Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's routine, ritualistic yet normal, a performance ingrained in every movement, every flutter of eyelashes, every breath, down to the pulse. It was all about perfection, all about being the prodigy, to be worth their time, their money, their attention—love. It was what it culminated to at the end of the day, no more no less.

Chishiya woke up to the beeping of machines as per usual, cautiously peeking over the data, making sure his pulse was within the normal regime, not even sighing in relief at having succeeded. Of course he would, he would soon become the star of the Alien Stage anyways.

Up in that cell room, there were no windows, not to the outside at the least. The windows were one way, meaning everyone saw him but he saw nobody. It was a good way to live, he enjoyed having it all on him. Through his piano rehearsals, his singing practice, his dancing practices, even his breakdowns, he enjoyed the attention he got from his guardians. It meant he still had significance, was efficient. He never interacted with a human in that closure, and he had no interest in such.

Moreover, before the Alien Stage, his guardians had thought of setting him up with a partner. Not for his own relationships, not to keep Chishiya's sanity in check in case the lack of humanity spiraled him into his own demise—it would be a stunt. To strengthen their bond, until the very last stage, where they would mercilessly need to kill one of them. The aliens wanted to test Chishiya beyond his performance and intelligence, his emotional skills coming into the play now. They remembered fondly the Alien Stage from over 20 years ago, how the human heart painted the stage a deep crimson. Set it ablaze due to a stupid word, “love”, one they couldn't understand. But their theatrical skills made it all the more fascinating, human nature turning on itself when at the sight of losing somebody. Chishiya would be the perfect test subject. Lacking interaction, he wouldn't go too far. His stats bewildered them, meaning an impeccable performance would surely happen. It landed on his partner to cause a scene, but they knew his soldier wouldn't break. Never. He was perfect, in every way. They had carefully chosen him, raised him. No breaches.

Chishiya knew of the plan, just not that this stranger would end up becoming a foe. Not that he minded too much in case he did know. Life from the start held close to no value, including his own. Everyone's lives were a play, the humans and the aliens. It all came down to what you were born as, and unluckily he was born human. However, even as one, he was raised in a safe house, kept pristine like an expensive porcelain doll, as if he could shatter if looked wrong. They spared him not, incessant training, lack of nutrients, rest, touch. It could be worse, when he thought of the kids in the garden below. They lived worse than him… he knew so.


Arisu, however, was a fault in the system. His grades and stats landed him a spot at the Alien Stage, but he clearly couldn't land there as a winner. He was adored, not for his enchanting voice, but his passion, his love, his determination. Unafraid of death but defying it at every turn. He didn't care and cared about everything, at the same time. 

Even as he walked barefoot through the tall white walls, accompanied by his guardian behind him. Compared to other aliens, his wasn't as bad. Supported the image he kept up of a young aspiring revolutionary, that's what he called himself. Maybe they liked the idea of someone defying the system, who knew. 

They were at the top of a building, where Chishiya resided. Well, where he was kept. His guardian was extremely wealthy, and afforded the highest place in the Anakt garden. Anyone stepping foot even in the vicinity of the cell would be melting on the floor, but Arisu was indifferent, uninterested. It was just like any other white wall, white tiled floor he'd seen before. The guardians exchanged pleasantries in their language and Arisu's left, leaving him at the hands of the other. It was comparatively taller, hands more muscle, if he could call them that. They had a certain viscosity to them that made it wet to the touch. It sent shivers down his spine when he was held in place by the neck by the creature.

His collar shone a bright yellow collar as he was merely thrown into a cell room, similar to his, however more spacious. No items stood out. Two instruments: a classic piano and an electric guitar. Nothing else was to be found. Arisu sat down and stared at the window. The starless sky of the Anakt garden was all to be seen inside. Was it the sky? It was just… Jet black. Nothing else. A void. No other source of light beside his own collar and the LEDs that adorned the ceiling to floor window. He was just thrown in there like trash without knowing why he even was there.

That was, until he heard shuffling besides him. It alerted him to the fullest, as he jerked his head to his right, searching intently for the source.

“Left.” a soft voice spoke, and Arisu immediately turned to his left, meeting with a figure he couldn't quite perceive in its fullest. He could see, though, the soft features that adorned them. The round and slightly chubby cheeks and the sharp jaw, a nose that arched so slightly. Even the tone they spoke in was indecipherable what their gender was. Soft and quiet like a girl's but brooding and deep enough like a man's. If this was the famous faceless Chishiya, Arisu could see why the aliens were so keen about him—a singing and dancing master, and a beautiful sight to land your eyes on. The lights dimmed, revealing his features further. 

Hair so long it tickled at the floor behind him as he sat down, straight like a waterfall. Dark roots with ash blond hair at the ends—Arisu wondered how a human could even have such genes, clearly he would have to be beyond human, no? 

His eyes were sharp like daggers, but his orbs held a mysterious enticing void in them, like a cauldron you could swim into and forfeit your own existence. His thick eyebrows, but straight with no evident arch. And lips tilted down naturally, plump on the bottom and a perfect sized cupid's bow. Skin so smooth it might have been surgically replaced with glass.

It was mesmerizing, Arisu could only reach out and cup his hands around Chishiya's cheeks. A touch so gentle, like he was frail to the touch, like the man would crumble like a sand castle if he touched him wrong. 

Chishiya didn't flinch, didn't move, but also didn't lean into the touch. He was accustomed with the same behavior from his peer aliens, so it didn't phase him. This was his first time interacting with humans face to face, rather than through a screen or glances from extremely long ago, when he was still allowed an education with the other kids, before he was forcefully dragged into that surgical table, before he was locked away, before his humanity was forfeited. 

“Are you okay?” Arisu quizzed, slight worry washing his face, as he noticed Chishiya's collar flickering to yellow. Quickly, he pulled his hands away.

Chishiya didn't respond, mostly because he didn't know what to say. Instead, he grabbed Arisu's hands and brought them back onto his face, who complied like it was second nature. This time, Chishiya leaned into his palms, feeling the calloused fingers of his. It wasn't exactly pleasing, but it was oddly warm. He liked it.

“Play with Chishiya.” Chishiya asked, plainly. 

“Like, a game?”

“Music.”

Arisu went quiet. He had performed countless times before, in those talent shows and in front of their guardians, a bigger audience. But here he didn't know, he didn't even have a song to go off of, and obviously he didn't even know Chishiya's style. He was eclectic, of course he could adapt! But Arisu… would just not compare.

His thoughts came to a halt as a key played. Chishiya had long ago gotten up from his seat on the floor and now sat in front of the big classic piano, long fingers hovering the keys like they were hot to the touch.

“Please join him.” he spoke again, following Arisu with his eyes as he got up from the floor and picked up the electric guitar. 

He looked unsure at the guitar in his hands, obviously it wouldn't be like his, but the problem lay in the fact that these two instruments normally didn't go along well. “What do we play?” he turned to Chishiya beside him, noticing a paper in front of him, trying to make out the notes from a distance. Chishiya adjusted the position of the partiture, staring at it with fingers softly caressing the keys, like they would crumble at the touch. It was sophisticated, elegant, entrancing. Arisu couldn't peel his eyes, or ears, away. 

The melody ascended in key like a story, Chishiya playing with a robotic grace that was so detached from human yet so personal. Mastered dexterity where he would rummage his fingers through lows and highs like it was programmed into his system, unafraid of failure. An air of confidence surrounded him like an untouchable shell, and Arisu was scared of moving even an inch closer, or at all, afraid he would take physical damage from whatever Chishiya had created. 

Arisu was terrified of him. There was not a doubt in his bones that… other humans wouldn't win. Knowing his own guardian, and after watching previous contests, they had been searching for this one all along. No wonder he was conserved like a painting in a museum—he read up on one of them being so magnificent, you couldn't even stand too close to it. The Mona Lisa. An impenetrable gaze, paintstrokes lost to time but charm resided exactly in her indiscernible figure. A voyage in the unknown, the mystery figure. Only a name attached to the woman staring back at you, nothing else in the story.

In retrospect, it was a good comparison to Chishiya.

Just as the song came to a crescendo and Arisu physically braced himself, it came to an abrupt stop, leaving his nerves on edge and the anticipation itching at his skin like parasites. 

“Arisu won't play?” he quizzed, turning his head to look at the frozen man near him, standing so still he could double as a statue.

“You know my name?”

“Of course. Arisu is Chishiya's partner after all. Him and Chishiya are together.”

Arisu looked at him, confused. They had barely exchanged more than 20 words and now they were bound together? Is this what lack of human interaction does? Makes you believe that by talking to one and playing to them will result in a tragic love story? “No, we aren't? And why do you keep talking in third person?”

Chishiya shuffled in his seat, his body fully facing Arisu, knees pressed together and hands resting on his lap. He stared so deeply into Arisu's soul, it felt that simply his gaze was enough to read people. 

“Arisu and Chishiya were put together to enact the romance in Alien Stage.” and like pure magic, he pulled out a small tablet from behind the partiture sitting on his piano, pulling up a video of a performance. It played out normally, until the chorus came and instead of heart-wrenched singing, one of the men pulled out and abruptly kissed the other for a long minute. “They smack their lips together to show affection. Shall Chishiya and Arisu do the same? No… Unsha liked the unexpected trait of it, still, they should do it in case they perform together.”

The naturality in his voice. The fact he wasn't understanding the weight of his words, the situation at hand. Arisu could only stare, words failing him. He crouched down, eye level to Chishiya and put his hands on his shoulders, “We don't gotta do that, we can just be friends. They can hardly tell the difference, y'know?” Chishiya simply tilted his head, expression empty but unreadable, “Besides… I barely know you. Only your achievements. You're a ghost with a name. Let's make our time count.” Arisu smiled and Chishiya's collar flickered a quick yellow, stiffening up but only for a blink of an eye. He nodded in agreement and rose from his seat, heading towards a wall in the room. Much to Arisu's surprise, it opened when he came close to it.

Chishiya didn't say anything, but left the entrance open, obviously an invite to come inside. He rose up, still holding onto the guitar in his hands.

It was a sterile hospital room, everything neatly organized, like it had just been cleaned. 

“This is Chishiya's room. Chishiya has to take his medicine due to bad health, and connects to machines that register the heartbeat.” He sat down on the bed, carefully picking up an IV and sticking the needle into his arm like it was routine work, not even flinching or a symbol of pain. Just the unreadable eyes. “Talk about yourself now.” 

Arisu looked at him, puzzled. He glanced around the room, searching for any personality in there. Books, posters. They all had the same tailored decoration vibe to it, it wasn't put there due to Chishiya's likes but for his image, to feed him like the lab grown plant he is. He sat down next to Chishiya, guitar resting on his lap like a dog. He tuned it, adjusting the chords to the lower key he enjoyed playing. “Well, I often play with my friends. We've written tons of songs together, but haven't really decided on a name yet,” he strummed the guitar, a screech emitting from it, which Arisu immediately cringed to and tapped it to silence it, “We wanna make it out of this place and play for humans, y'know? I've seen it wi-” hurriedly, a hand covered his mouth and interrupted his speech. Chishiya silenced him before he could continue. 

