sigelphoenix (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sigelphoenix) wrote2008-03-26 02:49 pm
sigelphoenix) wrote2008-03-26 02:49 pm
[Warmakers] Thicker Than Water
Title: Thicker Than Water
Characters: Sae, Reika, Seto, Ichiro
Warmakers Adventure: 20
Word Count: ~900
Summary: New members enter Sae's family uninvited.
Sae always thought that she had enough family. There were four of them - herself, Reika, and their parents, Otonashi and Mizuki. It was a small clan, but they didn't need more.
She and Reika talk to Seto Subaru, convalescing in a Tokyo hospital after nearly getting killed in the devil attack at Narita Airport, and he tells them that he is the cousin of their birth mother, Hashimoto Haruka. Despite the fact that Sae has been worried about his condition and is glad to see that he is alive - despite the fact that she is grateful for him as her Protector, watching over herself and Reika their whole lives - despite the fact that he betrayed his own family in protection of them - resentment rises hot to the back of her throat and makes her mouth tighten with displeasure.
Luckily, she manages not to blurt anything awkward, and listens to Seto talk.
There is pain in his voice when he speaks about the Hashimoto clan, and how he revealed their plans to Yanagisawa Otonashi's company in order to stop the ritual sacrifice of Haruka's daughters - of Reika and Sae. The pain is distant to Sae; she does not feel grief over the death of a mother who would have killed them, or a family who would have let that happen.
Hashimoto Haruka might have been a member of Sae's family, had she chosen to be the twins' mother. But her claim was forfeit the moment she intended to let them die for her own benefit. So was her claim to life, as far as Sae is concerned.
But she listens to the sadness in the voice of her would-be mother's cousin, and it stirs a mixture of guilt and gratitude in her to know what burdens Seto took upon himself for the sake of her and her sister. He chose them over the rest of his family, and Sae owes their lives to that choice.
Reika moves forward to console Seto, using both her supernatural abilities and her persuasive words. He goes quiet, and seems to take a small bit of comfort.
After a moment of hesitation, Sae adds her words to Reika's. "Thank you for what you did," she tells Seto. "I'm happy with my family."
Her true family. Mom, Dad, and Reika, she thinks. And maybe, maybe you.
***
As they leave the hospital, Sae thinks back to a time a few weeks ago, when they were on Heimgard. Ichiro called her oneesan, and - just like with Seto - the word felt like an invasion, and her body stiffened at the affront. She wanted to clamp down and guard herself, cutting off whatever generous feelings Ichiro's friendship had evoked from her in defense against his infiltration.
It doesn't help that, later, she found out that Ichiro had been digging around in her and Reika's past, stirring up dangerous and painful information about their original family. She resented him for that, for learning about the sordid history of the Hashimoto clan, knowledge which should have remained private to her family. She felt as exposed as if she wore armor with a piece missing - and even worse, he discovered that opening before she did.
She was angry with Reika, too, and that made her resent Ichiro more, for being the cause of the circumstances that made her feel upset with her sister.
But she couldn't stay mad at him for long, because she had to admit to herself eventually that many of her reasons for being mad weren't his fault. As for what he actually did ... as time passed, and whatever catastrophic result Sae feared would come from his invasion never materialized, her tension eased bit by bit, like a breath being gradually released. Ichiro never told anyone about their family - still hasn't, as far as she can tell - and he hasn't raised the subject with Sae again since he first told her. It seems like he really did just pass the information on to her, and let her do with it what she wanted.
She isn't as uncomfortable with the thought of Ichiro knowing about their history anymore. She still wishes he hadn't pried behind their backs, of course, but she's not embarrassed that he knows their family's dirty secrets.
He still snuck his way past her defenses without permission. But since he hasn't actually done anything to take advantage of the position he is in, or the information he has, she thinks that maybe it's okay that he is there.
***
She finds Ichiro later, after they return to the hotel - by chance, he is by himself, and they are alone in the hallway - and one of the others could show up at any moment, so she takes her opportunity to speak.
"You can call me oneesan," she says. "But that doesn't mean I think of you the same way as Reika."
Ichiro's lips curve in the hint of an arch smile. "I find that acceptable."
He's teasing her, she realizes, and a sour retort rises to her lips. But then the irritation fades, because his words aren't mean-spirited, and she thinks it might be okay if her little brother teases her. Once in a while.
Her breath huffs out in a quiet laugh. "Yeah, whatever," she says, and continues down the hallway.
Characters: Sae, Reika, Seto, Ichiro
Warmakers Adventure: 20
Word Count: ~900
Summary: New members enter Sae's family uninvited.
Sae always thought that she had enough family. There were four of them - herself, Reika, and their parents, Otonashi and Mizuki. It was a small clan, but they didn't need more.
