Funayurei (Kamen Rider Gaim, semi-sequel to Kappa)

[estirose]

Still very spoilery for late (mid-30s to present) Kamen Rider Gaim. Makes more sense if you read "Kappa".

In this universe, Kureshima Mitsuzane was the one given the Fruit by Mai, figuring that the repentant young man would try to fix what he broke and then learn to forgive himself. He destroys the link between Helheim and Earth and then decides to haunt the docks where he killed Takatora. He models his Overlord form after the myth of the kappa, a water monster from Japanese mythology, and now the dock is believed to be haunted because Mitsuzane spends all night crying there. Kouta is alive and tries to get his friend out of his funk; Kaito may or may not be dead. Takatora? Well, I'm not sure he's dead.



"Mitsuzane." The deep voice, so common in his hallucinations, seemed to come from nowhere. He was used to hearing it, so he just ignored it. His conscience had a bad tendency to appear as his older brother, and if it was persistent, he'd just ask it to go away politely because he knew what it would say. He was of no value and he deserved to be there forever because that was the only thing he was good for.

The only people who called him by name anyway were the ones that still called him Micchy. It wasn't a name he deserved either, so he refused to respond to it. Kouta had taken to calling him by his full name to get his attention, which he didn't mind.

"Mitsuzane." At least it wasn't condemning him, which was weird. Usually his conscience was telling him how awful he was at this point, not calling him by his name.

"Go away," he said, very politely. He learned that his conscience stopped bothering him if he was polite to it instead of arguing with it.

A form settled down by him, causing him to look up. Kouta occasionally got the idea that he wanted companionship and showed up at Mitsuzane's dock, not understanding that Mitsuzane didn't deserve companionship. But this wasn't Kouta.

This was his older brother. His older brother, dressed down instead of in his business suit, like in the olden days when they were both a lot younger. His mind boggled as to why his brother was dressed this way in his newest hallucination, and he had to stare.

"Kouta told me you'd be here. I've come to take you home. Such as it is."

This version of his conscience was gentler, for some reason, but still cutting. "Go away, please." Maybe if he kept repeating himself, his conscience would stop tormenting him with images of his older brother.

The Takatora-hallucination picked up a bowl of noodles - left for some bizarre reason as an offering, something that was becoming far too common for Mitsuzane's taste - and put it to one side.

"I can't leave here," he said, sobbing. "I don't deserve to leave here." Even when he swam, he didn't go far from the place he haunted.

There was an intake of breath from the hallucination. "Please, Mitsuzane."

Apparently now his conscience was going to torment him with a version of his brother being nice to him, far nicer than he'd been for a while. He was probably insane, and the best thing to do is not react to it. He thought about diving in the water - his new form did let him breathe under there, after all - but that just meant the hallucination would continue to torment him when he got back to the dock.

He was unexpectedly picked up by the hallucination, which made him decide he was actually talking to Kouta and his mind was conjuring up his true older brother instead. Despite Mitsuzane technically being more powerful than Kouta, he didn't use his strength.

Mitsuzane didn't deserve that strength, not at all.

"Kouta said you'd be light," the hallucination said, with a tone of wonder. "I didn't realize... Mitsuzane, have you been eating?"

Great, now he was imagining his brother being paternal, which was worse than being taunted. Somehow, his mind just had a knack for the things he felt the most guilty about.

"I'll take you to the car." And Mitsuzane didn't struggle, because this couldn't be real. He let the image carry him to a car, knowing that it was Kouta, and just let the him take him away. He listlessly listened to his conscience make a call, to *Kouta*, asking him about food. "Helheim fruit? Can you... oh, you have a garden."

Kouta had showed him the garden once, the small shed in which he grew the only surviving Helheim plants. Because Kouta was an Overlord, the plants responded to him, and didn't grow beyond where he told them that they could grow. Kouta still needed to eat, after all, and he couldn't eat human food. He hadn't had any need or desire to himself, but Kouta had told him he was welcome to come over and eat if he needed to.

He wished Kouta would understand. Obviously Kouta didn't, but he was in no shape to contradict the other. He had had to slip beneath the waves a few times when humans came too close. He wouldn't hurt them, not after everything he'd done to nearly kill so many of them.

