battering | ic contact;

All right!
No, he won't come out.

come out of where??

The building.

[ Wait a minute. ]

Misaki...
I think I'm lost.

...... YOUVE BEEN OUTSIDE THIS WHOLE TIME?????
crap what do u see around u

Trees and snow.
And a wolf.

PUNCH IT
wait no dont do that unless it looks angry
is it angry
WOLVES EAT BUNNIES KOU-CHAN

its heading this way i dont knwow what to do
you were a good friend to me misaki

SHIT SHIT SHIIT
DO UR HAIRPIN THING
DONT GIVE UP KOUCHAN
IM ON MY WAY

[ on his way... somewhere?! whatever, he's running! in some random direction! ]

[ but she left her hairpin at homera to wear yata's gift instead—

also running in some random direction! yata might hear the faint screaming of a girl in the distance. it's getting closer, closer... then he'll hear sobbing. ]

Yataaaaa!

[ ah, yes, he'd know that screaming and crying anywhere.

rushing in that direction until he finally spots the princess, which only makes him run faster, and once he catches up he's trying to multitask both looking her over and looking out for a wolf. ]

Kou-chan, are you hurt?! Where is it?!

[ Kougyoku hides behind Yata once she's near enough, and four wolves emerge from the forest. Kougyoku, what did you do...

The leader of the pack lunges at them. ]

[ Four... yeah, no sweat. ]

Stay back, Kougyoku! Hide!

[ Because he wasn't kidding when he told her to just punch the wolf. Red engulfs his arms from hands to elbows, fists tightening as he goes directly for the animal that was moving for them.

... Punching a wolf wasn't as easy as he'd thought, though. That scratch on his arm where he was nicked by using it as a quick shield to move in for a hit was gonna sting, but hopefully by having punched the alpha in the neck they'd all run away? And not try to gang up on him? ]

[ Kougyoku can't hide, Yata—the wolves were quick to flank them. Surely enough, however, after seeing their leader get hurt, the rest of the wolves back off. Wolf attacks were rare to begin with due to their shy nature, so you have to wonder what Kougyoku did to tick them off!

...She was probably so scared that she made a run for it, giving chase. Yep. That's definitely what happened. ]

I thought they were going to eat me...

[ Kougyoku falls to her knees and sits on the ground, out of breath from the chase. That was close! ]

Yeah, that's it! And don't come back or I'll kill you bastards!

[ Yata, stop yelling at the wolves as they leave. It's not their fault they were provoked.

He takes a couple of deep breaths, staying on his feet for a few moments in case they decided to come back with reinforcements (was that even a thing?), before he finally plops down next to Kougyoku. ]

... Told you they liked bunnies.

I'm sorry. [ For making him worry. She hangs her head, feeling stupid that she didn't have her metal vessel with her. ]

Thank you.

[ For saving her. ]

I don't know what I would have done back there.

It's okay... That's what friends are for, yeah?

[ He leans over to bump against her shoulder with his. ]

But next time you're gonna scare me like that, at least tell me where you're going.

Mm... [ pouts ] I was on my way to see a friend, Oz. I heard he lived in a castle, but I've never been there before. I don't even know where it is.

[ So she stalked him. ]

Call him first and ask for directions, you dummy. [ He shakes his head, laughing softly at the fact that her first thought had been to just. Magically find it. ]

Can you walk?

[ That's too forward! Her cheeks flush when she realizes how foolish she was. Oh well, it's a good thing he doesn't know the whole story. ]

Yeah! [ She attempts to get up on her own, then offers her hand for him to take. Wait, she sees something— ] You're hurt...

Ah, it's nothing! Battle scars are cool and super manly.

[ It's said rather proudly despite the dull pain; really, no use making a fuss when the alternative could've been worse.

He stands on his own but grins over at her before he starts to walk back (slowly, so that Kougyoku doesn't have to strain herself or something after she just outran four wolves). ]

But...

[ He got hurt because of her. Kougyoku's lip quivers as she frowns at Yata. She couldn't just put the matter aside like that! What kind of friend would that make her? She places herself in front of Yata an her hand tentatively hovers over the wound on his arm. ]

Does it hurt? If Ka Koubun was here, he could... Oh, it's all my fault!

[ It stops him from walking, so at least that's something. Yata looks down at her hand. ]

It's really fine, Kou-chan. Hurts a little, but I'm not about to die or anything from somethin' like this!

[ Please don't cry, he's terrible with that-- ] If it'll get you to stop looking so sad, I'll let you watch when we get back and I wrap it up so you can see it's okay.

[ ): ... well, she's not crying now, so that's a plus. ]

Oh, all right.

[ She takes one final look at Yata's arm before returning to his side. ]

I am so sorry, Misaki. I shouldn't have followed him all the way there.

[ "it's fine", "it's okay"-- he feels like he's been repeating that a lot, so he holds off. ]

He's a friend you really wanted to see, huh?

He is a friend I used to know. You see, they said I was here once, in Exsilium. It seems I knew some people from before but I can't remember any of it.

I feel as if I betrayed them somehow, forgetting who they were... I would like to make up for it.

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