His eyes were no longer undecipherable, no. A flash of fear washed over them, a microexpression so small it seemed like a glitch. Quickly, he removed his hand. “The only outside there ever will be is the one with the aliens. Humans aren't fit for anything further.” So robotic, so practiced, so unnatural. Arisu highly doubted this was the actual Chishiya by now. Maybe a robot had taken up his place in his stance.

That would be the case, if the beeping of the machine didn't increase alarmingly, his cheeks grew redder and the collar flickered a harsh, bright red. Arisu looked at him surprised, confused by the reaction, not really knowing what to do.

So, in an act of desperation, Arisu grabbed his hands, pulling Chishiya closer with his other hand. There, he began singing the song from the performance Chishiya had shown him only minutes prior.

“Allow me, to the tips of your fingers, allow me to the ends of your feet, dissolve me in your gaze, I don't want to let you go.” Arisu's voice was low and muffled, whispering the lyrics like they were a secret. As if surrounded by a crow, the words hurt in his throat. It felt weird singing them aloud, especially to a specific person, knowing the meaning it held. Still, his voice didn't falter.

That song stood out to him growing up, not even for the performance that accompanied it, but the deep emotion residing within the men that sung it—even though their lives and feelings were unknown to the public, the lyrics and their voice held emotion unmatched, able to capture the tragic story of ending up at a stage with the lack of love. Two 20 year long lives told aloud in less than 4 minutes.

He continued after a small pause, voice going to a higher pitch but not breaking. His breathing was impressive, his technique flawless. Of course, he wouldn't land in the Alien Stage with looks alone. His vocal range laid somewhere in bass to baritone, it was enchanting, his voice was like honey, “Please leave me scars, please hurt me so that not a single drop of me remains.”

Once again, the hand returned to his face, shushing him at once. But this time the gesture was calmer, like he wasn't forcing him to stay quiet but was rather embarrassed. It was surprisingly polite coming from Chishiya. That was a starter, at the least.

“Your voice is pretty. Thank you.” he commented, as quietly as he could. In the tone he spoke, it seemed like he was doing something he wasn't meant to. Arisu nodded, understanding a little what was going on. Nonetheless, he was flustered by the compliment. He was basically singing a lullaby to him—no, a confession.

“Will we see each other everyday now?”

Chishiya hummed. “Chishiya doesn't know. He only stays here. Arisu will have to come here yourself, like you did earlier.”

“My guardian led me here, actually…” Chishiya looked intrigued by the statement, so he continued, returning his gaze to the guitar. “I wonder why they wanted to set me and you up.” Chishiya looked at him intently, like he was looking for the last piece of the puzzle, mind a haze.

“Arisu has lots of friends outside. He has an understanding of relationships. However, there is more than he lets on.” Arisu perked up, curious, “For someone who excels at everything, Chishiya doesn't need Arisu. So, for them to be set up together, means they're on par.” Arisu sighed, looking to the side, suddenly the medical IV drops became more interesting. The droplets that fell weren't clear at all, in fact they seemed somewhat solid for what their intended purpose was. 

“My guardian says aliens are keen on me, but for the wrong reasons,” he bit his lip, trying to hold back the truth, thinking up on the spot how to word it, “They want to see me fail. Bad. That's why I'm here. But I'll live—and prove them all wrong.” asserted, as he fiddled with the strings of the guitar, finally tuned to his liking. A low note reverberated quietly through the room, an echo lingering on the walls.

“Determination won't work on its own.” Chishiya suddenly got up, removing the needles from his arms and putting a new bandaid on the spot it was before. His arm was covered in them, and his veins were noticeable from a mile. It was both terrifying and mesmerizing, to Arisu, it was more worrisome. “But Arisu has a good voice, that's a start.” He spoke, before exiting the room once more and returning to the empty piano room, Arisu following behind like a dog, taken aback by the compliment, if he could call it such.

Then he started thinking about when Chishiya silenced him, forbade him from talking about the Alien Stage tragedy. It was a good memory, no? Everyone talked about it all the time, it wasn't even a taboo in Anakt, though obviously you couldn't side with humanity, or even the witch. But it festered inside of him, the desire to play to humans like those he saw on the big screen, who poured their souls out like it was a lifeline. He thought of the many others outside who didn't even get a chance to speak, like he did a long, long time ago. Like his creator couldn't, and therefore was killed. And he, traded away for a sum of money just to prove a point, and to also, be ridden off—his other creator didn't think he'd make it in, much less survive, but he would prove that man wrong. The other creation might have gotten along with aliens, but Arisu would always be good friends with humans and humanity itself, it was the one thing he refused to let go.

So to be given a chance of befriending Chishiya, the prime example of human ruin, maybe he'd prove them all wrong. That they aren't doomed, that there's a future beyond this. A world where Chishiya wouldn't be afraid no more, a world where he could sing for an audience of humans with his best friends in the entire world, telling a story from a heart only they could understand. Not for entertainment, not to perform, just for the desire to be heard, to do something meaningful. Did the aliens know about his conviction? Of course, that's why they wanted him gone, maybe the Alien stage was a facade, a trap. But he wouldn't succumb so easily.

What was he missing in Chishiya's jigsaw? An occult piece from his side. Why couldn't he speak freely? The rising star with no face. What else did he conceal?

“Are you afraid of dying?”

“Hm? No.” Plain and cut like a dagger. Chishiya didn't even lift his gaze. “Because Chishiya wouldn't die. He's too clever.” 

“You can't fool it, y'know… I'm scared of it myself.” he sat down, guitar propped up and back turned against Chishiya, who sat in front of the piano. Arisu began strumming mindlessly. A melody with no coherency, but still pleasing to the ears, like live poetry. It was quiet, yet bumbling with an effervescent fire. Something that Chishiya wasn't quite used to. Melodies with a distinct sense of harmonious rhythm was what was concise, was what was right. So why did such a rebellious tone enchant him so?

“Everyone you know will die, Arisu. Arisu dreams big, but not realistically. It is a death contest, where he might even have to kill his own friends.” The guitar played louder, muffling out Chishiya's quiet voice, who didn't really look forward to straining it. He seemed pretty bummed out at not being heard, but they could have a different conversation.

Driven by the aimless chords of Arisu's, Chishiya memorized the keys, fingers hovering the piano as he whispered them to himself, teaching himself the song Arisu was playing on the spot. And so, he began fervently playing the piano, in the most ferocious way he's ever played. The grace from earlier totally vanished, he pressed the keys on the keyboard like they personally hurt him. Hands crossed each other, fingers dancing like a tango. Until he caught Arisu's pace and played even faster. All 5 fingers on each of his hands played a key on a different part of the keyboard—highs and lows, it was like he had never played piano in his life and started playing aimlessly, no real destination. Chishiya had started a song he didn't know how to tame quite yet. The theories were there, the practice was there, but no individuality, no personality attached. He mimicked Arisu's steps and now didn't know where it would go. He noticed Arisu's guitar had begun to slow down in the beat, but he couldn't do the same. 

Chishiya played like his heart was on his throat, mouth sealed shut like it could burst at any moment. The wires inside the piano vibrated with all their might, the floor shook beneath him, his world slowly crumbling apart, with only the small seat keeping him up. 

The guitar picked up again, this time more steady and calm. A bridge to which the piano happily crossed. The music was in seeming harmony, a coordinated dance with no posterior practice—they still stepped on each other's toes, but they laughed it off and proceeded. It was imperfect, it was bad, theory wise. It was bad following the rules of what was good. But if you asked Chishiya, he would say it was tearful-type of good. 

Arisu led the bridge returning momentarily to the chorus, allowing for Chishiya to finish the music. To which all he could reply with was a vague three high pitched keys, almost like a beep, it scratched your ears and was barely inaudible. But it brought it all together. 

Arisu turned around, sweat drenched on his temples but a smile so wide the light bounced off his teeth. Chishiya couldn't help but tilt his lips upwards either. “Is this one of Arisu's songs? Chishiya would like a copy of the chords. Does he sing too?” 

Arisu giggled, cheeky. “I just made that up on the spot like you did. I never realized how such a classical instrument could go along so well with my guitar…” he took off the guitar, and set it on the place where he last found it: standing on the wall, held up by a support. Then, he turned around and walked closer to Chishiya, ruffling his hair. “You should play with us sometime. We play plenty of instruments, Chota plays the drums and Karube the bass. I can just imagine—”

“You think I can leave this place?”

“Eh?”

Chishiya stood up, clearing his throat, folding the top of the piano. “Chishiya would need to ask his guardian, but it'll be hard. Being away too long is bad for his health, and he must focus all his time on practicing and performing."

“Then I'll get you out of here myself, I can just picture it! We could—” he stopped as soon as he saw Chishiya's expression. Completely lifeless, like that of a corpse. He was tired, he could tell. “Right. You're sick…Say, is there a spare bed or something here? I don't know if my guardian's picking me up and I'm exhausted.”

Chishiya looked confused, “There's a bed in Chishiya's room.”

“But that's yours?”

“It doesn't belong to Chishiya, technically speaking. But it is a bed. Chishiya and Arisu will sleep there.” He simply trotted back into the room, and Arisu followed suit, quite perplexed at how simple Chishiya saw the world. If he hadn't been… Entirely incubated in this tower, who knows. He would be extremely popular down there, impressing all of the ladies and men, because of his deceiving looks and silver tongue. 

“WO—” he covered his mouth and quickly turned away when he realized Chishiya was stripping off his white on white pants and shirt to a hospital gown. He moved so quickly that Arisu didn't even see a peek of his skin beneath the layers of clothing. Not that he was interested in that anyways, he'd been taught in classes it wasn't right, and despite his admiration for the couple in the perfomance, he couldn't see himself in them. It simply wasn't... Right.

Arisu laid back on the bed, hands awkwardly resting on his stomach, and Chishiya laid beside him, awfully close, his hair tossed to the side, then he proceeded to put some type of skeleton machine with stickers and wires that he attached to his head, stickers placed on his forehead. Then, another one on his neck to track his heartbeat, that Arisu knew. Arisu needed to go under such strange procedures as well, but he normally had to be dragged and placed forcefully in the chair to comply. Chishiya did it on his own, no complaints. 

Just what kind of creature were they raising in that tall tower?

Arisu closed his eyes and drifted away, questions hanging in the air. But the music from minutes prior silenced them, like a lullaby.

That night, he dreamed of the band of his dreams coming to fruition. 

♦️♥️

Chapter Text

“So… You're saying he wanted to mate with you…?” Karube exclaimed, as his fork stabbed a bite of Arisu's food, which he quickly brought to his mouth before Arisu could slap it off. It tasted bland, but stolen always gave it a better flavor, like seasoning.