"We'll be there soon, Mitsuzane," his conscience said, and he just lay on the seat, letting things happen as they did.

Comments

[reka]

Even with having read Kappa, the summary was helpful for immediate grasp purposes.

I think you've got a really good (and heartbreaking) grasp on Micchy's mode of depression here. He gives up so easily, even though he doesn't want to go anywhere. Because it's all hopeless anyway.

[estirose]

Good to know it was helpful. Micchy is lucky nobody else has tried to catch the "Crying Kappa" as he's known around there.

[reka]

I'm sure people have considered it (or maybe even tried), but Takatora is a massive blind spot for Micchy, and the fact that he's primed to consider him a hallucination probably helps a lot. I'd expect that Kouta (and maybe other Gaim members) are better at catching him off guard but not enough to catch him. The Overlord form probably makes him a stronger swimmer than anyone who'd try to catch him anyway.

[estirose]

If they have, Micchy hasn't noticed. It may be that he has a bad tendency to jump in the water if someone approaches. Kouta's tried to just take him back to Gaim (since they can both teleport and Kouta has faster reflexes than most humans) or at least feed him, but Micchy's too good at bolting into the water.

Takatora caught him off-guard and Michi's going to be very surprised when he finds out he's been taken home. Which he thinks he's hallucinating. And getting him into human form might be tricky.

[reka]

I'm sure Kouta gave Takatora some tips, considering that they had to have talked.

Yeah, especially given the "thinks he's hallucinating" part. And he's been relying on that form to protect himself for too long.

[estirose]

Kouta told Takatora everything he knew about Micchy's present state and what he'd done to try to take care of Takatora's baby brother. And he promises that if Takatora does get Micchy to safety that he can produce Helheim fruit for Micchy to eat. Since Micchy can't eat non-Helheim food anymore.

(My Kouta muse has had multiple discussions with his plot of Helheim growth. It thinks that there should be more regular Inves for him to rule over, he doesn't want any non-Overlord Inves around period. Currently, he's got enough control to keep it from producing Helheim fruit unless he wants the fruit.)

Occasionally Micchy will slip back to his original form, but right now he's too used to his Overlord form. On the good side for Takatora, since Micchy thinks he's Kouta he might go back because sometimes he will do it for Kouta.

[reka]

Why for Kouta in particular? Just exhaustion coupled with knowing that Kouta won't do anything to him?

That's very convenient, but it's probably hard work for Kouta. Being invasive, Kouta's will is presumably the only thing keeping it in check.

[estirose]

A little bit of that (though if he gets tired he just tends to dive underwater because nobody will bother him that way), but partly because he thinks if he takes human form it'll keep Kouta from trying to treat him like he's worth something.

Kouta himself is very busy keeping his garden from going anywhere and doing anything he doesn't want it to do. He would rather destroy it, but he's not sure he can generate spontaneous Helheim vegetation with the portal closed.

[reka]

And that he is actually making progress, maybe.

Yeah, and spontaneous growth might get everywhere. He'd of course be able to control it if it did, but keeping a contained garden is probably best. It's also probably good for reducing panic or seeming too Other since Kouta is living as a human.

[estirose]

Yes, the last thing Kouta wants to seem like is an Other. He's very good at hiding his Helheim garden and the fact that he's not human anymore.

Micchy doesn't dare quite relax around Kouta because Kouta is too good for his own good and wants to keep fixing something that's completely broken. He'll put up with appearing human as long as he's alone with Kouta. (Takatora has him flummoxed and he'll probably return to human form because he thinks Takatora is Kouta.) He won't believe he's actually back home and will think he's hallucinating his old house while he's actually at Team Gaim's HQ. Which will cause him to collide into things an maybe attempt to open a few walls.

[reka]

Poor, poor kid. Takatora's going to have his hands full keeping him from hurting himself (although I assume it would be more of a way to keep Micchy calm than actually preventing injury-- he's probably more resilient even in human form).

I'm sure most of the people close to Kouta know, but I'd think he'd try to keep them from remembering. At least to avoid being pitied for giving his humanity up. And to keep the people he loves from remembering he gave it up willingly to protect them.

[estirose]

Yeah. Kouta's situation kind of sucks. At least he tries not to let it get to him?

