of their estate. She hadn't stopped clinging to him since they'd left Gaim. Kouta hoped she'd calm down and feel safe. He'd never seen her this afraid; she was normally the calmest member of the team. Even when fighting, she fought analytically.

He was starting to wonder if he did really know Michi as well as he thought.

The entry hall was huge, but what caught Kouta's attention was the picture of the Yggdrasill Tower on the stair landing. It hadn't occurred to him that one of the things that Michi didn't want to talk about was the fact that her family was connected to Yggdrasill, and things suddenly made much more sense. If Michi's brother was high-level Yggdrasill staff, then she knew that her family was doing things to her friends that she didn't want to be associated with.

But Kouta didn't want Michi to rush into a bad decision, since he had no job and she was too young to really make a decision like that. Even if he wanted to get her safe, he wasn't going to have her suffer.

"Michi, go upstairs," her brother told her, which only caused her to hold onto Kouta harder.

"I'll be fine," Kouta said, and gave her the best smile he could. If Michi's brother was going to say something, Kouta didn't want Michi in earshot. She was scared enough.

Re: More of the Total crackfic

[reka]

The return of Kouta's eternal joblessness! And good job Kouta for noticing that picture. If I recall, it's a little too focused on the building to be a general picture of Zawame or something.

How much is Michi actually scared and how much is it Michi deciding that it's best to seem scared at that moment?

Re: More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Kouta is fairly bright, which people keep forgetting because he's still growing up, too. I think he'd notice and make the right connections. As for Michi, she's far less scared than she's acting and Takatora thinks there's something wrong because she's ooc.

Re: More of the Total crackfic

[reka]

Yeah, he's not stupid. He's naïve in pretty much the opposite way Micchy is, I think. I was musing if there was another way to interpret that picture.

Ah, Takatora. He just never approaches his younger sibling's issues in quite the right way.

Re: More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Kouta's good at putting things together, but I think he's got a blind spot with Michi. And speaking of blind spots, Takatora is completely confused about what in the heck is going on.

And More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

"No, I'm taking you to my room," Michi said, pulling him in the direction of the stairs.

"I'm not going to your room. Um, I'm going now." He didn't want to abandon Michi, but if something had happene to her, like she had injured herself and needed medical care, he didn't want her to continue to not seek help. He pried her fingers off her arm. "I'm sorry about this. We're not even dating! We're just friends! She's a little sister to me."

She might be the most intelligent, wonderful girl he knew apart from Mai, but she was way out of his social classand he didn't want to get in trouble with her older brother. She might be safer if she stayed with her family instead of using a Driver. She'd been right in ways he hadn't understood and should have.

She was trying to grab onto his arm again, and he neatly dodged. He was glad for all his sparring practice with her. "With all the data you have on us, you know he'd be a good member of our family. But if you won't accept it, I'll become a member of his."

"Wait... you have to do with the Sengoku drivers?" Kouta asked.

"I'm the overseer for the Research and Development department of Yggdrasill." His voice was deep and Kouta wondered why he sounded somewhat familiar. "I'm very familiar with your name, Kazuraba Kouta."

"Pleased to meet you, please treat me kindly." The man might have to be one of the ones responsble for treating Kouta as a guinea pig and then having him held captive, but he was Michi's brother and he was going to prove to the man that he was a nice person.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[reka]

Does Takatora expect Kouta to be angry and possibly storm out? I feel like he might. Takatora seems to be very aware that Yggdrasil's actions are morally questionable and is willing to be the bad guy for an ultimate goal. Or is he just being honest for his sister's sake?

I think Michi didn't think this plan all the way through and is trying to keep her brother from noticing.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Takatora is kind of expecting Kouta to act like the trash he thinks he is, I think. Or at least break his brain and make him go far, far away from Michi, who is seriously behaving weirdly.

Michi herself is trying to get Kouta upstairs so that she can both keep Kouta safe and wear Takatora down. She needs some kind of ally right now, and she's not about to let her brother hurt Kouta. No, she really didn't think this through.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[reka]

I think Michi will find that Kouta's not going to just go along with it because he likes her. I mean, it's not like he's not going to try. He just doesn't think the way she does.

I'm not entirely sure shutting herself up in her room with a young man is quite the way to pacify Takatora. Michi really has dug herself into a hole with this.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Yes, it would be a good way to get Kouta killed.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[reka]

Or at least broken. I think Ryouma would try to make sure Kouta wasn't killed if he knew anything about this, which he probably would sooner or later because this all started with him being asked to track Michi. And I don't think Takatora would kill Kouta while he's playing nice and not posing an imminent threat. But Michi is his younger sister and she is acting unlike herself.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Yea, I don't think that Ryouma would be too happy if Takatora tried to kill one of his prime sources of data. Takatora would definitely try to break him first. (And then dump him into Yggdrasill confinement because it's not probably his fault but something is wrong and it might be infectious.)

And Even More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

"See? He has manners. He's better than you think he is." Michi had grabbed Kouta by the wrist, where it was easier for her to wrap her fingers and Kouta found it hard to remove her hand.

