Another untitled Gaim ficlet, Kappa universe

[estirose]

Kouta has gotten used to a diet of Helheim fruit and nothing else. He's even gotten used to gardening - though it's less gardening and more convincing a bunch of alien plants not to grow outside and not to grow any fruit. It's bad enough that every so often he opens up the door and has to prevent tiny Elementary Inves from escaping and causing a panic.

Someday, he knows, he'll have to move before someone realizes he's not aging. And the garden will have to move with him. This will be a while; he's working with Takatora as they try to get Mitsuzane a little closer to sanity. Kouta thinks that they might be on the way to convincing him that Takatora is Takatora and not Kouta.

He'd let his sister near the garden - she knows it exists, he had to tell her that there's enough Helheim flora there that he won't starve to death - but it's far too dangerous to humans. There's always the possibility that a human will find it and its fruit, and then everything will spiral out of control.

There's a commotion in the shed, and Kouta internally winces. Is he going to find a full-sized Inves in there? Is he going to have to kill another human that was in the wrong place at the wrong time?

He opens the door, and the vines are waving. There's a shape in there, a dark shape, and he realizes after a moment that Mitsuzane found his way in and now he's almost completely wrapped in vines. The vines aren't harming his old friend, but Mitsuzane is struggling. "Teleport," he says, hoping that Mitsuzane is coherent enough to go back to the dock. It isn't Kouta's top choice, but the plant can be overwhelming if one isn't used to it. He himself has to mentally force vines away from his body if he's been gone for too long; he thinks, sometimes, that the plant considers him part of it.

Mitsuzane teleports out, and Kouta takes a deep breath. He looks among the slender vines for a fruit and sees one, probably generated when Mitsuzane came in. He fishes out a bag and seals it, knowing that Mitsuzane must have been hungry enough to find his way there.

Maybe Mitsuzane will eat without being prompted or commanded this time. Kouta always hopes that he will. But that's in the future, and this is now. He must make do with what he has.

Comments

[reka]

Ryouma probably finds Kouta really irritating. (Like pretty much everyone else.)

The human body has all kinds of automatic reflexes and things that resist dying, so even if Kouta knew and accepted it, it might still be difficult. And changing is scary. Ryouma probably sped things up in canon a bit by killing Mai.

[estirose]

Yes, and it doesn't hurt that Kouta is Takatora's younger brother.

And Kouta wouldn't accept changing. He'd fight the change into whatever Mai became with all of what was left off his strength, but that's all he could do. He's a biology major, not a surgeon, and all he can do is try to stay alive. I think that the only thing that can be done is to make him comfortable somewhere.

(In the meantime, Micchy is kind of freaking out because the whole purpose was to keep his brother safe, not put him in more danger.)

[reka]

Yeah. Not only that, but Kouta and Takatora are similar in a lot of ways, except maybe that Kouta's a little more wise to just how untrustworthy Ryouma is.

No, I think Kouta would want to stick around to be there for his friends, and it's not like he can use the power of the fruit like this to help them. He doesn't know what will happen if he changes.

(Micchy probably shouldn't have trusted Roshuo to do only what Micchy wanted. I think it makes it harder for Kouta, knowing that his brother completely blames himself for his state. Maybe the other members of Gaim who were in Helheim too, but I'm sure Mai would defend them from any vocal abuse.)

[estirose]

Yep, Kouta is definitely similar to Takatora. (Micchy is upset and lashing out at people because his big brother, who's done so much for him, got hurt.)

----

Kouta heard the rest of Gaim before he could focus his eyes on anything other than the ceiling. He felt tired, his body felt heavy, and he was hot, but there was little he could do about those. He'd heard most of Professor Sengoku's pronouncements, and suddenly everything had made sense, but he hadn't been able to do much more than crawl to safety when the fight had erupted.

He didn't know what the man would have done to him, but he didn't think that it would be all that pleasant.

Mitsuzane - Micchy - was yelling, and Mai was yelling back, and there were some protests from the other members of Gaim. "Mitsuzane," he said, knowing that calling his brother by his full name would get his attention and get him off of Mai's back.

"Kouta!" Micchy was instantly by his side. "How are you feeling?" His brother was blurry, but the voice was his. The blur gradually subsided, and he could see Micchy frowning.

"Awful." He tried to smile, but he wasn't sure it came out too well. The other members of Gaim were now there, crowding around him. "It's not anybody's fault. None of us could have known what the Overlord King was going to do."

"Still...." Micchy looked uncertain, as if he was going to start blaming himself - and the others - again for Kouta's current state.

"There's nothing we can do about it now. The most important thing is keeping me awake. I can't fight the change if I'm sleeping, and maybe if I fight it enough I can get my body to reject the Fruit." He remembered what Professor Sengoku had said, and he didn't think it was as hopeless as everybody thought. Besides, maybe if he didn't sleep, he'd stop dreaming about DJ Sagara telling him about a role he didn't want. He didn't want immense power, he just wanted to keep being Kouta.