What will be a challenge eventually for Takatora is keeping Micchy in the house. Because Micchy can teleport and eventually he's going to decide that he's been away from his dock for too long. Because at least if his dock doesn't comfort him, it's better than being with people who keep trying to insist that he's better than he is.

[reka]

Yes! He's a really hopeful guy. Which is good because he's not particularly skilled at hiding his feelings.

Oh, I forgot the teleportation part. Takatora might have to do this repeatedly, then. I don't think getting Kouta to help would be very useful, except maybe in the convincing Micchy that Takatora isn't Kouta.

[estirose]

Yes. Of course, he doesn't have to hide his feelings much now that the city's getting/gone back to normal.

Micchy would probably be too depressed to do much damage to Takatora's house, I would say, but he'd return to his dock because... well, he won't admit it feels much better to be there because he can't feel like it does, but it's a much better place to be for him. Maybe he's gotten used to living like he has. I have a sadly cute image of him sitting on his dock in his human form (because he's forgotten to shift back to Overlord), crying his eyes out and looking at the city. Maybe because he called Takatora "Kouta" and Takatora got alarmed and hugged him (or something similar to comfort him). And he's sitting on some of the offerings left to him.

[reka]

Every once in a while I really wish I could draw. It sounds like a lovely image. (But sitting on a bunch of cucumbers sounds painful.)

Takatora doesn't seem very huggy, but I can imagine if he was alarmed and Micchy seemed distressed enough that he might. Especially if they hugged when they were younger, I think.

[estirose]

I can't draw, either. Or at least draw decently.

There were a bunch of offerings for kappa, I think? I can't remember what they were, but they included cucumbers (usually tossed into the water to keep the kappa snacking on them and not the human swimmers, not left on the dock like I've been writing) and soba noodles.

As for Takatora hugging, I think I've been reading too many pairing fics with him in them. *wry grin*

--

"Mitsuzane?" Takatora called softly to the figure huddled at the water's edge. He was grateful to Kazuraba for teleporting him in so that his little brother did not panic and disappear under the water as he was apparently fond of doing.

At least Mitsuzane was in human form and hadn't reverted to his kappa form - no, his Overlord form, Takatora reminded himself. Thinking of Mitsuzane as a kappa would do neither of them any good.

Beside him, Kazuraba gave him an encouraging nod, holding a Helheim Fruit in a sealed bag, just in case Mitsuzane consented to eating. Kazuraba had told Takatora that Mitsuzane had never asked for food, which might explain why he seemed so weak. Even with an Overlord's constitution, there were limits.

[reka]

Wiki says natto and squash, too. Soba would probably be the most comfortable to sit on. I've never had natto, but I think sitting on sticky beans would feel weird. Not that Micchy is probably paying any attention.

It still feels like it'd be easier for Micchy to bolt rather than face them, unfortunately. Do people ever come and sit by the docks during the day? I doubt Micchy would stay to listen to them, though. I don't know if he'd think of it, but being harder on Micchy might help him realize that Takatora isn't Kouta and that maybe he doesn't need to forgive himself to engage a bit. Or something.

[estirose]

I bet poor Micchy gets a lot of requests for protection and/or good fortune, which make him cry even harder at night when (or after) he hears them because he couldn't even protect himself, which made Mai have to step in. He was actually glad (a little bit, at least) when he found out that he could be the monster he felt like. (He's still not keen on having offerings, however.) However, I bet even he doesn't like sitting in natto. I've never eaten the stuff, but I've felt it, and you do not want to sit in it.

---
"Hand me that bag." He didn't want Mitsuzane to jump, run, or teleport before he had some food in him.

Kazuraba handed him the bag silently. Mitsuzane, in the meantime, was looking over at both of them, his nose wrinkled in confusion. Oh, yes, he'd thought Takatora was Kazuraba for some bizarre reason.

"Mitsuzane, eat," he said, opening the bag slightly so that his brother could smell the Helheim fruit. He wanted to mention how worried he was, but he'd tried that before and it didn't seem to have any effect. Maybe a command would.

His brother took the bag hesitantly, pulling the fruit out. Takatora reminded himself that the fruit was dangerous for a human to eat and he didn't really need to have even the smallest bite. "Eat," he commanded once more.