“NO!... Yes?” he replied, head in hands as he thought up the events of the day before. When morning arrived, or rather, when Chishiya had slept his allotted sleeping time, Arisu was escorted from the room and returned to his own. He would have to go there again later, and frankly, he wasn't looking forward to it too much, “You'd think the lab grown singing human was a beast— NO! He's just a guy, who's probably wearing a wig and is a little off-putting. I can't see what the aliens see, but y'know, I'm human.”

“A guy wearing a wig doesn't sound too bad, as long as he doesn't look like a guy. Did he have a beard?” Arisu scratched his chin, genuinely considering Chota's hypothesis, to which he nodded in disagreement. “Honestly, I'd take up on that offer then. It would just be all for show anyway.”

“Yeah! The only problem is you wouldn't be able to create anything. Real bummer!”

Arisu slapped Karube's shoulder playfully, to which he overreacted with an exaggerated ow, like he'd broken his shoulder blade in the process. Arisu just kept on chewing his food, almost done with his plate. “I've just gotta figure out how to leave. Y'know, the witch had to come from somewhere, the other girl too. There's a route to the outside.”

“Man! We haven't even thought up a name for our trio!” Chota exclaimed, bummed out by his own affirmation as he shoved down the world's worst rice down his throat like it was water.

“I thought of the Heart's fuel, but Arisu thought it was too cliché.” Karube said, while chewing his food, which earned an “Ew!” from Chota.

“Because it is! We gotta be more… You know, mysterious! Just find a word that sounds cool and make it that, don't even think about it too much. Trust me.” Chota and Karube exchanged looks, and then looked at Arisu who smiled like a fool.

As their conversation progressed, a tray was set next to Arisu's. He turned to his side immediately, confused on who could be sitting next to him—he wasn't exactly known as being well liked or even known, so a stranger coming up to him was new. Especially one that was a girl.

“I'm Usagi.” she introduced herself, an air of confidence and determination in her voice that made Arisu shrink in his seat, taken aback by her sudden approach. She wasn't quite known, but the times he's heard of her were only high-prestigious stuff, mainly in the physical field. He could see Karube's chin drop to the floor as she spoke. Of course, he was deeply involved in the sports field of Anakt. “I'm sorry, but I couldn't help hear your conversation.”

Arisu scratched his head, ruffling his hair. A bit embarrassed, he had to ask: “Which part?”

“Escaping.” she muttered, almost inaudible. Arisu had to lean in and really listen to catch it. Usagi's eyes immediately met with his, and he was put in his place again on the seat. “I could help you, if you really want that. But we have to wait until it starts, we… He can't strike before that.”

Chota looked at her, unafraid of her. In fact, he seemed to not even believe her at all, “Who's he?”

“The real winner of the Alien Stage.” she took a spoon and took out a little of her gelatine, bringing it to her mouth. “He's been helping kids like us for over two decades now.”

Arisu couldn't make sense of whatever she was saying now, and chose to put down her babble instead. “Aren't you trapped with us here? How are you gonna help?

“I chose to be here. To help.”

“You could die?!”

“I know,” she set down her spoon, “I don't mind the risk, not anymore.”

Arisu could only stare at her and sigh. There was some truth in her speech, of course, but he just couldn't wrap his head around the concept. In no way was it possible. “Believe me or not, I don't mind. I'll do my best to survive.” and with that said, she lifted her tray and swiftly got up, lost in the multitude in the cafeteria and left it after setting it away.

“What was that?!”

“I know! How would she know THE winner of the Alien Stage?”

“Right! He's been gone for over 20 years! That guy's got larvae living in his casket by now!”

Karube and Chota bickered between each other, one imitating maggots crawling out of his eyes with weird noises and the other pretending to faint from horror, giggling between one another.

Still, Arisu couldn't shake off something that was clearly missing. She was way too certain of herself to not know what she was saying, of course the guy wasn't deceased, or maybe it was a different person altogether?! He needed to talk to her again, he had to. But he couldn't divagate any longer, Karube and Chota were going off on his ear, worried about hallucinations and whatnot. So, Arisu returned to them and made jokes along with them, yet the thought lingered at the back of his head.

After lunch time, Arisu had to practice. For sure. He couldn't skip it today, he had evaded his guardian for too long now, always sneaking off to play with his friends or simply hanging out in a more secluded area of the garden. Realistically, they should know where he is at all times, or maybe they were just being lenient on him, they were betting on him to die anyways, who knew how they'd get money that way.

Except Arisu wasn't planning on practicing, nope. After lunchtime, he snuck out into the garden and followed after Karube, asking about his schedule during the afternoon.

Karube noticed his weird, creepy stance behind him, and turned around on his heel, which made Arisu jump from his sneaky position. “Seriously man? Ya gotta stalk me just to ask me that?”

Arisu shrugged, recomposing himself, with a hint of an embarrassed tone, “I mean- Yeah! Of course! It adds to the thrill of it!”

Karube wasn't entirely convinced, but just dragged him by the collar nonetheless, “I'm going to go to the gym area, wanna come?”

Arisu gulped. His muscles were as strong as dry spaghetti, but if he wanted answers the best he could do is try and find the girl again. He could tell from his expression he knew her, so following him around would eventually lead to the destination. “Does Usagi work out there?”

Karube stopped in his tracks, turning around slowly with a malicious smirk on his face. “Come again?”

“You heard me!”

“You already fell for her? Damn!”

Arisu blushed, and smacked Karube in the head, wiping the smirk off his face. “No! I'm just…Interested! In what she said! What if we really can escape?”

“Of course you out of anyone would believe that… Y'know, I'm intrigued too. Let's go.” Karube held onto Arisu's wrist and led him into a gym.

Everyone who frequented it was muscular, tall and mostly male. The girls were scarce, as normally they were assigned different types of activities proposed by their guardians. Obviously, not all guys frequented the gym either—it all depended on their image. Arisu was never seen here, so some people stopped in the midst of their workout to stare at the lanky boy strutting his way in, laughing between each other at the sight… He shouldn't have expected any less. Everyone was hard on their practice, given the Alien Stage would start in three months, announcements about the first rounds coming up soon for preparations. Everyone wanted to do their best. Arisu wasn't really thinking about it as hard as he probably should.

Karube stopped in his tracks and Arisu bumped his nose into him, “Hey at least—” he quieted down immediately when he realized why he'd stopped, and they arrived at their destination.

Usagi was bench pressing, sweat running down her temples and her shirt tied with a knot, the weight she held seemed way too heavy for her, but she lifted it up like it was routine work. Arisu was scared, he knew he needed to be careful around her. She was focused and didn't realize their presence, mostly due to the music playing in her ear buds and fixing her eyes up in the ceiling. Of course, it would be rude and weird to just stare at her, so Karube waved up at her, which made her lift the weight one more time and set it up there. She took off her earbuds, tossing them to the side, not really worrying about them in the slightest or where they would land. Then, she met her gaze with the two men, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her arm and reaching out for her waterborne next to her. She sat up, took off the cap and took a greedy gulp.

Arisu didn't quite know how to start the conversation, but obviously he had to now. Was this even an adequate place to talk…? It didn't feel like they should do it here, maybe with less people around? Should he ask her to move somewhere else? Should they have not gone at all, maybe this was a bad idea? Maybe—

“We just wanna talk about earlier.” real smooth, Karube. A great conversation starter. Obviously he could tell Arisu was at a loss of words.

“Yes! I thought about what you said and I… I have a couple questions.”

She didn't reply, but didn't really show any sigh of denial, so Arisu continued.

“I want to get out of here, to play for humans, with my friends! You said you have people that can help. We want out.”

She sighed and screwed the cap back in place, setting it down again. Her breathing noticeably slowed and she had the same determined composure that he recalled from earlier. An eerie air of confidence surrounded her, it was inviting but somewhat scary, considering her strength.

“We have to wait until the Alien Stage, I told you this.” Usagi explained, as plainly as she did earlier, “I can't give you much info because I don't have much myself.” she bit her lip, noticeably nervous as she gripped the fabric of her pants, “I am here only to help, not really participate. I'm glad you guys want to escape, I haven't had much luck.”

Arisu tilted his head, a bit confused, “You're saying nobody else wanted to leave?” Karube crossed his arms, a tad incredulous by the statement. But Usagi seemed unfazed, like she was used to it. Her gaze drifted away from the pair, focusing on the floor instead. Distant, detached.

“Yes.” a pause, like it hurt to admit, “Every human knows being on the Alien Stage is an honor, it is currently the highest admiration you can get as a human.”

“No wonder they wouldn't wanna leave! Especially when they don't know what the outside is like.” Karube added, unsure of his own words but a smile plastered on his face to show he seemed to understand just a little.

“I mean… I don't know what it is either, I heard it's worse than here…” Arisu began to divagate, lost in thought. He sat down next to Usagi on the bench press, hands pressing each other, “I just, don't wanna be owned anymore, I want to be free, and choose for myself! That's why I'm here, I didn't wanna be tied down to my creator but now…” and it seemed like it finally sunk into him. He had quite literally rushed into death and didn't know how to get out, worse, he most likely had to watch people he grew up with die… He'd prefer to die in their stead. He had just been so optimistic about leaving and getting out that it never truly got to him. Only when he officially graduated and was branded did reality slowly creep up, but even then, his group seemed untouchable.

And he was only three months away from losing that safe haven. He would get them out, for sure. Or die trying. It didn't matter.

A hand tapped his shoulder, reassuringly. Usagi's. He turned to her, and she had a thin line on her lips, understanding eyes like she could read his thoughts, despite only sharing a fraction of them outloud.

“Come on man!” Karube shouted, weirdly enthusiastic for no reason, ruffling Arisu's hair, trying to get him out of his trance. “How are we gonna leave with you in that state?! Come on, let's work out while you're here!” Karube suddenly bent over towards Arisu and picked him up by his stomach and hoisted him on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, taking him to a treadmill.

Usagi watched the two work out together for a short while, Karube encouraging him to keep running and working those legs, while Arisu complained about pain and being tired not even ten seconds on the walking pad. It would be a lie to say she didn't find it humorous. But staring the entire day would be weird, so she returned to her own machine.

Arisu's shirt was drenched, and he laid on the floor, immovable. Every fiber of the muscles in his body has been processed and melted down into an undecipherable gooey mass. It seemed that to move would be futile, and he'd possibly just roll over. His lungs fought for air, and he took deep breaths like Karube instructed him—who was also laughing at his stance. They worked out for like, what, three hours, give or take? Normally he'd do some sport after, but Arisu clearly wouldn't be able to join him.

“You need help to get to your cell?”

Arisu stared at him with daggers in his eyes, huffing and puffing.

“I'll take that as a no. Well, I gotta leave soon, make sure you can leave.”

Arisu struggled to speak, but he tried nonetheless, through sighs and gasps of air, “What…Time… Is it?”

“Uh,” Karube looked at the clock on the wall and read it aloud, “6:23pm.”

Arisu sat up instantly, the daze gone in a blink. Even Karube was surprised.

“Fuck! I gotta meet with Chishiya soon!”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you're fake dating the ghost of Anakt.”

“Shut up! I told you we're friends!”