"But he said it was fused with your heart," Mai said, her brow furrowing.

"Doesn't mean I can't fight it. Find something to prop me up." Rika and Rat scrambled to obey him, digging out some cushions to put behind his back. "If I sleep, I might succumb."

"We'll do all we can," Mai promised.

"Did you... take care of Professor Sengoku?" Kouta asked. The man was dangerous, and Kouta didn't intend to let him have the fruit, even if he did get it out of him.

Mai just gave one grim nod. "He won't hurt you any more, big brother," Micchy promised.

That was a relief. Now all he had to do was keep from changing, and if they could keep him safe, that's all he could ask for.

[reka]

Yeah, in this universe Kouta hasn't had time to get used to having to lose his humanity. What does he think will happen if he successfully rejects the fruit, or is he not thinking that far in advance? If/when the fruit leaves his body, they'll have an extremely dangerous thing in their hands. Kaito actively wants the fruit's power, and he's not the kind of guy who'd be polite about it. Kouta's in a very bad state, but he's also protecting it until there's a winner. Poor Micchy and Mai. They're stuck in a situation where one of them stands to profit from Kouta's pain, which I'm sure is extremely uncomfortable.

[estirose]

I don't think Kouta has thought that far ahead. He just doesn't want to change into an Other, and that's the only thing on his mind. Someone might point out that if Kouta rejects the Fruit that leaves them with a very powerful artifact in their hands that everybody else will be after. And if Kouta realizes that, he's just self-sacrificing enough that he'll stop fighting his change and let it happen. He, Micchy, and Mai can agree that if there's no recipient between Mai and Micchy that things might change for the better. On the other hand, that runs the risk of someone forcing Kouta to give them the Fruit. (Or, in some worse cases, Micchy will realize the danger and manipulate his older brother into falling asleep and transforming fully - it's not something he wants to do, but it'll give Kouta some protection.)

[reka]

Yeah. If there really is no way around it, he'll do it. But he's not convinced there's no other way right now. Having no victor sounds terrifying because of the vulnerability. Helheim would probably also just keep encroaching on Earth. I think there are a few people out there (at least Kaito and Minato) who'd try to get the fruit no matter what, and Micchy and Mai can't protect Kouta forever. (Micchy would try, but he wouldn't succeed and anyway Kouta'd be miserable.)

[estirose]

And Sagara is apt to step in if nothing's happening. So they might be forced into doing something, including letting Kouta finish changing and having him choose a victor, neither of which he wants to do. On the other hand, Kaito and crew storming in would be rather terrifying.Especially if it's three people, at least one of which has a Genesis driver.

[reka]

Sagara is apt to step in even if things are happening, but yeah, no evolution will happen if they all try to hold on to the way things are. And Sagara can appear without Kouta passing out.

It could even be two people with Genesis drivers.

[estirose]

True! He would appear, if only to try to spur things on even if things are happening. Which they aren't because Kouta is kind of unhappy about being an Other.

And probably would spur Baron into raiding Gaim for the Fruit. Which nobody would tell Kaito where it is (and if he's found out that the fruit has to be implanted in somebody first, someone in Gaim might be quick-witted enough to try to frame it as a marriage to Kouta since he'll be in some ways the same thing).

Now I have someone in Baron singing lullabies. My brain is weird.

[reka]

Kouta is rather stubborn, but there are ways Sagara could frame it that he would accept. Like how not doing anything puts Gaim at pretty high risk and doesn't stop Helheim.

I think Micchy would chew the head off anyone who called it something like marriage. He wants to keep the people he loves from needing to change, for one, and magic fruit-exchange marriage sounds permanent. (And hell no is Kaito going to be his brother-in-law. Mai would be better, but then he'd lose her too.)

[estirose]

Yes. And Kouta would go for semi-sacrificing himself to save the world (and Team Gaim).

And Micchy would be really pissed off for the reasons you stated. (And some squickier ones, because he is one of the final contenders for the Fruit and this is his older brother.) Kaito would be less than thrilled too. Yoko would accept it if it meant Kaito was king (and Kouta is not a girl and not someone Kaito is attracted to,, so he's not competition). Zack is... well, at least it's not happening to him, even if he's the one grabbing Kouta and getting out of there (or protecting Peko if he's the one hauling).

[reka]

Does anyone know that it would be kind of like marrying Kouta at this point, though? Kaito might, but Micchy might not be thinking that far ahead. Mai might not be either. I think Kaito (and co.) are probably the only ones who are thinking about what it means for Kouta's role in the new world. Micchy just wants to protect the people he loves from having to change, so I'd expect him to be actively helping keep Kouta awake as much as he can. (I think Ryouma's killing Mai in canon was so effective at breaking him down because there was literally no one else to blame except himself.)