Hesitantly, Mitsuzane took the fruit and pulled it out of its leafy skin, taking small bites as if it was going to attack him. Takatora could hear Kazuraba cheering behind him, and made a mental note to thank Kazuraba once again for the garden that he maintained.

Even if Mitsuzane disappeared again that night, at least he would have had something to eat and Takatora could worry less.

[reka]

Micchy's probably still extremely confused, but I imagine obeying (at least superficially) that tone of voice is ingrained enough that he wouldn't question it. Or maybe since the only person who used it is dead, he figures the fruit isn't real either. Or that obeying his hallucination brother is the least he can do.

That's true, hiding the garden and preventing the growth of fruit also nicely keeps humans from trying to eat them.

[estirose]

He still thinks Takatora is Kouta even though Kouta is standing nearby. The Takatora voice is why he ate the fruit at all.

At least he gets a bit better every time, I think. Maybe he'll show up at Gaim HQ soon and talk to Kouta, who will attempt to make him realize that Takatora was severely wounded, not dead. And maybe the fact that Takatora was wounded will let him guilt about that instead.

Yes. Kouta has his hands full with keeping his garden from becoming a forest.

[reka]

I hope Kouta would give him the revelations piece-by-piece. It's easy to see improvement in someone and mistake it for recovery sometimes.

Yeah, he'll feel guilty regardless. The trick is how to introduce the idea without making Micchy think he's making it up in his head despite not consciously wanting to make himself feel better.

[estirose]

And Kouta may not be the best person to try to reveal things correctly. He will try, though, probably saying something along the lines of "I'm glad someone nursed Takatora back to health after... well, you know." Which will make Micchy think he might be hallucinating things. And even if he starts to think about it, it'll still be guilt-inducing.

[reka]

There's no real way to make Micchy's recovery anything other than slow and painful, unfortunately. (And that also goes for canon.) I can't think of a way for Kouta to introduce the idea much better.

(I liked your garden POV fic, by the way. Species memory is a concept I find really interesting.)

[estirose]

Yes. This is not going to be a fun recovery. Kouta's trying, but Micchy thinks he might be referring to the first time Takatora got killed. Because of course he killed his brother.

And now people are missing the Crying Kappa when Micchy's over at Gaim HQ.

(Thanks. It was interesting, but very creepy, since the garden doesn't understand why Kouta keeps it small and I shudder to think of what might happen if it got its leaves onto Micchy (in a figurative sense) since as far as it's concerned, Kouta and Micchy as Overlords/Guiders should be helping get back to its original size.)

[reka]

Maybe people would spin a story about the Crying Kappa cheering up. I think that'd be comforting for basically everyone except Micchy.

If he was in his right mind I think he'd figure out what Kouta meant, but yeah. Doesn't help that that's roughly what happened last time.

Micchy should probably not be allowed near the garden without Kouta for a while.

[estirose]

Micchy can somewhat live with being the "Crying Kappa" (though even in his state, he dreads someone opening a restaurant by that name nearby), but yeah, he would cry more about people thinking he's being happy. Because he deserves to live in abject misery. And Takatora needs to stop almost-dying in similar ways. At least as drowned in guilt and broken as Micchy is, he is still fairly intelligent and he might remember that Kouta was not at the cliff that time.

(Kouta is very careful not to tell Micchy where the garden is because he knows how the vines react to him, and he's relatively sane.)

[reka]

He wasn't at the docks when Takatora went in, either. I think he could've heard about the cliff thing from someone else easily enough. The drowning thing Kouta would've had to hear from Micchy or Takatora.

I think the restaurant would be hilarious in theory, but with the knowledge that it's not a local legend it would just be kind of sad.

(Poor Micchy would instantly get overwhelmed.)

[estirose]

True. Though Micchy might think that he's imagining the whole thing because he either told Kouta or believes he told Kouta. As for the restaurant, I'm thinking it would kind of be sad, but it would make a good story once said "kappa" disappeared (because Kouta and Takatora got Micchy to a state where he could cope with being home).

(The semi-good thing for Micchy is that the growth would probably assist its injured "bit" because it was a bit short of "bits" otherwise. Unfortunately, its assistance would involve growing bigger and producing more fruit to help heal him.)