He wanted to demand answers from the man, but politeness held him back because of the man's relationship to his friend.

"Michi, go upstairs." Michi's brother strode forward, studying Kouta. Michi seemed to understand something with the way her brother was moving, and let go of Kouta.

"Don't scare him with what you do." With that, she let go of Kouta's wrists and went upstairs, leaving Kouta alone with her brother.

"Thank you. I'm worried about her; I've never seen her act like that." He hoped the man would catch the hint and get his friend the medical attention she needed.

The man was studying him, and he forced himself to stay still. "You wanted her to go home?"

"She has family, and family is important to me. You might not like me, but I know that she'd miss her family if she stayed with us. I don't want her hurt. She's my friend - the friend of everybody in Gaim. I'd be honored if she dated me when she was older, but for right now, she's a good friend."

The man sighed and, surprisingly, relaxed a bit. "I'll find you a room to stay for the night."

"You will?"

"Michi normally is a good judge of character. I'm not sure why she's acting this way, but I trust her judgement for the moment on you."

Well, it was better than nothing, Kouta thought. "I'm not sure she's feeling all right at the moment. She's never acted this way with us."

"I'll talk to her. In the meantime, there will be a room for you."

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[estirose]

Kouta was reflecting on how strange it was to be at Michi's house - no, estate, the Kureshimas were rich - when there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," he called, wondering which of the siblings wanted to talk to him. Maybe it was about Michi going to a doctor.

At least she was safe, and he'd go home tomorrow. He wondered how to explain this to the rest of the team; Michi seemed fairly sensitive to the revelation.

Michi opened the door. She was wearing a backpack. "Kouta?"

"Yes?" Kouta asked. This was Michi's world; he'd let her explain.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I was hoping to convince my brother to disown me, not drag you into this."

Kouta just had to stare for a moment.

"I have to get us both out of here before he starts deciding to groom you as a corporate heir." There were tears in her eyes, and while Kouta had to admit he was kind of upset at Michi, she'd been trying to get out of a situation that she couldn't accept.

And being Michi, she was going to get them out of this. Even she made mistakes sometimes, and Kouta could live with that.

"I've got some data I grabbed from Yggdrasill while I was looking for you and Kaito. I've got my laptop, but nothing that can trace me." She sniffled. "I'm leaving my Driver here, because that's how he found me in the first place."

"What?" Kouta barely managed to keep his voice down.

"Yes. I had my phone and tablet off, but he had another way to check. We'll take your Driver; it's a risk, but he's less likely to try to try to find you."

"Oh." He decided he hated Yggdrasill even more, but there was no way he could hate Michi; she was a teenager stuck in an impossible sitution.

"It'll be hard, but maybe we'll be able to fight back now." There was a quiet hardness in her voice. "We'll just wait until big brother goes to bed, and we'll leave."

It was an awful solution, Kouta didn't want Michi to lose her family, but it was better than it could be. He quietly put his arm around her shoulder and waited.

Re: And More of the Total crackfic

[reka]

I think what makes this even more tragic is that if Michi had just told Takatora that she freaked out and made a mistake in the moment, Takatora might've understood. The poor girl feels like she can't tell anyone when she's made a mistake or just needs comfort, so she reacts to errors by just digging a deeper hole. Kureshimas may need to look perfect to the outside, and Takatora may not be a warm and fuzzy person, but he doesn't want to push her away.

:(

[estirose]

Eventually, Michi fell asleep on Kouta's shoulder, with Kouta wondering if he should wake her up.

The door opened without a knock, and Michi's brother stepped in. He took in the scene silently and then sat down on the chair. "She wasn't in her room, so I thought she might be down here with you."

"Um." Kouta had to wonder if he looked as awkward as he felt. "We weren't...."

"I doubted you were doing anything." The man glanced away. "I'm Takatora. If we're going to be family...."

"I'm not sure about that." Even if Michi hadn't explained that it was a ruse to get her brother to disown her, Kouta wouldn't have wanted to be part of her family. "I don't think Michi wants to get married, she was just afraid she'd lose her team. She doesn't want to disappoint you, so she was trying for the best of both worlds." That way, Michi's behavior didn't sound so bad.

Takatora sighed. "Ryouma said that the behavioral changes were a side effect of her Driver."

"I don't think so." It was a bit strange that he wanted to bring comfort to a man who helped hide the truth of Helheim and called the scientist who developed the Drivers without a honorific. "She's scared."

He looked over at Michi, who had not woken up for any of the discussion.

"I can see why she chose you," Takatora told him. "I don't think she made a bad choice."

Kouta had the chilling feeling that Michi's brother was still considering him as a possible brother-in-law.

Re: :(

[reka]

... gah, yes, it wouldn't really work right if it didn't come from Michi herself. (And Ryouma wasn't so interfering, but what can you do?) Kouta saying it just sounds like he's expressing doubt in himself. Takatora's not a terribly perceptive person, and Michi's never told him how strongly she feels for Team Gaim.