[estirose]

True, nobody would know on Gaim's side (fortunately for Micchy's sanity, or whatever's left of it). Kaito or one of the others might be able to deduce it from Sagara's words and then Kaito would have to deal (maybe with a little bit of teasing from his teammates).

And Micchy would definitely be keeping Kouta awake. Which Kouta doesn't mind, because he wouldn't want to sleep at that point. (Except the rest of him does want to sleep and change, which means he ends up starting to drift off quite often.)

[reka]

Unless by that point they're too scared to tease Kaito or something. But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Sagara felt that he needed to force the confrontation that way.

Even if his illness wasn't caused by the Fruit, sleep would be very tempting. He's ill and out of it, so the impulse is to try and sleep it off. Kouta's propensity to nod off probably terrifies Micchy a lot. Kouta probably appreciates it but is kind of irritated too.

[estirose]

Yes. And Kaito isn't stupid. Plus, he's got Yoko, who can work through scenarios with him. As far as Kaito is concerned, even if Kouta survives and such, in Kaito's new world it won't matter what gender (or family, which actually grates at him more) Kouta is.


As for Kouta, he is getting grumpy about being reawoken several times an hour by being shaken. And he's aware that he cab't avoid sleep forever, so he's working against a deadline.

[reka]

That's true. Kaito really hates Yggdrasil and therefore really hates the Kureshima name. He's probably more okay with Kouta individually, but the family is a piece of baggage Kouta won't fully let go of. (The family name, sure, but Takatora and Micchy will always be his brothers.) And Kaito wants the fruit for the power it would give him first and foremost. I don't know about in romance (I don't have a good feel for him in that regard), but I think he'd be okay with pretty much anyone if he had the fruit too. And Minato would definitely be able to do that. She's quite sharp.

Yeah. Micchy also won't be able to keep Kouta awake forever. At some point, shaking him will probably stop working. (At least it would for me-- when I'm dead tired, I can pass out in the middle of basically anything and can be pretty difficult to wake up.)

[estirose]

Yeah, Micchy is at some point going to fail to wake Kouta. And he's going to freak out. As for Kaito, I don't think he cares either. He'll become the victor and that's that. It'll still be hard for Baron to grab Kouta regardless - Gaim has more members and the non-Driver wearers can stop anyone from grabbing a vulnerable Kouta.

[reka]

And Mai has a Genesis Core (at least; Sagara could've given her Kachidoki too) and Micchy is a dirty fighter backed into a corner. And Zack might not be comfortable attacking the non-riders. Would Baron try to avoid hurting Kouta? If Gaim is trying to keep Kouta physically safe and Baron isn't, that would give Baron a distinct advantage. They may not want to risk it, though.

[estirose]

Mai has Kachidoki anf Kiwami, so she's good. I'm sure Yoko would advise Kaito to press the advantage by not worrying about wheter Kouta may take damage, and may in fact be aiding in his retrieval.

[reka]

She definitely would. And she might know that Kouta's physical wellbeing isn't an issue. It might even be reasonable to attack Kouta directly, but that would get messy and would focus Gaim's efforts in one place. Better not to clue Gaim in that they're willing to attack Kouta unless they need to.

Poor Kouta. Feeling like he can't help his team may make him accept the change even faster. It's the only way Kouta can take himself out of the battle.

[estirose]

Yes, definitely. She was willing to attack unarmed teens (albeit ones that were used to fighting), so she's willing to go after a civilian target. I suspect that Kaito and Zack will be fighting Mai and Micchy, while Peko retrieves Kouta with Minato making sure he isn't dogpiled by the rest of Gaim.

And if all that happens, Kouta will stop fighting sleep and let his change go through. Even if it doesn't happen immediately, he'll be safe. (And then someone on Gaim will start trying to wake him up again because it's not like he can warn them that hey, he's doing this to save Gaim.)

[reka]

Kouta falling asleep is probably also an excellent way to get Micchy's attention, but he may not be able to get over there. If they're in Gaim's base, that would be extremely close quarters for a five-Rider battle. The place would be wrecked and every non-rider would run a significant risk of injury. Everyone would have a really hard time moving anywhere.

And Kouta's very stubborn. If they manage to wake him up, he'll keep trying.

[estirose]

Minato figures one of two things will happen: either Mai and Micchy will be reluctant to fight in their base (and damage said base and their teammates) and take the battle outside, which will make it easier for Baron's non-Armoreds to retrieve Kouta without interference, or they'll have to be very careful not to hurt anybody where Baron hasn't got that issue.

In any case, Kouta will keep falling asleep as needed.

[reka]

Kouta may not have to fall asleep if he decides he wants it.

Maybe they'll take it outside but Micchy will try to hang back so he can be available to Kouta? With the gun he's not a close-range fighter anyway. Trying to be in two places at once will probably make him less effective, but Mai can probably handle herself pretty well, especially since Kaito's going for distraction rather than defeat.