And before Karube could even speak, Arisu bolted out of the building at record speed, at least for Arisu. His training had already been paying off, he needed to drag him there more often, perhaps with Chota too. The more encouragement the better.

When he set foot into the hallway, it was like a moth to a flame. His guardian came rushing down, and his sweat ran cold. He had been gone the entire day at least, and only now returned. At least he was on time, but not exactly tidied up. His appearance was devastated, hair going in every direction possible and shirt with a large stain of sweat that hadn't dried yet.

It stared at him with all of its eight eyes. Arisu prepared himself.

A smack across his face, one so strong it made him bounce back on his feet. But he didn't so much yelp from pain, protesting was useless and he didn't have the energy to throw a scene now. He just complied, and accepted the next one, and the next one, and the next one…

His nose started bleeding and that's when it stopped. The alien then grabbed Arisu by the collar and dragged him to the top building, back where Chishiya was kept, and like yesterday, he was thrown like worthless trash again.

This time, the room was lit. Chishiya was nowhere to be found though. There was more decoration in the room, if he could call it that. A finished jigsaw puzzle. A music box with a ballerina. A book with no pictures, only text. Arisu couldn't read the cover.

He stared at everything and breathed deeply, then plopped his back onto the floor. He felt a sharp pain on his head as he laid down, possibly due to the beating he just received mixed with the exhaustion he felt. Arisu closed his eyes for a second, hoping his nightmare would soon end, playing a small sight of him with his friends, all laughing and playing together.

“Arisu is dead.” a voice above him spoke. An announcement so deadpanned in tone it almost sounded like it was pre-written. Chishiya lightly kicked him with his foot  seeing if he'd get any reaction from the limp body, but nothing.

He crouched down, getting a closer look at him. His face was swollen and bruised, dried blood ran down his nose onto his mouth, his whole face was wet from sweat, his hair stuck to his forehead, and his clothes reeked. Chishiya physically cringed at the sight of him, but was also unsure of what to do.

He leaned down closer, observing Arisu closer, as if he was a critter under a microscope. Bruises aside, he did have a good jawline, maybe if he cleaned up and wore a hairstyle that didn't cover his eyes, Chishiya would have noticed just how pretty they are. Short eyelashes and a shape like two round precious crystals. He didn't hold back—with his head, he peeled his eyelid open from his closed eyes, seeing if he'd react to the light in the ceiling above him. Luckily, he did. “He's alive.” he muttered, almost relieved… as dealing with a dead body wasn't really a skill he was taught, not yet at least.

Arisu groaned, limbs failing to respond but still shuffling on the ground, comically, like a worm. Chishiya was amused by the sight, not quite understanding he was in a lot of physical pain. He opened his eyes, only to be met with Chishiya's who stared at him awfully close. He shrieked, sitting up but bumping foreheads with him instead, which knocked Arisu down and made Chishiya jump backwards. He covered his forehead and caressed the area to try and soothe the pain, while Arisu simply continued to agonize on the floor.

Eventually, when the pain settled down, Chishiya sat back down, avoiding getting as close to Arisu again, still leaning over him. “What was Arisu doing before? His state is deplorable.”

Arisu covered his face with his hands, dragging them down with another groan, clearly not in a good mood. “I was… Talking to Usagi, then I worked out for too long. Got my ass beat for it.”

“New friend?”

“I guess? Dunno yet.”

“Arisu makes friends so easily.”

Arisu finally sat up, looking Chishiya in the eye as he combed through his hair, fixing the loose strands. “It's not hard when you're not cooped up in a tower nobody can reach.” Chishiya nodded in agreement.

He looked around, walls as enigmatic and white as ever, humming as he thought up of what to do or say now. Chishiya wasn't a big talker it seemed, or at least didn't know what to say. “Do you have somewhere I can clean myself?”

Chishiya nodded, standing up in one motion. He quickly walked towards a wall that opened when he got close to it. It was a small room, dim blue lights illuminating it. A tub against the wall with a faucet, a sink and a toilet. It was the basics, but it felt extremely cramped. What caught Arisu's attention though, was the amount of cables attached to the wall next to the tub, ones like the ones he saw stuck to Chishiya's head yesterday, whatever they were for it probably served the same purpose.

Chishiya noticed Arisu standing behind him, and shoved him inside, and the man was still in a slight shock of it all, not even realizing that Chishiya himself was stripping bare of his clothes. “Arisu and Chishiya will clean themselves together. To save time.” he stated, like he was narrating their lives.

Arisu blinked once. Arisu blinked twice. Then he returned—”Huh?” When he turned around, Chishiya had already taken off his shirt. Looking back at him was his bare chest, full of all kinds of scars, most likely surgical. His bones were quite obvious through the skin as well, he didn't weigh a lot. But obviously, the most obvious thing was the engraving of his name across his chest, like a shield. Arisu blinked once, Arisu blinked twice. He didn't know whether he should look away or keep staring, since he was already looking anyway. Chishiya didn't seem pleased, so he looked down and took off his own shirt, so they would be on equal footing.

Unlike him, Chishiya didn't stare, he just bent over and turned on the faucet to fill the tub with water so they could bathe.

Arisu's torso wasn't as beaten up, only a few bruises and his arms had a few cuts, but nothing serious. He did have a lot of moles adorning his figure, which he had grown to hate due to his guardian. Always pinched at them and tried to remove it, unable to understand it was a part of his skin. He also had an engraving of his name here, to the left of his bellybutton, just on top of his hip. It was considerably smaller than Chishiya's, but proof of ownership nonetheless.

Chishiya began sliding out of his pants, which was the cue for Arisu to look away, “Just get in the water when you're done.” he said nervously, biting his cheek inside his mouth. Only did he turn when he heard a splash sound, to which he reacted by also taking off his own pants. However, he noticed Chishiya didn't look away or gave him a bit of privacy. He kind of just stared, not amused or thrilled, not like he wanted him to be or anything! He just didn't have any emotion in his face in the slightest. No social awareness whatsoever. At least, they received classes on behavior to have with the same and opposite gender. Arisu knew two males shouldn't see each other without any clothing, so if they had to bathe together, looking away would be the least he could do. Or maybe Chishiya didn't really know his anatomy nor what privacy was truly.

“Do you mind?” he asked, uncomfortable. Chishiya tilted his head, not understanding the memo. Arisu then sighed, rolling his eyes. “Look away for a second.” He didn't really understand but he complied, allowing Arisu to strip out of his pants and slide into the bathtub, in front of Chishiya.

He was bigger than Chishiya, so the bathtub didn't feel quite as comfortable as it should. Whereas he could sit down with his legs straight and relax, Arisu had to bend his legs and sit straight which wasn't the best, but his cell didn't even have this privilege, so he took advantage of it.

The hot water especially, it soothed his muscles and relaxed them, which earned a pleased sigh from him.

Chishiya on the other side, was sinking into the water like it was where he belonged, returning to his roots. He let his hair fall into the water, his waves flowing with the water, curling slightly. Chishiya only stared at the water, watching as the color changed significantly. It was clear Arisu wasn't the cleanest one, obviously. He felt odd at having shared a bed with him now, who knows if he had contaminated his room.

The silence between them was only filled with the quiet beeping from the wires machine next to the tub and the water that dripped from the faucet every so often. Chishiya reached for the soap on the side and handed it to Arisu, who accepted it shyly. He didn't really know what it was at first, he had just accepted without a second thought. Quickly enough, he figured it made foam. Maybe it was similar to what they used to clean the animals in Anakt. Success— he began to scrub himself using the soap, only really using his hands and nothing else. Chishiya wasn't staring, he was rather entertained looking at his own reflection in the water instead. Then, like a lightbulb appeared above his head, he reached out for the cables next to him, attaching them to various areas; his neck, his chest, just above the heart, through his shoulder, down to his arms and fingers. Coincidentally enough, all of these areas were spots that all had scars, like they were marked for this exact reason.

Arisu didn't really know what was the purpose of it all, but didn't say or ask anything, just continued cleaning himself. Then, he submerged his head inside of the water and quickly took it out, washing his hair with the same bar of soap that had quite the filth attached to it now.

This time, Chishiya was staring. His hair when it was wet was a bit comical looking, it stuck perfectly to his head, shaping it. Fully straight. He looked like a feline getting washed. But, it changed when he removed the hair fully from his face. Bangs slicked back, a full sight of his face structure. Chishiya's eyebrows raised surprised by the view and with himself for not having seen it soon, how pretty he was. It was different from earlier. His eyes glistened wonderfully under the blue light, taking in its color greedily. His eyes were so dark but full of light, it was beautiful. His cheekbones had wonderful mastery behind it, sculpted by a talented one above, if there was such, otherwise just a blessing from genes. His lips were full like two pieces of fruit, in its color and plumpiness, and his mole, just below his left eye. Completely mirroring Chishiya's.  Something tugged at his heartstrings, upon the realization. Arisu did stand a chance against him—Arisu had the capacity to face him, in figure, he was tailored to rival him. In music, he was able to capture the emotion he lacked. Create something new, not following rules other than his own. He gulped. All these years, he had always been praised and turned into the perfect idol, the doll everyone adored. How on earth did Chishiya actually have competition?

The machine beeped faster, which raised Arisu's gaze, meeting with Chishiya's who wouldn't peel away from him. In fact, it felt his gaze was peeling him apart like an onion. It wasn't a friendly sight, but one that harbored multiple feelings that were simply indescribable. Arisu felt embarrassed, a bit threatened, his ears turned red, but the sound was more alarming, lowering his concern about himself and turning it to Chishiya, “Is your heart good…?” he wasn't sure if that was what it was, but it seemed like a good enough bet.

Chishiya stared for a second longer, until he returned and nodded, “Arisu's right. Chishiya needs to watch out for his pressure.” He closed his eyes, laying back on the tub, facing the ceiling and fingers intertwined under the water. “He has a machine inside of him that needs vigilance. He presumes it's an hereditary condition.”

“Is that really why you can't join us down there?”

“No.”

Arisu tilted his head, setting the soap aside and dunking his head in the water, rinsing out the soap, and emerging again, slicking his hair back. Chishiya purposefully avoided looking at him now, more interested in the white tiles that reflected the dark blue light of the bathroom.

“What is it then?”

Chishiya did not respond.

“You not gonna tell me?”

“He can't.”

Arisu stared momentarily. Chishiya was attempting to conceal himself with his blanket of hair, darting any contact. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him in any way possible, it was a totally different world he didn't comprehend and Chishiya offered no hand. Still, it didn't matter yet. He would open up eventually.

Chishiya got up and exited the bathtub after unplugging all of the wires attached to him. Arisu made sure to turn his head as naturally as possible so that he didn't see anything he wasn't supposed to.

“Arisu will have to go back today. He cannot sleep here.” Chishiya had his back turned to him, drying himself off with a long towel, staring into the mirror. His hair wasn't very wet besides the ends, which wasn't a problem. It would dry quick enough. He decided to braid it so it wouldn't get tangled, a messy one, but extremely skilled, as if he made it bad on purpose. His fingers were trained like he was playing piano again and each strand danced with a specific pace like a marionette show, and Chishiya's fingers were the puppeteer.