She and Reika talk to Seto Subaru, convalescing in a Tokyo hospital after nearly getting killed in the devil attack at Narita Airport, and he tells them that he is the cousin of their birth mother, Hashimoto Haruka. Despite the fact that Sae has been worried about his condition and is glad to see that he is alive - despite the fact that she is grateful for him as her Protector, watching over herself and Reika their whole lives - despite the fact that he betrayed his own family in protection of them - resentment rises hot to the back of her throat and makes her mouth tighten with displeasure.
Luckily, she manages not to blurt anything awkward, and listens to Seto talk.
There is pain in his voice when he speaks about the Hashimoto clan, and how he revealed their plans to Yanagisawa Otonashi's company in order to stop the ritual sacrifice of Haruka's daughters - of Reika and Sae. The pain is distant to Sae; she does not feel grief over the death of a mother who would have killed them, or a family who would have let that happen.
Hashimoto Haruka might have been a member of Sae's family, had she chosen to be the twins' mother. But her claim was forfeit the moment she intended to let them die for her own benefit. So was her claim to life, as far as Sae is concerned.
But she listens to the sadness in the voice of her would-be mother's cousin, and it stirs a mixture of guilt and gratitude in her to know what burdens Seto took upon himself for the sake of her and her sister. He chose them over the rest of his family, and Sae owes their lives to that choice.
Reika moves forward to console Seto, using both her supernatural abilities and her persuasive words. He goes quiet, and seems to take a small bit of comfort.
After a moment of hesitation, Sae adds her words to Reika's. "Thank you for what you did," she tells Seto. "I'm happy with my family."
Her true family. Mom, Dad, and Reika, she thinks. And maybe, maybe you.
***
As they leave the hospital, Sae thinks back to a time a few weeks ago, when they were on Heimgard. Ichiro called her oneesan, and - just like with Seto - the word felt like an invasion, and her body stiffened at the affront. She wanted to clamp down and guard herself, cutting off whatever generous feelings Ichiro's friendship had evoked from her in defense against his infiltration.
It doesn't help that, later, she found out that Ichiro had been digging around in her and Reika's past, stirring up dangerous and painful information about their original family. She resented him for that, for learning about the sordid history of the Hashimoto clan, knowledge which should have remained private to her family. She felt as exposed as if she wore armor with a piece missing - and even worse, he discovered that opening before she did.
She was angry with Reika, too, and that made her resent Ichiro more, for being the cause of the circumstances that made her feel upset with her sister.
But she couldn't stay mad at him for long, because she had to admit to herself eventually that many of her reasons for being mad weren't his fault. As for what he actually did ... as time passed, and whatever catastrophic result Sae feared would come from his invasion never materialized, her tension eased bit by bit, like a breath being gradually released. Ichiro never told anyone about their family - still hasn't, as far as she can tell - and he hasn't raised the subject with Sae again since he first told her. It seems like he really did just pass the information on to her, and let her do with it what she wanted.
She isn't as uncomfortable with the thought of Ichiro knowing about their history anymore. She still wishes he hadn't pried behind their backs, of course, but she's not embarrassed that he knows their family's dirty secrets.
He still snuck his way past her defenses without permission. But since he hasn't actually done anything to take advantage of the position he is in, or the information he has, she thinks that maybe it's okay that he is there.
***
She finds Ichiro later, after they return to the hotel - by chance, he is by himself, and they are alone in the hallway - and one of the others could show up at any moment, so she takes her opportunity to speak.
"You can call me oneesan," she says. "But that doesn't mean I think of you the same way as Reika."
Ichiro's lips curve in the hint of an arch smile. "I find that acceptable."
He's teasing her, she realizes, and a sour retort rises to her lips. But then the irritation fades, because his words aren't mean-spirited, and she thinks it might be okay if her little brother teases her. Once in a while.
Her breath huffs out in a quiet laugh. "Yeah, whatever," she says, and continues down the hallway.
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I think I have my own Issues, but I kind of like seeing the crazy (neutral) "mine, not yours" side of Sae's personality again. It's been a while. She was getting... friendly... and stuff ;)
'Course, no one has asked Reika about what she thinks of sharing her oneesan ;)
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Nah, the "eek, stranger getting too close" feeling is outweighed by the "I can trust you with my life" feeling. She's prickly, but she comes around.
I think of Sae as one of those unfriendly cats who rarely gets along with people - but when she does attach to someone, she's fiercely loyal. So she *is* friendly, just in a very limited, kind of weird way. XD
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Having Seto along for the space ride should be really interesting. That, as well as Sae and Ichiro kinda sorta getting along. For some reason that thought worries me...
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