Kotori Tsukumo (nee Mizuki) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
longingfreesia) wrote2017-08-13 08:59 pm
longingfreesia) wrote2017-08-13 08:59 pm
Entry tags:
[Story + Closed Event]
[Story]
Silently, Kotori flicked through the photos on her D-Pad, one after the other. They were photos of her with her mother, photos of her friends... photos taken way before the devastating attack on their home, which took them all away from her. Looking though them always gave her a strange mix of both nostalgia and... guilt. She felt guilty that she survived and they didn't, she felt guilty for things she never did, or things she said... though she knew those were much smaller than her head was making them out to be, things that didn't mean anything.
She didn't really understand what happened to them, what being turned into cards really meant. Did it mean they died that way? Or were they still alive somehow? It was all so unclear.
Either way, she'd tried her best to move on, to carry on living her life, while still giving time to remember them. She'd settled in a new home, the Tsukumo's were now a permanent part of her family to her, she'd made friends here and she'd started building a career here.
But she'd always had that fear that those who attacked Heartland could very well attack Domino City and now... the fear of that possibility had been confirmed and it seemed like Yuma was going to get dragged into it.
She didn't want to lose everything a second time. Her home, her friends, her family... she just couldn't go through that again.
A light knock on the door sounded and Kotori quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as Yuma peered his head around the door.
"Hey! Sis says dinner's nearly done."
Kotori looked over at him and gave him a small nod. "Alright. I'll be there in a moment."
But instead of leaving, Yuma lingered at the door a little, a look of concern appearing on his face. Slowly, he walked fully into the room, closing the door behind him and went to sit by Kotori on the bed.
He was silent for a moment, as he glanced down at the photo of Kotori and her mother displaying on her D-Pad.
"...kind of a heavy day, huh."
Kotori gave him a silent nod, keeping her eyes on the photo for a moment.
She then eventually spoke.
"Yuma. Can I ask you something?"
He looked curiously at her. "Sure."
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him.
"If those people do attack here, are you going to have to fight them?"
Yuma let out a sigh as his eyes trailed off to the floor.
"...I don't know." he replied. "I really don't like dueling being used as a tool for fighting, but..."
He looked back up at her, giving her a solemn smile, before resting a hand against her face. "... I have things I want to protect. Sis, granny, my friends, this city... you... I'd fight to protect all of that if I had too."
That was the reply Kotori had expected from him. She remembered the guilt he'd admitted feeling over Heartland, over not being there to do something and she knew it was something he still carried on his shoulders, the same as her.
"Sweet, I know things are super difficult right now, but ... we'll get through it, I promise. No matter what happens."
Kotori gave him a tiny smile and a nod, which made Yuma smile more tenderly at her. Slowly, he leaned forward and gently pulled Kotori into a kiss, which she quickly deepened. She wanted to just forget about their worries and concentrate on something else, if only for that one moment.
When the kiss broke, the two rested their foreheads together silently, just enjoying the small moment with each other.
After a bit, Kotori spoke.
"Let Akari-san and Haru-san know I'll be ready for dinner soon."
Yuma pulled his head away from hers and gave her a smile. "Okay. I will."
With that, he got up from the bed and left the room, looking back and giving Kotori one last smile as he did.
Once Yuma had left, Kotori looked over to the other side of the room where her handbag was hanging from the back of a chair. She carefully placed her D-Pad down onto the bed and walked over to it, opening it up and taking out a card.
It was the business card Mr. Heartland had given her on their last meeting. He'd offered to help with her dueling and told her to show that card upon her arrival to the address listed.
Just like Yuma, she wanted to protect what was dear to her too. She wanted to help him protect their family, their friends and their home. She didn't want to be weak, she wanted to be prepared.
She NEEDED to be prepared.
As she looked at the card, something niggled in the back of her head. Euphie's reading, her warning... but Kotori shook it off. She couldn't dwell on things like that right now, not when so much was at stake.
She knew what she had to do.
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[Closed Event Post]
*Standing outside a rather large and fancy building, Kotori looked at it in awe, then at the card that she held in her hand in order to double check the address.
Well, this was the place.
Taking a deep breath, she began to slowly walk up to the building.*
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::You enter the office of Mr. Heartland, it's a fairly lavish and older style kind of room. Red carpet, old wooden cabinets. He's sitting in a fairly expensive leather seat.::
I see you finally decided to entertain my offer.
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*When she walks in, she glances around the room before setting her eyes on Mr. Heartland. With a look of determination in her eyes, she walks up to him.*
Yes. I thought about it and I want to take up your offer on helping to improve my dueling.
I also have something else to ask, if it's not too much trouble.
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Of course. Ask away, my dear.
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*Taking a deep breath, she holds out her hand and opens it up to reveal a pen. She seems to concentrate on it for a moment, before the pen floats a little bit off her hand. She looks back at Mr. Heartland.*
I want to be able to train my powers too. I feel I can probably do more with it than just move small items and summon butterflies. So if you are able to help me with that, or if you know someone who can, it's something I'd like to do, alongside the dueling training.
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I'm sure it can be arranged. I'll need a little bit of time, to secure that. But we can get you to the Duel Training immediately.
::Presses up his glasses.::
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*Kotori smiles as she moves her hand to take the floating pen out of the air.*
Thank you so much. This means so much to me!
I'm happy to start the duel training asap!
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Yes, that would be fine with me!
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Then let me introduce you to your teacher.
::The door opens, a very large, bulky man walks in waltzing in wearing sunglasses.::
Ms. Mizuki meet Mr. Semimaru.
You look pretty tiny, little lady. I wonder what The Boss sees in you.
::He looks like he's a bouncer for a club on the wrong end of town. or some sort of gang member.::
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*Kotori looks a little off-put by him at first, but no, she needed to press on with this, so she looks at him determinedly.*
Despite my looks, I'm still determined to improve my dueling.
I'll accept whatever you can teach me, Semimaru-san.
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Starting now is fine with me.
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Then follow me down to Mr. H's private Duel Arena for training.
And be warned, I ain't gonna be taking it easy on you.
::Motions you to follow him.::
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I'm not going to learn if you take it easy on me.
*Despite that niggling feeling biting at the back of her mind again, she follows him as he requests.*
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