Arisu didn't say anything for a while, just watching Chishiya braiding his hair wordlessly. The towel he chose was way too big, but it wasn't a bad choice. It covered everything, which he thanked. Then, he remembered what they were discussing, “What? Why?”

“Arisu interfered with Chishiya's sleep patterns.”

He blinked, not knowing what any of that meant.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Chishiya scoffed—the most emotion he's physically shown ever since Arisu began hanging around. “Apparently, he caused brain waves to shift in his sleep, therefore he mustn't stay.”

“And how did I do that?!”

“Doesn't know.”

“Ughhh…” Arisu sunk into the water, now cold, stretching his lower limbs more now that the tub was free. His body was still hurt all over, sore from everything today gave him, and he would have to return to his own confinement—when he didn't even know the way back!

Chishiya turned around after finishing his braid. He looked at the deplorable state of Arisu and almost felt bad for him. Almost. He shrugged the thought, and tossed him a towel instead. “Chishiya will be in his room. Arisu can leave whenever he pleases.”

And with that, he closed the door behind him. «Leave whenever he pleases,» huh? Chishiya was more clever than he let on, truly. It wouldn't be so terrible if he just.. stayed in the bathroom, right? He's not sleeping with Chishiya after all, so nobody could complain about it. Returning to his cell currently was off the list as well. Why would he even think about getting beat again? Regardless, he couldn't move even if he dreamed of it.

So he stayed there, mind drifted away. Thoughts of the conversation with Usagi, and how she noticed how she smiled at him when he ran on the treadmill. It made his heart flutter. But for some twisted reason, his mind couldn't help but fantasize Chishiya also there, looking at him with a smug smile, but proud all the same. One that encouraged him even more, to keep running, to escape. It was a twisted cycle of fate, how it played out in his head. But it probably just meant he wanted to free Chishiya just as much as others, right? It didn't mean anything else. He probably was the most chained down person he knew, so it was only fair.

Usagi… She came here with a desire to die, even when she tried to help around. It was so sad… He would make sure to make sure she would survive, and witness the beauty of humans as well. He had to see her again, talk her out of her sacrifice…

It seems like Arisu bed time storied himself to sleep, as his tired eyelids befall like a curtain, the water taking him in and embracing his sleep as he rested peacefully after an agitated day.

♦️♥️

Chapter Text

A girl and a boy sat under a tree, on the grass. The girl entertains herself by smacking two rocks against one another. The boy rested his chin on her shoulder, nibbling on her hair like it was a delicacy. The world inside those four walls of glass was all they knew, the outside of it was something they didn't quite understand and didn't bother to, for their haven inside was sacred and unbothered. They couldn't be reached inside, safe from harm. The girl and the boy were like two peas in a pod, always together, though the big monsters guarding them didn't seem too thrilled by it.

“Do you think those big monsters fight against each other?” the girl asked, as she smacked two rocks together, making explosion sounds with her mouth as she played. The boy kept nibbling on her hair, until eventually he let go to reply to her question, “If I was one, I'd make sure to be the most strongest possible and beat all of them!” he grasped at the grass under him, pulling at it and throwing it in the air, like the visual effects of the explosion

The girl giggled, the sweet, innocent kid kind of laughter, after all, that's what they were, both of them. 

The boy sucked on his thumb, still resting against her, and the girl dropped the two rocks. She looked at the void of the dark beyond the glass wall that adorned their small world. “What do you think is on the other side?” the boy tilted his head, expression uninterested but still, he took his thumb out of his mouth, a pool of drool forming on it. 

“Big scary monster that's going to eat you.” she gasped, scared, holding on herself as if it would protect her anymore. The boy smirked maliciously, proud of himself.

The day after that, one of the aliens came to collect the boy for a reason unbeknownst to her, even to the boy himself. It was the first time she'd seen it happen, and she hoped he wouldn't be gone too long. They were best friends after all, and being separated was something they just never knew.

She clung onto the alien’s leg, a monster about ten times her size, just to release the boy, but another one held her down. She sobbed, cried endlessly, like a limb was being ripped off of her body. The boy didn't say anything, but he stared at the girl's meltdown, how she begged for them to spare him and keep him there. The boy wanted to stay, but he'd long realized the truth of that place, even if she hadn't. Terrifying for a small kid to hold such intel regarding his surroundings so soon, but they didn't make it hard to figure. He simply nodded, an unfazed face as he allowed the alien to cuff him and take him out of the enclosure for the time being. He was then sedated, and taken somewhere he couldn't see.

She hoped as hard as she could, banged against the glass wall to bring the boy back, her tears running down her face like waterfalls, her gasps for air fogging up the glass. She eventually fell to her knees in defeat, hugging them so tight as if they would fall apart. 

In an instant, the entire place vanished from sight, thick smoke covered the outside, which snapped the girl out of her trance. She got up slowly, not understanding what it meant, until a glass shard flew towards her cheek, slicing it superficially in the process, but it stung, hard. She heard a lot of banging, rapid ones going off in her ears. It made her bones tremble, if she wasn't careful enough they would bounce off of her and leave. She dropped to the ground again, covered in fear and dust. She clung to herself, cooping herself up in a ball as if it would shield her from the world, because that's all she knew. A protection to the outside. A haven.

She sobbed quietly, which muffled the sounds going off around her, it never stopped, at least it seemed so. The girl couldn't focus on it anymore, at this time all she could think was that… If this really was what the outside was like, then she cursed herself for not protecting the boy. They really were about to eat him alive. He was probably gone by now. Kuina couldn't bear it, all she could do was cry, wail, sob. She was terrified, not for herself, but her best friend.

A hand touched her head, she lifted it up instantly, hoping to see the boy's short blond hair and eyes so big it contained the entire world inside of them. Instead, a taller human greeted her, speaking to her softly. She couldn't understand, she didn't want to. All she could muster was, “Is he okay…?”

She didn't get a response, the human didn't seem to know who she was referring to. Nevertheless, the girl didn't fight. The human picked her up, placing her on their shoulder and carrying her outside. She doesn't remember dozing off.

♣️

A few years later, Kuina didn't give up on looking for the boy, but her Mom wouldn't allow her to leave so easily. She could only frequent places also frequented by the underground human society, because it was too dangerous for a ten year old to venture off to the alien world. She loved her mom, the protection the house gave them, it reminded her of a time she had forgotten, but the imposition she put on her got on her nerves. She had always wondered what was beyond those walls and now she could! However, she knew the risks and obeyed. The house was comfortable, and the food was good whenever they got any. It tasted better than the watered down mysterious soup they were given sometimes, it had different shapes every time. It was great.

Her Mom had gotten her many trinkets, gifts from the rebellion, stuff she found on the floor or even made herself. Kuina loved all of them, but didn't quite stick to anything in particular other than a musical instrument where she blew air into it and it made a sound, depending on what hole she held it was a different sound each time. She liked it. Her Mom, seeing her interest, tried teaching her about music but Kuina couldn't pay attention, she wasn't trying to make a life out of a random object she liked. She would grow tired of it eventually anyways. 

One thing she loved was clothes and their variety. Now that was something she'd never get tired of—she loved mix-matching pieces together, and adding any kind of accessories she would come across. During this period, she finally was allowed to grow out her hair. Her Mom styled it, helped her comb through it and gave her a new hairstyle every day, she loved it. Even though she hadn't seen everything in the world, her Mom made sure she wasn't missing out on much. She also knew about the boy, and said that when they found him, that she would take him in. Apparently, humans can be related this way, when she explained to her what a mother was Kuina immediately asked—”What if the mom has two children?” to which she replied, “Then they're siblings. Brother and sister, sister and sister, brother and brother.” She bounced off the walls when her mom said the boy and her could be siblings. That was the best way to describe what they were, and inside the glass house she would have never figured out such. The person with the helmet who saved her, she owed them her life. Though she's still mad they didn't get him out too, she knows why that was. Her Mom left her a map of the place they lived, in case her Mom ever needed anything from there, or even her.

Turns out, precaution is never enough, and even the aliens raided the place she once called home. Kuina hid outside, inside of a garbage can, as per her Mom's instructions. The smell was unbearable, but she had nowhere to go. Stepping outside meant death, like a field full of mines. She didn't know how to get to them, how to get rid of them. Her Mom was in charge of getting rid of them, and she believed in her. She knew she was strong and smart, everything that makes a hero. To her, she was like the ultimate human. That was, until she heard a bang. 

Like the ones she heard then, when the world was falling apart in front of her. She knew what it meant, fatality. She doesn't recall clearly, but there were limp bodies of the aliens when she was carried outside. The bangs caused it. But… But she couldn't assume the worst. Maybe her Mom was the one who did it, and the aliens are the ones on the floor. She wouldn't falter so easily, she had to care for Kuina for a long time still, she had yet to meet the boy, too. They had yet to become a family, it couldn't end now.

Footsteps were near her. Kuina covered her mouth and stayed as still as a statue, breathing becoming nearly impossible but any misstep and breathing miserably would be the last thing she got to experience. For now, she just had to be still. Wait for them to leave. Run to Mom. 

They were exchanging words between each other, she didn't really understand what they were saying. They were looking for something, and she nearly died right there when she noticed the voice was eerily close to the garbage can where she hid. Thankfully, they apparently called off the search and left the house at once. 

Her main concern was her Mom. The aliens were obviously still thriving, so she was the victim, not the other way around. She ran inside, immediately noticing a trail of crimson on the floor that led into a bedroom, her Mom's. Kuina opened the door, fingers shaking as it hovered the knob, voice trembling as she called out, “Mom…?” 

Thankfully, she got a response, “...Kuina…”, her voice was weak, faltering by the second. She laid on the bed, blood soaking the mattress beneath her and one of her hands clutched a bullet wound in her kidney, the other clutched a photo. Blood seeped from her mouth, bruises adorned her like ornaments. Kuina never saw a sight so horrifying before, she didn't know how to react at first, but in that same beat she ran towards her, not daring tl touch her in case she hurt her, instead hands hovered haphazardly above her, not knowing where to go, mind running miles per second as her Mom slowly lost consciousness. Nonetheless, her eyes held a light that never went out, and even in such a state she smiled softly like pulse in her neck wasn't slowing down by the second. Like the wounds weren't real, and all that happened is that Kuina ran to her in the middle of the night after having a nightmare and her Mom, all-knowing, laid there waiting for her to join. “..My… light, join me…Will you?”

Kuina agreed, though hesitant, and laid on the small open space next to her mom, cuddling up to her, not minding the bloodstains, “I'm sorry if I smell bad, mommy… I hid… The way you said I should…” her Mom looked at her, a hand struggling to lift itself. She lost grip on the photograph, it falling to the ground. With all her might, she brought her hand to her head, just resting it on top of her hair as she didn't have energy to comb through it, “You did… I'm… Proud of you…”

Kuina's eyes welled up with tears, she leaned into the touch and held her Mom's face so softly like she could break, she didn't stop shaking but tried to seem as strong as possible in front of her. She never wanted to let her down, even if she said she was proud.

“Kuina…,” she said, voice breaking, "Have I told you what love is…?”

“No… You've only mentioned it…”

Her smile grew just a little bit bigger, it hurt to smile, but she couldn't help it. A thumb caressed Kuina's forehead, like she was blessing her with an unspoken prayer, “It's the one thing they can't take away from us…” a weird determination reverberated in her voice, still as quiet as ever, like the walls would snitch if they heard the words, “It's the hurt you feel in your chest right now… It's the joy you feel when you think of me…” she gasped, pausing for a minute. Kuina looked concerned and also confused, she needed to know more. “...It's our strongest drive…What makes us… Human. You'll understand it more when you're older… My light…” A fondness wretched in her voice, and Kuina itched closer to her, now resting her head against her Mom's chest, hearing her quiet heartbeat slowly fading away like an echo. 

She kissed it, the place where her heart was, and put her two arms around her, as gently as she could, though she pleaded for a more desperate hug, she was not in a state for such. Maybe, this too, is love. “Mommy… I love you… Don't go away…” she begged, and her mom simply cooed back, “I love you too…” her head rested against Kuina's, and there they embraced each other. “I promise you… I'll always be here.”

The room went quiet for a beat too long, and Kuina started freaking out. She tried to speak but no words came out. There was no warmth coming from her Mom, her thumb grew cold and colder by the second. Kuina was covered in blood, her Mom had become just.. a sack. Though she had no more to offer, Kuina would always be grateful, and carry her love forever, like the treasure it rightfully was.

The photograph showed a candid picture of Kuina and her Mom together, it was from when they first met after the rebellion gave her this kid after the miscarriage which prompted her husband to leave. Though bloodstained, it was the most precious item in Kuina's new collection of trinkets, one she'd never get tired of. She also actually picked up the flute, and attempted to learn music. She would've wanted that.

♣️♠️

“Usagi—NO, don't be reckless!” Kuina held onto her wrist tightly, refusing to let go. It was a tug of war, as both girls were physically strong, but Usagi eventually shrugged off her grasp, jumping backwards to dodge her hold again.

“I'm not being reckless! Till said it would be safe! He's been there himself!”

Kuina facepalmed, pacing around the room impatiently, “He—He was rescued! He never went there to save others! Besides—” she shoved a paper to Usagi's hands, forcing her to take it, pointing her finger towards the headline highlighted on the page, “Luka's gone! There's not gonna be a new Alien Stage!” she stomped her foot, in an attempt to show Usagi her contempt, who in contrast just showed little to not reaction, a determined expression adorning her features instead.

Kuina pressed her eyebrows together, knowing begging and begging had never led her nowhere before. Of course now would also be the same. But she would never, ever give up on someone she liked.

Usagi inched closer, a hand reaching out to her shoulder, which Kuina slapped away, “I don't wanna watch you die!” short and quick honesty, loud and clear, it made Usagi freeze in her position, her hands now slowly crossing over her chest. She was the oldest she could be to enroll in the Alien Stage, one more year and there was no use trying. She was well aware of the risk, but there was little to no hope in here anyways. Even if it was a sacrifice and pointless, she tried. She didn't cross her arms and wait for salvation.

“You never stopped looking for your brother, right?” Usagi quizzed, which made Kuina look and furrow her eyebrows further. “You don't think he's dead even though everyone tells you he is, right?” she didn't speak. Her silence spoke volumes, though she did agree. She was well aware of what she was doing, and her next words would decide Kuina's final decision. “That's the place we haven't looked… My creator—my dad, he has to be there, I don't know how, I just…” Usagi sat down on a bench, head in hands, hair hanging around her, posing as curtain to  cover her entire demeanor, though it was obvious she was exhausted, lost. She had forfeited so much now. Hope drained by the second.

Kuina sat beside her, slouching slightly. She understood well what such a loss did to her, it had barely been a year since she lost her Mom too. She didn't blame Usagi for trying, but Kuina hated to see everyone she loved rush into death. No one stuck by her. “Usagi…” she put a hand on her shoulder, she looked up and their eyes met for a second before she spoke again, “I've seen what they're capable of, I barely know you yet you're already running towards danger like everyone else, I can't bear it!” her voice was strained, a sob stuck in her throat. She was right, Usagi didn't deny it.

Usagi pulled her close, embracing her and allowing her to cry into her shoulder, years of pent up grief that she never really showed coming together in an instant, Usagi stoic as ever, but empathetic enough to comprehend why, “This won't be the last time we meet, I promise you. I've been waiting for this my whole life.”

Kuina didn't fight. She clung to her clothes, the fabric, trying to extend the moment for a little moment longer. Trying to record her presence before it was filled by silence.

Usagi didn't say goodbye the next day. Only a note that said to save her a few candies when she came back.

Kuina grew surrounded by compassionate, strong people. Their wills were admirable, and she saw herself in them. She trained alongside them, becoming one of their strongest assets at a young age. She swore on her soul to find the aliens who killed her Mom and make them pay, in the path, she would make them all pay. She didn't seek revenge per say, but she sought justice. Someone had to impose it where it wasn't possible.

She always covered her head with a black hoodie and her face with a scarf, becoming invisible to the aliens. She often acted on her own, despite the adults knowing how dangerous, it was they didn't really stop her. She was capable, and the bounty on her head spoke by itself. After five years of training, she was more than set as an alien hunter and a human rescuer.

Kuina figured a lot of them were drawn by music, and her flute was like enchanting a snake right into its doom. All she had to do was promise a private concert and they'd come. No questions asked. Most of the time, she didn't even play. They didn't deserve the human made music. She played for herself and others like her. Never repugnant creatures like those. After luring them, she always snapped their necks, painless and quick. Though she wanted justice, she would never stomp to their level and be as cruel as they were to her. The children she saved in captivity didn't deserve to witness it.

♦️

There wasn't any value to them other than her intelligence. How cunning she was to the aliens—able to think like a human yet working with their enemy. Ann was a human who got the extremely rare privilege of actually having a job, and not one where she was merely slaving away and doing what they wanted, it was actually honorable. At the least, such a possibility used to be, depending on how you looked at it. 

Ann was an investigator, a detective. Not really a policewoman as she couldn't exercise the position. But her wits helped find the stray humans, who Ann hated to turn in. But she did it nonetheless, out of jealousy? Guilt? Fear? Who knew why she felt the way she did exactly. Maybe it could be dated back to when she was younger and was forced to always comply, stay in line, be useful. She didn't serve a purpose in specific, and that made her expendable, a mere meat sack in the eyes of those with more power than her. 

She was used in ways she didn't even understand fully, so she knew she should comply, stay in line, so she didn't meet her demise. Thankfully, she was blessed enough with a higher IQ and upon multiple tests, she was able to serve a purpose bigger than her. 

Now, she looked at the file of the faceless alien hunter, trying to think like them. Trying to be in their position. Over 60 kills in the spawn of 6 years, completely unpunished. She had never seen something quite like that. Of course, the underground society had something to do with it, but as far as she knew, this was her doing. Catching her meant ending the rebellion too, as for years they managed to escape with only smoke left behind, no faces, no people attached. It was imperative to catch this individual, no matter how much it took.

She took a pen, and began scribbling on the file, looking for anything that could tell her something: a pattern, a motive, a reason. Soon enough, she saw it.

The victims—the aliens—were all wealthy human slave owners. Not only that, but a handful of them owned exclusively children, meaning there was a preference. The names of the aliens were all once dreaded on the streets, but now they were a threat no longer due to this hunter. For both humans and aliens alike. Ann started biting on the end of her pen, deep in thought. It was only safe to assume she only targeted the absolute scum of aliens, but it didn't tell her when. It was all on a coincidental night when the aliens were alone, but how did such a setting come to be? It was hard to tell. 

After rummaging through a few of the cases, it led her to a dead end. The aliens all had empty schedules shortly before their death. Friends and their partners knew of nothing the alien was up to. So, how did a perfect setting come to be…? Unless…

No, there was something she was missing for sure. But there was one thing she could do. Knowing the previous victims, she could calculate who the next ones could be and watch them. Seek any irregularities. Catch the killer by surprise… Turn them in and put an end to the charade. Maybe ascend to a higher position, and finally be praised and honored for being more than a thing to them…However… It didn't feel quite right to her. 

The hunter's reason was admirable, she couldn't deny it. In Ann's eyes, they didn't deserve mercy and death was the kindest thing they could do. In an ideal world, justice would be brought differently. Those monsters locked away indefinitely, rotting in their sin. But this could never come to be, because society no longer functioned the way it did over a century ago. 

Ann sighed, sadly. She looked out the window. It was dark already, and the lights of the city beneath her shone brightly, all in different colors. Big signs from bars flickered different neon colors, houses lit inside. A particular big building bustled with light, the once abandoned Alien Stage, now shining brightly in the night like the sole moon they once had on Earth. Soon enough the killing show would start, the free entertainment for aliens but pure agony for humanity, no exception. Avoiding its sight, Ann saw some signs flashing a permanent white light, with a text, in alien language, that encouraged its reader to buy its perfectly built human for all purposes. If the Alien Stage made her feel sick, then this type of advertisement made her actually want to throw up everything she's ever tasted as far as she can remember.

She remembered faintly what she experienced; a memory she'd prefer buried rather than needing to explain to her thoughts. She knew what hapened, and that alone was enough to make something inside of her twitch a little differently.

Ann considered—maybe she could offer some help to the hunter instead. It would all depend on their true intentions. 

Nights ran by at all white. Not a blink of sleep. No rest. Cameras invaded the privacy of three renowned human slave traders. Something would come up soon. Something needed to be done, there was no way… There's no way it was a coincidence, correct? Ann could barely think straight, and she nearly missed it when she saw an alien opening a letter that arrived to its house by mysterious means—there was nothing outside, it was set by pure artistry. One that could only belong to one person, though she'd never seen them in action, she knew. She knew deep in her bones this had to be them. No one else could master this, why was she so sure?—Maybe the lack of sleep, or pure human intuition. Who knows. But this was huge, however, she would need to infiltrate the place to be sure. And the worst part of the plan is that she couldn't let anybody know about the alien going anywhere. The alien needed to be sacrificed. Ann wanted to go alone for this reason, and see for herself, but obviously they would ask, they followed her every move. She couldn't converse with the hunter if she was followed by any of them. Yet, she's never really been outside by herself. She hardly breathed the air outside as it is, but she would have to. She had enough survival instincts to make it, for sure, but any misstep and it was over. She thought long, and her best bet would be to pretend to be a rebel and stalk the hunter. She knew aliens well, could anticipate anything coming her way, and avoiding them wouldn't pose a challenge. Now, blending in with humans would be where she's in a disadvantage, funnily enough. The closest she's ever been to one was in a cell before she was traded away from her creator and her other creations. After that, it was all screens and criminal records. Nothing more. But that was a plan, and there was absolutely no room for failure. She needed to make it.

On the night of the murder, Ann was lucky enough the aliens had coincidentally gone out to the bar and left her in her cell unattended. Messing with the camera footage didn't pose a problem, and sneaking out occurred without any issues, other than falling off a high window does, in fact, cause significant damage to your ankle. But she had places to be and couldn't linger on the pain that was itching at her foot. Though limping towards the location of the warehouse, Ann couldn't peel her away from the bustling of the city. It was so much more lively and extravagant than the small fragments of light she could see from the building. She pulled her hood down, hiding as much as she could from any passerbies, a trick she'd learned from the hunter she became fascinated with in just a couple days. 

She tried to find a hiding place, until an idea of hiding in plain sight came to mind—simply disguising herself as one of the slaves could work. But it would definitely raise suspicion and any discrepancy would end in the plan falling apart and her inevitable end. She gulped, cornered in the pressure she put herself under, then she remembered—the window. The one on top of the warehouse. It was used to illuminate the place, anything to avoid paying for the electricity, because humans weren't worthy of that it seemed. With all her might and weak muscles, Ann did her best to climb. It wasn't too hard, because the planks were uneven and left her with some good resting spots, and figuring out a path to climb was rather easy. And the glass on top of the roof was extremely sturdy, so it handled her height pretty well. She laid next to it, afraid that her shadow would somehow be seen.

And soon enough, her hypothesis and intuition came into one. The alien was inside, laughing to itself about something Ann couldn't tell, but most likely the bragging of having struck gold. The masked hunter sneaked inside, like a shadow. It was fascinating—the majesty of being completely unseen. Ann wondered what that was like, to completely disappear off the radar.

And obviously, she blinked a second too long, because the next, the alien was already on the floor. Gone. Just how did that happen…?

Ann slid down the window and tried her best to jump down off of the roof, climbing down carefully until the height was far enough to not cause her other ankle to sprain. Needless to say, a sharp pain ran up her leg when it met the ground again, but she couldn't back away. The killer tended to the children and teens, breaking their chains with some type of utensil she didn't know the name of. Didn't know. Not knowing… sounded wrong, incorrect. But it was reality. 

She limped towards the entrance, leaning on the doorway, and announced, "We finally meet.” though her voice sounded weaker than she intended, hood still hindering her sight and overall face. Though unlike the killer, no scarf to hide the mouth. Only baggy white clothes that were mainly worn by prisoners nowadays.

The hunter froze, turning around slowly, blood running cold through their veins. Immediately they huddled the children and under their arms as a shield, putting their lives above theirs. A simple gesture, but one that told Ann all she needed to know, but what they said really sold it for her, “Take me away—just get them to safety. I don't care.” they pleaded immediately, there was no fear in their voice, only that of genuine fear for the humans, but not their own life. Not death.

“No—no.” Ann tried to walk towards them, but failed given her injury. “I want you to take me away.”

Surprise etched the hunter's expression, though it was basically invisible to Ann, still, they motioned the kids behind them and walked over towards her, offering their shoulder to lean on for the walk back, as they'd figured out she was injured. With the other hand, she pulled down her scarf, showing her feminine features. She smiled brightly at Ann, “Well, welcome! I'm Kuina, or Hikari. Whichever you prefer!”

Ann stated in awe, not expecting a serial killer to be so… Kind. It was a trap that she was to fall into so, so deep, or a fairytale from a really long time ago, where the heroes were always misunderstood given their deeds. Basically: Kuina was either insane, or unreal. Both were okay by her. “...Ann.” She put her arm on her shoulder, and let the other girl take her, and the kids followed suit behind. Even if she was falling straight into death's cradle, Ann accepted it pretty optimistically, as dying by a human would be a hundred times more honorable, (especially if by a killer like Kuina), than by a ruthless alien on a random day it was feeling bored and wanted her gone from existence. At least here her life could have a smidge of meaning.

♦️♣️

Chapter Text

The room was quiet, comfortably so, with only the rhythmic hum of the machines surrounding him. Chishiya sat on his hospital bed, blanket pulled up to his lap and a notebook propped up. He read it over, then glanced up at the other man sitting next to him on the bed, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly.

“Soooo… Think you can help me?” Arisu asked gingerly, scratching the nape of his neck with a lopsided smile. Chishiya merely regarded him and took the pencil off his hand, scribbling on the paper. His writing was methodic, precise, like he was scripted down to the last muscle to be in this exact position. Arisu merely watched nervously.

“Has Arisu heard?” Chishiya began, while still breaking down an equation, “They have announced the opponents for the first round.” Arisu's head perked up, clearly surprised. Chishiya spared him a quick glance to observe his reaction, “Something is different this year though. Arisu and Chishiya won't be singing against each other, but with each other.”

Arisu shuffled on his seat, turning his body fully to him. Chishiya moved his leg out of the way. “Huh? What do you mean? Like, we'll be on duos?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe we can finally make it so there's two winners this time!” he grinned, ear to ear. Chishiya stopped in his tracks and stared at him, eyes so hollow they sunk into themselves. No light inside whatsoever, a bottomless pit. Clearly, he didn't seem amused by the idea, not thrilled as he should be. Those words merely bounced off the walls in his head, but he didn't speak up, instead he just explained the problem at hand. “Arisu has to multiply and then subtract. Simple PEMDAS. Chishiya already did the hard part.” 

It had been only a little over a week since Arisu was assigned to be Chishiya's companion, but he could clearly tell he wasn't exactly the happiest by his presence. They were talking solely given a contract as it seemed, it upset Arisu, not because Chishiya didn't like him but because he had actually started to like Chishiya himself. The façade he put on was unnerving but all too mysterious, he was extremely skilled and wise, it was admirable even if he was wired that way. Such discipline in every movement was hardly attainable, Chishiya was extremely hard working or it had been beaten into him. Arisu envied him for he couldn't do the same. Whenever his guardian wanted him to do a certain thing, he rebelled, for he hated to compel others and tried as much as he could to stay true to himself. Moreover, there were breaches in Chishiya too. When he tilted his lips ever so slightly and he could tell it wasn't acting, but a genuine emotion. When he was at such a loss of words his eyes welled up with light and wonder, a starlit sky in those big orbs. When his voice broke with emotion, and he slipped up into talking like an actual person and not like a program. Chishiya was a complex puzzle, and Arisu enjoyed it. The fact it was just that though—Chishiya didn't show interest in Arisu. Barely looked at him most of the time, spoke to him like an enigma, didn't want to know more. He wondered for how long this play would go for before the curtain was drawn.

Arisu left earlier than usual that day, for he wanted to speak to his friends regarding the rounds. He waved excitedly to Chishiya as he disappeared into the immense hallway. Chishiya only stood on the doorframe, unmoving. As his figure faded like a mirage, bars closing in on him. He stared for just a second longer that he usually would, and a deviant thought of freedom seeped into his mind. He wondered what kids like Arisu did outside of there. He wondered if it really would be such a big deal if he just started running and never looked back. If he forfeited everything he had achieved and started from scratch. He gasped, surprised. He didn't know he could conjure such a thought; defiance had never been something he partook in. His heartbeat went a rhythm slightly faster than it should have in that second, and Chishiya knew what it meant. Dejected, he returned inside, prepared for what awaited him. 

Karube and Chota sat under a tree, the most isolated from the others. Given it was the furthest from the rest, they were hardly spotted hanging there, and even if they were followed, they resorted to jumping into the nearby river. It was their place, their haven. Nobody dared disturb. Of course, Arisu was never too much of a fan of going into the water, since they always got sick from it, but Karube's carefree thinking and Chota's optimism always convinced him otherwise. When he spotted them, they seemed to have a serious look on their faces that they quickly disguised when they spotted his silhouette in the distance. He shrugged it away, and innocently smiled at the duo, sitting besides them.

“Arisu,” Karube spoke all too softly, which earned him being elbowed by Chota, “What are you doing here my man?!” his tone drastically changed, from quiet to all too enthusiastic. Which Arisu tried to pay no mind to.

“I saw that the rounds got announced and thought I'd find you guys here.”

Chota looked at him worriedly, “What about Chishiya?”

He cooked an eyebrow, “What about him?! You guys are my friends.”

They looked between each other, not speaking with their mouths but with their minds, then nodding. “Yeah, he's your friend too, don't cha think it's mean to leave him hangin'?”

Chota agreed, and added, “You guys have to really get along now, too! Since you're like… Together and all.”

Arisu pouted, “I don't get why they would pair me up with him, obviously I get more along with you guys.” he plopped his back onto the grass, laying down, while the two still leaned against the trunk of the tree.

“I mean, it's probably because Chishiya himself doesn't have anyone.” Arisu agreed with Chota's statement, to which Karube added, “Me and Chota were set up together. We're three after all, it's just meant for one of us to get separated.”

Arisu frowned. Even though he was right, Arisu didn't quite enjoy the thought of him being the one that didn't fit in with them—especially lately, where he's been hanging out with them less and less to focus on Chishiya. It was unfruitful nevertheless, there was simply no point in engaging with that… creature. Barely knew how to be a human himself and held no respect for others. At the same time, he was throwing away his life-long friendship with those who actually meant something to him. It wasn't right.

“Well—when you guys perform, I'll be there! Cheering you on!”

Karube gave Arisu an all-knowing smile, while Chota gave him a lopsided smile. They both seemed like they had something hiding under their sleeve, Arisu could tell. But he wouldn't press, because they would eventually come to their senses. “Ugh, I can just picture the chemistry you'll have. Meanwhile me and Chishiya's are below the negatives. I'll probably get eliminated in the first round.”

A pause lingered for a moment too long. Like he had spoken of a taboo, the statement hung in the air heavily. It was a joke, yes, but perhaps now hadn't been the time. Obviously they were worried about something, and he had just made it worse. He was worried he accidentally gave his friends a horrifying sight in their imagination, so he sat up in one breath to soothe their thoughts. Much to his surprise, they were surprisingly calm, and were merely whispering to one another. 

And so, it had begun. He was slowly being cast away from his own friends. Murmurs that didn't belong to his ears, looks that weren't in his direction. They were doing it now without him, but the fire in his heart never burned so bright. He'd keep fighting, for they would have their dream come true. One way or another. They would all leave that place together. Seeing his two treasured friends getting along, even if he was left behind, filled him with joy, because he knew he was also doing his part in their future, somehow.

♥️♣️♠️

Class was always uneventful, of course. Though at this time of the year, it was somehow more electric. The rounds were finally announced and everyone was close to graduating. Arisu didn't have the most famous grades, but they were high enough. He never cared about them much, unlike his guardian. He'd given up pleasing them ages ago, he didn't know whether to hate those who sucked up to their aliens or envy them for the determination they maintained despite everything. Arisu was just finishing up organizing a folder with assignments to turn in for his project, until he looked up.

Chishiya waltzed his way into the classroom like he was part of the wallpaper. Worse—nobody knew it was him. Nobody spared him a glance nor an enthusiastic gasp. Not even the alien who served as their teacher. He merely handed him a folder and bowed graciously and was about to open the door again, until he was hit in the head with something. A piece of paper crumpled into a ball.

Arisu got up from his seat and hurriedly walked towards Chishiya who stood so still he might have not been breathing at that point. 

“You okay?” Arisu asked, as he leaned slightly towards Chishiya, who gave him no response. Instead, he knelt down and picked up the paper, unfolding it. He handed the paper to Arisu, who raised a brow upon reading its contents. ‘u cute girl-n’

“You can't be serious…” he pinched his nose annoyed, as he looked around the classroom to search for the damned seat where Niragi sat down, obviously, he had that smirk on his face that told him two things: he didn't know who he was dealing with, and two, he had already pictured Chishiya in crude ways. How… Fervently disgusting. No wonder he had to resort to these types of flirting, no one even dared to spare him a glance. 

Arisu took Chishiya's hand into his and led him in front of the seat where Niragi sat, who whistled at them with hands behind his back at seeing them together. “Oh Arisu, didn't know she was yours, but you're a little too late now.”

Chishiya tucked his long bangs behind his ear, revealing his soft cheeks that glistened under the soft light of the classroom. He didn't look up at Niragi nor at Arisu, he kept his gaze low and disconnected. It was like he wasn't really there, but somewhere else. It was certainly a different sight from the Chishiya that Arisu knew, but it wasn't surprising.

Him, on the other hand, was completely flustered by the situation and simultaneously enraged by Niragi's behavior, whereas he thought he could just hit on anyone. He went ahead and tucked the other side of Chishiya's bangs, which did earn him a slight surprise stare by the other this time. Now, his entire face was bare.

“See?! He's not ‘my girl’, he's my friend, and he's a guy, so stop being weird, for fuck's sake!”

Niragi stared. Long. He really looked at them with the most stoic expression, you could read his wrinkles, calculating the situation thoroughly, until a loud laugh broke out from his mouth, and he smirked, wide.

“So, that's his thing? He pretends to be a girl for attention? Man, I'm sure the aliens love that!”

Arisu's wrist tightened, and he was about to swing at Niragi, to punch the smug look off his face and obviously (hopefully) break his nose in the process, to make him eat the poison he was spilling, but something was quicker. Chishiya's arm shielded him, a motion to make him stop in his tracks and look at him. He, on the other hand, remained with a disconnected expression. He looked at Niragi, not really acknowledging his words, then looked at Arisu. Wordlessly, Chishiya turned on his heel and left. That was it. Chishiya didn't seem angry, if anything he seemed even a little proud of himself. Arisu stood there, mouth agape. Niragi leaned on his seat, smirk growing bigger and more wicked by the second.

“You're being weird for pursuing him. It's not how it's supposed to be, you know—”

He was cut off by a smack, not by Arisu, but it came from behind Niragi himself, it was strong enough to make his head hit the desk he sat at, Niragi immediately looked up, searching for the culprit as he rubbed circles on his now bruised head. “...Oh, it's you.”

“I know you're jealous, but you can't just assume things.” Usagi stood her ground firmly, looking down at Niragi, who now had an annoyed expression. Usagi didn't wait for him to add anything, and grabbed Arisu by the shoulder and practically dragged him out of the classroom. Again, he just stood as surprised as he had been for a good minute now.

Usagi snapped her fingers in front of him, to wake him from his trance. It seemed to do the job, all he could muster was a stutter, from embarrassment, “T…Thank you, Usagi.” she nodded in response. 

She inched a little closer to him, like the entire world was listening in on them, “Who did you get paired with?”

Arisu blinked at her momentarily, but replied in the same quiet and whispering tone, “Chishiya, why?”

A pause. “Does he want to leave?”

An even longer pause now. Arisu didn't know the answer. Yeah, he forbade him from talking about the outside, but the way he looked at him so hopeful and with genuine wonder as Arisu talked about the future with his friends in a safer place let him know there was more than what meets the eye. “Think so, why?”

“Like I told you, we had to wait,” Usagi took both his hands into hers, narrowing her determined eyebrows. The fire in her eyes was enough to ignite his own, to remind him what he was doing this for all along. Arisu was a little envious. “But just try to survive now—I will let you know if I need help, if we do have Chishiya on our side it would certainly make things better… His alien oversees the Alien Stage. Getting info would be easier…” Usagi started talking to herself out loud, her thought process and perspective on the plan. She spoke of destroying it from the inside, something like that. Arisu stopped listening, because he didn't know what she was talking about exactly, though he kept her words in mind for the upcoming future. He couldn't ignore, however, the way her hands had started to grip his a little tighter. Whatever drove her, was certainly doing its magic. For a split second, he wondered if Chishiya had a drive too.

♥️♠️

Practice had gone as it always does, and Ann was making a lot of progress and getting better at fighting at an alarming fast pace, so much so that Kuina wondered if she had some genetic mutations added to her when she was under the aliens' care. She grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off her forehead, Ann grabbed a water bottle and drank it like a lifeline. 

Kuina gazed at her and snorted, but immediately covered her mouth to muffle the sound. Ann stared at her almost immediately, “What's funny?”

Kuina lost composure basically immediately and dove her head straight into the towel to avoid eye contact, “Nothing!” she shouted while her head was buried, but her voice was not muffled in the slightest. Ann only spared her a smile before her attention shifted to a figure walking into the room. 

Aguni had a tablet in his hand which he handed to Ann who took it readily. She read over the contents, and it turns out the Alien Stage had announced the rounds that would begin in three months, more or less. Something was wrong though. There were so many participants then they expected and they were all in teams. Sweat ran cold. 

Kuina peered over her shoulder to look over the contents as well, and her face went pale. She snatched the tablet away from her hands and sat down on the bench in one swift motion. Ann was distraught, but just sat down next to her.

Kuina zoomed in on one of the participants, one whose name was “Chishiya”. The features didn't lie, though it had been years and she should have forgotten his features, the distinct shade of blond was unforgettable. It had to be him. “We have to save him! It's him!” 

Ann didn't seem to understand what she meant, but Aguni's pose immediately changed, from unfazed to guarded. He always had a stance that showed he didn't bear good news, but this time he had a hint of sadness in his eyes, though he fought to keep a straight face. “We can't save all of them—”

“Then I'll save him myself!” she interrupted immediately. Aguni's eyebrows furrowed, a glisten in his eyes. 

“We'll discuss the plans tomorrow. No practice. Focus.”

Aguni left the tablet behind and just exited the room as fast as he'd arrived. In there, Kuina's eyes were glued to the screen, continuously zooming in on Chishiya's portrait like it hid a secret. Ann, who had remained silent up until now, affirmed: “I've seen him before.”

Kuina finally let go of the stare off with the portrait and looked up, not facing Ann at first, but taking in her words instead, like the secret of life had just been shared to her and she was breaking it down. She looked at her, sadness etched on her face. “You have?” she spoke all too softly, voice breaking, something stuck to her throat threatened to burst at any second.

Ann didn't develop at first, only taking Kuina's reaction and noticing how much this guy meant to her. A silver of guilt punched her stomach. If only they met earlier, she could have saved that guy and she wouldn't need to see Kuina with such worry in her features, “Yes.  He's performed for the aliens that owned me. He's very talented, plays a lot of instruments, has a voice with a great pitch, mellow and full of emotion…” she cleared her throat, realizing she was drifting off the topic, but Kuina didn't mind, in fact she inched even closer, like the closer she was the more information she'd get. “Anyway, we exchanged a couple words. It was a first for me, I hadn't seen a human face to face or spoken to one…”

She recounted:

Chishiya sat in the room assigned by the alien who guarded him, monitoring his heart beat carefully and making sure it didn't go up before the performance. No errors could ensure if he wanted to truly prove his worth as a true star. If he wanted to prove his life even held a smidge of value to those above him, to himself. 

He sighed.

The door opened, he looked up. There, a slim woman was led inside. An alien gripped her shoulder roughly, as if she could escape. However, her posture showed only discipline. If it had let go, she would remain as still as a statue, not walking, not leaving. 

Ann regarded him, “I am Ann.” she bowed down, taking her time in the action. Her gaze remained as phlegmatic as ever. The alien behind her seemed almost thrilled, whereas she didn't exactly have a reaction to Chishiya's presence. “We are very excited to have you play. It is an honor. Thank you.”

Chishiya returned the emotionless gaze. “Chishiya is only doing what he's meant to do, nothing else.” his tone was cold as ice, but Ann didn't flinch. Instead, she held eye contact with him. Her first time speaking with a human, and who knows, maybe it was his first too, and neither of them seemed to hold a singular emotion. Instead, they were only puppets. 

The longer she looked, the more her mind seemed to understand him. Words didn't need to be exchanged, to a degree, they were similar. Chishiya understood that too, and the machine attached to him started beeping a bit faster than it should have. 

The alien who accompanied her knew what it meant, and slapped Ann hard for what she had done, despite not having done anything. She tumbled backwards, nearly falling down, but she managed to keep her balance. Chishiya stared at her, and Ann back, despite the hurt she couldn't bring her face to wrinkle. 

“Do not fret. Chishiya is a professional. His heartbeat, like any humans’, sometimes spikes.”

Chishiya spoke so eloquently, and it convinced the alien to not land a second hit. Instead, it grabbed Ann by the neck and had her stand straight again. They bowed, and left. 

Ann looked over her shoulder, trying to see Chishiya one more time. Who knew the next time she might see a human again?

Chishiya looked at her back. Undeniably, a wave of sadness washed over his face. She didn't know why, but one thing she was sure of: he'd meet the same fate she just had soon too. In that last second they saw each other, truly eye to eye. They both shared the same woes. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Kuina didn't say anything at first. The gears in her brain were turning, and suddenly she started shaking her head. “They…” She started but didn't continue. She borrowed her head in hands, tossing the tablet to the side. She gripped her head hard. Ann offered her arm, putting it around her shoulder as an attempt of a side hug. “They broke him! Chishiya wasn't like that, oh my- Ugh!” she cut herself off, grunting in frustration instead of continuing her sentence. Ann didn’t know what to say or do, she was never the best at comforting. Kuina only continued to make increasingly louder frustrated sounds in response.

“Ann, please help me save him- You, you guys… You're alike.” she looked at her, eyes glowing but not from curiosity. They were wet, threatening at any second to spill mercilessly. “You have to help me, please, please. You owe me—” Ann cut her off immediately, now embracing Kuina completely, hugging her so tight like she could break apart if she was unguarded for even a second. Ann wasn't too familiar with comforting, nor human touch, but she knew this brought warmth. 

Kuina had hugged her before. It helped her breathe easier, made her heart return to her chest, and her brain slow down for a second. In that second, all that mattered was Kuina's smell and her soft dreadlocks. Not the abuse she had experienced, not the violent crime scenes she bore witness to, not the times she was used. Ann only wanted to make her feel the same way—make things easier.

It seemed to work. Her breathing was steadier against her neck, and she even hugged her back, just as intensely. 

“I'll do everything I can for you.”

♦️♣️